I just played the demo to Civ 5 and it convinced me to buy and download this game as we speak. I was just wondering if I should get the expansion along with the original. Are the additions/changes beginner friendly or should I hold off until I get my bearings with the original? Also, some tips for Civ 5 in general would be awesome.

Gods & Kings supposedly also increases performance in the end-game (less time waiting for AI) and makes the AI smarter. I'd get it.

@smcn said:

Gods & Kings supposedly also increases performance in the end-game (less time waiting for AI) and makes the AI smarter. I'd get it.

and if i remember right Gods and Kings also includes all the previous DLC (or at least just the civs), not to mention it adds some pretty big systems (faith and espionage) into the game

Get your bearings with the original. You have a few days to do that before the Expansion is released anyways. If you are THAT eager to buy it.

Gods and Kings changes a view rule things up more than what CIV5 does to CIV4. The expansion is mainly for long term Civ5 fans to have something new thrown in. While as it is you will buy CIV5 play it and feel overwhelmed with with the amount of things CIV5 has in the way of civilizations and different play styles.

You wont be missing out on anything by holding off until you think your set with CIV5 and want more of it. I would say a month, if your too eager a week, unless you feel differently.

If you dont buy it you will be perfactly happy. Honestly I like playing on Huge maps with all woman, so I when I saw they were adding more female Civs that was enough for me to buy it.

I'd say play the original and if you dig it then buy the expansion. If you end up hating the game its going to be pretty silly to have wasted a extra $30 for a game you don't like.

I don't think you need it right off the bat. I say play "vanilla" for a while and see how you feel about the differences between Civ V and previous versions you might have played. If you find yourself really into game, then by all means pick it up. I just don't think you'll need it day-one unless you're getting a really good deal on the expansion.

I would say absolutely buy it if you're just beginning. All of the G&K stuff links right into the main game and stuff like religion and subterfuge should really be experienced.

It's not like you're going to dislike Civ V. Go for it.

@RTSlord: I'm pretty sure it only comes with Spain as a free DLC civilization.

I would get it, religion and espionage adds a lot more depth to the game in my opinion. I'm biased though, played 18 hours the past two days.

Just completed my first play through. And G&K seems fucking awesome!

I thought the original game was amazing on it's own. So maybe the expansion would make it ever betteR?

A while ago I got The Binding of Issac, and the DLC together, and kind of regret it. It made it much more complicated, and impenetrable. I would get vanilla. play a game or two to get used to the systems, and then pick up the DLC.

play a game or of the full game, if you like it than yes buy G&K.

@hidys said:

play a game or of the full game, if you like it than yes buy G&K.

Pretty much this. It doesn't completely change the game, but if you love Civ V as I do, you'll wanna get every bit of extra content you can.

Gods and kings makes the game so much better. Now city states have purpose and the espionage adds something else to worry about when playing. Religion hasn't really done much for me. The bonuses from Religion are all I feel and I haven't had it affect diplomacy yet (which has also been improved, immensely). Go for it. Civ V should be cheap now and if you try the vanilla game and like it, you need Gods and Kings.

@Dagbiker said:

If you dont buy it you will be perfactly happy. Honestly I like playing on Huge maps with all woman, so I when I saw they were adding more female Civs that was enough for me to buy it.

That is a very specific fetish.

It's very fun for just about everyone & recommended though you might want to wait a couple weeks as it feels that the summer sale on steam is feeling like it's soon so you might be able to get it on sale.

@fox01313 said:

It's very fun for just about everyone & recommended though you might want to wait a couple weeks as it feels that the summer sale on steam is feeling like it's soon so you might be able to get it on sale.

I was hoping for this too, but since the game is so recent I was doubting it to go on sale.

@Paranoid: Wouldn't be surprised if it was a small sale for civ5 if they do the 1 day bonus sale events but guessing that it might only be 25% or less, just something to hook people into getting it with the dlc out. Hope that they at least put the DLC out on sale as I got the game shortly before they did the game of the year edition so there's a lot of the smaller expansion dlc I've been curious on but never got a bulk of them yet.

You'll be able to have fun with vanilla Civ 5 for a long time before you get tired of its mechanics. So I'd say stick with vanilla Civ 5 until Gods and Kings inevitably goes on sale.