Try this: in your next game make either your second or third city build only a monument, granary, court, forge and barracks. after that build nothing but units. Improve the landscape around that city only in ways that will increase your production: farms for food, then mines, mills, and workshops. Practice makes perfect.
Difficulty guide (what you need for moving up difficulties)
- Thread starter vinstafresh
- Start date
Try this: in your next game make either your second or third city build only a monument, granary, court, forge and barracks. after that build nothing but units. Improve the landscape around that city only in ways that will increase your production: farms for food, then mines, mills, and workshops. Practice makes perfect.
Pretty sure i've beaten monarch easily without much in the way of specilasation... Might be a requirement for emperor though... As long as you know what resources is and how to place your cities noble should be easy. At some point you need to learn the basics of diploimacy(immortal maybe?). And on deity you have to be able to exploit the fact that there is just so many things the AI don't know how to do(war anyone?), at least you had to pre-bts... OCC is not that hard on emperor so it is certanly possible to let your capital actually do everything, however using your entire empire is obviously needed if you want to optimalise your play...
This game, Shaka refuses to leave me alone, for some reason. He declares war on me- I take a city- defend it a couple of turns- then he shows up with a SOD and kills all my defenders, retaking the city... I start to send in the reserves... and then the AP steps in and ends the war.
I get a couple turns to try and rebuild my Oromos... then, somehow, Shaka cancels the peace treaty (usually right at 10 turns, when it expires on it's own) and declares war again- the cycle repeats. This time, he just cancelled the peace treaty the turn after my units were booted from his territory. I don't even know how that is possible, or how he's massing these 10+ stacks of Elephants, Knights and Trebuchets (last time was 5 elephants, 4 knights and 6 trebuchets) in four cities, when I can't even get half that in Oromo's out.
I get a couple turns to try and rebuild my Oromos... then, somehow, Shaka cancels the peace treaty (usually right at 10 turns, when it expires on it's own) and declares war again- the cycle repeats. This time, he just cancelled the peace treaty the turn after my units were booted from his territory. I don't even know how that is possible, or how he's massing these 10+ stacks of Elephants, Knights and Trebuchets (last time was 5 elephants, 4 knights and 6 trebuchets) in four cities, when I can't even get half that in Oromo's out.
r_rolo1
King of myself
^^I bet that Shaka has the Mids and he's running Police state
Try this.... Don't attack his cities, just defend your land. And make some pikes... Oromos aren't that good against mounted units
On topic
There is a issue that I didn't see explained: score..... As a lot of Noble players come to moarn about how a 5th place in score Shaka decides to DoW them, there is one thing that I wanted to say:
Score lead is almost useless. It only matters for Time victories and to make the AI forget about the "we fear you are becoming too advanced" status if you are in the bottom half. AI only look for Power and power ,by some unknown reason, is not a component of Score
Learning that should be included somewhere in the Warlord/Noble goals
Try this.... Don't attack his cities, just defend your land. And make some pikes... Oromos aren't that good against mounted units
On topic
There is a issue that I didn't see explained: score..... As a lot of Noble players come to moarn about how a 5th place in score Shaka decides to DoW them, there is one thing that I wanted to say:
Score lead is almost useless. It only matters for Time victories and to make the AI forget about the "we fear you are becoming too advanced" status if you are in the bottom half. AI only look for Power and power ,by some unknown reason, is not a component of Score
Learning that should be included somewhere in the Warlord/Noble goals
QFT!
This aspect (including components like being able to tech decently at 0% beakers) was completely new to me before starting to read this very forum.
Thus I conclude the game itself is not good at making this known to players (basically, nothing about the interface, hints, tutorial, playstyles point towards the "random" fact that Scientists can make up the bulk of your research), which is why this is the advice I needed to quote.
I'll try some pointers for Emperor+, but it will be sketchy.
Emperor:
Pre-conditions:
- Understand the big picture. You need a strategy to approach the game. This goes beyond choosing which type of economy to run.
- Have a general knowledge of AI behavior. Have an idea what to expect from your neighbors, and what not.
- Be willing to sit down and think about long-term questions instead of making a gut decision.
- Know the tech tree in and out. Know the paths and what's available where. If I wake you up in the middle of the night and say "Prereqs for Writing" you should be able answer without thinking.
Goals:
- Learn to make use of synergies between everything. This includes traits, civ, map, opponents, tech paths, wonders etc.
- Understand the benefits of chopping and slavery.
- Become adept at reading and controlling the diplomacy game. Know what AI attitudes mean and how to manipulate them.
- Get used to making plans about everything. You're playing a *strategy* game.
- Learn to control the different outputs of your cities. There's much more than food, hammers and commerce.
- Pay some attention to details. City governors mostly do a good job, but remember to check them at times. Make sure you know why your workers are doing what they're doing.
Bottom line: This is about strategy. If you're good at planning, you won't need to much micromanagement yet. But you will start to see its power.
Immortal:
Preconditions:
- Master the big picture. Know how small things can have big effects.
- Pay attention to your opponents and follow their game. Understand their weaknesses and how to exploit them.
- Don't play this when you're tired or cannot concentrate.
Goals:
- Get to know the inner workings of what the game doesn't show you. Spending time reading the forums and articles helps.
- Learn the peculiarities of AI behavior. E.g. knowing what they will research can help you to get trade opportunities.
- Get used to optimizations in micromanagement. Chopping, whipping, tile management. Shaving that one turn off Rifling can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
- Learn to manipulate the AIs from a position of weakness. You will usually be inferior in both power and tech.
This is where I'm standing. The next entry is just what I expect, not my experience.
Deity:
Preconditions:
- Understand the game.
- Know what options are available at any time and be able to assess them.
Goals:
- Pay close attention to the details. If you can get a small gain by making some minor modifications, do it. It all adds up in the end.
- Not just think about strategy, but calculate it. Know the numbers, know how long things take and don't waste time. Writing down numbers and doing some maths may pay off at times.
- Get everything as soon as you need it, but not earlier. Plan every step you take, know how it fits into the big picture.
- Try to take control of as many aspects as you can, but go with the flow if you cannot. There may be an opportunity later.
That's all I can think of. Looks a bit abstract compared to the earlier levels but I find it hard to find clear-cut objectives here. Thoughts?
Emperor:
Pre-conditions:
- Understand the big picture. You need a strategy to approach the game. This goes beyond choosing which type of economy to run.
- Have a general knowledge of AI behavior. Have an idea what to expect from your neighbors, and what not.
- Be willing to sit down and think about long-term questions instead of making a gut decision.
- Know the tech tree in and out. Know the paths and what's available where. If I wake you up in the middle of the night and say "Prereqs for Writing" you should be able answer without thinking.
Goals:
- Learn to make use of synergies between everything. This includes traits, civ, map, opponents, tech paths, wonders etc.
- Understand the benefits of chopping and slavery.
- Become adept at reading and controlling the diplomacy game. Know what AI attitudes mean and how to manipulate them.
- Get used to making plans about everything. You're playing a *strategy* game.
- Learn to control the different outputs of your cities. There's much more than food, hammers and commerce.
- Pay some attention to details. City governors mostly do a good job, but remember to check them at times. Make sure you know why your workers are doing what they're doing.
Bottom line: This is about strategy. If you're good at planning, you won't need to much micromanagement yet. But you will start to see its power.
Immortal:
Preconditions:
- Master the big picture. Know how small things can have big effects.
- Pay attention to your opponents and follow their game. Understand their weaknesses and how to exploit them.
- Don't play this when you're tired or cannot concentrate.
Goals:
- Get to know the inner workings of what the game doesn't show you. Spending time reading the forums and articles helps.
- Learn the peculiarities of AI behavior. E.g. knowing what they will research can help you to get trade opportunities.
- Get used to optimizations in micromanagement. Chopping, whipping, tile management. Shaving that one turn off Rifling can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
- Learn to manipulate the AIs from a position of weakness. You will usually be inferior in both power and tech.
This is where I'm standing. The next entry is just what I expect, not my experience.
Deity:
Preconditions:
- Understand the game.
- Know what options are available at any time and be able to assess them.
Goals:
- Pay close attention to the details. If you can get a small gain by making some minor modifications, do it. It all adds up in the end.
- Not just think about strategy, but calculate it. Know the numbers, know how long things take and don't waste time. Writing down numbers and doing some maths may pay off at times.
- Get everything as soon as you need it, but not earlier. Plan every step you take, know how it fits into the big picture.
- Try to take control of as many aspects as you can, but go with the flow if you cannot. There may be an opportunity later.
That's all I can think of. Looks a bit abstract compared to the earlier levels but I find it hard to find clear-cut objectives here. Thoughts?
Bleys
Deity
It was a decent enough time-sink before I found Civ IV, haven't even pulled my accounts out of v-mode since I started playing this, though. A year is pleny long enough for a game like that, I dont regret playing it one bit.
I agree with this statement as well. Replaying is a wonderful learning tool, but be careful not to over use it or you will find yourself getting sloppy.
I would have to agree with oyzar here. There are degrees of specialization. At the most basic level, it basically boils down to picking a few buildings you DONT build in every single city, rather than a long detailed list of buildings you only build in certain specific cities.
Learning to check your cities numbers, especially potential numbers based on available tiles, and specialize each city accordingly, is a skill that you need on Emperor and above, but you can get away with a much more relaxed attitude on Monarch. For me (a mostly monarch player), my specialization consists of not building Universities in citys that I want producing units, and not building stables in cities that dont do units, and the like, if that makes sense.
Also, specialization affects play in proportion to the length of the game. One thing I immediately noticed when moving up in difficulty is that the "point" in the game where I can say "OK I am pretty much winning, so I can relax a bit" comes later and later as you move up the ladder. In the recent Nobles Club, I felt I had the game well in hand before 1 AD, the rest was just going through the motions. On Prince, it generally takes til 500-600 AD, when I am usually drafting rifles and building Cav while the AI is struggling along with Maces and Knights, MAYBE Muskets. On Monarch, I will almost certainly be facing Muskets, and perhaps even a tech-equal army, so the winning "point" is much later, say 1200-1500 AD, and I have yet to win a clean Emperor game at all, without a ton of reloading etc, which I attribute to the low-end specialization of my cities.
r_rolo1
King of myself
I would put this somewhere in emperor/Immortal goals:
Learn to wage war effectivelly: understand the value of all promos ( not only city raider ) and of how to fight against bigger armies without losing the upper hand. Learn to count times ( like in chess ) and to use the terrain to defense . Learn to use GG effectivelly. Learn to draft and to not draft
Learn to wage war effectivelly: understand the value of all promos ( not only city raider
) and of how to fight against bigger armies without losing the upper hand. Learn to count times ( like in chess ) and to use the terrain to defense . Learn to use GG effectivelly. Learn to draft and to not draft
JTMacc99
That's a paddlin'
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2008
- Messages
- 900
For me, it seems that at Prince level, it is also time to learn how to build and how to use a proper stack of doom. Before I move up to Monarch in BtS, I am attempting to get better at this critical aspect of the game.
Way too often, I sweep into enemy territory, capture or destroy my initial targets, and then my advance stalls out despite the fact that the remaining cities are lightly defended and there for the picking.
I've got the early rush down. I can wipe out another civ in the time of axes and archers without too much trouble. I've also got the late land-grab for domination down (due to the fact that I can establish enough of a tech lead to either have tanks or modern armor when my chosen target has no reasonable counter.) It's just the whole giant period between when I always seem to underestimate or just not generate the right number of units for my stack.
Way too often, I sweep into enemy territory, capture or destroy my initial targets, and then my advance stalls out despite the fact that the remaining cities are lightly defended and there for the picking.
I've got the early rush down. I can wipe out another civ in the time of axes and archers without too much trouble. I've also got the late land-grab for domination down (due to the fact that I can establish enough of a tech lead to either have tanks or modern armor when my chosen target has no reasonable counter.) It's just the whole giant period between when I always seem to underestimate or just not generate the right number of units for my stack.
Diamondeye
So Happy I Could Die
I (for crying out loud 
) have mastered or atleast understood ALL the things you've written down, aswell as the suggested ones and the ones posted further down for Monarch. Yet I play on Prince. How often do you need to win to move up? >50%? >25%?
Oh, and you look like you focus too much on economy and too scarcely on the war concept of the game. You are most likely going to lose on noble if youre in a war and bring no siege. Update the military reqs. Also dimplomacy and knowledge of the different AIs matters alot. Being alone with Monty, Joao, Willem, Mansa, Izzy or Elizabeth are all different issues and should be treated so.
) have mastered or atleast understood ALL the things you've written down, aswell as the suggested ones and the ones posted further down for Monarch. Yet I play on Prince. How often do you need to win to move up? >50%? >25%?Oh, and you look like you focus too much on economy and too scarcely on the war concept of the game. You are most likely going to lose on noble if youre in a war and bring no siege. Update the military reqs. Also dimplomacy and knowledge of the different AIs matters alot. Being alone with Monty, Joao, Willem, Mansa, Izzy or Elizabeth are all different issues and should be treated so.
Probably around Prince:
Once you have a solid stack of fighting units (things like Macemen or Cavalry) you pretty much only need to build siege units. It is the Trebs that die - no reason to make attacks with your fighting units until the siege units have reduced all defenders to minimum health.
Probably only at Monarch and up:
City of Death Trick: As your armies are normally geared towards city attacks (mainly City Raider promotions) when you are threatened by a huge enemy Stack of Doom, move your own (smaller) SOD behind the city, then when the cultural defenses are brought low, retreat with all your city defenders. The AI will move in with his entire stack, which you can the annahilate: he has no defense bonuses (from walls, culture or fortifications), while all your City Raider promos will work just fine. If you had stood your ground, you would be dead now. Instead you will have killed the enemy SOD for very few losses (and a slightly shook-up city).
Once you have a solid stack of fighting units (things like Macemen or Cavalry) you pretty much only need to build siege units. It is the Trebs that die - no reason to make attacks with your fighting units until the siege units have reduced all defenders to minimum health.
Probably only at Monarch and up:
City of Death Trick: As your armies are normally geared towards city attacks (mainly City Raider promotions) when you are threatened by a huge enemy Stack of Doom, move your own (smaller) SOD behind the city, then when the cultural defenses are brought low, retreat with all your city defenders. The AI will move in with his entire stack, which you can the annahilate: he has no defense bonuses (from walls, culture or fortifications), while all your City Raider promos will work just fine. If you had stood your ground, you would be dead now. Instead you will have killed the enemy SOD for very few losses (and a slightly shook-up city).
As you move up in difficulty, you have to spend much more time thinking than actually playing (hitting enter). I spend so much time staring at the tech tree, map, info screens, city screens, civilopedia, etc that I feel like I'm studying. There are lots of decisions to make/trade-offs to consider that the best path may not be the most obvious. I used to be an impatient player (a chronic "one-more-turn" guy), but now have much more fun planning my empire.
According to Blake:
If you play at a difficulty which is exactly at your skill level, with 10 players:
10% of the games you should have an easy time, because you got a "top 10%" start point. 10% of the games you should have a very uphill struggle, because you got a "bottom 10%" start point.
see link for full discussion: http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/showpost.php?p=24979&postcount=18
I thought this a logical baseline.
edit: best answer: play at the level you are having most fun playing
Monarch requires city specialization, micromanagement, knowing when to stop a war, knowing how to plan a war so it will be over as quick as possible, as well as a victory plan. Emperor requires reloads 
. At this point I play mostly emperor with random everything because I was winning all the time on monarch on random everything (had to play monarch for around a year to get to that point). The biggest thing about the jump from monarch to emperor is the need for an even bigger early game army, chopped setters (a la REX), and knowing how to play to your leaders strengths. If you get an expansive leader dont try and wonder hog, and vice versa.
. At this point I play mostly emperor with random everything because I was winning all the time on monarch on random everything (had to play monarch for around a year to get to that point). The biggest thing about the jump from monarch to emperor is the need for an even bigger early game army, chopped setters (a la REX), and knowing how to play to your leaders strengths. If you get an expansive leader dont try and wonder hog, and vice versa.
r_rolo1
King of myself
I (for crying out loud
Oh, and you look like you focus too much on economy and too scarcely on the war concept of the game. You are most likely going to lose on noble if youre in a war and bring no siege. Update the military reqs. Also dimplomacy and knowledge of the different AIs matters alot. Being alone with Monty, Joao, Willem, Mansa, Izzy or Elizabeth are all different issues and should be treated so.
About moving up a level: My rule is that if you can win some games playing against the leader's strenghts ( No cottage Fin , No Specialist Phi, No Preat Romans
( I bet that almost no one tries this ),.... ), you can surely win a game in a level above ....About the second paragraph: QTF
