Note: This is something like a guide, but we can't call it a guide since it all based on pure experience in game, so some info might be inaccurate.
First of all, here are the condition that apply to this guide:
1. Map type: Earth
2. Map size: Huge
3. Civilizations: 12-14
4. Number of City States: 20-24
The reason why i play in Earth is because earth is standardized, so it's much easier to explain here. Plus, Earth map has TWO locations concentrated with luxury items.
Starting Locations
Let's begin with starting locations. In the map Earth, I've found that the starting locations may be repetitive(maybe just slightly away from there). With that, I have found a couple of good spot with large variety of luxury items and great position for playing defensive(or at least just defend when your're outnumbered).
Note: The locations are based on the actual location we have on the world map now.
Starting locations with high variety of luxury items:
Luxury items not only increase your empire's happiness, but also increase productivity, growth and most importantly, gold.
Great Defensive Location
Now, this one I cannot rank much, but i think Chile and South East Asia are the better two above all.
Awful place to start
Some of the starting location i notice in Earth map are awful, some are nonstrategic, some surrounds you with enemies, and some you'll find it hard to obtain luxury items.
Beginning and advancing your game
So, you have started in a great location? Good, now comes the harder part, surviving.
When you begin the game, you must catch up to the other civilization. When you fell behind, let say you are the weakest empire ingame, the AI will pound you mercilessly.
Let's begin with Research.
At first when i played the game, i focused on the military branch(lower section of the research tree). I was dead wrong. It slows me down greatly and I did not found out until I tried a different method.
This is my order of research:
1. Pottery - for the shrine, for gaining faith(we'll get to that later)
2. Mining - to get to masonry and mine for luxury items
3. Masonry - for The Great Pyramid(25% increase in workers build speed and 2 extra workers)
4. Calender - Plantations for luxury items, and The Stone Hedge for extra faith.
5. Writing
6. Bronze Working
7. Sailing
8. Optic
9. Iron Working or Mathematics - Either one depends on how you play
10. Guild - Your ultimate goal, because it give you the increase gold option when you're out of building option.
After that, you should focus more on the civil section of the research tree(the middle part). Try to get Machu Pichu for the trade route boost, Angkor Wat for faster border expansion and The Forbidden Palace for decrease in unhappiness.
Now, here's my order of building(Note that the order might not be exactly like this one due to different locations):
1. Monument - to get started with culture
2. Shrine(Scout if shrine isn't researched, queue it, when shrine is researched, put shrine at first) - for faith
3. Worker
*From this point onward, focus Productivity in your capital if able.
4. The Great Pyramid
5. The Stone Hedge - for the additional faith
6. The Great Library(if still available) or Settler - To boost your technology, get Iron Working or Philosophy with the free tech
7. Settler(if you build The Great Library first) or The Oracle(if you already have Philosophy) or military unit
After completing these, you can do whatever you want. You can either increase your military strength or focus on increasing your national revenue.
Social Policies
Before you read the rest, this section is a guide based on my choice. I am a defensive player with slight expansionism, so i feel that this social policies suits me in-game.
Ancient Era
The policies i chose:
Note: Guide still incomplete, Social Policy is a really long list.
Any mistakes please correct me. Any opinions or suggestions are most welcome.
First of all, here are the condition that apply to this guide:
1. Map type: Earth
2. Map size: Huge
3. Civilizations: 12-14
4. Number of City States: 20-24
The reason why i play in Earth is because earth is standardized, so it's much easier to explain here. Plus, Earth map has TWO locations concentrated with luxury items.
Starting Locations
Let's begin with starting locations. In the map Earth, I've found that the starting locations may be repetitive(maybe just slightly away from there). With that, I have found a couple of good spot with large variety of luxury items and great position for playing defensive(or at least just defend when your're outnumbered).
Note: The locations are based on the actual location we have on the world map now.
Starting locations with high variety of luxury items:
Luxury items not only increase your empire's happiness, but also increase productivity, growth and most importantly, gold.
- Egypt - Best place to start, with great variety of luxury items
Exact location: Along the Nile River
If you can start along the Nile River, you would find that you are surrounded with a lot of luxury items. 3 out of 4 times where I started there, and found at least 2 to 4 luxury items close to my capital. Luxury items there are usually sugar or cotton. And if you're looking to grow your cities, Nile River promises to give you at least 2 to 5 tiles of wheat(The middle section of Nile River).
To your west, even more luxury items waiting for you. Many times I found that there are silver, cotton/silk, citrus, incense and occasionally, gem. There are not just in one, but quite a few scattered around Northern Africa.
To your east, even though not as much as the west, there are still some luxury items you'll need. More commonly found is silver,incense and cotton, occasionally it give you silk, gem and wine.
To your south and southeast, although in small quantity, it often give you wine and etc.
And finally, to your north, it guarantee to provide you at least one of either luxury item or regular improvement for growth. Such things like deer and fur.
- India - Second to Egpyt
Exact location: Just around India
This is also a great place with large variety of luxury items, but not as much as Egypt offers.
Just where you start you will find 2 or more luxury items. And if you travel around South East Asia(east) and Middle East(west), you will find more luxury items scattered around. If you're lucky, they are in large quantity.
- China/Korea - Not the best but will keep your empire happy
Exact location: Eastern coast of China
Although it doesn't offers great variety of luxury items, it still provide enough for your empire to stay happy until further improvement for happiness is acquired.
China(like history) promises silk, and plenty of times there is cotton, citrus and gem scattered around where you start.
However, at the beginning there are too many forest, jungle and hill, so it decreases your mobility and the beginning and may even till late game.
Great Defensive Location
Now, this one I cannot rank much, but i think Chile and South East Asia are the better two above all.
- Chile - Might be the best
Exact location: Chile(find on map and you'll know where, they are very slim country)
The reason why I said it is the best is because Chile is at the western coast of South America, and to their east is wide and long mountain range which offers a little opening. This makes defense easier, since you can concentrate your land unit more on the east and sea unit to the west.
However, due to the locations, you will have restricted location to settle your new cities.
Also, Dido(Carthage) are able to cross mountain as if they are plain, so you won't have the natural advantage if your enemy is her.
- South East Asia - Also may be the best
Exact location: Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia
Why South East Asia? Well, because there are at the corner of Asia. In addition, there are plently of mountain to the northwest, where there are many narrow passages. If you can settle at the right postion, you can use it to your advantage by splitting the enemy forces and restricting their mobility.
Also and most importantly, to the southeast of where you start is Australia. Australia is a large island continent, where ingame, there will be no civilization start on it, only 2 to 3 city states, so it offers you a lot of free land to expand your empire.
- South Africa - Almost like Chile
Exact location: Southern most part of Africa
Same like Chile, just that your land unit is concentrated to the north and sea unit to the south. However, unlike Chile, you won't have much mountain to block your enemies. Furthermore, your biggest weak point here is the sea, where almost every side of your empire is surrounded by sea. Luckily, the AI isn't smart enough to flank you from other side(unless you're fighting two at once)
- West Europe - Not the best, but will keep you alive
Exact Location: France
If you start at West Europe, not many civilizations will start close to you, so you are almost isolated at the beginning. Take this as your advantage and expand east and south for resources and luxury items.
Awful place to start
Some of the starting location i notice in Earth map are awful, some are nonstrategic, some surrounds you with enemies, and some you'll find it hard to obtain luxury items.
- Northern Africa - With great resources, comes great danger.
Exact location: Egpyt
If you start here, you gets a lot of luxury items, but you are also in danger. Many AI will be eyeing you since you get so many luxury items. If they knew you have weak military force, they won't hesitate to attack, especially the expansionist AI like Augustus Caesar(Rome), Attila(Huns), Genghis Khan(Mongolia), Maria Theresa(Austria), Harald Bluetooth(Denmark) and many more. It will also cause other non-expansionist AI to crave over your land and attack you.
In addition, you location is practically surrounded by enemies, to the north, east and south. Very hard to defend when you are forced to split your force.
- Middle East - Enemies, enemies everywhere.
Exact location: Turkey/Iraq
You can obtain quite some amount of luxury items, but also make your enemies envy over your land.
Also, the worst about that location is that you are surrounded almost on every side.
- Alaska/Eastern Russia - Lack luxury items
Exact Location: Alaska <-> Eastern Russia
Very little luxury items you'll find around these lands. Although, it give you a good location with little enemies.
- Chile - Great defensive location, not a great place with luxury items.
Exact location: Western South America coast
Yes, you get a great defensive position, but this place give you very little luxury items.
- Scandinavia - Okay-ish, but still bad
Exact location: Finland
One, lack of luxury items. Two, very nonstrategic, could be cut off from the rest of the world.
Beginning and advancing your game
So, you have started in a great location? Good, now comes the harder part, surviving.
When you begin the game, you must catch up to the other civilization. When you fell behind, let say you are the weakest empire ingame, the AI will pound you mercilessly.
Let's begin with Research.
At first when i played the game, i focused on the military branch(lower section of the research tree). I was dead wrong. It slows me down greatly and I did not found out until I tried a different method.
This is my order of research:
1. Pottery - for the shrine, for gaining faith(we'll get to that later)
2. Mining - to get to masonry and mine for luxury items
3. Masonry - for The Great Pyramid(25% increase in workers build speed and 2 extra workers)
4. Calender - Plantations for luxury items, and The Stone Hedge for extra faith.
5. Writing
6. Bronze Working
7. Sailing
8. Optic
9. Iron Working or Mathematics - Either one depends on how you play
10. Guild - Your ultimate goal, because it give you the increase gold option when you're out of building option.
After that, you should focus more on the civil section of the research tree(the middle part). Try to get Machu Pichu for the trade route boost, Angkor Wat for faster border expansion and The Forbidden Palace for decrease in unhappiness.
Now, here's my order of building(Note that the order might not be exactly like this one due to different locations):
1. Monument - to get started with culture
2. Shrine(Scout if shrine isn't researched, queue it, when shrine is researched, put shrine at first) - for faith
3. Worker
*From this point onward, focus Productivity in your capital if able.
4. The Great Pyramid
5. The Stone Hedge - for the additional faith
6. The Great Library(if still available) or Settler - To boost your technology, get Iron Working or Philosophy with the free tech
7. Settler(if you build The Great Library first) or The Oracle(if you already have Philosophy) or military unit
After completing these, you can do whatever you want. You can either increase your military strength or focus on increasing your national revenue.
Social Policies
Before you read the rest, this section is a guide based on my choice. I am a defensive player with slight expansionism, so i feel that this social policies suits me in-game.
Ancient Era
The policies i chose:
- Tradition:
-Adopting Tradition greatly increases the rate of border expansion in cities and also grants +3 Culture in the Capital.
-Adopting all Policies in the Tradition tree will grant +15% Growth and a free Aqueduct in your first four cities.
Personal opinion: Tradition is almost multi-purpose after you adopted all five of the policies. It helps in building wonders, military, culture, producing gold, increase growth in capital and further more increase the happiness of the cities.
- Aristocracy: +15% Production when building Wonders and +1 happiness for every 10 Citizens in a City.
-I mainly go for the 15% production in building wonders, +1 happiness is a bonus and also all your cities are able to have maximum 7 citizens without the decrease in happiness, this policy links to Honor - Professional Army and Liberty - Meritocracy.(See the Liberty section for more detail). - Oligarchy: Garrisoned units cost no maintenance and garrisoned city gain +50% Ranged Combat Strength.
-Great during defending in war. Not only there is no maintanance cost to the unit, it also benefits the city. - Legalism: Give free culture building in first 4 cities
-Time saving.
Legalism leads to:- Monarchy: +1 Gold and -1 Unhappiness for every 2 Citizens in the Capital.
-The main point in this is decrease in unhappiness in your capital, which allows your capital to grow very large with half the unhappiness. - Landed Elite: +10% Growth and +2 Food in the Capital.
-Not really what i wanted in game, because when a city grow too fast, so does the unhappiness.
- Monarchy: +1 Gold and -1 Unhappiness for every 2 Citizens in the Capital.
Overall tactic: Choose all except Landed Elite, choose it if you want or leave it and complete Liberty branch for Utopia Project(Cultural win).
- Aristocracy: +15% Production when building Wonders and +1 happiness for every 10 Citizens in a City.
- Honor:
-Adopting Honor gives a +33% combat bonus against Barbarians, and notifications will be provided when new Barbarian Encampments spawn in revealed territory. In addition, it gives additional Culture for the empire from each barbarian unit killed.
-Adopting all policies in the Honor tree will grant Gold for each enemy unit killed.
Personal opinion: Honor is (i think) the best social policy in-game. Not only it helps you fend off barbarian easier early game, it also provide fighting power boost and happiness boost. At least, if you are a expansionist.
- Warrior Code: +15% Production when training Melee units and a Great General appears outside the Capital.
-I don't usually play with Great General, although it boost adjacent allies fighting power which can make a lot difference. Anyway the main point in this policy to me is the increase in speed of military unit production.
Warrior Code leads to:- Military Tradition: Military Units gain 50% more Experience from combat.
-Enough said.
- Military Tradition: Military Units gain 50% more Experience from combat.
- Discipline: +15% combat strength for military Units which have another military Unit in an adjacent tile.
-You would feel safer and tougher when your ally is by your side in the battlefield, so does your military units.
Discipline leads to:- Military Castle: Each City with a garrison increases empire Happiness by 1 and Culture by 2.
- Increase happiness and culture and the same time. Why not?
Military Castle leads to:- Professional Army: Gold cost of upgrading Military Units reduced by 33% and +1 Local City Happiness from every defensive building (Walls, Castle, Arsenal, Military Base).
-Upgrade unit in cheaper cost, very essential when going through the game. This policy links to the policy in Tradition - Aristocracy and Liberty - Meritocracy.(See Liberty section for more detail)
- Professional Army: Gold cost of upgrading Military Units reduced by 33% and +1 Local City Happiness from every defensive building (Walls, Castle, Arsenal, Military Base).
- Military Castle: Each City with a garrison increases empire Happiness by 1 and Culture by 2.
- Warrior Code: +15% Production when training Melee units and a Great General appears outside the Capital.
- Liberty:
-Adopting Liberty provides +1 Culture in every city.
-Adopting all policies in the Liberty tree will grant a free Great Person of your choice near the Capital.
Personal opinion: This policy tree is mainly target production. Also, this is a much better alternative than Tradition to complete Utopia Project.
- Republic: +1 Production in every City and +5% Production in cities when constructing Buildings.
-The +1 production seems little? Wrong. It can make a lot of difference and with the 5% production when constructing buildings are the perfect booster in pumping building.
Republic leads to:- Collective Rule: Speeds the training of Settlers by 50% in the Capital and a free Settler appears near the Capital.
-You get one settler free. If you pump wonders and building early game and ignored expanding your border, this would help a lot. Plus, you can now have settler 50% faster, which will make up some time you lost.
- Collective Rule: Speeds the training of Settlers by 50% in the Capital and a free Settler appears near the Capital.
- Citizenship: Tile improvement construction rate increased by 25% and a Worker appears near the Capital.
-Helps your worker finish their job faster, indirectly, it also decrease the needs of workers since one can finish the job fast enough.
Citizenship leads to:- Meritocracy: +1 Happiness for each City you own connected to the Capital and -5% Unhappiness from Citizens in non-occupied Cities.
-Helps when you're on the offensive side of the war. Replaces Military Castle(garrisoned city increase 1 happiness) temporarily when your army went for war. More importantly, +1 happiness which also link this policy to Tradition - Aristocracy and Honor - Professional Army. - Representation: Each city you found will increase the Culture cost of policies by 33% less than normal. Also starts a Golden Age.
-When you settle a new city, culture cost required to adopt a new social policy increases by 7%. After adopting this policy, the rate increases by 67% of the 7%. So by doing simple calculation, 7 x 67% = 4.67%. In other word, the rate of increase in culture cost per new city settled increase by the rate of 4.67% instead of 7%. Plus, it triggers Golden Age.
- Meritocracy: +1 Happiness for each City you own connected to the Capital and -5% Unhappiness from Citizens in non-occupied Cities.
So why did i said Aristocracy, Professional Army and Meritocracy linked together?
It is because if you choose these three policies here, you can build a city with 10 citizens with minimal unhappiness.
Let say your non-capital city now has 10 citizen, you would have 10 unhappiness, and also +1 happiness.
Build the most basic happiness building, Colosseum and you would get +2 happiness in the expense of 1 gold.
Proceed to building wall, castle, arsenal and army base. This would provide you a total of +4 happiness.
Connect your city to your capital with road and gain +1 happiness.
In total, you would only have to pay a minimum 4 gold for +8 happiness per city. 7 isn't a lot but it helps. - Republic: +1 Production in every City and +5% Production in cities when constructing Buildings.
Note: Guide still incomplete, Social Policy is a really long list.
Any mistakes please correct me. Any opinions or suggestions are most welcome.
