build/research strategy

[HoldSteady]

Playing vanilla Civ4 I experience that Prince is a bit too easy, I get a tech advantage in all cases, even if I make some minor wrong decisions. It's not hard to get back on top.

At monarch, it gets pretty hard to stay in the lead, I find I will allways lose the tech lead. In order to compete on Monarch, I can't afford to make much bad decisions. Now, the buildup I make is pretty much determined by what kind of recources I am presented with. i try to build cities at good spots, with strategic and economic recources, and notice that just creating settlers and workers and keep building cities isnt a winner like it was in civ3. I can't seem to figure out what exactly it is I'm doing wrong, just that focussing on cities isn't a winning strategy. I have to keep improving stuff, and buildup militairy to defend from bartbarians. The obvious answer would be: go back to Prince. But the fact is, I allways get the lead there, no matter what..

Can someone help out?

[couerdelion]

You’ll need to give a bit more info than that. Yes, you need to expand and you’ll need to fight also and you’ll want to build wonders. But how you do this depends on who you are playing. Land-grabbing can be powerful with a CRE or EXP, and cheap with an ORG or IMP civ. AGG and CHA leaders might find that conquest is a more rewarding form of expansion. IND and PHI civs will be looking for wonders along the way.

Of course, you’ll need a few key techs to make rapid expansion work. Key among these are Pottery and Writing with Currency and Code of Laws working well later.

Maybe a few more details would help because the question is a little general.

Have you read Vel’s strategy guide?

[HoldSteady]

Okay: I usually play with the indians, Ghandi or the other fella, being Spiritual/Industrious, or SPI/ORG I think. My usual strategy is (being a seasoned civ1/2 and a bit of 3-player) to expand quick-as-possible land grabbing with settlers and improve with (fast) workers. I usually don't make war in the beginning, if I can help it, just build, improve, rinse and repeat until I have a decent amount of cities. In civ4 however, that strategy doesnt seem to work that well: more cities isnt allways better.

next to settlers and workers, I build the odd defending unit, ranging from warrior, archer to spearmen if I can get em (bronze resource). I try to place my cities so that I have access to as much as resources, and if I find a wonder attractive (usefull), I'll give it a go, but usually I build granaries, sometimes a temple (for pushing borders) or obelisks (ditto). Then, I usually notice that I'm either lagging in science, I research alphabet and try to trade my way up. That works, until at some time later that advantage is over and I start lagging again. Or, I find myself devoid of Bronze or Iron, so I can't very well defend against barbarians that get tougher (axemen), let alone start some conquesting.

So I guess my style up till now is expand by growth, except that I don't seem te be able to specialize enough into something succesfull.
Maybe I'm just picturing the difficulty of playing the game, that it is simply the way it works: it's hard to make the right choices, or maybe I'm just focussing on the wrong things.. Who can advice?

No havent read strat guide yet, off to search for it right away.. (thx)

[couerdelion]

Well Gandhi or Asoka are not best suited to early war so you’re probably right to hold fire on that. Play to their strengths which I would suggest are:

1) Grabbing an early religion – with both Mysticism and Mining, it should be easy.
2) The best UU in the game
3) Decent traits

Also with these two, you will want to look at getting an early wonder. If you’ve got trees then Stonehenge can make a lot of sense but also look to the resources around you. Stone would suggest a play for Pyramids while Marble would support Oracle and Temple of Artemis. You’ll need to be selective about the wonders but if the terrain works, they should be quite easy to grab.

One thing you must remember is to look for a way of defending yourself. You’ll need to build some warriors but will also have to look ahead. Bronze Working should be high up on the list of early techs so that you find a spot for your second city.

Also, don’t forget to get the basic land improvement techs – certainly the ones you need. You’ve already got the “mines” but need food too (ie farms, pastures, fishing).

Somewhere in all this, you’ll also need Wheel.

In fact, this is a bit too much of a tall order. You cannot research religious, military and wonder and builder techs all at the same time. Don’t research something unless you really need it because there are plenty of important techs you need in order to fund India’s expansion.

I suppose the question may still be to understand where it is that you are not managing to build up a lead.

Are you becoming diplomatically isolated? If so, you will not be able to trade techs (an easy way to gain a tech lead)
Are your rivals gaining better sites? – then perhaps you should take them
Do you have enough workers?
Are you running into a treasury shortfall? - check the finance screen to see your costs and income.

[Palpster]

I just played a couple of games as Ghandi and went Polytheism, Bronzeworking everytime....after those two my priority was either the Wheel or Hunting/Agriculture, depending on available resources....oh, once I did Masonry after BW since I had a stone quarry nearby.

I don't think I'd played more than once or twice with Ghandi, but I must say he's quite good. Good UU, somewhat good UB, but I love his traits, although it did take some getting used to after having played Financial leaders for a quite a few games (Oceans with ONLY two commerce?! AARRGGHH)

[Egbert]

If you want a big empire try the Zulus with an organised leader. (Use the "custom game" option with unrestricted leaders.)

The organised trait halves city maintenance costs, the Zulu barracks reduces city maintenance by 20% and the the courthouse reduces city maintenance by 50%. Chop down a forest or two the hurry the barracks, you got lots of cheap cities with barracks ready to churn out troops. If you can get Stonehenge you are really laughing.

(The Holy Roman Empire courthouse reduces city maintenance by 75% but I think the Zulus work out better).