Using worker to explore the world

Recently, I'm beginning to develop a new opening style by using workers to explore the map. I have encountered many great successes so far. This style works best in C3C with an agriculture tribe like the Mayan with sedentary barb. Basically, if I started near the river with a cow, I could pump out a worker right away after five turns. The first three or four workers will quickly improve the capital then set out to explore and pop huts. Since I have no military unit of any kind, I'm getting gold, map, tech, setter, and warrior (if I get a warrior, I would disband it immediately). As for the Sid level, I usually get gold, map, and warrior, but so far, no luck on tech or settler yet.

Once the worker starting to wander far way and pop a warrior, the warrior will continue on to make contact with other civ while the worker starting to travel back while buiding road along the way. Of course, this will end the openning sequence. Defending on the level and map size, the worker can safely explore the map up to 1000BC.

This is a fun twist!

It sounds to me like it probably applies to non-expansionist Civs at difficulty levels from Emperor to Deity. That's because expansionist Civs might as well use the faster scouts; at levels up to Monarch we're likely to out-expand the AIs quickly and not get settlers from huts, so might as well use warriors; and at Sid level we'll never get a settler from a hut anyway

So I guess it is a bit specialized but it sounds like it could be very powerful for a Deity game, giving a non-expansionist Civ a bit of the expansionist advantage near the start.

Moonsinger, isn't this just like a 'Farmers' Gambit' with a twist towards exploration for a non-expansionist civ?
Building no military definately has advantages towards opening GHs...

Yes, it's sort of like the Farmers Gambit.

This little trick has been working out really well for me at Sid level. Since I noticed that barbs usually come up 9 out of 10, I need to clear the land fast for colonization and those huts are just on my way. I could start the game with no barb, but that wouldn't be fair to the expansionist AIs.

Recently while playing Aztecs on Diety level, I tried using the intial worker to check a hut before sending him to mine a cow. When I used the worker, I received maps of the region. When I waited for my first warrior to be made, the hut gave me nothing (deserted). I wonder if using workers to investigate nearby huts early in the game is better than using them further afield? Using workers to find luxury resources and then road back to a city or creating a colony makes some sense, but not for distant huts that may contain hostile barbarians.

woodsy,

Welcome to the forum!

The rule of the game is simple, if you have no military unit, you won't get barbs from the huts.

WOW!!! I've been playing CIV3, PTW, and C3C for like 2 years and I never knew that, I use to think that happened because I hadn't built my first city yet.

Is no-settler-from-a-hut a 'hard' rule on Sid?

Originally posted by Grille Is no-settler-from-a-hut a 'hard' rule on Sid?

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if it is a hard rule. But I believe it is a safe assumption, either a hard rule or a decreased chance to the point where it doesn't matter.

I used this technique a long time ago on a continent map and it is a fun strategy. I got plenty of techs and gold and if I remember right a settler as well, which I kept

Now I hate waste worker turns (blame that on GOTM) to keep up with the best guys and gals. But sometimes one have to break ones tradition and just do it, but using it for a long time slipped my mind.

apparently one of the new features of 1.12b is that "if nihil8r spawn world, give cows=0; enemy civ giv cows=3" so i decided to entertain myself by trying out this worker thing ... i had my worker grab the hut closest to us, and it popped out a warrior. then i had the warrior attack the town closest to us to steal THEIR worker, and i sent that worker into the wilderness to look for huts. overall we got 2 techs, gold, and the warrior from it before i got bored and hit the history eraser button.

good deal moonsinger!

When using an industrious civ (ie:america), two workers can build a piece of road in one turn. I use this to expand my empire very quickly towards enemy boarders. I currently find myself on a continent along with Germany and using this tactic I was able to block them into a space that allows them less than 10 cities while being able to sustain about 25 myself. This tactic is very useful as it will allow you to have basically any resources or luxuries available to your city at it's beginning, because you already have a road connecting it.

iBBumpin, WELCOME TO CFC!

You're absolutely right about industrious workers finishing roads getting it done in one turn if using two. A lot of us here actually build roads using four workers, that way you can leapfrog the pairs and proceed exactly one tile per turn (terrain providing of course).

I do enjoy popping my first hut with a worker, without fear of barbarians.

But my cities grow so fast that I soon need warriors for military police. I can't afford the luxury tax to run an all-worker army until 1000BC.

maybe i should try that....

Good idea.