Question about early strategy

[AutomatedTeller]

I find it fairly normal on deity to get at least 1 and sometimes 2 or 3 AI cities plopped down within 6 squares of my capitol.

If you are playing a game where you are rexing, do you guys normally just find a new map when this happens? Or am I setting up my game incorrectly? Or should I just suck it up, cause that's the way deity plays and that's why we get archers? Or should I just play agri civs at deity and get my first settler out earlier

 

[Tone]

I must admit that I like some room to expand into and so if I find myself low on core cities, without resources and with a couple of very close neighbours, I'll probably restart for a HoF game. However I would like to say that I also play games where I'm not going for the best date, in which case additional problems can make the game fun to deal with. (I also think that I learn how to deal with setbacks by playing these games.) For example I recently played a deity SG where we started off in tundra and turned out to be sharing a small island with another civ that had a cow in the capital radius. This was great fun, but obviously not HoF material as you're never going to get a fastest finish that way.

I don't always start again though. I think that I'd get pretty bored if I kept restarting after the first setback, and I'd probably not learn a great deal either. For HoF games it is not the end of the world if a rival settles in your core land as long as other things are going your way. You may have read one of my posts for the February guantlet where this happened.

I had persevered with the game as I had a couple of luxes, some resources and I felt that I was always in contention for a best date-even without an SGL. When I did take Delphi I had a core city with a science wonder that cost me nothing and I ended up with a personal best date at that time.

The only thing I do to minimise the chances of not securing my core is to not play with the maximum number of rivals, so I'm sorry but I have no great words of wisdom. Thsi is a tricky balance when playing for Diplo or Space though when you want enough civs to ensure that you progress at the fastest rate.

 

[killercane]

An AI crowding you at the beginning can be beneficial if you start with WC or have an early UU. For the diety SS gauntlet, just be careful to cripple them so early as they wont help as much in research. Leaving AI respawn on might be a good option to have checked if you go after them early. With someone like the Maya or Sumeria, however, I would probably want to expand as much as possible before gearing up for war since you can expand so quickly with their civ traits.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

yeah - I should have been clear I meant for HOF games - that's why I posted it here

Maybe I should play with fewer opponents - the reason i posted is that I had a couple of games where I played as germany and I had 2 or 3 AI cities in my first ring!

Was just wondering if that was a weakness of a non-agri civ..

 

[Marsden]

Not that I'm anyone to give advice, but Germany does seem to be one of the slowest starters. You would think the only civ that starts the game with archers and spearmen would have an early advantage, but graneries and settlers count more.

 

[superslug]

The Iroquois are a great Civ to play as if you have trouble with early expansion in C3C. Run Mapfinder for a river and a cow. Find a start with a forest or two to chop for a granary, and if you have three bonus grasslands, you can set up a four turn Settler factory. Even on Deity you should be able to snag a full ring or two, although less likely on smaller mapsizes.

Beeline or trade for Warrior Code and build Barracks in most if not all of your expansion cities. Then start stacking up on Mounted Warriors. Find a neighbor without Pikes and tear them a new butthole.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

oh - I can expand fast enough with an agri civ, no problem, and iroquois was the first civ I played where i kicked ass on emperor. Love those MW...

I guess I didn't really realize how *slowly* some civs expand on deity - agri do well and industrious does well, cause they get roads/irrigation/mines up fast - but without one of those, expansion is pretty slow (compared to the AI who plops down his 2nd city on turn 5 and his 3rd on about turn 20.

Thanks for the thoughts. It's good to know that I'm not doing anything wrong (other than playing the wrong civ )

 

[superslug]

Rather annoying how Deity AI get a second Settler to start with, isn't it?

 

[Marsden]

Rather annoying how Deity AI get a second Settler to start with, isn't it?

I think that's more of an advantage than the free starting units or the cheaper build rate.

 

[Moonsinger]

I find it fairly normal on deity to get at least 1 and sometimes 2 or 3 AI cities plopped down within 6 squares of my capitol.

If you are playing a game where you are rexing, do you guys normally just find a new map when this happens? Or am I setting up my game incorrectly? Or should I just suck it up, cause that's the way deity plays and that's why we get archers? Or should I just play agri civs at deity and get my first settler out earlier

It's really depending on what you shoot for. If you are playing toward fast domination and your civ is Egypt or the Celts, you should have no problem taking over their cities (assuming you are able to get horse or iron). Usually, the AI don't start near you unless there are a lot of resources near by; therefore, the surrounding land usually are very rich of resources.