Ein Platz an der Sonne - a Civilization IV Walkthrough

[Jürgen Hubert]

This is something I originally wrote up for my LiveJournal - a Walkthrough for Civ IV:

First I had to select a map. This is the "simple" map window, with a few basic map scripts (not finished maps - the maps you can select in this menu are all randomly generated). I selected a map with several large continents, but there are also options for "Archipelago" (lots of small islands), "Great Plains" (no large ocean masses - just a large plain with fixed borders), "Highlands" (lots of mountain terrain) and lots more. And then there is an "Advanced Map" section - with lots more options. But the simple one will do for the moment...

Then I could enter things like temperature, sea level, and overall world size. I left it all at the defaults.

Now I could pick which of the 18 civilizations I wanted to play as. I picked the Germans, and since Germany had two possible leaders, I picked Otto von Bismarck. Each leader has his own traits which affects how the civilization develops. Bismarck is Expansive and Industrious, which means, among other things, that all cities are healthier (allowing them to grow larger faster) and that they can build Wonders faster - both good traits for someone like me who likes the "out-build everyone else" strategy with these games...

Finally, I could select the overall difficulty - which I selected as "Chieftain", the third easiest - and the overall speed of the game, which effects how many turns you have and how fast you can build things. I left the game speed at "normal".

Oh, and you might have noticed that the background changed in each screen shot. You might think that each menu had a slightly different background, but you would be wrong - the background is not static. Instead you will see an area roughly consisting of Northern Africa and the Mediterranean cycling through night and day - as seen from space. You are seeing the lights of the cities going on and out, clouds moving past, and occasionally - as in the fourth picture - a sunrise from space. The whole effect is visually stunning, and the choral music accompanying it is beautiful.

But enough with this. Now let's hear Otto von Bismarck's tale as he attempts to lead the German Empire to greatness:

"4000 BC: I am starting with a unit of Scouts and my first settlers. I immediately send the Scouts off to explore the surrounding area. I despair over their bad dress - it is hard to install proper military discipline when the soldiers are dressed like that! I must talk to Hugo Boss about this - I hear they are really good at making military uniforms...

The starting location is not bad - lots of forests that will provide raw resources, and a group of pigs to the Southwest - one of the basics of any good German meal! There are also some wild spices to the south, which can't hurt.

Berlin, the capital of the German Empire is founded. All right, it isn't much to look at yet, but give it time. One of my promising young architects, one Albert Speer, promises that it will be one of the most beautiful cities in the world...

3960 BC: I can choose which technology to research first. It is tempting to research Archery and build up my military strength, but Animal Husbandry will allow me to build pastures and gain access to those tasty pigs to the Southwest...

3800 BC: My Scouts encountered a local tribe and told them of the glories of the German Empire - including the promise of better uniforms in the future. Suitably impressed, the natives agreed to join my subjects as another units of Scout - always useful for getting a better overview of the surrounding area.

There is also a patch of rice growing in the coastal regions to the Northwest. I am more of a wheat person, but my doctors are claiming that rice is healthy, so it might be a good idea to expand into that direction in the future.

3760 BC: I just read carefully over the reports of my Scouts again, and I've noticed that there are also cows grazing to the Northwest - an even better reason to expand in that direction.

Now all I need is access to wheat, and my collection of German staples would be complete.

3600 BC: My scientists discovered Animal Husbandry! For this, I was even willing to listen to that untalented American actor Leonard Nimoy reading some completely irrelevant quote. Why couldn't they get Marlene Dietrich for this part?

I have also build my first Warrior unit. I will keep it in Berlin - there are too many Barbarians roaming around to leave my capital undefended, and I am sure the French are also lurking around somewhere out there. I will immediately start to build another Warrior unit so that I can secure a spot for a new settlement once the need arises.

To be continued...

LiveJournal

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

3560 BC: I meet Alexander of the Greeks, a man who appreciates the finer things in life just as I do. I agree to live in peace with him for the time being.

3520 BC: One of my Scouts Units has encountered a pride of lions. Fortunately, they have recently gained some experience (apparently, some villagers challenged them to a mud-wrestling contest. What's wrong with a good, old-fashioned fencing duel?) and become expert Jägers (or forest fighters). I've told them to dig into the forest and hope for the best - the lions are too close to my territory and must be eliminated.

3480 BC: And they succeed! I award them a medal and am even willing to ignore their lack of uniform for the time being. I commission Karl May, one of our artists, to write an epic about their heroic deeds.

3320 BC: Some new-fangled religion called "Buddhism" has allegedly been founded in a distant land. I can probably ignore this for the time being...

My second Warrior unit has also been created. Since Berlin is now at Size 3, I will start building on my first worker. Creating Workers and Settlers uses up a lot of manpower, which means that the city building them will stop growing while you build them. But now Berlin is large enough so that these units are completed within a reasonable time span (I hope).

Of course, I could start building a Settler right away and secure another city. But first things first - I want my capital to grow large as soon as possible, and so it is a good idea to start building infrastructure now. And there are those tasty pigs to the Southwest to consider...

3120 BC: A weird religion called "Hinduism" has been founded right in my capital? How did that happen? Really, even trying to keep track of all their deities gives me a headache...

Overnight, they have become a potent political force. To keep them happy, I agree to make Hinduism to official state religion. Really, they are as bad as the Social Democrats... But I must remember to kick out some of their more radical members from time to time - both so that they don't make any trouble here and so that they can make trouble somewhere else, preferably in some of my neighboring civilizations...

3040 BC: The same Scout units defended itself successfully from another group of lions - this time on the open plains! Karl May ate it up, and so did his readers...

Shortly afterward, I encountered Genghis Khan of the Mongols, a fierce looking Asiatic fellow. I have a feeling that I will have to keep an eye on him, despite our peace agreement. He might have French ancestry, after all...

3020 BC: The other Scout unit fought off some panthers. Not quite as spectacular, but Karl May was happy with their stories nonetheless...

2880 BC: My first Workers have been trained and stand ready to capture and tame those pigs. I immediately start to build Settlers to expand my Empire.

2640 BC: The pasture has been completed, and I award myself the honor of eating the first Schnitzel. I hope neither the Emperor nor my doctors find out...

2480 BC: More panthers defeated by my heroic Scouts. There is only one language that these wild beasts understand: The touch of cold steel.

I ask my scientists why we have not discovered Steel yet. They shrug and mutter that they are currently working on something called "Writing" and show me some clay tablets with some weird markings.

It is so hard to get good underlings these days!

2360 BC: The Settlers have been completed, and I send them off to the Northwest together with Warrior escorts. My workers have gone off into that direction as well to capture some wild elephants. Though not planned, I approve of this - those beasts look mighty fierce and might have some use for my future plans - but it also seems like those Workers aren't improving the area in the immediate vicinity of Berlin like I had intended them to do. I thus start building another unit of workers to make up for them.

2280 BC: Apparently, the Settlers were able to outpace the Warriors and founded the city of Hamburg long before the latter were able to catch up! I must send the commanding officer a note that he must start a strict exercise regimen for those laggards - jogging for an hour each day with 25 kg of equipment on their backs would make for a nice starts. If I continue to tolerate this lack of fitness in my armies, then how is Germany ever going to become a Great Power?

Immediately after settling down, the inhabitants of Hamburg begin erecting a great standing stone, which is strange - I carefully vetted the Settlers to make sure that no Hindus were among them. I must investigate this further...

2240 BC: The wild elephants have been captured. I tried out an Elefantenschnitzel, but found it an acquired taste. However, many artists said that their mighty teeth make excellent base materials for their carvings, and some engineers speculated that it might be possible to make musical instruments with them.

I mentioned this to my scientists - good music you can march to is essential for any disciplined army - but they claimed they were busy trying to figure out how to build more robust buildings. Well, at least they are doing something useful this time - better fortifications can't hurt...

2120 BC: More dead lions. Will they never learn?

2080 BC: New Workers have been trained. After my scientists have shown me their latest advances in Masonry and its possible applications, I agree to increase their funding and build a Library in Berlin to support their efforts. I hope it pays off - the Emperor wants me to build a coastal town instead so that we can build warships. I can convince him for the time being that we should concentrate on building up our forces on land instead, but I am sure the issue will come up again later...

1960 BC: A road now connects Berlin and Hamburg, allowing the good people of Hamburg access to the amenities of the capital, such as those ivory carvings and (especially) pork. Once Hamburg is able to extend its influence a bit, both cities will also be able to get access to cows, as well as this "rice" plant. There are a few other useful things in the area, such as wild spices and grapes, but my scientists have not learned how to plant and harvest the latter on a larger scale...

1800 BC: My Jägers have been killed by barbarian Warriors! I commissioned Albert Speer to build a memorial for them. This only confirms my view that the world needs to be throughly civilized - by me.

1720 BC: Finally, the Hamburgers have finished that idiotic Obelisk. I've sent some scientists over there to explain them the fine points of the new "Archery" technology, which allows you to fire pointy bits of metal attached to a wooden shaft to an impressive distance - perfect for defending cities from marauding barbarians. The people of Hamburg have taken up this new method of fighting enthusiastically, and are now building up a whole unit of these archers.

1680 BC: Unfortunately, it appears that one of the scientists I sent to Hamburg was secretly a Hindu, and now the entire city has converted!

1560 BC: Gengis Khan has surprised me with offering an "Open Borders" treaty, which means that our units could cross into each other's territory. After some deliberation, I accepted. Sure, there is a possibility that he will launch a surprise attack against me once he is close, but my reports indicate that I have both technological and numerical superiority. And in the meantime, I can explore his territory at my leisure in case we ever have any major disagreements (such as proof of his French ancestry).

Maybe I can even send off some of my more annoying Hindus to him...

1520 BC: After the library has been completed, the scientists of Berlin have now started with a new gigantic building that will supposedly "reveal the answers to all their questions". I am a bit skeptical about this claim, but I am willing to give them a chance...

1400 BC: Apparently, not all people in Hamburg converted to Hinduism, for a new religion called "Judaism" has been founded there. Compared to the Hindus, those Jews seem to be a fairly literate and reasonable bunch, and I think they might make excellent civil servants. But I doubt they will ever be more than a minority among the Germans...

In response, the Hindus have become more organized and now have become an active part of the German power structure. I really must do something about this...

I guess now it is too late to get rid of them...

1320 BC: The Archers have been completed. I let them guard Hamburg, and sent those lazy warriors into the wilderness to guard a large amount of marble that was recently discovered there. That will be good exercise for them, and Albert Speer tells me that marble is absolutely essential for his plans to transform Berlin. I will send settlers from Hamburg after them as soon as they are ready. And then the Emperor will get his coastal town, and everyone will be happy.

1280 BC: Alexander of the Greeks also offers me an Open Borders treaty, and I accept for the same reasons as with the Mongols. But I will have to replace those Scouts soon to make optimal use of it...

1000 BC: This strange new building, which my scientists call an "Oracle" has been completed and its golden dome is now clearly visible in the center of Berlin. I remain skeptical about the alleged prophetic properties of the building, but I have to admit that those scientists were very productive as of late. Apart from finally finding a way of cultivating those wild grapes, from which they claim to be able to make a drink which is supposed to be an excellent substitute for beer in lean times, they have also worked out the theory behind a new form of government called "Monarchy" which will firmly establish the Emperor's ultimate rule. It will take some time to Hereditary Rule, but I think the renewed sense of purpose will ultimately do the German Empire a lot of good. Only a nagging fear that the Emperor might outlive me keeps me from fully enjoying the festivities."

Will Karl May ever complete his heroic epic? What will Albert Speer do with all this marble once he gets his hands on it? And will the fledgling German Empire eventually face bigger threats than just a few marauding bandits and animals?

These questions, and more, might or might not be answered in the next installment. So stay tuned!

 

[WillemIV]

Nice.

Please continu untill the year 2000.

 

[Richosh]

Interesting, but I believe this to be the wrong forum, no? wouldn´t be suited better for stories and tales.

 

[anjinsan1966]

Nice writeup . But i think it should be posted in another area of this forum.

 

[Aussie_Lurker]

Oh, that was absolutely HILARIOUS Jurgen. I love how you have managed to put yourself at 'arms length' from the true ruler of your nation-as it were-and make certain decisions seem like they are NOT to your satisfaction (like founding Hinduism !) Anyway, I am loving this latest walkthrough, and look forward to the next part. BTW, how many years actually pass per turn in the ancient age, if you don't mind me asking?

Yours,
Aussie_Lurker.

 

[oagersnap]

This is a great story! (Especially for us who don't have the game yet.)

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Nice.

Please continu untill the year 2000.

Well, I'm not quite that far yet, but I am getting there...

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Interesting, but I believe this to be the wrong forum, no? wouldn´t be suited better for stories and tales.

Ah, I see. If any of the moderators see this, feel free to move it.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Oh, that was absolutely HILARIOUS Jurgen. I love how you have managed to put yourself at 'arms length' from the true ruler of your nation-as it were-and make certain decisions seem like they are NOT to your satisfaction (like founding Hinduism !)

Well, the historical Bismarck wasn't really the ruler of Germany, either - he was the head of the government, but technically subservient to the Emperor...

Anyway, I am loving this latest walkthrough, and look forward to the next part. BTW, how many years actually pass per turn in the ancient age, if you don't mind me asking?

Fourty years, I believe...

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Last time we witnessed Otto von Bismarck making his first, hesitant steps towards making the German Empire an unstoppable juggernaut. Let us see how far he has come in the meantime...

"825 BC: A barbarian settlement has been discovered to the Southeast and begun to send out roving bands of Warriors. I must send some military units over there to "civilize" them. They might not be Bavarians, but they are still a nuisance that needs to be incorporated into the Empire...

725 BC: Another band of barbarian Warriors has come from the North! They must be stopped before they start pillaging my settlements...

And my Archers succeed without any losses! I must remember to award the Iron Cross to my leading scientists for this innovation...

700 BC: For this battle, the Archers gain enough experience to earn a Promotion! I have the choice of just generally training their overall combat strength, training them for fighting in hilly regions, training them for city defense, or increasing their "First Strike" chance.

I choose the last. Killing off your enemies fast like lightening before they have a chance to react is a useful ability...

675 BC: The barbarians are at the gates of Berlin! And what's worse, they are in an excellent position to do unspeakable things to my pigs! Oh, how I would love to charge them with my warriors from Berlin, but I dare not leave the city undefended in case they lose. All I can do now is wait for my Archers coming from the North...

650 BC: And it is over. The barbarians were slaughtered by my Archers, but not before they pillaged my pastures. It will take time to rebuild, but we will rebuild.

To add insult to injury, my doctors have used this tragedy as an excuse to put me on a rice diet, claiming that this is "healthier" for me. Rebuilding cannot start soon enough...

325 BC: Yet another religion has been founded - this time in Munich, my third city. This religion is called "Confucianism", and seems to be made for civil servants - almost perfect. Still, Hinduism is too well established in Germany now.

In the meantime, I keep on moving units to the barbarian city, but I'm not strong enough to attempt to breach its walls - especially since the barbarians now have archers, too. Still, my scientists have developed a new unit they call "Axeman" which they claim will be strong enough to break through. Hamburg is building one unit of them now, and I am eagerly looking forward to the results.

Unfortunately, I also became aware that the upkeep from my cities is getting out of hand. I was forced to divert some of the money allocated to scientific research to make up for the losses.

125 BC: Possibly sensing the approaching Axemen, the barbarians attempt an attack on my Archers. Despite inflicting heavy casualties, they fail to rout the unit, earning it a promotion.

100 BC: Despite heavy losses, the Axemen succeed in killing the defending Archers, and my remaining Archers make short work of the remaining defenders.

Right now the city of Maygar is burning and in chaos. But we will rebuild it, and its people will become good citizens of the German Empire. Some of them have already been put to work to improve the surrounding countryside - such as the wheat growing near the city.

50 BC: One of the Hindu radicals I have "encouraged" to bother some other people has made it to the Greek city of Thermophylae. Amazingly, he has converted the locals to Hinduism.

25 BC: And now Hinduism has become the state religion of the Greeks! Alexander seems to like me a lot more since then...

250 AD: Someone calling himself the "Great Prophet Mahavira" appeared in Berlin and immediately set out to construct a building he called the "Kashi Vishwanath", which the Hindus seem to consider the center of the faith.

This only seems the culmination of the odd behavior I have seen among the Berliners. Twice they have started to erect giant buildings, only to tear down the half-finished structures and sell them to the highest bidder...

425 AD: Now even the Hindus have officially converted to Hinduism! Well, as long as they get along with my people...

500 AD: There seems to be another barbarian settlement hiding in the forests to the South of Berlin! I will immediately send a few units over there to investigate - and to put an end to them.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

560 AD: Unfortunately, my brave Axeman died in the assault on the barbarian city of Assyrian. But the defenders were weakened enough for my Archers to take the city.

Another conquest for the German Empire.

700 AD: Genghis Khan offers me some incense for my wine. I must say, this incense doesn't smell bad...

780 AD: The people of Berlin have actually finished a large building this time - a heathen looking monstrosity they call "Chichen Itza". What kind of name is this? Certainly not a good German one! I really must have a word with Speer.

920 AD: Yet another new religion has appeared in Germany - this time it is called "Taoism", and it has appeared in Cologne.

I give up. I simply can't keep track of all of those any more. Why can't the Germans be a bit more rational rather than simply follow any fad that comes along?

1030 AD: The good people of Hamburg have completed an impressive building they call the "Sistine Chapel". I am not an overly religious person, but even I felt a sense of awe when I inspected it. Apparently, many of my citizens feel likewise...

1160 AD: Another "Great Prophet" named Menicus appeared in Berlin. From there he proceeded to Hamburg, where he constructed the "Temple of Solomon" for the Jewish faith...

1170 AD: Genghis Khan actually threatened me to hand over some of my technology! Preposterous! Is there so little respect for German military prowess in the world that I have to listen to this? I need to build up my military strength some more...

In more pleasant news, the city of Maygar now features a giant statue, a true Colossus, next to its harbor. The locals hope this will lead to increased tourist and trade income, and it already seems to be paying off.

1080 AD: It appears that one of the reasons for the newfound dislike of the Mongols of my nation is that Judaism has spread so much to them that it has become the official state religion - and they resent the fact that in Germany Hinduism is the official religion, despite the fact that the Temple of Solomon, the center of the Jewish faith, is here in Germany as well.

I've just had about enough of all these religions! It will take some time, but eventually I will make sure that the German government distances itself from all faiths...

1190 AD: Speer has just completed another one of his Asiatic-looking mega-complexes - this time, a palace complex he calls "Angkor Wat". I don't like this architectural style, but the Emperor loves it.

Oh well. The palace complex is so big that it will take a lot of time for him to get out of it and bother me at work with one of his silly ideas. Maybe now I can get some work done!

1200 AD: Once again, the Hamburgers have built something far more useful: A "Great Library" where they hope to store the accumulated knowledge of the German and other people. Maybe I should simply move my offices over there...

1240 AD: A promising young artist named Thespis has appeared in Berlin. I sent him to the city of Essen, a small jungle outpost close to the Greek borders. The soldiers there aren't even connected with a road to the rest of the Empire, and could need something to boost their morale...

Well, that worked well! His stirring performances inspired the people of Essen so much that they have started patrolling the German borders much more aggressively, netting me a lot more land - including a new herd of cows!

I hope Alexander will be a good sport about this little incident...

1260 AD: Karl May has finally created his great National Epic about the brave Scouts who first went into the wilderness to expand the borders of the German Empire. Though they are now all dead, their memory will live on.

And I have heard that Karl May is already working on building a theater in a small suburb of Hamburg called Bad Segeberg where this epic will be played out on a stage...

1290 AD: I have finally indulged the Emperor's pet project and built a "warship" - a Galley. It can go off to explore the Seven Seas or something. Hopefully its reports will keep the Emperor happy and off my back for a while.

As usual, the city of Hamburg did something much more useful: It built my first unit of Catapults. These should do nicely for devastating foreign city defenses...

1300 AD: And now Berlin has done something useful, too - my first unit of War Elephants! My, but these are big brutes! They should serve nicely as a deterrent to people like those Greek units that have started to wander through my hinterland. "Open Border Treaty" or no, this is something I must watch...

1320 AD: My practice of exiling troublesome Hindu preachers to other countries has paid off - the Mongols now have Hinduism as the state religion again! This should remove some tensions between our nations...

1350 AD: My scientists have worked out a rather useful system of governance called "Vassalage". In practice, this means that local rulers of German cities receive some autonomy, and return must swear oaths of loyalty to the throne and have to maintain and train their own standing forces that can be called up by the state.

Since the locals in general did whatever they wanted anyway, I fail to see the drawback in this, and have ordered to put this system into practice.

1380 AD: I have made contact with the Russians. Catherine seems to be fairly cautious towards me, mostly because her country is under the sway of some foreign religion called "Christianity".

I must see if I can get her to accept a few boatloads of Hindu exiles...

In other news, Hamburg has once again proven itself as a center of scientific excellence - a brilliant new scientist named Ptolemy appeared there and founded a new academy for the sciences.

1400 AD: Maybe this Vassalage idea wasn't so good, after all. The scientists came up with a system that might work even better - it is called Bureaucracy, and would significantly boost production and income in the capital...

I think it might be worth a try.

1440 AD: My scientists have developed a new substance they call "Paper". And I must admit, it is a real... relief.

I cannot imagine how I lived without it!

In other news, Catherine has agreed to an Open Borders treaty. I will soon send some Boat People her way, once I know where the Russian Empire actually is.

1480 AD: And my shiny new Caravel is off to seek for the mythical Russian Empire! It doesn't have much cargo space, but it is fast and will hopefully find it in no time - especially since Catherine shows no interest in trading her World Map!

1515 AD: Land in sight! But instead of the Russian Empire, the Caravel found a people who call themselves "Chinese", with a leader who calls himself "Qin Shi Huang". Might this be the source of all these Asiatic influences among the buildings of Berlin? Have there been secret contacts I don't know about?

I really must have a word with Speer over this.

1520 AD: Shortly after that, Tokugawa of the Nipponese, an utterly strange people, contacted me. We will see what comes out of this relationship...

1535 AD: My economic adviser told me that we need to organize our economy better. On his advice, the German Empire has adopted the doctrine of Mercantilism. Hopefully it will bring us the rewards he promised.

1540 AD: My worst fears are true: The French are out there. I shuddered as I beheld the grotesque visage of Louis XIV, King of the French. Say what you will about our Willhelm (and I know that I complain often enough about him), but he is a thousand times more of a Monarch than this monstrosity is!

Revolting as it might be, I pretended to make peace, if onl because I have no naval power to wage war against an enemy who sits on a faraway continent. But give it time...

1580 AD: The French are showing their true colors by demanding hard-earned German engineering knowledge and making threats when I refuse. But just you wait... I have a plan for dealing with them.

1605 AD: My first Musketman units are completed in Hamburg and Berlin! This will help maintain German military superiority.

But that is only a part of my plan - and only a small part, at that..."

So what is Bismarck's plan? Will the Germans eventually gain access to a source of iron so that the Emperor will get a real warship to play with? And when will the Germans launch their all-out assault on the French that can only end with the annihilation of one side?

These questions might be answered in the next installment. Or not. Either way, you should check it out!

 

[Dicanio3]

Good work Jurgen, your Empire is growing nicely! If you should come across a great leader by the name of Victoria, of the English, I advise you treat her well and make her one of your allies as she is strong and powerful, and also I believe she has married one of your countrymen by the name of Albert, do you know him?

 

[Bruinesian]

My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty....

Great job doing a preview for folks across the pond who have to wait.....and wait....

It'll be cool to know what you like or don't like about is so far. Compare it to some CIV 3 features.

 

[loler]

Moderator Action: Warned for trolling.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[mark24]

loler,

If you have nothing positive to say, say nothing. Your vacuous comments portray you in a negative light.


Jurgen,

keep it up, mate. I'm thoroughly enjoying your walkthrough.

Mark

 

[Rik Meleet]

Ah, I see. If any of the moderators see this, feel free to move it.

Done.

Keep this story up

 

[Mujadaddy]

Jurgen you are hilarious, and quite well-educated, if I may say so



This was my favorite:

675 BC: The barbarians are at the gates of Berlin! And what's worse, they are in an excellent position to do unspeakable things to my pigs!

 

[TreeFoot]

Love this story, it's better than most of the others mostly because I love your subtle sarcasm and hilarious insights, keep up the good work!

 

[Lord_Iggy]

Great story!