Help me tweak my general playstyle

[Eddie81]

Hey all

So I'm feeling a little lost with civ lately. I've been playing a lot, but its been some time since I've felt I've played a really tight game. I've read lots of helpful things in this forum. Could you guys (and gals) help me to focus once again? i dont have a save to share, but this is my general style.

I prefer the diplomatic victory, either as a backdoor domination or peace only. So that is usually my ultimate goal. Tho I'm less interested in tips on handlng the AI (as i think I've got that covered) But more in my teching and path.

I don't build wonders anymore, the exception being late gamers like Hollywood/Broadway/Rock and roll (and UN heh). I used to be wonder crazy, but I forced myself to play without them and see how I did. I found that I'd rather spend the hammers on an army or infrastructure, and I liked it so much I adopted it as a general strat.

I build cottages all over the place wether or not I'm financial.
I love the spiritual trait, and try to play with it as often as I can.
I find specialists to be tedious. Maybe I'm missing out on something by not using them, but I generally don't farm them unless I need a prophet for a shrine. Likewise, I think I used caste system for the first time a few weeks ago, and it was only b/c it's wang kon's fav civic.

I think my real problem lately is my tech priorities. You can build the UN after Astronomy -> scientific meth. -> physics -> electricity -> radio -> mass media. Once I got everything I needed to go down that path (optics + calender) Assuming I can defend myself, it a straight shot.
I've been trying out using the cottage oriented cvics, and I find going the liberalism path to univeral sufferage really really slows down the UN path. Is there a way I can reconcile this?

I know this is long, but any other general pointers would be really helpful. Thanks!

 

[Cam_H]

Eddie,

As comprehensive as you've been, it would be easier to see where you're at with some posted games!

The thing that I can pick out from your overview is that you seem to be avoiding the use of specialists (and presumably popping few Great People). I'm sure that you've read of how to lightbulb your way towards Liberalism with Great Scientists (Philosophy, Paper, and Education all high on the list), and this might help in speeding your way to Mass Media. Great Artists also lightbulb towards Radio and Mass Media - but the haul isn't brilliant.

However the Liberalism slingshot is hardly mandatory. As you require neither Education or Philosophy to get to Mass Media, your Great Scientist burns could instead be on Paper, then wait for Scientific Method to become available via Astronomy, then Physics.

References:
VoiceOfUnreason's The Beeline Book: Mass Media
Dave McW's Great People Tech Preferences
Just scary : SGOTM 03 - Team CFR-W

 

[cabert]

I agree with cam_h, it's pretty hard to tell.
I must say I don't even really see your point.

Do you want a faster UN?
Do you want a global improve of you economy?
Your playstyle seems alright, you didn't say if you were losing or winning, but you don't seem to be struggling really. You didn't say what level you play either.

IMHO, for my standard level (monarch), you're a bit shy on scientists.
Sure, you want to grow cottages. But an academy isn't something to neglect.
Lightbulbing astronomy (or a part of it) is (not even arguable) a lot faster than straight researching it. In fact, researching liberalism and taking astro for free is a lot faster than straight researching astronomy.

So my suggestion is to build a scientist farm in your next game, and see how it goes. You don't need caste sytem, just a library, then an observatory. Try to get the great library too, if you can.
One more thing : cottages without free speech are a lot less efficient. Universal suffrage is not really needed for you, but emancipation could be good .

 

[KMadCandy]

if you're looking for a different approach to spice things up, we did a "get a diplo victory as early as you can" gauntlet in HoF earlier this year. it was on deity level, handpicked opponents, and most people used OCC to do it. even with those differences from your games, i think the discussion there might give you some insights, since we were rushing directly to that goal. but if you have the time and desire to read a 6 page thread, i do recommend http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=206949 .

when i'm going for peaceful and trying to see how quick i can get it, and the opponents are a set that won't make that option ludicrous, i trade very generously to backfill the annoying techs i don't want to bother with myself, and to speed up research globally. give away metalcasting to build up +s and to increase the chance that they get machinery out of the way for me, that sort of thing. that's dangerous so apply salt. i go for the fastest mass media track i can get, and i make a GE early early early with a forge and save him forever and a day to make most of the UN for me; that's only because i'm doing OCC so i have no option to capture the UN and i have zero chance of being a candidate if someone else builds it. so apply salt for that reason too.

once i had a tech lead so unimaginably high that i took radio from the oracle and mass media from liberalism! i won the game by diplo in 10 BC. you will be surprised to hear that game wasn't on deity, it was on settler level *gigglefest*.

 

[Jerrymander]

Try running Caste System and have ONE city with high food running 4-8 Scientist Specialists. Scientists love the Liberalism path, and the specialists will increase your science rate, too.
Pop those lightbulbs, soldier!