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So I just bought Civ4, anyone play it. Got the manual and everything. I have been playing CivIII the last few days (bought it years ago) but it has never really "done it" for me. I don't know what it is, it is just boring I think. Build cities, fight, fight, fight. Wonder why you did not just put it on easy mode. I mean at least CivII had the fantasy-pack or whatever it was.

I have heard good things about Civ4, or at least I did when it was out. Probably play CivIII and Civ4 interchangably I would like to beat CivIII a couple times.

I have not played Civ3, but Civ4 is a lot of fun IMO. It's well worth buying the Beyond the Sword expansion to get some of the custom scenarios that were included in it (At least, I think they were added in BtS). Especially the Space Civilization game.

The only problem I've ever had with the game is that it's ridiculously hard to win in any way other than either a diplomatic victory (Get everyone to vote for you) or the cultural victory (Get three cities to Legendary status). The space race takes so long, you're almost better off just going for something else - anything else - and a military victory is downright impossible unless you can pull together a heavy attack force early on, or go nuclear in late-game. Plus, you've still gotta deal with unhappy/sick peasants, and the unhappiness rating goes sky-high when you go to war...

Well that is exactly why I am tired of CivIII it seems like the whole game is just one long battle although maybe I am too aggressive myself.

Trying to go to war in Civ 4 is awful; it takes forever to destroy every individual city, even when you're using Abrams against musketeers.

IMO CIV III is superior in tactics and startegy to CIV IV.
CIV III alllows to win every type of victory condition, whilst CIV IV sucks for military wins.
Both have expansions and got sold as "complete" set lately, so i hope you've bought one of those sets for cheap.

CIV 4 has serious issues in size. Its "3D" map reduces the playground and the boring animations and stupid music aren't an
improvement as it should be in a V4 of a game.

Normally played it as single player or in a hot-seat team.

You can beat CIV 4 only if you accept idiotic fights where the percentage to win is just a guess and means nothing.
Save regularly and often!

Your NPC opponents aim for 1 conquerd city usually and so most inter NPC fights end fast.
Problem is, you can't overrun them as it was possible in CIV 1-3. The defensive bonus ruins chances of the player greatly
and those unneccessary barbarians like you so much they will always chose you as primary target.
If seen in 20 games only 1 time a NPC beeing conquered by barbarians.

Maybe try either to win diplomatic, cultural, religious or space race. Focus on one of those conditions.
CIV 4 does not allow to change your strategy much, cause you never get as much production or units as CIV 3 had.

So CIV4 isn't better than CIV 3, just different. And slower.

1hadhq once again reminds me why I pay $25 a year to frequent this website. Played Civ4, lost, pretty cool game. Played Frederick Germans and ended up trying to convert the map to Buddhism for whatever reason. Tried attacking the little scrawny guy up north and ended up doing nothing. Needed catapults to take the defended cities I guess. Meanwhile they ran all over my territory, destroyed all my roads and generally made a mess of things.

Pretty cool game but you have to have a PLAN. That and I had this massive pile of gold it would not have killed me to make say a bunch of Axemen when I had the resources and send them out to cause mischief and get some exp.