More Noob questions?

[Antmf]

OK all been lurking and posting on this board as long as I have been playing Civ 4 and that about 2 weeks anyway I find myself always lagging behind throughout the whole game and can't understand why. I been playing on warlord and I stink lol. Anyway can anyone tell me how many cities I should have and what I should build first ie: worker scout settker etc? Please point in the right direction. Also what is best beginner civ to use as a noob? Thanks...

 

[MangleMeElmo]

1st city: Worker (or work boat), warrior, settler in that order.

Land is power, Land is power, land is power. The more cities you have, the better. Just don't expand too fast or you'll be in debt. I suggest Egypt or Inca, both are good noob civs. Your questions are pretty broad, so you should go to the sub-forum and do some reading on strategies that sound interesting to you. As for me, I prefer a good old-fashioned axe rush, or a rapid expansion (spam settlers to grab good land) if I don't have copper.

 

[Cam_H]

Antmf,

I'm pleased that you're enjoying Civ.

'Noob' Guide

If you've yet to see it; Sisiutil's Strategy Guide for Beginners contains a ton of handy tips for players up to Noble level (albeit most of it is still relevant at more advanced levels than Noble).

Over-Expansion

The issue of over-expansion and commercial pain is one of the thorniest problems for players - and one deliberately designed for Civ4. Earlier versions of the game allowed for REXing (rapid expansion) - simply a land-grab for cities by churning out Settlers as quickly as practicable. Commercial pressure plus some increased Barbarian activity has curtailed the effectiveness of REXing for Civ4.

The commercial predicament can be dealt with in many ways - razing enemy cities and pillaging enemy lands, cottage spamming in your food-rich cities, leveraging Wonders with commercial benefit such as The Great Lighthouse, The Temple of Artemis, The Colossus, etc., are just some of the tactics for addressing this in the early game. Perhaps the best recognised one is to acquire Currency (include in trades, adds a free to all cities, can build Market > Specialist Merchants, Wealth) and Code of Laws (Courthouses, Forbidden Palace, The Caste System > Specialist Merchants) as priority technologies.

'Good leaders' for new players

The Roman empire presents itself as a tribe that is good to play if you're struggling at a new level, because if nothing else, the Praetorian unit is so powerful, and it will allow you to expand, take over at least one neighbour, and possibly beat another down to a minor tribe at best. Over-expansion is a big trap for this tribe, but if you're prepared to raze enemy cities rather than keep them all, you can work your way towards Code of Laws for cheap Courthouses. Treat the Praetorian though as 'riding a bicycle with training wheels' - it's a crutch that you can use to get you ahead, but throw it away once you're starting to feel a sense of confidence on a level.

I would otherwise suggest Spiritual leaders largely for the 'No Anarchy' bonus. The decision to swap and test out different civics without the anarchy penalty will allow new players to try different civics out with minimal cost.

As time goes by, and you're feeling 'comfortable' but not 'too confident', you should be able to go with random leaders or start experimenting with other traits.

Enjoy!

 

[Martinus]

I would also add that Creative is a very good trait, especially for newcomers (but now that it has bonuses to many buildings it is good for others as well), since it takes away one concern from you, i.e. border expansion, that I remember I used to have problems with at the beginning.

Hatty (Creative/Spiritual) is a very good beginner civ, since it allows you to make mistakes and experiment. Plus Egypt starts with Agriculture and Wheel, which are both useful techs that let you develop your land right off the bat.

 

[Martinus]

Also (but it is in the guide linked), a good rule of a thumb for expansion is that you should expand whenever you can run science slider at 60% or more, and stop to develop a bit whenever you are forced to go below 60%.

 

[MrCynical]

There are plenty of guides on the forums for beginners, which are well worth reading. Your starting build order isn't too bad. You should always start with a worker, or very occasionally a work boat.

As for a good starting civ, particularly if you're struggling with maintenance costs, try one with the financial trait. It's a powerful one, though you need to be a little bit careful not to become over reliant on it.