Different Maps and Different Strategies

[Tyrant Roger]

From the posts on this forum I infer that most players play continent or pangea maps - as I do. My question is what strategies and leader traits are most effective on other - less commonly played - maps such as islands, lakes, terra, and fractal. Particularly on higher levels, monarch and above, what are the optimal strategies?

Also on single player how does map size effect choice of strategies and leader traits [small, standard, large, and huge]?

On pangea or continental maps of standard size and speed at Monarch, the other AI civilizations are nearby and before long city spamming ends due to the AI borders. Typically at this point an early war is needed to continue a competitive civ development. Multiple tech trading is also possible once Alphabet is discovered because you will have met multiple other AI civs. Navies are not very important on pangea maps for much of the game and become important on continent maps usually only when needed to mount an invasion or defend against an invasion from the other continent.

For players who have played these less common maps at Monarch and above, what should a first time player of these maps keep in mind as they journey into the unknown.

 

[Gr3yL3gion]

Archipelago maps- Optics is important if you are extremely isolated.

 

[drkodos]

I prefer the Fractal maps because they tend to be harder to classify and "beat."


Other map types seem to encourage specific strategies according to map type and size, but fractal is always a guessing game, for me.

 

[Tyrant Roger]

On fractal maps is it wise to spend resources on scouts, caravels, and explorers to discern the nature of the map as soon as possible? On most other maps I use scouts at the very beginning but not much after that.

 

[drkodos]

On fractal maps is it wise to spend resources on scouts, caravels, and explorers to discern the nature of the map as soon as possible? On most other maps I use scouts at the very beginning but not much after that.

Yes. I find it important to do a lot of scouting on the fractal maps, although building scouts is not my favorite thing to do. I often get lucky and pop a scout or two from goody huts. If coastal cities are developed, I try to get a workboat out early and use it as a scout ship, figuring I can merge it into a food resource later.

Fractal maps are very interesting and very hard to determine what type of landmasses one is situated on. At each turn it seems new features are revealed that are more diverse than the other map types, more unpredictable, and much harder to pigeon-hole a particular startegy in the early going. Sometimes you could be on continents, sometimes a large land mass or a pennisula, sometimes something more akin to the pangea maps.

I find it and "Snaky Continents" setting on archipelago to be the most interesting and diverse map types.

 

[yavoon]

I prefer the Fractal maps because they tend to be harder to classify and "beat."


Other map types seem to encourage specific strategies according to map type and size, but fractal is always a guessing game, for me.

fractal can be easier as often as its harder then continents.

 

[cabert]

i do "shuffle" maps (warlords).
For those, you need to scout very carefully...

 

[Pogel]

I must admit, I'm a fan of Fractal as well. I've played a fair amount of Continents but it seems a bit too predictable. I'm not a big fan of Archipelago as it's just too fiddly to move your troops around and the AI is useless at overseas wars.

I've never played much Pangea, but perhaps I should. My current game is a Fractal map that turned into a semi-Pangea and it's been fun.

 

[Khalid]

I also prefer fractal maps and also random leaders. There's the chalnegne that you must utilise the traits and the terrain you are given.

Once I started on a icy pangea map completely surrounded with ice (although the capital had nice grassland and fish around). I had to travel like 20 squares away to settle my second city on a tundra full of game. But it was a fun game also.

 

[drkodos]

fractal can be easier as often as its harder then continents.

Somtimes it can be, but I think the map script has been improved for the Warlords expansion. It used to be that fractal maps would sometimes overload starting positions with resources, but this seems to have changed.

I do not think it has been mentioned, but map size plays a integral role in determining how difficult a game could be.

 

[PugFugly]

On Island type maps you will tend to meet fewer other civs earlier in the game so an early UU isn't very helpful. Also, you may not be as rushed in the early land grab so the creative trait may be less helpful.

Financial and Aggressive are always good traits. Being industrius could be a big help in getting the Colossus & great lighthouse- great for islands or archipeligo.
Expansive? Never hurts to have cheap graneries & more health, although all of the sea resources coupled with harbors usually boost health enough.