As I´m playing S4 recently, I have noticed that it has quite hard difficulty compared to other settlers games. Last I played S6 and S2 anniversary and didn´t have such problems. Is it normal that in the first map on easy they attacked me with 50-100 soldiers? I´m stuck at 6th mission, the first for mayans where I have to destroy both vikings and romans. I don´t have enough resources to defend and build an army at the same time and every time my resources runs out while both of them are still attacking with large armies and finally brake me. Any help please?

Have a look at the walkthroughs here http://settlersgang.websettlers.de/walkthroughs.htm

Welcome to the old world Settlers

The key to the game is pretty much build fast,but also the order you build in can be important too.

Firstly look at what tools you have at the start of the game,its no good making 10 woodcutters if you only have 8 axes.

The general rule is woodcutters,sawmills,stone cutters,they are the basics at the start of the game,depending on the map you may need to use planters as well.Up your builders to 20,assuming you have 15 at the start (increase it by 5 whatever number it is thats if you have spare hammers)

Each race has different building needs Romans need pretty much the same amount of stone and wood to build,Mayans need more stone than wood,and Vikings cant get enough wood but use little stone.

Food is also important for your miners,fish for gold,bread and fish for coal,meat for iron ore.Use your options in game to allow coal miners to eat fish,dont waste bread on stone mines unless you are seriously stuck for stone,it better used at the coal mines,also let them eat fish if there is plenty of water to fish in.

Once you have got your wood and stone working well,add a couple of medium residences,2 medium houses takes less stone and wood,and produces the same amount of settlers as a large one does,and builds quicker,you will always find a large residence is waiting around for 8 stones to be delivered.Thats time spent waiting when your builders could be busy elsewhere.

Also a good idea to scout for the ore mountain whilst you are building the wood and store buildings,if its already on your land send the geologists to it to start finding where the ore is,if not then start to build towers to open your land to the mountain.

Once you have discovered your mountain and got wood and stone working well,start by building a toolsmith,and smelter,then mines.If there is water where you can visibly see fish jumping then but fishermans huts so you have something to feed the miners with early.

Once you have the toolsmith and smelter working,you can start adding the weaponsmiths,dont forget to still make houses,you dont want to run short of settlers to fetch and carry for you.

You should now start thinking about food buildings and start building those.

The key to building is to not have lots of buildings sat waiting to be built,this just slows everything down to almost a stand still,also try not to priorities buildings as this confuses the settlers,to the point often they will just stand twiddling their thumbs.

Try to keep all gold/weapons/barracks together,that way the settlers dont have to carry items too far all this speeds up making your soldiers,they are notorious for taking the scenic route if they have to walk any distance with a weapon or gold to the barracks,quickest way is from A-B,left alone they will go from A-D-C-B,if the buildings arent close to each other.

Megg will correct me if Im wrong but the AI dont normally attack for 40-45 minutes,this in time and with practise will allow you to have an army to attack them with and get a victory.

As you have found for yourself Settlers 4 is nothing like the others in the series after it,this one is more strategic.

A good way when you are learning to build is to play a LAN game but play with the AI,to do that both be on the same side,as you enter the game it will say "You Win",and you are given the option to continue playing or to quit,carry on playing.

I hope you persevere with it,and master the art of what to build and when,the game is alot of fun,once you have mastered that.

The walk throughs Megg linked are also a great source of info,and can save your hair when you are at the stage of pulling it out

Often it can help to demolish new towers that you use to expand and gather all your army around a tower the most distant from the approaching enemy.

Three towers grouped closely together make a good defence.

Surviving the first attack gives you more time to recruit more soldiers.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by pennyuk:
Once you have got your wood and stone working well,add a couple of medium residences,2 medium houses takes less stone and wood,and produces the same amount of settlers as a large one does,and builds quicker,you will always find a large residence is waiting around for 8 stones to be delivered.Thats time spent waiting when your builders could be busy elsewhere.

Megg will correct me if Im wrong but the AI dont normally attack for 40-45 minutes,this in time and with practise will allow you to have an army to attack them with and get a victory.

A good way when you are learning to build is to play a LAN game but play with the AI,to do that both be on the same side,as you enter the game it will say "You Win",and you are given the option to continue playing or to quit,carry on playing.
QUOTE]

I play Settlers long long years from my childhood so I know how to play it, I just skipped fourth one so I realized to play it now...but I made it finally.(6th chapter)
I thought that playing campaign firt before LAN with AI is better, thought it would be easier so I can train myself.
And about strategy...isn´t better to build residences right after stonecutter and woodcutter? Important is that no resource will stand where it not supposed to.
Yes, their attacks are usually every 40 minutes, but it was just this mission where romans came every...15-20 minutes...
But thanks for help

Hi dude, I am stuck with the same problem as u, u said u made fortresses near 2 eachother, but I cannot find space anywhere to build them. could u tell me where u made them?

Another trick I found that helps... if you are already producing food (fish) from the beginning, and you have minerals already on your map, I build a camp and only allow it to store said minerals. That way when I do get to the point of build the smelter and weapon/toolsmiths, I have a surplus of materials already good to go.