Hi people. New to the forums, but not new to the Civ series. I have a question regarding game speed/Strategy. I find I always start out expanding an creating as many cities as possible as land runs out quick. I find I always run out of areas to build new cities too fast. Is there any way to change this? Also, What game Speed, Map size is best? I find I do not have enough time to create my army and take over another civ. Looking from help from you Guru's.

I am no guru by any means, but if you find yourself running out of room too fast for your play style move up to a larger map - this will give you more 'elbow' room. I used to love huge/marathon games until they hit the 1200 ad+ point where trying to micromanage everything seemed to over-whelm me and I'd often find myself falling into the "automate workers and listen to advisor too much trap" and endlesslly clicking the next turn button. Larger maps pose a challenge for warmongers tho, more distance to travel between conquests, so a longer time scale may be in order there.
The reason you dont have an army when you want one is a combination of the above - you spend too much time expanding and not enough building army.

I find it good practice to use larger maps and longer games to practice my building skills and I will switch to smaller maps when I decide to perfect my warmongering ability. (I'm still learning myself)

There are several in-depth strategy guides on these forums which may provide some of the answers you seek.

I find that the 1.61 patch's fractal maps give you the best chance of having a nice-sized land mass all or mostly to yourself.

On a larger continent, try exploring quickly (play as a civ with Hunting so you start with a Scout instead of a Warrior, and build one or two in your first city). Find a choke-point on the land mass between you and neighbouring civs. Rush a Settler there to seal it off--or more than one, if it's quite wide. Quickly fill in the area behind it, coastal locations first.

Again, I find fractal maps lend themselves to this best. Continents or Pangaea tend to generate land masses that are too broad to be sealed off easily.

My own preference, however, is to just set up 4-6 cities and then go out conquering with an Axe rush.

I have played on Epic, I still find I do not have enough time to build an armny and conquer people. I also use large maps, maybe thats my problem?

at what time do you start to wage war?

i usually start an early war in 3000 BC (axe rush or at least worker stealing)
i quite often start a first war for worker stealing even earlier (prince or monarch level)

at what time do you start to wage war?

i usually start an early war in 3000 BC (axe rush or at least worker stealing)
i quite often start a first war for worker stealing even earlier (prince or monarch level)

I start a lot later, maybe thats my issue. Whats Axe Rush (Me noob).

To me timing wars is one of the hardest things to get right. I usually try to get a decent stack of units (swords usually) to use when I run out of room but can afford more city maintenance. Sometimes however I find my self hopelessly under-prepared and stuck in a war I don't want to be in, which ends up costing a lot (rushing units, pillaged resources etc.), without prospects for gains. This can set you back substantially.

Must try the axe-rush one time.

Axe-rush is a strategy when you research bronze working very soon, then chop down forest, whip citizens to speed up axmen production and attack other civ before they have their strategic resources hooked up.

Must try the axe-rush one time.

you'll get addicted! it gives you sooo much power, you just wonder why you didn't do it before!

you get free cities, and destroys/cripples badly one or more opponents

same thing for worker robbery!

you get a free worker (well, if you're not lucky it costs you a warrior and an endless war), and throws your opponent into the dark ages

Axe-rush is a strategy when you research bronze working very soon, then chop down forest, whip citizens to speed up axmen production and attack other civ before they have their strategic resources hooked up.

exactly
the point is to fight archers with axemen, in city with low cultural defense = very early
a common ratio is to send 2 axemen for 1 archer, making it a "sure" kill (well, nothing can protect you against really bad luck)

So if your closest opponent has 2 cities with 2 archers, you send 2 waves of 4 axemen (or only one, while building reinforcements) and find yourself at the head of 2 more cities (or just the capitol, if the other isn't too good), and a bunch of promoted axemen.

If it's still early enough, you can send them (the same + reinforcements) against a second opponent.

Timing and numbers are the keys. You don't want to face a longbow, you don't want to climb walls, you don't want to have 60% culture defense bonus.

I recently tried my first axe rush as frederick .. I was on a small continent with Incan (cant spell his name if i tried) - I waited too long, had built barracks, had too many axes and my research was down to 30%, but I captured 2 of his cities (defended by qechas), one of them a holy city with stonehenge! - razed his other 2 as they were in bad locations.
This will soon become a integral part of my early game (I've never been a low tech warmonger).

CR1 axemen vs quecha in 40% def city, on hill .. 95% lol

I recently tried my first axe rush as frederick .. I was on a small continent with Incan (cant spell his name if i tried) - I waited too long, had built barracks, had too many axes and my research was down to 30%, but I captured 2 of his cities (defended by qechas), one of them a holy city with stonehenge! - razed his other 2 as they were in bad locations.
This will soon become a integral part of my early game (I've never been a low tech warmonger).

CR1 axemen vs quecha in 40% def city, on hill .. 95% lol

well done!
after that, you often need to rebuild infrastructure, but you still can go on offense: just razing everything

To me timing wars is one of the hardest things to get right. I usually try to get a decent stack of units (swords usually) to use when I run out of room but can afford more city maintenance. Sometimes however I find my self hopelessly under-prepared and stuck in a war I don't want to be in, which ends up costing a lot (rushing units, pillaged resources etc.), without prospects for gains. This can set you back substantially.

Must try the axe-rush one time.
The swords are your problem.

First, you have to research Iron Working, which is a relatively expensive early tech, then you have to find and hook up iron, then build Swordsmen. That's what's delaying you too long.

I never bother with Swordsmen anymore. The only time I go the route above is if I'm playing as Rome for the Praetorians.

Bronze Working is much easier to research than IW, especially if your civ starts with mining. Finding copper is then crucial, but it's early enough in the game that you can chop a settler and claim-jump copper before anyone else, even if it's far from your capital.

The AI prioritizes Archery and builds Archers for city defense, and often makes BW a low priority (just watch how long it takes for those "LeaderX has adopted Slavery!" pop-ups to appear).

I substitute Axemen for both Swordsmen (attack) and Archers (defense). Don't wait for barracks. They'll earn promotions through experience quickly enough. I like to give half of them City Raider, the other half Combat/Shock. The latter can then be left as the captured city's defenders.

I think Axes are better early city defenders than Archers, since they can venture out to thump barbs rather than waiting for them to attack the city once they're done pillaging your crucial, early tile improvments. I'm getting in the habit of not building an archery unit until Longbowmen are available.

So remember: BW, hook up copper, build Axes, go hunting.