Hay guys how do I play this game

[panzer_gruppen]

My friend and I, both experienced RTS gamers, recently tried to play Civ 4 + Warlords expansion coop vs. a bunch of AI opponents. Here is a rundown of a typical game:

1. Send scouts to meet up other player so we can share all of our technologies.
2. Create zerg of early units like axemen/swordsmen
3. March into enemy territory and discover that their city is invincible
4. Create zerg of knights/muskets/grenadiers/trebs
5. Zerg is killed easily by the 1 archer defending enemy city
6. Both human players get rolled by zergs of insurmountable size

Also, we couldn't figure out how to change the difficulty from the default Noble. WTH is up with this game? Is there some trick that I am missing?

 

[frob2900]

I don't play multiplayer, but I'll try to answer your question w.r.t. the single player situation:

2. Create zerg of early units like axemen/swordsmen
3. March into enemy territory and discover that their city is invincible

Hmm. What's a 'zerg'? I'll assume you mean 'bunch of units'. If this is the case, then the above strategy should be alright. When do you invade? At around 500 BC you should be able to fight very successfully against and AI target (at emperor difficulty or below) with ca 15 mixed axemen/swords.

4. Create zerg of knights/muskets/grenadiers/trebs
5. Zerg is killed easily by the 1 archer defending enemy city

What happened in between 3. and 4.? That's a lot of years. You should be building economy/teching. Also trebs+muskets are not killed easily by 1 archer in Warlords. You should win without trouble.

6. Both human players get rolled by zergs of insurmountable size

Also, we couldn't figure out how to change the difficulty from the default Noble. WTH is up with this game? Is there some trick that I am missing?

?? What's 'insurmountable size'? I've never seen the Noble level AI come up with anything insurmountable...

Try playing a single player game and posting saves here so it will be possible to give specific advice w.r.t. teching speed/economy/general management.

[EDIT] Oh, yes, and welcome to CFC

 

[MangleMeElmo]

@frob2900: Zergs are a race from Starcraft, but CIV is really nothing like Starcraft.

CIV is turn based, not real-time. There are a myriad of strategies to pursue, especially on a lax difficulty like Noble. I suggest taking a look at the sub-forums articles. Lots of good reading for new players. Also, you change the difficulty by selecting it when you start a new game. It's so simple I don't know what else to tell you. Like frob said, post a save and we'll be able to help your strategy more effectively.

 

[panzer_gruppen]

Also, you change the difficulty by selecting it when you start a new game. It's so simple I don't know what else to tell you.

Really? When I host a LAN game I can select the difficulty for me (which seems odd, since my own skill can't be controlled by the PC, unless upping my difficulty gives me a resource penalty or something), but not for any of the AI. All of the AI are stuck at Noble and the difficulty dropdown is greyed out.

 

[MangleMeElmo]

No, the difficulty doesn't refer to your skill, just the AIs. So if you select Monarch, then all AIs will play at that skill level.

 

[cheesejoff]

What was the cultural defense on their city? You need catapults or spies to bring down their defense, to make it easier for your swordsmen.