Basic Build Order - Advise Needed

I seem to either to try to grab land and end up with a big crappy, low tech civ, or make a few high tech cities but end up with too small of an area of the map under my control.

I'm not really sure what order to do the basic start out steps in. For example:

1) First thing to build - worker?
2) Next? When do you make your first settler? (After completing what unit or building)?
3) When do you commit to your first wonder?

I realize the answers will vary depending on your goals. But I am open to ANY winning strategy that people use.

4) Are there any sample or recorded games out there I could study?


Thanks

 

Gary,

Each map is different and will throw different challenges at you. In order to answer your questions, I'm taking 'generally accepted' approaches. I should note that these questions are asked pretty frequently, so I'd invite you to spend some time surfing this forum. Also, Sisiutil's Strategy Guide for Beginners is well worth a read if you've yet to see it.

(1.) "First thing to build - worker?"

If you are coastal, have a seafood resource (Clams, Fish, Crabs) that is or will be in your capital's fat-X, and have the Fishing technology, then a Work Boat is a reliable move.

Otherwise, usually a Worker is a strong choice provided you have some basic technologies that you can begin improving your surrounding terrain with by the time you complete your Worker. ​

(2.) "Next? When do you make your first settler? (After completing what unit or building)?"

Your first Settler should be produced before any buildings.

It's really too difficult to generalise, but you'll usually want at least one Worker and a Warrior out before a Settler. The Worker improves the Capital, and the Warrior chaperones or fog-busts for the Settler once it's done.​

(3.) "When do you commit to your first wonder?"

Again - another 'ifs and buts' question, but never before I get a second city founded.​

(4.) "Are there any sample or recorded games out there I could study?"

The one thing that this forum has is lots of recorded games! I could point you to all types of different ones, but Sisiutil's The All Leaders Challenge Games would be an obvious starting point as they're played at the mid-range levels of difficulty and therefore may be more applicable than watching the unfolding of an Immortal level game (although there are some of them in this forum too). The Succession Games forum also contains heaps of games - usually mid-range or upper difficulty with 'variants'.​

 

Cam,

Much thanks! These tips and links are perfect, I will study them over!

Gary

 

i usually find that the first settler comes at size 2 or 4 whip 2 pop(if i get BW early which is almost always). I Hate building settlers or workers with food allready invested in growing as they could instead be used to getting the settler / worker out fastest(unless i have granary which this is unavoidable). Someonetimes i get the warrior out before starting the settler but often i just swich to the settler once reaching size 2.

 

Gary,

One page that has some very entertaining and educational Civ stories is Sullla's page:

http://www.garath.net/Sullla/civ4.html

It has the Civ4 Walkthrough (great place to start), as well as many other games, many good reads.

Also, it'd definitely be worth reading Sisiutil's ALC games that Cam_H linked to.

 

I used to build warrior first to grow to size 2. But then I realized that getting to size 2 only adds 1 to worker production ... you generally get 4 production on the worker at size 1, and only 5 at size 2. So unless you have fish available, and the fishing tech, makes sense to make worker first. Everything is quicker with improved tiles.

A decent option for super quick expansion if you have lots of forests available is worker-warrior-worker-settler. Have BW sometime early in the second worker's build, then chop a forest to finish the worker, then use both workers to chop 2 forests for the settler. You now have a worker for each city, and have spent little time using your food on the second worker and settler, and can use that food to grow. One worker can continue developing capital while other goes to help second city, chopping a monument if necessary, hooking up resources etc.

 

I usually do Worker - Warrior - Warrior - Settler - Worker - Barracks+Units/Wonder/2nd settler (depends on neighborhood)
I change a little bit here and there, but that's the basic concept. The worker can improve 2-3 tiles (usually the ressouces) and then move onwards to the 2nd city. When you use the whip, that's enough until the 2nd worker arrives.