Most stupid thing you've done

[Culture Bomb]

What's the most stupid thing you've ever done (in a game of Civ IV obviously...)

I just built Ironworks and National Park in the same city.

 

[Luthor_Saxburg]

Declare war without looking at the political chart, specifically the Mutual Defense Agreements?

 

[eluciv]

What's the most stupid thing you've ever done (in a game of Civ IV obviously...)

Stupid is stupid. I manage to pull a couple yankers most games, though I've noticed I'm getting better. Most of them are thankfully due to mis-clicks for which I feel no shame in re-loading out of.

Most of the time it's been accidentally razing a holy city or something - or getting carried away with expansion/research only to be DOW'd with cities full of Warriors. The biggest regrets come from getting on that one-track mind with a specific goal and not taking the time to adapt to what's going on outside my little box. That's been the largest hurdle for me to overcome, but now that I'm considering making the leap to Emperor, I think I've become fully aware of my less desirable tendencies... it's a constant battle!

 

[Verarde]

Declare war without looking at the political chart, specifically the Mutual Defense Agreements?

That would definitely be high on my list.

I would also put playing too fast, and totally missing various little things that need attention.

 

[Kallikrates]

I am especially embarassed, because this happened several times, sometimes for dozens of turns before I realized it (some time ago, probably on prince level, so it was not fatal): I ran organized religion or some other expensive religious civic, but had forgotten to actually accept a state religion!

 

[Redcoat1]

Did this just last night, accidentally grabbed a Settler and moved him right next to a Barbarian with predictable results.

 

[s.bernbaum]

I am especially embarassed, because this happened several times, sometimes for dozens of turns before I realized it (some time ago, probably on prince level, so it was not fatal): I ran organized religion or some other expensive religious civic, but had forgotten to actually accept a state religion!

That isn't always a dumb move. I just finished a game where I never chose a state religion, in order to avoid the negative diplo hit for being in a different religion from my neighbors, all of which had different religions, but I did go into Organized Religion, in order to get the +4 diplo points from one of my neighbors who had that as his favorite cvic. It's just that you have to do it on purpose when it is worthwhile!

 

[rah]

Doing a DOW, moving into their territory to the target city and wondering why my collateral units aren't given the bombard option only to realize that I declared on the wrong civ. DOH

 

[Lord_Herobrine]

Taking my only warrior out of my capitol to kill a barbarian lion, as soon as turn ended for my warrior a barb archer walked into my city...

 

[capnvonbaron]

The few times I build or capture the pyramids in early game, I frequently forget to change into one of the new civics for dozens of turns while my cities languish in unhappiness.

 

[Drakarska]

getting all of my troops into nice, neat, organised little SOD's to be loaded onto transports to demonstrate to my loathsome enimies that I am the greatest.... then forgetting to put them on the darn things and watch my transports going off merrily to their destination, without any troops on them, and having their escorts still sitting in the harbour looking at me going "WTH My Lord?" That was a brain fart of Epic Magnitude.

 

[reddishrecue]

Leaving a warrior to defend 2 workers improving a plot and taken by a barbarian warrior.

 

[Toxicc]

Lost two workers to a barbarian because I forgot to move them out of the way.

 

[Luthor_Saxburg]

I ran organized religion or some other expensive religious civic, but had forgotten to actually accept a state religion!

Same here!

But for me was the Civic that gave extra XPs to the troops if you have it as state religion but the troops came with low XPs... I did build some barracks in city without them but still... not very high XPs... ... why? And then... Ah ah, THAT's it!

Well... I've done it only once! After that, I am much more carefull looking into that!

 

[skyclad]

The few times I build or capture the pyramids in early game, I frequently forget to change into one of the new civics for dozens of turns while my cities languish in unhappiness.

Can't tell you how often I've done this.

 

[Luthor_Saxburg]

(...) playing too fast

I would say this is the cause of 80% of the stupid things, if not more!

 

[Mukersman]

I built a number of caravels because I thought for some reason I was on a terra map and needed to explore quickly, but I was actually on a Pangaea map. I have no idea what caused me to think this, seeing how I selected the map!

 

[rah]

The few times I build or capture the pyramids in early game, I frequently forget to change into one of the new civics for dozens of turns while my cities languish in unhappiness.

Or getting any civic tech and waiting for another to switch to two at the same time but forget to switch when you get the second one. (usually after civil service while researching poly and mono)

 

[Kallikrates]

That isn't always a dumb move. I just finished a game where I never chose a state religion, in order to avoid the negative diplo hit for being in a different religion from my neighbors, all of which had different religions, but I did go into Organized Religion, in order to get the +4 diplo points from one of my neighbors who had that as his favorite cvic. It's just that you have to do it on purpose when it is worthwhile!

Interesting, these are subtleties I never thought about/bothered with. I am now at the stage to be very careful converting to a state religion because of diplomacy whereas I used to find religion essential as a newbie. Are the favorite civics of the leaders listed somewhere? I usually encounter this stuff rather late in the game when someone asks me to adopt something ("all the cool civs run XXX") and then I am usually powerful enough and do not give a damn.

 

[Lord_Herobrine]

^^ If you go into the Civilopedia under leaders, it will tell you their favorite civics to run. ^^