re-loading and the 2 types of CIVers

[Flavor Dave]

I used to reload every once in a while against the "magical unit." That's the AI regular spearman on grassland or plains that survives the attacks of 3 vet. swordsmen. I'll still do that if it's worse, like a pikeman that holds off 2 vet. cavalry. That's very rare, though.

(goes into corner to do penance)

 

[Longasc]

Flavor Dave, sometimes the odds are really odd. But hm, preserving random seed gave me a lot more well-balanced results than games without that that tended to have such things that go against all odds.

With preserve random seed all results are very well in the middle, while without I observed things like Warriors killing Tanks without HP loss, argh...

Still, you are a bad boy, so stay in the corner.

 

[Lopex]

Originally posted by DasScoot
I'm a joy-civer, but mainly because I stick to lower difficulty levels. I do reload on occaision, but I keep the random seed - I only do it to reverse seriously bad decisions, like the times when a city culture flips on me with 6 armies inside.

Lol. Wow, losing 6 armies in a culture flip.... You must have been seriously pissed.

 

[bobgote]

I reload frequently.

Haven't played a serious game for some time.

I pretty much play at most until the borders of countries have firmed, then restart.

When I can actually be bothered, I don't reload and play a game through. To count the number of times I've played a game through to the victory screen doesn't require me to take off my socks

 

[Dragonlord]

Originally posted by ainwood
This isn't really a strategy & tips discussion! But it can be saved!

I pretty-much agree with everything written above. Reloading is cheating when it affects other people's enjpyment. Eg the GOTM, the tournament and the HOF. However, when playing for yourself only, there's nothing wrong with it, but I think it is better if it is done for a purpose.

For those "joy" civers , I would suggest that they don't reload at every turn, because they will become relient on it. They won't improve at all, because reloading takes the place of good strategy. For the drama civers, reloading is an important tool, that when used correctly, can help in improving their strategies.

Of course, there's always the people who play for the sheer fun of it all the time, and don't care if they don't improve. But I think that a game really has longevity if you can always get better and better at it.

I agree with every single word here!

Personally, I play on Emperor on up, but am not seriously interested in competition with other players; I've played GOTM, but never submitted..
I DO try to improve my strategies constantly, though, so I try to avoid reloading... basically, I reload only when I've made a truly stupid 'false key' type move or.... ... when I hit one of those low probability reverses... Tank loses against Spearman type of thing. I simply hate that....and, yeah, I've disabled the 'preserve random seed' option.. as well as culture flipping BTW, which I also hate and used to make me reload..

I would enjoy an Ironman option such as in SMAC, though, especially if some kind of reduction of the random factor in battles was enabled, like they had planned for the beta version of the Conquests patch... I hope to see that as an option in the final patch!

 

[mintyfreshdeath]

I learned about how to use my military effectively once I stopped reloading. I think the two most important changes I made were the amount of military units I build (no more Warriors/Swordsman blazing a trail through the neighbourhood as if they were on performance enhancing drugs) and the use of artillery from the moment I get catapults.
I've been doing this lately... playing games with Preserve Random Seed on and no reloading on Regent. I've been adjusting well. Just for fun I decided to start a game with the Japanese on Chieftain. No surprises what happened there... it all became too easy and I quit the game because it was very very boring.

 

[theGrimm]

I'm somewhere between joy and drama...I only reload when laziness causes me to forget to do something I had planned to do...and only then if it will cost me BIG. On higher difficulty levels, I'm too stressed to be lazy...

To the Drama-civers: If your cat bumps you arm just as the Mighty Deity Mongols demand 21gp fifteen turns into your game, and you click "Heck no, dirty Mongrels" instead of "Would you like fries with that"...do you reload? Well, do you?

To the Joy-civers: Have you ever reloaded the game more than 20 times in a row until you redlines elite swordsman take that city held by a healthy vet samurai foritfied in a size 12 city across a river? Well, have you?

...As always, true "joy" lies in between two extremes. Or, has been said..."whatever does it for you"...

 

[mintyfreshdeath]

Friendly Hun tribes give you a map of the local area. RELOAD. Barbarians. RELOAD. Maps again. RELOAD. Maps AGAIN. RELOAD. Maps..... it's not gonna let me get anything! RELOAD. 25 Gold. RELOAD. Barbarians (remember to wake one fortified Warrior so it doesn't go to the end of the turn and I have watch the Barbarians attack). RELOAD. MONARCHY!
And to think: some people find this game HARD!

 

[Sphynx]

Really nice thread What I can add here is the "reloader drama player". It's quite funny, but there is a Grand-Prix Championship in Russia (actually CIV-players from all post USSR countries play there, there are some Russian speaking Americans there too). The Championship rules actually permits reloads of any kind, nature and quantities. Initially I was fighting against this style of game claiming it as immoral. But since all the players are in the same conditions - is there anything immoral there? It's quite funny but the game looks like a puzzle, where the players must know and use pure reloading strategies to win. I am talking about for example building Pyramides before 2000 BC with a leader created by the very first warrior , etc.

Anyway the efforts were not wasted - now we have also non-reload championship and the problem of reload abuse or even use doesn't exist just because there is always a choice, dependling on the player's style and habits where to play Grand Prix or Non-Reload (NR). And as we have common rating for both leagues there is no difference where you play to get the rating points.

BTW if there are any hardcore reloaders they can try there efforts in Grand Prix, or vice versa if there any true hardcore non-reloaders they can try our NR. Meanwhile we are preparing English web and forum pages to establish some more close links with your community - cause by now all we have are GOTM threads where people discuss GOTM rules and games.

Me, I am playing only NR style now and may reload only in case I gifted a tech to an AI by miscliking reply in F4 screen, and this only if I play myself.

 

[Ribannah]

Originally posted by theGrimm
I'm somewhere between joy and drama...I only reload when laziness causes me to forget to do something I had planned to do...and only then if it will cost me BIG. On higher difficulty levels, I'm too stressed to be lazy...

To the Drama-civers: If your cat bumps you arm just as the Mighty Deity Mongols demand 21gp fifteen turns into your game, and you click "Heck no, dirty Mongrels" instead of "Would you like fries with that"...do you reload? Well, do you?

If the mis-click kills the game I would. It's my time, after all.
The worst of these kind that I've had so far, however, were accidental tech or world map gifts, and these I let be.

Sphynx, nice to hear that you found a solution!

 

[jm chen]

I will save before starting a war, in case it goes badly. Often, it does. Then I go back to the old one.

I would say it improves my game, though; this way I can test out my military against theirs without throwing away a game I've worked hard on. If I couldn't reload, I'd probably never try the war at all.

 

[bru]

I do a lot of re-loading in the first part of the game aiming for the AI and myself to be reasonably equal. I like to win but I like it to be close! If I pull ahead but too much I will quit and start a new game.
This is a interesting Thread and it shows that not all people have the same reason or goals for playing!!

 

[Krayzeenbk]

Originally posted by theGrimm
To the Drama-civers: If your cat bumps you arm just as the Mighty Deity Mongols demand 21gp fifteen turns into your game, and you click "Heck no, dirty Mongrels" instead of "Would you like fries with that"...do you reload? Well, do you?

True Drama-civers don't keep cats for specifically that reason.
I close my window to make sure the wind doesn't bother me, and play in a special light environment so that glare does not cause me to make extra errors.

 

[mintyfreshdeath]

Before I start a war I do this, it never fails:

.... take a deep breath.

Like I said, never fails.

 

[apparition]

I used to reload when I'd done something really stupid or unwanted due to a slow interface but then one of my most interesting games was when I gave the zulu motorised transport because my computer was being slow and my clicks were faster that the dialogue update.

I didn't reload and that game was interesting . But I will reload if I get and unwanted victory condition because I forgot to unselect it at the beginning.

 

[Longasc]

I usually take a drink and then look for a chewing gum. If things get ugly it is always good to have a chewing gum in the mouth, it prevents it from getting dry and you actually have something else to bite on instead of your tongue or nails.

 

[binyo66]

I reload the game when I badly need GL in ancient time (Using combinations elite-regular, sometimes attacking the barbs first). Using "reload" technique I could get at least 10GL, eventhough preserved random is always on (by default). The other time is, when I forget to change prebuild palace!!

Anyhow, I am playing the game for fun.

 

[Red Boxer]

I have never really made use of reloading with any consistantly to actually consider it as part of my strategy. Though I did have circumstances which caused me to do that, I would like to believe that these reloads were more of a learning tool, than an exploitative measure.
This cannot really be a morality issue, but it is ALMOST certain that the game designers did not intend for one to reload the game until they got results most befitting their situation, the game would already be that way. With that in mind I elect to play with the intent of game designers everywhere, and use to SAVE feature to allow me to sleep.

On the a different note, the computer should also be allowed to cheat (take actions outside its predetermined parameters). It should know where everything is, at all times and where all of your units are and so on. I mean its not its fault that it has access to all of that information and its just using it to its best advantage, and really I think it should be reloading as well when things go poorly.

Heh.

 

[Wladislaw]

I see myself as more the joy player type you described above, but I can count on one hand the number of times I have reloaded a game. I am not one that thinks this is morally wrong, I just don't have the patience. If I was that patient I could micromanage enough to step up from monarch.

 

[BomberEscort]

I Reload and I'm proud of it!!!
Not really, I never reload...

Maybe I am in denial!!!

Where is my CivAholics Anonymous membership card...