I've been playing around with various early build orders and strategies on various difficulties (standard speed, large maps), and I'm having some trouble deciding what works best on lower difficulty levels. Everything obviously depends on the circumstances, the start position, what the AI is doing, etc. However, given a best-case scenario, I can't decide whether I should prioritize getting four cities up and running or getting one strong expo, getting the NC built and then cranking out more expansions right after.
If I'm playing on lower difficulty, I may try to rush Great Library and National College before building more than one expansion. On higher difficulty, I have to get my four cities up first, making sure I get the best locations and then build my NC. Obviously, I'm not getting Great Library on Immortal or Deity, so that keeps me from getting Philosophy fast enough to build NC before I can get settlers out for expansions. Also, I'm generally going with Tradition on higher difficulty. On lower difficulty, I find Liberty to be a fun option. That means I'm waiting for Collective Rule to get Settlers out. If I'm going wide, I generally try to get two more expansions and maybe one or two more cities if I can find suitable locations on unoccupied smaller land masses following Astronomy.
So... higher difficulty, I feel pretty good about my Tradition start, getting four cities up and then getting National College. Lower difficulty, I just don't know. If I can rush Great Library, am I better off immediately getting NC and waiting on Settlers? By what turn should I generally try to have my four cities up? And if I want to go wide, should I rush more settlers immediately or get my four cities, get the basic buildings up and then build a couple more? What I have been doing is getting four cities, maybe getting a wonder like Oracle or Pyramids if I can, and then getting two more settlers out for cities 5 and 6 about the time I'm hitting Civil Service or Education. I'm never getting the diplomacy penalty for expanding too fast, which makes me think I could be cranking cities out faster. Defending them isn't a problem. I'm trying to weigh the cost of getting expansions built earlier or getting the National College built ASAP.
Comments and suggestions please.
If I'm playing on lower difficulty, I may try to rush Great Library and National College before building more than one expansion. On higher difficulty, I have to get my four cities up first, making sure I get the best locations and then build my NC. Obviously, I'm not getting Great Library on Immortal or Deity, so that keeps me from getting Philosophy fast enough to build NC before I can get settlers out for expansions. Also, I'm generally going with Tradition on higher difficulty. On lower difficulty, I find Liberty to be a fun option. That means I'm waiting for Collective Rule to get Settlers out. If I'm going wide, I generally try to get two more expansions and maybe one or two more cities if I can find suitable locations on unoccupied smaller land masses following Astronomy.
So... higher difficulty, I feel pretty good about my Tradition start, getting four cities up and then getting National College. Lower difficulty, I just don't know. If I can rush Great Library, am I better off immediately getting NC and waiting on Settlers? By what turn should I generally try to have my four cities up? And if I want to go wide, should I rush more settlers immediately or get my four cities, get the basic buildings up and then build a couple more? What I have been doing is getting four cities, maybe getting a wonder like Oracle or Pyramids if I can, and then getting two more settlers out for cities 5 and 6 about the time I'm hitting Civil Service or Education. I'm never getting the diplomacy penalty for expanding too fast, which makes me think I could be cranking cities out faster. Defending them isn't a problem. I'm trying to weigh the cost of getting expansions built earlier or getting the National College built ASAP.
Comments and suggestions please.
