Opening Strategies

[Zulu]

Hey all....

I just started playing Civ2 again after quitting a few years back, and this place looks like a goldmine. I'm still playing on chieftain, but that's inordinately easy, so I think I'm going to try the harder levels.

My question is concerning the very beginning stages.

What are you strategies?

What should my first unit be? Should I Rush build it? SHould I built several settlers or warriors or explorers? Should I go for quality or quantity of cities? Make peace or conquer quickly??

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thx guys,

-Zulu

 

[Ren]

Well, I like to build settlers in my first city, and other founded cities, until I discover Masonry, Then I build The Great Wall and the Pyramids in my two best cities. After I build them I start on my military and developing my cities. If I start out with two settlers I always save the second one because you don't pay maintanence on it, the same goes for any settlers I find in a goody hut. Barracks are the first city improvement I build then one warrior and two phalanxes. But don't forget to build a few settlers every now and then!

 

[Rowan]

I don't mind having a ship in the very early part of the game. This is of course a bit expensive.

[dance] [dance]

 

[Zulu]

Do you guys rushbuild the settlers or wait the turns?

In every following city you establish; what is your first priority? Improvements, Military or settlers?

-Zulu

 

[Ren]

No, I usually wait the turns, unless I have money to spare (rare early in the game) and I build settlers first, then barracks then city defence military then improvements then attack military, as well as building a few settlers here and there.

 

[Zulu]

What about the very first unit?

-Zulu

 

[Vlad Tepes III]

I usually build a fast military unit first, while it's a size 1 city, to scout the area and get some huts, then a settler. Won't it disband your city if you try to build a settler while it's still size 1?

 

[Zulu]

Not your capital, I believe.....

-Zulu

 

[Rowan]

ZULU
In the very first part of the game I don't rush build ,as it is an expensive way to build settlers.
In the next part of the game I usually build a settler next; before any thing else,as I like to do an improvement or two.
I suppose with a starting strategies one must also take into account what the AI is doing.Also as Vlad Tepes says, a fast unit to do some exploring is a good buy. Build slow and sure in the early part.

Yes Zulu ;this site is cool,

[dance] [dance]

 

[Sodak]

You cannot disband your size 1 capitol if:

1. It is your only city, and
2. You have settled no other cities.

This city pops out a settler without losing population. Very handy if you have terrain that allows it. Once you've settled a second city (even if it gets destroyed), this benefit disappears.

I will rush a settler early if I find enough gold in a hut. Early expansion is very important to quick success.

 

[Patient English]

I guess you guys are not talking about the ICS strategy. There are enough exploits to take advantage over the AI as it is.

However, you are quite right to say that building settlers and expanding quickly is a key strategy in Civ II. However, it is hardly very realistic to have that huge growth in the Bronze and Iron ages. Even without ICS, the "feature" that allows 1 pop cities to exploit two tiles forces you to grow fast, even if you are a "perfectionist" by nature.

For a challenge one day (or just to change things a bit and freshen the game) try making citizens require 3 food. You will need to change the food-producing ability of some terrain types a bit. I suggest grassland +2 and plains +1, but only when irrigated. So grassland produces 2 food, 4 when irrigated. Leave all others as they are. You should also increase the number of rows in the food box to 60 or so. These edits are simple to make in the rules.txt. [I am happy to help anyone who wants advice on this.]

Suddenly, cities don't grow nearly so fast, and there are better things to do with your hard-earned settlers than found new cities as soon as possible. Also, shield-producing squares like forest or hills hardly produce any food, so productivity comes at a large cost in potential growth. Settlers are then really needed to irrigate and mine to make the most of each square.

The AI is playing to the same rules, so it's fair. I think it's a big improvement over the default Civ II values and strategies.

 

[Rowan]

What is ICS please
[dance] [dance]

 

[duke o' york]

It stands for infinite city sprawl and the technique is to basically cover the map with your cities in the BC years, regardless of overlapping city radii, until you have used all possible squares on the starting continent and wherever else you want. Basically, you start off and build settlers from all your cities and found new cities and build settlers from them until you have a rash of cities all over the map. You can build defensive units, but bear in mind that this will take away shields from your settlers and your advance will be slowed. Once you have as many cities as you feel comfortable with, or have peaked at 254 cities or whatever it is then you can begin to improve the land around them and irrigate, etc. This is the best way to get an enormous score as the only way to increase is to get points from future techs and population points. With so many cities, you'll be producing so much science that the future techs will be a breeze and your massive population will put you in contention with Shadowdale!!!!
Be warned, though. To manage over 100 cities takes ages and you'll find yourself only playing a couple of turns per session so the highest scores should be respected as much for the fortitude of the players as for their Civ abilities.

 

[Rowan]

Thank-you Duke of YORK!

 

[Morgasshk]

When i first get into the game i explore a few squares with my settler to find a place tha has good access to at least two specials and is in a relatively defensible place...

I also will not build on or near mountains or in places where water is in the city radius but not next to... stupid doing this when it cuts down your ability to improve the city... ie, harbour, offshore platform and coastal fortress.

With every city I build 2 settlers asap. First one build runs off and builds another city close by, not within redius though... one thing I really hate... I want all my cities at least that much spaced....

and the second one sticks around and makes some improvements... roads, irrig etc... once I'm up to about 20 cities I stop making settlers and start fully cranking the land... roads and irrigation everywhere and then only build ion very nice selected sites where they can prosper really well...

I don't build any military units until I get Polytheism then I build heaps of elephants, go exploring and take out any civs near by... stick with them until Crusader, then dragoons, cavalry and then finally to Tanks... and I don't bother having any defensive units in the whole game... as always, best defence is a great offence...

I stick with building science oriented wonders and improvements, ie, colossus, copernicus, isaac newtons, library, uni, railways everywhere... all that shiit...

Anyway... thats how me play... me expand quickly, but with **** all defence... prolly why I get whipped up upon in king, emporer and diety games eh?

Oh well... I like my way..


Morgasshk.

 

[Old n Slow]

(Trolling through old topics -- a resurrection! )

Search with the Settler(s) for 0 to a few turns (number is variable, I think ten turns is too many), hopefully pop a hut (hopefully find a unit to continue searching) & an good space for a major city.

Once the city is founded, first build is a unit -- settler if a searcher came from a hut, searcher if not. The first settler wastes too much time with roads, maybe a little search as well -- and I haven’t totally decided about whether or not he should start the second city ASAP, or wait for settler number three pops out of the capital (since the capital won’t shrink below size 1) and then create cities two & three on the same turn. Another consideration is if the first searcher has popped some huts providing units that require support especially shield eating support.

I’ll PRB if a) there’s cash and b) if I remember -- sometimes I just move what’s flashing & then discover that my turn is over.

 

[SomeGuyNamedRob]

Originally posted by Zulu
My question is concerning the very beginning stages.

What are you strategies?

I go with settlers first and expand my empire right away, placing as much of my budget as I can into science. This is probably not the wisest of strategies, but I don't really bother making military units until I've got the Legion or Archers - unless there's a Civ that is way too close to me that needs to be wiped off the map.

 

[Marlos]

I always found a city immediately. On higher levels, one turn (or three or four) spent looking for the ideal site is a massive waste of time. Besides, I expand so fast initially that finding the "perfect site" for one city is meaningless.

Build warriors, phalanx, or horsemen to do early exploring/hut popping, and don't worry too much about homeland defense (e.g. don't defend your cities with more than one unit) until after you build a WOTW or two. Another good idea is to connect your budding villages with roads, not only because it will be easier to defend if barbarians come poking around, but also for the trade they produce.

Early wonders are subjective, but I prefer Pyramids , and Hanging Gardens is a must on King level or higher! Expand, expand, expand!

Research monarchy. Getting out of despotism is a large bonus.

 

[ArmOrAttAk]

I never knew you could build settlers in your size 1 capital.

My opening strategy is like this..
try to pop a hut with a settler before you found the first city to get a free explorer, which scouts for a good spot for the next city. Set science to maximum, the rest goes to tax. Build a warrior to scout first, search along the coast if possible looking for whale THE best special. Send your second city to found another city. You might think to keep him around because he's a free support settler but if you think about it as soon as the city he founds builds the first settler> you now have a settler AND a city.

OK now I have 2 cities each with a warrior scouting, they build a settler next. These next 2 settlers go found cities in nice spots that the warriors have exposed and the first cities build warriors for garrison. They also build a horseman if I have tech and another warrior, or phalanx. Then a temple, Then a wonder. Systematic get the 3 max units for marshal law and temple for happiness to keep the peasents working till it's complete.

Those second cities build a warrior for exploring, then settlers. These settlers build a mine if possible for the wonder producing cities, or roads if I'm not on a river to keep up trade. All the while heading for monarchy, you HAVE to get to as quick as possible because it increases your science through less corruption, also because the computer civs don't go straight to it so you'll have an advantage over them till they get it.
After the second founded cities have built 2 settlers each, they do what the first cities did> build 3 units for marshal law, a temple, a wonder.
If I find any archers in huts they head back for garrison duty, unless there's an enemy about then I use the archer to restrict his movement and show strength to demand tribute from him. ALWAYS reject peace unless they throw in gold, NEVER trade tech demand tribute and they'll give it for free! You can get pretty rich quick doing this. Ensuring you can rush build the wonders you want if somebody else near completes it.
Another thing is when barbs come around try to capture them. 150 gold is BIG money early. horsemen are great for this is why I try to keep one in every city.
Finally I get one last city to follow the 3unit/temple/wonder pattern so when I look at top 5 cities they're all mine. They're not gonna be top right away but after they each build 3....
The 2 wonders I must have in ancient are Pyramids, Great Library.
Isn't Sun Tzus ancient too? if it is make that 3

 

[duke o' york]

Sun Tzu's is medieval in fact, but is very popular among those who like to win by conquest, as it can often make veteran the units you have upgraded with Leo's.
Don't be so sure about never trading tech. Sometimes it is a good idea to give or trade away Map Making so that you can swap maps with the AI civs and get a better idea of how the world is. The tech won't benefit them that much, and it is better to give them this small advantage now than to give them something like Gunpowder later on.