Help for the newly noble?

[Sudo_Nym]

So I've checked out the strategy thread, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. The problem I'm having is that, when the expansion phase is over, I'm left with maybe eight cities max. I manage to lead in tech until Industrialism or so, but then the computer always blows by me. Admittedly, I'm a builder- I love to cottage up and try to make it to space, but I've learned after playing long enough to build a military. The problem is, once the computer catches up to me, I can't rely on Space or Diplomacy, and taking out 6 AIs who are at parity with me is very difficult. So what should I be doing differently? Play less conservatively? I've lost enough settlers to Barbs that I don't just pump them out willy-nilly, but stopping to provide that many escorts in between seems to slow me down enough that I only get 6-8 cities, tops. So, seriously, how do I stop the bleeding?

Thanks for the help in advance- like I said, I checked out the strategy forum, but didn't find quite what I was looking for.

 

[one2tieyourshoe]

So, seriously, how do I stop the bleeding?

Okay, first, don't panic. Second, never put a tourniquet on your neck. That should help the hemorrhaging.

 

[Black Sunshine]

I could be wrong but it sounds like once you peacefully settle as much as possible, you just kind of sit back and build. You can't do that. What you should do is try and rush your closest neighbor asap and get rid of them entirely. This gives you a lot more potential land to settle. THEN you can sit back and build for awhile and your research will eventually be much better with a bigger empire which should enable you to out-tech everyone. Another handy trick is to bribe other civs into war with each other to keep them busy. Sure, you may be giving up some techs but at the same time, you're building infrastructure and teching like mad while everyone else is building military that will probably be destroyed in a few turns anyway.

 

[christian_a]

In the beginning I often drifted between the probelms of overexpanding and getting boxed in.
Overexpanding destroys my economy or leaves me too open for enemy attacks. Also, sending out unescorted Settlers or Workers gives losses. Even though it takes time to build the necessary forces, it must not be skimped on. You need rapid-response forces to catch rampaging barbarians (chariots or cavalry) or follow the pace of the Worker/Settler.
OTOH not moving fast enough will quickly make yoy lose the race for resources and space, as well at boxing you in. It's a fine balance.

I found the Financial Trait very useful indeed to managing my economy, going for a Cottage Economy. Especially utilize the riverside tiles, that with their +1 Commerce gives even an unimproved Cottage the bonus Commerce. In the beginning I didn't think +1 Comm on tiles with 2+ sounded like much, but it can really give your economy and research a boost.
Think hard about which wonders you really need. Stonehenge might be good for rapidly expanding cultural borders, but if you're Creative or already have founded a Religion. It might need to be Chopped in order to get it done on time. If you're lucky enough to have hooked up Stone before someone else does. Pyramids are nice, I find early run of Representation a great boost, even when running Cottage Economy, but especially Specialist Economy. Great Lighthouse and Colossus are good for economy at the coastlines.

The trick is also to know when to, and when not to, engage in war. Even if you're not a warmonger, but a builder. Taking advantage of an early rush or sneaky attack at a weakened foe can make if for your civilization. Get allies, unite against a common foe - preferably one places in a good spot for your expansion.

And whether to go for an early religion si also a question of preference. I like to when I can, it's great for Happiness and Culture plus Priests are good for production. Sometimes it nags me if I can't get one of the 2 (or 3 ) early religions. Especially if I'm investing heavily in military. Going for Code of Laws can get you a religion and help your economy with Courhouses.

 

[eewallace]

I play on noble, and also llike to build, maintain a tech lead, and try for peaceful victories quite often. I've found, though, that I do need to plan on taking out at least one other civ, preferably early on, in order to have room to expand into, because 6 or 8 cities is not really enough. In terms of maintaining my tech lead, I keep tech brokering off and generally have a great science city, or even two. Finally, one my favorite gimmicks is, when I've managed to get a couple of religions (and I almost always have at least confucianism because I need courthouses), I try to spread them in such a way as to encourage wars among my neighbors. If I can keep them fighting when I'm not, then it is much easier to maintain my tech lead.

 

[Supr49er]

Build units. Don't worry about rapidly expanding (Rex), you will want to take cities anyway. Let the AI build wonders and shrines, you can concentrate on your army.

 

[Sudo_Nym]

Alright, I suppose I need to be more willing to commit to an early war than trying to outtech and space. I've been a builder since Civ2, and it just feels unnatural to be building units to rush when I could be building Libraries and Temples.

And as far as religion goes, I almost never play a civ that starts with Mysticism, so I usually hold off until Confucianism and take the free missionary.

 

[Iranon]

Keeping competitors from getting ahead is almsot as important as your own progress.

Diplomacy is a wonderful tool to do so; it's almost too easy if you control the Apostolic Palace.
You could support known warmongers and keep them up to date in tech (and happy
enough that they leave you alone) to harass the techers.
Privateers are very popular, although actual war has its uses as well even if you don
t care for conquests (pillage them back to the stone age and steal their workers; let them suicide their military against your fortresses. This should set them back hugely).

It's possible to win builder games with compact empires rather than take over the world (I do tend to get close to domination victories in most games, but that's more of a personal preference); however, the emphasis should be on stability, not peace. Try declaring war just for the hell of it, it solves more problems than one would assume at first.

 

[Genv [FP]]

I always like eliminating my 2 closest rivals with an axe rush.

 

[Sisiutil]

Instead of REXing to 8 cities or so early on, try 4 cities, or even as little as 2. At least one city should claim an early strategic resource (copper, iron, horses). Now focus on building an army, then go attack a neighbour and completely wipe them out.

Presto! Now you have your desired eight cities, if not more, and it's probably better land than you could have claimed peacefully. You may have even gained a holy city and/or a wonder as well, and some existing buildings in the city you captured. At the very least, you should have also captured some Workers.

It's a simple trade-off: you invested hammers in military, your neighbour invested them in wonders and/or infrastructure... which now belong to you. Who made the wiser investment?

 

[Nibs]

At the start of a game i like to find the closest city and capture it with a couple of warriors. Some cizs are easier to defeat than others. Plus defensive bonuses can add to the challenge. This strategy gives me enough room to expand plus I already have a second city with a worker or two. Once the I capture the ciz's city i start to build the Great Wall in my capital for the early Great Spy for tech stealing. This method has worked well for me in the past. I have tried taking a second ciz but by the time you find them, they already have a good defense up to be captured by a small warrior army.

 

[Nibs]

I usually play on noble with a huge map. I can't remember any other settings.