Authority on Immortal or Diety

[josephrandall]

Let's talk about how how to optimally start when playing Authority.

What are the successful players doing in the early game?

I've heard Authority is a better overall policy tree than progress now, due to the more consistent bonuses and a larger amount of culture available.

If going for a rather peaceful game, say as Germany would it be better to use Authority over Progress?

I take it with Authority it's key to get a few military units out quick. Obviously depending on what your unique unit is that would be the line of units you would want to start with. But let's say you don't have a unique unit for a while, is it good to start out researching mining then bronze working, then producing a few spearmen to farm barb camp for culture?

How fast do you want to expand?
Get to 4 pop and start spamming settlers? I know more cities equals more military supply.
Should I focus on setting up infrastructure in my expands?
I usually have a build order of shine, monument, council, barracks, library.

When contemplating war I take it there are two situations that are ideal.
A-your unique unit is available
B-you have a tech lead and have a stronger unit

Is it worth a war against an opponent with better techs and or culture? I know now that war weariness comes from your opponents being stronger in these areas

How about when your ready to war but all your neighbors have defensive pacts?

After building university's how many techs are you behind the leader?

What are the main focus points for Authority?
What are the biggest do's and don'ts?

 

[ElliotS]

I've found fairly consistent success with: mining -> bronze working -> pottery while sometimes getting trapping before pottery.

The goal is to start spamming settlers and planting right as you get Imperium. (Don't you dare get anything from the right side of the tree!)

Normally my producion in capital looks like scout/warrior/monument ->monument if not first -> shrine -> sometimes worker if I have time -> 3-5 spearmen -> 5-7 settlers.

My secondary cities get monuments first (I plan on stealing a holy city) and I produce a settler in each city when they hit 3 pop as long as I have space. I typically settle 7-12 cities on Deity.

Use your spearmen to steal workers from any CS you can, demand tribute where you can and capture workers/settlers from your closest AI. You need to do a lot with a little to cover your flood of cities.

This strategy generally pays off well as you can mass produce a lot of units and get tons of yields. Peace doesn't hurt as much because you're as big or bigger than the Deity AI.

The choices obviously vary a lot based on starting location, civ choice and more.

Also if everyone is defensive packed try to provoke your enemy to attack you. Plant cities on his borders, but tiles near him and do everything else you can to annoy him while pissing him off and telling him to screw himself. If they attack you it will normally be alone.

Also people called into defensive packs are often not very helpful. A small amount of troops can hold off the odds-and-ends they feel compelled to throw at you most of the time. Don't depend on this 100% though.

 

[josephrandall]

Excellent post.

So at no point do you worry about how many techs behind you are?

Do you usually wait for a tech advantage or unique unit to declare war?

How much attention do you pay to culture?
Is a culture pantheon a must?

Do you ever take Authority to play peacefully (instead of progress?)

 

[CrazyG]

ElliotS has good points. The one thing he didn't mention was horsemen, which I usually pursue early. That tech also has barracks which provide science, if you find that an issue.

I usually have a build order of shine, monument, council, barracks, library.

If a city can build a well it should get a high priority (usually before councils for me). I don't find libraries that important, and I would definitely put arenas and watermills before, as well as the terrain buildings (forge, lighthouse, or herbalist)

If you are going to be peaceful, progress is much better long term. As Authority you can declare war just to kill units and disrupt neighbors, you don't have to constantly be taking cities

 

[ElliotS]

Excellent post.

So at no point do you worry about how many techs behind you are?

Do you usually wait for a tech advantage or unique unit to declare war?

How much attention do you pay to culture?
Is a culture pantheon a must?

Do you ever take Authority to play peacefully (instead of progress?)

I mean obviously being behind in tech can be an issue, but I find that I slingshot ahead in late-mid to late. Look at my Denmark game a few months ago: I found myself fighting longswordsmen with spearmen and archers. Then I proceeded to pull myself back with my abundance of cities, powerful religion, OP jelling stones and grindy wars.

That game I also did the early game a lot differently though, as I went all-in for religion and thus got farther behind than normal.

i try to declare wars around tech advantages or evening it up, but I wouldn't worry too much.

Culture is extremely important. Diligence is a pretty common belief for me. I've been a big fan of God of All Creation and just stealing a religion. God of All Creation is great culture and allows you to expand like crazy.

Progress is better for peace. I even once in a while choose progress for mid-game warmongering.

 

[Emufarmers]

Is it worth a war against an opponent with better techs and or culture? I know now that war weariness comes from your opponents being stronger in these areas

It comes from cultural influence--that is, tourism. I don't think raw culture or tech has any direct effect.

 

[josephrandall]

I mean obviously being behind in tech can be an issue, but I find that I slingshot ahead in late-mid to late. Look at my Denmark game a few months ago: I found myself fighting longswordsmen with spearmen and archers. Then I proceeded to pull myself back with my abundance of cities, powerful religion, OP jelling stones and grindy wars.

Couple questions:

So you obviously didn't care about the unhappiness at the start of the game, expanding well into - 10 happiness
Do you at any point stop growth in the cities at 2-3 pop to wait for buildings to catch up?

How early did you get your GE that you used for Angkor Wat?
I know you would get a GE point from Stonehenge but you would have had to get your forge up early, no?

It comes from cultural influence--that is, tourism. I don't think raw culture or tech has any direct effect

Yes, you are right.

 

[ElliotS]

So you obviously didn't care about the unhappiness at the start of the game, expanding well into - 10 happiness
Do you at any point stop growth in the cities at 2-3 pop to wait for buildings to catch up?

Almost never. As I don't care about the unhappiness I consider every citizen worth a building. (2-4+ yields) Exceptions are when I would cross -20 happiness and when a town runs out of good tiles to work.

How early did you get your GE that you used for Angkor Wat?
I know you would get a GE point from Stonehenge but you would have had to get your forge up early, no?

Not sure. I think it was the mysterious wanderer event + stonehenge.

 

[Fragamemnon]

God of All Creation and just stealing a religion. God of All Creation is great culture and allows you to expand like crazy.

Usually when I go authority unless I have something like a Pearls or Silver monopoly lux start, this is the pantheon to pick. It smooths out your early game for so much while costing so little.

 

[DimCarcosa]

Shrine > Monument > 2 archers > other
Trapping > Mining > Bronze Working
Save money for 3rd archer.
Skip Settler policy.
I play much older version so I have a warrior at start.
With 1 warrior and 3 archers I go for my first pray. Usually I capture capital around turn 100 (marathon)
Archers shall get promotions that leads to Logistics.
Try Statue Of Zeus.
Conquer valuable cities from your neighbours.
Don't lose any units, almost always be at war and kill as much as you can (culture and science and exp).
Enjoy.
gg wp