Land dominated maps are good for newbies

[Alexander's Horse]

I played continents the first couple of times and got beaten badly.

Played lakes this time and I'm coasting to victory.

It seems if there's a lot of water its easy for the AI civs to trade and keep ahead of you

Try it.

[Urban Ranger]

Maybe you should play on a lower difficulty level

[Sabre2th]

I'd say it depends more on your play style. I generally neglect my military until I'm developed and/or get attacked, so Lakes would work against my usual strategies. On islands or continents where I don't share a lot of borders, I tend to dominate

If water causes trouble for you, trying beelining for caravels. You will make contact long before the rest of the civs and your world map will be very valuable for trade

[Tattila the Hun]

Well, the latest continent game I had... Would you believe, they put a man on the moon, and I was still trying to light bonfires under the decks of my ships? My only continental rival refused to trade anything, because of religious differences... OTOH, the other guys on other continent were all jewish and buddy buddy.

[eluciv]

Really?

When I moved up to Prince, I had a dickens of a time getting anything done on Lakes. Continents and Terra I've had no problems staying in the lead or very close - and winning almost all the time.

[Shaka II]

I haven't played continents yet, but have heard that being financial is the way to go there. I've been playing pangea/emperor with mostly Romans, but also Persians, Mongols. I think it depends on the syle of play. Pangea is nicely suited for early conquest, while continents, archipelago is well suited for the builder/financial civ.

One word. Romans.

Well, it's really two words. Romans Pangea.

Or, more accurately, three words. Romans Pangea Conquest.

But, if you allow me four words. Romans Pangea Conquest Praetorians.

[Alexander's Horse]

Okay it wasn't the map - my stupid kids set the difficulty level to settler

[Shaka II]

Starting them young.

[Mao]

Wait, I thought your kids were like 8???

[Badtz Maru]

My stepdaughter is 4 and she plays Civ4. She's not very good at it, but she knows how to move units around the map and can choose what she is going to research or build next based on it's icon - not always the wisest choice, but she knows what she's choosing - "Olabisk!!!" She very warlike, too, about half the time she chooses to declare war upon meeting someone, especially if she doesn't like their face - Mao and Cyrus get immediate war declarations on contact, but she likes the "Indians" because she recently learned the story of Thanksgiving.

[Tattila the Hun]

Originally posted by Shaka II
Pangea is nicely suited for early conquest, while continents, archipelago is well suited for the builder/financial civ.

How early? I managed to wipe out germans in a game, but the upkeep for the new cities bankrupted me, my army was disbanded and barbarians sacked my cities.

Is genocide the only answer?

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Shaka II
One word. Romans.

Well, it's really two words. Romans Pangea.

Or, more accurately, three words. Romans Pangea Conquest.

But, if you allow me four words. Romans Pangea Conquest Praetorians.

Playing my first game as the Romans. The Mongols started to my south, and they declared war despite following my Roman Hinduism.

Oh, my, was that a mistake. Within 30 turns or so, my praetorians had taken all five of their cities in short order.

I praetorians.

[Dis]

archipelago is good for the human player I've found.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Okay it wasn't the map - my stupid kids set the difficulty level to settler

yeah your kids. we believe you...not.

[Shaka II]

Originally posted by Guynemer


Playing my first game as the Romans. The Mongols started to my south, and they declared war despite following my Roman Hinduism.

How dare they!

Originally posted by Guynemer
I praetorians.

Me too. Though this game I waged early war without them. Axemen, followed by war elephants. Strange, but true. It had to do with my tech reseacrch path and that I didn't pursue iron working in favor of alphabet and the monopoly on tech trading.