[G&K] Island maps Happiness Vs population

[xenon8]

Hi,

I need some advice about what I am doing wrong.

I currently playing a King map with Sweden using a Island based map (that feels like Indonesia) - put map type on random so I am not sure. I am about 1000AD into the game.

I usually like to build lots of buildings in my cities and I am finding this map type quite difficult because of the low availability of productivity.

I have 2 medium size cities at 10 then 2 small ones with 5 and 2.

I went for Liberty and Tradition at the start so that I could the benefits of both but I am finding that due to the low availability of different resources I can not keep a large amount of happiness available for expanding my cities size.

what I don't understand is that the computer players have cities at 22, which is double mine.

In the score chart I am 2nd, but I will like I am not getting anywhere - I could build an army and attack cities but that will reduce my happiness greatly.... does anyone have any tips for improving happiness or do I need to start again and choose my selections more carefully?

 

[Browd]

Please describe what you've done so far to address happiness. You mention luxuries, but nothing more. You also don't state how far into Tradition and Liberty you've gotten.

Also, I can never keep turn numbers and calendar dates synchronized, so I always think in terms of turn numbers. What turn number does 1000 AD correspond to?

 

[JeSuisNapoleon]

what are the beliefs of the world religions at this point? can you get some happiness that way?
how many CS are you friends / allies with?
even CS friends have value.

 

[Deau]

Score chart is awfully biased towards wide (tile claimed weights heavily in the early game) so it is no indication on how you are doing.

Growth is about internal trade routes, early civil services and, well, great city locations. Sometimes you just can't keep up with AI, even more so as you climb up in difficulty through their bonuses.

The best/easiest ways to accomodate happiness are
1. trade lux:lux with ais (duplicates). Not easy on lower difficulties as AI takes forever to expand and claim copies. It also requires the human to do constant monitoring as duplicates are rarely available more than a few turns now that AI trade between one another like plague

2. Work towards allying CSs with unique luxuries different from yours. Plan ahead, get an extra archer out and work those barb quests. Plan for linked quests for gold dumping (i.e. if luxury fro CS1 completes quest for CS2, buy CS1)

3. Religion. It is extremely powerful for happiness issues but somewhat requires an appropriate faith pantheon and is extremely difficult to benefit from reactively. You kinda have to know that you are going for it from T0 ish.

 

[xenon8]

All thanks for your replies so far.

@Browd - I was at work yesterday so I could not look up my turn number, it is 171. I am using the standard time option.

With regards to Policies in Liberty and Tradition: I have taken 5 in each (including the title one) - I have not used taken Collective Rule (Liberty) and Oligarchy (Tradition)

I think the mistake I have made is that I have not made enough friends with the city states to obtain, I went for Papal Primacy but I should doubled this with using Aesthetics. As I am on a bitty Island map I should have considered not going for Liberty and saving my culture for Patronage.

@Deau - I think you are right about the score thing, I like to use it as a measure but I am probably screwed it by building so many Wonders early on. I do look for lux to trade but this map has so few extra luxs that this is not possible.

I have used the Archer trick and often clean up barbs this way.

I think I am going to need to start again and get my approach right.

 

[Browd]

Using Aesthetics and Pledge to Protect (still +10 influence resting point n G&K) remains the best (i.e., easiest) way to gain perma-friend benefits from CSs, including mercantiles -- early 3 global happiness is very difficult to replicate elsewhere. That does require that you get 2 policies into Patronage, but it's well worth it (use Oracle for that). it also requires that you explore well.

Also, if you have the opportunity to found cities that have access to horses or ivory, circuses are great (2 local happiness, but no maintenance cost).