Civ4 ain't the prettiest game around

[Delsaber]

^ Indeed. However, I find the usefulness of keeping a state religion pretty much vanishes upon attaining the Free Religion civic. Still, the early-to-midgame benefits can be helpful.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Then again, if you want certain bonuses (either militarily or production), you don't want to use the free religion civic.

 

[PointyHairedJedi]

(Check out a game called Imperialism at Home of the Underdogs. Now there's a strategy game you can really sink your teeth into.)

Imperialism is a great game, but it pales in comparison to Europa Universalis.

Indeed. I used to be a huge Civ2 junkie back in the day, but these days I mainly play the Paradox fare. Very good, intricate games.

I do actually have Crusader Kings (and the somewhat buggy Deus Vult expansion), and while I'm definitely tempted to get EUIII the lack of coverter from one to the other is somewhat a damper on that. That, and I'm trying really hard not to spend too much at the moment.

Imperialism has the plus that it can be had for free.

 

[Othello]

I just don't like Civ IV compared to Civ III. Civ IV is still a gretat game and the best RTS out there other than Civ III :>))

 

[SlaveOfSeven]

Civ IV is still a gretat game and the best RTS out there other than Civ III :>))

RTS: doesn't that stand for Real Time Strategy? The Civ games are turn based, not real time.

Anyway, I've just got to express my pleasure at the soundtrack for Civ 4, which is almost completely classical. Wow! Renaissance choral music; entire Bach, Mozart and Beethoven movements; I was waiting for the modern era and the pop to start, but instead was amazed to hear The Chairman Dances and other modern classical music that even gets quite discordant in places (think it's mostly John Adams but I'm not really familiar with his work so I may be mistaken). Of course, most people probably turn off the music or replace it with their own stuff, but still, quite a brave move really.

 

[TheArsenal]

There's no risk allowed with the galleys, etc...you just are simply allowed to move into sea squares. What fun is that?

I too liked the "suicide galleys" - sending galleys across the ocean taking the calculated risk that they may sink for the pay off of discovering unknown landmasses early in the game. But the AI didn't use them. And there is no way you could get the AI to use them intelligently. Even without the map exposed, humans have a sophisticated understanding of how the world may be shaped based on the map we choose. Even with random maps this is still true. The computer opponent would just throw ships away stupidly sending them on low percentage missions, when the AI is better served be using that production to do something more useful than lining the ocean bottom with galleys.

And the religion thing...never got the point of it.

Religion is a useful way to fill the coffers, speed up research and increase production. Founding a religion is profitable (after a point). Also, there are religious buildings which add research points and wonders which turn religious buildings into money makers or add additional research points. Cities with the state religion are more productive.

There are also civic choices based on religion which can do anything from increase production to better prepare units for war. Powerful tool.

And, as importantly, it is a good way to influence diplomacy. There are opponents, such a Isabella of Spain for example, who use religion as a very strong determiner for diplomatic relations. If she does not share a religion with you, she is near certain to war with you. There is a world wonder called the Apostolic Palace, where shared religions are aligned diplomatically and vote on such things as giving cities away, denial of trade, and declarations of war. If you are on the wrong side of that religious block, you can suddenly find yourself on the wrong side of a multi-front war or economic boycott. Game changing and very powerful.

Edit: I like the 3-D look of Civ IV. I found Civ III to be a bit static and lacking any immersive qualities. I think the look of Civ IV (as well as the game play elements) went a long way to solving that.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

The computer opponent would just throw ships away stupidly sending them on low percentage missions, when the AI is better served be using that production to do something more useful than lining the ocean bottom with galleys.

Did the sea and ocean squares even affect AI's galleys? I never could tell. I thought that was one of the AI's little cheats, much like how they could walk across each other's land without diplomatic repercussions.

Like I said, I haven't played CIV 4 much, so I never figured out the pros/cons of the the religion thing. I do remember Isabella, the evil hottie, hating on me. Now I know why! I also remember sending missionaries to foreign lands which felt a bit like the caravan/freight thing that got old in Civ 2.

 

[Canadave]

Imperialism is a great game, but it pales in comparison to Europa Universalis.

Indeed. I used to be a huge Civ2 junkie back in the day, but these days I mainly play the Paradox fare. Very good, intricate games.

I do actually have Crusader Kings (and the somewhat buggy Deus Vult expansion), and while I'm definitely tempted to get EUIII the lack of coverter from one to the other is somewhat a damper on that. That, and I'm trying really hard not to spend too much at the moment.

EU III is worth it, if you ask me. I have far too much fun creating unlikely empires, my favourites being minor kingdoms like Milan. Nothing quite like fighting a war with (and subsequently taking land from) France as a tiny Italian country!