beggining improvements

[fephisto]

at the begginging of the game I tend to build non-veteraned military for a quick defense, until I can support a settler, now my question is at the start of the game should one get settlerized with quick cheap and weak units, or spend a moment every once in a while for a barracks and good units and an improvement? And would you change this for a large or small map? Note: I tried building cheap and fast once and REALLY overestended myself.

 

[cgannon64]

Yes, I think its good to slip in a Temple, Granary, or Barracks in between units. Fast expansion is key, but so is getting those core cities producing.

CG

 

[Mercade]

If you want to play aggressive, build some barracks, but otherwise temples will help to start your empire going. I personally never build a granary in any city on my main continent except perhaps my capital since I tend to build the Pyramids as soon as I can. In the beginning I don't really bother with defence too much (warlord level) since it takes significant time for AI to come near your cities at all, especially on a large map, and one unit usually keeps those pesky barbarians out. Only on a small map where the tensions rise quickly do I build some extra spearmen or so, but otherwise it's building settlers and expanding FAST.

 

[Czarina]

Yes, I think its good to slip in a Temple, Granary, or Barracks in between units. Fast expansion is key, but so is getting those core cities producing.

I agree that cities have to start earning their keep eventually, but depending on the difficultly level, pausing to build a temple can put one significantly behind.

Me, I try to get one "starter" city going after my first, solely geared toward cranking out settlers every 5 turns or so. Once my cities are in place (and I usually have monarchy by then) I rush temples, libraries, etc, to bring my starter city up to par with the others.

Also, what are you going for when you play? Expansion, military, culture? Maybe you don't need too many cities 'cuz you're going to take over your neighbors...

 

[WickedWombat]

I usually build a granary as soon as possible with a city with production (hopefully my capital ). I am also a firm believer in quick barracks production in my core cities.

Usually with one city cranking out settlers and another with barracks producing military units, I am able to get a pretty decent start.

And then it goes downhill from there

 

[JonathanValjean]

If playing against barbarians, especially with a militaristic civ, I usually don't worry about a barracks until my empire is on solid ground. I just churn out a few cheap warriors (in between settlers) and let them be promoted in their skirmishes with barbarians. I also generally build a temple only after I have founded at least four or five cities. I wait no longer than that, however, as I want to avoid culture flips.

 

[Yndy]

With militaristic civs I alway insert barracks between settlers in the beginning. If i have a religious civ, I have a temple. If the map is large/huge and land on large I build a granary before the settler.

 

[Darkness]

I always build a granary in my capital because I can expand quicker this way. I build my second city later than the AI, but catch up on them when I build my fourth or fifth city, after that, I'm the biggest fish in the pond. Without the granary I find that I can keep pace with the AI and I can't outexpand them....

 

[Lt. 'Killer' M.]

I always build one tmeple eraly on (even on Emperor the first Temple i usually mine), since it gives a 200% increase in culture per turn. That way I am relatively safe from CF. Aside from that I have found the old trick of settler, granary, warrior, settler, warrior, settler and so on very usefull on larger maps

 

[Clint]

Imho it depends a little on the civ you're playing, but with my favorites (Egyptians) I start always the same way; 4 warriors (which have to go to all four directions, getting in greater circles around my city so I don't have to worry about barbs), 1 settler, then depending on how Pyramids turns look either Pyramids or barracks and after this Pyramids. Second city first barracks, then worker, then spearman etc. As soon as I have Pyramids I start pushing settlers switched with improvements and spearman to join the settlers.

 

[TheNiceOne]

Clint, I am surprised that you can start the same way every game. What if you start close to a few wheat squares? This will mean that you produce more food and less shields than if you work bonus grasslands. In my games, this would lead to the first settler built sooner.

Furthermore, I think that with your tactics you will be outsettled by the AI with a great margin if playing above regent, so I guess this is on one of the lower difficulties.


For the record, my initial play depends on the terrain. If not playing expansionist, I usually produce as many warriors I can while making sure that the first settler comes as close to size 3 growth as possible (usually the same turn). This normally means 2 or 3 warriors before the first settler. Then, if the capital seems to be the main settler producer (wheat/cattle/flood plain), I will try to get in a granary and then settlers as fast as possible.


Generally, in the early game, my cities falls in one of four categories:

* Settler producers (close to wheat/cattle/flood plain/wine).
Get a granary pretty fast and then settlers with the odd warrior if needed while waiting for the city to grow. Temple or barracks is quite low priority here. A worker will be built instead of settler once in a while.

* High production city (close to the capital, with many bonus grasslands, some hills and hopefully a cattle or two).
Temple (for hapiness when the city grows), a warrior for security/military police (maybe added from another city), maybe a barrack and a few warriors before I can start on the main project for that city: A Wonder (The great library being the no. 1 pri, but I will start building any possible wonder as soon as possible (after the temple).

* Border cities (Cities that are built in the outer part of my land, possbly quite close to enemy cities). Those will get a temple ASAP to widen my borders, then often a worker (to build road back to the other cities/and or improve the terrain). Then barracks followed by military units (and maybe one settler).

* The rest: Will start building warriors if I really need it, but build barracks pretty soon to start getting veteran spearmen and warriors (the latter will upgrade to swordmen later). I also like to get a temple, but that is a lower priority. Those cities will also produce a worker once in a while, and maybe a settler.

 

[Redwatch]

Well TheNiceOne, my tactics are allmost the same as Clint and I play it on Regent. I never build granary's cause I always build the Pyramids. This is the golden age for the Egyptians. When you're behind, you can catch up with other civs during the GA.

 

[gugalpm]

Killer strategy is old but its the best. I only began getting better when I tried that. (My old civ2 strategies didn't work...)

 

[Clint]

I agree with Red. Even on the higher levels, it works fine for me. Of course it's a matter of speed in some games, but after 100 turns or so, there's no real difference. As I said, try my strategy and you'll find out.