When you start up a new game of civ do you play every start that comes up whether or not it has tech? Whether or not the first 10 turns yield good land? Whether the huts reward or punish etc.......?

As for myself..... whenever i do dabble in SP civ nowadays, I don't play any games that give me tech to start with. I prefer to research or steal all the tech I need.

The only time i reset my game is if on a small map i start in the poles and i do mean the edges of the top or bottom of the map. Otherwise i play out each one completely. If this means wandering till 3200bc so be it.... hopefully i will have about 8+ units looking for easy kills and early vet status.

Of course i will have undoubtably picked up a few techs and cash on the way...... probably WC

If i am in the mood for a challenge and i get clobbered by barbs with that second settler opening the hut, i will play it out..... doesn't happen often (thank the lord) but in the past i have been known to scrap those games few as they maybe.

Anyways just curious about what others do..... A long time ago there was a debate about starting techs and whether people thought it was "too easy" to play those starts.

Anyway, I restart if I get free techs, and if my starting point is somewhere on one of the poles. Otherwise I march forth. Except for the other day. I met another civ before I'd build my first city, I was just about to build my capital, barb archers arrived and killed both my settlers. Bummer.

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Scouse Git[1] -- git1@scousers.net

I did once restart on a world map, starting on London's site. Why? The Chinese started two sqaures away with a settler and a warrior! (I saw them in my city window upon settling.) I didn't feel like sitting thru that loser movie three seconds after starting the game.

Curiously they turn out to be less of a handicap than you might expect. You don't get pestered there - it is a obvious (well only obvious to me I suppose after I stopped grossly undervaluing it) to go for the Lighthouse early and, I'm pretty sure, you're slower early pace results in the A1 getting some penalty or other which slows them down too.

Otherwise I like to stick to one game and see it through.

I'm not obsessive about always winning. What I like to do is try some idea out and refine it through a series of games. I am sometimes aware that an easy win could be had by switching to some alternative strategy - go fundy say and launch an all out attack. But I've been there, done that and got the T shirt so I rarely bother. The mere fact that this means the A1 beats me sometimes doesn't trouble me much. He's an equabble sort of fellow and doesn't boast more than is proper.

large maps make for a much longer game but i find med maps to be my greatest fun! gives the ai a slight chance to build at least one maybe two civs up for a war

I have never reset a med map although on a couple of occassions i did start on the poles with no way out and fired those ones into the recycle bin.

Win or lose i think its important to play out games to the finish.... one can learn alot about maps by searching for that reclusive "former" world power muahahahahaha sorry dont know where that came from

quote: Originally posted by Father Beast on 05-12-2001 09:55 PM Really? if that happens to me, I'll reload from a saved game early on and try playing differently and see if that works.

Father Beast..... just don't make a habit of it when you are losing.... one doesn't learn from it generally and it makes the temptation harder to resist.

quote: Originally posted by solo on 05-13-2001 08:39 PM As many of the great MP players here rightfully (and tirelessly!) claim, the best test of a new strategy is in how it fares in competition against human opponents, where reloads are not an option.

Yup what he said....... the best way to learn civ is to MP hands down.....

You may get you behind kicked but you will learn alot faster IMO and like Solo stated..... there is no such thing as reload

Plus hindsight is 20/20 no Real Life general or leader had a chance to replay the outcome of a battle when he lost!

That all said..... there are many great SP players here whom have mastered the game and/or understand it better than i do and ever will ........ So kudos to all whom kick the ai's butt faster than i do.....

I will say this much...... MP is a drug i cannot let go of.... whereas i kicked my ai habits

Nowadays, since my sp days have ended, I need not worry about changing the fate of my civ, for once a turn is played (in MP) there is no going back.....and I'm stuck with all my stupid mistakes (like letting my democracy crumble on it's second year as I have done in my current game). This threw a wrench in my plans, but as I work through it, I'll be better off in the end and a stronger player to boot.

It's just not fun for me to dominate. I need tension or I get bored.

Best position is to be middle of the pack (still contending for wonders of course) and then make your leap when appropriate.

This is extremely important in MP as it gives the facade that your not powerfull and thus not a threat when in reality your a crouching tiger/hidden dragon

quote: Originally posted by drake on 05-16-2001 10:23 AM Hey war, the hotw world crew misses your company, but Mongolias new leader (Easthaven) has taken over and done quite a good job with your foundation...........The playing field in that game is very even at this point and because of this it's gotten very interesting and enjoyable...... Of course in a mp game with 7 people, unless you're just so much better than your competition, it's gonna be fairly even..........which is why mp is so much better than sp

Hey drake..... i still check out to see whats up in that dip game..... i wish things were different for me and i didn't have to leave that game..... You guyz took diplomacy to another level and showed me the ropes.

I wish everyone in HOTW good wishes and best of luck.....

ps... i hear a big war was brewing and alliances have totally shifted