Easy Starters

[Yamps]

Interesting poll and wow to all that creative enthusiasm!

Voted for Imperialistic, with Expansive closely second. I'm thinking land grabbing pressure here, more settlers than workers early on. Creative is great for +100% on libraries, can do without that border pop...Also for Expansive, I don't find cheap granaries argument important early on when caps are low, libraries first.

For the leader, Cathy (Imperialistic, Creative) and also Augustus (Imperialistic, Industrious) to grab some key wonders along the way.

Actually, when I think about it more, Suleiman (Imperialistic + Philosophical) would be my choice. (Multiple cities GS farming asap.)

 

[Phyrio]

I like Louis for a strong early game leader. Creative, obviously, but also very adaptable-- he can grab an early wonder strat with industrious, and his starting techs are quite nice for getting quick pottery (which I like)

 

[vicawoo]

As an aside, I can't believe they nerfed expansive and protective. Expansive's benefits were much more subtle than Financial and Philosophical. I can't imagine some beta testers going through the game and thinking, nope, that 50% worker bonus is overwhelmingly powerful, it's like quechas on steroids. And +3 health? Whoa, slow down there, we don't want expansive civs to launch space shuttles at 1AD.

Meanwhile Hall of Fame games specifically have a no Inca condition.

 

[NihilZero]

I agree, although a lot of players still rank Expansive as somewhere in the top three to five traits...it should still have 50% cheaper workers imo (even though it would be an awesome, awesome trait then, probably top tier with ORG and FIN).

 

[Gwynnja]

Ummm... I feel dumb for asking this but how and when was expansive nerfed?

 

[Izmir Stinger]

Ummm... I feel dumb for asking this but how and when was expansive nerfed?

I think one of the expansions did it. Warlords, or BtS?

 

[fed1943]

Less bonus for worker build.

 

[jabberwalkee_]

CHA
effectively +2 happiness in all but your capital AND the extra promotions really shine in an early rush.

 

[lasombra1984]

It is strange, but while my favorite leader is Justinian I, my favorite starting trait is Creative & starting techs Mysticysm+Mining, all my easy starts was with Joao II =)

 

[CivilizedTiger]

That's because you've chosen your favourite leader on subjective non-game related reasons.

I've also chosen my favourite leaders based on subjective non-game related reasons, but as coincidence has it, I also find it easy to play a game with the creative trait, and both my favourite leaders are creative in this game.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Looking back, I'm not sure why I voted CRE. I'd rather go for Stonehenge or just build monuments the normal way if it means I can have a better long-term trait. I guess I was just thinking about early game only when I voted.

As an aside, I can't believe they nerfed expansive and protective.

They nerfed Protective?

 

[CivilizedTiger]

@Absolute Zero
This topic is specifically about the early game, as in, which is the best starter trait, not which is the decent starter trait which is also good in the late game.

And there's another point to CRE which I remember reading in a post by Unconquered Sun: there's a hidden culture bonus for all tiles which increases the more time you've controlled them. Unfortunately, I've kind of forgotten the point in that post, so I hope someone can explain it again here , but you basically get an easier time holding on to disputed tiles throughout the game, even when the 2 culture points from CRE are quite irrelevant compared to the culture building of the era, you still get the advantage of having held the disputed tiles for a longer time than your rival.

 

[Yamps]

^the extra bonus is for all the tiles except for the last culture expansion ring, with creative the innermost 8 tiles are protected much sooner with the fast first expansion.

 

[bhavv]

Early game ease is strong with Gilgamesh + Sury.

+1 vote for Creative

I've been trying as Cathy, but she seems slower to me. EXP is better than IMP, as are Ziggurats and Vultures.

Both Gilgamesh + Sury can also make great use out of the Great Wall, Pyramids and Hanging Gardens.

Great Wall for Gilgamesh is an obvious tactic along with spamming 7 cities by priesthood / writing and whipping a Zigurrat in each, then teching for alphabet since you can skip CoL and spamming spies into neighboring AI for tech + gold steal (Sabbotage Courthouses for extra win). I tried this in a couple of monarch games and ended up with an unbelievably huge tech lead that I had never seen before in any game at Monarch. I even had to research Enginnering myself which only took 4 turns while the AI were still stuck at spending 15+ turns on Construction (PRO castles + Espionage economy - the only time I have ever prioritised building castles is with Gilgamesh ) .

Sury wants Pyramids + Hanging Gardens. No, actually, Sury NEEDS Pyramids and Hanging Gardens. They synergise wonderfully with his +1 per city.

 

[Shikadi]

Aggressive with Shaka as leader, especially on a tropical game.
Impis with shock/cover can be very good for early warmongering.

 

[lasombra1984]

In my recent game i've chosen Gilgamesh as on of AIs
F****g REXer... He founded 8 cities while even me as Justy, Shaka and Joao had only 4+ )))
He is really annoying) Friendly REXer, what can be worse?

 

[ICNP]

In my recent game i've chosen Gilgamesh as on of AIs
F****g REXer... He founded 8 cities while even me as Justy, Shaka and Joao had only 4+ )))
He is really annoying) Friendly REXer, what can be worse?

Yeah, having Creative allows him to more quickly bring his cities online, and Protective makes it difficult to get rid of them. Not to mention the Zig helping him to keep paying for it all (on top of the AI bonuses). At least he's not human, if that was the case you'd have Vultures all over you.

 

[DJNotNice]

I chose Creative, like most, simply because it gives more freedom for city placement. I'd say Charismatic is underrated for early game though. It's easy to get lots of unhappiness in the early game with quick expansion and whipping (and before Hereditary Rule), but Charismatic pretty much makes this a non-factor

 

[jakezephyr]

In vanilla especially, spiritual (I use Asoka) is a good trait for the early game because you typically can get a religion faster (with mysticism as one of your starting techs). Plus, spiritual is helpful because there is no anarchy when you change civics.

 

[Caeserportugal]

I voted imperalistic though I belive that both Creative and Spiritual are also the most useful. And of the leaders Justinian is the best in the early game I like to have lots of cities early one the sooner you found them the sooner you have more tiles to work.Also Justinian's Spirtual trait alows me to pick Hereditary Rule fairly earlier than most civs