Welcome to our ultimate Civilization V: Getting Started Guide! Whether you’re a newcomer to the epic turn-based strategy game or looking to sharpen your empire-building skills, this guide is your perfect companion. Dive deep into the rich, complex world of Civilization V as we walk you through every essential aspect, from Choosing Your Civilization to Starting Your First City. Master the Basic Controls and seamlessly Navigate the Game World to ensure you’re off to a strong start. Plus, don’t miss out on invaluable Tips for New Players crafted to give you the edge you need to triumph. Ready to build your civilization and make your mark on history? Let’s get started!

Choosing Your Civilization#

Picking your civilization (civ) in Civilization V is like choosing your hero in a video game. Each civ has its own unique strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. Here’s what you need to know to pick the best one for your playstyle.

Know Your Playstyle#

Ask yourself, “How do I like to win?” Civilization V offers multiple paths to victory: Domination, Culture, Science, Diplomatic, and Time. Your preferred victory condition should guide your choice:

• Domination Victory (Conquer the World): If you love the thrill of battle and conquering other civs, you’ll want a civ with strong military units and traits. Look out for:

  • Mongolia: With their unique Keshik unit and strong cavalry bonuses.
  • Zulu: Known for their powerful Impi units and cheap military promotions.

• Cultural Victory (Influence the World): Into spreading your culture and winning hearts with your artistic greatness? Go for civs that excel in culture and tourism.

  • France: Museums generate more culture and tourism.
  • Brazil: Their Carnaval and unique units enhance culture late game.

• Science Victory (Advance the World): If you’d rather outsmart opponents with technology and innovation, pick a civ great at research.

  • Babylon: Extra science from their unique Great Scientists.
  • Korea: Science boosts from specialists and science buildings.

• Diplomatic Victory (Rule the World through Alliances): Prefer a subtler, diplomatic approach? Look for civs with bonuses to city-state relations and gold.

  • Greece: Great at keeping city-states as allies.
  • Sweden: Extra influence from gifting Great People.

Reading the Terrain#

Some civs are better suited for specific types of terrain. Depending on the map, certain civilizations can thrive or struggle.

• Desert maps: Civs like Arabia get bonuses in desert areas.
• Forested maps: Iroquois can move swiftly through forests and jungles.
• Coastal maps: With lots of coastline, England and Carthage shine due to their naval advantages.

Unique Units and Buildings#

Every civ has unique units and buildings that replace standard ones, often coming with significant benefits. Knowing these can be crucial:

• Rome: Their unique unit, the Legion, can build roads and forts early, and their unique building, the Colosseum, adds happiness and culture.
• Egypt: Known for faster Wonder building with their unique Monument, the Burial Tomb.

Think about how these uniques fit your gameplay. Would an early military bonus be more beneficial than a late-game scientific boost?

Analyzing Leaders and Traits#

Each civilization is led by a historical figure who brings unique traits to the table. Understanding these is key:

• Gandhi (India): His traits favor a small, controlled empire with bonuses to happiness.
• Catherine (Russia): Extra production from strategic resources makes her great for a resource-rich game.

Experimentation#

Don’t be afraid to switch things up. Civ V is about finding what works best for you. Play a few games with different civs to see which ones match your style. Once you find your favorites, you’ll start to appreciate the nuances of their abilities and how they can lead you to victory.

Final Thoughts#

Choosing the right civilization can set the tone for your entire game in Civilization V. Understanding your playstyle, the map type, and the strengths and weaknesses of each civ will give you a strategic edge. Dive into your options and experiment—you might discover new favorite civs and strategies along the way!

Now that you’ve got a grip on choosing your civ, you’re ready to launch your empire into greatness. Happy conquering, building, and exploring!

Understanding Basic Controls#

If you’ve just jumped into Civilization V, you’re in for an epic ride through the ages. To ensure your civilization thrives, you’ll need a solid grip on the basic controls. Let’s break them down so you can lead like a pro!

Movement and Map Navigation#

Navigating your world is essential. Here’s how to efficiently move your view:

• Arrow Keys: Use these to pan the camera up, down, left, and right.
• Mouse Scroll: Click and hold the right mouse button to drag and move the map. Scroll the wheel to zoom in and out.
• Mini-Map: Located in the lower right corner, click anywhere on it to jump directly to that part of the world.

Selecting Units#

Managing your units effectively can be the key to victory. Here are the basics:

• Left-Click: Simply left-click on a unit to select it.
• Double-Click: If you have multiple units on a tile, double-click to select all of them at once.
• Tab Key: Press this to cycle through all your units that have available moves left.

Moving Units#

Moving units around the map is smooth and intuitive:

• Right-Click: Once you’ve selected a unit, right-click where you want it to go. The game will show a path, and the unit will move accordingly.
• Arrow Keys or Numpad: You can also use these to move units tile-by-tile in the direction you want.

Interface Overview#

The interface is your command center. Here’s a quick tour:

• Top Bar: Shows critical info like Gold, Science, Faith, and Happiness. Keep an eye on these!
• Right Sidebar: This displays notifications, such as completed research or enemy movements. Respond to these to keep your game flowing smoothly.
• Bottom Bar: It has your turn button, unit options, and city options. Click the green circle to end your turn when you’re ready.

City Management#

Cities are the heart of your empire. Here’s how you manage them:

• Left-Click a City: Selects it and opens the city management screen.
• City Management Screen: Here, you can set what the city is producing (buildings, units, wonders). You can also manage your citizens and what tiles they’re working.

Diplomacy and Trading#

Engaging with other civilizations is a big part of the game:

• Diplomacy Screen: Access this by clicking on another leader’s icon, usually found on the top-right corner.
• Trade Proposals: Select what you want to offer and what you want in return, then click propose. The AI will respond with their acceptance, rejection, or counteroffer.

Research and Technology#

Advancing through the tech tree is crucial:

• Research Button: Found on the top left. Click it to open the tech tree.
• Tech Tree: From here, choose what you want to research next. Technologies unlock new units, buildings, and capabilities.

Quick Tips#

• Save Often: Civilization games can be long. Save your game regularly to avoid losing progress.
• Use Hotkeys: Familiarizing yourself with hotkeys can speed up gameplay. For example, ‘B’ for building, ‘F’ for fortifying a unit, and ‘R’ for founding a city.

Final Thoughts#

Mastering these basic controls will have you well on your way to building a thriving empire in Civilization V. The more comfortable you get with these commands, the more smoothly your game will run, letting you focus on strategy and decision-making. Now, go forth and make history!

Navigating the Game World#

So, you’ve just fired up Civilization V, and you’re staring at a massive, fog-covered map. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Navigating the game world is essential for exploring, expanding, and eventually conquering. Let’s break it down!

The Map: Your Playground#

The game world in Civ V is made up of hexagonal tiles (or “hexes”). Think of the map as a giant honeycomb where each hex represents different terrain and resources. When you start, most of the map will be hidden under the “fog of war.” This means you’ll need to explore to reveal the land.

• Terrain Types: The terrain can be grasslands, plains, deserts, hills, mountains, and more. Each type affects movement and can provide different bonuses or drawbacks.
• Features: Forests, jungles, and rivers appear on top of the basic terrain and add another layer of strategy.
• Resources: Keep an eye out for strategic resources like iron, luxury resources like wine, and bonus resources like wheat. These are crucial for understanding where to expand.

Moving Units#

Your units start in your first city and need to move out to explore the world. To move them:

1. Click on the Unit: Selecting a unit highlights the hexes it can move to.
2. Right-click on a Destination: This makes your unit head to that location. Units use movement points (MP) to travel, and different terrains cost different amounts of MP.

Pro Tip: Use Scouts Early#

Scouts have higher movement and can traverse difficult terrain more easily. They’re perfect for early game exploration.

Exploring and Expanding#

Exploration is key to discovering new territories, resources, and meeting other civilizations or city-states. Here’s how to manage it effectively:

• First Moves: Send your initial warrior and scout in different directions. They reveal new tiles as they move.
• Ruins: Look for ancient ruins. Stepping on these gives random rewards like technology boosts, unit upgrades, or even free units.
• Borders: Your cities have cultural borders that expand. New hexes within these borders become part of your empire.

Pro Tip: Prioritize Settling Near Resources#

Founding cities near critical resources gives you a strategic edge. Aim to settle near rivers for extra food and production bonuses.

Navigating with the UI#

Civ V’s interface makes it easy to keep track of your units and map management:

• Next Unit Button: If you have many units, use this button to cycle through them. It’s in the bottom-right of the screen.
• Mini-map: Check the mini-map (bottom-right corner) for a bird’s eye view. It helps to see the big picture and strategic positions.
• Tile Info: Hover over any hex to see detailed information about it. You’ll see the terrain type, resources, and any bonuses or obstacles.

Pro Tip: Bookmark Your Key Locations#

Use the ‘num 1-9 keys to assign camera bookmarks to important spots like newly discovered resources or enemy cities. This makes it easier to navigate quickly during intense moments.

Interacting with Other Civs and City-States#

Meeting other civilizations and city-states is inevitable. Here’s how to manage these encounters:

• City-States: These are smaller, single-city nations that offer quests and rewards. Befriend them for bonuses or conquer them to expand.
• Civilizations: Major players just like you. Establish diplomacy, trade deals, or go to war depending on your strategy.

When you meet another leader, you’re prompted to start diplomatic relations. Diplomatic interactions show on the side panel; use it to keep track of friends and foes.

Navigating Civ V’s game world might feel overwhelming at first but remember, it’s all about exploration, expansion, and strategy. Move your units wisely, scout diligently, manage your resources, and soon you’ll be carving your empire out of the fog. Let’s conquer the world, one hex at a time!

Starting Your First City#

So, you’ve just fired up Civilization V, and the world is your oyster. The first big decision? Where to plop down your very first city. It might seem overwhelming at first, but no worries—we’ve got you covered with some straightforward tips to get you rolling.

1. Survey the Land#

Before you do anything, take a good look at the map around your Settler. You want to find the sweet spot that will set you up for success. Here’s what to look for:

• Access to Fresh Water: Rivers and lakes are golden. They provide extra food, which means your city will grow faster. This is super important early on.
• Resource Nodes: Special resources like Wheat, Deer, or Fish can give you huge boosts. Look for tiles that shine (literally), indicating they have these valuable resources.
• Diverse Terrain: A mix of Hills, Grasslands, Plains, and Forests will give your city a balanced start. Hills are great for production, while Grasslands are great for food.

2. Strategic Positioning#

Once you’ve scouted the area, think about the strategic positioning of your city.

• Defense: Placing your city next to Hills or Forests can make it easier to defend against early attacks. High ground gives you an advantage.
• Expansion: Consider future city sites and leave room for expansion. Don’t box yourself in too tightly against the ocean or mountains.

3. Optimal Placement: The 4-Tile Rule#

Here’s a crucial tip: ideally, your cities should be at least four tiles apart. This ensures they don’t overlap too much in terms of workable tiles and resources. You’ll maximize efficiency and prevent headaches down the road.

4. Early Resources and Growth#

Right after you found your city, the focus should be on growth and resource collection. Here’s how:

• City Production:
  • Start with a Monument. Culture points from Monuments help you adopt social policies faster, which can give you powerful bonuses.
  • Building a Scout next can be a game-changer. Scouting the area quickly reveals more resources, city-states, and potential threats.
• Worker Priorities:
  • Improve food tiles first, like Farms on fresh water tiles or Pastures on resources like Cows.
  • Next, work on production tiles. Mines on Hills or Lumber Mills in Forests will boost your city’s ability to build important structures and units faster.

5. Social Policies and Tech#

Choosing the right social policies and technology early on can give you a tremendous edge:

• Tradition vs. Liberty:

  • If you plan to focus on developing a few super-powerful cities, go with Tradition. This tree helps with growth and defense.
  • For those who want to expand rapidly and have multiple cities, Liberty is your buddy. It gives bonuses for expansion and helps pump out settlers and workers faster.

• Key Early Technologies:

  • Pottery: Unlocks the Granary for extra food—vital for city growth.
  • Animal Husbandry: Reveals Horses on the map, which are crucial for early warfare and trade.
  • Mining: Allows you to chop Forests and build Mines, speeding up production.

6. Exploration and Diplomacy#

Don’t forget to explore and interact with nearby city-states and civilizations. Early friendships can lead to lucrative trade and strategic alliances.

• Scouts: Use them to reveal as much of the map as quickly as possible.
• City-States: Completing their quests early can give you beneficial rewards like units, culture, or food.

Conclusion#

Starting your first city properly is all about striking a balance. You need food for growth, production for building, and strategic positioning for defense. Keep an eye on resources, stay flexible, and think a few steps ahead. Before you know it, your city will be thriving, and you’ll be well on your way to building a mighty civilization. Good luck, future ruler!

Tips for New Players#

Welcome to Civilization V! Just getting started can feel pretty overwhelming, but don’t worry, we’ve got some tips to help you kick off your journey to world domination.

Choose the Right Civilization#

Not all civilizations are created equal, and some are definitely easier for beginners. Rome and China are great starter civilizations. Rome gets extra bonuses for building in your empire, and China can quickly bolster their armies and make some gold.

Keep an Eye on Your Happiness#

Happiness is crucial! If your people aren’t happy, your empire suffers. Make sure you build structures like Circuses, Theatres, and Colosseums. Connecting your cities with roads and trading for luxury resources with other civilizations also helps a lot.

Expand Carefully#

It can be tempting to build cities everywhere, but more cities mean more problems. Too many cities can decrease happiness and stretch your resources thin. Aim to settle cities near valuable resources and in strategic locations like rivers or coasts for early bonuses and trade routes.

Focus on Science#

Keep your tech game strong! More advanced technologies unlock better units and buildings. It’s a good idea to always have a Library and eventually a University in your major cities. Invest in science buildings and specialists to stay ahead.

Be Smart with Your Workers#

Your workers are your best friends! Use them to build farms, mines, and other improvements around your cities. Make sure to automate them if managing gets too overwhelming, but manual control will often yield better results. Priority should go to improving resource tiles first.

Balance Your Military#

You don’t need to have the biggest army, but you should have a strong one. Don’t ignore your military or you’ll be easy pickings for aggressive neighbors. Try to have a mix of ranged units, melee units, and eventually, naval forces. Upgrading your units regularly is key.

Trade with Other Civilizations#

Trade is your pathway to prosperity. Establish trade routes and negotiate deals with other leaders. Trading excess resources for gold or other luxuries can keep your economy booming and your people happy.

Use City-States to Your Advantage#

City-States, small impartial nations, can be great allies. Befriend them through bribes or by completing their quests. Mercantile City-States give you luxury resources, while Militaristic ones provide units. Keeping City-States happy can offer significant benefits.

Culture and Social Policies#

Don’t ignore the culture aspect. Building cultural buildings like Monuments and Temples will help you accumulate culture points. These points are used to adopt Social Policies, which offer powerful bonuses. Choose policies that match your playstyle, whether it’s focusing on military, economy, or science.

Mind the Diplomacy#

Diplomacy is a delicate game. Be courteous in your dealings with other civilizations but always be on guard. Some leaders are naturally more aggressive or deceptive, and you need to be prepared for sudden changes in alliances. Use diplomacy to form strategic alliances, but be wary of those who might betray you.

Keep Learning#

The more you play, the better you’ll get. Learn from each game, and don’t be afraid to lose. Civilization V is all about adapting and figuring out new strategies. Watching gameplay videos, reading forums, and experimenting with different tactics can make you a better player over time.

Remember, Civilization V is a game that rewards strategy and careful planning. By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to building a thriving empire. Get out there and make history!