Gameplay Impact on Difficulty

[fireblade80]

Hello everybody!

I wanted to ask you on the changes you experience and about the measures you take to adapt to a higher difficulty level. I usually play on Monarch and, once in a while, as Emperor.

On Monarch, the game seems pretty fair, but, no matter how fast I expand, the AI still has the edge in the number of cities. On Emperor, I usually do not stand any chance to match the AI Ancient Age expansion.

Which leads me to the second part, which is recovering after the AI gets a head start. To me, it seems that tribes that offer an Ancient or Early Middle Age UU are not that useful in higher difficulty games, because the you are better served building your infrastructure during these periods, otherwise you will never be able to stay close to the AI in terms of research and production in the future.

In the later part of the Middle Ages (on Monarch), I usually have a complete and effective infrastructure (roads, improvements, buildings) and my cities become production and culture powerhouses that I efficiently use to build combined-arms armies to easily wipe out the AI.

Starting from the Ancient Age, I usually build in my cities:
- in reasonably food-rich cities - Worker, Granary, (Worker, Spearman, Settler, Worker ...), Temple, (Harbor), Courthouse, Marketplace, Library, Cathedral (if few luxuries), University, Bank
- in food-scarce shore cities - Harbor, Granary, (Worker, Worker, ...), Temple, (Harbor), Courthouse, Marketplace, Library, Cathedral (if few luxuries), University, Bank
- in cities surrounded by the AI territory - Worker, Temple, Granary, (Worker ...), maybe Settler(s), Courthouse, Marketplace, Library, Cathedral (if few luxuries), University, Bank

With my tactic, the late Middle Ages (on Monarch) and the middle Industrial Age, after building factories (on Emperor), are the periods in which I greatly expand my territories and make up for the difference in expansion from the beginning. At the beginning of the Modern Age, I am usually the most or one of the most powerful tribes, and soon after, I either get a fast Diplomatic Victory, a Domination Victory or, if those did not work, the Space Race. I generally aim for the highest score possible, so I would rather forfeit a Diplomatic Victory, if I plan a major expansion that would trigger a higher score Domination Victory.

What do you think about my tactics? How can I improve them?

 

[Aabraxan]

Welcome to CFC, fireblade80!

There's a link in the Info Center that explains the differences in difficulty levels. Perhaps that will be of some help.

Also, take a look at the War Academy. Some recommended reading for your situation:

• Cracker's Opening Moves
• Monarch to Emperor: The Great Leap

There's also a tutorial article in "Strategy Articles" by vmxa for players struggling with Regent. I know you're beyond that, but it's a good article nonetheless.

One of the best ways to get help around here is to post a save. Your description is pretty thorough, but it will be easier for someone to see what's going on if they can actually load up your game.

As for recovering from last place, run a search for threads by zerksees. He's got one or several threads on recovering from last place and they're very interesting.

Your early build orders are largely determined by your desired victory condition. With that said, there are some things that should help, regardless of how you want to win.

• Make sure you have enough workers. Two per city is good, you can get by with a few less if you're industrious.
• Roads, roads, roads.
• Don't build unnecessary buildings. Naturally, "unnecessary" is determined by your VC. For example, temples are rarely necessary for conquest victories, but very important to cultural victories.

 

[CivAgamemnon]

There's also a tutorial article in "Strategy Articles" by vmxa for players struggling with Regent. I know you're beyond that, but it's a good article nonetheless.

To make things easier, Vmxa's article: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=296512

Aabraxan's advice is right on the money, but I'd like to add: cathedrals (imho) are not all that necessary unless you're chasing a cultural victory. If you lack luxuries, use the luxury slider and specialists.

 

[Spoonwood]

If you really want a high score, aim for a histographic victory. In other words, play a game all the way out to 2050 AD without triggering any victory conditions, nor letting the AIs trigger any victory conditions.

You don't need granaries in every city. In general (histographic games may work out differently) you really only need a few (maybe even just one) cities with 5 food, a granary, and 5 shields per turn. Those cities produce workers until sometime post-rails. Players call these worker pumps. Those workers develop your territory and eventually add into your cities. Your empire grows faster this way. It's especially ideal to add workers into size 7 cities and take them to size 12... just make sure you have enough workers when you can build railroads.

Universities, and banks don't mix all too well. Markets work out differently, since they give you more happiness from luxuries. You might also want libraries for border expansions, so that's a bit different also. But, if you run a high science rate, banks don't do you much good.... even if you drop the slider on the last few turns down a tick or two. If you run a low science rate, then universities don't do you much good. Perhaps if you had 50% taxes and 50% science both might work as desireable, but in general such a strategy seems inefficient (I could be wrong... I haven't done that), since they both cost so much to build.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

Hello everybody!

I wanted to ask you on the changes you experience and about the measures you take to adapt to a higher difficulty level. I usually play on Monarch and, once in a while, as Emperor.

On Monarch, the game seems pretty fair, but, no matter how fast I expand, the AI still has the edge in the number of cities. On Emperor, I usually do not stand any chance to match the AI Ancient Age expansion.

Which leads me to the second part, which is recovering after the AI gets a head start. To me, it seems that tribes that offer an Ancient or Early Middle Age UU are not that useful in higher difficulty games, because the you are better served building your infrastructure during these periods, otherwise you will never be able to stay close to the AI in terms of research and production in the future.

In the later part of the Middle Ages (on Monarch), I usually have a complete and effective infrastructure (roads, improvements, buildings) and my cities become production and culture powerhouses that I efficiently use to build combined-arms armies to easily wipe out the AI.

Starting from the Ancient Age, I usually build in my cities:
- in reasonably food-rich cities - Worker, Granary, (Worker, Spearman, Settler, Worker ...), Temple, (Harbor), Courthouse, Marketplace, Library, Cathedral (if few luxuries), University, Bank
- in food-scarce shore cities - Harbor, Granary, (Worker, Worker, ...), Temple, (Harbor), Courthouse, Marketplace, Library, Cathedral (if few luxuries), University, Bank
- in cities surrounded by the AI territory - Worker, Temple, Granary, (Worker ...), maybe Settler(s), Courthouse, Marketplace, Library, Cathedral (if few luxuries), University, Bank

With my tactic, the late Middle Ages (on Monarch) and the middle Industrial Age, after building factories (on Emperor), are the periods in which I greatly expand my territories and make up for the difference in expansion from the beginning. At the beginning of the Modern Age, I am usually the most or one of the most powerful tribes, and soon after, I either get a fast Diplomatic Victory, a Domination Victory or, if those did not work, the Space Race. I generally aim for the highest score possible, so I would rather forfeit a Diplomatic Victory, if I plan a major expansion that would trigger a higher score Domination Victory.

What do you think about my tactics? How can I improve them?

You can thin out the list of improvements even further. But I think the realization that there are different types of cities that call for different sets of improvements is good. What also matters with respects to what improvements to build is the victory condition and/or the type of the game.

So, the absolute minumum set of improvements for core cities might be:
A granary for food rich cities which are going to build nothing more than workers and settlers.
A barracks for cities that are going to produce military.


The maximum set of improvements that I use for core cities looks something like this:

Basic:
Granary - but only if the city is food rich and is going to build workers and settlers.
Barracks - rather shield rich, if I am going to need military.
Libraries - any core city, but the priority depends on the level and on whether I am scientific or not.
Markets - any core city.
Harbors - in core cities that need them.

Optional improvements, with fairly low priorities:
Universities - being scientific and playing a research heavy game makes these fairly palatable though, otherwise it is a tough investment.
Temples - I build these only in certain situations. And if I build them I do so fairly late approximately concurring with the city hitting size 12.
Courthouses - if I am going to need each and every beaker.
Banks - if I don't have anything better to do.



Another thing is, don't bother building garrisons. If you have the habit of placing two defenders in every city, or something like that, kick that habit as much as you can.

 

[fireblade80]

Universities, and banks don't mix all too well. Markets work out differently, since they give you more happiness from luxuries. You might also want libraries for border expansions, so that's a bit different also. But, if you run a high science rate, banks don't do you much good.... even if you drop the slider on the last few turns down a tick or two. If you run a low science rate, then universities don't do you much good. Perhaps if you had 50% taxes and 50% science both might work as desireable, but in general such a strategy seems inefficient (I could be wrong... I haven't done that), since they both cost so much to build.

Thank you all very much for the replies!

Civilopedia documentation states that, although marketplaces only affect the tax rate assigned to the treasury, banks and stock exchanges affect the whole tax rate. Maybe I misunderstood this aspect, but the way it is written inside the Civilopedia is like this.

 

[The Professor]

Civilopedia documentation states that, although marketplaces only affect the tax rate assigned to the treasury, banks and stock exchanges affect the whole tax rate. Maybe I misunderstood this aspect, but the way it is written inside the Civilopedia is like this.

I am pretty sure they all affect just the taxes going to the treasury, not the entire amount you collect in commerce from a city. As Spoonwood mentioned, marketplaces also increases the amount of happiness you get from having three or more luxuries, so they are quite possibly worth it, even if you aren't spending much on taxes.

On Monarch, the game seems pretty fair, but, no matter how fast I expand, the AI still has the edge in the number of cities. On Emperor, I usually do not stand any chance to match the AI Ancient Age expansion.

With a Settler Factory or two, it is possible to keep up or surpass the AI in number of cities, even on Demi-God, where the AI gets an extra settler at the start. This requires a food bonus or two near your starting position, as well as a granary and some micromanagement, but it is entirely worth learning how to create and run one. If you look in the Succession Game forum, there are Training Day Games where the players discuss in detail how to do this.

 

[Spoonwood]

It doesn't say whole tax rate. The wording does come out a bit different... marketplace says
"The marketplace increases tax revenue allocated to the treasury by 50%". Bank says
"A bank increases tax revenue produced in its city by 50%, in addition to any marketplace benefit." Stock Exchange says
"Stock Exchange provides a 50% tax output for the city it is constructed in."

 

[Aabraxan]

Might the article linked in my signature be of some help here?

 

[dexters]

Temples are not always a 'no' They're useful on border cities and if you're religious Civ, you already get them half priced.

I find temples useful emperor and above games where territorial control is important and early archer rushes not always practical and where happiness is an issue, and you're religious, its a cheap way to get a happy face.

The early culture is also significant in that temples by the modern era could be producing 4 culture per turn and it has all sorts of implications as well. Certainly on a cost/benefit side, it can be quite efficient.