I have a question for good/expert civ IV players out there, do you control what tiles your citizens work manually, or do you use citizen automation with the "emphasis" buttons? what do you think is the benefits of your approach? I used to let AI control my citizen placement, but I find now that I could afford to build more cities by emphasizing commerce at the beginning. What are your thoughts?
Citizen Automation or Manual Control
- Thread starter mutax2003
- Start date
At the start of a game I'll frequently check where citizens are being put, particularly just when a worker finishes an improvement, as usually the governor doesn't move a citizen there until the next turn, which especially with food resources is irritating.
Later on, when I have about 8 cities it becomes very tedious to check cities every turn or every other turn, and I generally start checking them every time a unit or building finishes, normally emphasising food up to the happiness limit, and then production. Once I'm over about 15 or 20 cities even that small amount of micromanagement gets very old very fast, and one bad choice by the computer in every city isn't too noticable anyway (but of course it all helps).
Also by then most of my cities are growing much more slowly, so there is less need to constantly check.
Later on, when I have about 8 cities it becomes very tedious to check cities every turn or every other turn, and I generally start checking them every time a unit or building finishes, normally emphasising food up to the happiness limit, and then production. Once I'm over about 15 or 20 cities even that small amount of micromanagement gets very old very fast, and one bad choice by the computer in every city isn't too noticable anyway (but of course it all helps).
Also by then most of my cities are growing much more slowly, so there is less need to constantly check.
I think you have to control it manually at hard difficulties, at least in the beginning. You can still use emphasize button (even with governor disabled, emphasize buttons affect assignemnts of new-born citizens), as a safety net if you didn't notice that the city has grown. There are many reasons, for example automation is not aware when you're going to complete the next growth tech, so it doesn't know what growth rate is optimal. It doesn't aware that you need to complete the settler in exactly 7 turns (because AH is coming in 9, and there's 2 turn travel time). It doesn't know that you want to grow your cottages, so it may prefer 2F3C coast tile to 2FC1 cottage.
Later in the game, when there're many conquered cities I tend to enable governor more often, especially in non-core cities. Not that it's very efficient, but micromanagent is painful as it is.
Later in the game, when there're many conquered cities I tend to enable governor more often, especially in non-core cities. Not that it's very efficient, but micromanagent is painful as it is.
podraza
Warlord
Its a simple trade off between your time and playing a better game. You will achieve better results if you micromanage. It will also be tedius and may subtract from the fun. So you've got to draw your own line somewhere. I like to micromanage the first half to 2/3ds of the game the game, usually until I've improved every tile surrounding a city. Then I'll tell the workers not to build over anything and set them free. Same with governors.
If I'm playing a domination game, I tend to micromanage my "core" cities, but let the rest automate. Less efficient, but it gets the job done with minimal pain and suffering.
If I'm playing a domination game, I tend to micromanage my "core" cities, but let the rest automate. Less efficient, but it gets the job done with minimal pain and suffering.
podraza
Warlord
I didn't mean to say the exact same thing as the post above me, really. His wasn't there yet when I started. Anyway, listen to him.
I tried the micromanaging approach in this approach in this immortal game, basically I mostly emphasize cottages and commerce, managed to chop rushed the great lighthouse and the great library. It is now 1240 AD, and I am in the second last place, but ahead of Caesar, any advice on how I could've improved my game?
MyOtherName
Emperor
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- Dec 7, 2004
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And the most annoying... it doesn't know I want to work that mined plains gold hill.
Do you have an initial save game? Or that BC3840 save shall be considered as a starting point? I find that it helps to play the start myself before advising or criticizing other's play. It may be also worthwhile to make it a separate thread to let selective readers find it.mutax2003 said:
Does anyone know if there is any mods that automation workers have been changed to say automate just farms or chop forest or jungle things like that.
The game allows trade routes but not specifc cottages or improve city but not improve city with farms or chop all jungles.
The game allows trade routes but not specifc cottages or improve city but not improve city with farms or chop all jungles.
mutax2003 said:
Thought you might want to hear my opinion anyway, you can also use the AI to check
1) if your asessment of an optimal setting is good (i.e. if the AI finds a better placement)
2) possible improvements to a city you might have overlooked
3) as a base for special settings of your own
Regards.
DaLuni
Chieftain
I don't automate my workers, except for when it's time to build railroad. As soon as I've researched Railroad I set most of my workers to Build Trade Network.
Works like a charm!
Works like a charm!
mutax2003 said:
I agree with emphasizing cottages and commerce, but I'd make Pyramids my first priority. There isn't much room, and there isn't many luxuries, so you really need to get that representation. With stone and industrious, it's not hard. GL is a secondary priority (though with industrious and so much forests, both are makeable). Pyramids should give you an engineer to rush Great Library.
But the timing of the start is all wrong I think. You have pigs on the hill within your capital range. I'd start from worker and animal husbandry (why to research hunting at all? You can handle barbarians with warriors - just spread them out). So optimal start I think is worker/AH, pasture the hill and irrigate the floodplains while researching mining, then mine the hill while getting bw. The capital should produce warriors all that time to cover your continent (emphasize commerce and growth though). When you reach size 4, build couple of settlers and workers - you can chop a bit, but I wouldn't do it much, capital has nothing better to do anyway and you need the forest for wonders. Research will go to masonry to hook the stone (there's river-coast-stone spot for the city there). Then you need to get wheel and pottery. You may want to get sailing first, but I'd rather postpone it after pottery, you can build GL virtually in few turns. It's likely you'll have to work some coast tiles in the capital meanwhile - you have plenty of food, but research will be your bottleneck. I'd stay with just 3 cities for a while (3rd one near the sheep) until they grow quite a bit. Then you can gradually fill in land with more cities. I would probably go for a cultural win here - it seems to be the safer bet.
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