Talking points: Bad habits I can't break, + things I still don't get

[Terry Teo]

Leave me your thoughts on any or all points.
I played badly 20 years ago, got CIV1 again last year as an adult and play better now (although I've only just begun setting luxuries above 0% for the first time this week )

Background: I don't use cheats or 'tricks' apart from occasionally loading my last save if I make a silly decision that causes me to lose a pivotal city. I consistently win on King, I have only won ONCE on Emperor (using the smallpox/zerg method so I am no longer interested in using that method, prefer to play a full game).

Bad Habits I can't break:

• I NEVER swap tech. with another CIV; the way I see it is that they have a science advantage and are better at managing their cities near end-game so I want to slow knowledge worldwide as much as possible
• I always choose 7 CIVs (I want them to limit each-other's growth
• I always play vanilla CIV1, (don't even know how to mess with the game)
• I always run Communism as Dem.&Rep. don't seem agile enough
• I never have the heart to demand tribute off weak CIVs, always trying to maintain balance to prevent someone apart from me becoming dominant
• I'm always very very late in the game to establish many trade routes
• 90% of games I don't build a single aqueduct, too hard to manage big cities
• usually 0% or 10% luxuries
• I very, very rarely build granaries or libraries
• I always play as a weak CIV (such as the French) rather than an aggressive one. I get that if I play as Russians it means I won't have to face Russians BUT I want the other CIV to distract each-others attention rather than them soaking up easy French cities

Things I still don't get:

• Even when I'm easily the strongest in the world BY FAR the other CIVs seem to be perpetually going to war with me, very very rare that we're at peace even if i'm pushing for peace
• In my last game a city switched to my team without me buying it with a diplomat -is this standard?
• I know later versions of CIV they introduced borders to prevent boats dropping units on your land during peace; is there any other effective method apart from perpetual war which I currently use
• No matter how hard I try other CIVs seem 1000% faster at using settlers [edit: settlers work at same speed they just prioritise it more than me] to develop land around cities
• why don't their fighters shoot my bombers

So yeah, let me know any tips on how to be better at emperor

 

[Mize]

Leave me your thoughts on any or all points.
I played badly 20 years ago, got CIV1 again last year as an adult and play better now (although I've only just begun setting luxuries above 0% for the first time this week )

Background: I don't use cheats or 'tricks' apart from occasionally loading my last save if I make a silly decision that causes me to lose a pivotal city. I consistently win on King, I have only won ONCE on Emperor (using the smallpox/zerg method so I am no longer interested in using that method, prefer to play a full game).


Bad Habits I can't break:

• I NEVER swap tech. with another CIV; the way I see it is that they have a science advantage and are better at managing their cities near end-game so I want to slow knowledge worldwide as much as possible

Actually, you are better at managing your cities, if you take the time. The AI gets a production and trade advantage on emperor level but is certainly worse at micro than a dedicated human player. About tech: it can be good to trade sometimes. Giving the Mongols the wheel for monarchy is a bad deal, doing it the other way around is great. Sometimes you can also get 3-4 techs for just one of yours that your rivals want by trading it individually with all of them in the same turn, before they have a chance to share it among themselves. Generally, you should avoid giving battle tech to aggressive civs and wonder science to builder civs. You don't want Mongol tanks and you don't want the Aztecs beating you to building Copernicus' observatory, Newton's college or the SETI program. The AI will not want to trade with you if it's far enough ahead in tech. You should do the same and cut it off when you decide you have tech you don't want it to have. There are exceptions though. For example, you might want to help a weak civ against a bigger one and give them gunpowder, conscription, automobile or something similar for an older tech or even for free.

• I always run Communism, Dem/Rep. don't seem agile enough

Yes, they aren't, but there are many ways around the limitations.

• I never have the heart to demand tribute off weak CIVs, always trying to maintain balance to prevent someone apart from me becoming dominant

Demand tribute any time you feel like they would cave in. Also, if you know they're very weak, don't just demand tribute, flat out reject peace when they ask for it. Then there's a chance they'll offer you either cash, or tech, or both all of their cash and all of their tech.

• I'm always very very late in the game to establish many trade routes

Try to be early, at least with the cities that have a lot of trade potential.

• 90% of games I don't build a single aqueduct, too hard to manage big cities

This is kind of at odds with your desire for a full game.

• usually 0% or 10% luxuries

Pretty normal for a commie with 10-size cities.

• I very, very rarely build granaries or libraries

Libraries are one of your best friends in the tech race.

Things I still don't get:

• Even when I'm easily the strongest in the world BY FAR the other CIVs seem to be perpetually going to war with me, very very rare that we're at peace even if i'm pushing for peace

They're just wired that way. Aggressive when you're weak, fearful and aggressively teaming up on you when you're strong. Sometimes they'll even nuke you first if you grow in power too quickly and have no deterrent.

• In my last game a city switched to my team without me buying it with a diplomat -is this standard?

Happens.

• I know later versions of CIV they introduced borders to prevent boats dropping units on your land in peace; is there any other effective method apart from perpetual war which I use

Block your shores off with diplomats and/or other units. That way they can't land without attacking first. If they've landed and you want to keep peace, bribe single units.

• No matter how hard I try other CIVs seem 1000% faster at using settlers to develop land around cities

Not sure why you have that impression and whether there's any basis for it. The AI gets a lot of slack, but I don't think a faster settler improvement rate is one of its perks.

• why don't their fighters shoot my bombers

They do, when they're in range, but the AI is kind of bad at estimating the ranges for its fighters when they have to land in a city other than the one they took off from. So, let's say that there's an AI fighter in city X and you bomb a target within the 5-square fighter radius. The fighter will fly out, attack and return to base X, if successful. But let's say you bomb a target that leaves your bomber 6 squares away from city X. If the fighter attacks it it cannot return to city X and can only land in the nearby city Y. And that's where the AI messes up as it seems unable to plan the fighter's return to a different base. Instead of taking off from X, attacking your bomber near Y and then landing there in the same turn, it will try to relocate from X to Y in one turn and use the next one to eventually attack.

 

[Terry Teo]

Mize! Thanks for answering so thoroughly!
Now I will embrace big cities and milk my human advantage in micro-managing them
To clarify about settlers: I don't think they have been assigned a speed advantage -I just muck around and don't prioritised improving my land fast enough so by the time I get into AI territory I notice how well they've been doing lol

 

[Terry Teo]

Also I forgot one; do their triremes sneak further than they should be able out into the ocean?

 

[sjongejonge]

Also I forgot one; do their triremes sneak further than they should be able out into the ocean?

I have noticed that as well. They seem to use them as if they were sails but don't know if that goes for all tribes. Sometimes your trireme can also venture out without dying as if there is a small survival chance in the code.

 

[Mize]

Let's just say that the AI gets a lucky roll of the dice every time and always survives when floating triremes in the open sea.

 

[tuga2112]

• In my last game a city switched to my team without me buying it with a diplomat -is this standard?

civil unrest in a republic/democracy can cause your city to switch to another civ, same happens to the AI if the city is under disorder for enough turns. i dont know if it can happen under other government types.

I have noticed that as well. They seem to use them as if they were sails but don't know if that goes for all tribes. Sometimes your trireme can also venture out without dying as if there is a small survival chance in the code.

triremes sinking is a roll of the dice thing, i dont know about the AI ones. but you can go around the world in a trireme without sinking, given enought luck or enough reloads of the turn

 

[Theov]

civil unrest in a republic/democracy can cause your city to switch to another civ, same happens to the AI if the city is under disorder for enough turns. i dont know if it can happen under other government types.



triremes sinking is a roll of the dice thing, i dont know about the AI ones. but you can go around the world in a trireme without sinking, given enought luck or enough reloads of the turn

Tue, Triremes sink at a 50% chance away from shore.
So keep a hand on the rail, if your ship has no sail!

The ai throws with a very different kind of dice

 

[Tristan_C]

Yeah, AI triremes do not sink.

 

[Osvaldo Manso]

Bad Habits I can't break:
I NEVER swap tech. with another CIV; the way I see it is that they have a science advantage and are better at managing their cities near end-game so I want to slow knowledge worldwide as much as possible

I wouldn't call it a bad habit. I rarely trade techs. It's only useful in very specific cases (like when you're at war and you need a military technology that you're sure another civ possesses). Most of the game I'm ahead at science, so the only techs they have to offfer are the ones I do not need.

I always choose 7 CIVs (I want them to limit each-other's growth

I always choose 7 civs as well because I think it reflects more the real life. You get more competition early on with more civs, so it can get harder. Fewer civs are preferable for growing undisturbed and then crushing your opponents later, but of course they can plan the same...

I always run Communism as Dem.&Rep. don't seem agile enough

Democracy and Republic are the best forms if you like to play peaceful games, winning through science and avoiding offensive wars. However, to get the most out of these forms of government, you need to be prepared. My preparation includes building some key Wonders of the World (Women's Suffrage + J. S. Bach's Cathedral), establishing strong trade routes and making sure that every city is equipped with a Temple.

I never have the heart to demand tribute off weak CIVs, always trying to maintain balance to prevent someone apart from me becoming dominant

Well, I'm sorry to hear about that because you are losing money that could be yours. Money is not that important in the game, they can still survive without much, so if you they have money and they're weaker than you, then demand it. This is most effective right after conquering an enemy city or destroying an enemy unit.

I'm always very very late in the game to establish many trade routes

Trade routes are excellent. Don't postpone them. Establish trade routes as early as you can. Even if they're established between small and near cities, you can always replace them later. Trade routes mean more money and more science in a consistent manner (turn after turn after turn).

90% of games I don't build a single aqueduct, too hard to manage big cities

You don't need big cities. I tend to win most games by a network of 7-10 cities, with sizes ranging from 6 to 10. I hardly build any improvements at all, with the exception of Temples.

I very, very rarely build granaries or libraries

Granaries are useless, I agree. I don't even develop Pottery. However, Libraries can be useful, especially if combined with scientific Wonders of the World.

Things I still don't get:
Even when I'm easily the strongest in the world BY FAR the other CIVs seem to be perpetually going to war with me, very very rare that we're at peace even if i'm pushing for peace

Yes, it is hard to remain peaceful. The game is so designed to give you challenges. So, especially later in the game, the other civs tend to ignore peace treaties more and more often, even when weaker.

In my last game a city switched to my team without me buying it with a diplomat -is this standard?

You were lucky because this is very rare although it exists in the game, i.e. it's not a bug.

I know later versions of CIV they introduced borders to prevent boats dropping units on your land during peace; is there any other effective method apart from perpetual war which I currently use

Yes, you can use other units (like Diplomats since they don't need shield for maintenance) to block the coastal units where they land. If destroyed by a ship or plane, they can easily be replaced by others.

So yeah, let me know any tips on how to be better at emperor

I can't help on this because I always play at King level which is the fairest level. On lower levels, human players have advantage over AI. On Emperor, AI has better conditions than human players.

 

[Tristan_C]

• I'm always very very late in the game to establish many trade routes
• 90% of games I don't build a single aqueduct, too hard to manage big cities
• usually 0% or 10% luxuries
• I very, very rarely build granaries or libraries

With small cities there is little need to build libraries or the other multiplier buildings, nor establish routes, nor have a high luxury rate, so I don't see anything particularly out of whack here.

The one thing that can be said for larger cities is the improvement in the number of born-contents, but this only applies to huge civs or primitive governments. If you do decide to try out large cities, marketplaces are almost always an earlier priority than libraries in civ 1. They affect both tax and luxuries. The taxes are important for rushing the other buildings. Libraries were the 90s meta.

 

[The Phalanx]

I like to have libraries and graneries because I like to overpower people with knowledge, but with low income, you may not have enough money to maintain. I hate when city's that are suposed to be growing have a downfall because of food. I'm my first game i.put of pottery to 18th century and traded it for gunpowder with the zulus. I very much regretted that.

 

[The Phalanx]

Also, I often need money so I have to establish trade before I lose something. This is.my first forum and I'm excited

 

[Slabrifast77]

build sell to get 30k - buy wounders or dropp tax rince and repeet

 

[The Phalanx]

Off topic, I want to see.if the site automatically changes emoticons to emojis. Let's test:

 

[The Phalanx]

That was happy sad tounge and wink

 

[The Phalanx]

:0 :$ :/ :\

 

[The Phalanx]