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[BTS] Should I combine workers?
- Thread starter Johntiler
- Start date
When you can save worker turns by not combining workers, most likely in the early game, it makes no sense to combine workers. A turn saved at t30 is 10 turns saved at turn 100. It is very important to micro them as much as you can to reap the full benefit early on, because the early micro will snowball later on. After you have built all the early improvements and the only improvement you have left to build is roads it makes sense to group your workers, or even automate them to expand your trade network.
I usually tend to stand grouping my workers around 1AD, after all the most important chopping etc is done.
I usually tend to stand grouping my workers around 1AD, after all the most important chopping etc is done.
Snowbird
Prince
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2017
- Messages
- 449
Does not make sense:
Makes sense:
There are probably more cases in both categories - like late game railroading.
- early on - let say before four cities - unless micromanaging tells so - for example two workers moving through the same tile next to city maybe can drop the road saving the turn on movement (if they move from that tile to the city) or something like that
- chopping - moving on a forested tile costs a worker turn so it is better to move workers on different forest tiles
Makes sense:
- improving something critical (lately acquired horse tile for HA rush)
- improving something really important which was unlocked recently - typical (for me) would be jungled gems (lots of worker turns, but happiness and commerce boost) or tundra marble after trading for masonry (if I want Great Library).
- claiming something strategic (guess similar with the two above) - I had few games were I had settler and 3 workers ready to settle something in tundra on IW trade (I think I settled on iron, roaded towards the rest of empire and claimed two rather critical barb cities with swordsmen)
There are probably more cases in both categories - like late game railroading.
Powerfaker
Prince
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2016
- Messages
- 362
I think grouping and ungrouping workers is a common thing (for me it is).
They work alone. But frequently it's needed to join them to get things done fast enough. It takes some planning not to loose extra turns to movement all the time, but in general this is a lesser goal than getting important improvements done faster.
Workers tend to move in ''swarms'' anyhow. There are always more around new cities. When a joint task is done they can go each there separate way again.
Some examples:
- an area of flood plains to cottage. It's better to build the cottages one by one with multiple workers than have them each working on a different one
- last moment rapid road building ahead of a settler to a new location. They move on to farm/pasture the first food resource fast as well.
- jungled area/tiles, with (calender) resources or ordinary river. Send 1 worker ahead to road or clear jungle. The rest follows and doesn't suffer movement loss. (NB: no roads where you don't need them of course)
Chopping for hammers and improving hills is pretty much always done by 1 worker.per tile (with the exception of the Indian Fast Worker ......)
They work alone. But frequently it's needed to join them to get things done fast enough. It takes some planning not to loose extra turns to movement all the time, but in general this is a lesser goal than getting important improvements done faster.
Workers tend to move in ''swarms'' anyhow. There are always more around new cities. When a joint task is done they can go each there separate way again.
Some examples:
- an area of flood plains to cottage. It's better to build the cottages one by one with multiple workers than have them each working on a different one
- last moment rapid road building ahead of a settler to a new location. They move on to farm/pasture the first food resource fast as well.
- jungled area/tiles, with (calender) resources or ordinary river. Send 1 worker ahead to road or clear jungle. The rest follows and doesn't suffer movement loss. (NB: no roads where you don't need them of course)
Chopping for hammers and improving hills is pretty much always done by 1 worker.per tile (with the exception of the Indian Fast Worker ......)
Fippy
Mycro Junkie
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2013
- Messages
- 14,997
Combining is more efficient if possible and logical (not on forests as mentioned by Snowbird i.e., or hills).
Ideally they are only alone if important resis are spread out, but when founding new cities that shiny wet corn will surely benefit from 2 workers.
Not always possible ofc.
It's not 100% clear how you define combining thou?
If you mean grouping them like combat units, i rarely do that.
If you mean assisting each other, then yup often.
Ideally they are only alone if important resis are spread out, but when founding new cities that shiny wet corn will surely benefit from 2 workers.
Not always possible ofc.
It's not 100% clear how you define combining thou?
If you mean grouping them like combat units, i rarely do that.
If you mean assisting each other, then yup often.
This.
If you have two workers and say pig + cow, in general it's optimal to have them be able to both start improving the pig on the turn you acquire AH, then move to improve cow together. This way the next turn after acquiring AH pig are improved. If you had one worker on pig and one on cow they are both done 3T after acquiring AH.
