How to prevent AI from taking best city sites?

[Orgull]

I'm scrapping my most recent game because of rampant AI "REX"-ing towards me. No less than 4 AI made a beeline for the area around my capital and built their second cities 3 or 4 spaces away from my start position. At this point I'm going to be stuck with 5 cities (on a Standard map) for the rest of the game unless I declare some serious war.

How do you prevent the AI from expanding towards you and taking all the best city sites? I mean my opening build was worker, settler, scout, settler and I still barely got two decent cities before my front border was clogged.

Do I have to declare war with everybody who comes near me in order to have my "breathing room"? Any help would be gratly appreciated, thanks!

 

[yavoon]

I use axes. and its been a while since I've built 5 cities before my first war.

 

[DrewBledsoe]

I'm scrapping my most recent game because of rampant AI "REX"-ing towards me. No less than 4 AI made a beeline for the area around my capital and built their second cities 3 or 4 spaces away from my start position. At this point I'm going to be stuck with 5 cities (on a Standard map) for the rest of the game unless I declare some serious war.

How do you prevent the AI from expanding towards you and taking all the best city sites? I mean my opening build was worker, settler, scout, settler and I still barely got two decent cities before my front border was clogged.

Do I have to declare war with everybody who comes near me in order to have my "breathing room"? Any help would be gratly appreciated, thanks!

Not used to small maps, so don't really experience this much, but it sounds like you need a few cities as a base to produce some troops, then take the troops (along with settlers to rebuild where cities are in inevitably stupid positions) and go a conquering...my general rule is if I can see them through a telescope (lets say the hubble) then they're too close...

 

[Gnarfflinger]

I don't think you can stop them, but you can make sure that your settlers and the city's garrison are in place before you raze the offending city...

 

[Sisiutil]

Somewhere between 3-6 cities to begin with is plenty. Then, as the other posters have said, you get the rest of your territory via the sharp end of a blade.

 

[homeyg]

Build a few chariots and take some cities. Forget axes, they are too slow and overrated.

 

[Sisiutil]

Build a few chariots and take some cities. Forget axes, they are too slow and overrated.

Especially if you're Egypt. Otherwise, it depends on available resources. Copper or Iron is available? Use Axes and Swords. You've got Horses? Use Chariots--just remember you'll need a lot of them. Good thing they're cheap.