Just a few questions

[chisox1976]

I thought I would let you guys help me out because you do a great job of that. So I figure I will explain my style and then you can critique. So here it is:

First the basics:

I play Vanilla, I am Elizabeth, Chinese guy with industrious and financial or Catherine. I run a Cottage economy.

Here is how I start off: Go to Bronze working and then to agriculture/animal husbandry (whichever one I need), than wheel, pottery, writing, mysticism, Mediatation, Preisthood, Code of Laws. I use the Oracle for Civil Service. I then go after Iron working, mathematics, alphebet, construction, monotheism, monarchy, Literature. I then try to get my way to Philosophy, paper, education, music, nationhood and then Liberalism to get Militery traditoin. I usually have cavelry by 1300 ad. I usually play on continents so I usually own all/or most of the land on my continent by 1600 ad.

My first war starts around 100 ad. then another at 1400, to gain control of my continent. However by the time I am ready to go and conquer other continent, it seems like they all have big armys and stuff.

So basically just asking what I should do to improve. If you need more info than let me know, but please critique.

I never use the whip and if someone could argue the importance of this that would be great.

 

[svv]

1. You should use the whip; particulary if you are going after agriculture/animal husbandry early.

2. You should get alphabet much sooner, unless you're stuck with just one opponent on your continent and nobody to trade with, in which case you should get optics and then alphabet.

3. With Elizabeth, at least, use Oracle for Metal Casting. Build a forge and hire an engineer ASAP. Then try to farm great engineers (nice to put this in the same city where you've built pyramids - or, if you get it done soon enough, you can build the pyramids with the great engineer you farm from the forge).

4. Unless you're the Russians, don't worry about getting cavalry so soon. Much better to go after gunpowder, chemistry (grenediers) and steel (cannon, and you can build the Ironworks in that great engineer farming city).

5. If you're going after Music, do it earlier to make sure you're there first, which gives you a free great artist, who you can use to lightbulb another tech.

 

[chisox1976]

How is the best way to use the whip, I mean should I use it for military or to get a library. Also I never seem to trade any techs with other civs. Just dont think I should but I guess Im wrong huh. Also what would be the best way to liberalism?

 

[Gryman]

First off, what level are you playing on? This is very important piece of information you should include.

I used to use a similar strategy playing Vanilla/Monarch and popping Civil Service with Oracle. If you do use this strategy you need to leverage it by working all cottages in your capital and make this your Super Science City at an early date. Probably also building the Academy with your first Great Scientist here as well since is adjusted +50% before any other multipliers. Also, it is important to set up a GP farm early (usually 3rd city for me after 2nd city grabs resources and production) in order to get those early specialists.

On Warring: 100 ad is rather late to begin your first war IMO. However, I do know when going for Oracle -> Civil Service Sling it is difficult to raise an army much earlier than this. Be sure to weigh your options on which is more important; if your Capital lacks rivers or can't become a science powerhouse to take advantage of Bureaucracy early then I would recommend a war instead.

On Whipping: in Vanilla the whip is even more powerful than it is in warlords. Axemen can be whipped for 2 pop before investing any production and still provide 60 . In Warlords this has been corrected to 40 if none are already invested. What this means is you can quickly raise an army of Axemen for early conquest. Whip an Axemen on turn 1 for 2 Pop and 60 and on turn 2 you can often finish another Axemen/Chariot with the overflow. Multiply this by 3 early cities and you have 6 units in 2 turns plus any you already have.

Intercontinental War is very tough. Be sure to have enough production cities to build the necessary forces. Take many, many seige weapons for collateral damage...

With a Cottage Economy: Civil Service->Philosophy->Paper->Education->Liberalism. Great Scientists will usually help by bulbing Philosophy and Education.

 

[chisox1976]

noble forgot to put that

 

[xanadux]

Try an axeman rush as soon as you have an AI close enough to be worthwile conquering. My first win on noble, I only built one city and one worker. Gandhi was close enough that I just built axes and took his cities and workers then continued the conquest from there.

 

[chisox1976]

I win all the time, but I want to know how to completely dominate and win early. As early as possible.

 

[cabert]

I win all the time, but I want to know how to completely dominate and win early. As early as possible.

play incas, duel map, queshua rush.
3000BC wins are very doable .