Does Raging Barbarians make you change your build order?

[revelation216]

Seems to me the much higher threat of improvements getting pillaged/worker stolen means you must be more robust with your defence.

What do you do to counter that threat, while still being strong on growth, culture and science and matching the AI on its significant turn 0 advantages on Immortal+ difficulties?

Typically I am playing a Pangaea Huge map so advice on that particular environment would be especially appreciated.

My favourite Civ is the Zulus and I have been turning off all VC's except Domination of late and playing on Immortal.

I have experimented with Honour opener with Raging Barbs. I am also running Unlimited Barb XP mod. It hasn't worked as well as I would like yet, except some level 8 spearmen

 

[tetley]

Depends on the civ and strategy. If I intend to early rush, my build is pretty much the same.

 

[joncnunn]

Raging Barbs make me more likely to research Archery early and throw 2 Archers into my builds earlier than normal.

 

[TheGrumpyBuddha]

Raging Barbs make me more likely to research Archery early and throw 2 Archers into my builds earlier than normal.

Yep.

Also more likely that I'm playing Monte .

 

[MadHaxxor]

Why would I have a preset build order? Thats doesnt sound fun

 

[Socratatus]

I use raging barbs all the time. It has definitely changed my play style. It`s a total must to have defences up first; a couple of good troops, including one archer unit at least.

I like it because it gets me set up and well defended for when the proper civs appear. Before that, I would get lazy, and get my City snatched away by an enterprising CIV. Now that doesn`t happen any more.

Also it slows down other Civs too as they have to spend as much time fighting barbs.

 

[chuckh89]

I like Raging Barbarian because you should get more than a few attempts at Barbarian Camps that touch a CS border. You can charge up that meter into electric blue pretty quick when barbarians keep popping into those camps.

I see these camps as huge advantages/opportunities, and normally keep a scout with double site nearby so I can defend, and ever go to war if necessary (It is worth it!)

Build Order for me usually doesn't change early, a experienced scout can usually defend a city with the help of your Ranged City Attack...So, I will end up building one or two in the mix.

Once the Barbarians get to Horsemen...Your in trouble! This is a critical time in the game that you needs your preparation. One Horseman Barbarian can pillage a city quickly, that is probably when my build order strategy changes.

Keep that double site scout around for this point, and run him to the newly found camps...If it Horseman...Buy, Rush Production, Abandon your armies mission,...Whatever! Don't let him approach a undefended city!

If a leader is being hassled by a nearby camp, then it is a great opportunity to attack his city. He will always attack the barbarians if they a wounded. Attack from the opposite side, and observe what barbarians are within his city range. If the barbarians are wounded your units are safe, he will attack the barb. If the Barbarian is not wounded, then I save that last attack for the barbarian, so the leader attacks him on the next turn.

Raging Barbarians doesn't just change build order...It changes everything, Fun stuff!

 

[Walter R]

I've been playing with raging barbs for ages now, and I don't think I'd go back to standard. Most of my workers come from barb camps, seeing as the AI just loves sending settlers out on their own...

 

[Trackmaster]

Why would I have a preset build order? Thats doesnt sound fun

Yeah, a preset build order might make sense if you were playing a game that was meant to be played online and you were super competitive. When you're playing a game against AI, presumably you're doing it for fun.

 

[CraigMak]

Yeah, Scout, Warrior instead of scout, scout. It causes me to change my behavior more than build order. Tending to keep my units closer to home to protect workers rather than roaming to the edges of the continent exploring the world.

 

[mike1117112]

I always have raging barbs on. upgraded scouts get returned home, and throw an early warrior into the build/buy mix. With Honor opener, the policies just rack up. And it forces me to build a defensive army. It also holds down runaway AIs as they have to defend also.

 

[Matthew.]

I only play with raging barbs specifically because it forces me to change up build order. Since BNW and the loss of AI ~T60 rushes, the early game is painfully dull. Waves of barbarian horsemen and swords invading your borders at least gives you something to do, a reason to build military (use those ancient/classical era UU's!).

 

[Xiao Xiong]

Raging barbs is a big advantage for the human player.

 

[Memoryjar]

I hate barbs. So, if Raging barbs is on, I'll have archers up before writing.

 

[Vitruvius]

Seems to me the much higher threat of improvements getting pillaged/worker stolen means you must be more robust with your defence.

What do you do to counter that threat, while still being strong on growth, culture and science and matching the AI on its significant turn 0 advantages on Immortal+ difficulties?

Typically I am playing a Pangaea Huge map so advice on that particular environment would be especially appreciated.

My favourite Civ is the Zulus and I have been turning off all VC's except Domination of late and playing on Immortal.

I have experimented with Honour opener with Raging Barbs. I am also running Unlimited Barb XP mod. It hasn't worked as well as I would like yet, except some level 8 spearmen

AI gets affected by raging barbs too so you don't really need to worry about "matching" the AI. Just fit in more units into your build. Archery is one thing, early Bronze working is also very important. If you have horses, getting chariot archers and later horsemen is important. You need a defence force that is small but mobile so you won't be paying a lot of upkeep but still effectively preventing barbs from pillaging too much.

 

[reddishrecue]

Raging barbs will have me build an archer or a Spearman more than the usual.. I won't build a barracks though because you only get to rank up so limited from barbarians killed. You don't get experience points from killing barbarians if your unit is in level 2.

 

[ljofa]

Raging Barbarians are great - more antiquity sites after archaeology!

 

[joncnunn]

Raging Barbarians are great - more antiquity sites after archaeology!

Actually there are a set number of sites. It might make it easier to find them though since it will make up events to bring itself up to the right total.

 

[TheologiaCrucis]

Raging barbs is a big advantage for the human player.

This. Raging barbarians slows AI growth big time.

 

[beetle]

I like raging barbs because it means I can skip barracks/armory for a while.

Raging barbs is a big advantage for the human player.

I thought that was not really true at Deity, only Immortal- ?

This. Raging barbarians slows AI growth big time.

Deity AIs have so many units, are they really bothered by barbs?