How do I get my early game moving faster?

Well it seems my problem is either 1st city placement or 1st units, something along those lines. I always feel like I am behind the AI. Like they get things done much faster than I do. Just before the AI wins, my cities really feel like they are rolling. If could get that them going a little sooner I could probably win. Anyway, my question is, how do I improve this part of the early game?

Describe what you do early in the game. What are your build priorities? When do you build your first worker? Your first military unit? Your first settler? What technologies do you research first, and what portion do of the tech tree do you work on thereafter? What type of military action do you take early on, if any? What type of cities do you focus on founding first?

Giving us these type of details will help us give you better advice

Well, to be honest so far I've tried many different approaches. Trying to found a religion is usually one of first things I do. I have tried building a warrior first and then a settler, the other way around also. I usually don't build a worker until I have a warrior, settler, and a warrior to go with the settler. This takes a lot of time, I'm not sure if this is the correct way to go about this or not.

Personally, I try to build a worker before a warrior or settler. I like to begin building improvements as soon as possible, as quickly as possible. (I automate my workers at first, and take manual control later on, when more improvements become available.) I don't build a settler right away, for two reasons: One, I want to make sure that I can defend my capital. Two, I'll probably be given a settler by a nearby village. I try to make sure that I have at least one military unit to send to my second city, as soon as it is built.

It works for me, but I'm sure there are several thousand other ways of going about it.

Okay, I'll try building a worker, warroir, then settler?

Worker, while researching Bronze Working or Mining, then BW, and immediately put that worker to chopping a forest, while building a 2nd worker. Growing a 2nd population isnt nearly as much of a priority as getting workers out. Once you have 2 workers, you can either chop out a settler, or use the workers to improve your best tiles while building a warrior, then chop a settler.

With very few exceptions, your first 4 builds should be 2 workers, a settler, and a warrior. Researching BW very early will reveal Copper, one of the most important resources in the game. Your 2nd city should definitely be founded near the copper if its not by your main.

machowner said:

I usually don't build a worker until I have a warrior, settler, and a warrior to go with the settler.

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You don't really need that extra Warrior. Until the Barbs appear, your cities are safe since animals can't enter your cultural boundaries. Just build one Warrior first to escort your Settler to the next city site and use Archers for your city defence once you research Archery. Warriors are pretty much useless for protecting your cities anyway.

And a Worker first is only a good if you have techs that allow them to actually do something. Myself I prefer to wait and get my second city up and running. By then I'll have researched most of the Worker techs and can keep them working steadily. Since I always beeline for Archery, my early build order is Warrior/Settler/Archer/Worker.

what level are you playing? is there anything specific you can tell us?

I'm just playing noble, earth map. I would go into specifics but I'm just not sure what I am doing wrong. I'll start a new game, try and adjust to the tips I've gotten here and then post my sav. I don't know, maybe its my starting position. How many turns should I go until I post a sav for you guys to look at?

Dont expect to acheive much in terms of battles in first 1500 years. Until you have bronze working or some sort of useful military unit its hard to wage a war. Unless you have a feq quelchas handy.

For me Worker worker Settler with a warrior mixed in there somewhere.

Alternatively warrior warrior Worker. I then use the warrior to find an unprotected AI worker. Attack and steal. Most Ai civs offer peace eventually. Just make sure they have no archers near your capital.

Alternatively go the fishing route. if you have 2+ fish /crabs build workboats/ warriors. When city reaches 3 you can start producing settlers/ workers quickly. You may reach 2nd city slower but 3rd /4th city soon come.

Those are my usual three starts.