Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (Expansion Pack)

[BigTom]

yeah it probably should get moved. I'm also looking forward to civ 5, though I'm skeptical about the change to a hex grid, and apparently that you can't stack units anymore. the change to a hex grid just strikes me as something that has been done because they felt they needed to differentiate from previous civ games, not because it adds to the gameplay in some way. We'll see.

Civ 4 is pretty different to Civ revolutions, though some things are the same like wonders and combat (except there aren't armies in civ 4), but it's missing loads from the pc game. really easy to go from civ 4 to civ revolutions but might be more difficult the other way.

I'd suggest just playing it anyway, on the easiest level, and learning as you go. It's really difficult for me to say how intuititve it actually is, since I've been playing them (without manuals) since civ 1 on the amiga 500. When I get a new version I just play a game or two on the easiest level to find out what the new techs/wonders/units do.
Remembering which boats can carry units is the biggest problem I have.

let me know if you have specific questions, and I'll help. If you want some basic tactical suggestions let me know, but I don't want to jump in if you want to find your own way from the start.

 

[mrs quoad]

Yeah, no, I'm up to about 1800. Lord, these games go on a bit, don't they?#

Tried it a couple of times on the two-up-from-easiest level, and soon realised there's just no point even beginning to try there.

I'm already beginning to nudge towards the way I usually am with games - a day or three of pathological involvement, then nothing, ever again. I'm beginning to tire of it... Fingers crossed that solidifies, as I need to get lots more work done next week!

 

[mrs quoad]

Domination victory in 1924. On the easiest level. Hammering everyone else with modern armies, and tanks.

The thought of trying to manage all that... on a higher difficulty level... with unhappy civilians, and stuff.... lord.

 

[BigTom]

I've always had a soft spot for playing on the easiest level and winning by conquest/domination by slaughtering their spearmen and archers with my tanks and planes. With Civ 4, I've not played on the harder levels (only on the second hardest) because I spent too much time trying (and eventually succeeding) to win on Sid level (the hardest one) in civ 2 and civ 3. It was civ 3 that pretty much stopped me playing games, because I spent months doing very little other than playing civ 3, just to beat the thing on the hardest level.
Now, I just play trying to beat my previous score / year of victory at an easy level, so I don't get sucked in so badly.

yeah it's difficult to manage stuff on harder levels, but that's the challenge isn't it, to find the most efficient paths to achieve victory.

 

[Psychonaut]

With Civ 4, I've not played on the harder levels (only on the second hardest) because I spent too much time trying (and eventually succeeding) to win on Sid level (the hardest one) in civ 2 and civ 3. It was civ 3 that pretty much stopped me playing games, because I spent months doing very little other than playing civ 3, just to beat the thing on the hardest level.
.

wow - thats some achievement!

I won Civ3 on the hardest setting, but only on my own terms (setting the map up a certain way, only 2 rivals, constant restarts/saves)

I know what you mean about being sucked in, but it can work the other way for me - the civ series are one of very few games challenging enough to actually be worth playing. When i know for sure that ill win (as everyone else who played it has) theres very little incentive to play. On Civ4 i found trying to compete on the highest levels so tedious theres a natural point where it just stops being enjoyable - so the game is really to see on what level i can win before that reaching that point.

So, the result for me with the Civs is being sucked into a game badly for several weeks, then hitting the point of game fatigue/boredom. Followed by a long period of not gaming at all, until eventually the next civX or equivalent comes along, which fortunately isnt very often!

 

[BigTom]

when I went for it on civ3 I played loads of games that I stopped once I'd explored the initial part of the map or played until maybe 0 or 500AD until I decided it was unwinnable. I can't remember how many rivals I had, I think I played with quite a few, and I know that the map I won it on had me on an island just big enough for 5 or 6 cities, no-one else anywhere nearby and a couple of big land masses with everyone else on, so I got to play the start of the game without needing to make any big military advances, whilst everyone else fought amongst themselves. I won it with the space race, and even then I only did it by making my ship faster than my opponents, iirc I beat them by 1 turn. I didn't wage any military campaigns in that game, just kept quiet and researched hard.
So I didn't make the map myself, but I didn't play for long in any games where I had many rivals, and towards the end only played on maps where I was alone on an island. definitely needs some setup to make a victory likely at the hardest level.
Then I never played again
I did however take 2 weeks holiday from work to play out civ4 to reach the fatigue/boredom point you mention.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Kiss goodbye to your spare time for the next few weeks!

Isn't Civ 5 due for release at the end of September? I can't wait!

*Wonders if this thread would be better off in Gaming & Consoles now it's been bumped*

All of the above..! Can't wait for Civ 5.

 

[mrs quoad]

w.o.w. @ this thread I'm wondering what the f*** I've got myself into. The challenge / boredom / fatigue thing sounds very familiar

All of the above..! Can't wait for Civ 5.

THANKFULLY my flaptop would never be able to handle it Games from about 2006-7 are just about right

 

[Kid_Eternity]

w.o.w. @ this thread I'm wondering what the f*** I've got myself into. The challenge / boredom / fatigue thing sounds very familiar



THANKFULLY my flaptop would never be able to handle it Games from about 2006-7 are just about right

You at least could play it with the settings down, there's no news on a Mac version yet...

 

[mrs quoad]

You at least could play it with the settings down, there's no news on a Mac version yet...

Orly? I kinda doubt it... my laptop really isn't very game-friendly. Processor's kinda ok, but I'm guessing that my machine wouldn't begin to meet the minimum specs. It certainly wouldn't, going by peeks at other new-ish releases' min specs.

e2a:

Civilization V System Requirements*

Intel Processor - Core 2 Quad Q6400 2.13GHz
AMD Processor - Phenom 9100e Quad-Core
Nvidia Graphics Card - GeForce 9800 GT
ATI Graphics Card - Radeon HD 4830 512MB
RAM Memory - 4 GB
Hard Disk Space - 8 GB

Yeah.

No.

I don't think that's happening

 

[mrs quoad]

AFTER working 'til 4 this morning, after 2 days' work in Manchester (beginning at 4am on Mon, getting home at 8pm Tues), today has officially been Civilization Day.

It takes one fuck of a long time to build owt respectable on a 'large' map, doesn't it? AND, nuts, I've got to drive to Bradford at 04.00 again tomorrow n all

 

[Epona]

It takes one fuck of a long time to build owt respectable on a 'large' map, doesn't it?

The OH and I do "hotseat" multiplayer on a huge map, our games can go on for a couple of months