I too am working on the jump to Emperor; and, I too am getting burried technologically. Lots of the advice here sounds good; however, it seems to be a long list of things to do that are incompatible with each other, or lots of things to do sooner, that don't correspondingly say what to put off. For example, whip more. Okay, but how do I continuously whip my cities from 4 to 2 or 5 to 3 and simultaneously run 2 scientists in each one? Another, I should get writing for libraries sooner, fine, but I also have to have Mysticism for Monuments to pop my borders, and Fishing, and Ag, and, AH, and Wheel/Pottery for cottages, and bronze, (and Iron because there is no bronze), and they say you need Archers at this level because the Barbs will overrun your Warrior defended cities etc. etc.
As you can see, I've gotten a little frustrated. I suppose what I need most help in is help prioritizing the very early research goals. I'll settle for that and see if I can apply it.
Whipping more isn't really good advice. In fact overwhipping is as bad as never whipping.
Consider what your city needs and whip it in while the city is small and then wait on adding other infrastructure - either slow building or whipping unhappy citizens.
Eg Commerce city.
In early game may only need a monument. Then just leave it alone and let it grow.
Later you will want a granary for higher caps and a courthouse if its outlying.
Much later add libraries (often your slider is too low to use them) and markets once it produces enough commerce to be worth it.
Or in Science city.
In early game it only needs a library. Run your two scientists.
Later add granary so it regrows quickly and a courthouse so you can add a spy.
Much later add forge and other buildings.
Production cities:
Whip often for units - thats OK.
Need a barracks. Later a forge.
Of course high food cities can be any of the above. And at times you may want every city to produce units. But be wary of whipping in too many buildings too early.
For research a good rule of thumb is to prioritize:
- Worker techs to unlock special tiles in capital.
- Military techs for self defense. On Emperor you probably have enough time for 3-4 techs before you must go archery (depending on whether archery is 1 or 2 techs away). So if you only spent two techs on worker techs and then try mining + bronze and didn't find copper, immediately go for archery.
Then you get strategy specific with:
- Pottery if you are intending to run cottages in your capital (if financial or floodplains) or
- Writing if you have a high food capital and intend to run scientists or
- Masonry/Mysticism if you plan on wonderspamming.
I've tried both ways actually. I definitely run into gold problems with 6 cities though, unless I'm organized, financial, or have powerful resources available to me.
As for warring early or later, I find it situational. When land grab is easy, grab land
. I've had middle age stuff against ai's without longbows before, and those are easy wars. My production, the AI's tech level, their troop count, whether I can backstab, etc all factor into my decision to hit sooner or wait. Problem always is, I just don't seem to be able to tech at the rate you describe. I could always get a minor tech lead on monarch...along the lines of maybe 20-30 epic turns to use my recently acquired rifles, cannons, or grenades to mop up somebody before other ai's had them. Of course, there would always be a civ or two backwards enough to crush after my first gunpowder victim, and if I got THAT big the game was in hand.
I'm not getting there first on emperor. Not yet. However it's looking more promising than it did even last week.
I find on Emperor that the AI always has longbows before I have macemen. I don't reach the point of a military tech lead until cannons/rifles.
). Specialists must be fed SOMEHOW, and if there aren't enough good food resources around...
.
.
