Making the jump from Prince to King

[smileyy90210]

Focusing on Wonders (most of which you will not be able to get - remember the AI starts with a couple of free techs on King) means you're not producing units. That's a great way to attract the attention of Monty's swarm of Jaguars or another warmongering AI. If you have a productive wonderspammer in the game, you'll have to be very careful about which wonders you go after and beeline for it.

Another thing you'll have to manage more on King is happiness. It was never a concern for me on Prince, but it definitely can be on King in you need to found several cities or you're warmongering.

It *is* important to know who your neighbors are. If one is a warmonger (Monty seems to be the biggest early threat, probably Alexander too, but I haven't been neighbors with him on King), you'll need to adjust strategy, and you'll probably want more than 2 units/city.

I agree about Happiness. The goal is to keep happiness just above 0 on King, and even then, it can be a challenge. If you're just starting out, I'd suggest a bonus luxury civ for this reason. Amsterdam was my King training wheels (high growth, luxury bonus)

 

[Unresolved]

Sure, but we're talking about King, not Immortal. They're different games for the reasons you've pointed out.

True, but it's a habit that is good to learn if you intend to continue moving up the difficulty ladder. The earlier you learn the basics, the faster you'll improve. If you practice bad habits for a long time, it'll be harder to shake them when you want to move up to a higher level.

 

[pilot00]

True, but it's a habit that is good to learn if you intend to continue moving up the difficulty ladder. The earlier you learn the basics, the faster you'll improve. If you practice bad habits for a long time, it'll be harder to shake them when you want to move up to a higher level.

Bad habits been having a semi-relaxed and enjoyable game?

 

[Unresolved]

Bad habits been having a semi-relaxed and enjoyable game?

I'm very relaxed when I play because I'm so used to doing those things that I don't think about it anymore. It's actually kind of bad because I go on autopilot, but meh. I don't like over thinking the game since I like to finish games in a few hours.

 

[NuclearWarship]

Lucky I stumbled upon this forum! I am dominating prince too easily these days... never over 300 turns in marathon. With all these tips, i'll finally dare to cross.

 

[Sabrina]

Bad habits been having a semi-relaxed and enjoyable game?

If this is the case I am full of bad habits I kinda feel envious of players who can win in 200 or 300 turns in marathon. I'm on turn 300 something and JUST settled my 3rd city! But what's the fun of settling in the middle of the desert, building the Petra and not seeing how huge the city will be?

Anyway, I do agree that you have to be more selective with your wonders if you want to climb the difficulty ladder. If you start popping wonders it tells to the AI "the human player doesn't have an army, attack". Try to get one or two of each era and build an army in between, trying too bee-line for your UU. If you have a specific wonder in mind, start to build it as soon as you get the tech. Don't bother starting to build a wonder just because it is still available on your screen, because if the tech is not new, someone else is already doing that.

 

[WChrisMullen]

I played my first King game as Babylon and was able to snag GL and keep science parity into the late game, but engaged in a long and fruitless war with Gustav who refused to give me peace, only to have Napoleon backstab me.

One thing I noticed is that you need a lot more units to wage war. Instead of just making 5 or 6 units to snipe cities, you need to generate a carpet of doom when taking on an opponent on a similar tech level.

 

[IkM]

It's City Ranged Strength. Not regular ranged units. Not sure if you knew that or not.

Yes, I know that. still very useful with Oligarchy (social policy), which gives 50% combat strength to cities. 80% is quite good bonus for defence.

 

[scheva007]

I tried my first King game with polynesia on archipelago. Austria and ottomans (who should hate each other) DOW'ed me on turn 70, but the AI is so clumsy with naval invasions...They even sent a settler on its own 3 times. So it was a bit of a cheatty way. but i won with cultural victory.

Ill try on continents/pangeae again later

 

[pilot00]

I tried my first King game with polynesia on archipelago. Austria and ottomans (who should hate each other) DOW'ed me on turn 70, but the AI is so clumsy with naval invasions...They even sent a settler on its own 3 times. So it was a bit of a cheatty way. but i won with cultural victory.

Ill try on continents/pangeae again later

The AI pretty much blunders in sea maps.The AI strategy currently (and to be honest in all CiVs its the same) revolves around spamming cities at an exponential rate using its happiness bonuses. Then it will start to give attention to UA, but whatever the approach it usually involves a clumsy carpet of doom. At least with the latest patches I am seeing improvements in unit usage.

 

[Horizons]

Basically you just need to learn the rules of the game and play mechanically and predictably and efficiently, i.e. it's not very fun at the higher levels unless you're a 'gamer' and need to impress other people.

 

[pilot00]

Basically you just need to learn the rules of the game and play mechanically and predictably and efficiently, i.e. it's not very fun at the higher levels unless you're a 'gamer' and need to impress other people.

Depends on your definition of 'gamer' I would say

If you mean pro, yes.

 

[Unresolved]

it's not very fun at the higher levels unless you're a 'gamer' and need to impress other people.

Speak for yourself, my fun comes from beating my own times. I couldn't care less about RPing.

 

[SirPepsi]

When you get to the upper levels, I can understand the shift in focus from Wonders to Science Output, but on Prince - King the Culture bonuses from Wonders are magnificent.

The only thing I'd suggest for the jump is more focus on Science and Production. Make sure you also build up an early army and go down the honor tree (after liberty or tradition) and upgrade them through the ages.

 

[Jimdigriz]

Had to give up on a King game not long ago - Id totally underestimated how far ahead the AI was on science and Persia were building a spaceship before Id even gotten Manhattan and Apollo Project.

Gone back to a nice easy Prince game now. Ill be on King next time - and will focus on the Science more. I had the happiness under control as I knew that would be a problem but it seems to me that the AI is much better on Science on King level compared to Prince.

This was playing Marathon - Huge - 7 AI civs. I always play close to these settings.

 

[SirPepsi]

You know, I used to like longer Civ Games (Standard - Epic), but now I find a quick game is the most entertaining by far. Planning has to be precise and wars have to be fought quickly and effectively.

 

[Horizons]

For science you need a big population and for a big population you need happiness. The AI already gets enormous happiness boosts at Prince. 99% of all the games I win at Prince I warmonger because I can't outbuild or out-happy an AI that gets production/happiness bonuses. So surely at King at higher it just becomes about being even more war-focused, never building anything you don't need (capturing wonders instead of building them), razing every enemy city and just generally killing the AI ASAP. It's the same one-dimensional problem that's plagued the game since Civ2. Warmongering has always been THE strategy and the more so at higher difficulties.

 

[pilot00]

For science you need a big population and for a big population you need happiness. The AI already gets enormous happiness boosts at Prince. 99% of all the games I win at Prince I warmonger because I can't outbuild or out-happy an AI that gets production/happiness bonuses. So surely at King at higher it just becomes about being even more war-focused, never building anything you don't need (capturing wonders instead of building them), razing every enemy city and just generally killing the AI ASAP. It's the same one-dimensional problem that's plagued the game since Civ2. Warmongering has always been THE strategy and the more so at higher difficulties.

Eh, I am playing a game right now and I have the Inca plopping a settler everywhere there is space for a city. I DoWed the sucker and instead of seeing his armies (actual armies) I am seeing an army of SETTLERS trying to pass through my borders (when at war!). I have deployed my navy and sinking their embarked settlers, I currently feel like I have enlisted to the coastal guard and hunt drug dealers and smugglers.

 

[SirPepsi]

For science you need a big population and for a big population you need happiness. The AI already gets enormous happiness boosts at Prince. 99% of all the games I win at Prince I warmonger because I can't outbuild or out-happy an AI that gets production/happiness bonuses. So surely at King at higher it just becomes about being even more war-focused, never building anything you don't need (capturing wonders instead of building them), razing every enemy city and just generally killing the AI ASAP. It's the same one-dimensional problem that's plagued the game since Civ2. Warmongering has always been THE strategy and the more so at higher difficulties.

I'd disagree. I don't think that warmongering is the only way to win a game on higher difficulties. I just played as Napoleon of France and won a Science Victory fairly easily. As long as you destroy your nearest opponent and focus on Production, you'll be fine.

 

[scheva007]

Hapiness is on prince isnt an issue. i usually go for a tall empire with cultural victory, and with the wonders and policies, i rack up 70+ easily 2/3 far ingame, and 100 isnt an exception late game, thanks to things like eiffel tower, aristocracy, monarchy,....

Offcours, cant speak for other victory types