Guide to winning for Dummies

[Zhuge_Liang]

This guide is worth reading even if you are a veteran. I'll also topic in Multiplayer and what's the best moves to beat an enemy.

For dummies, the easiest victory is by time.

So I'll divide this guide into 6:

Chapter 1-Time
Chapter 2-Conquest
Chapter 3-Domination
Chapter 4-Cultural
Chapter 5-Space
Chapter 6-Diplomatic

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The start of your Civilization
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For dummies, if you're starting a free game (without scenarios), build a city ON A HILL NEAR A RIVER. No matter how close a plain to resources, what's the use of building them without further defense bonus? Remember that warriors are the start and archers are much powerful than warriors. They're also suitable in defending cities will almost +75% of their ability. 3 * .75 is 5.75 strength. Even if 3-4 warriors attack you, if your archers are fortified there for 5 turns, you'll win eventually. Cities that was built in hills will be much more fertile and be easier to defend.

After you built your first city, build a barracks there and now. Beeline to any religion (if you have mysticism already, research any of the two: Polytheism or Meditation. note: In BtS, this was changed to Priesthood.) after that, beeline for economy techs like agricuture, animal husbandry, mining, masonry, etc. If that's done, reseach bronze working. It's really handy to cut forests and find a copper source nearby to build a mine. That's pretty much turns that by now, or even after you research agricuture, that barracks was finished. After the barracks, build a worker.

If you had seen copper near your capital, build a mine on it by using a worker. Develop any hill near you into a mine and every plains near a river a farm. Cottages will have to wait. And I almost forgot, if you'd been given a scout or a warrior in the start, explore your surroundings. Take the risk if a warrior was given to you.

 

[nbcman]

I wouldn't follow the path that you describe. I rarely settle on Hills-since I don't plan to need the defense bonus because I will attack enemies before they get to my city.

Barracks as a first build is not a good strategy. Most players will either build a worker, a work boat or a warrior first. There is no need for sinking production in a barracks when there are more important things to produce. Especially since the next unit you want to produce is a worker-the barracks is unnecessary for the worker.

Unless I am going for a religion based game I avoid the early religions and concentrate on the early economy techs for the resources that I have nearby and then go for bronze working to allow slavery and forest chopping. If I have not had one of the AI's religions spread to me I may head to Code of Laws to get Confucianism.

I would suggest that you may want to refer to the other strategy articles in the strategy & tips forum for additional tips

 

[madscientist]

I wouldn't follow the path that you describe. I rarely settle on Hills-since I don't plan to need the defense bonus because I will attack enemies before they get to my city.

Barracks as a first build is not a good strategy. Most players will either build a worker, a work boat or a warrior first. There is no need for sinking production in a barracks when there are more important things to produce. Especially since the next unit you want to produce is a worker-the barracks is unnecessary for the worker.

I completely agree with these two points

Unless I am going for a religion based game I avoid the early religions and concentrate on the early economy techs for the resources that I have nearby and then go for bronze working to allow slavery and forest chopping. If I have not had one of the AI's religions spread to me I may head to Code of Laws to get Confucianism.

I would suggest that you may want to refer to the other strategy articles in the strategy & tips forum for additional tips

I agree with this unless I have a leader that start with mystecism and has some decent commerce to work. Nailing an early religion is not a bad thing, providing you do not get off the tech path too much. I will go for Judaism if I an excess of comemrce in teh capital BFC (such as seafood and gold).

 

[JavalTigar]

the early growth article in the war academy clearly lays out the best opening sequence.

worker while studing bronze. use 1st worker to chop 2nd worker, use 2 workers to chop settler.

Ever since using this I have made the jump to Monarch successfully.

Go read it for a full breakdown of why it is better than all other choices

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Settling on a hill next to a river also means the city doesn't act as irrigation for neighbouring squares when civil service comes in I think.

 

[Krick19]

Hmm sounds like civ3 almost. Lol i remember all the times I went for barracks as fast as I could.

 

[Guardian_PL]

Ok guys, leave the spam-boy alone, let him "evolve" his "guide"

 

[lauralaura]

For dummies, if you're starting a free game (without scenarios), build a city ON A HILL NEAR A RIVER. No matter how close a plain to resources, what's the use of building them without further defense bonus?

If you're planning on having your cities attacked often, you're doing it wrong. Turtling up in your cities is a good way to get everything you own pillaged. Much better to build axes and/or chariots and meet invaders on the field before they wreck you. Or better yet, get your self-defense in first by invading before they do.

It's not a bad thing, per se, to site a city on a hill, but passing up a site with better food/commerce/production to get the (realtively small) hill defense bonus is just silly.

And a barracks first is also not a good idea. If you're hellbent on getting your military up from the get go, build a worker or two and chop the barracks.

 

[tycoonist]

the only time when settling on a hill/river is necessary is on an AW or perhaps on aggressive AI with an OCC

 

[MrCynical]

@The OP: Please don't get too offended, but you're a very long way from producing any kind of useful guide here. I'm struggling to find any points I'd agree with in the bit you've written so far. Some constructive criticism of various points:

For dummies, if you're starting a free game (without scenarios), build a city ON A HILL NEAR A RIVER. No matter how close a plain to resources, what's the use of building them without further defense bonus?

As others have said, this is really not a good idea. While a (plains) hill by a river is the best generic terrain type to build on, it isn't that important compared to the surrounding terrain. The health from the river is worth having, but the defensive bonus is of no relevance to your first city except under a few unusual settings. If your capital every comes under direct attack (certainly in the early game) you've gone awfully wrong.

After you built your first city, build a barracks there and now.

While there is a certain amount of debate as to what is best to build first, the barracks is definitely not right under any conditions. Worker, work boat, warrior or maybe even settler are better.

Beeline to any religion (if you have mysticism already, research any of the two: Polytheism or Meditation. note: In BtS, this was changed to Priesthood.) after that, beeline for economy techs like agricuture, animal husbandry, mining, masonry, etc. If that's done, reseach bronze working. It's really handy to cut forests and find a copper source nearby to build a mine. That's pretty much turns that by now, or even after you research agricuture, that barracks was finished. After the barracks, build a worker.

Beelining the early religions is a dubious strategy except at the low levels. Confucianism is generally the best as it doesn't slow your initial expansion, but is early enough to spread naturally. Bronze working you have correctly identified as a good tech, but indeed should be the first priority in a lot of starts (i.e. all those with trees or high food), not after junk like Masonry. The worker should come before the barracks (along with a load of other stuff).

If you had seen copper near your capital, build a mine on it by using a worker. Develop any hill near you into a mine and every plains near a river a farm. Cottages will have to wait. And I almost forgot, if you'd been given a scout or a warrior in the start, explore your surroundings. Take the risk if a warrior was given to you.

Are you referring to flood plains for farming? Farming ordinary plains is completely pointless at this stage of the game. Top priority is improving resource tiles and chopping at this stage (correct that cottages can wait - but so can farming generic terrain).

You're right that exploring is advisable with whichever unit you get you should go exploring. A warrior may not get as good results from huts, but a scout can't steal workers.

Apologies for being blunt, but you really need to learn a lot more about the game before you'll be able to write a guide that's useful for dummies, let alone veterans.

 

[InFlux5]

Apologies for being blunt, but you really need to learn a lot more about the game before you'll be able to write a guide that's useful for dummies, let alone veterans.

The list of errors is long.

 

[Bhruic]

Beeline to any religion (if you have mysticism already, research any of the two: Polytheism or Meditation. note: In BtS, this was changed to Priesthood.)

Leaving aside all the advice that's ... suboptimal, that particular bit of information is just plain wrong. BTS didn't change which techs give religions - Priesthood doesn't grant one.

Bh

 

[Zhuge_Liang]

@ bhruic
Sorry for that, I think I'd played Rhye's mod for too much.

@ tycoonist
Played always at Agressive AI.

Diety level is my type so that I prepare for the barracks first for a war economy. You'll never know those smart AI's will attack even if it's pleased to you.

You can change the techs orders but in diety, founding a religion and spreading it to your neighbors, at least, guarantees you that your neighbors won't attack you so easily and they maybe good allies.

 

[Guardian_PL]

That's my comment to above

 

[LlamaCat]

if your first post is only talking about winning the TIME victory as your table of contents implies then you have some valid strategies. Of course most people don't deliberately start a game trying to win by time so they will criticize strategies that don't account for building a worker first, etc. But settling on a hill, etc can be good ideas if your goal is to turtle up and try to hold out until 2050.

However it's not clear in your first post if those are overall starting strategies or for Chapter 1-Time.

 

[Zhuge_Liang]

Correct me or even post other comments to achieve these victories.