Do Barbarians hamper early combat against other civs?

[Warmonger Max]

Hi all,

I started playing Civ5 again after several years and noticed something in the two games I have played so far. Huge maps, epic speed.

First game had no barbarians and my neighbors were always starting trouble with me early on in the bc years, then the second game I added them back in and there was hardly any combat with other civs until the AD years.

Do you guys see the same behavior or is this just the luck of the draw after only 2 games?

Thanks!

 

[Browd]

Ai is notoriously poor at handling barbs (set barbs to raging and see civs effectively crippled all around you). I have long held the view that barbs are much worse (for the AI and the player) on Warlord or Prince than they are on Immortal or Deity (where the AI gets enough buffs to deal with barbs efficiently). Epic speed probably makes things worse overall, since it takes longer (than Standard speed) to develop a city, build an army or settle new cities to clear barb no-mans land, while huge maps give the barbs more places to hide and spawn new barb camps and units.

 

[Warmonger Max]

Good points all. Now that you mention it I remember in past games that the barbs run over civs on the default difficulty. I think I will have to bump up from Prince to make it tougher on me. Thanks.

 

[raider980]

Hmm, interesting observation and answer. I always thought barbs made the game harder for me. Constantly threatening my workers and settlers, pillaging my land, beating up on my scouts. I usually play with barbs off because they annoy me so much. They really make he game less fun for me. I never thought that I may be making it easier on the AI too.

 

[MrRadar]

If you want lots of free workers, quick boosts of relations with city states for liberating their captured workers, destroying barb camps for diplo rewards, pick the "Raging barbs" setting. Contrary to the supposed intention, it is almost like going one difficulty level down. One of cheesiest situations is: you liberate a city state worker, it starts going back, gets recaptured, you liberate it again... and again. With one worker you can earn ~90-135 influence and an ally already in the beginning of the game. Under this setting AI is just suffering, their starting bonus units get decimated and their bonus settlers captured. Just build enough of units to handle those barbs yourself, and the earned bonuses from city states will compensate for an odd building which you might build a bit later.

 

[Igaryd]

For what it is worth, I play huge marathon using USA I've won cultural victories on all levels lower than Prince. I'M likely on my way to another cultural victory on Prince level, Barbs basically at these levels exist primarily save you time building barracks in the early game, to give you extra coin and culture If you make your first social policy, honor. Once you are sure you aren't going to find any more goody huts you start killing barbs at every opportunity. Note only take one bite at the honor tree. Finish out the Liberty tree a free settler and a free worker cannot be underestimated add to that reduced costs for social policies and bonus happiness for road connections, use the extra money to buy archers to garrison your settlements rather than build them, first wonders, Great Library the free library that come with it gives you a big early game science boost,and great pyramid more free workers are a significant plus. One of your fist two cities should be on the coast, If you can get both g. Light house and colossus built there you are pretty much set for the early game.