Early warfare

[Mithris]

Hi, I like to play on Large-Huge maps of all shapes and sizes with anywhere from 14-18 opponents. Usually, I aim to eliminate my two closest rivals by 200 A.D., but any time before that is optimal. Unfortunately, I have been having quite a bit of trouble keeping myself from going bankrupt.

Once I start capturing cities I have no choice but to raze them all, which sucks, but is acceptable. By the time I have a decent size army, my research is extremely low (20% just to say even or +/- 1), and then I get into a loop where my cities have built all the available buildings and can only build units. There's no wealth, research, or culture option to divert resources away from building more units which further drains my gold income.

If I can manage to survive without going bankrupt completely and having no army whatsoever, then I usually come out way on top, even with a span of little to no research. In fact, my last game, I managed a 32k score on prince, my preferred difficulty by winning with a 5.5kish around 1750 with this strategy.

What I ask is, what is the best way to avoid this period of extremely low gold income and research standstill and still have a decent sized civilization with an aggressive, yet manageable army? If I do not kill off my close neighbors, I can not expand quick enough and then get squished in between every other civ on the map.

 

[acidsatyr]

only take cities you really need, don't worry about having less than others
also have some scientists assigned with libraries asap for quick research and get some GS, the sooner the better.

 

[Mithris]

Well, I raze every single city I know I can't afford, but when you finish a civ, you can not raze the last city. Is there anyway to raze a city after you've captured it? That'd be great

 

[Antilogic]

I don't think so...

Personally, I pick a certain "religious group" that isn't mine, and just take a couple cities from them every so often. I tend to play with more violent leaders, so there is no end of opportunities for me to fight, take a couple cities, and peace. And repeat...

Later, I'll begin destroying entire civilizations in a single war, but that just can't be done effectively early on with capturing cities. Unless you capture shrine cities...

 

[Shillen]

You have too many units I'm sure. Delete them if you're done warring and you're paying too much unit cost. Destroying your research rate before you've learned code of laws/currency is a very bad thing.

 

[Pogel]

Perhaps you should reconsider whether you really need to eliminate both of those neigbours? If eliminating them means you over-extend yourself then consider just crippling them in your first rush - if you take their best cities and raze a couple of others they won't be a threat in the early game and can act as a useful buffer until you're ready to expand again.

The main advantages of early war are:

a) to give you some nice city locations, ideally with some pre-built buildings or wonders, so you can grow economically for future expansion
b) to cripple your nearest neighbours so they won't be a threat

If you over-extend you negate the benefits of (a) through city maintenance and unit upkeep costs, and you can negate (b) if the cities you raze become premium real-estate for the other, untouched civs (who can expand more cheaply). It's better to let a crippled AI occupy a 'filler' city until you're ready for it than give it up to an AI that's been able to develop unmolested.