Many newbie questions about good strategy.

[Rosicrucian]

If there are some documents I should read, please point me to them. Otherwise...

I have played Civ1 and Civ2 for a while, now I just got Civ2 TOT to play some multiplayer! I usually play prince, I can win, but it is difficult.

1) At the start, I usually have my settlers road on the way to new cities. I figure this gives me trade as well as a good road network, for lost expansion time. IS this ok? If not, when do you road?

2) Is forest ok to build on? I try to only build on grasslaand. Anywhere else and my cities just stink.

3) At the start, in all cities, I usually builud Phalanx, 2 settlers to settle, 1 settler to irrigate, library, city walls, etc...but stuff takes SO LONG to build! I mean, by the time I build library, city walls, granary and marketplace its the middle ages!

4) What are some general guidelines for building wonders, trade routes, and fighting wars ALL at the same time??

5) If you're behind in total # of cities in a multiplayer game, what is the best way to catch up? My land turned out crappier than his, and I've been behind the whole game.

6) When should you spend money to hasten building? I do it if I need a wonder badly (like Mike's chapel) or if I need a unit badly. Any other times?

7) Here is my multiplayer strategy: get to monarchy ASAP. Get to Republic ASAP. Get to Monotheism ASAP. Get Mike's. Fight. How does that sound.

Thanks you're awesome

 

[Rosicrucian]

One more thing, when is the best time to start doing trade routes, right when you get caravans?

 

[starlifter]

I'll offer the following general thoughts, even though they are based in SP experience. Maybe they'll help

.

1. I usually build a road from my capital, which also helps in defense, happiness control, and wonder building in addition to trade.

2. I assume you mean build a city on. In a game I just played a few days ago, my first city was on a forest, because it was in the middle of 4 specials. My 2nd settler was brought over to immediately irrigate it. My first settler was produced after 10 turns (10 of the 20 food to grow). The downside is normally lost growth and lost trade, but by using a whale, my trade didn't suffer too much until I got the forest irrigated. normally, I don't build on forests... but a forest will give a 50% defensive bonus! And in Democracy (or Republic), just join two other settlers, and begin WLTP days right away... then growth is not hampered. Loss of trade may mean rush buying improvements to keep continual WLTP growth, however.

My first city usually builds a defensive unit (warrior), then a settler, then either a wonder or a temple, then a wonder (prefer pyramids or colossus).

The second city usually builds a warrior, and two settlers, then gets to temple and a wonder too.

The third and fourth cities provide more settlers and defensive units to control happiness in the wonder cities.

The city that gets the colossus generally gets a rushed library immediately.

4. There are a lot of guides and successful strategies. My personal strategy is normally one of finding huts, bribing barbarians, and finding and sealing off the choke points, esp. if I can do it with an alliance or peace treaty. Meeting other civs and exchanging techs is also important. Expand and get to Monarchy fast. Lots of cities = lots of production, esp. caravans for wonders. Caravans can be converted to units if need be, too.

5. Find new land and build more cities. Find a weak AI opponent and take/bribe theirs. Save up and bribe (or conquer) one or two of his cities at a time... do it before AI Democracy.

6. Use money to level the production output of cities. e.g., if a city makes 7 shields per turn, and you want a caravan, you would normally take 8 turns and waste 6 shields. If you let it build 4 turns (to 28), then buy 2 shields (select diplomat or archer, and buy, then switch back to caravan), you will accelerate teh production by one day, and save 6 shields, all for only 4 gold.

Personally, I rush build (or partailly rush build) almost all improvements from the mid game onwards... that's because improvements are the cheapest to rush, and the time is better spend for the cities to toil away on units and freight.