critique

[Joeward]

Hello everyone!
I've been enjoying all of the strategy posts and spend almost as much time reading them as playing the game! The level of play and the helpfulness of the forums garners alot of admiration and appreciation from me. I was wondering if I may humbley post a save game so that some of the pros out there can critique it and perhaps offer some advice. Even non pros may have some neat ideas to offer. I certainly hope I'm posting in the right place and appologize if I boo booed. Once I improve perhaps I can move to some online fun with all of ya!
Thanks again!
Oh I know, I'm quite a mess in this game..so very much to learn and the conceptual part of the game is probably the most difficult for me. I'ts very easy to play and build units but the strategy and flexibility to adjust is much harder to master. It makes for a terrific game!

[Joeward]

Well the whole uploading file is a bit new to me but I belive you will find it here.

http://apolyton.net/upload/index.php?upload=view

[Dr,ape]

nope, you've put the wrong link for the file.
Try uploading (relinking) again.

[Cort Haus]

Joeward, that link points each user to their own files. Try using the Attach File button on the Post Reply page.

[Joeward]

Sure hope this works! I'm not to handy with this uploading stuff. If it doesnt work this time I'll post in another section of the forum for help.

[Joeward]

9 downloads! I'm staying tuned. Hope to hear from some of you shortly!

[xxFlukexx]

Well I jus tried it twice, it's a 0 byte file, aka crashes Civ4 as there's nothing to load.

FYI, you don't need to rename it, resave the game change the name if you want, but don't mess with the extension.

[Joeward]

OK. The link on my second post from the top of this thread appears to be working now. It's working on this end. I'll keep my fingers crossed I fixed it. I appologize.

I tested it by downloading it from my other computer. I then emailed it to the computer that has the game on it and then ran the file.
Seems to be A-ok. I see V3nom in his post bellow is having troubel however.

[V3nom]

still not working for me unfortunately mate

[xxFlukexx]

Ok, that link is for your own space on apolyton. So when anyone clicks on http://apolyton.net/upload/index.php?upload=view they will see their own upload page.

What you need to do is go to that link, then right-click and select copy shortcut, then past the link here.

Like my game would be http://apolyton.net/upload/view.php?...ickAD-1685.rar

Oh yeah, what is the difficulty level and your main strategy up to the saved game?

[Joeward]

Ok, third time is the charm?

http://apolyton.net/upload/view.php?file=70622_critique.Civ4SavedGame

Thanks for your help with that.
The strategy that I was using in the game was to build a strong infrastructure and have enough troops to keep other civs from knocking on my door. I want to spread enough of my religion around to keep things peaceful. I have only won timed victories so far on chieftain, so I'm still fiddling my way around. A cultural victory would be nice. I played around with some specialists last night to see how they work. In each game I try and focus on something I need to improve on whether it be specializing my cities, understanding trade, being more efficient with my buildings and wonders or formalizing a real strategy. I've been pretty loosey goosey in most of those categories so far. One thing at a time I suppose
Here goes.

[Cort Haus]

OK, Joeward,

First, don't build Versailles! You only have four cities, and that Wonder is to help out large empires. Maintenance on Chieftan is low, so neither that nor courthouses are very helpful. In fact you may be a bit promiscuous with wonders that don't help very much, compared to essential harbours and markets. Hagia Sophia is an expensive alternative to more useful things that you need quickly.

Generally, you have health & happiness problems, as your cities have outgrown their scant resources. You can immediately trade a Cow to Lizzie/Vic for a Wheat, then build grocers and harbours to double the value of these and your Clams.

You're hurting yourself really badly by avoiding Calendar. If you're saving Stonehenge, forget it. You have all sorts of essential luxuries going unexploited by avoiding that tech. Stonehenge's job is really just to get the first cultural expansion for new cities, and to build a Great Prophet. Speaking of which, you have a holy city but no Shrine, and it doesn't look like you've been very evangelical. Next time, build missionaries, and get a Great Prophet for the shrine income from converted cities.

You could be using the Organised Religion civic for faster building, and missionary-spamming (though it may be a bit late to turn the religious situation around now).

On chieftan level you could have built more ciities than that I expect, but I notice a worker farming a tile that is not in any city's radius. Unless he was bringing water over land, then he doesn't want to be doing that.

Rostov needs a lighthouse to grow.

The Versailles city has too many farms and not enough towns - unless it was intended as a specialist factory in which case Caste System would be the civic for this.

Novograd has loads of towns, which is good, but no library (sob), which is almost criminal.

You might want to upgrade the military soon and/or build some fresh units.

I think your main focus needs to be on health & happiness - it's where you're most obvously missing out. Get resources by expansion, research and trade, and build the improvements which enhance their value.

You might be able to map-trade too, to fill in the blanks a bit.

[Joeward]

Thanks so very much Cort! I will most definetly go back and fill in those blanks. I may even restart the game and keep all the points you mention in mind. The hardest part is not "seeing" the problems and creating the needed synergy through effective strategy and *proper* use of the "tools" the game allows. There's a LOT to know and this is my first serious foray into such a wonderfuly complex game. I cant think of better way to sit in a chair for 6 hours at a time though!(when i can get away with it ;-) I plan on copying all the advice I recieve from all of you and keeping that by side as I play so I can keep focused on what works for me.
Thansk again!! Hope to see more posts. I'm excited. And thank the gods that the darn link to my save works now!

[Blake]

Your civics are a bit sub-optimal.

In your situation I'd be running Rep/Merc/Pacifism. Running Merchantilism without Representation is a bit iffy. Come free market I'd switch to Suffrage/Free Market because with only 4 cities merc is a bit weak (and you would get significant foriegn trade with some harbors in place).

[Joeward]

Thanks Blake!
Ive added many of th eabove suggestions. I'm certainly doing better in the money department! Probably a little late to churn out anything besides a timed victory, but I'm "seeing" things react to the changes made . Learning more all the time! Hope to see some more tips. I'll keep checking back!