Early Golden Age

[Rodrig0]

In my most recent game, I went to war too soon with the incas, for no reasonable reason. Now they're at my doors, and I olny have numidians to defend my cities. I trust those guys totally, the only thing is, they'll trigger a GA when it's most unconvenient... except maybe for anarchy. I only have 5 cities, and none of them is larger than 5 citizens. And worse, I'm still in despotism. So my GA will be wasted I already abandoned one of my own cities, just to not let the enemy take it and not let numidians fight. So what would a more advanced player do? Would you let the GA happen even if it will be useless? Or you'd try to avoid it by any means until maybe republic?

 

[TheOverseer714]

With Carthage, you have little choice, since you would be defending with Archers. 5 cities is awful small to be in a war. Did your pride get in the way?

 

[Rodrig0]

Not my pride... their arrogance. They demanded some gold and can't remember what else. When I refused, they declared war, but all they sent was a pair of warriors. I mean, if that was all they had, why would they declare war? Just because they could? I'd never accept a demand like that. Only later they sent 2 archers, and that's what made me abandon one city.

 

[Sweetchuck]

Yeah, that GA trigger thing with UU's is kinda sucky. I never understood it - win a battle and get a GA. Makes no sense.

I like to build the Colossus, that triggers my GA. If I'm lucky, I can hold off until I revolt to republic before triggering it. Usually that happens before I can get to republic so I milk the GA before revolting.

To answer your question, and I don't know if I would consider myself an advanced player - but I wouldn't have abandoned that city and would have taken the GA.

I know it's hindsight, but I've done this strategy before - but build a couple of archers or whatever - normal units to use as not to trigger a GA if you get into an early war.

 

[vmxa]

Just get down as many mines as you can during the GA. Early GA's do not have to be a bane, let them be a jump start to winning. You don't have any choice now anyway.

 

[Spoonwood]

Mine ONLY regular grasslands during a GA. You will get extra production from unmined bonus grasslands, mined grasslands, and plains squares during a despotic GA. I believe you also get extra commerce from 1 commerce squares, but I'm not sure.

 

[Calis]

I believe you also get extra commerce from 1 commerce squares, but I'm not sure.

Yes, you do!

 

[zApstAr]

Well, you could always send out your own attackers and kill them before they reach your city. That way you don't have to defend and trigger your golden age.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

^^^^
Yes, that is an excellent idea. And what is more, Rodrig0, the AI is very reluctant to attack units with a heavy defense out in the open. So, if you have a handful of of those def-3 NMercs you should not leave them in the city, but instead use them to 'intercept' advancing units and stacks, not in order to attack, but simply to block them away from your cities. I am quite certain, you'd never be attacked by either horses or archers; swords on the other hand might.

That way it could be possible to use and not to use your UU at the same time.

 

[Spoonwood]

Thanks Calis!

 

[Aabraxan]

Also remember that the AI is reluctant to attack with wounded units. If you have some cats (which I almost never do when I've only got 5 cities), ping their units and the AI will be less likely to attack with them. Then kill the AI units with archers or horses, rather than NMs. Oh, in the very early game (at least on Emp and below), the AI usually sends just a trickle of units, so let them DOW you all they want. Not only will they have little in the way of military (at those levels), but it usually takes them forever to reach you. Frankly, though, I'd rather have had a despotic GA than abandoning a city.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Sometimes, it is better to just give them the money and avoid a nasty war that slows your early expansion. I have learned that the higher the level, the more demands you get and the risk from refusing them becomes too high. That's a subject for another thread. Early Despotic GAs are kind of a waste, but better than none. How to get the most out of one could be yet another thread.

 

[thetrooper]

An early GA isn't necessarily wasted. On higher levels it might be enough to survive an early enemy rush. Not preferable, but...

 

[Spoonwood]

Sometimes, it is better to just give them the money and avoid a nasty war that slows your early expansion. I have learned that the higher the level, the more demands you get and the risk from refusing them becomes too high.

You're not necessarily wrong here, but I think it more than just the level. I rarely will get a demand on Deity. I really have to think hard to remember a demand actually other than my Iroquois game I played last summer (read on). And I don't recall many demands on Sid actually. What gives? Well, these days I pretty much always have the agression level at "least aggressive" in my games. That said, I think I got a demand or two on me in the Regent Aztec COTM a few months ago (which I abandonded, but before that)... where we had a normal aggression level. The Deity Iroquois game I played last summer had maximum aggression on and I remember getting a demand for Electricity, a demand for Literature, and maybe one for a lump sum early on.

Actually, come to think of it, I do remember some more demands at Deity, but with "least aggression" on, I usually just ignore them and the AI goes away.

 

[Fiddlin Nero]

Many a time I have had 1or2 Egyptian War Chariots waiting in the wings until I wanted a GA. Its amazing what you can defeat with a little artillery to knock it down first. Of course this doesn't help in the current situation, but as they say 'live and learn' or in the case of Civ 'die and learn'