How do I balance my Civ?

[von Rabenhaupt]

Hey all,

I am having some trouble balancing what I am building, or thinking of doing while playing this game.

My attention kind of drifts from one place to the other, so I could for instance have a big army with money to maintain it, but never really put much thought into who and how I am going to attack someone.

Or I have really populous, happy cities, but never really build any wonders or worked towards a certain victory type.

I hope that this makes sense, and that someone has tips on how to manage all the things you need to do to achieve a victory type.

 

[mbbcam]

A good place to start would probably be attempting a Science victory. Build four or five cities and complete the Tradition policy tree, then open Rationalism as soon as possible. In the Tech tree, beeline Education, then the other science techs which give you Research Labs, etc.

You need to take account of who the neighbours are. Some will attack you at the earliest opportunity (Huns, Assyria, etc) so you can't neglect defences (which usually means building six to eight Archers/Composite Bows/Crossbows, etc.)

You could also attempt a Domination victory, which, as its name implies, is all about war and conquest. Have a look at this guide:

Thread 'Domination on Immortal/Deity - a noob's guide'

May 14, 2015

[Please note this guide is still under construction, so while I value input, it might also be a good idea to wait and see if I add the thing that you think is missing ]

Disclaimers:-

1. I am not the best warmonger on these forums. But I am someone who made a switch from mostly peaceful victories on Emperor and below, to mostly conquest-assisted victories on Immortal and Deity.

2. I achieved this by studying the play of some really great players, especially Moriarte, Acken, Peddroelm and Maddjinn. I...

• consentient
• Replies: 478
• Forum: Civ5 - Strategy & Tips

• 

There is also a reliable strategy guide for the early game here:

The game does not provide much of a challenge below Immortal and Deity level, so if you've been playing below those levels you might want to consider raising the bar so that you can't meander about too easily.