[BTS] Shadow game request please :)

[Daniel Acheson]

Hi - I have played Civ 4 on and off for a very long time but would really like to get better as I am starting to play it a lot again after work.

I am struggling to get to grips on Monarch level and would like to get some feedback to help me improve!

Currently playing Darius on Monarch on a Pangaea map, standard size, no huts, no events see attached up to turn 41.

Going forward I was thinking an immortal rush (still don't have animal husbandry yet and think that is quite a bad misplay?) Also used warrior to guard the worker while he roads into France as a possible target for immortals (This caused Capital to be unhappy as they don't have a garrison so that was a bit silly... )

I don't think I play aggressively enough which no doubt is why I struggle on levels Prince and above. I have started watching YouTube videos of Meinteam and absolutezero and reading stuff on here. Just wondering if there is anything I have done catastrophically wrong so far and what I should be aiming to do next.

Many thanks in advance

Spoiler :

 

[lymond]

Hey Dan - your priorities are a bit messed up here

Let me explain with a few pointers/suggestions just looking at the screenshot

1) You should have already have started a settler (actually you should have long built a settler by now) If beelining BW which is right here, then I"d probably go to Size 4 after building worker first and then a warrior or two, switch slavery and whip as soon as I can. Worker improves corn and ideally puts a chop into settler. (Note whip points on settler - up to 39H for 3pop, up to 69H for top pop...each whipped citizen is 30H ...the more production into settler the more OF) edit: That's for non-Imperialistic leader as the get settler bonus

2) Anyway, you have grown to Size 6..ok.. so queue up a settler right now, whip next turn into a new worker...then finish current warrior..send him out to spawnbust

3) Worker starts chopping in place..chop will go into finishing new worker

4) Roading to France? You are talking about Immortals and roading to some AI that I don't think I even see on the mini-map. You don't even see horses yet. Wrong priorities.

5) First warrior or scout (in this case) should scout immediate radius around cap for good city spot. (that area to E should be scouted) But regardless, AH tech seems ok with good Pigs tile due E. 1N of Pigs is great city with pigs/rice and overlap with cap (cottage sharing). BUt if you'd scouted you'd know if seafood is in fog which might change positioning.

Scout then spawnbusts in proximity to your cap

Settling 1N of pigs gets insta-trade route due to river connection too, which is nice.

6) Corn N of Pers is on river so does not need road. Wasted worker turns. In fact road on corn to S is wasted turns too for now, but I guess you were going by your faulty logic of roading to France for some reason. (Early Worker Management is huge to success in this game and moving up levels...make better decisions)

7) You don't need a warrior in your cap initially cause you are going to grow no more than 3 or 4 to build settlers. Warriors should be out spawnbusting

8) chop..with good food like you have and all that forest, you don't even need mines this early. You could have two cities settled by now

9) not sure where that warrior is that you said was "protecting" your worker, but send him north to scout up around cows and then spawnbust on hill up there.

 

[lymond]

Attaching save from a few turns later (let folks know if you are playing a standalone mod like BUFFY)

1) 2 cities settled including 1 with horse. New worker was built and a new one close to finished

2) Building a barracks earlier was not good...I would not even build one on this level for IMM probably

3) You are Cyrus, not Darius. So IMP and Char

4) I might IMM rush Izzy ..maybe she gets holy city for you but at least you have her religion. keep an eye on metals (note: AIs will tell you their best unit in their initial dialogue with you when you open diplomacy..something like "Ho Ho see my Archer") They still might be in the process of hooking up a metal though if they have it.

5) 2 or 3 cities is fine for an IMM rush. Just depends on things like the need to settle horses. YOu are IMP so getting out 2 cities can be done real fast. Then chop IMM army, maybe one pop whip a couple too. You are Char so plenty of happy.

6) Note: In my save I chopped into GRan in pigs city. I would whip at size 2, citizen 2 works 2H1F tile at size 2 for turn or 2 until you can 1 pop whip asap. Then switch to rice. (ideal Granary finish is before food bucket is half full on turn of completion)

Just keep in mind the maintenance when you start capturing cities..raze crappy ones

 

[sampsa]

Excellent advice by lymond, as usual. Also, turning a misplayed position into a decent one in just 11 turns is pretty cool.

I guess I'd advice just starting a new game. There seems to be many misunderstandings in your early game and it would be important to get them straight. If you like those youtube videos, I'd recommend watching Lain. Focus on the early game for now.

 

[Daniel Acheson]

Hi Lymond,

Many thanks for all your advice, I have noted everything down so will try and keep everything in mind for future!

I have chopped and whipped by way to 1400BC from the save you sent me (please see attached - sorry I should have said I use the buffy mod)

I did not realise Isabella was that close and in my experience she can be a bit of a headache so wouldn't mind attacking her nice and early to try and get her out of the way.

She seems to have copper but it isn't hooked up! I did start a convo with her and based on her "hohoho" remark her best unit is an archer atm.

She only has two cities and a couple of archers in her capital. Would you attack now given that her capital seems quite squishy or should I wait for more IMM in better positions.

Also I have placed some ALT+S "C" where I would like to settle cities could you give any comments on this as I think my City placement needs a bit of work too as the Pig City you settled for me would have been where I would settle but the horse city Susa I would have gone one step west to pick up the wheat for extra food or are you saving that to use in another city?

Screenshots below if you can find the time I would love to hear further advice on my game!

Thanks once again!

Spoiler :

 

[Fippy]

I think Lymo forgot that, but a special bit of advice when playing with Immortals..
spawnbusting = counterproductive
You actually want barb cities spawning, cos they are easy with those units.
Click the $ advisor, and you can see unit costs. Could be less without those roaming warriors.

 

[petersc]

Also I have placed some ALT+S "C" where I would like to settle cities could you give any comments on this as I think my City placement needs a bit of work too as the Pig City you settled for me would have been where I would settle but the horse city Susa I would have gone one step west to pick up the wheat for extra food or are you saving that to use in another city?

You may already know this, and just not like the feature, but ALT-X and CTRL-X allow for a BFC dot mapping feature. I like it. I forget which is which, but one combination hides/displays current mapping. The other key-combination allows for editing the dot map; left click to place, right click to remove.

 

[Daniel Acheson]

I think Lymo forgot that, but a special bit of advice when playing with Immortals..
spawnbusting = counterproductive
You actually want barb cities spawning, cos they are easy with those units.
Click the $ advisor, and you can see unit costs. Could be less without those roaming warriors.

Reading through the strength of Immortals I can understand why that would be so particularly on this difficulty! Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Daniel Acheson]

You may already know this, and just not like the feature, but ALT-X and CTRL-X allow for a BFC dot mapping feature. I like it. I forget which is which, but one combination hides/displays current mapping. The other key-combination allows for editing the dot map; left click to place, right click to remove.

No I didn't know that! I will have a play around with that when I get back to the game, Many thanks