Is this the sign of a bad player to start new games until you ''like'' your start ?

[Baron2]

I mean more precisely the starting zone. (I'm a sucker for Marble and a river)

 

[qyll]

Eh, not really. If I see I'm going to have a really crappy early game that'll end up with a runaway AI and me grinding to catch up in tech and ultimately ragequitting, what's wrong with restarting? It's not fun to play bad starts, and no one's going to judge you (well, maybe some) for regenerating the map.

 

[notadummy]

you are only competing with yourself (oh, and the computer...)
no worry, it's all up to you

 

[GlobularFoody]

I didn't think it was possible to have a bad start in Civ 5, your first settler always start a great spot for yoru capitol. Previous Civ games were terrible for starting you in the middle of huge deserts or jungles, I'm so glad they changed that...I hated having to restart multiple times.

 

[Baron2]

Sadly, a Human player with a river, stone and marble can rather easily end up the game with all wonders (except 4-5 ones) if Egypt is not in play, at King and Emperor levels.

 

[TheMarshmallowBear]

I actually hate the idea of "rolling". Sadly, I've done this currently on only TWO occassions, when I was playing Gandhi, I just never got comfortable enough with my game, seeing as I was going for Diplomatic Victory (Vanilla). I can't get the feeling as to why it was the happiness that really seemed to cause it.. so , I don't know.

And recently as Boudicca, primarily because I was completely unsure as to how to play her, ended up giving her a Culture Victory, as I realised her ability and unique items are rather "Culture" oriented. Happily, I killed two stones with one bird (please don't laugh, I'm aware of the error I made) and conquered the whole continent before Runaway Washington annhilated me on Warlord :| stupid Continents Plus -.-, so much Jungle.

 

[Xotite potancev]

Perhaps depends how many times you restart?

One end of a tiny island next to no resources and the geek at the other yes i restart but i wouldnt re re re re till i get the perfect setup, the one start you dont give a try could be the one with every thing you want 5 tiles away.

 

[Baron2]

Usually, I restart four or five times before starting (hey, a game last for hours...)

 

[ptoss1]

I got 19 horses once as Genghis once. I saved that game and play it for fun every once in a while though it does get extremely boring rolling over everybody.

I've never really gotten straight up bad starts, just mediocre ones. Like I would get a banana resource and maybe like a whale on the other side of my city 1 tile away so I'd have to make my work boat and go around the entire island peninsula even if I was willing to risk the effort and hope it doesn't get killed by a barb. Then there would be like a desert tile with absolutely nothing on it, and I'd feel like I should fast expand, but then there'll be like a bunch of barbs so meh.

 

[Oddible]

CivV is definitely better than prior versions of Civ but it still can create some doozies of starting locations. Sure I've got 10 fur next to me but I'm surrounded by snow for 20 tiles!?!?

I rarely restart in Civ V, I try to claw my way out of any crappy start position. The game has a tipping point anyway - once you reach it you've pretty much won, if getting a poor start can prolong the time it takes me to reach that tipping point then I get a better game (albeit with much more struggle).

 

[LightStruck]

I don't do that, but not being able to win on Prince is a sign of a bad player *sobs*

 

[MarauderCH]

I do it frequently when given mediocre starting spots. The first strike is usually not starting on a river and the second is not having many or much good tiles with hammers on them. The third strike is starting very close to an early game warmonger.

 

[Sherlock]

Sometimes you just get a run of really mediocre starts. It's a numbers thing. I remember having a real bad roll, each was worst than the last.

 

[dexters]

If you play civs like Inca and it starts you on a bunch of hill with no mountains nearby, it's also something I reload.

I don't think reloading for a good start is a bad thing per se. Granted you can always go for the challenge and play every start you have. But I think its probably more important not to reload after you start playing.

Let your decisions stand, no backups.

 

[Polycrates]

I usually restart if I end up on a landmass on my own. Takes half the fun out of the game.

 

[bhavv]

I usually restart if I end up on a landmass on my own. Takes half the fun out of the game.

Even a map like this?

http://i.imgur.com/ET9ZQ.jpg

 

[Polycrates]

Even a map like this?

http://i.imgur.com/ET9ZQ.jpg

Especially one like that. Far more interesting to have to compete for all that nice terrain. And then use its benefits to go beat somebody up. Even playing the pure builder is unsatisfying if you haven't had to work at it by fending off the bloodthirsty, I find, but maybe that's just me.

 

[cccv]

No, it's your game, play it however it's most fun for you.

I personally don't reroll because it's less fun for me to sit there loading game after game and playing with nearly the same exact start every time. I like seeing how each start unfolds, good or bad. But if you feel differently, by all means play the game that you bought however you want to play it.

 

[Oddible]

Even a map like this?

http://i.imgur.com/ET9ZQ.jpg

OMG your second city placement just to get the faith bonus from the Natural Wonder

 

[Veneke]

I didn't think it was possible to have a bad start in Civ 5, your first settler always start a great spot for yoru capitol. Previous Civ games were terrible for starting you in the middle of huge deserts or jungles, I'm so glad they changed that...I hated having to restart multiple times.

I'm far from convinced of this, I've been stuck with tundra and an all plains start for the last... dozen plus rolls now at this point? I still have no idea what to do with plains.

@ OP: I'm very wary of people telling you that you're playing the game wrong or some such nonsense. Personally, I really rather enjoy isolated starts but finding them in Civ 5 is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I'll spend a good couple of hours restarting over and over until I land an isolated start. I've spent the past three days now looking for a good map and have yet to find one. I think they buggered up the Small Continents map script, you used to have a decent isolated start about once in every dozen rolls now everything seems to be connected by ~6 coastal tiles that have no business being coastal tiles! Anyway...

Given that a game will last upwards of a week if you play on and off on Marathon and aren't looking for a quick win time invested looking for a map you'll actually enjoy playing is time well spent. It isn't really a sign of a bad player either, though if you're rerolling just to get a decent starting spot I'd suggest you just turn on Legendary Start in the advanced options. That should save you some rerolls.