futurehermit
Deity
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2006
- Messages
- 5,724
Well, thanks to reading many peoples' advice on these forums (Pete, Snaaty, Acidsatyr, many others...) I think I have finally fixed the main flaw in my game: the early game.
And I wanted to share my experience here in the hopes that this might help others trying to cement thereselves on emperor level.
I have been struggling many games to get my early empire going. I either cripple my economy by over-expanding/too many units or have a solid econ and no expansion.
So, here is what I finally smoothed out tonight while playing Elizabeth.
1) Unless there is an enemy close enough to axerush, build in addition to your capital 2 cities then add one more once some cottages mature.
2) Plan to keep research at 80%
3) Prioritize high commerce cities at the start (precious metals, furs, rivers), then add production cities; city specialization: cottage spam some early commerce cities, including capital
4) Plan to expand after CoL and Monarchy, with an eye on currency. CoL of course gives courthouses and monarchy gives hereditary rule to grow larger and work more cottages. When currency comes online this gives an extra trade route per city and the ability to build markets in commerce cities. With these fixtures in place you can support expansion. The AI doesn't research super fast on emperor, so you will need to self-research most/all of these techs, and maybe even math, although I am usually able to trade for math (the game I played tonight though I had Hannibal and Rameses and they didn't research Math forever so I ended up selfresearching it...)
5) This means prebuild military and have it ready when these techs come online. Have your first opponent scouted.
6) Try and build cities toward first opponent if they are not close enough to axerush.
7) Wonders. I didn't build any in my test game, but I believe GL is a great idea in your GPfarm city. Also, if you are so inclined, oracle can help nab col or monarchy. I am always hesitant about oracle because I want to farm GSs. However, Pete has showed off the power of oracle-monarchy in his domination efforts with the incans. Once the war machine starts, Heroic Epic and Globe Theatre are very key. National Epic in GPfarm.
8) Happiness. It is IMPERATIVE to increase happiness by whatever means possible. If you see gold, furs, etc. you must grab it!! Also, once at her. rule, get those units in those cities!!! This is a HUGE problem in my early game. I sit at low
for faaar too long! This is because I delay her. rule thinking the AI prioritizes it. Although they do at some point because they go for feudalism, I realize now I need monarchy much, much sooner.
I think that's about it. Of course if there is an opponent close enough to axerush, this comes first instead of building 2-3 cities, but the rest of it still then follows after.
Any further advice is welcome.
And I wanted to share my experience here in the hopes that this might help others trying to cement thereselves on emperor level.
I have been struggling many games to get my early empire going. I either cripple my economy by over-expanding/too many units or have a solid econ and no expansion.
So, here is what I finally smoothed out tonight while playing Elizabeth.
1) Unless there is an enemy close enough to axerush, build in addition to your capital 2 cities then add one more once some cottages mature.
2) Plan to keep research at 80%
3) Prioritize high commerce cities at the start (precious metals, furs, rivers), then add production cities; city specialization: cottage spam some early commerce cities, including capital
4) Plan to expand after CoL and Monarchy, with an eye on currency. CoL of course gives courthouses and monarchy gives hereditary rule to grow larger and work more cottages. When currency comes online this gives an extra trade route per city and the ability to build markets in commerce cities. With these fixtures in place you can support expansion. The AI doesn't research super fast on emperor, so you will need to self-research most/all of these techs, and maybe even math, although I am usually able to trade for math (the game I played tonight though I had Hannibal and Rameses and they didn't research Math forever so I ended up selfresearching it...)
5) This means prebuild military and have it ready when these techs come online. Have your first opponent scouted.
6) Try and build cities toward first opponent if they are not close enough to axerush.
7) Wonders. I didn't build any in my test game, but I believe GL is a great idea in your GPfarm city. Also, if you are so inclined, oracle can help nab col or monarchy. I am always hesitant about oracle because I want to farm GSs. However, Pete has showed off the power of oracle-monarchy in his domination efforts with the incans. Once the war machine starts, Heroic Epic and Globe Theatre are very key. National Epic in GPfarm.
8) Happiness. It is IMPERATIVE to increase happiness by whatever means possible. If you see gold, furs, etc. you must grab it!! Also, once at her. rule, get those units in those cities!!! This is a HUGE problem in my early game. I sit at low
for faaar too long! This is because I delay her. rule thinking the AI prioritizes it. Although they do at some point because they go for feudalism, I realize now I need monarchy much, much sooner.I think that's about it. Of course if there is an opponent close enough to axerush, this comes first instead of building 2-3 cities, but the rest of it still then follows after.
Any further advice is welcome.
