[BTS]:Advice for Moving from Monarch to Emperor

[umass_dude]

Been stuck on monarchy for a long time. Saw this advice from an old fred. Is it sill considered sound advice?

"Tech the bare essentuals like wheel, agriculture, mining, animal husbandry, maybe archery for barb defense if you didn't get horses, then go straight for writing. While your teching settle 4-5 cities and build libraries in all the cities, then run 2 scientists in all your cities while you tech to asthetics. If a great scientist pops, save him for later. Once you finish asthetics you can tech alphabet if noone else has it, or if someone has it, tech a little alphabet then trade asthetics for the rest. Then trade alphabet or asthetics to all the other AI's to backfill techs you skipped. Then tech literature and build the great library + national epic in 1 of your towns. Now tech to code of laws and when you get code of laws use 1 of your great scientists to bulb philosophy. Now you should be quite ahead of everyone and from there you can go paper-liberalism etc. You can use the great scientists you get for bulbing education and other later techs. This works pretty well on all difficulties."

 

[lymond]

Been stuck on monarch...

(Keep in mind that my advice is related to moving up to Emperor. Immortal might be a bit different, and Deity is a whole different animal)

There's certainly some merit to Fred's ( ) advice. However, I find it a bit too general.

First, with early techs your first decisions, i.e., worker techs are key, as well as the all important Bronze Working for slavery and chops, which I don't believe was mentioned at all here. So, you focus on the necessary food tech (s) depending on the food specials in your cap, and starting techs. Then usually go Bronze Working to boost the production and find copper. The Wheel is fine next to hook up cities and copper, if available. Then Writing is fine via AH or Pottery, whichever is best for you at the time. AH is expensive so if you don't have good pasture resources or need horses for barbs, then you might bypass it early. Archery is something I avoid like the plague, and generally should not be needed on Emperor level for barbs, especially if copper is easily accessed and/or you can spawnbust sufficiently.

Keep in mind that the map you are playing may affect certain decisions.

On Emperor, I might be inclined to go straight to Alpha myself since the AIs can be slow to nab it. If you are in a iso or semi-iso situation, Alpha has less value. However, if playing a map where meeting AIs early is certain, then Alpha can pay off. Your friend's logic with Aesths does work well on IMM+, and sometimes on Emperor if you have an AI that is obviously teching well. (If an AI gets Writing pretty fast, i.e., they will open borders, then they usually will go Alpha I find...so you can keep tabs on that)

The bulb approach to Liberalism is a common strategy on higher levels. Often the ploy is to nab Military Tradition as early as possible to go stomping on the AI. Whether or not one holds onto the first Great Scientist though, may depend on a few factors, like if you have Philo trait. Bulbing Philo though is a strong play for running a golden age (run Caste and Paci) and producing more Great Scientists, if you have the religion spread to take advantage of it.

Regardless of all that, one of the key things in moving up to higher levels is more focus and better decision making in the early game...first 100 turns or so. That includes some of what I discussed above in the first paragraph. but also things like strong worker management, settling patterns, and understanding how to use the whip and granary mechanics. Diplomacy is always important as well.

Playing a shadow game is always a quick way to learn. I think you may have done one in the past.

 

[umass_dude]

Thank you. I haven't done a shadow game but have posted some of my noble club saves. I have hit a hard wall with emperor. I have won a few games but mainly start to lose in middle to late game.
I understand the first 100 turns are crucial.

 

[krikav]

Hi @umass_dude , You are doing the right thing asking on the forums. One of the best things with this game is trying to become more profficient with it, and that that process isn't as simple as A-B-C.

Very good answer from @lymond

And regarding Freddys advice, I think it falls into the trap of trying to give a specific plan that could be applicable generally.
And there is really no blueprint that can serve you in all maps. What was in that advice is just right out the window if you lack marble for example.

Posting shadow-games is a good way to learn, but it can also be abit painful to have alot of things you where proud of and thought where really good laid out like mistakes.

 

[jnebbe]

One of the best things with this game is trying to become more profficient with it, and that that process isn't as simple as A-B-C.

+1, played on and off for 1.5 years and still learn something new every time I play (I just learned that whips are affected by forges, took me 10 minutes to figure out why I could 2-pop a 27/90 library )

Definitely start a shadow game if you want to learn, you will learn a lot (even if you have a bad habit of not finishing them )

 

[umass_dude]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. I think I have developed some bad habits and rush my games.

Shadow games go in a separate thread right?

 

[krikav]

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. I think I have developed some bad habits and rush my games.
Shadow games go in a separate thread right?

I like to create a new thread of each game, but others keep subsequent games in "their" thread too.
Remember no huts, no events! Normal speed, normal settings, as normal as could be to increase odds for feedback as much as possible.

 

[5tephen]

This guide is excellent:
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/beginner-help-the-basics.648469/

Fippy calls it a beginner guide but if you pay attention it'll take you most of the way to deity.

Lain posts great Civ 4 videos on YouTube and you can compare his moves to what you would have done. Most of his maps are in his thread. If you prefer a different presentation style, I recommend Henrik's videos too.

The other thing that helped me moving up in difficulty is to play a whole load of starts up to like turn 100 or when you feel you have made a major error, note the error and start a new game making sure you don’t repeat the error. It’s time consuming to play to the end of the game and most of the improvement can be made early game.