Emperor AI

[Tribute]

They are, oh so very mean!

The AI always go after the prime city spots near my capital. And they sometimes beat me to them. Of course, I try to surround it and flip it, but that never occurs.

How do you people up there past diety avoid this problem?

 

[vmxa]

First forget flippinng cities, it is not profitable way to go.

The way to avoid it is to pop out workers and settlers at a steady pace, until you have no room or at least cannot hold any towns at the edge of your empire.

This may mean getting a granary or two quickly and or irrigating some food bonus. If you have to just have two cities that pop out a setter every time they grow to size 3 or 4, then do it.

If you have neighbors closing in, then have a town or two start cranking out troops, horses if you have them.

Do not make you towns more than Cxxc. This makes it so there is no room for the AI to fill in. Make them tigher as you get farther out and closer to the next civ.

Get roads up right away so you can defend mor ethan one city with your troops. This is were those workers you are steady making come in handy. If you are not weak compared to them the AI will stay out of your borders, at least until most of the land is settled.

You get those fill in cities by the AI, because you are weak compared to them.

 

[FeelGood]

The AIs on emperor are not really tough. Really! I mean it. Just like Vmxa said, build more cities. That means settlers factory if you manage to get it. Try build warrior, granary and settlers in your first city until no more land available. Other cities can churn other units or backup your capital. Workers too are very valuable. Have enough workers for improvements building. Build units if you want more cities and that means by conquering your neighbors. But, for me, I don`t like my cities to be too crammed. I`ll always keep each cities to have at least 12 worked tiles except in useless terrain or very corrupted areas.

And for gov, I think republic is good if you`re not a warmonger. Have some luxuries and preferably marketplaces and then your cash will be full to brim. How to get republic easily? Use philosophy slingshot. You will almost always manage to get republic through this way.