2nd Settler..... do you build or wait for liberty?

[Sherlock]

I have never created a 2nd Settler in the build queue, I always wait for Social Policy one.

Do you ever build Settlers early on?

 

[danaphanous]

I used to not, but now? Yes, if there are sweet sites nearby and my capital grows well initially, I sometimes go all out and forget about wonders or anything else after my first scout, worker, and shrine/monument. I had a game this last time where I had a pantheon for wines and there were 9 on my island. I built 3 settlers in rapid succession to get them all as it secured me a religion with monastery and all those wine sources for culture/faith. I did very, very well that game, and focused my capital on straight growth afterward to catch up. Usually this is an awful idea, but in my case it made for some killer cities later with monastery enhancements and really only wasted 13 turns or so. I was rolling in the early policies and got a very nice religion.

 

[joncnunn]

I never choose Liberty so I always hand build my second settler. In fact I rarely have 500 gold early enough any more with BNW (DOF now required to get lump sum gold) so tend to hand build all settlers.

 

[CraigMak]

In a team game, absolutely. 2 pop all the way while going straight for that liberty settler. If you open tradition before going straight for the liberty settler, the liberty settler will most likely come out at the same time as your 2nd hand built settler.

In an FFA, Only if there is some really amazing stuff around I want to grab ASAP. Otherwise I just build up my cap until the liberty settler and then make more settlers with the +50% bonus.

 

[Cedbird]

I do both. If I am going Liberty which is rare now I wait until I get the policy in Liberty that gives the extra hammers then next I go for the free Settler policy.Usually after I have build my monument,scout,shrine,then Settler.(I used to throw in a granary before the Settler but not any more) Usually my two Settlers come out the oven about the same time.Its pretty cool to get those two Settlers out to those prize locals at around the same time give or take 5-10 turns.Boom you are in business ready to be a wonder and unit building machine.Not alone any more

 

[phillipwyllie]

I always wait for the liberty settler before building my next. Sometimes to my cost, other times not.

 

[budweiser]

I prefer to buy them and not waste any turns of growth. If I want a second one fast, I hard build at size 2 and get it out by t25 or 30 tops.

 

[Tabarnak]

If I want a second one fast, I hard build at size 2 and get it out by t25 or 30 tops.

This.

An early 2nd city brings many advantages. You can litterally have 2 capitals like cities if your 2nd city is growing fast. Good for early wars, defense, land blocking, etc. Civ happiness mechanics favourize this sort of opening since that you can run your 2 cities with no lux connected for several turns without dipping into unhappiness if you find a natural wonder or 2. Steal a worker during that time.

 

[Asterix Rage]

Buy the first and all of them...
Forget about liberty
Then, with Honor and Aesthetics you take all the cities to extend your bloody Empire

 

[myclan]

Never wait for the policy even I choose liberty, it comes too late and I would rather build a settler first and choose a free worker

 

[reddishrecue]

Whenever I choose liberty, I wait for the social policy. If I choose another social policy, I build. If I have El Dorado nearby, I'll buy the settler as soon as possible.

 

[Cromagnus]

Even with Liberty I will hard-build at pop 2 sometimes if there's an amazing spot nearby that I want to secure, where the benefits of getting that second city earlier outweigh the cost. (Uluru, etc.)

 

[InspCallahan]

I don't like building any settlers until I get the free one from the policy. +50% faster settler production means your city is stagnant for fewer turns, which is a good thing.

 

[LoneRebel]

I'd wait for the free settler and then hard build another one as well with the 50% boost.

 

[Illinus]

People are still in the Liberty tree? Why?

Anyway, always hand build, I'll try to chop forests within cap to hasten the settler build and minimize growth loss.

 

[InspCallahan]

People are still in the Liberty tree? Why?

Production? Warfare? Free civilian units?

 

[Primacide]

Wait for liberty? I thought we were all on board with plowing through Piety first! ...am I missing something?

 

[BrokTheFanatic]

I like to hard build an early settler when there are some trees nearby and another really good spot for a city (or even 2 spots). Then its worker => chop trees => make settler. Can work with Trad or Lib, or a mix (I seem to mix them lately and it seems to work a little better than pure trad but I also have some playstyle rules that force some minor changes to good strategies you find on these forums)

I have tested such a start versus others and it is very good. Furthermore, it is a must when surrounded. You can grab some key spots before the AI will get annoyed.

 

[Memoryjar]

I wait, except if I have real good spots, I hard build one before. I nearly never buy them, there's so many workers, libraries to buy.

 

[jlim201]

after scout, worker and shrine, build a settler. buy a second one, once you can. Liberty is worse than Honor in my opinion because honor gives you culture from barbs which will give you more culture than liberty for a long time.