COMPLETELY dont understand the game

[Pantastic]

Yes, obviously anyone who hasn't played a civ game before, probably not any strategy game, and politely asks some questions, then responds to responses and thanks people for helping is just trolling. If you're going to accuse someone of trolling, it helps to do it before they've actually responded sensibly to replies, then clearly thanked people and moved on.

 

[CharleyS]

Am I the only one that thinks he's just putting us on?

That was my first thought as well. I had never played a Civ game until I bought this one, but I understood the idea behind the game. I dunno ......

 

[Slade19]

Yes, obviously anyone who hasn't played a civ game before, probably not any strategy game, and politely asks some questions, then responds to responses and thanks people for helping is just trolling. If you're going to accuse someone of trolling, it helps to do it before they've actually responded sensibly to replies, then clearly thanked people and moved on.

Not all trolls are vicious bastards with a sharp tongue, sir!

Besides, I already conceded that the troll assumption was fleeting, at best.

We should really find him a copy of Civ2 though. All civ players have to experience the High Council at least once!

They're far more useful than the Civ 4 tutorial was.

 

[Andorim]

When I first got civ III, I was totally new to turn-based strategy games. I didn't know about this forum, and so had to struggle on my own. I had a really hard time "getting it". After struggling along for about two weeks, I began to understand what was going on and why. And of course, in no time I was completely hooked.

The civ games are very complex; for a beginner, they might be overwhelmingly complex -- there are just so many different concepts and they all interact with each other. I can empathize completely with a newb who is struggling.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

We should really find him a copy of Civ2 though. All civ players have to experience the High Council at least once!

They're far more useful than the Civ 4 tutorial was.

The High council was THE best help concept I had seen at that time for a game like Civ. You had your advice for military, economy, diplomacy, and so on all separated and set up so it looked like they were councilors competing to advise your direction. And they were just help screens. Classic!

 

[Corporal Kindel]

The High council was THE best help concept I had seen at that time for a game like Civ. You had your advice for military, economy, diplomacy, and so on all separated and set up so it looked like they were councilors competing to advise your direction. And they were just help screens. Classic!

Was that the one with the Elvis National Advisor? I loved that effect!

 

[Sisiutil]

We should really find him a copy of Civ2 though. All civ players have to experience the High Council at least once!

Yeah, I kind of miss those advisors.

"...else where will our soldiers rest their mighty lances...?"

Er... double entendre, anyone?

Anyway, back to the OP, Kerphunk... I have a hunch that you're improving tiles as the game suggests and not seeing any results from them because perhaps your cities aren't big enough yet. I don't know if it's been mentioned, but a tile has to be within a city's "fat cross" (the 20 tiles surrounding the city in a + pattern) AND worked by one of its citizens in order to yield anything.

It makes no sense to improve a tile long before you'll be able to work it, so although the game says, "build a farm here!", there's probably something more worthwhile your Worker could be doing--such as improving tiles for a different city.

It's also been mentioned that you don't want to focus on some distant goal down the tech tree like nuclear weapons (and I get the impression that very few civ players ever use them anyway). As has also been mentioned, there are other civs out there, run by the Artificial Intelligence, competing with you. If you're relying on accessing some distant, futuristic technology to clobber them with, they'll have you for breakfast. It's more work, but it's better to have a more "contemporary" military advantage--such as Axemen to their Archers, Macemen and Catapults versus their Longbowmen.

This isn't the sort of game where you sit back and let things happen and then BOOM! you win. There are numerous strategic decisions to make along the way, each of them with repercussions both large and small.

Anyway, I sincerely hope you get the hang of the game and enjoy it. Keep us informed as to your progress!

 

[Slade19]

Actually, in hind sight... I'll be man enough to admit that even though I've played Civ since the days of rectangular pieces poking into each other and calling it battle... I was awed at the depth of Civ 4 my first go at it.

Its sophisication is unmatched in turn based strategy games.

Religions? Civics? Cultural borders actually meaning something? HOLY FOOKING INTERFACE, BATMAN! What the hell?

Those were my first impression even as a long time Civ player.

 

[Kerphunk]

I'm not a troll, (what is a troll exactly?) or having you one, i just didnt get something that now is quite obvious!! My main problem was i didnt see what effect each improvement had on my overall development. Yeah cottages get gold, mines production and farms food, but i didnt see their individual effects so i didnt know why i should build either one. The i realised that the number for population allows you to work a related number of tiles!! it all fell into place then!! I need food to grow my population, which in turn go out and work tiles, bringin me in gold, and enhanced production. This allows faster research and building. So NOW i know why i do what i do!!

The game has opened up to me already and its really turned things around. I played a tutorial firstly and i was just mindlessly building, and no intereference came from my one neighbour. But i am playing my first solo game now and there are 4 other civs. At first i planned to just develop a fantasic military and not deal with anyone else, but things outside my control have changed that! Germany and i have became clos allies while japan, spain and errr...Saladin, have became enemies. Tokugowa asked me to stop trading with germany, which i refused. And i really liked that factor of making diplomatic decisions. Should i bow to tokugowa or not? Whatever i choose it changes the course of the game. As i refused tokugowa and we now have a bad relationship, i tried to become better frineds with germany so that i can cnount on him if war breaks out. i give him gifts, we trade.

I also chose not to open borders with isabella, ...simply cos i want to rule the world!! I'm goin on here, but basically i like the complex interplay between civs and how you gotta plan and think out your actions.

You know that saying 'no man is an island'?. Well, in my current game this has proven very true, despite my intentions to do things my way!

So thanks for the help again.

 

[Bierp]

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Welcome to Civ! Say goodbye to your freetime.

B

 

[michael4000]

Kerphunk -- Welcome to Civ. If you are not always sure what you ought to do next, don't feel bad; I've been playing for more than 10 years and I'm nowhere near a master of the game. It's unbelieveably addictive though, and by the sound of your last post you may be starting to feel that.

I wonder whether you have fully realized how long a game of Civilization lasts? Playing on the "epic" time scale with a standard map, I would expect to spend at least 10 hours over several days playing a game. So, it's true that some of those decisions you make about what to build and what to research don't make a visible difference immediately -- but they are certainly going to make a big difference later on.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[DrD]

To answer another question, you do not HAVE to build something. With the appropriate technology researched, you can set your city to "build" either wealth, culture, or science.

When you do this your hammers are converted to the chosen resource, and no structure is built.

The choice to do this appears at the end of the pop-up list, or in the city screen at the very end of the list of wonders.

It took me a while to learn that one should never build something just because you need to give your city something to "do," if you don't need a building then produce wealth or science or culture! You always need those.

This is one of those things that seperates the men from the boys in this game (I'm still a boy by the way.)

 

[Kerphunk]

This is getting better and better by the minute!! I'm expanding my empire, I'm gaining territory, but Japan has came out of nowhere to start pushing back MY borders on my 3rd city!! i cant have that!! So i'm building some culture items and buying ALOT of military units!! Tokugawa has came UNCOMFORTABLY close to my city! I like how i have to now adapt my plan, make decisions to strengthen factor X and concentrate less on factor Y. By the way, is there anyway I can transport settlers across the ocean? We are all on the one continent just now nad i need more land. I found land across the ocean with a caravel (and i was the first to do that, quite proud of myself ) but I cant put settlers in there, only explorers. I need more land before Tokugawa pushes me off the map!!

Damn, i planned to go to bed in just over an hour tonight, but ....well, i dont think its going to happen.

 

[Bierp]

Damn, i planned to go to bed in just over an hour tonight, but ....well, i dont think its going to happen.

Now you understand the phrase, "one...more...turn..."

The Astronomy tech will allow you to build Galleons capable of carrying 3 (damn, it's 3, right?) units across the ocean.

Enjoy!

B

 

[svv]

By the way, is there anyway I can transport settlers across the ocean? We are all on the one continent just now nad i need more land. I found land across the ocean with a caravel (and i was the first to do that, quite proud of myself ) but I cant put settlers in there, only explorers.

You have to develop the techs to get the next naval transport unit - I think it's Galleon. Next time you complete a tech, ask to look at the "big picture," and it will show you the tech tree. You'll be able to look at the different techs, see which one will allow you to build galleons, and see which techs you need to get there.

 

[Sisiutil]

You have to develop the techs to get the next naval transport unit - I think it's Galleon. Next time you complete a tech, ask to look at the "big picture," and it will show you the tech tree. You'll be able to look at the different techs, see which one will allow you to build galleons, and see which techs you need to get there.

Yep, it's Galleons, and you need the Astronomy tech to be able to build them. Astronomy is one of the most popular choices for the free tech you get if you discover Liberalism first. Being able to send Settlers and military units overseas when all your opponents can do is send Caravels with missionaries, scouts, and Great Merchants is a big advantage.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

I just got my first Liberalism slingshot last week as a matter of fact. I did pick Astronomy. Can you believe I consistently used to put filler techs higher on my priority list when Liberalism was right there? The bonus tech would have cost 2990 (standard game speed) and I got it for just researching Liberalism first. Now I feel like I was stopping just short of the checkpoint to pick daisies until someone else waltzed by to take the prize.

FYI, for the n00bz. A "slingshot" is just one of those strategies where you use the free tech from the Oracle wonder, Liberalism tech, or a specific type of great person (generated from wonders and specialists) to give you an especially powerful (and otherwise really expensive) tech advantage.

I agree with some other posters. This is one of the most deep involved turn based games I have seen. It's easily my favorite of all the civ games (which also makes it my favorite game).

 

[cabert]

so the man is not a troll
and he sounds to me like a future civ addict too
goodbye 8 hours sleep, farewell wife and kids

 

[Jorunkun]

In a way, this thread sais more about us oldtimers than it sais about the op.

Admittedly, I had the same suspicions, the questions were just too naive (sorry) to be believed ... but I guess this is what discussing the relative merits of specialist based economies, civil-service-slingshots and fogbusting without archery on a daily basis does to you. I mean, to the uninitiated, the civ city screen probably looks like an air-traffic-controller's scope on steroids. Make no mistake: WE are the freaks here.

(... and isn't it just great? )

J.

 

[zorramen]

Just an advice: try re-reading the manual once you have finished your first games, it will be really useful, a lot more useful than than your first reading... at least, that worked for me