My first Emperor attempt.

[Surgeon]

Pangea – Large. 8 civs, 15 CS’s

So I think I’m screwed. Babylon has begun to build a rifleman and cannon army while I am still waltzing around with legionaries.

My starting spot was OK but with no food resources my capital growth was poor. I have quite a few luxury resources so that’s not the problem. I think the main problems in my game were:

• Starting next to Greece. Almost immediately we clash and he has those darn super spearmen and horses.
• So many barbarians! So many. A big area of clear land behind me managed to generate almost as many units as an entire civilisation (no resources, just rolling plainlands). This caused problems for my capital.
• War. War with Greece and then almost immediately war with Babylon. Totallay not my fault... well the war with Greece was. Babylon just seems to seems to have eyes set on my desert incense city.
• War again. I lost so much cash at one point I actually had a unit disband! Barbarian hordes pillaging tiles every now and then certainly didn’t help
• Unable to find other civs or maritime city states. They are on the other side of Babylon, which is like trying to cross Mordor "where the very air is like a poisonous fume!" at the moment.
• I tried to build the Heroic Epic just to see what it could do. In hindsight I should do new things in difficulties that are not at the limit of my ability.

Much to my annoyance Babylon has managed to throw a LOT of units my way and still send out a settler army (hes plonking down cities everywhere!). We are currently at peace after I razed an unimportant city of his on his outskirts (how awesome are ballistae+legions!). I do happen to have the city he wants defended by experienced legions in forts on a hill, with a GG, with heroic epic upgrade and Himeji Castle (got an engineer and most other wonders were built). I like to think of my veteran units not as Legions but as the souls of the damnned reanimated in ancient armour (no mortal man could stay sane given the rivers of blood that run on the land around my fortresses).

I can see the inevitable coming. Should I perservere in sick fascination and try to bee-line rifles? Should I just knife ceasar and try again? (surely a better fate than being hauled before nebuchanezzar as he seems kinda nuts).

[playshogi]

Originally Posted by Surgeon

Should I perservere in sick fascination and try to bee-line rifles?

This.

If Replaceable Parts is faster, you can get infantry before riflemen!

Next game: Animal Husbandry, Wheel, Horseback Riding. Hook up horses, build or buy 4 horsemen and conquer the continent.

[Surgeon]

I just wanted to be left alone! The 4 horseman strat I should try once for giggles but I enjoy carving out a decent patch of land that is a centre of enlightenment, wealth and production. Perhaps not possible on Emperor?

edit: Also I don't think horsemen would have worked against the greeks too well. Hoplites +100% against mounted.