Your first game? û Short Instruction û first edition û for cevo 0.7.5
Introduction: Forget the editions I released before (try the newest)! Excuse me for my poor English and notice that I am German, so the meaning of a sentence might be different in your language or thought or in my mind. I tried to make this text short and very easy to understand, which is my problem. See the following instructions as ôLearning by doingö not as an explanation of the whole game (therefore read the ôonlineö manual)! Please follow the instructions step by step. And now let us begin the game.
Start a new game on ôbaby levelö (Baby face icon) for you (computer picture) and ächildren levelö for the four chosen Standard AI┤s (Artificial Intelligence), change by click on faces, world size 70% and landmass 90% (change by +/- buttons), clicks on start and then choose your tribe by click on a nation. After that you are in the game.
On the lower left on the full screen you see different icons, which indicates the three-popup menus ("Empire Managementö => next say EM; Reports and ôUnit Commandsö => next say UC). Under the menu you see money/surplus, science/surplus, advancements ôtimeö/surplus and ôend turnö icon. By mouse scroll on one icon you see its function/name. By mouse click on one of the three it popup and show different arguments û test it. For more information about the whole game open menu EM, select ôManualö and then choose your favour.
As your first action of playing open menu EM and set "Tax Rate" to zero (lower tax equals higher science).
Then look the different terrain-types by hold shift key and make a mouse click on the known terrains (tiles) on the screen (nearby your settlers/militia and not black). The terrain window open and shows the chosen terrain. Notice Grassland, hills, etc. and the different food, science (trade), production of each tile and when you find a new one, have a look on it!
You can choose a unit by click on it. The blinking unit is chosen, so you can move it (separate numberkeybar) or access something by menu UC. If you donÆt see the blinking unit later in the game you can find it by using UC => ôCenterö. If you want to move your unit far away (and go itself) make a right mouse click on the destination tile (ôgo toö command; select or scroll to destination tile by left mouse click). On the lower task you see the status of the chosen unit (see manual).
Build your first city on Grassland terrain-tile (see above): if necessary move settlers on it, open menu UC and ôsettle downö. Now the city menu opens: Click on the blinking picture and the production menu opens (later you can select here between units, improvements and wonders using the 3 lower icons); select ôbuild settlersö and return to city menu by OK button (Stay here in city menu until I say). Notice that the city has to growth to 2 before completed the production or the city will gone to settlers. You can easy calculate this:
Storage leaved size divided Food surplus equals turns to growth + 2 turns (safety); e.g. 20:2=12 turns to growth.
Settlers leaved size divided Production surplus equals turns to complete production; e.g. 30:2=15 turns to finish production.
On the upper left you see the city terrain area, you can change the used-tile by click on the used and then click on a free tile (try out; city size 1 = 1 tile in use; city size 4 = 4 tile in use when happy people; and so on). Notice different science, food and production when change/disable used-tile (see ôlook terrain-typesö above, look also when you changed government and remember this!). Click on ôOKö to leave the city menu.
Move the Militia unit around an around your city to discover new terrain (black terrain disappears; use separate numberkeybar to move).
When the ôAdvancement menu (What advancement shall we pursue now)ö appears select Alphabet.
Next time select Ceremonial Burial, then Code of Laws, then Monarchy, Horseback Riding, Warrior Code, Feudalism, and Chivalry (see menu EM => Manual => Science => Advancements => e.g. Chivalry for better understanding).
When the production of Settlers is completed built a ôMilitiaö next. After finished production Militia built ôSettlersö next (notice turns to growth, see above). If necessary produce ôtrading goodsö (collecting money) for a few turns, then change production to ôSettlersö.
Use the Settlers to build 2 roads (UC => ôbuilt roadö) on grassland in the city terrain area (if you have a river with 2 grassland terrains, there is no need to build roads yet (already has science there), after that move it 3 to 5 fields away from the city and settle down on Grassland in an adequate area (river or water access; grassland with trees; hills; special terrains); build Settlers first (next productions: try out).
Use the produced Militia to discover terrain or to protect cities/borders. When your nation growth let your ôsafetyö (in the middle or nearby coast) cities undefended.
Use the second Settlers produced in a city (build Militia next, then Settlers) to ôbuilt irrigationö on the 2 ôroads- terrainsö or river terrains. Notice that you can only irrigate terrain when there is water access nearby (river, coast or existing irrigation) then move it away to an adequate area and ôsettle downö.
After you discovered Monarchy open menu EM (see above) and set ôGovernmentö to Monarchy.
When you discover foreign cities/units make use of Reports menu => Nations => Dialog => Make Suggestion.
You can combine ôAdd Offerö and ôAdd Demandö in different ways.
As long as you have no good military (e.g. Chivalry) units try to exchange civil information. When you get civil information about a nation click on ôNation Reportö and look the Technology screen for different discovered Science, try to exchange technologies by combine ôAdd Offer/Demandö technology. Notice that you have to discover exchanged techs before you can use them. If you can, sign a ôPeace Treatyö to protect your territory. But nevertheless try out everything for an advantage.
After you discovered Chivalry select ôMilitary Researchö, the ôUnit Draftö menu opens. Set ôMobilityö to 4 by ô+ buttonö. Leave menu by OK button (this is the way to discover new (good) military units).
Next Advancement rating: Mysticism => Writing => Literacy => The Republic (test it) => Pottery => Bronze Working => Forging => Iron Working => Military Research (set Defence and Mobility to 3) => Military Research (set Defence to 2 and Mobility to 4; notice Strength, Speed and Cost by different variations).
Use the third settlers produced in a city (build Temple next) to ôbuild mineö on a hill terrain, then build roads to connect your cities, then move it away to an adequate area and ôsettle downö or use it for further mines, roads, irrigation (if necessary transform tiles and then built irrigation to connect tiles with water access). Notice that you canÆt build roads on rivers yet (no bridge building discovered), but see the speed units have on rivers by moving on it!
Look for your money before your production of the Temple is finished; raise Tax Rate to 20 if you have nothing (donÆt earn to much money because of advancement/discover-speed: lower Tax Rate to zero if possible).
Have a look on reports menu => City Report. There you see an overview about city-size, food/science/money/production-surplus (or overall) of your whole cities. DonÆt let your cities growth to fast: change a ôfood-terrain to production-terrain (means less food more production)ö in cities (if necessary built mines).
As the Temple is completed (build ôtrading goodsö or knights) click on the city terrain area on a free tile: if city size is 3 you get an additional used-tile because of happy people, if city size is 2 wait for growth an then change one ôfoodö-tile to a ôproductionö-tile (see above).
By discover your first good military unit go to the cities with existing Temple and built knights. Look for your money! Use the knights for defending your borders or catch-undefended cities or discovering. Reset Militia with knights in all cities then disband existing MilitiaÆs units built in cities by going to nearest own cities and use ôUnit Commandsö => ôutilizeö. Look production status before and after you utilize a unit and remember it.
Use the Reports menu to make better suggestion to foreign nations after they have seen your knights. Try to get civil information and world map, and then demand payment, after that ôdemandö tribute (3 for one foreign city; try out higher) for ôofferö Peace Treaty. If it goes well have a look on your money and maybe change tax rate to zero! When you got a big surplus in money builds a ôWonderö in a city and buy it (in city menu) as early as you can.
Produce your next discovered military unit (Archers) to protect your border cities and the new knights to attack enemies and make better diplomacy for you. Refit damaged units in cities or if you are far away: let it ôstayö on free place (nothing nearby) and try to loose not your damaged units and donÆt forget them. Notice that moving across desert and arctic tiles also damage units (damage-size of selected unit on lower right of full screen in % an red). So moving on them or stay there about a few turns and your unit will disappear (die)!
Next Advancement rating: Currency => Masonry => Construction => Bridge Building => Philosophy => Polytheism => Monotheism (build wonder) => The Wheel => Engineering => Invention => Democracy (try out) => Gunpowder => Mathematics => Physics => University => Ballistics => Leadership => Tactics => Conscription => Metallurgy => Military Research (try out everything û gadgetry!).
Built Libraries, Marketplaces and Barracks next and have a look on ôNational Projects and Wondersö in the production menu. You get information about them by hold shift key and click on one in the menu!!! If necessary (e.g. ôCivil disorderö) raise ôLuxury rateö to make unhappy citizens happy (=> The Republic; Democracy)! Notice lower Science!
Remember: If nothing happens (canÆt choose a unit anymore) try out ôEnd Turnö-button.
So go forward and have fun and be civilise!!!
For further information (help) read the manual (see above). Also read the FAQ in the intro-section or ask detailed questions in the forum at cevo homepage: http://www.c-evo.org
There are many ways to go to Rome and you have to find out which were the best.
I hope you got a little help and an introduction of most important aspects of the game. DonÆt believe every written word here û try out different ways in ôbuilt nextö or tech trees or diplomacy and learn.
Start new games and go different to perform your strategy.
And of course: tell me if this text works (help) or not. In the cevo-Forum or ascus@t-online.de
If I wrote or made something wrong (or forgot), everyone can change the text to help it make better.
My best regards to the people engage in build this game and of course my honour to Steffen Gerlach.
