Hi, my first post here, though I've been reading the site here and there.
I'd like to discuss MP strategy and tactics in Civ V. Though the devs screwed up MP in Steam so that its almost impossible to get a game going with strangers, private games run usually well, and I've had a lot of fun playing Civ V MP with friends.
As a side note, I've noticed there are some of you that don't like this game, and take every opportunity you can to express that fact: please don't do that here.
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So, I've found Tradition to be superior to Liberty in MP. Large empires are hard to maintain, as you probably will not be able to trade for luxury resources from other players easily. Monarchy easily outweighs Meritocracy for much of the early game.
Aristocracy gives you more of an edge on Wonders than Republic and can be obtained earlier.
Most importantly, however, is the increased rate your borders grow from taking that first Tradition policy. Besides the obvious reduction in time to capture distant resource hexes, your borders are your range of sight and gives nice combat/healing bonuses (based on what wonders/policies you have).
Games where I have not taken any Tradition have always ended up with me getting ambushed more often and forcing me to spend more resources on scout units patrolling my borders.
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It is always a mad rush for wonders in the early game.
In the very beginning its a rush for the Pyramids, Great Library, and the Hanging Gardens. You'll probably never get more than one of them.
If you think you got a shot, go for one of them 100% as fast as you can. The gold you get for wasting 12 or so turns trying to make it isn't worth it if someone else beats you to it.
If you are worried about wasting your time, build Stonehenge. Its usually a safe wonder to go after. The Colussus and The Great Lighthouse are situational. I'd definitely take the later if the game is gonna be sea power intense, the former otherwise.
Always have a city that is focused on production that is devoted to making wonders when they pop up. Nothing is more frustrating than being beaten to the punch over and over. Pick and choose what wonders you want and go up the tech tree specifically to get them, else chances are you won't.
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Besides racing up the tech tree to grab key wonders, there are several techs that are important to grab as early as possible: the ones that reveal new resources.
Animal Husbandry(horses), Iron Working(iron), Scientific Method(coal), Biology(oil), Electricity (aluminum), and Atomic Theory (uranium).
The reason you need these techs as fast as possible is that the window of opportunity for you to get those resources may be incredibly short. Most of those resources gives a civilization the ability to dominate certain Ages militarily. A mad land grab for resources that are rare may ensue.
Horses and Iron gives strong dominance early in the game. Oil starts to play a heavy role in the mid game, and aluminum is necessary for most of the Modern Age units. If you are unable to obtain one of these resources, chances are you will be on the defensive during the Ages those resources are most useful. Good luck weathering through it.
If your civilizations special unit needs one of these resources, and you cant get a hold of it.. well that is just one really sad story. A Japanese player unable to make Samurai might as well commit seppuku.
I've noticed coal seems more difficult to find than the other resources. Its necessary for factories (and you want those). Its sometimes good to save Great Scientists to race up the tech tree to get Scientific Method just to get the jump on finding coal.
Oil usually isn't a problem. Too many units depend on it so I think the devs made it more common on the map. But if for some reason your oil resources are only in the water, race to Refrigeration so your work boats can work that oil. You have a little lee way on this as tanks are higher up the tech tree and along a completely different branch, so its highly unlikely someone will be able to bring them against you before you've obtained refrigeration, but don't dally.
If oil IS a problem then fight tooth and nail for aluminium and hold out until you got the tech for the top units.
---
Early in the game, its important to explore as much of the map as you can. Its pivotal to locate your opponents' capitols. Later in the game, as their empires expand, you won't have such an easy opportunity to get them out from under those clouds.
Try to prevent your opponent from seeing your capitol. Kill their scout units as fast as you can. NO MERCY.
The reason this is so important is that so much of your initial plans are revealed by what you are doing with your capitol. And once they got it revealed, they'll know when you are building wonders, the type of tile improvements you are using (aka the focus of the city), its population size, and defensive capabilities.
The less opponents know about you and the more you know about them, the more precise your plans will be and the more guessing they will do.
Also, always have scouts in the lands between your territory and your opponents. These units WILL die. That is OK. They are convicted criminals for violent crimes and their deaths are their way of contributing back to society.
Seriously though, the more turns you have to react to an invasion, the better the chance you will repel it. Players rarely have more than 6 or 7 units attacking you during most the game. That will give you time to build a counter force and move existing defensive units into position.
Horseman, Knights, Calvary, and Tanks can also be effective 'scout' units if given the Sentry promotion.
---
Focus on ranged units. Only field enough front line units as needed to achieve your objectives. Range is king. That said, give your front line units Cover I and Cover II promotions when able.
Players tend to advance slow into enemy lands, as the don't know whats waiting for them. The click fest of real time combat doesn't start until the NEXT turn after contact is made. Use this to your advantage when playing defensively.
Sure, a player with fast reflexes and a fast computer could race way into your lands with a mounted unit by going last in one turn, and first in the next... but I rarely see that as they are running blind.
If you have a strong defensive range group, chances are you'll be able to prevent most attacks from achieving much.
---
When you got the edge, use it.
If you got air, and your opponent doesn't and/or hasn't planned for it, push right there and then. That is exactly the opening you are waiting for in this game. If you have bombers, and your opponent doesn't have anti air or fighter cover.. what are you waiting for?
The technological leader, if backed up with the production to utilize it, will be able to obtain next generation weapons that can devastate earlier age units.
If you wait too long, your opponent will catch up and have on par weapons with you again, and the opportunity is lost. At best, it becomes an attrition fight.
---
Good luck trying to win diplomatically or via culture. In the first situation you need to have vast sums of money to bribe the city states in the game (if there are any left), and in the latter, you will most likely have completely sacrificed your science to obtain 5 complete policy trees, meaning opponents will have weapons your people think are... well just magical.
---
Probably more than enough here to get someone to respond in some critical fashion. Looking forward to it.
I'd like to discuss MP strategy and tactics in Civ V. Though the devs screwed up MP in Steam so that its almost impossible to get a game going with strangers, private games run usually well, and I've had a lot of fun playing Civ V MP with friends.
As a side note, I've noticed there are some of you that don't like this game, and take every opportunity you can to express that fact: please don't do that here.
----
So, I've found Tradition to be superior to Liberty in MP. Large empires are hard to maintain, as you probably will not be able to trade for luxury resources from other players easily. Monarchy easily outweighs Meritocracy for much of the early game.
Aristocracy gives you more of an edge on Wonders than Republic and can be obtained earlier.
Most importantly, however, is the increased rate your borders grow from taking that first Tradition policy. Besides the obvious reduction in time to capture distant resource hexes, your borders are your range of sight and gives nice combat/healing bonuses (based on what wonders/policies you have).
Games where I have not taken any Tradition have always ended up with me getting ambushed more often and forcing me to spend more resources on scout units patrolling my borders.
----
It is always a mad rush for wonders in the early game.
In the very beginning its a rush for the Pyramids, Great Library, and the Hanging Gardens. You'll probably never get more than one of them.
If you think you got a shot, go for one of them 100% as fast as you can. The gold you get for wasting 12 or so turns trying to make it isn't worth it if someone else beats you to it.
If you are worried about wasting your time, build Stonehenge. Its usually a safe wonder to go after. The Colussus and The Great Lighthouse are situational. I'd definitely take the later if the game is gonna be sea power intense, the former otherwise.
Always have a city that is focused on production that is devoted to making wonders when they pop up. Nothing is more frustrating than being beaten to the punch over and over. Pick and choose what wonders you want and go up the tech tree specifically to get them, else chances are you won't.
----
Besides racing up the tech tree to grab key wonders, there are several techs that are important to grab as early as possible: the ones that reveal new resources.
Animal Husbandry(horses), Iron Working(iron), Scientific Method(coal), Biology(oil), Electricity (aluminum), and Atomic Theory (uranium).
The reason you need these techs as fast as possible is that the window of opportunity for you to get those resources may be incredibly short. Most of those resources gives a civilization the ability to dominate certain Ages militarily. A mad land grab for resources that are rare may ensue.
Horses and Iron gives strong dominance early in the game. Oil starts to play a heavy role in the mid game, and aluminum is necessary for most of the Modern Age units. If you are unable to obtain one of these resources, chances are you will be on the defensive during the Ages those resources are most useful. Good luck weathering through it.
If your civilizations special unit needs one of these resources, and you cant get a hold of it.. well that is just one really sad story. A Japanese player unable to make Samurai might as well commit seppuku.
I've noticed coal seems more difficult to find than the other resources. Its necessary for factories (and you want those). Its sometimes good to save Great Scientists to race up the tech tree to get Scientific Method just to get the jump on finding coal.
Oil usually isn't a problem. Too many units depend on it so I think the devs made it more common on the map. But if for some reason your oil resources are only in the water, race to Refrigeration so your work boats can work that oil. You have a little lee way on this as tanks are higher up the tech tree and along a completely different branch, so its highly unlikely someone will be able to bring them against you before you've obtained refrigeration, but don't dally.
If oil IS a problem then fight tooth and nail for aluminium and hold out until you got the tech for the top units.
---
Early in the game, its important to explore as much of the map as you can. Its pivotal to locate your opponents' capitols. Later in the game, as their empires expand, you won't have such an easy opportunity to get them out from under those clouds.
Try to prevent your opponent from seeing your capitol. Kill their scout units as fast as you can. NO MERCY.
The reason this is so important is that so much of your initial plans are revealed by what you are doing with your capitol. And once they got it revealed, they'll know when you are building wonders, the type of tile improvements you are using (aka the focus of the city), its population size, and defensive capabilities.
The less opponents know about you and the more you know about them, the more precise your plans will be and the more guessing they will do.
Also, always have scouts in the lands between your territory and your opponents. These units WILL die. That is OK. They are convicted criminals for violent crimes and their deaths are their way of contributing back to society.
Seriously though, the more turns you have to react to an invasion, the better the chance you will repel it. Players rarely have more than 6 or 7 units attacking you during most the game. That will give you time to build a counter force and move existing defensive units into position.
Horseman, Knights, Calvary, and Tanks can also be effective 'scout' units if given the Sentry promotion.
---
Focus on ranged units. Only field enough front line units as needed to achieve your objectives. Range is king. That said, give your front line units Cover I and Cover II promotions when able.
Players tend to advance slow into enemy lands, as the don't know whats waiting for them. The click fest of real time combat doesn't start until the NEXT turn after contact is made. Use this to your advantage when playing defensively.
Sure, a player with fast reflexes and a fast computer could race way into your lands with a mounted unit by going last in one turn, and first in the next... but I rarely see that as they are running blind.
If you have a strong defensive range group, chances are you'll be able to prevent most attacks from achieving much.
---
When you got the edge, use it.
If you got air, and your opponent doesn't and/or hasn't planned for it, push right there and then. That is exactly the opening you are waiting for in this game. If you have bombers, and your opponent doesn't have anti air or fighter cover.. what are you waiting for?
The technological leader, if backed up with the production to utilize it, will be able to obtain next generation weapons that can devastate earlier age units.
If you wait too long, your opponent will catch up and have on par weapons with you again, and the opportunity is lost. At best, it becomes an attrition fight.
---
Good luck trying to win diplomatically or via culture. In the first situation you need to have vast sums of money to bribe the city states in the game (if there are any left), and in the latter, you will most likely have completely sacrificed your science to obtain 5 complete policy trees, meaning opponents will have weapons your people think are... well just magical.
---
Probably more than enough here to get someone to respond in some critical fashion. Looking forward to it.
