What game speed do you play on?

[JaySabz]

Relatively new to the Civ IV world, having only recently upgraded my pc.

Was a long time casual player of Civ 2 and Civ 3, playing at the best on the difficulties similar to Noble in Civ 4.

I'm interested in really improving my game and being a smarter player. That being said, I was wondering what most players play Civ 4 on, and also the pros and cons of the different speeds.

Thanks in advance. Oh, and let me get one of these little icons in here, just for fun!

 

[Pacifist46]

Used to play Normal, but now it's Epic for me. Makes the game last longer, giving more tactical and strategic decisions. Marathon is too long for me though.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Normal and Epic are pretty similar. Quick makes culture a less expensive victory condition, and drastically raises the difficulty of war since on moderate to high levels the AI starts getting 1 unit/turn.

Marathon was added later and is the least balanced of the speeds. I won't go so far as to say it's easier, but it's different and favors warring far more than other speeds. Cities all start with a free military academy (it's hidden, but it's there), barbs are more problematic, and troops move 3x faster than on normal speed. In other words, marathon makes the AI build disproportionately fewer units relative to what you're capable of building. However, if you neglect military you won't have time to recover - you're toast.

 

[JaySabz]

I see.

So in an Epic game, do you get techs earlier and such?

I've seen games here on the forums where people have tanks in the 16-1700s, and I can get them in the late late 1800s at best.

Would that change if I were playing on Epic? Or, with time and skill improvement, would I be getting tanks in the 16-1700s on normal?

Thanks!

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Slower speeds do allow the player to have things happen in earlier years (especially marathon), but tanks in 1600-1700 is mostly going to be a skill improvement.

The best player I've seen had them in the 1300's on deity and used them along with bombers to completely flatten an entire map. I'm usually happy with infantry around 1600 but I do want to improve also.

 

[Phoenician]

I only play marathon. Every other speed is way too fast for me.

 

[Timoteo]

...troops move 3x faster than on normal speed.

Is this true? So an axeman can cross three plains/grassland squares in one turn?

I have not had a chance to try an Epic or Marathon game yet. I never understood what the advantage was. According to http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=9043 (on page 75) a Marathon game has 3 times as many turns, but just about everything takes 3 times longer to complete. So as far as I can see it is "one step forward, one step backward".

The guide I referenced does not say anything about movement speeds. But if this 3x movement thing is true that could really change the calculation.

 

[biggamer132]

Is this true? So an axeman can cross three plains/grassland squares in one turn?

I have not had a chance to try an Epic or Marathon game yet. I never understood what the advantage was. According to http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=9043 (on page 75) a Marathon game has 3 times as many, but just about everything takes 3 times longer to complete. So as far as I can see it is "one step forward, one step backward".

The guide I referenced does not say anything about movement speeds. But if this 3x movement thing is true that could really change the calculation.

As someone who almost always plays Marathon (I like my games long), I have never had an axeman that could move three tiles per turn. Unless it was on a road. I wish I did.

 

[pianoman1242]

Is this true? So an axeman can cross three plains/grassland squares in one turn?

I have not had a chance to try an Epic or Marathon game yet. I never understood what the advantage was. According to http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=9043 (on page 75) a Marathon game has 3 times as many turns, but just about everything takes 3 times longer to complete. So as far as I can see it is "one step forward, one step backward".

The guide I referenced does not say anything about movement speeds. But if this 3x movement thing is true that could really change the calculation.

What TMIT means is that in the same amount of game years, you will have moved 3x more squares, since each turn is a smaller amount of years on marathon.

An advantage of marathon/epic is that units don't get obsolete as quickly since techs take longer to research and resources take longer to hook up

 

[JonathanStrange]

I almost always play on Normal; my understanding is the game's been "optimized" for normal speed. I think it's the best compromise between the slower majestic speeds or the hurry up let's get tanks speed.

 

[CCRunner]

I play on epic. I wish I could do marathon but it's just to slow for me.

 

[JaySabz]

So my inability to get good techs early is directly a result of my (ahem) stinkage at this game?

I've been watching on this site some master's games, but I can only seem to win on Noble 1/3 times.

Dang, they make it look so easy!!

Back to the drawing board.

 

[Supr49er]

I would recommend reading:

Sulla's Civilization IV Walkthrough
Sisiutil's Strategy Guide for Beginners
War Academy

Welcome to the Forums JaySabz.

 

[PieceOfMind]

I prefer normal and epic speeds.

But IMO the more important factor in this decision is the mapsize. I'd never play Marathon at Normal mapsize or lower, and never Quick speed at Normal mapsize or larger. I wouldn't go outside the following settings in my usual games. As much as Marathon is supposedly unbalanced it is still reasonable for Huge maps IMO. Going Marathon for a normal map is overkill though.

Duel map: Quick, Normal
Tiny map: Quick, Normal
Small map: Normal
Normal map: Normal, Epic
Large map: Epic, Marathon
Huge map: Epic, Marathon

 

[TimK84]

I prefer Marathon, but I've seemed to run into some problems with it. Most of my games get to a certain point (not 2050AD) and then I run out of turns, and it's a pain in the $%& to keep playing with the "somebody won a time victory" up, even when a Time victory is not an option.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I prefer Marathon, but I've seemed to run into some problems with it. Most of my games get to a certain point (not 2050AD) and then I run out of turns, and it's a pain in the $%& to keep playing with the "somebody won a time victory" up, even when a Time victory is not an option.

It's a problem in scenario saves usually. Open up the WB save in notepad, and where you see "game speed" and "number of turns", set those to 0.

 

[TimK84]

It's a problem in scenario saves usually. Open up the WB save in notepad, and where you see "game speed" and "number of turns", set those to 0.

I found

MaxTurns=460

which I set to

MaxTurns=0

I'm hoping this is what you meant.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I found

MaxTurns=460

which I set to

MaxTurns=0

I'm hoping this is what you meant.

That should do it.

Looks like you don't have BTS...shame .

But, that will work regardless.

 

[JaySabz]

I would recommend reading:

Sulla's Civilization IV Walkthrough
Sisiutil's Strategy Guide for Beginners
War Academy

Welcome to the Forums JaySabz.

Thanks!

Been reading a lot on this site and I've seen a drastic improvement in my play. Installing BtS tonight so we'll see if the AI changes throw me for a loop, but I'm looking forward to it.

 

[TimK84]

That should do it.

Looks like you don't have BTS...shame .

But, that will work regardless.

Umm... Dude, I paid for BtS. Steam billed me for BtS. It says BtS when the game loads up. I know the scenario was built in Warlords, so maybe that's why the scenario parameters are different. (shrugs) No biggie, but thanks that fix has seemed to have worked on a new game I started in that scenario.