Terra maps, how to play?
- Thread starter Gungalley
- Start date
I play a huge terra map with 17 civs.........the "old" world is extreme crouded. Lots of wars
My strategy is: guard you territory. Avoid too many unneccesary early wars. Boost your science. Go for Astronomy as quickly as possible and do NOT trade techs to AI that lead them towards astronomy. When you can build them galleons, head for the "new" world and grap as large a bite as you can before the AI........
I only played this on Noble, but I managed too keep up with the AI in score in the start of the game. But when I settled in the new world several years before the AI I quickly ran past any competitors.........
Hope this helps.
My strategy is: guard you territory. Avoid too many unneccesary early wars. Boost your science. Go for Astronomy as quickly as possible and do NOT trade techs to AI that lead them towards astronomy. When you can build them galleons, head for the "new" world and grap as large a bite as you can before the AI........
I only played this on Noble, but I managed too keep up with the AI in score in the start of the game. But when I settled in the new world several years before the AI I quickly ran past any competitors.........
Hope this helps.
Ramboost said:I play a huge terra map with 17 civs.........the "old" world is extreme crouded. Lots of wars
My strategy is: guard you territory. Avoid too many unneccesary early wars. Boost your science. Go for Astronomy as quickly as possible and do NOT trade techs to AI that lead them towards astronomy. When you can build them galleons, head for the "new" world and grap as large a bite as you can before the AI........
I only played this on Noble, but I managed too keep up with the AI in score in the start of the game. But when I settled in the new world several years before the AI I quickly ran past any competitors.........
Hope this helps.
So how many cities should you have in the old world?
It depends.......
I started on a really bad location as the most southern civilization (it is easier to defend however) with nothing but tundra around me. So I had to expand to small islands near "antarktis", and only have 6 cities in the old world. But only few AI's have more cities.
I started on a really bad location as the most southern civilization (it is easier to defend however) with nothing but tundra around me. So I had to expand to small islands near "antarktis", and only have 6 cities in the old world. But only few AI's have more cities.rabottens
Warlord
Key to me for Terra is as follows:
turn off Aggressive A.I.: That reduces warfare in the old world.
I make sure that there is no tech trading so my old world opponents have to research everything as I do. If you gear yourself toward science you can easily beat your way to the new world by many turns.
I shoot for 8 cities in the old world but sometimes have to settle for 6 or 7 but I have never had less than 6 and the average A.I opponent tends to come up fairly close in city count. Occasionally there will be one or two distant civs with 4 cities. I try to play on standard size/large I don't like huge too much competition in the old world.
When you finally are able to traverse the ocean take plenty of military back up for your settler or you may find your new world colony devoured by barbs. I have found some fairly strong barbarian settlements over there as they have been allowed to thrive for centuries unchecked. My first colonial entourage usually consists of 3-4 military units of various types for a solid combined arms attack defense. I add one settler 2 workers and one missionary to jumpstart my state religion. While this envoy is at sea looking for the new world I am busy preparing the next colonial company to board and head off toward the new world in another direction. I try to seed 3-4 of these colonial opportunities at varying locations and I try to get there ahead of all of my old world competitors. By the time they do arrive I have at least 3-5 choice locations already up and running awaiting their arrival. Usually I find that at least one sometimes tow of my colonial attempts get overran by barbs. Once all these colonies have been successfully planted I use my transport ships to keep vollying soldiers so that the colonial cities can work on city improvements. Be warned colonization is a major drain on the budget and until these colonies come online and start pulling there weight you will run heavily in the red. You will end up with some interesting battles in both the old world and the new. Keep pressing your tech advantage and don't bite off more than you can chew in the new world. Greed can be your downfall.
turn off Aggressive A.I.: That reduces warfare in the old world.
I make sure that there is no tech trading so my old world opponents have to research everything as I do. If you gear yourself toward science you can easily beat your way to the new world by many turns.
I shoot for 8 cities in the old world but sometimes have to settle for 6 or 7 but I have never had less than 6 and the average A.I opponent tends to come up fairly close in city count. Occasionally there will be one or two distant civs with 4 cities. I try to play on standard size/large I don't like huge too much competition in the old world.
When you finally are able to traverse the ocean take plenty of military back up for your settler or you may find your new world colony devoured by barbs. I have found some fairly strong barbarian settlements over there as they have been allowed to thrive for centuries unchecked. My first colonial entourage usually consists of 3-4 military units of various types for a solid combined arms attack defense. I add one settler 2 workers and one missionary to jumpstart my state religion. While this envoy is at sea looking for the new world I am busy preparing the next colonial company to board and head off toward the new world in another direction. I try to seed 3-4 of these colonial opportunities at varying locations and I try to get there ahead of all of my old world competitors. By the time they do arrive I have at least 3-5 choice locations already up and running awaiting their arrival. Usually I find that at least one sometimes tow of my colonial attempts get overran by barbs. Once all these colonies have been successfully planted I use my transport ships to keep vollying soldiers so that the colonial cities can work on city improvements. Be warned colonization is a major drain on the budget and until these colonies come online and start pulling there weight you will run heavily in the red. You will end up with some interesting battles in both the old world and the new. Keep pressing your tech advantage and don't bite off more than you can chew in the new world. Greed can be your downfall.
I have played my 2 last games in terra maps prince and emperor dificulties i have played in 2 diferent stiles.
There´s not a lot of tips
but in games so crowded i feel the most important decision is to choose well your religion and make strong alliances so you wont be harased continuosly by agresive neibourghs
In prince i used the greeks, i waged so much war at the beggining and so succesfully [lucky me] that when the time came to research astronomy i was alone in the main continent went there conquered the barbs and win a fast domination victory.
In emperor the gamewas closer i added more civs [total of 13] and not entered any war planing to go directly to astronomy and the new world [bit of advantage in my side as i knew there´s a new world to explore lol] but dificulty and very agressive neibourghs, made the race very hard and even reaching the new continent in first position 4 more civilizations have done so.
There´s not a lot of tips
but in games so crowded i feel the most important decision is to choose well your religion and make strong alliances so you wont be harased continuosly by agresive neibourghs In prince i used the greeks, i waged so much war at the beggining and so succesfully [lucky me] that when the time came to research astronomy i was alone in the main continent went there conquered the barbs and win a fast domination victory.
In emperor the gamewas closer i added more civs [total of 13] and not entered any war planing to go directly to astronomy and the new world [bit of advantage in my side as i knew there´s a new world to explore lol] but dificulty and very agressive neibourghs, made the race very hard and even reaching the new continent in first position 4 more civilizations have done so.
Mon Mauler
Warlord
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2005
- Messages
- 274
I'm playing a Terra Map right now (Napolean, Standard, Noble). In fact, I think Terra maps are my most favorite type of map.
In my current game, I was started in a moderate location in the northwest corner of the Old World, where I was able to found 5 cities. Hatshepsut had me boxed in to the northeast while Saladin had me boxed in from the southeast. Even though I had Open Borders with both of them, I decided not to escort a settler through their lands to grab any property on the other side. Instead, I just chose to build up my infrastructure.
My general plan was to make a moderate push to get Musketeers, and to try to also found a religion in the process. Ended up I was able to found Confucianism, and spread it to every Egyptian and Arabian city. Saladin converted, but Hat just kept getting madder. At about the same time as my caravels were making it to the New World, I was discovering Gunpowder, and Saladin was declaring war on Hatty (I had nothing to do with it).
So I decided to prepare a colonization attempt instead of heading off to war initially. I figured that Saladin would come ask me for help in a few turns. I ended up getting my first colony established in the new world before Saladin asked me to assist in his war so I decided to declare war independently.
My musketeers were able to quickly dispatch of three four Egyptian cities, razing one, and capturing the other three before Tokugawa (who also had declared on Hatty) finally wiped her out. By this time, I was up and running with five cities in the northern half of the New World. Two were captured from the barbarians, while the other three were self founded. Some early wonders produced a great engineer, and by the time I retired for bed around 4am, my centermost New World city contained the Versailles wonder.
Peter seemed to get mad when I used a great artist to expand the borders of one of my New World cities and ended up enveloping his initial colony. He declared war on me, and we are entrenched in a tough border fight in the Old World. He is coming at me mostly with Grenadiers and Rifleman, and I am defending with the same. I am hoping my recent discovery of Assembly Line and infantry will swing the tide of war in my favor.
Also, there are two remaining barb cities in the New World, and once I get a few infantry and cannon over there, I'm hoping to capture them as well.
This is radically different from my last Terra game in which the most anyone was able to establish was a single colony in the New World. The New World was ruled by barbarians, and the Old World was plaqued by constant warfare. I was the Aztecs, so I didn't mind. I ended up winning a time victory.
Essentially, I think both of the aforementioned strategies can be good. In my French game I think I will most likely try to go for a diplomatic victory. With my New World holdings, I should have enough land to project my power of that continent, and grow my empire to where I have enough votes to win. In my Aztec game, I was trying to obtain a conquest victory, but was unable to eliminate the Germans and Rome before time expired.
Glean from it what you will, but that has led me to formulate two basic strategies for Terra Map play.
1. Build a solid core of 4-7 cities in the Old World, solidify your military strength, get to Astronomy quickly, and expand rapidly to the New World, or
2. War early and often in the Old World, stunt your opponents' growth, and never allow the New World to develop.
I always play Civ4 trying to capitalize on my Leader's traits, and I've found that Terra maps can really accentuate the differences between the civs.
Just my take.
MM
In my current game, I was started in a moderate location in the northwest corner of the Old World, where I was able to found 5 cities. Hatshepsut had me boxed in to the northeast while Saladin had me boxed in from the southeast. Even though I had Open Borders with both of them, I decided not to escort a settler through their lands to grab any property on the other side. Instead, I just chose to build up my infrastructure.
My general plan was to make a moderate push to get Musketeers, and to try to also found a religion in the process. Ended up I was able to found Confucianism, and spread it to every Egyptian and Arabian city. Saladin converted, but Hat just kept getting madder. At about the same time as my caravels were making it to the New World, I was discovering Gunpowder, and Saladin was declaring war on Hatty (I had nothing to do with it).
So I decided to prepare a colonization attempt instead of heading off to war initially. I figured that Saladin would come ask me for help in a few turns. I ended up getting my first colony established in the new world before Saladin asked me to assist in his war so I decided to declare war independently.
My musketeers were able to quickly dispatch of three four Egyptian cities, razing one, and capturing the other three before Tokugawa (who also had declared on Hatty) finally wiped her out. By this time, I was up and running with five cities in the northern half of the New World. Two were captured from the barbarians, while the other three were self founded. Some early wonders produced a great engineer, and by the time I retired for bed around 4am, my centermost New World city contained the Versailles wonder.
Peter seemed to get mad when I used a great artist to expand the borders of one of my New World cities and ended up enveloping his initial colony. He declared war on me, and we are entrenched in a tough border fight in the Old World. He is coming at me mostly with Grenadiers and Rifleman, and I am defending with the same. I am hoping my recent discovery of Assembly Line and infantry will swing the tide of war in my favor.
Also, there are two remaining barb cities in the New World, and once I get a few infantry and cannon over there, I'm hoping to capture them as well.
This is radically different from my last Terra game in which the most anyone was able to establish was a single colony in the New World. The New World was ruled by barbarians, and the Old World was plaqued by constant warfare. I was the Aztecs, so I didn't mind. I ended up winning a time victory.
Essentially, I think both of the aforementioned strategies can be good. In my French game I think I will most likely try to go for a diplomatic victory. With my New World holdings, I should have enough land to project my power of that continent, and grow my empire to where I have enough votes to win. In my Aztec game, I was trying to obtain a conquest victory, but was unable to eliminate the Germans and Rome before time expired.
Glean from it what you will, but that has led me to formulate two basic strategies for Terra Map play.
1. Build a solid core of 4-7 cities in the Old World, solidify your military strength, get to Astronomy quickly, and expand rapidly to the New World, or
2. War early and often in the Old World, stunt your opponents' growth, and never allow the New World to develop.
I always play Civ4 trying to capitalize on my Leader's traits, and I've found that Terra maps can really accentuate the differences between the civs.
Just my take.
MM
EvilGuy
Chieftain
I also enjoy Terra maps, it keeps the "exploration" aspect of the game alive throughout the game, instead of ending very early. I do as most posted here, found 5-7 cities on the Old World, with at least 3 of these being costal cities, and smooth-push for Astronomy, meaning my main focus is getting to astronomy, but i devellop other techs as well to keep my military and science% on track as much as possible.
One imprtant thing is to get a Caravel out to sea as fast as possible, and shoot straight around the globe, no exploring, just a straight line. Be the first to circumvate the globe, and this will give all future naval units a +1 movement rate which is great when playing Terra.
When i send my first Galleons to the New World, I usually send an army; I get 5 Galleons full: Swordsman, Longbowman, Catapults, one settler and 2 workers. My focus is not really to peacefully settle in, but to capture well established barbarian cities. I prefer to get this done fast, and the initial military cost might be high, but getting rid of roaming barbarians threatening early colonies is a priority. Sometimes the barbarian cities are already at size 7 ish, so they are a better grab than a new size 1 city.
Once i get most of the Barb killing done and a nice chunk of the new world is mine, courthouses are a must to build in every new world city, then the forbidden Palace follows in the center-most city on the new world, to kill off the high maintenance of distance to capital.
One imprtant thing is to get a Caravel out to sea as fast as possible, and shoot straight around the globe, no exploring, just a straight line. Be the first to circumvate the globe, and this will give all future naval units a +1 movement rate which is great when playing Terra.
When i send my first Galleons to the New World, I usually send an army; I get 5 Galleons full: Swordsman, Longbowman, Catapults, one settler and 2 workers. My focus is not really to peacefully settle in, but to capture well established barbarian cities. I prefer to get this done fast, and the initial military cost might be high, but getting rid of roaming barbarians threatening early colonies is a priority. Sometimes the barbarian cities are already at size 7 ish, so they are a better grab than a new size 1 city.
Once i get most of the Barb killing done and a nice chunk of the new world is mine, courthouses are a must to build in every new world city, then the forbidden Palace follows in the center-most city on the new world, to kill off the high maintenance of distance to capital.
Zhahz
PC Gamer
Do most folks disable space race when playing Terra maps? I've only tried Terra once and was doing good but I highly suspected the game was going to degenerate into a space race and that the colonization aspect was going to be trivial.
When I played I had to resist the temptation to conquer most of the old world (and treat it like a smaller pangea map).
On a normal sized Terra there isn't room for 5-7 cities unless you have a phenominal start or take some from your unlucky neighbor. I would still recommend founding as many cities as possible as quickly as possible because if you don't the AIs surely will.
When I played I had to resist the temptation to conquer most of the old world (and treat it like a smaller pangea map).
On a normal sized Terra there isn't room for 5-7 cities unless you have a phenominal start or take some from your unlucky neighbor. I would still recommend founding as many cities as possible as quickly as possible because if you don't the AIs surely will.
Instant_Cereal
Warlord
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2005
- Messages
- 264
Gungalley said:
Ummmm, I've played, I think, 3 terra world maps, 2 of which were standard size. I averaged 4 - 6 cities in the old world on standard; I've even lost cities, too.
Do what someone else said, try to focus on science and get astronomy before the AIs or other players. Oh, and don't make the mistake I did my first time playing terra; don't establish a Christian theocracy. It's actually best not to bother with religion on terra maps. I usually play the English on terra maps with Elizabeth, and it seems appropiate (no state religion). Basically, try to be everyone's best friend, 'cause it gets crowded fast.
Marshall Thomas
King
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2005
- Messages
- 700
It sounds as though a huge, terra map with 18 civs could be the most realistic and enjoyable set-up. To those who have tried it- does it create interesting naval situations? Is it possible to blockade a nation from it's New World colonies? Does anyone know how blockades work in general in Civilization 4? I thought I read somewhere that a single warship placed outside an enemy city can prevent that city from working it's costal and ocean sqaures. Would anyone please offer me an opinion reguarding these topics?
opticaljim
Warlord
I've played the Terra map a few times in Civ IV and I also feared a Space Race run by the AI. I also realized that expanding quickly in the New World slowed down the tech race for me.
Here is a gutsy stategy I haven't tried in Civ IV although it worked well for me in Civ III:
Focus strictly on the tech race and defending your existance until Astronomy. Build only wonders that help you obtain Great Engineers. Once you get one hold onto him.
Once you discover Astronomy and build a few colonies in the New World arrange for a mass exodus. use an acquired Great Engineer to build a new palace in the New World where you will have practically unlimited expansion. A Great Engineer is a must because it would take far to long to build another palace otherwise and that would destroy any chance of keeping up on the tech race.
Let all the other civs continue to haggle over the Old World while you build a massive empire in the New World. Since most of their resources are still located in the Old World then that is where they will keep most of their military. You can eject practically anyone you want from the New World and it would be very difficult for them to retaliate given the space and time between the two civs.
Basically you can end up owning your own continent while all the other civs destroy each other over the Old World.
Here is a gutsy stategy I haven't tried in Civ IV although it worked well for me in Civ III:
Focus strictly on the tech race and defending your existance until Astronomy. Build only wonders that help you obtain Great Engineers. Once you get one hold onto him.
Once you discover Astronomy and build a few colonies in the New World arrange for a mass exodus. use an acquired Great Engineer to build a new palace in the New World where you will have practically unlimited expansion. A Great Engineer is a must because it would take far to long to build another palace otherwise and that would destroy any chance of keeping up on the tech race.
Let all the other civs continue to haggle over the Old World while you build a massive empire in the New World. Since most of their resources are still located in the Old World then that is where they will keep most of their military. You can eject practically anyone you want from the New World and it would be very difficult for them to retaliate given the space and time between the two civs.
Basically you can end up owning your own continent while all the other civs destroy each other over the Old World.
Marshall Thomas
King
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2005
- Messages
- 700
Can someone please offer an answer to my question(#12) about naval activity and blockades on a huge terra map? Thanks
Marshall Thomas
King
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2005
- Messages
- 700
Can anyone please offer some thoghts on this?Marshall Thomas said:
there´s no one ship blockading at all and i see a poor benefit in blockading a city with lots of ships [i don´t even know if it even block the trade route, and if it does you will need tat the city was not conected by road, airport or river]. You can prevent them to use his sea squares by navigating them [this prevents it´s use for a given round]
In thecase yo managed to blocade it... you might gain a small benefit if that city provides some resource or starving it gives you any kind of satisfaction.
Nothig like the efect that naval blocades have had in real life
In thecase yo managed to blocade it... you might gain a small benefit if that city provides some resource or starving it gives you any kind of satisfaction.
Nothig like the efect that naval blocades have had in real life
Philips beard
Prince
I play the standard sized terra map, with 14 civs, and that makes it REALLY crowded in the old world, allowing you just 2 or 3 cities in the beginning! Try it out, it's lot of fun, I really love it!
As Japan, I beat on China before they can beat on me, then head for the new world (California here I come) or Australia and build the FP ASAP. Tech is tricky with the rapid expansion though.
The civ you start with makes a big difference in strategy.
The civ you start with makes a big difference in strategy.
