Space Race Scam

[Breunor]

Dream,

This is why I like CIV IV so much. I got to be a demigod player on III, and could win on diety with a good set-up (agricultural civ on a river, etc.). In CIV IV, I'm having a tough time with prince -- it will be a bit before I get to monarch!

Its a tough game, the AI is just much smarter.

Also, I find that the different maps change the game A LOT!!! Playing on plains or oasis is a much different game from others. I'm trying to play all of the different maps, because I think in the long run it will be more challenging. For instance, if you are used to 'favorite' civics you will find them different on other maps.

I love the fact that the game is so challenging -- it really makes you need to play better.

Best wishes,

Breunor

 

[dreamvirus]

I got to be a demigod player on III, and could win on diety with a good set-up (agricultural civ on a river, etc.)

Yup, if I'm being honest that's exactly the level I was at - I could win on Deity with a good start. On that level I used to just reload if I didn't see a river or a nice bonus like cow/wheat/ivory etc...

 

[bob rulz]

In Civ3 I never reloaded a start, but I almost always quit the game before it was over (except with the funnest games of them all). I only ever got up to Regent (I won one game on Monarch, I think that was the one above Regent, but lost most of them).

I plan on trying to play out every start with Civ4 as well, but I'm finding it easier to play all the way through the game...

 

[Minmaster]

one way to get around AIs that dont share techs is to beeline to fiber optics in the modern age and get the internet. last night, i beat one city challenge thanks to the internet.

 

[KerThud]

one way to get around AIs that dont share techs is to beeline to fiber optics in the modern age and get the internet. last night, i beat one city challenge thanks to the internet.

I think OCC is the most useful context to build The Internet wonder. As others have said, in a normal game, it comes too close to the end of research to be of use.

 

[RoboPig]

You can turn off tech trading entirely too, but that seems to cripple the AI more than anything else. I prefer to never stop waging wars or keeping the AI at war with each other. If you have one or two really good friends you'll be better off than having everybody sort of liking you. Honestly though, I think the perpetual world wars are what do it for me. I seem to be much better at maintaining research and infrastructure work while at war than the AI is. If you can't afford a full war or aren't properly setup for one you can always try using a spy or two to run through and pillage their resources, as long as you still have a caravel or submarines you'll have no problems getting them were they need to be. If push comes to shove you can also use your spies to damage the production of key projects such as SS parts.

thats true. civ AIs rely on trading techs. on a regent civ3 game the egyptians who had lived on a little island, surrounded by ocean were found by me in the industrial age and they didnt know how to make wheels! basically the AI puts most of its money into the treasury so techs are useful to it

 

[Loyran]

I build the internet in most of my games. If I am behind, it allows me to diregard research entirely and focus on money/culture, and usually gives me around 5-10 free techs. If I am ahead, I build it just so that the AI doesn't get it (I am not even sure they'll try but why risk it).

It's very easy to catch up on the space race with internet as you can allocate the smaller parts to your minor cities and the heaviest to your production cities, basically building 10 pieces while the AI painfully builds a couple.

 

[Jonny211]

Just a quick post to say I played a game the other day where I really did specialise my cities, Capital was for science, two for commerce and the rest for military. Rather than falling way behind I stayed up with the tech leaders until the 1800's and still managed to fend off then half wipe out the Aztecs with a Grenadier/PikeMan vs. Longbow/Knight army.

Specialization is definitely the way to go rather than building the all-round Civ3 style cities.

 

[arcady]

...
keeping the AI at war with each other.

In my last game I managed to get my leading competitor for a space race and long term ally to divert into a war when I destroyed all the alluminum mines in the third party nations I guessed it was trading with. Suddenly cut off from a vital resource, it declared war on the nearest source of the metal, and I just kept on building for space while my spies kept destroying mines everywhere I could find them.

 

[LordCopenhagen]

Thanks to everyone for the advice, especially LordCopenhagen! I'll try Monarch next and if all goes well I'll try moving up another notch as I think I have much more of an idea of how to play this game now.

Just a quick post to say I played a game the other day where I really did specialise my cities, Capital was for science, two for commerce and the rest for military. Rather than falling way behind I stayed up with the tech leaders until the 1800's and still managed to fend off then half wipe out the Aztecs with a Grenadier/PikeMan vs. Longbow/Knight army.

Specialization is definitely the way to go rather than building the all-round Civ3 style cities.

Glad I could help and contribute to this great community. Just remember that the higher difficulty level you go, the more aggressive you have to be. Keep a modern military, even if you don't plan to conquest, because the AI will see your weakness and attack. Another helpful hint (this always got me at Emperor and above), if you declare war on a civ, make sure you have a decent number of home-guards and counter attackers; the AI knows you are at war, so what's to stop Catherine from swiping a few cities while you're capturing Tokugawa's territory? Most likely you won't be able to pull back your attacking army to meet the new threat; so always be distrusting of the AI, they react on a lot more opportunities.

 

[Jonny211]

Yes, you're right there too. The AI does jump on a chance to attack you when you're armies are away!

Thanks again.