Very beginner's questions (iPhone version)

1. Strategy guides here say to set up the two initial workers on production squares (e.g., two forests). But that doesn't give you any growth and what I just found out, no science either. I understand about getting a Warrior army out but after that, you put it on 1 production and 1 food square but that still doesn't give you any science. When/how do you start researching anything, esp. when I'm supposed to get to Writing or Horseback asap?

2. When an army attacks a city, it seems like there are endless battles but the graphics does not help me understand. If I attack with a Horsemen army and it says 12 or something. What does that mean? Also what is the first battle - one of my Horseman against one of an enemy unit? So if they have one army in the city, I would have to win three battles to defeat that army and take that city (assuming that's all the units they have)?

3. Is one of the many scenarios a tutorial or is there a tutorial for this game?

4. How do I end a turn even if units have movement points left?

1. Once I've got my first warriors out, I usually switch both workers to food squares so that I can grow quickly. Once I'm up to 3 population, I switch them all to production and get a settler out as quickly as possible. Rinse and repeat until I have four or five cities on good locations. I don't usually worry about science until my second city, but after getting the initial warriors out some other people put both their workers on science to pop out a tech or two before focusing on settlers. Someone with better experience in the game can probably give you better start-up advice, or you can check out the many guides that have been written (the PS3/Xbox version is virtually identical to the iOS version; guides for those versions still apply for the iOS).

2. The iOS and DS versions are really bad about portraying armies visually so it's a little confusing if you haven't played the XBox or PS3 versions. Basically, when you form an army, all three units become one unit with attack and defense tripled. If you defeat an enemy army that army will be dead. You only have to beat them once, not three times. (They may have more than one army in the city, though.)

3. Select Settler from the difficulty. That's the tutorial. Not a great one, but it's there.

4. To my knowledge, you have to go to each unit and tell them to wait before you can end the turn.

I suppose the ds and ios are almost the same. Here are my answers for ds (and hopefuly for ios).

1: Let the city grow to 3 population (unless you're playing chinese). While in size 2, work on grassland and forest tile while building warrior, I think for about ten turns. Then when in size 3, work on water tile.
2: When you merge 3 units, their attack and defense is tripled and counted as 1 unit (not 3).
3: Play the easiest difficulty and turn the hint option to "always" or someting like that.
4: Hold "endturn" button.

Thank you both, that really helps.

There are a few schools of thought for city growth. I agree with starting both workers on production, knock out three warriors, then move both workers to growth. But 3rd and 4th workers go to science or production as needed.

As for city growth, I don’t build settlers until I ‘unlock’ code of laws then change government to Republic. At that point you should have two cities at 5 pop. (including free settler at 100 econ. milestone). Each settler costs only one pop. while new cities start with three. Each new city should then pump out one settler providing a net gain of two.

Thank you , that really helps.