(G&K) Playing my first game on Emperor - and it looks like I'm going to lose!

My last game on King was a breeze - so I thought it was time to try the next level. I left the other game settings the same (England, Standard, Large islands, 6/12).

Well it hasn't gone according to plan. I have now limped into Info era and have clawed my way into second place (in terms of tech, land etc.) but:

1. Darius has been world leader pretty much from the off, and has built two boosters already (I haven't completed Apollo yet!). And as usual with runaways he has the most faith, cash, tech, happiness, culture. trouser size etc. and most of the CS in his pocket. (it always rankles when the runaway is also happy happy happy)

2. I've managed to grab a reasonable amount of real estate along the way but nowhere near my norm for this stage.

3/£. Darius has always been significantly higher tech than everyone else - for instance when at war with Hiawatha I sailed my SOTL into Montreal bay and I couldnt help but notice Darius had three battleships in Pasargadae (hope I've spelt that correctly!); and all through the game he's been completing wonders before I've even got the tech. I've just noticed his rocket artillery so no doubt he's going to beat me to Hubble as well.

4. Most importantly, I haven't managed to become top tech, never better than about 4% behind Darius. Getting to top tech is usually not a problem, I get there on or before the start of Industrial and pull away rapidly.

I will say it makes a refreshing change to see Hiawatha outdone on the ramapant expansion, but of course he still has a zillion cities. He did go to war against Darius with Monty in the mid-game, but they never made any progress and gave up after a while.

So it's T349 and I'm pretty sure my first outing on Emperor is going to end in defeat. I'm not sure what lessons I'm going to take from it though, and that's the real downer. I'm guessing my tech path wasn't optimal, but other than that I'm struggling a bit. I just seemed to progress slower than usual, and cash was more of an issue this game (I had to wait to upgrade units quite often, which isn't great).

Please feel free to comment.

A save game or screenshots will help

Absent that, how many cities did you build? Did you go first for education and build universities? Did you make sure to grow your cities fast and not set the city to production focus all the time? Did you use your spies to steal from Darius? Sounds like you have a tech problem and these are some things you can do to solve it

MarshalN said:

A save game or screenshots will help

Absent that, how many cities did you build? Did you go first for education and build universities? Did you make sure to grow your cities fast and not set the city to production focus all the time? Did you use your spies to steal from Darius? Sounds like you have a tech problem and these are some things you can do to solve it

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I built three, two on mainland Nottingham on island about 8 hexes away - nowhere left after that woth occupying (although that never stopped the AI!). I've been managing them, they're decent size but the terrain could be better and not much water resource. I don't have a religion (although my cities are Buddhism from AI) but I did get Fertility pantheon early.

Yes I did the education route but was late with labs (had to build units first)

No joy with stealing from Darius, although I should have tried in a small city, thought of this way too late (I believe it doesn't matter which city you go for, certainly doesn't have to be capital? I don't have espionage on very often...)

I agree about the tech, it is slower than usual but so are most things.

One important point is that I started the game expecting to go Domination once I had a navy, and that influenced my tech order in the mid-game.

I'm going to play from same start for the next couple of games (after I lose this one!) to try and improve my tech/build order - OK, so I'll know some stuff about the map early on that I wouldn't have ordinarily but if I'm not improving I'll know it's something more fundemantal.

I am sure it is something very fundamental.

Please upload a save game so we can look at it. With out a save game we are just guessing what is wrong. The most common mistakes are not properly micromanaging your citizens, and poor city placement. With a save game we can give very precise suggestions on how to improve

It seems to me like the problem was building lots of units and going for domination then stopping midway and going for science victory.

Js_9001 said:

It seems to me like the problem was building lots of units and going for domination then stopping midway and going for science victory.

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Yes that's certainly true to a point, hence me mentioning it. However, I always try to push tech hard, because I believe that fundementally tech is everything whatever the VC, and in this game I didn't get my beakers up fast enough.

I'll see how the game pans out tonight and let you know.

Been Playing emperor level in Gods and King for few weeks now. Here are some tips to stand the test of time:

I usually follow these Policies sequence and insert some policies in betwwen depending on needs. particulary on hapiness and production related.
1.) Tradition
2.) Tradition->Legalism: to provide culture buildings

3.) Liberty
4.) Liberty->Collective Rule: to provide extra settler
5.) Liberty->Citizenship: to provide extra worker

sometimes I insert aristocracy here before a my new wonder is built. Because it can boost up production.

6.) Piety
7.) Piety->Organized Religion: faith is really important in the later part of the game. as it can
buy scientists, engineers, merchants. I make sure my faith is always on positive loop. and buy inquisitors if there are other religions in my cities.

8.) Commerce


7.) Science - I start on this policy when my faith reaches to 700+ enough to buy a scientist.


Dont neglect your faith as it can cost in the later part in the game.
Select beliefs that can boost culture, faith, happiness. Guard your cities from prophet attacks by surrounding with units or capture as last resort as it can convert the whole city's religion. When at peace, I send my extra prophet at enemies capital to convert their whole city religion even whole empire. In this way, the AI will at least to spend faith in purchasing faith related units/ buildings.


Early tech:
1.) Pottery
2.) writing as it can build the great library.
3.) mining/archery
4.) construction


Early wonders:
1.) Great library - free tech
2.) Pyramids - free workers
3.) Temple of Artemis - speeds up range units

Early game.
1.) i usually build 3 scouts and sent then in north east, north west, south east, south west directions. if some city state gives you 8 faith, which is enough to found a pantheon, then I dont need to build shrine early. I can build it later. But if I dont get a faith from CS, I build a shrine immediately after the scouts.

2.) Let your scouts explore on the hills as it can gain vantage points for more tiles can be viewed.

General tips.
1.) I usually place my cities in rivers, or in any place that has natural defensive features like forest
cover, above the hill or near a bottleneck geography

2.) I place my cities as much as possible closer to each other when the enemy civs are near and spread out when the enemy civs are far.

3.) As much as possible I settle my cities on strategic advantage like blocking other civs from expansion. This will certainly get to war always
even before the birth of Christ. But this will give an advantage as the units can gain experience + likehood to gain a Great General which can build citadels in hotspot places.

3.) build roads on possible hotspot places near borders. and build them on hills for troops mobility. If my cities are highly vulnerable to attack, i usually build roads around them for my troops to move easily. Build walls and castles for cities near the border.

4.) Hide your forces from enemies. So that it has no idea what your units are.

5.) for me it is not a matter of the number of cities but on the quality of the city which is gauged by number of resources, defensive positions, and of course food.

6.) Just like in real life, declare war or keep the pressure of war if there is an strategic purpose. like capturing cities with plenty of resources. and burning low quality cities. And in the later part of the game, in 1850's up. if the enemy civ is offering peace, it means it is on the losing position. So capture as much as possible strategic cities.

7.) Before I attack the city, I let the worker attack first by building road to that city. In this way, the foot or mounted soldier can easily reach the attacked city when its defenses are down to zero. This is also has a good result as the AI is inclined to capture my worker, so my supporting units can destroy the capturing unit, gaining precious experience.

8.) when my city is beseiged in the early part of the game, I concentrate my firepower on nearest foot soldiers in my city. as they are the ones who will capture my city.


Spies are extremely useful if properly used. as soon as I get a spy, I check the demographics to see who is the most literate. The most literate CIV is most technologically advanced CIV. If i am behind with tech, I placed my spy on the most literate. I placed my spy there until modern times enough to steal 3 to 4 techs. If i am ahead of the tech, i placed my spy at my capital.

embassies - dont accept embassy if the enemy is too close to my empire. as they will know my capitals location. accept embassies and befriend far flung civs.



I choose always China. forgive for the bias.
and the other civs are always the greatest


1.) Alexander - always befriend him unless on dire circumstances. He has only one mission to conquer the world.
2.) Bismarck - formidable tech leader
3.) Catherine - always befriend her unless on dire circumstances. she will nuke you.
4.) Darius - another tech leader
5.) Elizabeth - "By the grace of God, your days are numbered." I alway like when she declares war, I love the music. In fact i edited her music made it a ringtone to my phone. Its like a nostalgic feeling where thousand ships are sailing for invasion.
6.) Napoleon
7.) Montezuma or Washington

Enjoy and have fun

Thanks, some really interesting points there. I note that you change from piety to rationalism half way through - I've never done this but if it works for you I may give it a go.

I would disagree with taking any other policies until maxing out tradition if you want to become the tech leader. Those free aqueducts are extremely strong.

What I've been doing recently for science games is pottery then writing first. For production I go scout, warrior, granary, library, settler, settler. I don't build any workers until I need them later, I try to steal at least one as early as possible from an AI civ and 2-3 more from city states. After improvement techs and maybe math for hanging gardens I beeline Civil Service then Theology and Education to get Universities up quickly.

As far as early wonders go I think the only one worth going for is Hanging Gardens which means I try to tech to math asap (without neglecting improvement techs though).

Here is a save at turn 111 as Polynesia using that strategy. I'm actually quite a bit behind where I want to be because it took longer than I'd like to get my observatory city going so I'm just finishing the national college but 10 turns away from education so I'll be leader in no time. What you should take note of is just how much bigger my capitol is than the other civs by spending a bit more time building it early.

http://speedy.sh/FmZ6e/Hawaii.Civ5Save

Ah, you are doing well I lost my first emperor game around turn 100!

Well I called time shortly after Darius got Hubble one turn and DOWd me the next - he was just a monster by then. I played for a few turns just to sink some of his navy, but there was no real possibility of getting a victory before him.

I started same game again (from T0) to see if I make a better job of it this time - I'm at T162 and so far not too bad but I've a much smaller military than usual at this point in a game so that may screw things up (just building my first SOTL but I do have Uni's staffed in my three cities and have found a possible location for a 4th if Hiawatha doesn't get there first). Tech leader (just), average in most other catagories a bit weak in military and happiness. Unfortunately the only city I can build an observatory in (York) isn't very big because of the terrain (low food, no fish), whereas London and Nottingham are growing fast. Obviously I need some more CS friends/allies so I'm desperately out there exploring. Also my culture sucks so I need to boost it. So much to do, so little time...

Walter R said:

Well I called time shortly after Darius got Hubble one turn and DOWd me the next - he was just a monster by then. I played for a few turns just to sink some of his navy, but there was no real possibility of getting a victory before him.

I started same game again (from T0) to see if I make a better job of it this time - I'm at T162 and so far not too bad but I've a much smaller military than usual at this point in a game so that may screw things up (just building my first SOTL but I do have Uni's staffed in my three cities and have found a possible location for a 4th if Hiawatha doesn't get there first). Tech leader (just), average in most other catagories a bit weak in military and happiness. Unfortunately the only city I can build an observatory in (York) isn't very big because of the terrain (low food, no fish), whereas London and Nottingham are growing fast. Obviously I need some more CS friends/allies so I'm desperately out there exploring. Also my culture sucks so I need to boost it. So much to do, so little time...

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Yeah really difficult to beat Darius by tech. The only way to stop Darius form science victory is to conquer him. Once Darius (or even Bismark)got he Hubble first, game is over until you conquer him.

Yeah I don't get it. The restart was going fine until somewhere around t200, when Darius once again raced past me in tech. Went back to King, unfortunately got Darius again and same happened. Why does Darius get so much science? Or more accurately how come he gets a pop explosion mid game?
I haven't played for a couple of days now, thinking of going back to Prince!

Walter R said:

Yeah I don't get it. The restart was going fine until somewhere around t200, when Darius once again raced past me in tech. Went back to King, unfortunately got Darius again and same happened. Why does Darius get so much science? Or more accurately how come he gets a pop explosion mid game?
I haven't played for a couple of days now, thinking of going back to Prince!

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Once again a screenshot of your empire would be very useful. Otherwise the advice might be meaningless

Been playing emperor GnK. Darius and Bismark are formidable tech leaders. They will produce research to produce more science. Darius religion Zoroastrianism produces more science when his religion spreads to other cities particularly for more populated cities. to counter this, deny as much as possible religion attacks from darius like missionaries or prophets, by blocking them with units or put inquisitor in your city. or remove other religions via inquisitor. Take note: prophets can convert whole cities. so be sure to guard ur capital. when I have an extra prophet I will send my prophet to convert darius capital and other populated cities with my religion. This somehow slows their science.

Generally to be ahead or abreast with techs I usually do this:
1.) research writing after pottery. and immediately build Great library. This will grant free tech.
2.) as much as possible build the oracle wonder to deny other civs with science points.
3.) Make you faith to boost up, by adopting pantheon desert folk lore, or if its not available build buildings of faith and adopt beliefs/policies that can boost faith. Faith is extremely important in the later part of the game as it can buy scientists, engineers, merchants
3.) complete liberty tree, this will grant great person. choose scientist.
4.) put universities to all your founded cities, this can create oxford uni, another free tech.
5.) put your spy to the most literate civ. This could either be Bismark, Catherine, Darius. you can check the civ tech biases of the leaders online. Put the spy there until modern times. Sometimes I can steal 4 techs from the enemy civ.
6.) make some friends that most likely to be in top 4 tech leader to have some research agreement but do not accept embassies. accepting embassies is like giving a map of your capital to be attacked by the enemy civ. at emperor level up, the AI have an armies that can wipeout your civ from the face of the planet.

7.) complete the rationalism tree as it can give you two free techs.

8.) focus your tech to satellites, so you can build the hubble space telescope.

9.) buy scientists by faith. sometimes i could buy 3, the faith cost goes up in each scientist. So this imply that my faith is somewhere around 4000.

10.) be sure to open the order policy so can buy engineer via when its time to build the HST.