Some general advice for Longturn (and otherwise) beginners

[Corbeau]

As with any other game, playing against other humans is very different from playing against computer and AI. And in Civilization things can get a very different taste, depending on who your neighbour is.

Also, there is a difference between playing a fast-paced "normal" or "real-time" Freeciv that is usually played on public and private servers, and Longturn. The pace dictates playstyle and strategy very much. In a "normal" game, where initial timeout is usually set to less than one minute, there isn't very much space (time) for diplomacy. However, in Longturn diplomacy is absolutely essential, especially if you are a beginner and especially if your neighbour happens to be someone with more experience. If this neighbour is aggressive, diplomacy may persuade him to let you live at least for a while because you may be of use to him OR to get you some help before he manages to annihilate you. If he isn't aggressive, then even more, the last thing you need to do is keep to yourself because he may consider you an obstacle and a potential threat, and then he will become aggressive. But if you become friends with a superior nation, it is likely you will end up with free tech.

For the record, in all previous games of Longturn, more or less large alliances have been made and, most of the time, people who weren't part of them, got toasted. This doesn't mean absolute commitment is required, but average activity, being available for communication and playing by the generally very loose rules most of the time assured long-term survival.

You may have the feeling that you are a Ghengis Khan or something and that you can be a sole ruler of the world. Please do. Even peaceful players like some combat practice without feeling guilty for smashing someone who didn't deserve it.

If you haven't played Freeciv before, my advice is to play a few games against computer just to see where things are and to get acquainted with the interface and the mechanics. However, you don't have to become a "master against AIs" in order to be eligible to play against humans. Simply, no matter how good you become at that, you will encounter humans who will be better than you, and then, your key strategy should be, again, diplomacy.

As for general technical advice, there can't be much because it all depends on what playstyle you prefer and different paths will demand different strategies. But generally, it is best to get out of Despotism as soon as possible, whether through Monarchy or directly to Republic. Aiming for Democracy early is a viable option, but beware of revolts. Also, if you don't know what Rapture is in Freeciv, find out. Either way, if you're not going for an early Genghis-Khan-style swarm conquest (please do), science is the key, and for science, you need Republic or Democracy. And did I mention diplomacy?

And, most of all, have fun. You may play Freeciv as a game of chess, moving your pieces in the most optimal way in order to win, but aside from that, you can also use the opportunity to test out your neighbours' - and the world leaders' - characters. Maybe there are more complex games out there, but Civilization is still the mother of them all so be sure to use all of its aspects.

And, of course, diplomacy.

[wieder]

Talk with people. A simple "hi! make peace?" will do miracles.

That will often calm down your neighbor and maybe yourself.

Also remember to check the in-game chat. It's really useful and makes all the difference.

[Corbeau]

Newbie tip: When city grows, all excess food is wasted. You may want to micromanage a bit to prevent that and get other stuff on that one or two turns.

The same does *not* happen with production, gold and bulbs. They accumulate and are passed on to the next turn.

At the start of the game, always check units (in Help). Most of the time in LT, there is the Big Land class (Catapults and successors, often Chariots) that can't enter and/or attack mountains, board Triremes etc.

What to check:
- can a Catapult enter all terrain
- can a Catapult attack non-native terrain (the one it can't enter; note: maybe Catapult can attack ships at sea)
- which exact units can board Triremes and Caravels
- which units can attack directly from boats (Swordsmen, Musketeers...)
- can Triremes sail on rivers