How to control resources?

[preste joao]

I've found it pretty complicated to be able to control vital resources. I've recently being playing a game with limited map with many civilizations and did not have any resources of iron. That caused my warfare was doomed to fail again and again. When I finally was able to conquest one iron resource for a while, I lost it almost immediately. That's very frustrating

What is frustrating too is that the other civs never build harbours so they could trade iron to me, and when they build, they're not eager to sell iron not even with very very high price (e.g. I offered 60 gold per turn and they still refused)

I'm urged to use editor and put more resource sources to the map. Call it cheating...

 

[Gengis Khan]

While its true that other civs dont' build harbors or roads to incourage trading, you still can take resources by force(my fav method). No battle is unwinnable, especially when you have a short turn goal in mind. 10 horsemen will ALWAYS beat 10 swordmen when they can retreat & heal behind friendly spears. As soon as you take their iron send out a couple horses to pillage all roads close to you(making their troops take longer to get there). Consider these horses expendible(cause they will be killed!), then reinforce the iron source with a few spears(min of 3-5+a couple horses to finish off attackers).

And voila instant iron!!


....................... it always works for me at least

 

[WickedSmurf]

Yes. Take it by force. Make sure you have enough attackers and defenders and go get that iron. I rarely rely on trades with the AI in the early game. Besides, you will need that iron sooner or later anyways, for railroads et cetera.

 

[farting bob]

since iron can onylbe found in hills, you should do well if you either build a city on the iron and have a few defenders, or you can build a colony and then have defenders.

 

[Qitai]

Build a barrack and station all your warrior there, capture the iron resource, upgrade all warrior to swordman - now you should be ready to fight.

 

[carlosMM]

actually, it can be a good idea to save money from research, build Warriors/Horsemen, then BUY iron and upgrade. That is a very good thing if you have no chance of taking iron.

But in ancient, except for d=3 defendrs, you will do just ifne with Horsemen and some defenders. use the terrain and never send them out alone, always in large groups.....

 

[DAKjungF]

In my recent game I started as Arabia with no horsies!
I had enough iron (four deposits), but lacked the horses so I could not get my golden age + use my UU! Eventually, I found that the English had it under one of her border cities. But when I started preparing for war (move my troops from the border to the Egyptians, which is was very strong), they collapsed, because the Romans had destroyed their King unit. So, I did a nice settler rush instead, got the horses, and very soon I'll make Egypt pay for snatching both Hanging Gardens AND that wonder which pays for all trade based improvements (forgot the name)!!...

 

[carlosMM]

you can btw often get an acceptable trade on a strategic resource if you can offer one! Horses vs iron or so is often possible if you sweeten the deal a bit....

 

[Quasar1011]

While all the other civs begin by researching ceremonial burial, mapmaking and the like.... I go after iron working first! Then wheel/horseback riding. These take a bit longer to research, and I may get slightly behind the other civs. But I make up for it by planning my infrastructure around knowing where the strategic resources are, claiming them with cities or colonies, or capturing nearby cities culturally or militarily to get needed resources. Once I have iron working, the AI offers to trade me a tech for it, but I never do. I'm a hoarder.