Mastering the defenseless game.

[mardukes]

Well, first off, I rarely have cities that reach size 8 until the very very late game. During the early game cities are often size 3 at best (except the SSC which is the lone city with improvements), and mid game most all cities vegetate at a measly 5 on the average. At first glance, a bunch of size 5 cities doesn't seem so appealing, but when you consider the fact that none of them have improvements, 2 size 5 cities are just as good as a size 10 from a trade standpoint and equal or better from a shield standpoint. Then there is the ability to produce 2 times as many caravan commodities and rush job two caravans, one from each city, in a turn and the "recursive" nature of 2 cities benefitting a net happiness/contentness boost twice as much as 1 city of double the size from wonders such as mike's or the hanging gardens. Finally, you have internal trading with your super city combined with luxuries, esentially making colossus a global wonder just as mike's and the gardens as each of your cities is benefitting from colossus inflated trade routes.

I'm not so sure I see the answer in here. Of course there is an advantage to expending no resources on a size 3 or 5 city. Hell, there's even more advantage if it's a size 17 city. But, again, at diety with no temple and no warrior your first 8(?) cities revolt on the second citizen and thereafter are in revolt condition from the moment of build.

Yes, my one or two Super cities are begging for sewers before all the rest are even thinking about aqueducts but, I still don't see how it is possible without something being expended on elating the citizens--units, improvements or both. Please reveal this trick.

 

[A+ombomb]

Each city has 3 huge trade routes by the time it hits 8 - they are usually +5-6 each if overseas (more if colossus is still in operation), and +8/12/16 or thereabouts for on continent (12 for road , 16 rail). There is less of an advantage for a size 17 city than even 2 size 8 cities from trade, because a trade route is based the average trade without routes of the two cities. This means that if you have 2 cities trading with your super city, you are averaging in the trade of the super city twice rather than once for a size 17, so the total bonus increase from trade routes is always greater (unless your super city isn't so super!). The best thing I can tell you to do is try it out. If you give me your email I can send you examples of the strategy at work as well.

 

[mardukes]

Each city has 3 huge trade routes by the time it hits 8 - they are usually +5-6 each if overseas (more if colossus is still in operation), and +8/12/16 or thereabouts for on continent (12 for road , 16 rail). There is less of an advantage for a size 17 city than even 2 size 8 cities from trade, because a trade route is based the average trade without routes of the two cities. This means that if you have 2 cities trading with your super city, you are averaging in the trade of the super city twice rather than once for a size 17, so the total bonus increase from trade routes is always greater (unless your super city isn't so super!). The best thing I can tell you to do is try it out. If you give me your email I can send you examples of the strategy at work as well.

That's what's got me stumped. Try what out? If I build a city and don't put a warrior or temple that city will fall into civil disorder and the mayor will flee on citizen #2. Are you saying to ignore that until trade makes everyone happy? Doesn't production suspend for cities in disorder?

Please note, I'm not talking about size 8 or 17. I'm talking about 2600 BC and getting to size 2.

 

[A+ombomb]

Well I actually haven't played a diety game in a little while, and yes you have a legitimate reason for being stumped - on diety it would be a good idea to build a militia - its just more efficient. These are just for police though - its not like there is much of anything to defend for the first 2000 years aside from a stray barb archer. On diety you should make it a point to snag the hanging gardens very early; then the militia can be disbanded for resources. Note that if you have the hanging gardens and no units in the city, it is actually easier to keep the city in order - I think its some kind of a bug. I've seen instances where a city was in order with 0 units while 3 units could not keep it in order, under a monarchy - very strange indeed.