Complete noob needs a good civ to be

[Drofd]

I play on relativley low diffuculty levels I just choose random civs so far and I need advice

 

[Crimso]

I would choose Saladin, so you can learn about and explore relegions, civics and great people, new features to the series.

 

[Artanis]

I'd go with Random until you find one that you like. Doing so will also familiarize you with the pros and cons of each trait.

 

[MacBryce]

Just go with someone who looks cool. I played my first games with Ghandi because he looks as a fun character. I did miss his "fast workers" in the next games I played.

Pick someone fun and learn the basics first.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

I play on relativley low diffuculty levels I just choose random civs so far and I need advice

Have you figured out generally what type of game you like to play?

Rush to war?
Slow to war?
Technology race?
Culture race?

Not every strategy fits as seemlessly with each combination of traits

 

[Quantum7]

Try Catherine. Creative is a 'trait' that makes life easier and financial can be pretty darn powerful.

 

[flytyer]

I would go with Ghandi b/c industrious so somewhat easier wonder production and spiritual so no lost turns due to anarchy. Good luck and most of all enjoy!

 

[puglover]

I would go with Ghandi b/c industrious so somewhat easier wonder production and spiritual so no lost turns due to anarchy.

Plus his starting tech is Mysticism, giving you an opportunity to found a religion before anyone else.

 

[cleverhandle]

Playing random civs is a great way to get better at the game, so I'd keep doing what you're doing. However, it can be helpful to take a random pick and stick with it for a few games, especially at higher levels, in order to better explore strategies appropriate to that civ's UU and traits.

 

[Errata]

If you want to build your empire up before going to war, I'd agree with Catherine. Creative and Financial are both traits that make things easier for new players (Creative makes your new cities grow their borders right away, and Financial gives you a very flexible advantage that will help throughout the game). At easier levels you'll still be able to found religions without starting with Mysticism, just not one of the earliest religions.

If you like to get into early wars, I'd suggest Julius Caesar. The Praetorians blow away other units at early technology levels and you can conquer some neighbors and build an impressive empire by the time they become obsolete. Once you consolidate your conquest gains, the rest of the world will never catch up to you. For this a fun setting is a custom game with a tiny pangaea map and all 18 civs. All the civs will have 1 or 2 cities and you can pick them off at your leisure, hopefully about half of them before Praetorians are obsolete. Alternatively you can do a continents map with 2 or 3 continents of 3 or 4 civs each, and take over your whole continent in the classical era, and have an advantage in later eras while the other continents squabble internally.

Either way, you can take advantage of the fact that chopping trees near your city gives you hammers. You can start researching bronze working and building a worker, then use the hammers from chopping trees to build more workers and settlers, and give yourself an early head start. Another helpful strategy is to beeline to researching alphabet as soon as you can afford, then trade techs with all the AIs. Since you'll be the first to have it, they'll be eager to trade, and you can fill in all the early techs you skipped and then some. Just dont trade alphabet itself, or you'll have tech trading competitors.

 

[InFlux5]

I recommend Cyrus of the Persians. As far as I'm concerned, picking Cyrus is almost like knocking the difficulty level down a notch. Every city you found immediately has 2 extra culture and health. I've stopped playing him because it's not much of a challenge. (Also, a good early UU if you want to be aggressive.)

 

[Stageon]

Random is the way to go, since it makes you play civs you might otherwise never choose. Just be sure to pay attention to what your traits are once the game starts, and play to those if you want to maximise your strengths.

If you want to increase your chances of actually winning your early games, and become familiar with just a civ or two before going into random mode, then do what Errata said. I played Caesar several times at first just for the ego boost of a quick conquest win.

 

[Crimso]

...No! Saladin! Oh, whatever.

 

[InFlux5]

I'm failing to see how Saladin is a good choice for a noob. Both of Saladin's traits are pretty difficult to leverage, with Spiritual being a strong candidate for worst trait in the game. Philosophical has, arguably, the steepest learning curve for being able to leverage it.

As for getting to an early religion, that's true of anyone who starts with Mysticism, and not really a point for Saladin. It's really theory at this point as I'm sure he's started playing already, but I don't think Saladin is noob-friendly.

 

[fornost]

I'd try to stay away from industrious civs. This trait gets less and less potent as you ramp up the difficulty level, and also i've found that avoiding a wonder addiction when you first start playing is a good idea so that you dont carry on bad habits to the higher difficulty levels.

 

[Innawerkz]

I'm failing to see how Saladin is a good choice for a noob. Both of Saladin's traits are pretty difficult to leverage, with Spiritual being a strong candidate for worst trait in the game.

Spiritual works best in the hands of those who best know how to use it. Recognizing your needs at the moment and being capable of instantly mobilizing your entire Civilization to gain benefit instantly and without penalty can be very powerful.

War time?

• Police State, Vassalage, Emancipation & Theocracy

(Re)establishing infrastructure?

• Universal Suffrage, Serfdom & Organized Religion

Great People / Peace Time?

• Representation, Caste System, Pacifism

These are just a small sampling of many combinations that you can instantly switch to gain maximum benefit at that time. Something you wouldn't consider if you weren't Spiritual. Far from the worst trait in the game, IMO. [/threadjack]
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What worked for me in learning the game - and still learning? Sticking with a single civ that appealed to me most and knowing the timing of their unique unit and simply playing through the game as long as possible. Asking more specific questions in the forums helps and reading Strategy Articles helped me too with CIV & CIII.

 

[Cort Haus]

I agree that SPI is a strong trait, and good for learning how to use the Civics. Play SPI civs for a while, and when you go back to a non-SPI civ you'll miss the flexibility, but you'll be better at knowing which civs suit you. The Mali add the very strong FIN trait for a good builder civ.

 

[Colonel Kraken]

My wife was getting frustrated playing against me in Hotseat play. I told her to play Louis. He's the best. Now she's winning! She never wins against me!

 

[Andyr]

I recommend Cyrus of the Persians. As far as I'm concerned, picking Cyrus is almost like knocking the difficulty level down a notch. Every city you found immediately has 2 extra culture and health. I've stopped playing him because it's not much of a challenge. (Also, a good early UU if you want to be aggressive.)

I started with Cyrus and it definitely helped--Culture and Health were new concepts in the game to me, so his traits meant I didn't have to worry about them too much at the start.

 

[Innawerkz]

The Mali add the very strong FIN trait for a good builder civ.

Absolutely. Malinese is incredibly good for a builder civ. Their UU - the Skirmisher - is a solid defender for many centuries. Makes defending your empire a much easier task. Add walls and even the dreaded Praetorian can't get at you easily.

Should allow you to maximize your Financial trait driven research to a tidy lead - or at the very least - a more thorough understanding of the game at the later stages.