Poll: What's the first thing you build in your first city?

[Bestbank Tiger]

What do you do first?

 

[Magic_gorter]

Whatever type of game I play EC/EL I only focus on building more cities in the beginning. If the situation asks for it I build a warrior (to keep citizens happy, to keep the city save from barbarians), but these situation do not happen often (mayby hapiness with deity level).

 

[ummmm........]

I always build a unit to explore with first, usually a warrior unless I started with horseback riding . . .

 

[Bestbank Tiger]

I always build a unit to explore with first, usually a warrior unless I started with horseback riding . . .

D'oh! I forgot about that one!

 

[Terrapin]

D'oh! I forgot about that one!

Yeah, I answered defensive unit b/c I usually use them to explore.

 

[neutrino]

If I start a game with two settlers, then I may build a barracks for my first city. On the other hand, if I start with only one settler, then build settler instead.

 

[Bestbank Tiger]

I start on my second settler right away because the Barbs don't appear until the 16th turn and the odds of encountering another civ that early are low.

And if I do get killed off, I only had about 2 minutes invested in that game anyway so it's no loss.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I usually build a defensive unit; it can defend if needed, but more likely will be used to explore.

However... (in ToT) If I have the option of building a skald (diplomat), that's the first unit I will build -- it has a movement of 2, can bribe/conduct diplomacy, and if I should stumble upon the Gate of Hel early on, the skald is the unit I want exploring first of all (since once you get over 287 gp you can bribe the Dwarf). Also, a skald is essential as early as possible for bribing a Buteo unit, to explore the Cloud World.

I just started a new ToT game, playing the Goblins. I began with 2 settlers on the Surface World and 1 Underground. So I have 1 Surface city, with no option for building a skald. I can build a Goblin defense unit (warrior), a Miner (settler), a Sorceror, Barracks, Temple, or Sacred Menhir (a Wonder). Since the food situation is not good yet, I'm opting for a Sorceror, as production can always be changed later. Depending on the map, my second settler will explore a bit and hope to find a friendly crag wolf unit. The wolf can explore/defend, and the settler can found another city. The Underground settler will build a city ASAP that it finds a source of water.

For improvements, I always start with a library and push my tech rate.

The first Wonder I will build as soon as I get the requisite tech will be The Crown's Emissary, so I can communicate with the other civs and trade tech and maps, and demand bribes.

Note that this is for ToT, Chieftain level, miniscule Barbarian activity in the early stages.

 

[EdwardTking]

I play ToT at Deity level on 171 by 171 worlds.

I won't found a city until, I have tipped a few huts and got a
few free skilled mercenaries.

I will start building basic units, but if I have a lot of mercenaries
or gold from huts and only a few cities (i.e. no luck with advanced
tribes and nomads) then I will switch to building settlers early on.

Now if I play as Buteo, I will go for skald first (because flying units
merely destroy non cloud based huts), but i have not won at
Deity with the Buteo yet.

 

[CharlieChuck]

I always used to build a warrior first to explore, then a settler. But in the last few games I've played I've gone for the size 1 settler trick. The only problem with this I've found is you have to find a location for the second city with the settler which takes more time than using the warrior.

 

[rysingsun]

a warrior for happiness. the warrior will more than likely explore for a few turns before actually being needed in the city. at deity level an undefended city becomes unhappy at size 2.

 

[Weird_bug]

I always build a warrior/phalanx first. Mostly out of habit though.

 

[6K Man]

Assuming a Deity level game (starting with 2 Settlers), I'll always build a Warrior first in my capital. Short term goal is to have 3 units (Warriors, usually) there for martial law - of course, if I tip huts that result in units being attached to my capital, I may delay the second or third Warrior or substitute one or more units from huts.

 

[Godwynn]

I always build a unit to explore with first, usually a warrior unless I started with horseback riding . . .

What he said.

 

[Banach]

I almost invariably build a warrior, for several reasons.

1. On deity, you need a warrior to be content at size two, so a warrior must be built for martial law before a settler. (exception - I hit a hut and can pull the size one settler trick).

2. On lower difficulty levels, the warrior is not needed for martial law, but I build one and send him off to explore. I'd much rather sacrifice the 3-4 turns to ensure that I have an optimal placement for my second city than get the city founded earlier on sub-optimal terrain. This might not be the most strategically sound strategy, but I am a perfectionist, and I'm usually thinking SSC placement. Note that, depending on the terrain, I MAY build a second warrior eventually to continue exploration, but I often am happy with just one (as in GOTM 82). I make an exception again for the size one settler trick, as I pull this off whenever possible.

 

[Peaster]

I play mostly for EC, where every turn is crucial. So, I usually build only settlers, at least until I have about 3 or 4 cities. I believe this gives me several extra turns of production, an advantage which persists throughout the whole game. My first few city locations are not always optimal, but specials don't help much until monarchy anyway. And ICS growth doesn't depend on sweet spots. I really only want a couple of grass tiles per city, and a forest tile or two, if possible.

I'm more likely to build an early warrior if playing on a high level, or on a small crowded map, or if the starting location seems unusual (eg a nearby hut just begs to be popped). Sometimes, very early hut popping pays off big - sometimes nothing. I am not sure of the best strategy, but I generally prefer cities first, huts second.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

I always build a warrior first, unless I already have a unit (from a hut, for example). Early exploration is crucial for city placement (I mostly play landing games), hut hunting, and meeting nearby rivals.

If I see a hut nearby I will sacrifice a turn or two to pop it first. You will not get barbarians in this case and all other outcomes other than an off-path tech help a great deal at that stage of the game.

 

[6K Man]

If I see a hut nearby I will sacrifice a turn or two to pop it first. You will not get barbarians in this case and all other outcomes other than an off-path tech help a great deal at that stage of the game.

I remember a thread on Apolyton that explained the probabilities of each hut outcome. There are some good exploits available to those who wander.

On gigamaps where I wasn't likely to run into any AIs, I used to wander around for ages popping huts, collecting tons of NON units, cash, and the occasional tech, all the while scouting for perfect city sites.

In one such game, I settled my first city and popped 4 huts the same turn, yielding 3 Advanced Tribes. That probably made up for the initial delay in founding my capital.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

Wow! Three advanced tribes in one turn. That is amazing.

 

[6K Man]

Wow! Three advanced tribes in one turn. That is amazing.

Not so amazing when you know that if there is only one city on the landmass, this city was founded earlier in the same turn as the huts are popped, and you already have a NON settler, the odds of an advanced tribe go up tremendously.

I believe it was samson who did the original analysis, but it works something like this:

1. You will not have a chance to get barbarians from a hut unless you have a city founded at the end of the previous turn;

2. You will not get wandering nomads if you already have a NON settler and fewer than 8 cities, and most importantly;

3. If you already have a city founded, and are tipping a hut on a continent that had NO cities at the end of the previous turn, you have a very high probability of getting an advanced tribe; and

4. If you have no chance to get barbarians or nomads, the chances of getting those are added to the chance of getting an advanced tribe.


So in short, if you're aware of these mechanics, you can give yourself something like a 60% chance to get advanced tribes, during the remainder of the turn in which you founded your first city.