Need some really basic advice..

[urusai]

Okay, here goes. This is basically going to be a really long-winded post on a few things basic things regarding Civ 4. I do understand that this game is entirely situational but I was hoping to get at least some basic advice to make me a better player. I apologize in advanced if this post seems unorganized and all over the place.

First of all, I always play standard speed games at prince difficulty. Noble to me is too easy but now that I'm playing prince I have run in to some problems. I always play as a Civ with the creative trait as I find that cultural border expansion helps bring in useful resources earlier and without having to waste turns building an obelisk/monument or a temple if I'm playing a religious civ. My play style would probably be more toward war-mongering so as such I usually play pangaea maps as I can just walk to my neighbors instead of having to load galleons upon galleons.

So that brings me to my first question. I read a post by a veteran here on these boards (I forgot who it was though, I apologize ) about REXing and at the time it made sense to me. I've tried it a few times, sometimes ending in success, others not so. Every time I've tried REXing my research always ended up suffering. Is REXing always appropriate? It makes sense to me judging by how the AI expands.

On that note, how would one go about successfully REXing while maintaining research at sufficient levels without getting out-teched by the AI and then subsequently getting steamrolled by their more advanced units?

Finally, whats a good way to maintain military while building infrastructure so that while I am expanding my economy/research doesn't tank completely? It seems that in all the games I've played, I've always been dealt those bipolar civs as opponents. You know, Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, Alexander, Qin, etc. who are all happy with you one minute and then steamroll you with a stack of death the next. In my mind there is only one thing I can really do, and that is to use all my cities to build military units to discourage the others from attacking. That in turn causes the AI to build even more units to try and overwhelm what I've got. Its a vicious, never ending cycle..

Oh, one more thing. Is mercantilism useful in any way aside from the free specialist? I almost always wait for free market before changing that civic.

Anyway, hope you haven't hit the back button by now. Any help is appreciated.

[Unimatrix11]

Hmmm... not quite an answer to your question, but: Have You tried the ´no tech brockering option´ ?

[wodan11]

Generally when people say REX in the context of CIV4 they mean REX very very early, and only up to a half dozen cities or so. i.e., you whip or chop workers, settlers, and early military. You settle or conquer 6 cities or so, then you stop; that's the end of the REX. Get currency and code of laws, and build infrastructure.

Mid game expansion tends to be more of a slow but steady stream, as you can afford new cities. On smaller maps, you can achieve your Domination here.

Late game is when you can really do a lot of expansion again and get your Domination even on huge maps, for the plain and simple reason that you can afford the costs.

All this is generalities and YMMV.

[Willem]

Originally posted by urusai
Finally, whats a good way to maintain military while building infrastructure so that while I am expanding my economy/research doesn't tank completely?

One approach I use from time to time is alternatiing between units and buildings. If you were to create a permanent queue for a specific unit in a city then add a building below that, when the unit is completed it will drop to the bottom of the list and the building will start. Once that's done the city will start to build the unit again so then you can put another building at the bottom of the list.

[Crossfire]

I usually play on Immortal and Rexing is even more burdensome. However, I still go until I am close to financial ruin. I will get down to 20% science most games before I can build courthouses and grocers/markets/banks to get my revenue back up and push my research back up to 70% or 80%. One method of mitigating the loss of research is to make one city a GPP pump but also to allocate at least one Science Specialist in most of your cities. You will be surprised how much difference this makes. If you can build the Pyramids and switch to Representation right away the boost is even larger. Try it, you will be surprised.

[snoopy369]

Finally, whats a good way to maintain military while building infrastructure so that while I am expanding my economy/research doesn't tank completely?

Simple: Designate two cities (on normal map size+speed, this varies for other size/speed) as military pumps, and build nothing but military in those cities (focus on hammers exclusively, and only build a few buildings in them - granary, forge, barracks, stable if horsed units are desired). The rest of your cities can do whatever they want - these cities ONLY build military units, 100% of the time (once their core buildings are done as stated earlier). No library, no marketplace, nothing else that doesn't contribute to producing more units. Most games this will provide you with an adequate defensive force; if you want to attack you'll probably need more, but that shouldn't be hard if that's your current focus.

Mercantilism is useful for the specialists indeed, particularly if used with Representation. It's not that useful in games where you have OB with everyone, but in a very conquest oriented game where the AI hates your guts and you don't have a single friend, it's worth it.