Being Financial on Marathon Game Speed

[Nikomakkos]

I'm not used to playing on Marathon speed, but now I'm trying it as Elizabeth on Emperor difficulty. I emphasized research and I have a HUGE lead on everyone else. This is not usually the case on Emperor difficulty. Plus, I had already reached the renaissance shortly after 1 AD (or maybe even sooner, not sure).

It leads me to think that on Marathon speed, Financial carries a far greater benefit than it usually does. I mean, I was more than twice ahead in points.

[Zenn-La]

Bah, not for me. By the time i have three cities up & running, money starts rolling in... i end up getting invaded by Genghis Khan &/or Alexander. I'm new to the game but i have picked it up real quick except for one very important thing... warmongering. I'm not good at it & i don't like doing it.

[Nikomakkos]

Warmongering is not as hard as you might think. What you need for it is to research techs that give you military units and then build them. And then attack. That way, the AI doesn't attack you. Which is good.

I know that sometimes it feels like you can't delay building that granary or library. Or market, harbor, grocer... But you need to snap out of it and consider what is best for the empire as a whole. Don't ask what your civ can do for your cities, but what your cities can do for your civ. :P

[Blaupanzer]

Zenn-La, drop to a level one below your comfort level, choose an aggressive civ, and go on a warmongering spree. See if you can achieve a domination victory on a large map while in control of Monty, Shaka, Tokugawa, or Boudica. What you will learn is the give and take of warmongering, how to attack, undsoweiter. These skills will teach you how to fight.

Then, on higher levels, learn to build lots of units. In new cities, as the game progresses, I tend to build two or three buildings prior to the barracks. Then I trade off -- unit, building, unit, building or administrative unit (worker/settler), unit, etc. One of the first three buildings is cultural, one is often a forge or granary depending on terrain, and one is lighthouse or health-related building. Then lay out that queue and forget that city for awhile. I do check all my cities every 10 or 12 turns or when a major change (built wonder, gone to war) to keep an eye on the governor who will generally emphasize growth over all other tile allocations. This governor predisposition is not terrible, but you will want some production so your queue will actually get built.

[Zenn-La]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
Zenn-La, drop to a level one below your comfort level, choose an aggressive civ, and go on a warmongering spree. See if you can achieve a domination victory on a large map while in control of Monty, Shaka, Tokugawa, or Boudica. What you will learn is the give and take of warmongering, how to attack, undsoweiter. These skills will teach you how to fight.

Then, on higher levels, learn to build lots of units. In new cities, as the game progresses, I tend to build two or three buildings prior to the barracks. Then I trade off -- unit, building, unit, building or administrative unit (worker/settler), unit, etc. One of the first three buildings is cultural, one is often a forge or granary depending on terrain, and one is lighthouse or health-related building. Then lay out that queue and forget that city for awhile. I do check all my cities every 10 or 12 turns or when a major change (built wonder, gone to war) to keep an eye on the governor who will generally emphasize growth over all other tile allocations. This governor predisposition is not terrible, but you will want some production so your queue will actually get built.

I will try this after work! I must learn to kill.

I'm tired of being a pacifist wussy! Being pushed around by those damn Mongols every game.

Death & destruction to all those who don't kneel before me & give their techs away to me!

But first i have to get something to eat! Oooh my gf just texted me! She is my little snugglemuffin.

[rah]

Ghandi forever

[DirtyMartini]

Originally posted by Zenn-La
Bah, not for me. By the time i have three cities up & running, money starts rolling in... i end up getting invaded by Genghis Khan &/or Alexander. I'm new to the game but i have picked it up real quick except for one very important thing... warmongering. I'm not good at it & i don't like doing it.

Personally, I like Monte, as I like a tech advantage in my wars. Beeline Iron Working and you'll get there way before AI, Since they're non resource dependent, you can automatically throw down a bunch of Jaguars quickly, before axemen even become abundant and before cultural defenses are too strong.

[okblacke]

Originally posted by rah
Ghandi forever

I don't think I've ever run into Gandhi in Civ 4.

In every previous version of Civ, though, he was a complete warmongering jerkwad.

[Nikomakkos]

Yeah, but what about being financial on marathon? Does it kick ass or what? This is MY THREAD! :P

Try it out guys. Let's see if it'll be a common experience.

[Hauptman]

Financial by it's self? No.

Now if you had a financial civ with a seafood start and accidently build the great lighthouse...

Then yes. You will blow the doors of everyone with El-lizardbreath. Financial, makes those coastal sqaures pay off. Philosophical makes that extra seafood turn into alot of extra great people. And that lighthouse is like adding 2 gold mines in every coastal city.

Finacial alone... bleh. Usually gives you 3 to 7 commerce throught most of the game max per city... Late game is where it shines, where windmills, watermills and cottages are all beeing worked by your size 20 city... +20 commerce per city if u do it right is no joke.

[Blaupanzer]

Several traits are amplified on marathon including financial, aggressive, and creative. Others get rather nerfed unless you also use large or huge maps. Suspect the reverse is true on quick, but I've never played that speed to find out.

[Hauptman]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
Several traits are amplified on marathon including financial, aggressive, and creative. Others get rather nerfed unless you also use large or huge maps. Suspect the reverse is true on quick, but I've never played that speed to find out.

Amplified? no not really. What makes things run better/faster is the fact that you have more control to fine tune what goes on. More lee-way with mistakes, and more time to react to a changing world.

On marathon... it's aggresive militarism that that gets amplified, by the cheaper to build units.

[Blaupanzer]

And thus the aggressive trait which benefits the greater number of units. Maybe the speed amplifies protective too, since it benefits units too. However, at marathon speed, none of the civs with the protective trait appeal to me.

[Hauptman]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
And thus the aggressive trait which benefits the greater number of units. Maybe the speed amplifies protective too, since it benefits units too. However, at marathon speed, none of the civs with the protective trait appeal to me.

Charlamain.

Landsknechten make stacks of catapults mincmeat by bypassing the axes, swords, and elephants defending them. And he just happens to be protective.

But Tokugawa. the monster master of the Unit. Also protective with aggresive. Oh you'll especially learn to love those gunpowder units.

[Blaupanzer]

It is true about the gunpowder boys, 3 promotions before the first add-on from barracks, et al.

Do landsknechts pick out siege weapons? I know ballista elephants pick out mounted units, but had not been aware that any of the other UU could pick whom they attack.