Oh, I can HANDLE the barbs... its just annoying to have to constantly pump out new units to keep em at bay, cause sometimes they get lucky, and an axeman kills an axeman of mine in the woods with my guy being the defender, full health, when my guy had combat +1 and vs melee +25%.
Barbarians? Need help.
- Thread starter Raziaar
- Start date
the last game i played (using the earth map included) had about 6-7 barbarian cities in n.america.
i was the first to "discover the new world" and i thought i'd easily expand across all this space. when i landed my unsuspecting settler and musket man and set up camp, i was in a for a bit of a suprise as literal hordes of barbarians swarmed in on me. i really enjoyed the fact that they included barbarian cities
i was the first to "discover the new world" and i thought i'd easily expand across all this space. when i landed my unsuspecting settler and musket man and set up camp, i was in a for a bit of a suprise as literal hordes of barbarians swarmed in on me. i really enjoyed the fact that they included barbarian cities
Pfeffersack said:
Oh, yes.. they can be....
Especially on larger maps. I played a game on a Huge map last night, and had as many as 6 new barbarians per turn, and at times have had over 15 on the map in various spots.
It finally got so bad it was impossible to do any improvements - they were pillaging faster than I could build, and killing my units as fast as I could build.
So I finally got mad and used WorldBuilder to make some Modern Armor. And even then, with 6 cities I had to make about 10 tanks just to keep them away from my town areas. They were coming in hordes at that point - and it was not just me. I sent 4 Modern Armor out to explore, and found about 10 OTHER civ cities that had been taken over by barbarians. At least one civ had been destroyed by them.
So, in short, there ARE too many barbarians, especially on larger maps.
Crayton said:
That is not the problem. The fact is, there are simply TOO MANY barbarians on larger (bigger than normal) maps. I have seen it get to the point where barbs had more cities than ALL civs combined did. A game last night I saw *12* barbarian cities, and they were churning out raiders like crazy. They were spawning faster than you could kill them.
So until I or someone figures out the tweak to lower the number of barbs, or it gets patched, I play on custom maps with barbarians clicked OFF.
The same happened to me. During the last game, it turned out that all civs were on a pangea-style map (I like to play with all the map options (that can be) set to random). The others civs were quite far away, maybe because there's a huge desert south of me.
The uninhabitated area is a barbarian madhouse! I have 4 cities and I'm constantly producing defenders only to keep up with them. My problem: meanwhile the barbarians have axemen and I don't have access to a copper or iron resource.
I have no idea how to turn it around and stop that constant waves of barbarians.
The uninhabitated area is a barbarian madhouse! I have 4 cities and I'm constantly producing defenders only to keep up with them. My problem: meanwhile the barbarians have axemen and I don't have access to a copper or iron resource.
I have no idea how to turn it around and stop that constant waves of barbarians.
Barbs will consantly pop cities. On my last game I had 0 AI on the same landmass, and I'd take one city down, and they would spawn 2 more. Take note of the direction they are coming from, and send scouts in that direction.
You can't neglect military early game or you will get overrun really fast. I typically go for an early religion, then go for Iron tech to get swordsmen. This will let you have axes and swords, one good for taking on roaming barbarians, the other for dealing with cities.
You can't neglect military early game or you will get overrun really fast. I typically go for an early religion, then go for Iron tech to get swordsmen. This will let you have axes and swords, one good for taking on roaming barbarians, the other for dealing with cities.
Pfeffersack
Deity
Yes, more open space means more barbs.I still don't think there are too many, I even turn raging barbs on (playing Monarch) and have no bigger problems.However, here is another tips how to reduce frequency: Raise the sea level and/or increase the number of civs on huge maps.This should reduce barbarian activity a lot.
mossmonster
Consider, if you will...
Note: This is a repeat from a similar thread in General Discussions.
Updated strategy that seemed to work for me pretty well was to seriously patrol the wilderness. As soon as hunting is researched build lots of scouts, depending on your starting position, maybe 4 to 10. Have these guys literally run back and forth in circles around your wilderness, the purpose being to not leave any tile 'in the dark' and not illuminated by one of your scouts passing by. Barbs seem to spawn on dark tiles that are left alone and merely having your unit patrol by and 'light it up' stops this process.
Any animals you kill and gain experience for use those points to upgrade to woodsman I & II. This will increase that unit's mobility and therefore its usefulness in patrolling.
IMHO it is much cheaper to build scouts and not have to fight than to wait and have to build stronger military units and lose them defending against a barb invasion of your homeland that could have been all but prevented.
Updated strategy that seemed to work for me pretty well was to seriously patrol the wilderness. As soon as hunting is researched build lots of scouts, depending on your starting position, maybe 4 to 10. Have these guys literally run back and forth in circles around your wilderness, the purpose being to not leave any tile 'in the dark' and not illuminated by one of your scouts passing by. Barbs seem to spawn on dark tiles that are left alone and merely having your unit patrol by and 'light it up' stops this process.
Any animals you kill and gain experience for use those points to upgrade to woodsman I & II. This will increase that unit's mobility and therefore its usefulness in patrolling.
IMHO it is much cheaper to build scouts and not have to fight than to wait and have to build stronger military units and lose them defending against a barb invasion of your homeland that could have been all but prevented.
Barbarians can be a problem for a while. Some things I have noticed though that help is HOW you deal with them.
Someone already mentioned that they will ruin improvements on their way to you town. Another thing they will do is attack pretty much ANY unit that is near them.
What I do is set up a place to make a stand. Forests are best I think with 50%, hills are 25% bonus. If you get lucky and have a Hills WITH Forest that's 75% defense bonus. If you have time to fortify that is 5% for each turn you have set up. (or if you must attack, do it when they are on plains or grasslands with no defense bonus).
With Roads around your town you can easily get a unit out on an intercept course and pick a place to have your unit defend on the best Terrain for the fight.
If you can do this enough times and LIVE then you will get some powerful units due the experience they will get, which will stay with them if you upgrade them as your technology increases.
Remember before attacking to hold down the ALT key and mouse over the enemy, it will tell you the odds of the battle and what combat modifiers are present.
Hope this helps!
Patrick
Someone already mentioned that they will ruin improvements on their way to you town. Another thing they will do is attack pretty much ANY unit that is near them.
What I do is set up a place to make a stand. Forests are best I think with 50%, hills are 25% bonus. If you get lucky and have a Hills WITH Forest that's 75% defense bonus. If you have time to fortify that is 5% for each turn you have set up. (or if you must attack, do it when they are on plains or grasslands with no defense bonus).
With Roads around your town you can easily get a unit out on an intercept course and pick a place to have your unit defend on the best Terrain for the fight.
If you can do this enough times and LIVE then you will get some powerful units due the experience they will get, which will stay with them if you upgrade them as your technology increases.
Remember before attacking to hold down the ALT key and mouse over the enemy, it will tell you the odds of the battle and what combat modifiers are present.
Hope this helps!
Patrick
elderotter
Otter King
You want barbarians? I played 4 civs on a large map of islands. My island required galleons to get people off to colonize. By the time I hit the other islands there were 2 barbarians cities that had 8*pop. One had horses in a pasture, was using longbowman and macemen...even had a caravel waitng for my ships. I sent the settler back and took 8 units of military and took the city - instant infrastructure. I think that we have yet to see just how powerful barbarian cities can become.
ps just imagine if they can get nukes - lol.
ps just imagine if they can get nukes - lol.
mossmonster
Consider, if you will...
elderotter said:
Oddly enough, isn't this one of our great fears in RL as well...
CitizenCain
Warlord
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2005
- Messages
- 144
If you want to limit barbarian strength, do two things.
1) Don't play an island map. Play continents, Terra or Pangea - really, any map where you'll share a land mass with other civs.
2) Go to custom game and add extra civs to the map. If you're playing on a small map, put on as many civs as you'd see in a normal map. If a normal map, as many as are normally on a large, etc.
I've found that this keeps the barbarians around (and they serve as a nice barrier to growth), but they don't get outrageous (or send endless hordes after you) because the extra civs put a squeeze on the barbarian spawning grounds. Makes for kind of a fun game, actually, because after the barbs are gone, you find yourself squeezed in against other civs, itching for a chance to expand into their territory.
1) Don't play an island map. Play continents, Terra or Pangea - really, any map where you'll share a land mass with other civs.
2) Go to custom game and add extra civs to the map. If you're playing on a small map, put on as many civs as you'd see in a normal map. If a normal map, as many as are normally on a large, etc.
I've found that this keeps the barbarians around (and they serve as a nice barrier to growth), but they don't get outrageous (or send endless hordes after you) because the extra civs put a squeeze on the barbarian spawning grounds. Makes for kind of a fun game, actually, because after the barbs are gone, you find yourself squeezed in against other civs, itching for a chance to expand into their territory.
FuzzyWeasel
Chieftain
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2005
- Messages
- 33
Raziaar said:
I laugh at your pain.
Mostly though.. because I feel it too. I've had my rear handed to me multiple times already by the psycho-rampaging hordes of barbarians when playing with that option turned off. I have had to face 3-6 barbarians entering my territory at a time. Its a real pisser.
I got up from my fourth game where the barbarians handed me mine. My wife asked what was wrong and I explained to her ever-so-calmly (right!) what my problem was. She went back to what she was doing and said, "Didn't the chinese and romans have that problem too?"
I sat back down. Reloaded from move 1 on the same map (I always save on the first move) and started again. I'm better than those stinking Romans.
But... however cruel, heartless, and insensitive her comments were to this frustrated civver... she's right. Now, I applaud the difficulty and realism of founding that shining civilization. I ain't no pansy... I refuse to drop below Noble to win.
On a note... I have beat it on Noble now. Having founded every religion but Christianity. With Ghandi. With a military victory. (mwahahaha) And I have to tell you. This victory was sweeter than almost any civ victory I have ever tasted.
DeathsHead
Chieftain
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2005
- Messages
- 81
I post a few units on hilltops in the wilderness areas I want to expand into, spreading them out so as to maximise their LOS and keep as much of the territory in sight as possible. The larger your landmass the more units you need, obviously, but this has worked flawlessly so far for me. Leave them fortified as much as possible.
Keith Larson
A Wild Boar
If you want to lower the number of Barbs just edit the CIV4HandicapInfo.xml file.
I played a terra map where the one continent is civ free so it becomes barbarian land. They had huge cities and all of their tile improved. Taking these cities was a huge bonus for me.
Has anyuone else noticed that barb cities are always placed in good spots (blue circles, nicely centered in the middle of a couple resources)? I have been using that to my advantage by focussing on hitting their cities and making them my own. A nice side effect of killing barbarians is that you get money experience and a military good enough to keep other civs from messing with you!
Has anyuone else noticed that barb cities are always placed in good spots (blue circles, nicely centered in the middle of a couple resources)? I have been using that to my advantage by focussing on hitting their cities and making them my own. A nice side effect of killing barbarians is that you get money experience and a military good enough to keep other civs from messing with you!
suspendinlight
Prince
People with barb problems need to add more civs to their maps. I play on standard size with 12-18 civs and I never have problems with barbarians besides a wandering warrior every now and then. Of course, it also means you have a lot more rival civs to deal with instead.
suspendinlight said:
Standard size with 18 civs, of course there's no civ problems... on pangaea, they all come in contact within a few turns. I play HUGE maps, with 18 civs. Where sometimes you are left on a huge island to yourself, that you cant possibly expand all the way around for like, thousands of years.
