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As far as difficulty levels go, having a wide range is quite right, as some people like to play for relaxation, others for a tough challenge. Some like to play in their comfort zone, so they can fairly easily build a civ to dominate the game, others like to start in a hole and clamber out of it. Some like playing 'fast and loose' to see what happens, others like making meticulous plans.
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This thread inspired me to try Prince. I did all the things I used to to make Noble easier when I had problems with it - turned on permanent alliances, random personalities (makes aggressive civs less likely to be aggressive), and played continents with default number of players. I had a good start, and for a while I lead the scoreboard, but started slipping back...it was always really close. Then, around the time I got my Cossacks, I was preparing to go to war with my only neighbor, Alexander, when he declared on me. I expected to be able to kick his butt, but I'm used to my opponents defending with musketmen at best when I first get my cossacks, and this time I was fighting riflemen. I had to quit around that time, but I don't think I was going to come out of the war ahead.
It reminds me a lot of when I started playing Noble, except I had a really strong start, I think because I was paying so much more attention to the details of my empire because I knew I was playing a harder difficulty. I played pretty conservatively but thoroughly.
I don't know if I'll go back to Noble now.
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After playing civ 4 for a couple of months now, I'm on my last game that I will play on noble. If I can consistantly win on a level, then I move up. space race was pretty easy, so now I'm going for domination. It's fun to unleash modern army on riflemen and INF!
sparkyComment
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one thing i definatly not good at is making an alliance. So far not once has it been an option for me to ask for any defencive alliances with an ai. In my last noble game i was developing well was about third on points list, but then china declared war on me after they settled on an island i coinhabited. they then invaded with grenadiers and my longbowman defenders struggled to match it with them so hoped to bribe afriend, but there was no option for a defencive pact.GM of MAFIA #40 ,#41, #43, #45,#47,#49-#51,#53-#58,#61,#68,#70, #71Comment
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You need to be friendly for that usually, which takes some work. It's quite easy to get the +4 for 'our trade relations have been fair and forthright', which is code for 'you have given us more than we have given you', and sign open borders asap for the +1 ( you should be good at getting those
). You'll also get some +'s for peace and trading resources.
The easiest way to not get along with an AI is trading with their worst enemy (check the diplomacy screen) which is usually around -4 and having a different religion. For Civs like Isabella this can be a large minus rating. So pick your friends wisely.
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hmmm ok thanks for that, that is the sort of learning i need to do.
seems i always trade with wrong person first
lately i been playing with barbs on again and they really make doing anthing except building lots of archers a hassle,GM of MAFIA #40 ,#41, #43, #45,#47,#49-#51,#53-#58,#61,#68,#70, #71Comment
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I rarely bother with archers until late BC when axes can show up, and then only if I don't have axes by that time.
The thing about barbs is they are very stupid and a fortified warrior on forest can take them most of the time, particularly after the first upgrade (try to get 2xp from animals early on). Don't let them come to your cities, fortify somewhere on the perimeter and soak up the attacks that way.Comment
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I'd heard the patch had put a stop to that sort of barb behaviour, and they now avoid tougher targets in favour of softer ones. (As I've mainly played island maps since the patch, I haven't seen many barbs lately.)Originally posted by DrSpike
The thing about barbs is they are very stupid and a fortified warrior on forest can take them most of the time, particularly after the first upgrade (try to get 2xp from animals early on). Don't let them come to your cities, fortify somewhere on the perimeter and soak up the attacks that way.Comment
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Seemed to be working fine to me earlier. I never let them get close to my cities though so not sure if they still attack the forested defender rather than take the undefended city like they used to.
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They avoid my defenders in the hills or in forrests and head straight for my city improvements such as farms , cottages or mines. Cant build enough defenders to keep them out. Bring back ZOC.....GM of MAFIA #40 ,#41, #43, #45,#47,#49-#51,#53-#58,#61,#68,#70, #71Comment
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Basically barbs have a fear of open land... they prefer to travel along forest/hill "corridors", if you can block such a corridor any barb units will prefer to attack the blocking unit rather than venturing onto the scary flat land - but if there are alternate covered routes they'll go around your unit.
Also barbs come in two main varieties... attackers and pillagers, attackers wont actually pillage - they can walk over multiple improved tiles, right up to a city, and attack the city, completely ignoring the improvements. If a barb wanders past your sentinels it can be worth taking a wait and see stance... if it pillages, then kill it, otherwise let it commit suicide.
Overall barbs really aren't that much bother, with smart expansion (like towards the coast or other civs) and with good sentinel placement and a few axemen for mopup they can be handled quite easily. But that's only with standard map settings - if you play with fewer civs than reccomended you'll be nearly guaranteed massive barb problems - still not insurmountable, but they'll be a bother for quite a while. It's better to just play standard settings, or with extra civs to give even less unclaimed space, the game is balanced for those settings and it plays better.
edit: Finally, it's worth noting the first couple of Monarch games I played, I lost to the barbs
, they are a real threat and they take some getting used to. But the habits you learn in fighting barbs are All Good, you'll be much more capable of fighting the AI's. Barbs are training and warmup for the real wars, if you can't fight the barbs, you won't be able to fight the AI's, it's as simple as that.
Last edited by Blake; July 24, 2006, 06:40.Comment
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I've never had a barb move past my waiting sentries. I guess I just must be really good at setting up sentries.
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i have not seen one barb attack my defenders yet. they seem to travel wherever they want including open space land.
I do prefr larger maps so maybe that is an issue.
I might try a standard map and compare.
All in all i think i will play with no AI from now on on the larger maps.
The AI is easy compare to unlimited BarbsGM of MAFIA #40 ,#41, #43, #45,#47,#49-#51,#53-#58,#61,#68,#70, #71Comment
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how can you say that. if the barbs attack, they will destroy all the csqaure improvements like farms. mines and roads etcGM of MAFIA #40 ,#41, #43, #45,#47,#49-#51,#53-#58,#61,#68,#70, #71Comment
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