) should realize, imho, is that the game is perfectly enjoyable without understanding everything about it. There are appropriate difficulty levels for each playstyle. So new players shouldn't despair when faced with the game's complexity - they can ask when something seems important, but can safely leave things for later just as well. And teachers probably need to strike a balance - helping where it's needed and/or appreciated, but not disrupting the "student's" enjoyment by bombarding him/her with too much information at once.
Civ4 can be played in very different ways, so I'd say it's important to be perceptive of what she likes and what she doesn't. Some players like to be in control of an army and using it (and thus might enjoy being taught things like a Quechua rush early). Others, including The Woman Of My Dreams (tm), play the game mainly for the atmosphere and don't want to be bothered by wars (so they'd be more interested in finding out which cool buildings you can build and how their effects tie together). Some players want a challenge, others just want a bit of fun in a quasi-historic setting.
My personal recommendation would be to not overdo the teaching. Let her experience the game for a while and see what fascinates her most - the military units? The diplomacy? Building the biggest cities? Having a happy population? Then focus on that aspect of the game, while slowly introducing the others over time.
One of the most important things that new players (and Civ teachers
That's what she said. Ba-dum-bump (bash).
As a result, my advice to people diving into it is to pick one element of the guide/game (such as, for example, religion, or espionage) and play a game--not even necessarily a whole one--where you focus primarily on that element. Rinse and repeat. Very true--I still remember one of my first games, playing as Rome, settling my second city within two tiles of iron... and wonder WHY the heck it took so long for the city's borders to claim said iron.One of the most important things that new players (and Civ teachers
Eventually it did, but I had no idea how or why. Nevertheless, this was on Settler or Warlord and the game was very forgiving--I even had Montezuma next door! I still enjoy the game, but sometimes I miss those days when a certain amount of ignorance was, indeed, bliss.
"Glowing in the dark..."
Sorry to swear but: you son of a b****!FORGET ALL THAT.
Girls do not belong in Civ games. Just tell her, "Sorry, babe, you won't get it. It's a guy thing."
Most of you will say, "Girls play Civ all the time! Lemon and KMad and Maki could kick your butt." Yes, they can. Good for you. Good for them. One cannot forbid a girl from something and then not find them doing it, even excelling at it. No one buys Boy Scout cookies.
And that's really the point.
Tell her she's not allowed to play. She's not allowed to borrow your CDs, or install on her computer, or go to civfanatics.com and ask people for help, or read strategy guides, or anything. (Be specific.) Either she leaves and you're better off without her, or she takes it as a challenge and wipes the floor with you. Win-win.
Ah, the reverse psychology approach. A risky gamble, but it could work.FORGET ALL THAT.
Girls do not belong in Civ games. Just tell her, "Sorry, babe, you won't get it. It's a guy thing."
Most of you will say, "Girls play Civ all the time! Lemon and KMad and Maki could kick your butt." Yes, they can. Good for you. Good for them. One cannot forbid a girl from something and then not find them doing it, even excelling at it. No one buys Boy Scout cookies.
And that's really the point.
Tell her she's not allowed to play. She's not allowed to borrow your CDs, or install on her computer, or go to civfanatics.com and ask people for help, or read strategy guides, or anything. (Be specific.) Either she leaves and you're better off without her, or she takes it as a challenge and wipes the floor with you. Win-win.
