Noble Tips?

[Ninjatrey]

I recently tried a noble game and did poorly. One problem is that I did not have enough cities or workers and not enough units as city garrisons. Any tips for my next game?

 

[DaveMcW]

Don't waste time on buildings/wonders until you have enough settlers, workers, and military.

 

[Xurr]

Try this for a build order/


Worker->warrior/work boat until happy cap -> Settler -> worker -> worker ->settler -> worker -> worker -> settler etc...

Your next couple of cities will be your / or wonder building citieshammers , let your capital build units. You can specialize your capital once the Rex period is over. Also think about settling a high city to create a specialist GP farm.

Oh and when settling cities, forward deploy them to block access to as much territory as you can from the AI.

 

[OTAKUjbski]

Pay very close attention to the first few builds of your first few cities and to your first few tech choices. My biggest 'Noble' mistakes were always in not expanding and developing quickly enough.

Some general tips:

• Build a Worker (or Work Boat) first.
  
• Ignore religions. If you want one that badly, take it from your neighbor or found Confucianism.
  
• Research Worker technologies first based on the resources/terrain around the capital (EDIT: and then based on those around your 2nd/3rd cities).
  
• Settle the 2nd city as a 'counterpoint' to the capital. (I.e., if the capital is high in production, settle your 2nd city high in food or commerce ... and vice-versa).
  
• Accompany your Settlers with Workers. On that note, have your first Worker accompany your first Settler. (Your capital can build a 2nd Worker much faster than your new city will be able to.)
  
• Research either AH or BW before settling your 3rd city. Ensure by your 3rd city, you have claimed a strategic resource (Horses, Copper, Iron).
  
• By the time the 3rd city is founded, defense must not be neglected.
  
• Specialize your cities. Specifically, ensure you have at least one city which generates military units the whole game!
  
• When your science slider is at 70% or higher, expand out.
  
• When your science slider is at 50% or lower, expand up.
  
• Before you make any decision, ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?" and "What do I hope to gain from this?" ... make sure you have a good reason!
  
• Along those lines, you should have a general idea how you intend to win the game sometime before 1 AD. By 1000 AD, you should be 92.17% certain what your victory type will be. Your actions should mirror/support that victory choice.
  
• Don't build every Wonder. Build only the ones you need. On that note, prioritize the Great Wall when you're isolated.
  
• (Whatever else I've left out that somebody else will say).

-- a lot of my 2

 

[OTAKUjbski]

Also think about settling a high city to create a specialist GP farm.

... and/or a high city to create a Wonder-based GP Farm.

 

[Xurr]

... and/or a high city to create a Wonder-based GP Farm.

I mentioned a wonder building city in the line above that.

 

[OTAKUjbski]

I mentioned a wonder building city in the line above that.

That's what happens when I read too quickly without my glasses on.

 

[Inspector Dex]

I like the tips given above. I'm playing noble level games (BTS) myself. The other thing I would add, to answer your original question, is read some of the walk-through and game reports that are popular in this forum. I learn a lot from them, and in particular, you get to see a lot of the above tips put into practice.

If you do that before your next game, you'll be a better player.

 

[Ninjatrey]

Thanks! these tips are great

 

[morpheus11]

Ninjatrey ~ I have just recently achieved my first Noble victory after many attempts and frustrating loses. So, my advice is patience, patience, patience. Don't be in a rush to make a decision, don't rush the game, and don't rush to win. Make sure you have checked everything before you end your turn, and don't worry about how many turns you have played. My biggest problem is that I get caught up in the date, e.g. 1000 AD, and forget that 1000 AD could be turn 350 of a 700 turn game. So, don't worry about what they date is and just keep looking forward.

I also recommend reading reports. You should check out the Game of the Month (GOTM) forums. The reports for both the GOTMs and SGOTMs (succession game of the month) are really good. Reading the SGOTMs have really helped me look at the game differently b/c there are a several different ideas on the same team.

And if you are feeling really brave I recommend playing one of the BOTMs and posting your game in the spoiler page. There are several people on there that have helped me improve my skills and I am sure they would do the same for you.

Sorry for such a long post, and good luck.

 

[AyanamiRei]

Just read some game reports.. a lot of them are helpful, if you can find the more verbose players around here. Sulla in particular has very good stuff.

If you just want to win Noble, arrange the situation to your benefit.
I lost my first noble game, but on my second, I set it to "inland Sea, no wrap, small, Ghandi" and won easily. Ridiculously so, in fact. Thanks to good diplomacy (yay missionaries) and easily defended boarders, I could ignore military and run near 100% science for most of the game. Had tanks, infantry, and Aircraft carriers (Though admittedly not a lot of them) while the second place civ was running around with cavalry, rifles, and galleons.

Or find a good friend and play a hot-seat allied game to learn the ropes.

 

[Kepi]

Take a look in the War Academy, there are a wide range of articles there you will most certainly find some that will help your game.

You can start with Sisiutil's Strategy Guide for Beginners. It's a pretty comprehensive compilation of tips aimed at those new to noblish difficulties.


Also, since you mentioned you're devoting very little to your city garrisons, here's two things you might want to do once in a while next game:

1. Take a look at the "Power Graph" (in case you're not familiar with it: press F9 to open the Info Screen, make sure you're in the Graphs tab, then select "Power" from the drop-down box). You will get a good idea of how you compare militarily to the other civs. If you see yourself close to half a neighbor's power, then you should get some more military units. This can save you if they attack, and a larger army will actually deter them from attacking you in the first place!

2. Open a trade with the AIs once in a while, look at the "Declare War On" section. If they're not willing to declare war on any other civs, hover your mouse on the civs to see why. If it says "We have enough on our hands." and they are not currently at war with someone, then it means they are actively planning one. So if you're a possible target, you should seriously consider beefing up your military.

 

[Sisiutil]

Great tips above. I always have the same advice for anyone trying to move up a difficulty level: treat it like lent and give some stuff up. You probably got used to always founding a religion and/or always building a certain wonder (or several) and/or winning tech races to liberalism and Great People.

Abandon some of those goals and focus on the basics instead. Eventually your skills will rise to the point where you can achieve some of them again--though probably not all, it is a higher difficulty level, after all.