My first game, sort of

[tenbrvc]

I really need some help here. I played the tutorial, and I've had experience with Civ 1 through 3, and I've been reading many of the posts here, and yet Civ4 just seems way beyond me.

I just tried my first game, and already confounded by all the choices.

My questions:

On the different terrain types, how do I know what improvements to build on them? I mean, what is the best terrain type for cottages, farms? How do I know if I should build them in a desert, or other less desirable terrains? Should I build them in forest squares? I read that you shouldn't chop them down. How many cottages and farms should I build at the start? Should I reserve the hills just for mining? Are floodplains good for farming? I'm so confused!

Should I try to build a city on a desert square, so that if I do, I can access an ocean square with resources in its fat cross? Also I don't like my cities too close together and overlapping.

I read that it is not good to expand too quickly. If I find myself on an isolated island with no neighbours, when would it be safe for me to build a 3rd city?

And I'm not sure where the slider is for my science.

This game is so complicated! I could use any and all advice! Thanks.

[Jaybe]

You cannot build any improvements (other than the near-useless forts) in the desert (unless it is flood plains) so you don't have to worry about that. Though you CAN put cities on desert tiles.

There are no hard-and-fast rules for improvements, but ... flood plains are a great place to place cottages, since you already get 3 food. You cannot chop forests until you get bronze working, and yes, to build something in a forest (other than a city or lumbermill) you have to chop it in the process.

The game is so complicated only because there are so many choices. There are so many choices because there are very few wrong choices. Among all your cities, you will need some production powerhouses, you will need some commerce powerhouses. These will develop over time, and rarely is a city devoted totally to one or the other.

A main consideration will be that you don't go broke, so don't delay too long in building a few cottages. Your primary concern for building additional cities will be whether you can afford them financially, though defense (primarily from barbarians in the early game) is also a factor.

I am sure that others will chip in to help, but meanwhile read more in the strategy forum (and also the manual), play more of the game, and be patient. Your understanding will come, though you may not always win.

[phlucas]

Re: My first game, sort of

Originally posted by tenbrvc
Should I build them in forest squares? I read that you shouldn't chop them down.

If you need the health, yes. Otherwise, chop them down and replace them with something more productive. Forest really get productive only later on with railroads and lumbermills.

But there are several threads about chopping strategies alone; for example, consult http://apolyton.net/forums/showthrea...hreadid=153769.

And I'm not sure where the slider is for my science.

On the top left.

[tenbrvc]

tks jaybe and phlucas. After I posted my question, I went back and reread some of vel's strategy guide and I learnt a bit more about where to build cottages. With so much information, it's just hard to remember if you've read it somewhere before. Thanks again.

[snafuc4]

Every worked tile in your city's 'fat cross' requires 2 food for the upkeep of the worker, therefore working tiles such as floodplains or farms (that give a 'bonus' of food) allow you to work other tiles that don't have that amount of food (eg mines on hills)

Forests adjacent to cities are chopped partly because of the quick hammer bonus, but also for defence: an attacking civ gains a major defense advantage from planting his attacking stack in a forest right next to your city: your units have a +25% defensive bonus to overcome when counterattacking

IIRC you can't build a city on desert (unless it's a bonus tile such as oil or insence), but I could be wrong: my only CIV-capable m/c is still out of action, so this is from memory. You certainly can't improve plain desert tiles

There are a few advantages to founding a city on a plains/hill tile: there is the defensive bonus to any unit; there is the defensive bonus to archers garrisoning that city; but probably most important (at least while the city is small) is the extra hammer from that central tile.

Hope this helps