How about general strategy for all random game situations?

[dylanmeditates]

Hi, a lot of the strategies I find that purport to be super killer just so happen to only apply to certain maps, w/ certain other civs in the game, etc.

Maybe I'm a bit obsessive but I really prefer to go fractal map, temperate climate, normal sea level, normal map size, normal game length, and random leader. unless I'm just fooling around, then maybe i'll switch it up, but anyways...

Are people beating this situation game at Emperor difficulty and above? Any tips? Can't seem to get past monarch, and even that not very consistently. and NO, i don't like to 'reroll' my starting position. are you kidding me? what am i going to tell my friends when i'm playing against them over LAN "oh let's start this one over my capital doesn't have bronze+corn+horses+stone..."

Thanks a million internet homies

-dylan

 

[King Pluto]

Yes, many players here can beat most, if not all, EMP/IMM starts on those settings. Some general higher level tips that apply to a lot of maps are:

- Build a Worker first (or Work Boat if coastal) to get food hooked up first.
- Try to have room for 6-8 cities by 1 AD.
- Aesthetics is a good trade chip to acquire Alphabet/Iron Working/etc. at that time due to the AI neglect of that tech.
- Expand hard and use scientists to get to Code of Laws/Currency for economic recovery.
- Have a strong, high-population capitol to run Bureaucracy for boosted cottages.
- Getting a Great Person farm to get some Great Scientists to bulb Philosophy-Education-Liberalism for trades + free tech.
- Use Cuirassiers/Cavalry to stomp as many lagging AI as possible.

The adage is to always play the map. There are lots of great Civ/leader gambits, but this is a good template for how many games are structured. The specifics are game-based.

 

[Cheps]

I like to play shuffle map with random leader myself, I like having a surprise. Plus it forcing you to use a wide range of strategy, and not only a few that you master. Currently at emperor level and not doing too bad

Best advice is indeed to play the map and play your leader (starting techs, traits, UU, UB). You should have a look at detailed play through on this forum (even at lower level like Noble Club) and you'll end up noticing patterns (build worker first, research BW fast, switch to slavery, etc).

 

[Ghpstage]

Hi, a lot of the strategies I find that purport to be super killer just so happen to only apply to certain maps, w/ certain other civs in the game, etc.

Getting some idea of how different things behave on different maps is very useful however as you do want to be playing the map for what it is, and the strength of wonders, rushes, expansion rates and other things are greatly influenced by the map.
(i.e. GLighhouse on Pangea = usually bad (though not always!), GLighthouse on islands basically wins the game by itself)

Aesthetics is a good trade chip to acquire Alphabet/Iron Working/etc. at that time due to the AI neglect of that tech.

While this is very effective at the highest levels, below Immortal its very rarely even worth considering as you'd most likely get Alphabet a while before they do.

I'll add a couple to that good list too
-When settling early cities settle to make the productive ASAP (i.e. not in jungle, get food in inner ring if not Creative, have workers improve strong tiles first etc)
-Make sure you have plenty of workers (map dependant but around 1.5/city is usually a good shout till you get more confident in adjusting to the map)
-Make sure you get an early source of (by 500BC at the latest), whether it be from having/trading for several resources and their associated techs or from Monarchy (HR), it doesn't take long to start stagnating if all your cities are tiny.

 

[brutusrox]

how about protection? i usually get all the techs needed to build on the resources (not normal tiles or flood plains) around me and then i go bronzeworking (unless i have little to no trees)in hopes i have bronze near me to build axes for barb blocking/defense, but if not i go archery. is this a good idea to get protection this soon?

 

[Bhoy]

My lazy one size fits all strategy is:

Choose Civ which starts with Mining.

Keep respawning map until my capital is close to lots of forests.

Build worker while researching Bronze Working.

Use first worker to hurry second and third worker by chopping down forests.

Build a settler after third worker, build another settler if enough forests, settle a city and try to use workers again to chop as much forest as possible to build more workers + more settlers.

Build enough cities that brings your research down at worst 60% while pushing towards researching Pottery then Writing. Pottery to build cottages to pay for your city sprawl, Writing to give your cities Libraries to build while we push towards the next step.

After gaining Writing go straight for Monarchy - the aim of getting to Monarchy is that you can keep your cities growing as large as you want by getting the +1 happiness from military units. Rushing to Monarchy will leave your cities short of things to build (apart from Units) which allows you to build libraries (which also hurries Monarchy along). While pushing towards Monarchy you learn Priesthood which gives you the chance to build the Oracle and nick a free technology on your way there - building Oracle I choose Code of Laws to found a religion.

After you get to Monarchy you build units to keep your cities happy, your enemies afraid and then you head towards Currency to pay for your expanding cities - after you get to Currency you are in a good position to play a lazy ad hoc game from there on in.

 

[LeHam]

how about protection? i usually get all the techs needed to build on the resources (not normal tiles or flood plains) around me and then i go bronzeworking (unless i have little to no trees)in hopes i have bronze near me to build axes for barb blocking/defense, but if not i go archery. is this a good idea to get protection this soon?

Depends on the difficulty, whether you have Aggressive AI on, who your neighbors are, and if you have Barbs or Raging Barbs on. Barbs spawn earlier on higher difficulties and with Raging Barbs on.

Hooking up early resources and getting the tech to make cities productive is good first, but I usually try to get Bronze Working by my first or second Settler so I can see if there's Copper nearby. Also, whichever tech reveals Horse is good to get.

With many AI neighbors who are notoriously aggressive, or with Aggressive AI on, it may be best to Axe- or Chariot-rush them. Or if you just want more land for yourself. Remember the more empty space there is between you and the AI, the more barbs will spawn. You can, however, 'spawn-bust', or 'fog-bust', by placing Warriors or Archers on Hills to reveal the Fog-of-War.

 

[reddishrecue]

On all random game situations depending on the civ and leader you get can change the way you play in so many ways. Starting out early to get the religion and then the metals or animals, food hooked up, however your land starts thats how to go. If you have stone, get mids, if you have ivory, get horseback and attack, etc.

 

[digitalcraft]

My strategy now adays (on prince, no need for it below, won't work above) is to build a bunch of warriors. take about 4 and go slap down the nearest rival. Take his capital, and hopefully he's made a worker. Now you have a lead and the rest of the game is easy. If you play on a dense map at slow speeds you can take down two or three civilizations before they get an archer up.

i.e. standard warrior rush opening. its super effective!


(hmm since the site seems to filter out certain words looks like I'd better remove my joke that makes no sense as filtered)