Civ IV

[runway78]

Just got a copy. Ah a classic game. I played Civ I and II so much, so its a bit of a jump to IV. Any tips?

[sorrento205]

Once you get into it you find its not that much different. Or i didnt think so anyway

[Mr E]

Only real difference is that the "total city sprawl" tactics of earlier Civs is much less effective.

Oh, and on the easy levels it's a breeze, and on the moderate levels gets very tricky indeed very fast.

[JagLover]

It's better than the rather awful Civilisation 3 but personally I don't think the gameplay is anywhere near as well balanced as in Civilisation II (which is one of my favourite games of all time)

I played it for a bit then I went back to Rome Total War. I can't help but think that the Total War series have made Civilisation obsolete.

Now a civilisation type game, with random map generation and city building, combined with the tactical map of Total War, that would be another story.

[runway78]

Civ III was a dog. The idea resources run out killed the game as you just got a nice game going and oh you can't build that anymore. Should have been able to turn that feature on and off.
Think Civ IV is good from what i have played so far but not with the game play of earlier versions.
For example air power hardly does anything now it seems to me. Cruise missles have gone as well making subs usless.
Going to try a few games online and see

[chris watton]

Have to agree with JL, I have both Civ.4 and Rome TW, and have played them very extensively. I think that if both were meals, Civ4 would be a very lean veggie meal with little choice on the menu, whereas Rome is the full starters, meat and two veg, pudding, and coffee and biscuits afterwards.
In Civ4, the first time I built nukes and aircraft carriers, I thought it would be great to go on the offensive, but it doesn't seem to let you, so you end up either putting the units to sleep, or in explore mode!

(And I've yet to see something as good as a post Marian reform Roman army against the Carthaginian army with elephants on a 50" plasma screen! )

[runway78]

Yeah Chris on previous versions I use to use the carriers as they are in real life, very powerful units. Load em up with planes and kick ass! Not any more, you cant even put bombers on them!
Anyone know a good patch for this?

[big_treacle]

I played this quite heavily when it first came out along with the Warlords add on.

Although they've changed the way lots of things worked & added some new concepts, the thing I was most interested in was multiplayer.

If you can get a good multiplayer game up with decent people that doesn't crash, doesn't have everyone drop out as soon as they get attacked etc etc its really good fun. Otherwise it can be a bit of a hassle.
I have had some excellent global wars for control of resources!

I have to say I too was a bit gutted with the way they changed certain things - carriers not carrying bombers for example. There are tons of mods you can download though & maybe you'll find something there... look at civfanatics.com (i think)