MP strategies.

[SirSebastian]

MasterDave,

Let me share what I learned over the weekend:

- Direct IP does work pretty well.
- It seems like you might be able to join a gamespy game if using Direct IP if you know the host's IP, thus bypassing gamepsy.
- Interestingly, if the host drops out, and you have the IP address of the others, it will work fine to guess who the host is with their IP. (pretty cool)

For me, personally, playing in a window is superior as I kept crashing in games through Gamespy while in fullscreen. I didn't try fullscreen Direct IP.

What is probably needed is a multiplayer chat room. There probably is one out there already, I just feel like I still have a lot to learn about Civ 4 so I haven't aggressively sought it out.

PS - Did you play MoO 3 multiplayer?

[Master-Mike]

The Aussie group played there first large game via direct IP on the weekend. We had 10 player, would have been 12 except a few had probs.

Generally the game ran well, we had a few disconnect due to connection issues at there end with there modem and another had an ATI issue but kept playing.

Besides this which is nothing to do with civ iv all hardware issues, game was great. We all played reasonably fast with no real issues.

MP experience so far is great if not awesome and it will only get better. I organised the game with aussies only due to time zones and you get better connections and game speed.

No problems here with direct IP games, they rock.

[Fried-Psitalon]

C4P generally meets in the lobby - as I write this, there's undoubtedly people looking for games there; I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes if I was looking for a small game.

As for connecting, they just use what works, and if someone wants direct IP, no one minds.

[MasterDave]

Yes, I did play Moo3 multiplayer for a few months, but eventually a very small community, and bugs that were never fixed made the combat resolution very random and luck driven. I hated building up an empire and a fleet for four hours just to lose it all because my point defense decided not to fire at the 8000 missiles coming in.

If Lamespy does not improve its connectivity problems I would love to try direct IP as long as I can find other willing parties.

[SirSebastian]

I thought that's where I'd seen your name, MasterDave.

C4P generally meets in the lobby - as I write this, there's undoubtedly people looking for games there; I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes if I was looking for a small game.

Fried-Psitalon, you may not be aware but many of us can't stay in the lobby without the game crashing. I can be there about 15-20 seconds and it crashes - every single time. So I have to pick a game -really- fast (and with the silly scrolling that's not so easy...). Definately not enough time to chat.

[StarLightDeath]

I don't see anything to read in the strategy forum. Unless of course you are trying to direct them to that piece of trash you wrote on siege? I really liked the part where you changed simple scouting into this amazingly complex mission called "reconnaissance" as you try to write several paragraphs about something that can be expressed in 1 sentence. Is this what we are to expect from your oh so anticipated strategy guide? According to everyone who knows you on the ladder your "bark is bigger than your bite." Somehow I can't say I'm surprised as I have seen saves of your games and they leave something to be desired. Maybe you're holding back a secret of your immeasurable skills? You're a joke. Also, horses may not be the end all, but they are definitely all powerful in the very early part of the game. Something I said the very first day I played this game and you told me I was wrong. How interesting that now you refuse to play against Egypt and Persia because of this? What am i saying though? How dare I question the golden boy of civ4. In the end you are all smoke and mirrors and your greatness is only in the minds of those ignorant enough to believe everything you say Fried.

[kittenOFchaos]

Originally posted by Fried-Psitalon
C4P generally meets in the lobby - as I write this, there's undoubtedly people looking for games there; I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes if I was looking for a small game.

As for connecting, they just use what works, and if someone wants direct IP, no one minds.

With regards to multiplayer:

1. I see no hosts, ever. Even though there are some up there.

2. When I host, if no one joins the room pretty pronto my computer locks up.

Civ 4 multiplayer is great once up and running, but getting there is a pain in the ass. **** Game****e and all that include it in their games...


As for configing routers and all that nonsense. I find it a pest and I'm pretty computer savvy, most aren't. This is supposed to be a game and it is a sod when gamers have to learn so much just to run a game the game developers really ought to include software that will:

1. Recognise hardware/software on computer, download appropriate drivers.

2. Provide config for routers and stuff.

Fed up having to learn stuff just to run games, so rubbish.


As for multiplayers strategies, my only one to date is not to team up with a complete random they can be god awful and you're left 2 vs 1 (I still kinda "won" ).

[Fried-Psitalon]

Originally posted by StarLightDeath
I don't see anything to read in the strategy forum. Unless of course you are trying to direct them to that piece of trash you wrote on siege? I really liked the part where you changed simple scouting into this amazingly complex mission called "reconnaissance" as you try to write several paragraphs about something that can be expressed in 1 sentence. Is this what we are to expect from your oh so anticipated strategy guide? According to everyone who knows you on the ladder your "bark is bigger than your bite." Somehow I can't say I'm surprised as I have seen saves of your games and they leave something to be desired. Maybe you're holding back a secret of your immeasurable skills? You're a joke. Also, horses may not be the end all, but they are definitely all powerful in the very early part of the game. Something I said the very first day I played this game and you told me I was wrong. How interesting that now you refuse to play against Egypt and Persia because of this? What am i saying though? How dare I question the golden boy of civ4. In the end you are all smoke and mirrors and your greatness is only in the minds of those ignorant enough to believe everything you say Fried.

Ah yes, Eyes of Night the bitter and dejected, by another name. At least have the courage to post as yourself in the future, troll?

[StarLightDeath]

Everyone already knows who I am on here. Trolling usually implies that I am trying to bait you into something. Since I am simply stating facts, I fail to see how this is trolling. All someone has to do is read your posts to see that your responses are cookie cutter and your posts on strategy are a joke. The only difference is that here you don't have the power to ban me simply because you can't refute the assertions I make about this game and about you. Every single time someone makes a post about the game in a negative way you come on here like you know everything and try to use your hollow reputation to assert your superiority. It's kind of like how I came on the second day the game was released and complained that early horses are too powerful. You then decided to take it upon yourself to correct the "newbie" with your vast amount of knowledge. Lo and behold we are here 2 weeks later and the horse problem is now going to be fixed. Horses will now no longer appear until animal husbandry is discovered. Where is your bull**** response now?

[Fried-Psitalon]

Given the extreme hostility and attacking nature of your posts, I'd say you're trying to bait me into responding in kind. Luckily, I don't feel like I have anything to prove to you.

I'm sorry you think my posts on strategy are a joke. Quite a few people find them useful. Since that's the case, I'll continue posting them. Feel free to ignore them if you like.

For what it's worth, I wasn't involved in any way with your suspension (It wasn't a ban) from C4P. I didn't use my reputation (I'm never quite clear what my reputation is, as it appears to vary greatly from person to person) as I don't particularly care what you think that much - no offense. I support that administrator's action, however, for the same reasons as your posts here - they are needlessly vulgar and incendiary.

I hope you find my response this time a bit more satisfying.

[Fried-Psitalon]

Originally posted by SirSebastian
I thought that's where I'd seen your name, MasterDave.



Fried-Psitalon, you may not be aware but many of us can't stay in the lobby without the game crashing. I can be there about 15-20 seconds and it crashes - every single time. So I have to pick a game -really- fast (and with the silly scrolling that's not so easy...). Definately not enough time to chat.

Sir - most of the C4P community can be found on our forum. Perhaps if you contact them there, you can get their YIM handles and simply host a game for them to join.

(Or hopefully the patch will resolve the problem.)

Hope that helps.

[filix]

Which are your first buildings in your capital?
What do you invent ? What do you want? Iron? Markets? Religions?
Do you build buildings for citygrowth? Or just barracks and swordsmen?
Do you build villages very early? And why do you need culture?
It seems to be the best way to get productive and Scientific but when do you build your first settler? Before the capital grows to 2 points? How do you know that your economy will be able to handle a second city without getting inventions slower?
I have a lot of questions, do you have answers and reasons? to much questions
Im surching a path to play

I like to play with gandi and i alway get hinduism then i go for domestication roads then iron or markets.
If i have stones i build wonders.

[Swissy]

I play at Civ4players and do fairly well. I am able to be top three in most games and rarely die anymore in-game.

My usual build sequence is warrior(scout)/warrior/warrior/Stonehedge/worker. The border expansion and the ability to get 2-3 GPs in a 120-130 turn game makes Stonehedge a must for me. Next builds depends on if I have close neighbors with a barracks being made early with a forest chop.

Tech would go Mysticism/mining/bronze working. After that it would be dependent of what resources are within my immediate grasp. Ultimately I'm looking to be getting to Fued(longbows) or machinery(crossbows). I also try to set my tech up to get Theology with my second GP, the double promotion is very necessary in an online game.

First settler comes around the time my capitol is size 5-6. The road is ready to make it a quick plant and to be able to get defense there quickly. In all I rarely go beyond four cities, unless blessed by many floodplaines and gold producing resources.

For the endgame I shoot for getting a great artist to use the great work of art to secure a ton of vacant land that would be risky to secure by multiple cities. Getting code of law/drama and switching to caste system with a theater in my capitol gives me a good shot at making my last GP a great artist.

Cottages are a must if you want to progress anywhere in tech. As many as I am able to make and still keep my cities growing at a reasonable rate. Without gold you'll find yourself out teched at the end, and tech is points

[Utwig]

I haven't found a way to counter war elephants:
They are strength 8 and if you lack ivory yourself and don't have maybe a strong UU (Praetorian comes to mind) the only thing that can counter them is upgraded spears.

Problem is when elephants are stacked with axemen or swordsmen, which means your spears will fail miserably against melee units. So you have to sacrifice 1 or two axemen to take out a war elephant.

I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's pretty hard.



Another question: What about 120-130 turn games, how is that enfornced in ladder games, i'm interested in joining.

[Fried-Psitalon]

I don't find elephants all that problematic. They're rather expensive beasts to build, and spears have "even odds" against them - so as long as you're forcing the Elephant to attack you, you're in decent shape. If the elephant is part of a stack and you want to attack it, it's really no different than dealing with any other combined-arms situation: soften it with catapults, then take your highest all-around unit (usually a ranged, often a crossbow) to go do cleanup.