MP strategies.

[Rasputin]

is there any fun in a game where you only build 4 cities ???

am i misisng something here. havent moved from SP to MP yet , but i would not play if empire building is gone from the MP game .

[Fried-Psitalon]

Swissy's strategy is a bit different than some. I typically build between 6-9 cities in a MP game, but bear in mind that we play between duel-small maps.

You can definitely do some empire building in MP, you just have to be ready to defend your empire while you build it.

[Rasputin]

so any one played a HUGE MAp in MP..


I wont play anything smaller in SP.

[StarLightDeath]

Huge maps are non-existent in MP and I doubt they would even work. You will never build that many cities because the game is designed to keep you from pulling ahead too far. In a normal MP game on a duel map you'll only build about 6 cities. Who cares though, this game isn't about expansion it's about seeing how big you can make your cities and how far you can extend your borders through culture. Only time city count actually comes into play is when you are on water and water doesn't count for land points. I just love how this game comes down to points almost every game btw...really top notch gameplay in this game. They should have named this game differently because it's really not Civilization anymore, but then again if it had any name other than Civilization it would have never left the shelves.

[Ljube]

I agree that horse units are very powerful early on, particularly special chariot units (immortals are the best early attackers).

[Fried-Psitalon]

Provided you're facing archers and aren't facing warriors, sure - they're no better than a normal chariot if your opponent has the wit to build a warrior garrison, enroute to (hopefully) a spear upgrade.

[DrSpike]

Yeah war chariots are nicer. But for duels, neither of the civs with unique chariot based units are aggressive, which is a black mark right now.

[Ljube]

Doc, are you up for a duel sometime? Couldn't get you to play civ 2, maybe I'll have more luck with civ 4.

[DrSpike]

I certainly am. You'll need to get a bit of practice in first though.

[Rasputin]

i have never like duels and if i ever get to Noble level i would only ever play with as many players as possible. Diplomacy and alliances are what civ is about , not duels wher eit leads to you know who the enemy is.

[DrSpike]

Well there are 2 ways to enjoy Civ MP - there always have been. There are the games where how many players you are buddies with (or your skill at diplomacy)determines whether you win, or sometimes how lucky you are in being in a good spot not between 2 aggressive players, and there are duels, where there is no diplomacy (I agree removing an element of the SP Civ experience) but you win or lose based on your own merits.

I prefer duels. I play SP for building and the wider Civ experience.

[Ljube]

I play both types of MP games and have no a priori preference to one or the other.

[Deity Dude]

Originally posted by StarLightDeath
Huge maps are non-existent in MP and I doubt they would even work. You will never build that many cities because the game is designed to keep you from pulling ahead too far. In a normal MP game on a duel map you'll only build about 6 cities. Who cares though, this game isn't about expansion it's about seeing how big you can make your cities and how far you can extend your borders through culture. Only time city count actually comes into play is when you are on water and water doesn't count for land points. I just love how this game comes down to points almost every game btw...really top notch gameplay in this game. They should have named this game differently because it's really not Civilization anymore, but then again if it had any name other than Civilization it would have never left the shelves.

I've played several games on large or huge maps. Actually I like doing a bit of building before you are smack in somebody else's face. I know this style isnt popular for turn limited ladder duels but there is alot more to MP than just that style of game.

[Snotty]

I agree there is a lot more to civ than limited turn duels.

However when it comes to the crunch, in a many playered MP game and I start next to you and want YOUR land first, you had better hope you know what you are doing in a 1on1 duel.

[Axxaer]

And often the less confident (not neccessarily weaker) players will side with a powerfully militaristic player because they would rather build up to fight them later than be their next target.