Civilization

Are we talking about the one by Eagle Games?

People go crazy when they play Civ for a long period of time. I’ve seen 20+ hour streaks at the BPA.

what type of game is it? what’s it like?

The only bad thing about Civ is that the game is decided abuot two to three rounds before it ends. The leading nation then doesn’t need to trade anymore, and will usually step on to victory.
Up to that point it’s one of the best games ever though.

I own the game and have played it lots of times over the years, a fun game and as usual, better with >4 people. I disagree with F_alk. You never really get THAT far ahead that if the other players don’t co-operate or better yet, harass you that you can soldier on for a few turns. If you’re in a tie you need more points in cards and trading cards, if you’re ahead then they can try and knock you down to 1 city and you don’t advance…. Again, with 5-6 players attacking you, you can’t coast for 2-3 turns… :-)

BB

Hm, only that some of the nations can’t be attacked by more than say three others. And those three will then probably slow down their advancing and chance of winning…. For an example: If you are leading with the Babylonians, then you have max three neighbours and no coast where the others could come and get you. With a bit of planning you put yourself later in the movement and can counter attacks onto your cities.

But: it is a great game, if alone that “winning by killing all others” or “winning by biggest expansion” does not work at all

Yep, that’s the way to defend. But if a big neighbour puts 10 units on a city, you still need to put 5 in for defence to prevent the city from breaking down (or close, been awhile). You can have up to 55 units right? If each neighbour used 20 of 55 on 2 attacks (or more if the surround lands can support more, say 26 max) each, they could sustain that forever…… With the 20 case, you need 5 defensive units each times 4 attacks is 20 defenisive units, ya need 40 minimum to sustain that… close to the edge. Now toss in Iconaclism and herasy or … Civil war (only need 4 cities to get that). If you’re on the edge a natural disaster might cost you a round, if you go below 2 cities you halt the advance. You also need some valuble cards to advance in latter rounds. Sure, if somehow you got 2 places ahead on the advance chart and had 1100-1300 in cards and trade cards at that point you can coast… But ya need better opponents… :-)

BB

@BigBlocky:

Yep, that’s the way to defend. But if a big neighbour puts 10 units on a city, you still need to put 5 in for defence to prevent the city from breaking down (or close, been awhile).

I think it’s less: six to build, work as seven to defend… means four to safe it surely.

If each neighbour used 20 of 55 on 2 attacks (or more if the surround lands can support more, say 26 max)

Improtant point: he needs the lands to “cultivate” the attackers. Means, lands with population maximum of 3+ would be good…. and a few of them!

each, they could sustain that forever…… With the 20 case, you need 5 defensive units each times 4 attacks is 20 defenisive units, ya need 40 minimum to sustain that

Why would i need 40 units to sustain that? I need 20 on “2” lands to regrow that, i need two per city if i remember correctly….

Now toss in Iconaclism and herasy or …. Civil war (only need 4 cities to get that).

That is exactly the point: the leading player usually has absolutely no need to trade, and therefore won’t be hit by that stuff. If i am in front, then at the end i get so many things discounted that even the higher cards are not that expensive anymore and i can get the money needed by having each resource twice, or the more expensive ones three times.
(by saving them the round before). Plus: Inland cities can’t be attacked, and i am not sure what happens first: funding of cities or fighting in places: because then i would let you attack me, and just rebuild cities whereever i want. Having nine would be nice, but usually there is no gold anyway (because ppl tend to buy it for 18 ), so 8 makes no difference, and 7 is not so far to really change a lot. Anything below 5 in the city number would become dangerous though.

If you’re on the edge a natural disaster might cost you a round, if you go below 2 cities you halt the advance.

The natural desasters can cost how many cities maximum…. no more than three i suppose. would still leave me “bronze” to try to get my money (should have played more often in the last years, could be wrong there).

You also need some valuble cards to advance in latter rounds. Sure, if somehow you got 2 places ahead on the advance chart and had 1100-1300 in cards and trade cards at that point you can coast…… But ya need better opponents… :-)

The two places ahead is not that much the point: one is totally sufficient. For the cards: that usually is not the problem. To get into the last era you need 1000 in cards, don’t you? And then you have another round to prepare for the last steps.
My point is: you don’t need to trade the last rounds, and therefore are effectively not attackable. Means that two turns before the end the game is decided. (unless all players manage to shuffle people to the borders and there are many enemy borderlands and cities close by).

When a city is attacked by 7, it’s reduced to 6 units and the fight starts. So if 1 neighbour put 10 on your city then you need to put 5, not 4, unless you have metal working and they don’t as the smaller army starts to remove units first…… 5 units means you lose all 5, the attacker loses 4, 6 remaining units can’t break down a city. With agriculture every territory can suppor at least 2, double that to 4 then attack with all and repopulate with 2/territory from your adjacent territories, it’s easy to get 10-12 units on a city that way… If the surrounding lands support 3 units, then after pop growth you have 5/territory… 3 next to your city and I doubt you could get enough units in to prevent a city loss. 3 neighbours taking 1-2 cities/round… and you want a low population to move last but this also means it’s harder to rebuild cities…

40 units AFTER pop growth or 20 before, 6 of one and half a dozen of the other… Yup 2/city so with 6 cities ya need 12 to live and 20+/round as fodder to protect 4 of your 6 cities/round, but to get 20 new units you need 20 units in 10 territories 2/territory. If you have 5 in a territory you only had 2 units during pop growth.

I just checked my game, 2 countries can win with 1200 and the rest 1300-1400. Since you can only own 11 cards and the cards are limited I’ve often found that you must have 100-200 points in your hand. In the event of a tie, he who has most points wins…

I’ve just never found it a slam dunk to win when ahead even by 2. I play with alot of pricks, theyco-operate relentlessly to knock the #1 guy down :-)

BB