Help on Monarch and question on "score"

[catchshime]

Really, any pointers would be appreciated a lot. I just started playing Civ 4 hardcore about two weeks ago and this is my first Civ game.

I've recently tried my hand on Monarch difficulty and have a few questions about how the AI keeps it's score going up, up, up, while mine stagnates after a bit.

I've read a bit here on the forums about city specialization and I try to do that as much as I can. I've found that after establishing about 6 cities, I can keep my research rate at about 60% and then as I get commerce techs, I can bump it up from there. The only problem is I usually don't have a navy by then and there is no more land left to grab. I guess the logical thing to do would be to invade my neighbors, but I usually try to keep the peace and instead beeline to the Apollo Program. By now I hopefully have all of my neighbors still as Confucianism (from rushing the Oracle) and my entire continent is on my side. Diplomatic victories are very hard to do on higher difficulties though.

My beeline tech victory strategy has yet to work and I once read that the key to winning on higher difficulties is more aggression. What I am most curious about though is HOW the AI keeps its score going up perpetually. By the time we are out of the medieval era, my score stagnates completely while the AI just keeps going up, up, and up. Is it because they're expanding overseas, and their populations at home are increasing? It's not like my cities are small by that point, and I'm doing relatively OK tech-wise.

Like I said, my usual strategy is to maintain a strong enough army to defend an attack and beeline to the Apollo Program with my economy maintaining at least a 60% research rate. I can usually do this without loading the game on Prince, usually. On Monarch it's almost impossible because the AI will declare war on me if it sees that I'm about to win.

So how does the AI do it?

Also, what is the best way to change another Civs religion late in the game? - If this is even possible, that is. I know all of this is a bit general, but really any pointers would help. I try to specialize my cities as much as possible but I find that I eventually have to build health/happiness buildings, and my army is always one of the smallest in the worlds. I think I neglect my military a bit too much.

 

[bestje]

the reason your score increses is because you have more techs, more land, more wonders or more population.

So probably the AI is managing to increase its population size relative to yours are you hitting the health/ happy cap?

i've found at monarch you can win without fighting anyone but the best way to counter the AI advantage at higher difficulty is to be bigger than them

getting to caught up in founding religions and wonders early on is often bad for your long term game, its usually better to either build a few more cities or if there is no room take someone elses

 

[6-Star General]

This is a shot in the dark, but do you still build a lot of wonders? At Monarch and above, it's time to start letting them go. Often in the early game, the only wonder I build is the Pyramids - no Stoney, no Oracle, etc. Of course, if they can be built very quickly, then that is a different story. Use the hammers you would otherwise spend on your wonders, and build settlers and swordsmen.

Also, although it can be very nice to have your own Holy city, it is not really necessary. If you do build the Oracle, instead of grabbing Code of Laws, you can get Metal Casting. You'll give up your own religion, but you get early access to forges. If you're Industrious (which is almost the only time I'd build the Oracle on Monarch+), then you can have forges in all your production cities well before 1 AD. Use these to make more Swords.

With regard to score: Yes, they are getting bigger cities and armies. Load up your last game that you lost, and enter the world builder. Poke around and see exactly what the AI has, so you can see what the difference is.

 

[dubrown]

Well, I just had to point out that score doesn't matter too much in the game. You can still be in a very good position even if you are way behind the AI in score.

If you still feel you are on a good pace towards your goal, matching the AI in tech, having a strong enough military etc, don't worry about the score. What's more important is how strong you are relative the enemy, how's your diplomatic situation (though AI can and will backstab, but you're a bit safer if you're friendly with them). I usually use the "power graph" to see if I'm on par military wise. You don't have to be the strongest, but being in the upper half of the graph certainly helps to scare of some AIs. Every other build in any city should be a military unit, atleast until you have one or two citites devoted to crunching out military units.

 

[Nestorius]

In learning Monarch, I've found it best to deliberately ignore Wonders and founding religions, and just concentrating on rapid expansion. I've done cottage economies where I'd found cities until I'm at 0% science, then cottage spam while waiting lots of turns for Code of Laws, no problem. I've slowly learnt to Hybrid the economy, running a mostly specialist economy until the early Middle Ages. Overall, just make sure you have an equal or more cities than every other civ, and keep your military competitive referring to the demographic screen and the military positions of your neighbors.

 

[daunt]

monarch is still easy enough to be won by simply specializing the cities. managing the cities properly is more than enough to have a good tech lead, it's possible to win even without declaring a single war and without lightbulbing, provided you have the critical number of cities (to build oxford, IW and wall street).

War is moreless essential from emperor on imho, monarch doesn't require a very aggressive gameplay. It's just a matter of recognizing what's barely necessary and what's not, it's not about scrapping everything without an immediate use like at emperor or immortal level.

 

[jackdog]

I think the Oracle COL sligshot is still viable at monarch and still a good strategy, I don't often get beaten to oracle, or beaten up in the process of trying to build it. Yes score is pretty meaningless but beware a low power as even your friends will get land hungry.

Also of course chop and whip early as part of either early war or eary settler land grab.

I have never tried letting my science drop to much under 50 for the sake of early land grab for fear that tech parity/lead is not regainable and that power will drop and those small poorly defended cities just attract attack. Does this really work....do many people do this. I do still struggle on Monarch a bit having recently moved up so advise on this would be good.

 

[Nestorius]

I find that if your science is not dropping at least to 20-30% by 0 AD you are not expanding fast enough. Even zero for some time isn't that bad.

Combat-wise, ancient age you can defend with axemen and archers for a very long time so low science doesn't harm you militarily.

If you plant cottages, they will eventually grow and bring commerce back up. Also in an emergency, the one food/two commerce coast tiles can tide you over if you are going bankrupt.

If you have some specialist farm cities or even high food cottage cities, you can run scientist specialists. In early game, its amazing how much they can do.

So, I always try to bottom out, and usually run specialists until I get code of laws, then let my economy build up.

There are also other tricks to bring in the commerce. Open Borders and Sailing Tech help. Currency also is a boon, but some people like to get Code of Laws first.