Tactics is where it's at.

[EarthGod]

The AI,though I am not sure is not prepared for a full scale suprise attack. Be border friendly,keep your eyes open to the enemy's relations with the others,have good relations with some leaders,then while you are useing open borders,when the time is right,you are well defended & marching all over his lands,..BAM suprise... declere war! I am certain the AI will treet you differently after that, they will not trust you,etc...,take it from there.

 

[pigswill]

THe AI do seem surprisingly poor at bearing a grudge or learning from experience. You're friendly with a civ, declare war on them, capture a couple of their cities, get peace, throw them a free tech and they're back at friendly again.

 

[bestbrian]

I'm sure it's not at all coincidental that this thread started around April Fool's Day. I think the OP went fishing and bagged a nice catch. (Damn funny, though).

 

[WilliamOfOrange]

I really think that a lot of you are missing the REAL tactic to winning the game.

You must load the game in order to pursue victory, otherwise you will fail. You will fail miserably if you aren't trying to win and you can't win if you don't play the game. So, basically, anyone not loading the game to play is losing it and therefore has no viable tactics.

Ultimately, the best tactic WILL BE to load the game and then play it. Why is this the best tactic, you ask? Well, on a more closer look, one realizes that loading the game gives you a whole slew of options to achieve victory. More example, starting the game lets you choose the Civ that you will play as - very important when playing the game because you have to choose one.

Starting the game also gives you many options for your victory path, you can win with conquest or diplomacy. You can even launch a spaceship. There are even more options! This versatility is only revealed, once you START THE GAME!

So, for those of you struggling, Load the Game and see what a difference it makes!

PS. Sorry, for the threadjack, but I felt it was very related to the tactics of winning!

 

[Gwynnja]

which units are most suitable at the start??

spearmen? axemen? archers?

By the book archers.

My game's unit build order usually goes like this: work boat(if applicable)--> worker--> warriors--> settler(to coincide with copper)--> lots and lots of axemen. There are tons of informative threads on this topic. This is not one of them.

 

[digitCruncher]

I think that he is just mucking about, making people 'take the bait', but not as an Aprils Fools joke Its too long, and playing on an Aprils Fools Joke, on a date OTHER than April 1st, makes YOU the fool

Reasoning? If he was REALLY wanting help playing the game, he would have asked us about what tactics are best used for a certain civilization. He didn't, opting instead to get my name wrong, and insulting me (Oh... I am so hurt. The little kid from the other side of the world called me a bad name, so now I will cut myself.... [/sarcasm])

Finally, there is no BEST unit for the early-game. Archers are AWESOME defenders, however. 4~5 units, and early game too, for VERY cheap, and requires no resources!!

However, if you don't want to defend as much, and want to crush someone really quickly, then Axemen are quite powerful, but I personally prefer Chariots (They come earlier, and are quite often on my tech path. Also, they are 1 weaker, and without defencive bonuses, however as long as you pillage the copper sources of your enemies, the only counter they have is archers, which is unlikely to beat a Chariot, not by attacking, anyway ). As a noble player, I don't start with The Wheel, unfortunately. From memory, on my first noble game, I didn't win because for the first... LONG while, I didn't research the wheel >.<) But Axemen rushes are a more risky, but MUCH more successful method of killing someone, as the 5~7.5 comes in handy

And spears are good vs. mounted units. There is no 'best' unit. If you build tons of archers, I just build tons of Horse Archers (Immune to first-strikes), or get some cover promoted axes (+25% vs. Archers). If you build Axemen, I build Chariots (BtS only) or archers. If you build spearmen or swordsmen, I build Axemen. Everything has a counter, and if you don't build (practically) every type of unit, you will lose out. Sometimes, you can leave out a unit type however (If you fight a civ without horses, or ivory, then you don't need spears, for example)

 

[Winston Hughes]

opting instead to get my name wrong, and insulting me

You've got to admit, though, digitcrumbles would be a most excellent name.

 

[aelf]

I enjoyed your article . Seems to me you may well be a fan of Sun' Tzu. I do have a ? for you ,in game tactics how does one live off the land-(CIV IV?)

Sun Tzu? My references include not only him, but also Bismark, Napoleon, Jomini and Clausewitz.

But I've reached a new level of awakening now. I've realised that the OPTIMAL METASTRATEGY for all of the Civilization series till perhaps the [infinity] - 1 edition (a joke, btw) is to roll for a good start, turn on random seed and save and reload for the best results. Based on my correspondence with TF, I've decided that way too many things in the game is random. No, I'm not referring to your idea of randomness and optimality, Gyawnja, but to something that trascends those entirely. And a lot of time can be saved if we learn not to tolerate the bad results generated by the RNG. Don't wait until all the battles have been played out. Press [ALT] + F4 if necessary.

 

[Gwynnja]

I'm not referring to your idea of randomness and optimality, Gyawnja, but to something that trascends those entirely. And a lot of time can be saved if we learn not to tolerate the bad results generated by the RNG.

I'm not sure to what exactly you're referring.

 

[aelf]

I'm not sure to what exactly you're referring.

It doesn't matter. I know what you're thinking, and frankly it bores me.

Back to plotting to take over the Civ world...

 

[Gwynnja]

It doesn't matter. I know what you're thinking, and frankly it bores me.

Back to plotting to take over the Civ world...

If you want to single me out, at least act like an adult about it and tell me what it is you're talking about.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Sun Tzu? My references include not only him, but also Bismark, Napoleon, Jomini and Clausewitz.

But I've reached a new level of awakening now. I've realised that the OPTIMAL METASTRATEGY for all of the Civilization series till perhaps the [infinity] - 1 edition (a joke, btw) is to roll for a good start, turn on random seed and save and reload for the best results. Based on my correspondence with TF, I've decided that way too many things in the game is random. No, I'm not referring to your idea of randomness and optimality, Gyawnja, but to something that trascends those entirely. And a lot of time can be saved if we learn not to tolerate the bad results generated by the RNG. Don't wait until all the battles have been played out. Press [ALT] + F4 if necessary.

Joke or not, it makes me think of speed runners who rely on chance to get their fastest times. That type of player going on a run would roll through as many games as possible until they won the requisite 10% battles. This would probably take around 100 tries, but so what? It's all about the speed run!

I'd love love LOVE to see a speed run game on emperor + standard pangaea. It'd likely be educational, even if it did rely on low odds and many tries. It would also take some fast micro (and we'd get to see step by step micro in real time). We'd also see less "how do you play the game so quickly" threads, and a lot of basic gameplay decisions would be seen too.

And yes, you CAN speed run civ 4. I'm 100% certain of it, after seeing 5+ hour rpg speed runs out there...

 

[sveint]

Because we all know one of the main factors of war is the element of surprise. And what could be more surprising than the First Batallion Transvestite Brigade?

 

[Brian Boru]

First time EVER I´m seeing an article rated 1 star

See, that's the trouble with all you know-it-all pseudo-experts and your paint-by-numbers click-fest exploits to beat Deity. You can't see the big picture, and with 2-3,000 posts I doubt at this stage you'll ever be liberated. Poor things.

But I'll try...

1 star + 1 star = 1/2 star + 1 1/2etc, aka 2 stars.
2 stars + 1 star = -1 star + 4etc [maybe 2 stars + 1etc, I haven't run enough trials yet], aka 3 stars.
Liberate your thinking and see if you can see a pattern developing.

No? Let me be the catalyst for your awakening:

I just voted 1 star. "Big deal" you say. Shush and learn.
What tactic have I just unleashed? Cogitate a moment.

"1 star + 1 star", and all that follows, that's what!
3 more enlightened souls and where are we? Yes, a squad of stars, all of that -3 +8etc hidden potential bursting thru like a super nova, blinding all those who would not see. 5 twinklers out of nothing more (apparently ) than space dust and moon beams!

See the synergy with the OP's ambush tactic? Yes, the one you mocked in your blinkered state.

I'll reveal no more, for your salvation is in the journey. But one pointer for those not yet imprisoned:
The power is in the etc.

 

[troytheface]

Earth-God-Be border friendly,keep your eyes open to the enemy's relations with the others,have good relations with some leaders,then while you are useing open borders,when the time is right,you are well defended & marching all over his lands,..BAM suprise... declere war!

Yes, a good tactic, open borders and a spy in every city of the enemy you are going to attack. And too, you can make your most updated unit and gift them to an ally for a mercenary army. Two tactics that have been around since the battle of Kadesh.

MrCynical Yeah, I had a feeling you took an interest in war history from your comments. Whatever their relevance in real life, they don't translate into Civ game mechanics.....simply incorrect.

 

[InFlux5]

No matter which way you choose, you are always moving towards victory. Be careful not to stray from that way and fall into a defeat. One victorious division + one another + 10 more = A victorious army. Always seek your combats to be victorious, and never fight losing ones if you don't have to. Any troops you have built can be useful in combat, as well as all of the promotions and technologies. Try to have more army in reserve in case you start losing, so you have extra troops to kill the enemy. You military victory depends on how well you are prepared for ANY soldier the enemy may throw at you.


A nice military article!

This thread just keeps on giving.

 

[EarthGod]

I will open myself up for the flamer's yet again. The ancient saying patience is a vertue holds true,even in THE GAME. You do not create your opportunities,your enemy does. Things the enmy needs is an opportunity for us. Ever look at those leaders who keep comeing back to you for something? That is your opening, how you deal with it has to many varibles for each, the choices you make are based on a case by case basis. As a good way of looking for openings I will (Sorry) state the obvious. Use every control panel and game feature to discover your foes situation.

 

[aelf]

If you want to single me out, at least act like an adult about it and tell me what it is you're talking about.

FLAMERZ!!!

You should read the pioneering thread of wisdom, the Optimal Space Race Metastrategy. The writing style is a constant inspiration.

 

[aelf]

Joke or not, it makes me think of speed runners who rely on chance to get their fastest times. That type of player going on a run would roll through as many games as possible until they won the requisite 10% battles. This would probably take around 100 tries, but so what? It's all about the speed run!

I'd love love LOVE to see a speed run game on emperor + standard pangaea. It'd likely be educational, even if it did rely on low odds and many tries. It would also take some fast micro (and we'd get to see step by step micro in real time). We'd also see less "how do you play the game so quickly" threads, and a lot of basic gameplay decisions would be seen too.

And yes, you CAN speed run civ 4. I'm 100% certain of it, after seeing 5+ hour rpg speed runs out there...

See, inspiration comes from everywhere.

Be water, my friend.

Because we all know one of the main factors of war is the element of surprise. And what could be more surprising than the First Batallion Transvestite Brigade?

Do you have a flag? No flag no country!

 

[pigswill]

Tactics without strategy is noise.