New Player on Civilization 4

[Admiral Kirk]

I have played Civilization 1, 2, and 3. I have some concepts of the game. Can anyone let me know how they develop strageties to winning the game? I understand there are many strageties, but how in the hell do people know what to do in certain situations? I am playing Civ 4 now, I cannot win a game on the Warlord level? I then hear people beating the game on the deity level? Crap? How in the hell do they do this? Any help will be appreciated.

Admiral Kirk

 

[Dragonlor]

You develop strategies by experience. Which particular situations are you in need of a strategy?

 

[Admiral Kirk]

How do players decide how much a city grows? Do they let the game do this or do they look at each city each turn and make changes? Where do the players decide to modernize their cities with exception of the obvious when you have a iron source, you build a mine. I cannot seem to win a game on Warlord level. HELP

 

[Divi Filus]

Given your predicament I think you are probably over expanding (which was fine in Civ 1-3, but you can lose the game in Civ 4 - OR, you have not read the civlopedia and are using spearman for defence, ect... therefore some general advice.

On a standard map:
- expand to 6-9 cities max - you don't need ANY more to win.
- focus on a religion early (play as INCA) - go for hinduism
- then focus on brozeworking....
- only build cities close to special resources, try to get 2-4 special resources within your cities FAT cross....
- try to keep cities on coasts/rivers, avoid deserts.
-spread your religion, make friends
- Tech Priority
1. Polytheism (Hinduism)
1. Bronze Working (Chops, Spears/Axes, Copper)
2. Animal Husbandry (Pastures)
3. Pottery (Cottages)
5. Wheel (Roads)
6. Iron Working (Swords, Iron)
7. Metal Casting (Forges)
8. Priesthood (Temples, Oracle)
9. Alphabet (Tech Trades)
10. Code of Laws (Confucisism, Courthouses)
11. Currency (Markets, +1 Trade)
12. Monarchy (Hereditary Rule)
13. Monotheism (Organized Religion Civic, +25% pro)


For general warfare:
stone age: 2 archers/city + some guys to explore
bronze age: 2 archers + 1 axeman/city
late brone age: above + 2 spearman/city; arm of axe (if defensive), swords (if offensive)
middle ages: 2 longbows, 1 cross bows, 2-3 pikeman/city; Army of 10 knights

 

[Divi Filus]

Basic Rule of Thumbs for Terrain Improvements:
Grassland/Flood Plains = Cottages
Plains = Farms
Forests = leave 3-5 around city (chop the rest) Lumbermills
Hills = Mine (unless forested)

 

[Dragonlor]

Have you read through some of the articles in the Civ4 Strategy Articles section? http://forums.civfanatics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=156

How do players decide how much a city grows? Do they let the game do this or do they look at each city each turn and make changes?

I let my cities grow until they would reach a point of unhappiness or unhealthiness. Then I use the Don't Grow option. There are many buttons (click on a city and the buttons are to the right of the list of things to build) to automatically tell the city what to emphasize (food, production, commerce). You don't have to look at every city every turn.

Where do the players decide to modernize their cities with exception of the obvious when you have a iron source, you build a mine.

Here is an article about terrain improvements: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=136433

 

[Admiral Kirk]

Thank you very much for the help. I was wondering, do you look at each city and manage it yourself or do you automate the city? Also, do you automate the workers? I am having trouble managing the cities, so I just automate them.

 

[lost_civantares]

Thank you very much for the help. I was wondering, do you look at each city and manage it yourself or do you automate the city? Also, do you automate the workers? I am having trouble managing the cities, so I just automate them.

Personally I've never trusted the automation for the workers, and most likely it won't do what was suggested above.

As for letting the cities run on automation, I would say that that is really up to you, just if you are going to do it, look over the cities on the main map to check on what they are doing.

 

[Ray Patterson]

yup, city automation=good, worker automation=bad

or do you mean production automation? don't even know how that works in civ IV, but that is probably again not a very good idea.

 

[silverwolf]

Im pretty new to the Civ series in general. Ive played 2 games vs the computer and one mutiplayers. In that little bit of time I realised that putting workers on auto is great to start but they generally wont compensate to a given situation.

In the mutiplayer game the civilization I took over had been run on automation. Upon entering the game my capital was starving and the workers were everywhere but at my capital. I manually took control of a worker and in 20+ turns had my capital city with full food and growing strong. I focused on produceing what gave me a bonus around my city, like farms, ect.

Every game I play I seem to learn something new or realise something I didnt the time before. I cant wait to play more games against others!