Propelling my game to the next level? Experts?

[radmaster100]

All,

I have been playing Civ since it first came out and have stayed with Civ IV Vanilla for the last couple of years because of family limitations (children really reduce game playing time). I have been learning much of my strategy from this website and have noticed that some people get ridiculous scores and finish millennia sooner than I do. I've read the beginners stuff but want to know how to get those huge scores (and end the game in less than 4 hrs on a moderately difficult level-Noble or higher).

I can usually finish a small world, continents game for fun on Noble difficulty before the 1940s with almost any civilization through religious or diplomatic victory. I seldom get the military victory. My shortcomings are usually: not getting enough great people quickly, making money (after you waste those competing civs, how do you keep from bottoming out your treasury? How do you make enough $ to keep your army alive?), and strategies to winning faster.

Any tips?

Bill

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

Any tips?

Everyone's guide to getting advice

You'd probably get more input if you weren't playing Vanilla. I won't speak for others, but for me it's too difficult to go back to the bugs that have been fixed since.

A basic pattern for winning "quickly" on Noble looks something like (a) acquire more than your share of land in a war that ends in the BC era, (b) identify the critical tech you need, (c) discover that tech as quickly as you can, (d) execute the win.

Critical tech is usually something like Rifling (I'm going to draft a bunch of rifles, and take over the world), Military Tradition (I'm going to train a bunch of Cavalry, and take over the world), Fusion (I'm going to construct a rocket, and take over some other world).

You'll find a lot of players focus in part (c) on the race to liberalism, and using that to slingshot to a research advantage that can be converted into a military advantage, at which point you stop worrying about research and start worrying about stomp .

One thing that you can do is control the tech pace in the game - a rising tide lifts all boats. Aggressively sharing Alphabet and various other research techs can help cut down the time it takes you to reach the endgame you've chosen.

You normally pay your army with a foundation of cottages (alternatively, lots of cottages) on your secured land. Not the only answer, but an easy one to execute.

There's an article somewhere that describes scoring.

TheMeInTeam wrote a guide for playing more quickly.

 

[Grashopa]

Play a lot of starts, try different things and don't worry about being perfect so you play faster.

 

[Negator_UK]

My shortcomings are usually:

not getting enough great people quickly,

More specialists

making money (after you waste those competing civs, how do you keep from bottoming out your treasury?

Sometimes you do botom out your treasury, you can use specialists to keep tech going. You can also use alphabet for this (build research), or make money with currency (build money). Or just micro things to keep your head above water. Or all of the above. Until your cottages mature (you did build cottages yes ??).

How do you make enough $ to keep your army alive?

Conquest, Pillage, War...

and strategies to winning faster.

Conquest, Pillage, War...

 

[Malician]

Getting utterly huge scores probably isn't the best goal: it requires lots of time playing the game and by itself is pretty pointless. However, you might enjoy TMIT's guide to playing faster: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=301900

Playing at Monarch, Emperor etc gives very fast game paces & high scores if you can keep up and win. The AIs will be teching like mad meaning you can get mad techs through trade.

 

[radmaster100]

Thanks all. It really helped.

 

[dirtyparrot]

The game is usually won or lost for the most part by 1AD. Sure, there are many things to iron out over the rest of the game, but the advantages you have early, compound over time. I agree with whoever suggested that you try different early strategies and see what works best for you. Most of us could probably use that advice as well.