How do I win on levels above settler? In my last game, I have 3 cities when the AIs have plenty (the land surrounding my capital is mostly crap, with the exception of Greece and Poverty Point). Mound City was founded just to expand because the AIs are so much bigger. Then Alexander declares war on me. Problem: I have no iron. This means that I can defend with my dog soldiers, but I can't go on the offensive. So I founded a city is the desert between a barb city and Arabia. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get iron hooked up until I sued for peace, with my only accomplishment being the razing of Athens at considerable expense to my military. I'm building macemen and preparing to eliminate him, but I'm not sure I can win the game - all the AIs are much larger than me, and I had thought there would be another continent with good land to expand in - but all I have found is one island. Military victories are out of the question because I suck at war so bad. I haven't set up for culture so that can't be done either. I don't think Space Race (as I had intended), Time, or Diplomatic can be done because of my small size. Is there any way to pull this off, or should I quit this game and start again?

Id start a new one and I have some advice although im not the greatest, Winning on noble about to move up.

I noticed you chose the Native Americans which are an excellent choice for beginners.

1st I like to get a religion for the extra cash when you build a shrine. To get the religion research techs in this order: Mystism, Polytheism (if you get the religion great but it wasn't expected), Masonry, then finally Monotheism.

You only need one so if you get the first one you don't need the second.

Go for techs that will unlock things around your starting location but don't train workers until your city is a larger size since it diverts excess food.

Also the Native archers are insane defensive units. starts with 2 excellent promotions and can get another 2 with barracks and totem pole.

For Scouting unit promotions you should get woodsman I, II easily from fighting animals and chances are you can beat any animal even bears. Stick to forests though and your explorer will live. Also don't fight animals if you have 5xp or more you can get no more and the same for barbarians with 10 xp. Woodsman III is an excellent promotion giving 2 first strikes, healing, and forest attack. Expand quickly but only if your economy can take it. You will need experience to know when to expand and when to hold em.

Relating to this game:
The capital seems to be a good production city.

I recommend switching civics Bureaucracy & Organized Religion to get a production boost. Then use Crossbowmen to deal with the Phalaxes and Pikemen to deal with the few War Elephants that are there and eliminate him...

Um, if you check the power graph & demographics you will find that you are 1st in power as well as GNP and population...

If you have difficulty winning levels above settler, then I'd suggest you do this:

- read up the game reports on the forums
- try to copy, sort of, the build order, unit priorities, tech order, improvements...
- at levels below noble, don't worry about diplomacy. That's subtle.
- try noble. if it doesn't work...
- play a new game, saving after every 20 turns. Post your first 10 saves on an external server, your homepage, yahoo briefcase, or somewhere where we can download it and diagnose your problem. Don't post it here, as 5-10 attachments are too big.

i haven't seen the save, so i may be confused... you built a city in the desert just for iron???

^The city also had some grassland tiles, a hill, as well as stone and wheat in the fat cross.

I think my main problem is not expanding early enough and wanting my cities to be relatively close together. I could easily have gotten the iron around Knossos if I had been willing to live with the gap in the territory. I'll play this and see how it goes - take out Greece, probably found a city where Athens was, try for Diplomatic or space race.

1st I like to get a religion for the extra cash when you build a shrine. To get the religion research techs in this order: Mystism, Polytheism (if you get the religion great but it wasn't expected), Masonry, then finally Monotheism.

don't train workers until your city is a larger size since it diverts excess food.


DO NOT get an early religion and DO train a worker on the first turn (9 times out of 10)

From what i hear, it sounds like your starting location was pretty bad. I would've restarted honestly. You are Native america, so this is my suggestion. Build totem poles and Barracks, and train archers. Upgrade them to city garrison 3. use these archers to defend cities. if you are without horse/copper/iron (the worst case scenerio) then train dog soldiers. use these to attack. If your with some resources, then use the units that come along with it.

Swordsmen - For attacking cities. Defend with axemen
Axemen - For attacking melee. The bulk of an army.
Spearmen - To defend and attack chariots and horse archers.
Horse Archers - used to raid and attack catapults. counter with spearmen.
Chariots - Used to raid and scout, Counter with spearmen.

Please note that Swordsmen need iron, axemen and spearmen need copper. Horse archers and Chariots obviously need horses.

i haven't seen the save, so i may be confused... you built a city in the desert just for iron???Yes, I want the old colonies back.

Axemen - For attacking melee. The bulk of an army.

He can't build axemen; he has dog soldiers :)

Well, I managed to get a space race victory out of it. I almost lost to Lincoln though (he was going for a cultural victory and had a defensive pact with 2 other civs so I couldn't take out any of his cities). Hopefully I'll do better next time and not make the mistake of not expanding quickly enough.

You have 3 cities by 1350 AD?
Wonder you made it this far.

Spam some settlers and expand.
If your research goes down to 50%, so be it.
What goes around, comes around, and those cities will make up the lost percentage in more base-beakers.

Keep your military slightly above minimum, concentrate it at chokepoints.
you dont need 10 units in every city, 15 units at two strategic points usually are enough.