Civ V - Gods and Kings Pre-Order

[Gusington]

^I hear that. Thinking of playing a simpler game next with fewer eras and fewer great powers...maybe Ethiopia versus the Brits or Romans...

[MetalDog]

Turtling helps keep unhappiness down, but there are other ways to expand.

A major criticism of every Civ since II has been the looooooong endgame long after the winner's pretty well determined based on how far ahead you are.  You can be 50% ahead of next civ on points, but barely in the modern era, and you have to keep playing out to get the win.

While I certainly agree with this statement, by pursuing Victory Conditions that require something other than time to complete, you can bring the end game to a conclusion sooner.  Space Race, Cultural and Domination all have preset criteria that will allow for the game to end sooner if you meet them.  Now, on the flip side, if the AI is kicking your a$$, it takes the game forEVER to end! (I know.  It happens to me ALL the time)

[Ulfang]

I've had it on pre order for a while and got it through the other day, loaded it up, looked at Scenarios, saw the 1066 scenario (I only got that recently and had never played it) decided to give it a go, became addicted, am still playing it ..... It doesn't incorporate anything for Gods and Kings .... Oops

[Gusington]

So to make my first end game a little more interesting I declared war on India. Shameful display! I got steamrolled and did not make it to 2050!

So I started a new English campaign...a 'duel' with just one other civ {Carthage) split on two continents with a mod thrown in (tech ends in 1918) and I started in the Renaissance Era. Marathon game speed, which I think may be a mistake because it take 100+ turns for just basic structures and innovations to be built. We shall see.

After this game I need to play as Ethiopia against the Italians.

[Ulfang]

So to make my first end game a little more interesting I declared war on India. Shameful display! I got steamrolled and did not make it to 2050!

So I started a new English campaign...a 'duel' with just one other civ {Carthage) split on two continents with a mod thrown in (tech ends in 1918) and I started in the Renaissance Era. Marathon game speed, which I think may be a mistake because it take 100+ turns for just basic structures and innovations to be built. We shall see.

After this game I need to play as Ethiopia against the Italians.

I love Marathon mode. It does take ages for things to be built but is more realistic. If you start in the ancient era advanced discovers only appear around the right time. No more gunpowder appearing in 1200ad ;)

[Senex]

I have Gods & Kings, but I haven't installed it yet.

Simple question:

In Civ IV, if you installed an expansion (like Beyond The Sword), you could still play the original Civ IV.
(There were shortcuts for each.)

So, if I install G&K, can I still play vanilla Civ V?

Thanks.

[Barthheart]

Sort of I guess... You can turn off religion and spies. But other new changes will still be there.

[MetalDog]

So to make my first end game a little more interesting I declared war on India. Shameful display! I got steamrolled and did not make it to 2050!

So I started a new English campaign...a 'duel' with just one other civ {Carthage) split on two continents with a mod thrown in (tech ends in 1918) and I started in the Renaissance Era. Marathon game speed, which I think may be a mistake because it take 100+ turns for just basic structures and innovations to be built. We shall see.

After this game I need to play as Ethiopia against the Italians.

I love Marathon mode. It does take ages for things to be built but is more realistic. If you start in the ancient era advanced discovers only appear around the right time. No more gunpowder appearing in 1200ad ;)

I NEVER play Marathon because it takes, quite literally, for EVAH to build/discover/win then! 

And the Chinese had gunpowder a thousand years before that Ulfang, so why does 1200 Anno Domini seem wrong?

[Gusington]

^That is true...this game is taking forever. However, I am doing better too. So...I am going to keep on trucking to edumacate myself. Then on to Ethiopia.

[TheCommandTent]

I like the Marathon pace as it gives me time to enjoy the different eras.  My biggest complaint with the Civ games is that you never get to spend enough time in any era before discovering the next tech and most of your units being obsolete.

[MetalDog]

^I will give you quick obsolesence, but the end game already takes forever, why prolong it?

[TheCommandTent]

^I will give you quick obsolesence, but the end game already takes forever, why prolong it?

This is the one major problem with playing on Marathon speed.

[Gusington]

After my initial mehness I kind of dug the Marathon speed last night...in Civ V, I mean.

Just one other Civ, a handful of city states and relax. I'm still a little wary and kind of taken aback at the amount of turns where nothing happens...but there was a relaxing vibe to it.

If I do a similar game with a more exotic faction I can see myself really enjoying the leisurely pace.

[Gusington]

OK...in my current campaign, even with the 'leisurely' pace, I am still getting my buttocks handed to me by Carthage...what am I doing wrong? I am playing at Prince [Normal] level, attempting to build up my economy and occasionally smack around a city state for fun. Should I not give in to that temptation at all and just concentrate on city and empire building? Is war a very last resort in Civ V?

I am starting to get frustrated at the number of turns that go by with little to do and the slow progress. I know that is from the 'Marathon' pace but even at quicker paces things just felt like they took a LONG time.

Maybe Civ just isn't for me?

[bayonetbrant]

there's no real need to ever whack a city-state, unless they've got a resource you *have* to have, and they're allying too much w/ your arch-enemy.

don't get drawn into wars you don't need to :)