How to grow fast?

[titantoma]

Since I saw some games in HoF - about quick science and diplomatic victories (standard speed and size, king or above) - I am always amazed. But unfortunatelly no matter how I want I, I can not reach so many population as many players.

for example:
A game from HoF: http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ5/game_info.php?entryID=3814
At turn 145 moriarte has a 20 capital and a 16, 14 and 6 city. When I tried the same game i could make a 13 capital and a 6, 6, 5 city.

So my question: what are the most impoartant things to grow? CSs are important (maritime)? Which policies? What building/tech order?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Maxym]

Tradition policies, and working your food tiles not production is all you need. Early granny is a must, CS and religion food is a bonus but not vital.

 

[joncnunn]

To grow as large as possible:

Pre-game: A good map (river start and/or sea resources)

Early: Tradition policy tree, Granary, Water Mill,
On maps with abundant camp resources: Goddess of the Hunt
On other maps Fertility Rites (this is the one I use as default when there's nothing better)

getting towards Mid game: Feed the World follower belief.
For the capital, the ascetics policy . (Free friendship with every city state on the map, including Maritime)

Late game: Hospital & Medical Lab

Edit: If your on a low enough difficulty level there is also ToA & Hanging Gardens, but the AI tends to make both of these a priority.

 

[Monthar]

If you have the Ancient Wonders DLC build Temple of Artemis.

If your starting area has wheat get it farmed asap.

Do not set the city to food focus, because food is counted before you grow and this will put the new citizen on a food rich tile which won't be counted until the next turn. However, setting to production, gold or faith (if you have a high faith tile, such as one of the faith natural wonders) focus will have that new citizen go to a production, gold or faith rich tile which will get added immediately. You just have to move that new citizen to a food tile manually after the growth. In this way you grow your city as fast as possible while still gaining production, gold or faith.

If the city is 1 turn from growing and will remain 1 turn from growing if you move some of your citizens off the food tiles, move as many of them as you can to maintain the 1 turn to grow, otherwise you just waste that excess food. Just remember to move them back to the food tiles after the growth.

 

[Tabarnak]

Riversided cities combined with early Civil Service can work too. Mke sure to get your workers pretty fast and in enough numbers to improve food tiles in time.

 

[sufficiency]

To grow as large as possible:

Pre-game: A good map (river start and/or sea resources)

Early: Tradition policy tree, Granary, Water Mill,
On maps with abundant camp resources: Goddess of the Hunt
On other maps Fertility Rites (this is the one I use as default when there's nothing better)

getting towards Mid game: Feed the World follower belief.
For the capital, the ascetics policy . (Free friendship with every city state on the map, including Maritime)

Late game: Hospital & Medical Lab

Edit: If your on a low enough difficulty level there is also ToA & Hanging Gardens, but the AI tends to make both of these a priority.

Funny. Last Deity game I played no AIs got the Hanging Garden until turn 120ish. I would have easily gotten it, but the AIs would usually get it so fast that I forgot it actually existed