Need some help with my game.

[Ultimate_Waffle]

I've been playing Civilization 4 for a couple of years now, but I'm not very good at it . I was thinking, I could play a game and you guys can give me tips as I go along. Tell me what I did wrong, what I did right, you know .

So, first off, here are my options.


Version: BTS.
# of Civs: 8
Choose Religions On.

Here is my leader.



And my start.



This is how it's going to work. I'll tell you what I think I should do, then you tell me what you think I should do, then I play twenty turns, and the cycle repeats.

I'm thinking of settling in place, then move the scout 1 tile to the west to pop the hut. Then move the scout 1 tile south west. I think I should research mining to finish off the turn. I'm also going to research bronze working. My builds in my city would be warrior-worker-warrior-settler. What are your thoughts?

Here's the save by the way.

 

[Cam_H]

Move the Scout before settling ... the Tribal Village may reveal a big section of map and give you better options ... although on the face of it the tile where your Settler already is looks pretty good anyway.

I'd prefer to get a better look at the land before committing to a technology path. Mining > Bronze Working has its clear advantages, although Animal Husbandry presents itself as a good option too thanks to the riverside Cows ... if going down the An' Husbandry path initially, maybe go for a Worker before the Warrior. Alternately - you could leverage your Mysticism start and chase a religion or two?

 

[kjnoren]

Settle in place, and pop the hut afterwards. Otherwise you won't be able to get a technology out of it. If you're planning on the early religion route, then you can even wait for the city borders to pop the hut.

The strongest visible tile you have by far is the cow, and it should probably be your first developed tile. If you find a farm resource within the fat cross when you settle, then go for agriculture first, otherwise you can go straight for animal husbandry. If you have time to research both before or one turn after you get your worker, go agriculture first, since it will make AH cheaper.

First build would be a worker, to develop the cow. With a pasture on the cow, the city will have a worker/settler production of 7 at size 1 - you'd need a city of size 4 working forests and floodplains to match that. It will also have the same unit and building production of a size 3 city working forested grasslands while growing much faster.

 

[Ultimate_Waffle]

Thanks for the tips guys. I must head off for bed now, so I'll be back to check on any other tips I may have received tomorrow after school.

 

[Refar]

Settle in place, and pop the hut afterwards. Otherwise you won't be able to get a technology out of it. If you're planning on the early religion route, then you can even wait for the city borders to pop the hut.

Seconded. The hut is 3 tiles from your capital - wont be long untill the borders pop it. And if someone approaches to steal it, you can still pop it with a unit you have nearbye.

But why just for early religion ?

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Whatever you do with hut - allways move the scout before settling, to get a better picture for the decision on settling in place or not. For now settling in place looks good.

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While mysticism is a invitation for a early religion, i would skip it here. You not have any 'Commerece Heavy' tiles at your disposal right now, meaning the research will be not too fast. All your workable tiles are covered by forest. (Except the Cows i think). So you need Bronze Working and Animal Husbandry. Pursuing the religion would cost you a couple of turns (7 for Meditation ?) in hooking up the cows and starting choping effictively delaying your growth.

So i would suggest Animal Husbandry -> Mining -> Bronze while building a Worker first (You need to start imporving your tiles ASAP - the Worker will be ready some turns after you finish Animal husbandry, so he can go of to improve the Cows.) There is not point in Building a unit first, since with the tiles on your hand, the city will not grow fast anyway. So you can as well put the food into a worker. By the time the pasture is finished you should be close to Bronze working, so the worker will not have to much time ideling. If you have a couple of spare worker turns, you can connect the cows to your capitol, or start building a reoad towards a future city site - if you finde one - allowing your settler to move there faster.

After a worker (or before, if you decide to build a unit first) build another scout not a warrior. For now exploration is the important thing. Early Barbs (Animals) can not attack cities, so you are not going to need defence. If your scout finds a good site for a second city near by, you might even want to build your first settler and send it there unescorted, while using the scout to remove Fog of War, preventing animals from coming at your settler.

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As soon as Bronze Working is in, you will be able to chop Forest. Make sure to put the Hammers the Chop gives you to a good use (For example the settler.)

 

[kjnoren]

Seconded. The hut is 3 tiles from your capital - wont be long untill the borders pop it. And if someone approaches to steal it, you can still pop it with a unit you have nearbye.

But why just for early religion ?

It will take 50 turns for the culture from the palace alone to reach the second expansion on normal speed. Makes it too easy for exploring warriors and scouts to take it from you. With an early religion, assuming it comes in at turn eight (this is warlords level, so it will probably go faster), it will only take 20 turns.

While mysticism is a invitation for a early religion, i would skip it here. You not have any 'Commerece Heavy' tiles at your disposal right now, meaning the research will be not too fast. All your workable tiles are covered by forest. (Except the Cows i think). So you need Bronze Working and Animal Husbandry. Pursuing the religion would cost you a couple of turns (7 for Meditation ?) in hooking up the cows and starting choping effictively delaying your growth.

Normally, I'd agree, but this is warlords difficulty. I'd add up the research times, and as long as AH comes in at turn 16 (the worker will have to move to the cow, too), you're fine. You can remove a turn from the total from overflow, and if you go Agriculture -> AH you can remove another one due to the rebate. Then decide on the next research target based on the revealed tiles in the fat cross to the south, but Mining -> Bronze is probably the next goal. Or you can try to squeeze in Wheel.

After a worker (or before, if you decide to build a unit first) build another scout not a warrior. For now exploration is the important thing. Early Barbs (Animals) can not attack cities, so you are not going to need defence. If your scout finds a good site for a second city near by, you might even want to build your first settler and send it there unescorted, while using the scout to remove Fog of War, preventing animals from coming at your settler.

Agreed.

 

[Lanstro]

Firstly, if you don't already, play with the resource tags on. (The question mark button on the bottom right.) This highlights all the resources so you're less inclined to miss one.

A good capitol has a decent amount of food and at least 4 hills, so that when you hit bureaucracy later it becomes a production powerhouse. There are 2 hills showing, and it looks like the square 2s and 2s, w are both also hills, so the latter requirement is met. The only food resource that's showing is the plains cows however, so you want to try to find some extra food before settling if possible.

I'd move the scout ne twice to that plains hill and hope that it reveals some food. If it does, try to find a spot where you get that food and the cows and also at least 3-4 hills. If it doesn't, you'll probably have to settle in place and farm those grassland squares later.

If you found some kind of agricultural food, get agriculture first and build a worker.

If not, get animal husbandry. If there are hills or grasslands next to a river within you fat cross that don't have forests on it, get a worker first. If not, get a warrior then a worker.

Research order should go agriculture+animal husbandry (agriculture first if there's corn/rice/etc, AH if not), then mining, then go from there.

I wouldn't bother with a religion, even on warlord. just conquer an AI's holy city later or found a later religion.

 

[xanadux]

This could be a pretty poor capital if you don't have another food resource. If you look at all the tile edges, every square that will be in your FC has a forest except for one, which looks like a plains hill. So likely the only chances you have for more food would be sheep on the plains hill or deer on one of the forest squares. Aside from that, the only square (aside from the possibility of another river you can't see) that can be irrigated for a food surplus before Civil Service is the grassland N of the settler. That's only 2 suprlus food from tiles, which isn't very good at all.

You could move the scout 2NE on the hill, and see if there is any food up there. A safe option is to settle 1W on the silk to give you a second irrigable grassland. I wouldn't choose a tech path until you do settle and see what else is there. Fortunately you have a lot of forests, so getting settlers out for better spots won't be a problem.

 

[LlamaCat]

move the settler 1 S onto the forested hill and the scout NE onto that hill to look around first... this is Warlord level so you can afford the delay. I don't think you are going to find anything to the west as there seems to be mostly tundra and mountain there already.

another option is to build another scout first (or immediately after the worker as was suggested). again this is Warlord and I am just thinking in terms of playing at this level - huts can potentially give you a lot better stuff here. build the scout ASAP and then worker. take advantage of the fact that you start with Hunting.

I don't think it's so horrible to go for a religion first because at this level you can easily get one if you work the silk by the river (1 extra commerce)

 

[Ultimate_Waffle]

Okay guys, I think I'll just play this one turn and then post a screenshot just to get a better view of the situation. From then on, I'll play 20 turns then post the game.

 

[Ultimate_Waffle]

Okay, I played the turn and I moved the scout 2 NE to the plains hill. I also moved the settler 1 W as Xanadux suggested. Here is how the situation looks.



Not much better, but at least my chances of finding more food in my fat cross are better now.

EDIT: Forgot to add the save...

 

[Ultimate_Waffle]

What I was thinking now is, settle in place and wait for the borders to pop the hut. After I'm settled, I should use the scout to pop the hut that he is near and then go 1 tile SE from there. Basically just keep exploring. I don't know which build order I should go with from here, seeing as how there isn't enough map revealed to me to make that decision yet. I guess I'll just have to see what's there after I settle.

 

[Refar]

And also the Goody hut is closer, meaning you will be able to pop it with the cultural borders in a few turns, if you stay where you are - this is of course veeery minor.

[EDIT]

What I was thinking now is, settle in place and wait for the borders to pop the hut. After I'm settled, I should use the scout to pop the hut that he is near and then go 1 tile SE from there. Basically just keep exploring. I don't know which build order I should go with from here, seeing as how there isn't enough map revealed to me to make that decision yet. I guess I'll just have to see what's there after I settle.

Sounds good

 

[Ultimate_Waffle]

All right, I'll play my 20 turns as soon as a few more people post their opinions .

 

[Lanstro]

Before you make a settlement decision, move your scout again to get more information. It's highly unlikely that anybody will pop either of your 2 huts in the next half dozen turns, so it doesn't hurt you to explore first and pop them later.

The scout should move se twice and hope that there's some food there. If so, it's time to move your settler to a spot where you get the food, the cows and as many hills as possible.

If not, it looks like you'll have to settle with settling in place (no pun intended), and hope that it reveals some food. Build a worker first, whatever happens. Research agriculture and AH (AH first if no food, agriculture first if so), mining and BW. You want to basically get the pasture and a farm going asap, then mine what looks like a plains hill 2s of where your settler is right now, then when BW finishes, farm/mine more as necessary.

 

[Ultimate_Waffle]

I decided to move my scout 2 SE first, no luck on finding agricultural food. So, I decided to settle in place.



Turns out that I was close to getting corn in my fat cross, but no cigar.

I decided to research animal husbandry first while building a worker. I chose to work the silk tile. It gives faster research and the fastest worker build at the same time. I used my scout to pop the hut and I receive 42 gold.

My borders expand and I receive 56 gold this time. I meet the Dutch and, soon after, Carthage.





I finally discover Animal Husbandry .



I decide to research mining next. I pop yet another hut and gain even more gold . Somebody founded Christianity in 3440 B.C... It's likely that Isabella is in this game, seeing as her favorite religion is Christianity and it has been founded this early.

I am proven wrong and Willem adopts it as his state religion. I finished mining and started research on bronze working. Judaism is then founded in 3360 B.C. In the same year, I finish my worker, decide to build a second scout, and switch my citizen to the cow tile for faster growth, yet slower procuction of the scout, and the same research rate.

I send my worker over to the cow first for mostly obvious reasons, more food and production (perhaps more commerce as well? Do pastures get an extra 1 commerce next to a river?). On the finaly turn, I meet the Malinese...



The worker is finished with the pasture at the end of this turn by the way. So, what shall I do next? What improvements should I build next, and when should I build roads? Frankly, I'm confused as to what to do next .

The save.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

Just a suggestion: all of the folks you are hoping to solicit advice from know what the leaders look like. They also know what the splash screens for techs look like. These bits don't change from game to game, neh?

The map, though, does change. Show that, especially the neighborhood of your capital.

 

[Ultimate_Waffle]

Sorry, I guess I just assumed that they'd look at the situation through the save .

 

[Refar]

People might have other patch, or for some other reason being unable to load your save. Anyway, here is where you stand:

Spoiler :

Techwise: Wheel, Hunting, Animal Husbandry, Maysticism and Mining are there, Bronze eta are 5 Turns.

Actually i think you should have played those 5 more turns, to look if there is copper nearbye - we can't give you to much of advice without knowing the strategic ressources. So perhaps "allways 20 turns" is a bit to rigid.

Roads are good and useful - unless there are better things to do for your worker. For now you have pasture done, and 5 turns until BW (You have mining, but your hills are Forested). As where to road depends on your plans. I think i would road towards those horses, in anticipation of hooking them up.

It looks pretty crowded. And the land right next to you is not too good. Is not that bad either - there are several interesting ressources close: Stone and Marble for faster wonders, Gold and Silver for Commerce/Happiness. Food is a bit rare.

Even assuming that all 3 neighbours choose not to expand towards you, your space for expansion is very limited. This is a indication, that you might want to try a early rush to secure more and better lands. Even if you have no copper - you have horses within reach, so you could try charriot rush.

I think your next build must be a Settler. Perhaps assisted by a forest chop to speed it up. If you choose to pursue a early rush, you will need to use the settler, to claim a ressource - copper, if within reach, the horses otherwise. Waiting 31 Turns for the Capitol to grow borders for horses might be to long for the rush, the horse city would not be that bad: you could claim Horse, Marble, and two food.

If you choose not to rush, settling becomes even more a priority, since you need to claim land and ressources before others do.

 

[Lanstro]

The next step depends on your play style.

If you are a warmongering type, then you will wait for BW to finish, and settle at the ideal position that is available while taking in the bronze that hopefully reveals itself. If there is no bronze, you would have to settle 2sw of your capitol and have a second-rate, yet resourceful second city. Also, it is towards your nearest neighbour in the south, so when you rush him, it'll take less walking for your axemen/chariots/swordsmen.

Alternatively, if you were a peaceful player, you would settle 4e of your capitol, for the town that has a flood plain, stone and also gold without any border expansion. This would prop up your research until you eventually settle for the dual silver, and allow your to get pyramids and a decisive tech lead asap.

Personally, I'd go the gold/stone/flood plain town first, while teching to wheel and iron working for the iron and swordsmen. It'll be pretty fast with the gold under your belt. Then, judging by the direction that your neighbours have expanded, go and inviade.