Help I'm Not Good!

[americanlt]

I am new to this game and seem to enjoy it. However, I find it extremely hard to play. Is it good to have more than 1 religion? Can someone give me just basic general tips to get be started?

Thanx for any responses.

 

[Blaarg]

The biggest problem new players have to overcome (ecspecially if they are veterans of the civ series) is over expansion.

Civ IV is unique to the civ series where each new city founded increases the maintence cost of all your cities. So you have to watch your commerce. It's always good to stay at the highest amount of science possible in the early game. If you need to be running around 50% science just to stay out of debt then you should probably stop expanding until you have a chance increase your economy.

Ways to improve your economy:
-Fishing gives you the ability to work coast tiles which are rich in commerce
-Pottery gives you access to cottages which gives any tile +1 commerce. At first this seems weak but when worked they become very strong over time.
-Writting gives you access to open borders. If you have trade access with a civ, which is indicated by the triangle made of arrows near thier name, you should consider signing an open borders agreement because it allows you foriegn trade routes in that civ.
-Currency gives you +1 trade route per city, and access to markets, which is less important than the trade routes early on.
-Code of Laws gives you courthouses, which lowers maintence of cities.

 

[Xenforo Admin]

Theres A Bunch Of Strategy Articles Doooooooood

 

[King Flevance]

I would say that 1 religion works fine. You don't need anymore than 1. Founding it helps even more especially economically. Also to add:

-Fishing gives you the ability to work coast tiles which are rich in commerce.

However, these tiles are limited to 1 food and 2 commerce so it won't help too much until you get sailing and install a lighthouse in these cities.

-Pottery gives you access to cottages which gives any tile +1 commerce. At first this seems weak but when worked they become very strong over time.

Also, pottery gives access to granaries. Granaries don't seem like much in the early game, but by the late game you are going to be needing them for the health. The reason why granaries help early on is because this allows a city you have to work cottages (or even the previously mentioned coast tiles) and grow really fast. And the more a city grows, the more cottages it can work.

-Writing gives you access to open borders. If you have trade access with a civ, which is indicated by the triangle made of arrows near thier name, you should consider signing an open borders agreement because it allows you foriegn trade routes in that civ.
-Currency gives you +1 trade route per city, and access to markets, which is less important than the trade routes early on.

Both of these also offer additional support. Writing enables libraries that give you a bonus to a city's income. And you can create 2 scientists in the city that eat 2 food but give +3 in return. These guys allow you to lower the % slider at less of a consequence. So instead of using cottages, you can use farms and assign scientists in cities with a library. This will help you get Great Scientists which can either lightbulbs techs, or build an academy (my fav) for +50% in a city.
Currency works the same way. Build a market, and assign merchants instead of scientists for gold. Each merchant eats 2 food like scientists, but also offer you +3 which can result in you increasing your % slider.
This will give you a great merchant which will add +1 food to a city and +6 (my fav) or you can send him off onto a trade mission and get a bulk amount. (Additionally they can bulb economic techs.)

The trade routes can help but trade routes arent going to bring you much early on. If you are doing good, you will have about 5 cities around the time you can reach currency. So the trade routes are going to offer you around 5 without any foreign trade routes. 10 if you have enough foregin routes to go around to every city as well. SO the trade routes help a little but can really only offer you a around 10-20 this early.