Can't get ahead in Monarch

[bluebaron1]

Hi everyone, i've been an avid player for a while and used many tips on these forums. Can anyone help?

I've just moved onto Monarch level. However i can never get ahead in anything. I regenerate my map to give me a good start and then (small cheat)check worldbuilder to have a look around the map (don't change anything though).

No matter what i do i can't expand quick enough and if i start building i lose out on military units and get whipped.

I tend to use my first unit to explore and then build a worker first off to access food for expansion then hook up to resources and lay a road to my next city site. I then may build a military then i'm on to my first settler.

I can't seem to specialise my cites well?? if i have alot of food then i guess its G/P and if i get Hammers then wonders?

I always try and beeline for pyamid and then whatever takes my fancy.

Any tips??

BB

 

[Cam_H]

bluebaron1,

Welcome to CivFanatics!

This is a very common concern that happens when people move up a level - try running the word "Monarch" through the Search <> Titles Only <> Civ4 Strategies and Tips Forum and you'll see that you're hardly the first!

I wouldn't get into the habit of regenerating maps and certainly not peeking in WorldBuilder if you want to become a better 'legitimate' player.

I'd say that your general opening moves appear generally OK to me, although chasing The Pyramids if non-Industrious or non-Stone resourced at Monarch is a risky approach and you may be better off by the more traditional approach of an Axeman rush and banging down a few Cottages in your food-rich cities.

As for specialisation, you've got the right general idea - although a city with food and hammers should be largely producing units - not Wonders! It seems from your brief outline that you're more keen on Wonders than military might? I could be mis-reading this however .

Maybe if you post a game - some time in the Medieval Ages is usually pretty good - where you think things are not where they should be, some kind soul will possibly take a look and offer some advice? I hope that you're playing standard maps with the latest patch.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I dunno I can normally get Pyramids at Monarch level (depends on whether I have industrious opponents or am industrious myself I suppose).

The important thing is not to sacrifice early expansion for pyramids. I follow futurehermit's advice from the "Tips for specialist economy" thread - worker first, grow city to size 4, another worker, whip a settler. Then regrow to size 4, get another settler out with the whip (perhaps a worker too, not whipped, if I am industrious), then build the pyramids. I use the workers to pre-chop all the trees around the capital too, by doing "chop down forest" and then cancel immediately, until it says "1 turn required", then I leave it until the pyramids are being built, even better if you have researched maths (in warlords, 50% chop bonus) or hooked up stone with another city.

If you are industrious and have stone you can normally get the great wall as well before building the pyramids.

What I don't do any more (used to on Noble level, doesn't work on Prince) is go for pyramids after I have 1 settler out. That's too risky you have no defence available for capital if you are attacked. At least with 3 cities (preferably 1 acting as a buffer between capital and enemy attacks and should be high production pumping out units only, preferably with metal or horses), you can produce some units to deal with any Monty style AIs. Use a warrior or chariot for fogbusting in the other direction and it's fairly safe to build them.

The only other essential wonder for me is the Great Library. That goes so well with the pyramids. One of my other 2 cities tries to build the Parthenon or Oracle if it can as well. Other than that, my 2 other cities just produce units until the pyramids are done.

 

[InvisibleStalke]

The key to Monarch is focus - focussing on one goal and choosing goals that make the most of your starting situation and leader.

Always doing one thing, even the pyramids, isn't going to work. For an industious leader or philo with stone available, it might be an excellent strategy. In another game its a wasted opportunity to settle 4 cities with a creative civ and claim lots of resources. Or a wasted opportunity to rush cottages with a financial civ, or a wasted opportunity to build 8 axes and rush your neighbour.

On Monarch you can't do it all - and trying to do it all will mean you attempt each goal too slowly to make much impact. Once you have scouted and got your initial worker techs you need to make a big decision on what your "play" will be.

You can read walkthroughs online - the all leaders challenge in particular is set at Monarch and will give you the flavour of a lot of different strategies optimized for each leader.

Another thing I would recommend is to play a game out to 100 turns or so (around Alphabet). Then replay the same game and see what you can cut out to achieve the same goals faster.

 

[Harbourboy]

Yes, focus is the key. Don't try to build lots of wonders AND lots of military units. You'll end up doing both badly instead of one well.

Each game is different. In one game you will be able to get a cultural victory without fighting a single war, and in another game you will get steamrolled if you try that.

You need to play each game on its merits rather than following a cookie-cutter formula each time.

You also need to tailor your approach to the leader you are playing. For example, if you are Cyrus, then hook up horses and take over somebody.

 

[Cromat]

I'm also having trouble in Monarch, much more than I did in the jump between Noble and Prince :[

I find that I can't axe/immortal/impi-rush my neighbour effectively, and if I wait until Catapults it's very hard to get a significant chunk of an enemy's empire. Last time I maganed to capture the capital and two other cities but they were culture-choked and nothing more than an economic burden. I eventually lost them.
The major catapult nerf in BTS doesn't help. I feel like if I don't get an early edge I have no chance of winning, but I may be wrong.