How many cities do you start? Pioneer vs artist

[Ctwx]

Hey,

I was reading about the best starts and as I've read many times it's either the artists or the pioneer. I usually start about 3-4 cities, since I'll get too much unearthliness. Later on I'll conquer other cities to let my empire grow.

So far so good. But I wonder if pioneers are really that great if you only start 4 cities? What do you think and how many cities do you start?

 

[aguliondew]

With pioneers I go for 6-8 cities depending on health at that time. With Artist I have around 4-5. Around turn 150 or so I am done expanding.

 

[Ctwx]

Wow, now I feel bad for having so few cities. I guess I'll try more cities next time.

What do you prefer? Artists or pioneers? So far I liked artists most.

 

[Alkaid]

I normally aim for 5 cities settled myself. I don't tend to play super peacefully in my games, so I usually get at least a handful more from an enemy beyond that. Even if I don't, I think 5's a good balanced base that you can work with for any victory. Artists used to be the go-to pick until Starships brough Pioneers, and now I never really deviate from it. It's just so helpful to get those colonists done much faster to grab land before an AI does.

Both Pioneers and Artists are mostly helpful in the early game, since later the extra bit of culture doesn't matter that much, nor are you really building more colonists. And for early game helpfulness, I think getting the cities out easier and even the quicker explorers at the very start give me more of a boost most of the time. Getting virtues faster early on is nice too, but I don't mind them coming a bit slower in exchange for planting cities easier.

 

[GAGA Extrem]

5 cities is usually the best balance between tempo vs. late game power.

 

[legalizefreedom]

As long as there is still a good spot to settle, I'm still expanding.

 

[Halbbruder]

As long as there is still a good spot to settle, I'm still expanding.

Pretty much this and of course depending on amount of positive health.

 

[aguliondew]

Artist I always do a knowledge start to get the first 6 culture virtues before the first city is down after that I go for industry/prosperity. I get faster virtues to the point where I will have the 10% all yields bonus by end game with +20 virtues. I end up having no virtue left that I need by end game.

With pioneers I am at war before turn 100 then again I have the production power to win the war around turn 180 or so. My pioneer games have always finished faster than my artist game. I start out better with all of explorers getting map awareness and artifacts.

Pioneers are better than artist. Easy to get 5 or so expeditions and a dozen resource pods. Can easily get 2 or so affinity early in the game. That's enough resource pod to give you 2 techs, 2 virtues and 500 or so energy.

 

[Red Menace]

As long as there is still a good spot to settle, I'm still expanding.

Yup, just keep on settling, its the story of the little colonist that could.

 

[Kaigen]

I usually keep settling until I start flirting with -20 health, and then back off and consolidate.

 

[Ctwx]

I usually keep settling until I start flirting with -20 health, and then back off and consolidate.

Haha I guess that's a good indicator. Although I think it's much easier to handly -20 Health in CivBE than -20 Happyness in Civ5.

 

[legalizefreedom]

I usually keep settling until I start flirting with -20 health, and then back off and consolidate.

I usually try not to go below single digits. There's not really a push and stop for me. It is a gradual and methodical and constant expansion. Once you get down the middle of prosperity you're home free.

 

[Ryika]

5 Cities with Artists, 7 with Pioneers.
Cities you settle need to be settled as early as possible (with both strategies) so they can grow and become useful when you unlock the midgame-stuff. Cities you conquer don't lose pop, so they're a great addition later if you can get them without too much of an investment - and if your health doesn't drop into a serious production penalty.

 

[DutchJob]

Never stop settling good city locations. It's the coolest part of the game.

 

[4N4C0ND4]

Never stop settling good city locations. It's the coolest part of the game.

Pretty much this.

I call BE a simulator so that I can be ready when the Seeding really happens

 

[DarkestOnion]

Artists are the most powerful choice imho as long as you focus on solid pre-planned Virtue choices.

Also, 3-4 cities is all you really need in BE...more just requires more micromanagement and defense.

 

[Meyerm]

I'm the rapid expansion type. I try to snatch up as many strategic resources as I can, even if I don't need them. Though, since aliens are WAY harder than barbarians, it can be frustrating at times. Sometimes I need a whole army just to clear the way for a colonist and worker.

 

[Makenshi]

My rule is to have a ring of my own cities around my capital, for which the ideal number is usually 6. From there, I'll make extras here and there to access resources which I don't have, mostly because I like the +1 health per resource virtue.

Also, I like to either make or take islands to act as forward bases in case of a war far from home [kinda like the USA has Mc Murdo, Samoa, etc]; the one time I didn't do this, Khavita won because I couldn't reach her mind flower in time; 20 turns sailing my fleet and couldn't even start the war... it was a sad day...

 

[Veras]

I usually act as a leader who wants to guarantee as much space as possible to my colony before others take it. I tend to stop only when my borders are touching others, which normally don't take more than 8 cities.

 

[Zenstrive]

Keep on settling, keep on invading, keep on killing natives.
This is after all Civilization V: Colonization