I suck!

[996gt3rs]

Hello all,

A bit of a newbie moving up to Regent from Chieftain and really struggling!!

I started as the Japanese on archipelagos and I had my own island. I built 10 cities and worked towards map making as soon as possible.

Once I had galleys I moved to the next island and met three other races.

They were all way ahead of me! One race 7 techs up, and the other two 5 up!

How the hell!! They all had 3-400 in the bank to while I was scraping along with 30.

What am I doing wrong?

Should I build temple to keep people happy early in the game or use the luxuries slider?

Should I use entertainers?

Any clues would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Scuffer]

Post a save game, and people will be able to give you good specific advice. In the meantime, try and avoid entertainers, because you lose the gold, food and shields they would otherwise have produced. Use the luxury slider instead, and also military police if the government allows it.
Don't worry so much about being behind in tech early, at regent you can catch it up quite easily as time goes on. When you have your own island, the Ai is so useless at naval invasion you'll probably be quite safe. Sometimes it happens that if the AI get lucky with huts, or are close together & trade with each other, they can pick up lots of techs quickly.
Remember to trade as much as possible yourself, and get contacts as early to help you do so. Researching techs the AI doesn't have yet will give you something useful to trade with, as will spare resouces and luxuries.

 

[Renata]

What Scuffer said -- that and try not to panic. 5-7 techs behind isn't an insurmountable obstacle. For starters, you can figure that all the AIs will research both ancient age government techs (only one is really needed), chivalry, printing press, democracy, free artistry, music theory .... That's six techs right there that you can probably get away with skipping. So if you think about it one way, you're not behind at all.

Renata

 

[mastertyguy]

At regent, I think, the AI as no bonus, but I'm not sure, so, because thgey are not as effective as humans, you will probably be able to beat them. as Renata said, you are maybe ahead and you don't know it. And anyway, if you passed from Monarch to Regent, you skipped warlord, so if your strategy doesn,t work, you cna still play one or two games on warlord, then restart on regent, monarch, etc. Don't worry. But I don't know what we can do for yopu 'til you give at least pics, or .sav file.

 

[996gt3rs]

I think panic is the word.

Chieftain was way to easy and I didnt need to micromanage and I think I have built up some bad habits.

Some quick questions:

Are temples the only way to expand city borders? Should I bother?

How soon should I switch to rebublic?

Thanks in advance.

When I get home tonight I will try to upload the saved game.

Cheers

 

[mastertyguy]

Temples : not the only way to expend (libraies, colosseum), but BUILT THEM!!!!! You will need to get those content face. Or happy faces? don't remenber, I'm at school!
Republic : YES!!!!!!

 

[thetrooper]

cultural expansion: as master said (libraries, colosseum, wonders, universities). If you play religious bother (cheap temples).

republic: as soon as you get the tech.

 

[namliaM]

I build everything in just about every (non fully corrupt) city except for walls, barracks, city defense

On the outer city's i hand pick a few improvements but not to many for the gold per turn (gpt) will kill you.

Revolt to republic ASAP, unless you are allready in Golden Age (GA). Allways try to avoid going into your GA before you go to Republic.
In Republic mind that every unit over your cap (see I think F1) will cost you gpt maintanance, so try and balance it ...

Research wise I mosttimes go something like the 2nd or 3rd research into the Republic run. Meaning, Alpha (if not allready default, or traded) then Writing, then Phylosophy (hope to be the first there! for the free tech), Code of law, republic. And revolt.

Greetz

 

[TyranusBonehead]

I suck too, but I still managed an elimination victory on Diety (using early game rush tactics). Not much of a victory, but my point is, stick with it. Read the War Academy, ask questions, it'll come. I still struggle at times even at the Warlord level, I simply don't know what to do in every situation. I think that only comes with time.

 

[vmxa]

The reason they have techs and you do not is because they had contacts. Well also because you probably did not use your land to its best.

At Regent, there is no need to jump on temples. You have two citizns born content. If you hook up one lux and use the slider that should be fine for some time. Later you can do a temple in a few core cities, not the whole empire.

On an island you probably do not need to worry about expanding culture borders as no one is going to be there to take the land. Use Libs in places where your are making a few beakers, not if you are making 1 or zero.

You want to get a curragh out, do not wait for MM. Get contacts quickly. Be sure to get roads and mines on worked tiles. Irrigate if no growth or wheat or in a pump town.

Islands need to be looked at to see if you need tight spacing. If you have limited land, pack them in.

Hold off working hills and mountains, until last or if a lux/resource is there.