Hello.
Im a new player. I have got CIV 4 and BTS expansion before couple of days, and my friend who knows a little about the game came over and show me how to start.
Now i have a question for the experienced guys in here.
My friend suggested me to start play with CIV 4 the original game ONLY. He says its too much details for me as a new player to deal with BTS. what do you think?
Should i start with BTS directly? or first learn about the game with the originial CIV 4?
And what are most of the guys here playing? Original or BTS?
Thx for any help.
I'd say its a judgment call. How well does your friend know your? How well do you know him? And how well do you know yourself? Use your own judgment.
I'm sensing that since you ask, you'd rather just jump in the deep end. And thats just fine. My advice would, however, be this: Unless your friend really showed you the ropes, you're better off playing the tutorial first. And you'll find that one in the Basic game (aka Vanilla), not BtS (since its an expansion, for people who already know Civ4). Also note that some very basic stuff might be missing from the BtS Civilopedia (for the afore mentioned reason).
As for complexity. The game is complex enough to keep experienced players learning new rules and strategies for years on end. The game has been out for a good many years and people are still studying it to figure out exactly how everything works. My point would be that as a beginner it really doesn't matter how much
additional stuff BtS brings to the table, since its all new to you.
So, don't get bogged down in details or feeling inadequate because you don't know exactly how something works. Try something that feels intuitive and see where it takes you. Make a mental note of the outcome and try another approach next time (even if it went better than expected, just so you get the experience of doing it another way). In time you will learn ever more stuff.
Also, if you choose a "Custom Game" you can disable some of the extras like vassal states or espionage. And in the in-game options there are some useful tools like automation. You just don't need to bother with every single detail at this point, as the game, in some extend, is balanced in a way that equals out some of the decisions you would be making yourself. (You're bound to make bad ones as well as good ones.) The micromanagement is really for the seasoned player who can afford to be distracted from the grand strategy of the game. Because this should be your focal point at this stage.
Instead of worrying about one bad seed of a city that only causes you problems, you focus on your goal at hand - and at your opponents. Don't forget to play the diplomacy because you're busy optimizing your troops. Or neglect your research goals because there are troublemakers some corner of your empire. The petty stuff will mean nothing once you win the game session. Its much more important to see the big picture and aim for a victory goal (and there are plenty to choose from).
Happy Civin'!
edit: I'd recommend Catherine of Russia for the cultural trait alone. It really helps with the initial expansion and should be an asset to you through out the game. The Cossack is also a sweet unit in mid game.
. Fresh water means basically rivers, but also lakes. (Cities get 
bonus from Fresh Water, also. This is why you might need the Aqueduct.)
