Quick and Dirty Guide to Civ4 2020+ edition

Everything you need to know to successfully play this game

Part One

This is goods^^t from many other guides found on civfanatics and other places
Both DLC required; play BEYOND THE SWORD

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Basics: most important
Commerce versus Gold and Food
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Commerce is the number of gold “coins” and money bags that appear in your city’s workable tiles.
Also, Foreign trade routes also generate commerce.
A coin equals 1commerce and a money bag equals 5 commerce.

Gold or Money is what is generated after you take your CPs and put them on the Science/Gold/Culture Slider. Usually this is set to something like 90% Science, 10% Gold. So if your city generates 100 CPs and is put through the slider, you will get 90 science beakers and 10 actual Gold pieces of Money.

This is important to know because your city buildings effect what happens AFTER the CPs have gone through the slider. Building a bank will increase the Gold produced in the city by 50%, not the Commerce! So if your city makes 100 CPs and you put it through the 10% slider. You will wind up with 10 gold. Multiplied by the 50% bank bonus, you get 15 Gold in Money.

Every population point in your city consumes 2 food. Fortunately, every population point (up to 20) provides a new worked space in your city’s fat cross (workable area around the city) and that in turn provides more food. When you start a city, you get 2 extra food from the city itself (called +2F) plus whatever food is in the first space highlighted or “worked”. Usually that is +2F or +3F as well. Ideally, if every square around your city was +2F (grassland), then your city would grow to full size, because every time your city would grow, a new worked spot would provide +2F to cover the -2F needed for the higher population.

Ideally, what you want to aim for is no food surplus when your city hits size 20.

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CONCEPTS
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6 cities needed to build national wonders.
Do not overgrow. Turn citizens into specialists to stall growth.
Specialize cities. 1-2 production cities to produce military.
Great person farm city. Farms and great people only.
Commerce city. No great people, cottage spam.
Science city. High commerce city and built science buildings: library, university, observatory, lab
AND OXFORD UNI.

Do not use mines - whip to build settlers and building. mines for military units.
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FOOD
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Every population consumes 2 food.
CIVIL SERVICE civic = farm becomes irrigated. Chain build farms from water to get irrigation +1 food on farm.



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CIVICS
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State Property +10% every city production, no cost for distance from palace maintenance
Vassalage - units get extra experience



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GPP
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TURN INTO SCIENTISTS
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Library - can turn 2 WRITING
Observatory - can turn 1 ASTRONOMY

wonders:
Great Library +2scientists, LITERATURE
University of Sankore +2scientists, PAPER
Oxford University NATIONAL WONDER EDUCATION (university) 100% science in city
National Park - +1 free specialist for each Forest Preserve under this city's control, +1scientist


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TURN INTO MERCHANTS
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Market - can turn 2 CURRENCY
Grocer - can turn 2 GUILDS + CURRENCY

wonders:
Colossus +2mechrant, METAL CASTING (FORGE)
Great Lighthouse SAILING + MASONRY (lighthouse)
Versailles DIVINE RIGHT reduces maintenance in nearby cities
Wall Street NATIONAL WONDER CORPORATION (bank)


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TURN INTO ENGINEERS
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Forge - can turn 1, +1smiley from gems, gold, silver METAL CASTING
Factory - can turn 2 ASSEMBLY LINE

wonders:
Pyramids +2 engineer wonder, MASONRY
Hanging Gardens +2engineer, MATHEMATICS, AQUEDUCT
Hagia Sophia +2engineer THEOLOGY
Ironworks +1engineer, can turn 3 people into engineer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<< STEEL, FORGE
Industrial Park +1 engineer, can turn 2 more into engineer INDUSTRIALISM, FACTORY
Cristo Redentor +2engineer, RADIO
Three Gorges Dam +2engineer PLASTICS


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TURN INTO SPY
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Courthouse - CODE OF LAWS 1spy

wonders:
Great Wall - MASONRY, earliest spy possible
Kremlin - wonder, -33% hurry production cost COMMUNISM
Pentagon - +2spy, ASSEMBLY LINE
Forbidden Palace +1spy COURTHOUSE
West Point NATIONAL WONDER +1spy MILITARY TRADITION

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TURN INTO PRIESTS
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wonders:
Oracle - PRIESTHOOD


PEACE
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WONDERS
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MUST HAVE
The Pyramids - free engineers // enable all gove civics MASONRY
The Great Library - +2 free scientist // 1 free tech LITERATURE + LIBRARY
The Great Light House +2 trade routes in coastal cities +2 great merchant // SAILING MASONRY LIGHTHOUSE

USEFUL
The Oracle - free priests // 1 free tech PRIESTHOOD free tech
Colossus- free 2 merchants // all water +1 coin METAL CASTING + FORGE IN CITY
The Parthenon - +50% birth rate AESTHETICS + POLITHEISM
The Statue of Liberty - +1 free specialist in all cities on this continent, generates GPP Merchant DEMOCRACY + FORGE
Hanging Gardens - +1 health, +1 pop, +2GPP Great Engineer MATHEMATICS + AQUEDUCT


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NATIONAL WONDERS
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Moai Statues - free priest // all water +1 hammer SAILING
Oxford university - +100% science beaker, free scientist EDUCATION + 6 UNIVERSITIES
Globe Theatre - no sad face in city DRAMA + 6 THEATRES
Wall Street - +100% coin in city CORPORATION + 6 BANKS
Ironworks - +50% with coal, +50% with iron production STEEL + 6 FORGES
National Epic +100% Great person LITERATURE (library(
Heroic Epic +100% military unit production in this city LITERATURE (barracks)

RELIGION
University of Sankore - +2 beakers for religious buildings (temple, monastery) // PAPER

CULTURE
Sistine Chapel - every specialist in every city generates culture; +2 Great Artist // MUSIC
Hermitage +100% culture in city NATIONALISM

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Trade routes maximizing
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tech currency
build castle
tech economics
free market civic
tech corporation
+2 great lighthouse
+1 airport
+1 if UN has "single currency" in effect


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Science maximizing
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Commerce via spending slider
Representation civic = all specialists produce +3 base science
University of Sankore 2 GPP scientists AND +2science from all religious buildings


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Production maximixing
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Mines, GPP engineer, other GPP if desperate



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Military Units
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Ancient
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Melee Ancient
Axeman - bronze working + copper or iron resource, 5strong, +50% vs melee unit
Swordsman - Iron working + iron resource +10% city attack, 1stronger than axeman, 6 strong
Spearman - Hunting + copper/iron, +100% vs mounted unit
Maceman - civil service and machine + copper/iron resource

Part Two

Mounted Ancient
Horseback Archer - horseback riding + archery and horse resource
Chariot - OFFENSIVE ONLY, +100% ATTACK vs axeman
War Elephant - Construction + horseback riding and Ivory resource

Ranged Ancient
Archer - archery, 50% city 25% hill defense ARCHERY
Longbowman - archery and feudalism, 25% city and 25% hill defense FEUDALISM
Crossbowman - NOT DEFENSIVE, 1 first strike +50% melee unit MACHINERY

Siege Ancient
Catapult - needs Construction
Trebuchet - +100% city attack needs ENGINEERING

Mounted ancient
War chariot - needs wheel strength4
Horse archer - needs archery and horse riding strength6
Knight - needs Guilds, archery, horseback riding
War elephant - construction tech and ivory strength8 SYNERGIZES WITH CATAPULTS CONSTRUCTION moves1

Naval Ancient
Galley - SAILING str2, coast, cargo2
Trireme - METAL CASTING, str2, +50% vs galleys

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Renaissance
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Renassaince infantry
Grenadier - OFFENSE ONLY, +50% ATTACK vs rifleman MILITARY SCIENCE
Musketman - GUNPOWDER, str9
Rifleman - RIFLING, strength14

Renassaince Artillery
Cannon - str12 STEEL IRON

Renassaince Cavalry
Cavalry - str15 MILITARY TRADITION, RIFLING, HORSEBACK RIDING

Renaissance Naval
Galleon - ASTRONOMY, cargo3, str4, ocean going
Caravel - OPTICS, str3, cargo1 but only spy, explorer, missionary
Frigate - CHEMISTRY, ASTRONOMY + IRON str8
Ship of the Line - Military Science + Astronomy and Iron, 8 strength, +50% vs frigate
Privateer - CHEMISTRY + ASTRONOMY, str6

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Modern
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Modern Infantry
MachineGun - RAILROAD, +50% vs gunpowder units, immune to siege weapons, intercept air20%chance RAILROAD str18
AntiTank - tech ARTILLERY str14
Infantry - ASSEMBLY LINE + RIFLING str20
paratrooper - FASCISM FLIGHT RIFLING str24 RANGE 5 paradrop
SAM infantry - ROCKETRY str18, 40%intercept vs aircraft, 75%vs helicopter str18
Mechanized infantry - ROBOTICS, RIFLING str32

Modern Artillery
Artillery - ARTILLERY, str18
Mobile Artillery - LASER + ARTILLERY, str26, moves 2

Modern Naval
Ironclad - STEEL + STEAM POWER, str12, coast
Destroyer - COMBUSTION + OIL or URANIUM, str30
Battleship - INDUSTRIALISM + OIL or URANIUM str40
Carrier - INDUSTRIALISM + OIL or URANIUM, str16, carry 3 fighters
Submarine - RADIO, OIL or URANIUM str24

Transport - COMBUSTION, + OIL or URANIUM, cargo4, str16



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Faction Specific
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Babylonian Garden - courthouse, +2health
Dutch Dike - levee, can work ALL water, not just river but sea gets +1 hammer
Egyptian Obelisk - monument, can turn 2 citizens into priests
German Assembly plant - factory allows turning 4 (instead of 2) citizens into engineers
Greek Odeon - colosseum, +2happy (colosseum is +1happy) AND +3culture
Ottoman Hamman - aquaduct, +2health AND adds +2happy
Roman Forum - market, +25%GPP rate alongside standard market +25%wealth


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Corporations
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Eat resources and produce their product - they cost you money, but make you money if in foreign country.
Place them in your Wall Street commerce city.

Sid's Sushi requires MEDICINE AND CORPORATION uses fish, crab, clam, rice
Mining Inc requires RAILROAD AND CORPORATION uses coal, iron, copper, gold, silver



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Guide to CIV 4 by the numbers
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0) Expand like crazy
1) When expansion over, QUICKLY OPEN BORDERS
2) Build Oracle, get Metal Casting
3) Build Forges
4) Specialize your cities. ONE PRODUCTION CITY, 1 great person farm, 1 trade (port)
5) Decide War or Peace
War: Spam best unit, build catapults and spam best unit
Peace: Beeline to Great Library, Beeline to Liberalism
6) Trade for Tech, preferably using Aesthetics. Trade 1 tech to many leaders.


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Great People (GPP) Strategy
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1) Pyramids into Representation civic; Every specialist (including settled down ‘super-specialists’) yields 3 extra research,
3 biggest cities get +3 happy


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LIGHTBULB preferences by GPP
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Great Prophet:
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Meditation
Polytheism
Priesthood
Monotheism
Theology
Divine Right
Mysticism
Masonry (Warlords patch & BTS)
Code of Laws
Civil Service
Monarchy
Literature
Music
Writing
Philosophy
Printing Press
Drama
Aesthetics (BTS)
Alphabet
Paper
Education
Liberalism
Calendar
Masonry (Vanilla & unpatched Warlords)
Animal Husbandry
Construction
Future Tech




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Great Scientist:
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Writing
Mathematics
Scientific Method
Physics
Education
Printing Press
Fiber Optics
Computers
Laser (BTS)
The Wheel
Alphabet (BTS)
Philosophy
Chemistry
Fission
Fusion
Optics
Paper
Astronomy
Biology
Electricity
Flight
Genetics
Compass
Satellites
Aesthetics (BTS)
Sailing
Alphabet (Vanilla & Warlords)
Calendar
Medicine
Ecology
Advanced Flight (BTS)
Iron Working
Metal Casting
Engineering
Steam Power
Liberalism
Agriculture
Masonry
Bronze Working
Machinery
Gunpowder
Refrigeration
Superconductors (BTS)
Rocketry
Fishing
Combustion
Plastics
Composites
Stealth (BTS)
Mining
Military Science (BTS)
Radio
Meditation
Drama
Theology
Music
Civil Service
Democracy
Corporation
Communism
Economics
Hunting
Archery
Animal Husbandry
Construction
Robotics
Monotheism
Mass Media
Horseback Riding
Replaceable Parts
Rifling
Artillery
Future Tech


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Great Artist:
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Literature
Drama
Music
Polytheism
Monarchy
Mass Media
Radio
Mysticism
Monotheism
Divine Right
Alphabet (Vanilla & Warlords)
Aesthetics (BTS)
Meditation
Priesthood
Theology
Nationalism
Writing
Philosophy
Printing Press
Liberalism
Pottery
Horseback Riding
Democracy
Education
Military Tradition
Communism
Astronomy
Computers
Feudalism
Constitution
Fishing
Sailing
Paper
Biology
Archery
Masonry
Metal Casting
Civil Service
Guilds
Fascism
Hunting
Animal Husbandry
Bronze Working
Construction
Railroad
Robotics
Future Tech


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Great Merchant:
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Currency
Banking
Economics
Corporation
Metal Casting
Code of Laws
Mining
Constitution
The Wheel
Alphabet (BTS)
Pottery
Sailing
Paper
Railroad
Industrialism
Monarchy
Civil Service
Guilds
Fascism
Mass Media
Agriculture
Writing
Mathematics
Printing Press
Flight
Machinery
Replaceable Parts
Satellites
Mysticism
Priesthood
Divine Right
Nationalism
Calendar
Scientific Method
Medicine
Horseback Riding
Compass
Steam Power
Future Tech


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Great Engineer:
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Machinery
Assembly Line
Industrialism
Combustion
Metal Casting
Mining
Iron Working
Engineering
Replaceable Parts
Steam Power
Steel
Robotics
Railroad
Feudalism
Fascism
The Wheel
Plastics
Masonry
Construction
Guilds
Bronze Working
Corporation
Electricity
Animal Husbandry
Gunpowder
Priesthood
Monarchy
Code of Laws
Constitution
Agriculture
Economics
Chemistry
Fission
Genetics
Fusion
Optics
Civil Service
Nationalism
Communism
Ecology
Pottery
Calendar
Currency
Banking
Scientific Method
Physics
Writing (BTS)
Medicine
Refrigeration
Superconductors (BTS)
Computers
Divine Right
Fishing
Mathematics
Flight
Fiber Optics
Hunting
Horseback Riding
Rifling
Future Tech

To play Civ4, you ONLY need the Civ4 Beyond the Sword installed. Do not play original game!!
Click PLAY on BTS on Steam!! you DO need both original game and warlords installed!!

ABSOLUTE BASICS section should be on top but whatcha gonna do

"whip" (sacrificing population in slavery) gives 30 hammers per 1 whipped pop
each population/specialist eats 2 food

A youtube example of some high level play

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Oracle slingshot metal casting, build a forge, make great engineer GPP in your city.
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If you luck out, build pyramids in 1 turn. And that's just the start.....
Love this youtuber, he plays quick, not pedantic, and does not make me want to 𝚔̶𝚎̶𝚎̶𝚕̶ ̶𝚖̶𝚢̶𝚜̶𝚎̶𝚕̶𝚏̶ fall asleep while watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldBTKDye_JI

Key Concepts of the game (you might have missed)

Every city must first produce a worker.
NO EXCEPTIONS.
1 worker per city is MINIMUM.

Chop everything, do not wait for mathematics. It's a trap!


For newbies, start on archipelago map.
Go with DeGaulle, go wonder crazy.
Use wonders for Great People.

0) the great lighthouse for merchant. settle in place. at 100% research you will MAKE money LOL
needs masonry and sailing
1) pyramids maybe in same city, try to swing in another
2) hanging gardens in same city as pyramids. for Great Engi points. Great Engi are GREAT!!!
3) the great library in other city than Great Engi city.... make it a science city, settle in place.


Civil Service - IRRIGATION. Allows building farms not close to fresh water. Unirrigated farms (not chained to farm next to fresh water) get -1 FOOD.

Caste System - Taoism Founder and more importantly unlimited Great People.

[Vuyek]

"Having every city build a worker first thing means that your city wont grow until he is finsihed and that will take longer in a city of just 1 inhabitant."

This is standard strategy, valid for 95% of starts.

The only exception might be work boat first.

[Jean Dupleix]

I wonder what version this guide is built on because I see some descriptions of wonders mentioning free specialists that dont appear in my version of Civ 4 (319). It seems that some free specialists are just Great Persons points gained per turn rather than actual free secialists like the scientists you get in the Great Library.
Having every city build a worker first thing means that your city wont grow until he is finsihed and that will take longer in a city of just 1 inhabitant.
No food surplus beyond 20 (or 1 per workable tile) is perhaps ok for industrial towns producing units but wasting the potential of science and commercial strongholds. Combined with the right wonders and civics the latter can produce a lot of money or science or culture via specialists.
The Caste System does not allow unlimited Great People but Merchants, Scientists or Artists only. Nonetheless a most useful civic if you want to get ahead technologically

[Nagi]

Tsssk.

[Vuyek]

wut

[Nagi]

I don't understand anything. Guide is for hamsters.

[SolarFlare1234]

good guide

[Zhenon]

grow your cities as big as you want, especially if it is your capital.

[Zhenon]

Ideally, what you want to aim for is no food surplus when your city hits size 20.
wtf

[grognardgary]

After reading this I have no idea whether you said 4 but meant 5 or possibly or maybe someone completely jacked up a complete rework of 4,

[Vuyek]

thanks for reading and adding new tactic

i do manual everything