Help on startup.

[Tigrius Rex]

I usually play all levels up, until i reach deity - working out building order, what stuff to get first etc..

But reaching Monarchy - im lost..

I play Persian - with Civ-Advantages.. (Science and Construction).
No matter what i do - before the first 1000 year has gone, there is ALWAYS 3-4-5-alot of other civs that has like 5 more sciences then me, 5 cities, and tons of units...

And that dispete i build at the fastest possible pace...

My building Order:
Captial:
1: Spearman
2: Warrior (sending out and discover)
3: Settler -> makes city 2 as close as possible, with full +2 fields everywhere, at best position. (warrior discovers that)
4: Pyramids

2nd City:
1: Spearman
2: Warrior
3: Settler (again sent to next best position, clsoe by)
4: Worker
5: Colossus

3rd City:
1: spearman
2: Warrior
3: Settler
Here of some reason, the amazing oter civs, already gets Colossus.. and usually have like 5 cities..
How the HELL is that possible, when even if cities are positioned the very best.. its not enuff..

When i reach around 4th city - dispete i go for Literature first, and has 2-3 Libraries, the other civs has 5-7-8 techs, which i dont....
Including usually my own...

I cant build settlers faster - the city needs a Pop:3 to allow settler - trying to skip worker on city 2 dont do it either.. disbanding dont help either..
I should add that i run with around 100% tax -> science.. dispete this the other civs outruns me on the science level, has more units, and dispete they should be slower on building, has equal size of city, same ressources as me, they still build wonders faster then me...

I know the frigging computer cheats, but this is way outta hand...


On regent level i outrun them easy - i usually end up having all wonders, and at no time, im any near treatened.. by war.
usually i have 1-2 other civs that run with same amount of units as me, but i am able to very easily run the entire 6000 years, without getting into any war.

Any suggestsion ?


Right now im very tired of the frigging game..
I played Civ 1 and 2 on Deity, and that wasnt a problem.. i win on all lower levels easy..
Now monarchy i get my ass beaten up, which shouldnt be happening that easy.. i could understand 1 or 2 civs outruns me, or having a small lead.. but this is like 50% of all civs, no matter if its 2 civs, or 14..

Plz help me out here..

In a city with all techs i have this buildingorder:

Defense-units
Attack-unit
Settler
Worker
Library
Barracks
Temple
Defense
Settler
Aquaduct
Courthouse
University
Marketplace
Bank
Colossium
(Harbor)
Cathedral
Factory (sometimes build right after aquaduct - if im leading big)
Science Lab
Solar Plant
Police Station
Mass Transit
recylcling
SAM
Airport


-------------
Must have wonders:
Hanging Gardens
Oracle
Cure for Cancer
JS Bachs
Shakespears
Sistine Chapel
Universal Suffrage
Great Library
Colossus
Copernicius Obs.
Newtons University
SETI Program
Tehory of evolution
Smiths Trading
Hoover Dam
Leonardos work shop:

Ancient Time Science order: (starts with Masonry and Bronze)
Alphabet
Writing
Literature
Warrior Code
Cermonial Burriel
Mystism
Polytism
Monarchy
Iron Working
Mathematics
Construction
Currency
Code of Laws

- Feel free to come with suggestions on any of the areas..
im kinda fed up right now

[God]

I build 3 warriors, 2 explore, and the other hangs around my cities, to keep barbs away. Build settler after 3rd warrior and then granary. Then after I have 3-4 cities, each city completes its own spearmen, then I build granary and build more settlers.

After I build barracks, and a few workers and then link up the Iron if I were Persia. Build Immortals non stop. You should have 6-8 cities if on standard map. Run over 1 or 2 civs with the immortals. I would build about 15 Immortals. Knock the civs down to 1 city and demand techs. You may even capture a wonder.

On monarch I don't bother to build any ancient wonders. I don't need Pyramids because by the time I get them, my core cities will have granaries and I don't need any granaries in my outer cities.

On regent I always built Great Libary. The key now is to trade. Put science on 10% so you earn like +10 cash per turn in despotism with a few cities. Most of the ancient techs can be bought for under 200 gold with a world map. Construction, Currency and the governments are a bit more expensive.

You want to take as many civs out as possible. Then when you feel you can't support any army so large anymore and beggining to fall back in techs again, in late Ancient Era, build lots of settlers, and spears and then temples or libaries(whichever is cheaper) in all of them.

Then in your productive cities, build marketplaces and libaries, and after a few switch to monarchy. You should have a pretty big empire, and now catching up in science rate. Buy some techs from AI and research others. With lots of libaries and markets you should be doing well.

Unless you are hungry for war, use the Middle Age to build up your infrastructure, and get those wonders!! Road up your empire, and then build cavalry when they come along. Industrial era will be easier because the AI's will collapse into war and you ride the storm.

[mydisease]

5 cities in 1000 years? I've only ever seen 2 at most.

I think the most important thing is to give up the build order idea. Just do what is most efficient for each city as they will vary very much according to terrain. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to go through a peaceful game on monarch, so I generally just pump out warriors in the gaps between settlers, occasionally building archers or barracks if I have enough shields. I'll set my science to 0 (buying techs is much cheaper) and get to horseback riding as soon as possible, so I can get horsemen. Early war can really help as it effectively doubles your growth rate at a critical time in expansion. Offense is the strongest form of defense, so stop building spearmen and only garrison troops when it is necessary to control citizen moods. The AI won't often attack you until they have finished expansion, so if you think they are going to attack you, make sure you get enough units near to its capital and if they declare war, take the capitol and sue for peace. This should get you back to the front of the tech ladder with some extra cities for free.

Placing cities closer together, say in a 3*3 grid instead of 5*5 helps a lot because of less travelling time for settlers and lower corruption. Generally, you won't get any ancient wonders, so give them up and you may get one or two middle ages wonders, I think sistine chapel is the one to go for.

And, just a personal preference, but I prefer China to Persia as industrious helps expansion a lot at the start, militaristic is good for an early great leader and the rider comes just when you've finished expansion and can switch all prodution to building it, while with Persia you are struggling to build immortals and settlers at the same time. And 3 MPs means blitzkrieg nearly a whole era before anyone else