Do nice guys come last?

[Alashiya]

Is 'liberating' * the lands of the nearest civs when you start, Obligatory if you want to get a 10+ city empire?





* or assimilating I got the spin civic in the ancient era

 

[EgonSpengler]

Is 'liberating' * the lands of the nearest civs when you start, Obligatory if you want to get a 10+ city empire?





* or assimilating I got the spin civic in the ancient era

It depends somewhat on the map, but in general, no. The AI isn't great at grabbing land. Some civs will, a lot won't. I frequently play on "Continents and Islands" and the AI is slow about expanding across oceans. You do have to be willing to prioritize expansion over other things. I usually have a garbage country for the first 3-4 eras, behind in everything. But during the middle eras I catch up and then sprint past them. My current game, I have 22 cities on a Large map. I've been Friends with every other nation the entire game and I've never fought a war besides kicking around some Barbarians early on. You also have to be willing to adapt to the evolving borders. I didn't feel like fighting wars for territory, so my country is kind of oblong, with an overseas archipelago colony. You also want to get good at blocking other Civs' Settlers with your units. I had 3-4 Warriors marching up and down a riverbank for like 2000 years, just to prevent one of my neighbors crossing a river with a Settler. He'd move his Settler up the bank, I'd shuffle my Warriors up the opposite bank. He'd move his Settler back down the riverbank, I'd shuffle my Warriors back down the riverbank. Back and forth and back and forth for like 20 turns. It was pretty tedious, but I got the city.

 

[Alashiya]

Thanks Egon .I find some Civs are extremely good at grabbing land and require an urgent liberation plus their lands sewing with salt

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Is 'liberating' * the lands of the nearest civs when you start, Obligatory if you want to get a 10+ city empire?

No, the beauty of Civ is every game is different based on the map and the opponents. It's a very effective strategy though!

 

[Alashiya]

No, the beauty of Civ is every game is different based on the map and the opponents. It's a very effective strategy though!

it is I'm wondering if a swordsman rush or a horseman rush is best for the neighbour from hell
™ strategy

 

[iammaxhailme]

I liberate city states where possible, but I pretty much only liberate other civ's lands if it's lategame and I can't be bothered to administrate them and I only took the cities to spite a third party.

 

[Disgustipated]

My last 2 games I've waited until the industrial or modern era to "expand". I was surprised how little diplo hit I took for even taking large numbers of cities and wonders. I try not to fully eliminate a civ, I leave them a garbage city. But in my Mali game, I did fully eliminate 2 civs, and I was still able to maintain my alliances.

This is weird to me because I feel like if I eliminate 2 or 3 civs early in the game, I take more of a diplo penalty, which shouldn't be the case based on how the game mechanics work (grievances fade away over the eras). Based on what I can tell, eras of friendly relations are overriding the grievances towards other players penalty when I check the relations tab in the diplo menu. So I'm able to keep all my alliances and friendships.

I may start doing more future games like this. Like I said, I did it in my Mali game, and my current Cleopatra game as well. The downside is you get some terrible district and wonder placement by the AI you inherit. I kind of had to do it in my Mali game due to my low production, and how hard it is to get that Civ up off the ground.

 

[Oberinspektor Derrick]

it is I'm wondering if a swordsman rush or a horseman rush is best for the neighbour from hell
™ strategy

Generally infantry type units, because of how oppressive walls are.
My opinion of course, but I almost never rush horsemen because of walls just stopping it hard.
That, and swordsmen can be pre-built through investing into warriors, allowing for an earlier invasion if there is an opportunity for such.