Strategy Library on fastmoves.de

[jobe]

Hey Civ Fans!

Fastmoves has now been up for three months and we´re hitting 50 articles. I´d like to use the opportunity to provide anyone interested in in-depth analysis of all sorts of strategies, game mechanics and other civ related aspects with an overview of the work done so far.

Work on the site´s relaunch containing lots of new features is currently underway...

Introductions into Civilization Multiplayer
Introductionary articles for players that are new to Civilization Multiplayer. They contain information on concepts of civilization that are not used in singleplayer but in multiplayer and introduce the common game formats in the multiplayer community.

A summary of the ways civ4 is played in multiplayer

Civilization Multiplayer: city elimination, simultaneous turns and timer

Useful Tools: Civ4Fans, Teamspeak and Hamachi


General Articles on Civilization Multiplayer
The Art of Attacking in Civilization Multiplayer
Extensive Article on how to attack best in Civ Multiplayer explaining underlying principles, the effects of terrain and culture. Shows and explains several strong ways of attacking, like direct hit, fork and culture bomb.

Defending in Civ MP
Counterpart of the article on attacking. Explains the importance of sentry network and culture, gives advice on how to plant your cities to provide good defense, block enemy moves and how to best counter approaching stacks.

Anti-Choke: Dealing with Warriors and Archers in Ancient
Guide on how to defend against units attacking you early in game. Gives detailed information on how to anticipate units coming for you and how to best protect your buildup.

Vision range and its role for offense and defense in civilization multiplayer
Describes the rules of vision range for units, which is very important for building up a sentry network for defense on the one hand and plan sneaky attacks on the other hand.

How to read the Power Graph in Demographics
Lists of power values of important units, average unit values in each era and guide on how to device the amount of enemy army from the demography screen.

Tricks #1: The Culture Bug
Explains the use of the so called culture bug, that allows you to build culture and a unit/building in the same turn. This is a common (and important) part of later era games.

The Art of Boating
Article on efficieny and different ways of attacks via sea (commonly called boating). Gives advice on when boating makes sense and how to do so best.

Putting a Great General to good use
Explains the diffent ways a Great Geneal can be used.

*NEW*The Happiness Cap*NEW*
Explanations of the concept of the "happiness cap" and its impact on the game and possible strategy.


Ironman/ffa/cton
Traits in ffa and Ironman
About the individual usefulness of traits for ffa and Ironman type games and how you have to adopt your game style to those traits in order to put them to full use.

Maps, Difficulty, Settings – how to adapt
Description of what impact different maps and other options like difficulty have on the game, how you need to adopt your game style to that and what influence that has on how good the different traits and civs are, with a special focus on choice of civ.

Interaction of traits and choice of leader
Article explaining how the traits interact with each other, why certain combinations aren´t good and two good traits dont make a good leader and what combinations can be useful in which situation.

When to attack and NOT attack
Guidelines on what circumstances are necessary for a war to make sense in a Ironman/cton/ffa game with special distinction from duels and teamers.


Introductions into later Eras (non ancient start)
Most players only know Civilization games starting in ancient era. However in multiplayer every era is used as starting era, to enjoy all parts civ while keeping games within a reasonable timeframe.
The buildup principles and strategies for later era starts are obviously very different from ancient (especially Renaissance and later). The articles of this category explain the basic buildup principles for their specific era and give an overview of common strategies in order to introduce players into those eras, that are new to them.

Renaissance Start, especially in Multiplayer Teamer

Modern and Future Start, especially in Multiplayer Teamers

*NEW*Introduction into Industrial*NEW*

*NEW*Introduction into Medieval*NEW*


Other Strategy Articles
About the Expansive Trait
Math behind and use of the strongest trait in ancient start, noble difficulty.

A Flop5 of Unique Units

A Top7 of Unique Units


National Wonders
National Wonders #1: Flop3
*NEW*National Wonders #2: Top3 *NEW*
*NEW*National Wonders #3: Good. Basic. Not Game Breaking.*NEW*


Series Civics in Focus
Each part explains one branch of the Civics menu. The articles contain the effects and requirements of each Civic, explain in which game formats and in which situations they can be used and give short introductions into how they can be put to their best effect.

I. Government
II. Legal
III. Labor
*NEW*IV. Economy*NEW*


Series Good UB - Bad UB
Series on Unique Buildings. Each Part evalutates two to 4 unique buildings, explaining in what situations they can be used and why they are useful there - or otherwise why they are not.

Introductory post of each Part:
There are no just good or just bad buildings
Even though the title suggests different, there are basically no just good or just bad unique buildings (and units). Every UB and UU has to be evaluated in the context of the game settings and overall strategy it´s supposed to be used in. A (fictional) unique unit archer that gets +100% against melee units is useless in an game played on Islands, where you have no (military) contact with your opponents until Astronomy is researched and archers are long obsolete. A unique building is good if it significantly supports a (playable) strategy.

#1 Research Institute, Terrace
#2 Salon, Hippodrome
#3 Mint, Ger
#4 Forum, Baray
#5 Pavilion, Stele, Rathaus, Ikhanda
#6 Assembly Plant, Mausoleum, Hammam, Ball Court
#7 Obelisk, Odeon
#8 Dun, Citadel, Totem Pole
#9 Apothecary, Garden, Dike
*NEW*#10 Cothon, Trading Post, Feitoria *NEW*
*NEW*#11 Madrassa, Sacrificial Altar, Stock Exchange, Seowon, Mall, Ziggurat*NEW*


The Fastmoves Challenge
Fastmoves multiplayer related edition of the game of the month, with video analysis on the best possible approach afterwards.

#1 Robinson Crusoe´s thirst for knowledge
#2 Montezuma´s Revenge
*NEW*#3 Smart Ragnar*NEW*


Concept Ideas
Articles on conceptional ideas for Civilization, like new functions for building or guidelines for mapskripting.

#1 Building: Assembly Line

#2 City Commerce and Specialization

#3 Mapdesign for Multiplayer Civ


Fun and co
Single Player Funkiness

4 city Ancient buildup with Shaka

*NEW*Report on CCC Playoff Match between clans [RUS] and [PPP]*NEW*


Not Gameplay related Stuff
Civilization Network – a commentary

*NEW* New Mapscript: fm_Mirror_Inland_Sea1*NEW*
Inland_Sea version with mirrored resources and starting positions.


Echoes from the Civ World
Echos from the Civ World #1

*NEW* Announcement of Civilization 5*NEW*

*NEW* Civilization 5: First info and screenshots *NEW*

*NEW* Civilization 5: "1-unt-per-tile" concept *NEW

*NEW* Civilization 5: trailer by 2k.Games *NEW*

[rah]

While most of the stuff is more appropriate for the newer players there are a couple of neat tidbits for the more experienced player. (like I didn't know about the culture bug)

[Ming]

To save me from looking for it... what is the culture bug

[jobe]

While most of the stuff is more appropriate for the newer players there are a couple of neat tidbits for the more experienced player. (like I didn't know about the culture bug)

I think that depends on at which articles you´ve been looking at. We´re trying to mix it, but I guess epsecially the beginning requires us to cover certain topics. And I´d regard the Culture Bug as a basic as basic as it gets .

[rah]

From the article

The “culture bug” allows using production and in some cases surplus food of a city twice in one turn. In order to do so you need to work culture as a production item (requires Music) in a city and queue (Shift + click on item) another item behind it. If the city´s culture expands the turn you do so, the hammers the city produces are used twice, once for the culture, once for the item behind it. If you queue a worker or settler, the food is used twice as well, going once into the city´s granary and once into the worker/settler.

And as noted, while mixed, it does favor the noob.

[jobe]

And as noted, while mixed, it does favor the noob.

I guess in the end everyone is entitled to their own opinion and should make up that for him- or herself

[rah]

And it will make a difference who makes that opinion.
While I refuse to consider myself an expert, I've played so many games that more things are going to be considered for the noob.
I would guess that most of the people that post here are at least at my level of expertise.

Please don't take it as a negative, because there can't be enough sites that have this type of info, and I'm sure new material will be targeted more at those in the same boat as me.

[jobe]

And it will make a difference who makes that opinion.
While I refuse to consider myself an expert, I've played so many games that more things are going to be considered for the noob.
I would guess that most of the people that post here are at least at my level of expertise.

Please don't take it as a negative, because there can't be enough sites that have this type of info, and I'm sure new material will be targeted more at those in the same boat as me.

Well, the authors of the site belong to the clan that is the current World Champion in multiplayer civ, additionaly that clan holds the record amount of that title. Also if we play single player (rather focused on mp), we play on immortal/deity, immortal rather not being a challenge, no matter the settings. Deity of course is very dependant on the setup since it´s been designed in a way that many games are not winnable.

As said, to everyone his/her own opinion and most importantly, to everyone whatever he/she can get out of our site. If there is nothing for you there, we hopefully can change that someday, but I guess in the end pleasing everyone will not be possible.

[rah]

Again, you don't seem to be reading my responses, so don't get so defensive, geeze. I never said that there was nothing new for me there, I just implied that a noob would get more out of it. Just because I mentioned 1 item that I wasn't aware of doesn't mean that there weren't others. I'd expect any strat site to have more infor that noobs would find needed.

I will continue to check it out, and please feel free to keep us informed. As I said, there can't be enough sites like this and it is appreciated.

[jobe]

Again, you don't seem to be reading my responses, so don't get so defensive, geeze. I never said that there was nothing new for me there, I just implied that a noob would get more out of it. Just because I mentioned 1 item that I wasn't aware of doesn't mean that there weren't others. I'd expect any strat site to have more infor that noobs would find needed.

I will continue to check it out, and please feel free to keep us informed. As I said, there can't be enough sites like this and it is appreciated.

I probably misunderstood you, I´m sorry.

[rah]

Actually by saying that I thought there were neat tidbits for the more experienced players I was talking up the site. And I'm sure if someone at your level were to look at the site, there would be a lot of information that they were already aware of. And for the record, you guys are probably more advanced than me. I still play at emp and don't win every game. I've got to trick the settings a bit to do well higher up.

[jobe]

Actually by saying that I thought there were neat tidbits for the more experienced players I was talking up the site. And I'm sure if someone at your level were to look at the site, there would be a lot of information that they were already aware of. And for the record, you guys are probably more advanced than me. I still play at emp and don't win every game. I've got to trick the settings a bit to do well higher up.

We always try to relate to the big picture, not only saying "this is this" and do it like that then it´s good", but trying to explain why it is effective to do it a certain way and additionaly placing that information into the context of specific strategies and situations, many of those being very high-level.

So as a simple example when evaluating a building I don´t just write it´s good or bad, but place it in the context of strategies in different kinds of settings. In order to understand that text entirely one has to have certain experience and plainly skill. For anyone else it can be a first step though into getting to know those kinds of strategies or generally situations and learning how to deal with them. Just trying to say that most of our texts have many different facets, not each being available to everyone.

For example this explanation of the French Salon provides someone on an average level reasons for why the Salon is not a good Unique Building. Additionaly you can find in between many statements referring to situations which many civ players have never been in so far like 3v3 Renaissance teamers which ove rthe years have evolved enourmously in the depth of strategies and counter to those strategies.

Let´s end with that whatever we´ve been doing so far, there is a limited pool of "basics", but a bigger pool of advanced specifics. So in future we gotta end up more with those anyway unless we want to rpeat ourselves

[Krill]

Well, the authors of the site belong to the clan that is the current World Champion in multiplayer civ, additionaly that clan holds the record amount of that title. Also if we play single player (rather focused on mp), we play on immortal/deity, immortal rather not being a challenge, no matter the settings. Deity of course is very dependant on the setup since it´s been designed in a way that many games are not winnable.

As said, to everyone his/her own opinion and most importantly, to everyone whatever he/she can get out of our site. If there is nothing for you there, we hopefully can change that someday, but I guess in the end pleasing everyone will not be possible.

And most of them are still idiots. It's a solid library, if slanted towards MP.

[Ming]

Some interesting reading... Thanks not only for mentioning the site, but providing easy links in the OP

[jobe]

I´ve updated the initial post.

Since the last time the series "Good UB - Bad UB" got finalized, Civ5 was announced (), introductions to medieval and industrial start are now available and more...