Winning on emperor epic

[Cosmolius]

Two weeks ago I decided for an easy challenge and choosed emperor difficulty level in my first game. Since then I've played like 15 times and lost every game until today. I think the emperor level was a great challenge and it impressed me since all other civ games were a lot easier.

Now I've won once but I think can win again pretty easily. In my first games I soon realized the power of chopping but it wasn't until my last games I used chopping like there's no tomorrow. In my last games I chopped all the trees on the continent to build workers, settlers and wonders, that gave me a good start and the ability to keep up with the AIs.

My economy was mainly built on cottages and my leader was financial which is kind of overpowered I think. I used slavery a lot in the beginning. I expanded to nine cities on my own small continent and pretty much tried to keep the peace after that, I was attacked in the late game but luckily had enough money to upgrade my warriors for enough defence. I won a space race victory in 1850 AD.

I have some complains, it's great to have an epic mode but how epic is it to discover future tech in 7 turns? The late game is terribly fast and there's no point in building any of the late wonders.

Ok, it's still fun and now I might try the immortal difficulty level but I really wished there was a real epic mode.

[Shogun Gunner]

Yes, I have read other posters say that the late game goes too fast. That would be my experience as well. I almost always choose epic level and yet, I also can't seem to get great wonders built before their usefulness is outlived. I'm assuming since so many people are experiencing this, that someone will produce a mod to address this. One thing that could be done right now is to inflate the total "beaker cost" for techs in the industrial age and beyond. Higher research cost will require more time stretching the game out a bit. Also might want to increase the total number of turns given for the game.

Nice job winning with space victory in the mid 19th century on Emperor!

[Xerxes712]

Epic I read has more turns (about 100 more ) before 2050 AD than normal. But what good is that if it takes longer to produce a building?

The Research slow down for later era tool is a good step.

I shut off score so one can go beyond 2050 AD.

I am going to test the production cost for building and units for normal and Epic speed. I think they should be equalized somewhat.

I do not see how to change the 'years per turn' steps yet. I am sure it is in there somewhere. That way you have the 'time' to build modern wonders and such too. While still in the Modern era. really the Internet was created within 25 years ( I guess Al Gore really did invent the Internet too I see ).

Else, put the production rate back to normal rate on Epic MOD. Similar to the Tech Mod.

[Sirian]

Financial civs are the Psilons of Civ4. Try it again on Emperor without the Financial trait rather than bumping it up to Immortal. At least that is what I would do.

- Sirian

[polarnomad]

I find if I turtle in the late game, then it goes really fast. Otherwise there is loads to do. I play on normal speed. Not too sure why so many insist on playing in epic mode.

[Rogerdude]

Turns can be modified in \Assets\XML\GameInfo\Civ4GameSpeedInfo.xml

YearIncrement: How many years advance in a turn
TurnsPerIncrement : How many turns with the afordmentioned year stepping.

[baboon]

Originally posted by polarnomad
I find if I turtle in the late game, then it goes really fast. Otherwise there is loads to do. I play on normal speed. Not too sure why so many insist on playing in epic mode.

When I play at Normal speed and go to medieval war the troups seem obselete as soon as they reach the battlefield. There isn't much time to move your troups around. At epic you can move the troups around a bit more.

It's still faster than Civ3, but it feels better. However, I do agree with the end game problem. Every game I decide to try a Space Race because there isn't enough time to conquer the rest of the world. So far I haven't even used a modern armour or build a nuke.

[LzPrst]

check out dearmads mod in the creation and files forum. its a considerable improvement. strange isnt it? that a single modder can make a better setup for the game than a whole team of paid developers...?

[Cosmolius]

I tried a game on immortal and did pretty good but was a little unlucky. I missed the oracle, confucianism and taoism by just a few turns and my continent with 3 civs ended up with no religion at all. My cities couldn't grow enough, I was the score leader on my continent but when I met the other continent I was too much behind in tech.

It's a good idea to try another game on emperor without the financial trait, that will make it much harder I think. I think I will try creative and spiritual and go for conquest. I think I'll build 4-5 cities of my own and then I'll start a war and make room for about 5 new cities.

Without the financial trait it's much more important to have great city locations and the only way for that is to do conquest. Surely it's usually possible to expand naturally to 7-9 cities but then the city spots won't be so great. I'll see how I do, I look forward to do some warfare!

I might try the mod later but I really wish I don't have to do that, I want to beat "the game". I do hope that they will take inspiration from the modders and change the game in a patch. Right now it seems to me that winning is all about setting up your civ to be able to win the space race, it would be better with more options.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Cosmolius
I might try the mod later but I really wish I don't have to do that, I want to beat "the game". I do hope that they will take inspiration from the modders and change the game in a patch. Right now it seems to me that winning is all about setting up your civ to be able to win the space race, it would be better with more options.

Amen

[Shaka II]

Originally posted by Cosmolius
It's a good idea to try another game on emperor without the financial trait, that will make it much harder I think. I think I will try creative and spiritual and go for conquest. I think I'll build 4-5 cities of my own and then I'll start a war and make room for about 5 new cities.

That's what I've been doing. You can't out build the AI, just have to let them build some nice cities and take them away. Taking away the land from one or (preferably) two nearby civs and building the FP in one of the enemy capitals makes a nice engine to conquer the world. The early ancient and medieval battles are the most fun also.

Originally posted by Cosmolius
Without the financial trait it's much more important to have great city locations and the only way for that is to do conquest. Surely it's usually possible to expand naturally to 7-9 cities but then the city spots won't be so great. I'll see how I do, I look forward to do some warfare!

I was not aware that the financial trait was so strong. I've been playing aggressive, creative, expansionist, philosphical, organized, pangea, standard, epic, monarch. I've got that level mastered, so next game will be emperor.

Originally posted by Cosmolius
I might try the mod later but I really wish I don't have to do that, I want to beat "the game". I do hope that they will take inspiration from the modders and change the game in a patch. Right now it seems to me that winning is all about setting up your civ to be able to win the space race, it would be better with more options.

I like to disable space and diplomatic victory. Winning by domination or conquest is more fun.