What will your first Strategy Be?

[Corlindale]

I plan to found a pacifistic buddhist society, which will be a haven for intellectuals and artists, and eventually overwhelm even the most agressive of it's neighbours with its benevolent culture emphasizing peace, knowledge and tolerance. I'll probably go with a Philosophical and Creative leader, whoever that might be.

In my second game, I'll probably be a tech-warmonger. (Beating the enemy with superior technology rather than a very large military) to check out the new features of the combat system. Financial and Agressive would probably be my traits here.

 

[DaimyoDan]

Build, enjoy constructing my empire, then... KILL EVERYTHING! DECLARE WAR! WHY? WHO CA'RES! Get de'm!

 

[denogginizer]

I'll probably shoot for a diplomatic or space-race win...presumably it'll give me the most time to get used to the game.

Unfortunately I'll probably play the lowest skill level at first (since I was only 50/50 on monarch in civ3), so those may be out of reach...

 

[baboon]

I do everything, as always. I'll try to get advanced in techs, I'll conquer other Civs. If I succeed I end up as the biggest and win by Space Race (that's how every game went in Civ3 when I won, I think I won once by Domination, never by Conquest)

 

[Grohan]

My strategy is to survive until modern ages and then win the game.

Well I guess it's not that simple

 

[TyranusBonehead]

Personally I am going with religious warfare and culture building

-NE

I'm with this guy. Sounds pretty interesting

 

[vmxa]

No strat, just open it and take jump in head first. I have not read much abot what is in the game, I want it be surprised.

 

[MeteorPunch]

No strat, just open it and take jump in head first. I have not read much abot what is in the game, I want it be surprised.

me too. If I could help it I would avoid this site entirely until I've found everything about the game myself, then I would check this site to find all the amazing strategies/exploits people will find.

 

[Daghdha]

A couple of weeks off

 

[Wlauzon]

Some of the strategy/exploits in Civ3 were not really exploits, but ways to work around the incredibly stupid but cheating AI.

Since the AI is supposed to be tons better in Civ4, hopefully none of that will be required and you can actually play the game like it was supposed to be played.

That means that (more or less) real life strategies might work - that is things like economic domination, religious dictatorships, and the like.

And apparently Civ4 also gives the AI a lot more choices - so that it will not do stupid things like send 40 tanks across the world to an island to take over a size 3 city while you roll across it's capital with 400 modern armor.

So in short, what I will probably really do is try out a few beginner level games using various strategies to see what I like, and then concentrate on getting smarter than the AI in that particular one (or two).

 

[Darth Tater]

Civvers:

How can anyone truly have a strategy at this point in our CivIV adventure?

I hope that the AI wipes out each of us--especially the pacifists--at least once, if not multiple times! :suicide:

Playing at the easiest level will be nothing but a hollow victory, IMHO. Why even bother? I would rather lose at a higher level, but learn quality strategies in the process. I don't mind a good "spanking" as long as my skills are moving ahead. So I will play the standard game on a regular map, and see how a "real" game plays out. Locked teams of 2v2 should be a blast as well! Mostly because that should be a hot choice in MP.

My general plan is to build 2 or 3 warriors and use them for exploration/protection. But do I then build a worker, settler or granary? My gut reaction is a worker, just because it is much less expensive than the other two options. What do you all think? Hopefully I will have founded one of the first religions as well. Next, I will look for an ally and an enemy. That way I can try being someone's buddy, while also being the mortal enemy of some heathen empire!!! I will probably be crushed like a bug at this point...

Happy hunting gang,

Darth Tater

 

[ImpossibleSKY]

I'll probably go with my usual super expansion tactic - though I have a feeling it won't go too well in civ 4

 

[Aythanaeus]

I'll probably focus mainly on establishing a killer economy... with that it makes all other victory conditions easier to work towards!

I'd like to found a Christian Empire that is really rich and gets to pick and chose who they shall obliterate next!

 

[schwanenfeldii]

My first game will be on whatever level is "fair"---i.e. no advantages for me or the AI. In my first game I'll be George Washington leading the Americans, just for sentimental reasons.

My overall strategy will be the same that I used the most in civ 1, 2, and 3. I'll start by expanding fast until I have no more free land near me. Then I'll pick a neighbor to encourage a war with. I'll try to upset him into declaring war on me, rather than declaring war on him directly. If the war is successful I'll take all of his territory (this may take multiple wars). If not, I'll try to find powerful allies to help me kill him. As a last resort I'll beg for mercy, giving him anything I can for peace. If I manage to get a comfortable lead in territory and population, then I'll turn peaceful and try to win the space race.

I have no idea if this strategy will work in civ 4, but it has worked, more or less, in all the other civs. Based on the reviews I've read, in civ 4 I'll space my cities out a little more and I'll expand a little slower than normal. I won't leave my settlers and workers unprotected. I won't build start building wonders unless I have a good reason to believe that I will finish them before anyone else. I imagine I'll need to rethink how I fight wars, and the best way to do this is just to fight some. From the sound of it the most important early units in civ 4 will be catapults and archers.

I expect to lose at least a few games before I figure things out.

 

[RoddyVR]

mine will be simple. start medium size map everything as random as i can get it, and pick one of the harder difficulties. then try to build as good as i can untill i meet a few AI civs and get crushed. see how far they've gotten, and what they did, restart game, and do more like what they did. rince repeat
eventualy i should be able to balance my initial building/researching/military to the point where when i meet the AIs i'm not too far behind.
then i'll take that knowledge to an easier level of dificulty and play a huge map game so that i can get a feel for the endgame.

 

[jimkirk]

i will prolly try one of the civs with religous trait (i hate anarchy)
and one that also has something similar to agriculture and go from there
in civ3 my favorite civ was celtics agriculture really helped build settlers faster

 

[Yuri2356]

Follow the same path as I always have in Civ: Take good long look at the map, draw a line, and say "This, is mine." I claim the land willed to my people by the devine, and then bring flaming wrath down upon any who would violate my chosen people and their blessed homes. I think I'll found Judaism, and untimately end up building a spaceship.

 

[vyapti]

mine will be simple. start medium size map everything as random as i can get it, and pick one of the harder difficulties. then try to build as good as i can untill i meet a few AI civs and get crushed. see how far they've gotten, and what they did, restart game, and do more like what they did. rince repeat
eventualy i should be able to balance my initial building/researching/military to the point where when i meet the AIs i'm not too far behind.
then i'll take that knowledge to an easier level of dificulty and play a huge map game so that i can get a feel for the endgame.

I've always spanked the AI on Monarch, going for mindless instead of challenging. That changed last night. I started as the Vikings on Emperor and am a solid middle-of-the pack contender. I'm stunned at how fast the others pump out units and settlers. I'm struggling to hold my own, but am poised for a Bererker charge soon--lots of Archers and cash. The challenge turned out to be worth it.

With Civ4, I think I'll start on a harder level and take my lumps.

 

[shadahi]

i'm just jumping right in and examining all the new intricacies, then fomulate strategy based on that.

 

[Quiet Tyrant]

I'm not an emperialistic or militaristic civ player. I personally like small highly advanced and very protected empires. I tended not to do too well but the way Civ 4 is set up it might be easier to do well.

I've always liked a few very well developed cities in very well developed surroundings, this usually helps me get a very developed economy and research. If I can I am isolationist, it might be easier now especially without the ICS, to be alone on an island with as little contact if any contact for a very long time. It lets me build myself up at my own rate without any other civilizations in my way.

So basically, small, preferably isolationist, good economy due to low maintenence and that means investment in science which means I can boost myself even more through selling technology.

I also avoid any mutual protection pacts and things of the sort.