How do you score?

[CrassByName]

This may seem a naive question, but how do you maximise score? Beyond just playing well, what elements go into determining it? Any tricks to catching up/overtaking AIs? (I notice that succesful wars help - though these seem insanely difficult on CIV, much more so than Civ III. Trading techs also seems to have a beneficial effect).

I ask in part because I'm playing on Prince and struggling. Only ever seem to get to time victory, at which point I lose, usually in second place. Frustrating! Also I'm sick of the game telling me I have all the leadership qualities of Ethelred the Unready.

[Swiss Pauli]

Forget about score - use the demographics screen to see how you're doing in relation to the AIs.

Decide on your victory type then pursue this goal relentlessly.

[ColdPhoenix]

Your score is based on the total population, land area, technologies researched and wonders built. I don't know the weighting that each of these has but know that they all add to score. There may be others too.

At the end of the game (for space race anyway) I throw up some national wonders that I never use (like Scotland Yard) and get all the techs I can. At that stage I don't care how much money I'm losing per turn, and don't care what wonderful deals I give the AI (fission for communism) as I want to increase my score for the end.

I know the score doesn't really matter but I like to get it as high as I can before the game finishes.

Of course the best way to increase score is to capture enemy cities as you'll get the extra population and land as well as any wonders they have (not sure if wonders count if you didn't build them). Also when you make peace you can demand any techs they've got.

[ColdPhoenix]

Oh yeah, the final score is also increased when you finish the game quickly. You get some bonus for every turn earlier than the end that you finish. If your games are finishing with time victory's for you or the AI then you obviously won't get that bonus and your score will be lower.

[CrassByName]

A naive question, as I say. Any tips on warmongering? On Civ III I warmongered a good deal. Find it very hard on cIV - the only way to do it seems to be having an overwhelming number of troops - but then you have to give over so much production to troops that you neglect everything else. Having a massive tech lead over your enemy isn't what it used to be.

[CrassByName]

Ah, just noticed a thread on this very topic a bit further down the page.

[Addled Platypus]

Dan Quayle