How to Keep the Jump you Get with Expansionist?

[Rabid Pop Tart]

Does anyone know how to make expansionist civs work? I had to test out my multi-unit scout that I am making, so I started a game as the Zulu, and I built 3 scouts on top of the one that I received at the beginning of the game. I made short work of discovering the map, and I got a ton of goody huts. It got me a lot of gold, and I got many techs like Iron Working, The Wheel, Ceremonial Burial, Mysticism, Horseback Riding, Writing, and Mathematics. I was very far ahead of everyone else at the beginning, but by the time the middle ages hit I was in the lower end of the pack. Could anyone tell me how to maintain the huge lead that one racks up when he plays expansionist? Thanks!

 

[BretP]

Make sure you have lots of cities to go with all you new techs. I have been playing the Iroquios for a while now, and buld libraries in all you cities as soon as possible allows you to keep the tech advantage. Also, the level you are playing makes a HUGE difference. The higher the level the harder it is to keep up.

 

[anarres]

Without knowing any more details, I would say diplomacy is one area in which you could improve.

With a tech lead in the ancient era you should be able to keep it through the middle ages, and this is done primarily through trading.

Check around, there are many good threads on how to trade effectively.

 

[WickedWombat]

One tactic that I use when playing an expansionist civ, early in the game, is by building a settler pump. Build a granary in one of your initial cities and have it do nothing but pump out settlers and workers. Really works well. I am currently on emperor level as the Iroquois and I am gaining a huge advantage by having lots of cities and preventing the other civs from colonizing around me.

 

[china444]

Whenever I have an early lead, I tend to keep it.

What level are you playing?

 

[Rabid Pop Tart]

Regent. I dunno what my problem is, especially I can always get the jump when I'm not expansionist.

 

[china444]

Regent!
Oh, I play Warlord. So it must be different.

 

[[GoD]Toxic]

Expand with granaries and trade like h**l

And go after diplomacy (it is easy if you are trading with everybody ).

 

[Rabid Pop Tart]

Yeah I suck at diplomacy. Maybe I should work on that.