Civ 4 review by Chris

Nav · 25-11-2005, 22:59:54

A review!

http://www.counterglow.com/article.php?id=civ4

Enjoy! (thanks Chris)

btw screenshots are on the large side!

notyoueither · 26-11-2005, 07:41:12

Quote:

Overall this is the finest example of this great franchise, finally surpassing Civ 2 as the best in the series.

High praise, indeed.

Beta1 · 26-11-2005, 08:54:02

sounds good, I'll have to go and get it now.

Not that I have time to play though!

Funko · 27-11-2005, 13:19:37

Nice review (and great screenshots).

shagnasty · 27-11-2005, 15:38:42

I've not played any of the Civ games. How do they compare to the AoE series?

Venom · 27-11-2005, 17:29:31

Looks like I don't have to review it now.

MattHiggs · 27-11-2005, 18:49:43

Great review. I've played the game for weeks and I think it's spot on.

Tizzy · 28-11-2005, 10:27:39

Quote:

Originally posted by Venom
Looks like I don't have to review it now.

Damn you Chris, damn you!

Good review though

Chris · 28-11-2005, 15:42:15

Glad everyone liked it.

I also found out Nav's real name is Percival Sweetwater, man that is gay.

Resource Consumer · 28-11-2005, 16:34:23

Good review. I agree with the conclusions.

One nice thing that I like about it is that resources (or at least some of them) only become discoverable with a given technology so you no longer feel that you have to behave like a nomad to maximise the value of city one.

Also, the changes to the production system for settlers and workers custs down the ICS problems and makes the game more enjoyable for people who like fewer large cities

King_Ghidra · 28-11-2005, 17:06:09

nice review, i shall attempt an illegal download forthwith

shagnasty · 04-12-2005, 15:46:32

So is Civ 4 as good as AoE and AoM then or what?

Resource Consumer · 05-12-2005, 10:42:25

it is different

Chris · 05-12-2005, 18:53:06

Its a good game, some nice maps and scenarios should make it even better.

Vincent · 21-12-2005, 16:35:53

It's for nerds

Funko · 21-12-2005, 16:48:02

So you like it?

Resource Consumer · 22-12-2005, 11:17:05

He liked SimGolf

Vincent · 26-12-2005, 05:47:32

I'm too stupid for Civ

Colon · 28-12-2005, 01:03:40

I'm too stingy to buy it and too lazy to rip it.

Tizzy · 28-12-2005, 09:46:56

I got it for Christmas.
I haven't been allowed on the computer yet to play it though

Aredhran · 28-12-2005, 09:59:47

Just kick him in the dingding and install the game

Funko · 29-12-2005, 11:51:23

It's not my fault. It's work's fault.

Tizzy · 29-12-2005, 11:55:25

I did manage to install it and have a quick look last night.
It's going to take a bit of getting used to, as it's been about 2 or 3 years since I last played a Civ game but it looks good.

Chris · 30-12-2005, 00:43:21

Its fun Tiz, you can drift through the entire game before really understanding it.

Only now, after about a dozen games do I understand the value of state religions and missionaires, and matching them to the correct type of gov.

Greg W · 30-12-2005, 01:50:23

Oh, Missionaries rock. Having an opponent with the same religion as you helps a lot in keeping them happy.

Oh, and Tizzy - even if it won't help you play the game more, kick him in the ding-ding anyway.

MDA · 30-12-2005, 11:55:17

crap, went to pick this up yesterday and they were sold out.

Its a sign I should be playing more WoW.

Tizzy · 30-12-2005, 16:11:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Greg W
Oh, and Tizzy - even if it won't help you play the game more, kick him in the ding-ding anyway.

I'm still waiting for the wine for the last two, from now on it's payment upfront.

Qaj the Fuzzy Love Worm · 30-12-2005, 20:49:58

Quote:

Originally posted by MDA
crap, went to pick this up yesterday and they were sold out.

Its a sign I should be playing more WoW.

Two timer.

Greg W · 30-12-2005, 21:25:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Tizzy
I'm still waiting for the wine for the last two, from now on it's payment upfront.

Hang on a sec shiela, this one was for personal pleasure, not so you could get another free bottle of wine out of me. On top of which, the payment was always going to be wine when I go to England. Don't go trying to change the deal now.

Funko · 03-01-2006, 09:38:59

I have played 2 games so far have no idea what I'm doing really. Had a bit of a learning game on chieftan that I won easily. Then had a game on warlord that was a lot harder. Got stuck on one continent with 5 other computer players, guess who was stuck right in the middle. Was continuously at war for the entire game as one AI after the other invaded and was fought off, only for another AI to declare war straight after. I eventually lost to a space race to the Indians in about 2030, didn't mind so much because the Indians were the only ones I was friends with and who didn't invade me.

mr_G · 03-01-2006, 22:27:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Funko
Got stuck on one continent with 5 other computer players, guess who was stuck right in the middle.

uuuuhh you?

Tizzy · 04-01-2006, 09:58:41

Yay, schjmarte mrG!

I'm really enjoying Civ 4 too (when I get to play it that is). Still don't understand most of what I'm doing but I'll learn

MDA · 04-01-2006, 11:40:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Qaj the Fuzzy Love Worm
Two timer.

this from the guy who rerolled alliance*

*sort of

Drekkus · 04-01-2006, 13:14:18

Quote:

Originally posted by Venom
Looks like I don't have to review it now.

You were supposed to review CoD II about a month ago!!

Venom · 04-01-2006, 13:25:01

Yeah, but everyone voted for Civ4 instead. And that review was done. So I'll have to do something else. Maybe I'll review F.E.A.R

The Mad Monk · 08-01-2006, 07:31:57

Yin ate his box on that incredibly nerdy civ site.

MDA · 09-01-2006, 14:19:47

Got it this weekend, built wonders, was cranking out culture and religion everywhere, then I decided the spanish needed to go away - although we had equal tech, they crushed me, even though I had amassed a force of longbowmen, catapults, and macemen I thought was strong enough to take one of their bigger cities and cripple them.

Attack failed miserably, about 5 turns later I lost a city with 2 wonders in it and they were advancing on my capital...

on the bright side I learned that catapults have a barrage attack in addition to bombard - I may replay that little war from the beginning and see if the barrage (hits all units in a sqare instead of attacking fortification level) helps.

Funko · 09-01-2006, 14:27:49

Highlight the unit you want to attack with, press g and then mouse over the unit you want to attack. Gives you all the stats and bonuses and your percentage chance of winning. Makes battles a lot less down to guesswork.

I think the barrage ability comes in only if you make a normal attack with your catapult. I don't tend to use that because by the time I get catapults archers with City Defender are usually hard enough to beat a catapult and Longbowmen certainly are. Works better with tanks. Whatever you do, make sure you take out all the fortifications first. It really makes a difference. Also I put some defensive units (archers/longbowmen etc) in the stack so that they can garrison the captured city leaving your assault stack to continue conquering (once healed).

To successfully wage an offensive war you either need a slight tech superiority or massively superior numbers. If you can get elephants when he still only has archers you can kick some arse though.

Chris · 10-01-2006, 03:02:11

Ships can also bombard costal cities.

Bombers are deadly in this game, if you get them, no city is safe no matter what its defenses.

HelloKitty · 10-01-2006, 04:24:37

When you play the higher levels the AI uses many more fighters to take down your bombers, you need a big counter fighter group.

Funko · 10-01-2006, 10:05:08

The AI is good at fighting in general.

MDA · 10-01-2006, 11:44:49

started over as Egypt...

wow, I spread my religion to all my neighbor's cities and can now get away with just about anything I like, they love me!

once I got the "+100% growth in cities with your religion" civic, I pulled WAY ahead of my neighbors

I got 2 great people with the +4000 culture buff and used them both on a border city of mine, then started building any cultural stuff I could there - it paid off, my neighbor's border has pulled way back, and I absorbed a medium sized coastal city from him.

Haven't fired a shot in anger at anyone but barbarians yet

Funko · 10-01-2006, 11:47:53

Excellent.

I love invading places. I'm rubbish at the religion thing yet. At the moment I'm in a protracted land war with Roosevelt. I captured 2 of his cities but underestimated how many units he had, he overwhelmed my attack force through pure weight of numbers (and at horrendous cost) but had enough to roll over two of my cities. I'm about to get totally renaissance on his arse.

Tizzy · 10-01-2006, 11:54:40

Quote:

Originally posted by MDA

I got 2 great people with the +4000 culture buff and used them both on a border city of mine, then started building any cultural stuff I could there - it paid off, my neighbor's border has pulled way back, and I absorbed a medium sized coastal city from him.

That's my favourite thing at the moment, I was trying to take over some cities that way in my last game until the Mongolians declared war on me and it all went horribly wrong.....

Funko · 10-01-2006, 11:56:59

That was the same game as my game above but I'm still in it.

MoSe · 10-01-2006, 12:06:18

do you two hotseat?

Tizzy · 10-01-2006, 12:20:51

We decided having a hotseat game going was a good idea for when we both want to play at the same time

Funko · 10-01-2006, 12:29:37

Hot Seat is fun.

Although the AI doesn't sulk if you decide to build the wonder they were going for.

Tizzy · 10-01-2006, 12:35:22

I think they do.
I'm sure "you stole the Hanging Gardens" must have caused some wars.

Funko · 10-01-2006, 12:37:34

Maybe. If you had built it there it'd just have been captured by the Mongolians a few turns later anyway.

Anyway, that's the beauty of being able to build wonders 50% faster (and having better starting land).

25-11-2005, 22:59:54	#1
Nav Never gonna be as ugly as Lurker Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Everywhere...	Civ 4 review by Chris A review! http://www.counterglow.com/article.php?id=civ4 Enjoy! (thanks Chris) btw screenshots are on the large side!

26-11-2005, 08:54:02	#3
Beta1 [works only in german, sorry] Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: here	sounds good, I'll have to go and get it now. Not that I have time to play though! __________________ I've got ham, but I'm not a hamster...

27-11-2005, 17:29:31	#6
Venom Look out behind you! Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rudolph's stable	Looks like I don't have to review it now. __________________ TO MY BALLS!!!!! or TO LazyView!!!!

28-11-2005, 15:42:15	#9
Chris really doesn't pay attention Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: With the Monkey Pirates	Glad everyone liked it. I also found out Nav's real name is Percival Sweetwater, man that is gay. __________________ Her name is aphrodite and she rides a crimson shell

28-11-2005, 16:34:23	#10
Resource Consumer Guardian of All Things Holy Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Al Khobar, Magic Kingdom	Good review. I agree with the conclusions. One nice thing that I like about it is that resources (or at least some of them) only become discoverable with a given technology so you no longer feel that you have to behave like a nomad to maximise the value of city one. Also, the changes to the production system for settlers and workers custs down the ICS problems and makes the game more enjoyable for people who like fewer large cities __________________ Bossman

27-11-2005, 13:19:37	#4
Funko Pubs Minister Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Banned	Nice review (and great screenshots).

27-11-2005, 15:38:42	#5
shagnasty Tiny ping pong man Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: inside my own belly button, creating my own belly button fluff.	I've not played any of the Civ games. How do they compare to the AoE series?

27-11-2005, 18:49:43	#7
MattHiggs Higgelhoff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Worsley	Great review. I've played the game for weeks and I think it's spot on.

28-11-2005, 17:06:09	#11
King_Ghidra pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: MORAL HARDCORE CHAMPION	nice review, i shall attempt an illegal download forthwith __________________ i check my hair at the elevator mirror and the highlight of my day when I say hi to a girl who's opposite of the elevator door at my floor. the one i went out with. after that, it's the same old fucking thing all over again. -paiktis

04-12-2005, 15:46:32	#12
shagnasty Tiny ping pong man Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: inside my own belly button, creating my own belly button fluff.	So is Civ 4 as good as AoE and AoM then or what?

05-12-2005, 10:42:25	#13
Resource Consumer Guardian of All Things Holy Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Al Khobar, Magic Kingdom	it is different __________________ Bossman

05-12-2005, 18:53:06	#14
Chris really doesn't pay attention Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: With the Monkey Pirates	Its a good game, some nice maps and scenarios should make it even better. __________________ Her name is aphrodite and she rides a crimson shell

21-12-2005, 16:35:53	#15
Vincent Unchained Join Date: May 2002	It's for nerds

21-12-2005, 16:48:02	#16
Funko Pubs Minister Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Banned	So you like it?

22-12-2005, 11:17:05	#17
Resource Consumer Guardian of All Things Holy Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Al Khobar, Magic Kingdom	He liked SimGolf __________________ Bossman

26-12-2005, 05:47:32	#18
Vincent Unchained Join Date: May 2002	I'm too stupid for Civ

28-12-2005, 01:03:40	#19
Colon prima! Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Antwerpen	I'm too stingy to buy it and too lazy to rip it. __________________ LOOKOUT!! IT'S THE FAIRLY HAIRY TAXI FAIRY!!! - Drekkus

28-12-2005, 09:46:56	#20
Tizzy Lazy Nerd owner Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Sitting with the baked pears	I got it for Christmas. I haven't been allowed on the computer yet to play it though __________________ You have a watschnpappn

28-12-2005, 09:59:47	#21
Aredhran Hmmm, Fondue ! Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Geneva, Switzerland	Just kick him in the dingding and install the game __________________ You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life.

29-12-2005, 11:51:23	#22
Funko Pubs Minister Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Banned	It's not my fault. It's work's fault.

29-12-2005, 11:55:25	#23
Tizzy Lazy Nerd owner Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Sitting with the baked pears	I did manage to install it and have a quick look last night. It's going to take a bit of getting used to, as it's been about 2 or 3 years since I last played a Civ game but it looks good. __________________ You have a watschnpappn

30-12-2005, 00:43:21	#24
Chris really doesn't pay attention Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: With the Monkey Pirates	Its fun Tiz, you can drift through the entire game before really understanding it. Only now, after about a dozen games do I understand the value of state religions and missionaires, and matching them to the correct type of gov. __________________ Her name is aphrodite and she rides a crimson shell

30-12-2005, 01:50:23	#25
Greg W This title intentionally left blank Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Down Under	Oh, Missionaries rock. Having an opponent with the same religion as you helps a lot in keeping them happy. Oh, and Tizzy - even if it won't help you play the game more, kick him in the ding-ding anyway. __________________ NIM

30-12-2005, 11:55:17	#26
MDA Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: updated his email address and can look but not post	crap, went to pick this up yesterday and they were sold out. Its a sign I should be playing more WoW.

03-01-2006, 09:38:59	#30
Funko Pubs Minister Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Banned	I have played 2 games so far have no idea what I'm doing really. Had a bit of a learning game on chieftan that I won easily. Then had a game on warlord that was a lot harder. Got stuck on one continent with 5 other computer players, guess who was stuck right in the middle. Was continuously at war for the entire game as one AI after the other invaded and was fought off, only for another AI to declare war straight after. I eventually lost to a space race to the Indians in about 2030, didn't mind so much because the Indians were the only ones I was friends with and who didn't invade me.

04-01-2006, 09:58:41	#32
Tizzy Lazy Nerd owner Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Sitting with the baked pears	Yay, schjmarte mrG! I'm really enjoying Civ 4 too (when I get to play it that is). Still don't understand most of what I'm doing but I'll learn __________________ You have a watschnpappn

04-01-2006, 13:25:01	#35
Venom Look out behind you! Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rudolph's stable	Yeah, but everyone voted for Civ4 instead. And that review was done. So I'll have to do something else. Maybe I'll review F.E.A.R __________________ TO MY BALLS!!!!! or TO LazyView!!!!

08-01-2006, 07:31:57	#36
The Mad Monk The REAL Nick Fury! Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier	Yin ate his box on that incredibly nerdy civ site. __________________ At least he died doing what he loved. Insulting someone else's mother. I will crush you. With happy little apples. I am a happy little sig. virus. Please put me in your happy little sig. so I can continue to happily replicate. A little.

09-01-2006, 14:19:47	#37
MDA Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: updated his email address and can look but not post	Got it this weekend, built wonders, was cranking out culture and religion everywhere, then I decided the spanish needed to go away - although we had equal tech, they crushed me, even though I had amassed a force of longbowmen, catapults, and macemen I thought was strong enough to take one of their bigger cities and cripple them. Attack failed miserably, about 5 turns later I lost a city with 2 wonders in it and they were advancing on my capital... on the bright side I learned that catapults have a barrage attack in addition to bombard - I may replay that little war from the beginning and see if the barrage (hits all units in a sqare instead of attacking fortification level) helps.

09-01-2006, 14:27:49	#38
Funko Pubs Minister Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Banned	Highlight the unit you want to attack with, press g and then mouse over the unit you want to attack. Gives you all the stats and bonuses and your percentage chance of winning. Makes battles a lot less down to guesswork. I think the barrage ability comes in only if you make a normal attack with your catapult. I don't tend to use that because by the time I get catapults archers with City Defender are usually hard enough to beat a catapult and Longbowmen certainly are. Works better with tanks. Whatever you do, make sure you take out all the fortifications first. It really makes a difference. Also I put some defensive units (archers/longbowmen etc) in the stack so that they can garrison the captured city leaving your assault stack to continue conquering (once healed). To successfully wage an offensive war you either need a slight tech superiority or massively superior numbers. If you can get elephants when he still only has archers you can kick some arse though.

10-01-2006, 03:02:11	#39
Chris really doesn't pay attention Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: With the Monkey Pirates	Ships can also bombard costal cities. Bombers are deadly in this game, if you get them, no city is safe no matter what its defenses. __________________ Her name is aphrodite and she rides a crimson shell

10-01-2006, 04:24:37	#40
HelloKitty Hate shaped like a woman Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: The dollhouse.	When you play the higher levels the AI uses many more fighters to take down your bombers, you need a big counter fighter group. __________________ I'm really enjoying the dutch gift now.

10-01-2006, 10:05:08	#41
Funko Pubs Minister Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Banned	The AI is good at fighting in general.

10-01-2006, 11:44:49	#42
MDA Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: updated his email address and can look but not post	started over as Egypt... wow, I spread my religion to all my neighbor's cities and can now get away with just about anything I like, they love me! once I got the "+100% growth in cities with your religion" civic, I pulled WAY ahead of my neighbors I got 2 great people with the +4000 culture buff and used them both on a border city of mine, then started building any cultural stuff I could there - it paid off, my neighbor's border has pulled way back, and I absorbed a medium sized coastal city from him. Haven't fired a shot in anger at anyone but barbarians yet

10-01-2006, 11:47:53	#43
Funko Pubs Minister Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Banned	Excellent. I love invading places. I'm rubbish at the religion thing yet. At the moment I'm in a protracted land war with Roosevelt. I captured 2 of his cities but underestimated how many units he had, he overwhelmed my attack force through pure weight of numbers (and at horrendous cost) but had enough to roll over two of my cities. I'm about to get totally renaissance on his arse.