slobberinbear
Ursine Skald
I've had an exceedingly frustrating run lately playing Washington (Expansive/Charismatic) on BTS, Monarch difficulty.
When I've tried to warmonger early, I've failed. Lacking an early unique unit or building, not having a leg up on any military techs, and no inherent economic advantages all add up to rough times. I've also tried to go with a wonder-heavy approach and have attempted the religious route. These approaches generally failed too, though I had a decent wonder game when I had stone nearby.
After about three days and 10 frustrating restarts, I've concluded that I have been trying to shoehorn my typical play methods into a civ/leader that doesn't fit, especially at higher difficulty levels.
I had been ignoring, for instance, Washington's incredible ability to build large cities with cheap granaries and inherent health and happiness bonuses. I was not taking advantage of building cheaper workers to improve those larger cities with more tiles to work. Financially, I wasn't building cottages or using a specialist economy with big cities -- and then I wondered why I was running out of money. I hadn't realized until this stretch of games how much I had relied on founding a religion and getting the shrine income to shore up my economy.
When I give Georgie a try again, you can bet I'll focus on building large cities and expanding slowly as the economics allow, while maintaining a credible defense force, then unleashing the production power of my big cities in the late medieval/renaissance periods.
All this is to say: pay attention to your civ and leader, and play to his strengths. There are times when you have to pursue a given strategy no matter what (i.e., you are choked by a neighbor and essentially forced to war), but for the rest of the time, don't just play your "usual game" with the usual gambits every time.
Old habits die hard.
When I've tried to warmonger early, I've failed. Lacking an early unique unit or building, not having a leg up on any military techs, and no inherent economic advantages all add up to rough times. I've also tried to go with a wonder-heavy approach and have attempted the religious route. These approaches generally failed too, though I had a decent wonder game when I had stone nearby.
After about three days and 10 frustrating restarts, I've concluded that I have been trying to shoehorn my typical play methods into a civ/leader that doesn't fit, especially at higher difficulty levels.
I had been ignoring, for instance, Washington's incredible ability to build large cities with cheap granaries and inherent health and happiness bonuses. I was not taking advantage of building cheaper workers to improve those larger cities with more tiles to work. Financially, I wasn't building cottages or using a specialist economy with big cities -- and then I wondered why I was running out of money. I hadn't realized until this stretch of games how much I had relied on founding a religion and getting the shrine income to shore up my economy.
When I give Georgie a try again, you can bet I'll focus on building large cities and expanding slowly as the economics allow, while maintaining a credible defense force, then unleashing the production power of my big cities in the late medieval/renaissance periods.
All this is to say: pay attention to your civ and leader, and play to his strengths. There are times when you have to pursue a given strategy no matter what (i.e., you are choked by a neighbor and essentially forced to war), but for the rest of the time, don't just play your "usual game" with the usual gambits every time.
Old habits die hard.
