Bad habit?

[Fingered]

I always start like this (deity), but perhaps it's not a good idea, a bad habit.
My 2 settlers built 2 citys, with roads for mobility.
The 2 citys must have at least one good square for wonder and arrows
(Silk, wood or game on a river...but whale is the best).
I built in each :
One warrior, 1 settler, 1 temple and one wonder (pyramid and colosse).
I start quikly wonders because often in deity mode the AI start early too.
My 2 other settlers built city, settlers, city, settlers...
With roads, few horses and 1 or 2 diplomates, it's enough for the barbarians,
but not for war with another civ, so I am very kind with AI ...
...at the beginning (Ha Ha).
2 or 3 citys must be like the 2 first and begin ASAP a wonder.
Only after the 2 first wonders I built in biggest towns:
Temples librarys and markets.

But I have some doubts :
I don't use caravans early.
I don't explore with lonely unit(s).
I always built great library (a lot of players say : noooo!!!).
I always stay in monarchy (peace), communism (war!),
democracy (when the AI is almost down)

I am almost sure that replublic is better than monarchy, but I have always big problems whith republic :
Shields, food for settlers, hapiness...
Or perhaps waiting for Michelangelo chaptel before republic?

Please express your view if you have.Thanks.

 

[civdood]

Democracy will crush all other forms of government in a "large empire" game (not OCC), if properly established. Its advantages extend to wartime, too, though many seem to have trouble with this aspect.

In most monarchies, with non-celebrating tradeless cities (and therefore small), a market is of questionable value compared to other uses of the 80 shields.

If you trade properly, your empire can grow at an astonishing rate... the science and gold are tremendous, especially with a large trade city + colossus as hub.

 

[Obie one kanobi]

Try at first finding at least one hut with a free unit then some money before building your cities. Build the first one with a view to only expanding it and not producing settlers. Use the other settler , after building a couple of roads for trade as a settler farm producing two or three settlers. Once these settlers have done any odd developments you want build a city with it and use these as settler farms. Now start developing the secound city. If you only build one settler out the secound city you probaly will just have enough time to build pyramids in the first city and colosus in the secound. Personnal i don't as i don't bother with a science city prefering a expansion policy with diplomacy to gain advances. A bit of tinkering with the specialists within amonarchy means science is adequately fast whilst still allowing expansion to be my main aim. As soon as i dicover trade i start selecting cities which can produce a caravan quickly diverting resouces from growth to production. This stops a city growing to quickly and unhappy citizens emerging. The caravans allow me to build krc, mpe,mc,jbc,gl possibly and any others that take my fancy. ALso the trick you probably already know of allowing the ai to nearly complete a wonder then beat it to it. Although risky if they switch to another. but with mpe you have advance knowledge and can control the sit. I also look for any alliances with neighbouring civs. building as many cities along their border as poss. you surrender alot a science to them to keep the alliance going but in some files they can act as a bufferr zone from hostile nations. Which ever civ i befreind i either wait until a period when i have lots of money and buy the majority of their citys. Usally waiting for an enemy nation of theirs to offer cash and science in exchange for a new alliance. or i save them till last knowing their location and relative strengh. Having an ally throughthe game although costly an giving away science is benefical, especially if their your key civ.

 

[starlifter]

Or perhaps waiting for Michelangelo chaptel before republic?

Yes. On many maps, this is a good idea.

You need to build in the right terrain, and understand limitations of ancient city improvements. The idea in an early republic is to rocket your population to size 7 (diety) with up to ~70 luxuries, then drop back down to a managable number (~20 or 30). Hanging Gardens is critical, at Diety, to grow/maintain this. So are trade routes and Marketplaces, and of course PROPER roads (those that take the unique 2 trade-critical paths for a give city-pair). Lastly, Colossus is essential to "ease" the growth of the early Republic... in trade. Generally, put the Colossus & HG in the same trade-rich, non-corrupt city (e.g., capitol). Then use it as a hub, with proper roads to/from it.

After the growth spurt, the "cost" of the shield support is far outweighed by sheer size of the size 7 (or 11/12 in the HG city) cities, compared to the paultry size 3-4 they would be in a Monarchy at the same game turn.