Earth Maps and Barbarians

[Mehaha123]

Hello!

I play maps like earth 18 civ alot, but I always play with the barbarians turned off. Latey i've been reading in the forums that on the earth maps barbarians are best left on to make the game a little more balanced for the civs that have alot of land, but i don't see how this would affect them more because it will hurt the attempts of european civs trying to colonize.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me why this would make the game better.

One more thing. The other day to refress my memory of what barbarians are like i tried a game with them on and before it was even 3000bc there was a random event that put 7 barb archers right outside my borders & I had only been able to build one warrior in that city. I died very quickly. Does this happen often because if it does I don't think I'll ever be playing with barbs.

 

[Lone Wolf]

European civs aren't really trying to colonize anything in Earth18. They may sometimes colonize South America, though.

Does this happen often

No, though it really shouldn't happen at all.

 

[traius]

It doesn't happen often, but it is actually a random event, and thus if barbs were on and random events off, it wouldn't happen. Perhaps barbs being off does stop this random event though.
This actually happened to me recently too. I wasn't in quite as bad shape as you (1 archer my only city, with enough pop to rush 2 before they arrived), but it was still unwinnable, in the end (7 archers killed my 3. I wasn't in a hill, or I would have probably survived, but then would have lost every improvement in the countryside, for a most-likely eventual loss anyway).
As for the earth map thing, I find having barbs on too powerful if I can get the Great Wall. Also, if I start as any European civ, putting on barbs probably only makes my game easier. That being said, I usually have it on anyway, as I like the random element they provide. But not that random event; I hate that one. But it has only happened to me 3 times, and once was much later and ended up being nothing but experience for me. The other two were ~2800BC and destroyed my civ.

 

[Htadus]

Random event are a pain but does add some urgancy to setting up defense. You can alwys shut that option off.

 

[Mehaha123]

Thanks guys!

I haven't played with barbs on since I bts & I was afraid that this happened ofter. What bad luck.

As to Europe I keep thinking that I'm going to try to settle South America as England or something and having my colonies taken over by the bards.