Civ 5, My impressions Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Outline Switch to: Standard Switch to: Linear+

[Backgammon]

So, I'v had a few hours to play Civ 5. Wow, very different from Civ 4 and previous. Very.

You have waaaay less units now. This makes sense since multiple units can't be on the same tile. A handful of units is all you need. But you have to use them wisely. Now that long range units really are long range, shotting a few tiles away, warefare becomes much more tactical. Positioning your units and ensuring they support each other is crucial. Positioning is everything. This makes combat feel more involved than building up many units and crushing your enemy with superior firepower. It's a good change. Oh, you also now have far fewer units. Like, your swordsmen are good for a looong time. So you're really not cranking them out constantly, a few here and there is sufficient. Which is good, because compre to Civ 4, cities build buildings and units at a snail's pace.

Next up, gone is the blanketing of the entire map with cities and cultural borders. The map is a hodge-podge of cities here and there. Small empires of a few cities are somewhat viable, due to mechanisms that exponentially punish large empires. I say punish, but not really. Everything slows down the more cities you have, but then you have more cities that produce stuff, so in a way it balances out. Big is still better in the end, of course, but when you'Re small, all is not lost.

City-states (AI controlled strong 1-city empires) are interesting. If you get in nice with them, they give you resources as well as bonuses. So for example, I have one providing me with extra culture and more importantly the Iron I need to fuel my wars. It's a pain in the ass to have to maintain the relationship, but it's an interesting strategic element. I *could* conquer them, but then I'd lose the cultural bonus they give me, though I'd have control of the Iron.

And resources... well, you need 1 Iron per unit (swordsman, cavalry, etc) you want to build. So it's a huge, huge strategic element to get your hands on as much as you can while depriving the enemy. It's cool.

Overall, shockingly different, but I have to say I like it. Cause honestly, if they had made Civ 4.5, there'd be no point, right? A new game is a good thing.

(edited the "can't" - thanks Yerameyahu)

[Kagetenshi]

It's really not that small—Japan larger than, say, Germany or the UK. More impressive, I think, is the comebacks Japan managed to stage first against the stagnation of two hundred and fifty years of heavily controlled trade (and during the late renaissance/early industrial period, no less) and then against the devastation of the war.

~J

[StealthSigma]

It's really not that small—Japan larger than, say, Germany or the UK. More impressive, I think, is the comebacks Japan managed to stage first against the stagnation of two hundred and fifty years of heavily controlled trade (and during the late renaissance/early industrial period, no less) and then against the devastation of the war.

~J

Japan's success is great in light of their supply of natural resources for war efforts.

I completed a Diplomatic victory last night. I've done Domination [Japan], Diplomatic [Russia], and Cultural [India] so far. I was getting worried about whether or not I would be able to get the victory because I blew my money on allying city-states for votes a bit earlier than I should have and was a few turns away from losing them as allies.

Between two turns I had 6 civilization ask me to declare war on Germany [England, Aztec, India, Persia, Japan, and France]. I don't think most of the world liked Germany much. I was rated #4 in military which is a tad silly considering my "army" consisted of 2 Destroyers out exploring the world, and three infantry (one garrisoning each of my 3 cities). I'm sure Germany wasn't even close to a threat to my cities, they had defensive values of well over 60 each when Germany's cities were running about 20. I just didn't want all my tile improvements to get blown up nor did I want to build an army to push back Germany.

I don't think I could have pulled off a science victory in that game because of how quickly I got squished out of expanding by Aztec and Germany.

[Kagetenshi]

Japan's success is great in light of their supply of natural resources for war efforts.

That's certainly true.

I made the correction mostly because there seems to be a common notion that Japan is much smaller than it is—one I held myself until I happened to discover that there are more native Japanese speakers than native German speakers.

~J

[StealthSigma]

That's certainly true.

I made the correction mostly because there seems to be a common notion that Japan is much smaller than it is—one I held myself until I happened to discover that there are more native Japanese speakers than native German speakers.

~J

People is not a natural resource that is in short supply in Japan.