Beginner really wants to like this game but...

[The Last Conformist]

No, if you want to try them, go here - Civilisation 1 & 2, free and legal:

Moderator Action: Link removed
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

Not legal - despite what that page claims, Civ1-2 are not abandonware.

 

[Turner]

Moderator Action: People - Piracy is not tolerated here. Dispite popular opinion, Abadonware is not legal. Civ1 & Civ2 can still be bought, and links to downloads sites are not allowed.

AU_Armageddon , jeremiahrounds warned.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[Arizona_Steve]

I notice that no-one has suggested he look at the succession games forum for ideas. Or even join a succession game. Best way to learn in my opinion.

 

[7th Circle]

I'm also a beginner with similar feelings.

In my perspective, Civ4 is a lot like chess. You can learn the rules perfectly, but you will have absolutely no idea about strategy. You can play a dozen games, and still not have a clearer idea of strategy. With the exception of the space victory, which sort of happens by itself automatically on easier difficulties, I find winning the game as difficult as acheiving a checkmate without knowing the strategies for doing so.

To make this situation worse, neither the tutorial nor the manner have any significant discussion of strategy. In fact, the tutorial is really nothing more than a survey of the interface.

Any discussion of strategy in the terms you speak of would be too simple. I can tell you that if you build more cities then your opponents, if you develop your cities better than your opponents, if you have better technology than your opponents and if you have more money, more culture and bigger armies than your opponents you should win the game.

However, build too many cities early on and you may find that the upkeep is too great consequently making it hard to develop scientifically, economically and culturally... If you build lots of military units, you may find that the production involved means that you cities aren't developed well enough... If you neglect your military forces then you find may find that your rich, cultured and advanced civilisation is overwhelmed by a swarm of "primitives"...

Civ 4 has a real focus on balance. You have to balance all these things in order to win.

In many games, you will just sort of pick up strategy as you play. After you have played a certain number of games, you can expect to have a certain level of competancy. Civilization IV does not seem to be one of these games. Apparently, you must spend time analyzing the tech tree and wonders, and reading strategy guides et cetera on the Internet if you have any hope of progressing to higher levels.

And I thought I'd be able to play the game without reading the manual or that big poster.

You still need trial and error but you will find things like the civilopaedia, manual and poster will help you refine your strategies.

An example is that I (and many other players) have found is that after a strong start, I get financially (and consequently technologically) squeezed due to upkeep. Consequently, I am exploring ways to get more money earlier such as getting technologies like Code of Laws and Currency earlier, building more cottage terrain improvements and using civics like Caste System to make merchants. The challenge is doing this without over-weakening things like production that will slow down my start. As I said earlier, civ 4 really requires a balance.

What I can suggest is to simplify everything. Start playing duel maps, use the custom game options to eliminate things like culture flipping and barbarians. Then, as you get more comfortable, you can add more and more. Bear with this game if you can; there is a lot of depth to it.