Not sure how to proceed.

[CivCorpse]

First off, the map settings are Monarch/continents/standardsize/epicspeed/notechbrokering/Suluieman/ottomans/NO SPACE RACE

It is 1863AD and I just wiped everyone off of my continent except for a cheesy litte city in the north that the chinese own.
Both Ragnar and Freddy left me a nice military city each with 4 MI's and one with a miltary academy. However I am not sure how to develop the land around their cities, they have some pretty crappy locations and in typical AI fashion they farmed and windmilled everything. Actually they had towns around Berlin but I farmed them over to get more food to work all those hills.
Should I build more cottages and switch to free speech in order to develope them? Only izzy has Rifling at the moment but I am sure the others will have it before I can launch a naval assault. What should I do?

 

[futurehermit]

Why would you go for cottages and free speech when you are not going for space race? Windmills and farms is ideal as you want to be whipping/drafting as much as possible while cranking the culture slider as high as possible to deal with unhappiness.

 

[DaveMcW]

Modern armor is quite useful against riflemen. Build more cottages!

 

[GKrause]

I'd just like to point out how interested I am in seeing this thread develop considering we have two frequent posters who are advocating different approaches.

 

[CivCorpse]

Well, I went with farms and mines to build troops, lots of troops. And it turns out I needed them. Ghengis had vassalized 2 opponents and had his usual big arse army. I attacked Mao to take a city or two for a beachhead on the other continent. I had just shipped another load of tanks over when ghengis DoW on me. I retreated from 2 of the three cities to consolidate my position and ensure I maintained a toehold. He had antitankmen so i sort of hid in my city and let my 8CG3 marines weather the assault. The counter attacked his next big ole stack with mobile artillery. I wish I had promoted some on the barrage line, because even my drill tanks had trouble with antitankmen. I promoted the newly arrived 20 tanks with drill2 and pinch. They stood up much better...especially 4 turns later when i started promoting them to Modern armor. I then retook, Bejing (with it's 3 MI a settled great engineer and great Prophet. I also took another nice city and Thebes. Thebes has 3 or 4 MI and a military academy as well....they warred a lot over there before I arrived. I settled for peace for two more cities because his gunships we not playing fair. He has agreat big gob of them. and it looks like most of them have been ungraded since they were wee lil keshiks. I just finished researching robotics so i am building mech infantry like crazy while i tech flight then advanced flight. Then it's 100% gold until he dies. If I use nationhood, what unit could I draft? Mechs?

 

[futurehermit]

Either way will work if you do it well.