As i have a crappy system, i have spent my time playing standard and small maps, mostly archipelago maps and from there i have developed a "strategy" for myself which i wanted to share with others also. I don't know if i should call it a strat as most of it is logical and i guess u all have tried these things.
This strat works best on standard or smaller archipelago maps or even on larger ones, provided that u can easily protect your borders from your rivals with chokepoints. Although this strat should work on any archipelago map there are some conditions where it's at its best. I have only tried it at regent, so i don't know if it would work on higher levels, i guess not
Your first city should produce 10-14 shields at pop 6 in the ancient era and this means that it needs a good starting location with 3-4 bonus resources.
After finding such a site go first for pottery/masonry/ceremonial burial and produce warrior (not needed if ur playing as an expansionist civ)--->temple (3 content citizens)--->settler---->2 warriors or spearmen (no revolts at pop 6)--->pyramids. This is not a rule, u may also build barracks, second settler and some more warriors/spearmen before going for pyramids.
For this strategy a second equally good city site nearby is crucial.
Build another (8-14 shields at pop 6) city if u can find a suitable site. Then go for temple--->2 spearmen----> settler---->palace.
By that time you should have met your neighbours and on the archipelago maps there are not so many to worry about nearby.
So try to block their way to your side of the island/continent, using well placed warriors or whatever units u have. If you are able to block their way, your lands should be safe from rival settlers until the invention of galley.
After building a settler(s) in your 2 cities do as a advised previously. Build other cities which should start pumping out spearmen or settlers if you have unsettled land nearby. The spearmen are used to protect your borders from others' settlers who as we all know don't respect your borders whatsoever.
As for the research, after researching pottery/masonry/ceremonial burial you must beeline for literature or even research some cheaper techs and then beeline for lit. Alfer securing your borders, you should micromanage a lot and improve tiles.
After completing pyramids you should more or less start building Great Library at that same city right away, although the pyramids should be finished before the invention of literature, so you can build whatever u want meanwhile. In addition i have noticed that literature is one of the last techs AI researches, so u'll have time.
After inventing literature go for mapmaking, which is very important on archipelago maps as you need to expand more and u'll ran out of land fairly quickly on standard or small maps.
The second city with the palace prebuild should switch to The Great Lighthouse which allows your galleys to travel faster and on sea squares, which is a huge benefit on archipelago maps.
By using this strat you should have:
1.) 3 ancient wonders (Pyramids ( at about 1200 BC), Great Library (400 BC), Great Lighthouse (800 BC.)
2) Early tech lead, sometimes even without the benefits of GL if you are good at trading tech.
3) Your neighbour(s) on the same landmass are completely at your mercy because of your tech lead and better infrastructure
4) The Pyramids allow faster "growing", meaning more settlers, more workers.
5) The Great Library "compensates" the techs u don't bother to research.
6) The Great Lighthouse allows faster expansion on other islands/continents.
After using those steps and taking a substantial early lead, there should be nothing that could stop you unless you do something really wrong. I have tried it at regent level and it not only works but also gives you a good choice how to play the rest of the game from late-ancient to modern era. You could start building and go for a cultural victory or start investing in army and destroying your backward neighbours right away.
I know that most of the stuff i wrote is obvious and most of you have tried something similar to that but i hope that this thing i wrote really helps someone
This strat works best on standard or smaller archipelago maps or even on larger ones, provided that u can easily protect your borders from your rivals with chokepoints. Although this strat should work on any archipelago map there are some conditions where it's at its best. I have only tried it at regent, so i don't know if it would work on higher levels, i guess not
Your first city should produce 10-14 shields at pop 6 in the ancient era and this means that it needs a good starting location with 3-4 bonus resources.
After finding such a site go first for pottery/masonry/ceremonial burial and produce warrior (not needed if ur playing as an expansionist civ)--->temple (3 content citizens)--->settler---->2 warriors or spearmen (no revolts at pop 6)--->pyramids. This is not a rule, u may also build barracks, second settler and some more warriors/spearmen before going for pyramids.
For this strategy a second equally good city site nearby is crucial.
Build another (8-14 shields at pop 6) city if u can find a suitable site. Then go for temple--->2 spearmen----> settler---->palace.
By that time you should have met your neighbours and on the archipelago maps there are not so many to worry about nearby.
So try to block their way to your side of the island/continent, using well placed warriors or whatever units u have. If you are able to block their way, your lands should be safe from rival settlers until the invention of galley.
After building a settler(s) in your 2 cities do as a advised previously. Build other cities which should start pumping out spearmen or settlers if you have unsettled land nearby. The spearmen are used to protect your borders from others' settlers who as we all know don't respect your borders whatsoever.
As for the research, after researching pottery/masonry/ceremonial burial you must beeline for literature or even research some cheaper techs and then beeline for lit. Alfer securing your borders, you should micromanage a lot and improve tiles.
After completing pyramids you should more or less start building Great Library at that same city right away, although the pyramids should be finished before the invention of literature, so you can build whatever u want meanwhile. In addition i have noticed that literature is one of the last techs AI researches, so u'll have time.
After inventing literature go for mapmaking, which is very important on archipelago maps as you need to expand more and u'll ran out of land fairly quickly on standard or small maps.
The second city with the palace prebuild should switch to The Great Lighthouse which allows your galleys to travel faster and on sea squares, which is a huge benefit on archipelago maps.
By using this strat you should have:
1.) 3 ancient wonders (Pyramids ( at about 1200 BC), Great Library (400 BC), Great Lighthouse (800 BC.)
2) Early tech lead, sometimes even without the benefits of GL if you are good at trading tech.
3) Your neighbour(s) on the same landmass are completely at your mercy because of your tech lead and better infrastructure
4) The Pyramids allow faster "growing", meaning more settlers, more workers.
5) The Great Library "compensates" the techs u don't bother to research.
6) The Great Lighthouse allows faster expansion on other islands/continents.
After using those steps and taking a substantial early lead, there should be nothing that could stop you unless you do something really wrong. I have tried it at regent level and it not only works but also gives you a good choice how to play the rest of the game from late-ancient to modern era. You could start building and go for a cultural victory or start investing in army and destroying your backward neighbours right away.
I know that most of the stuff i wrote is obvious and most of you have tried something similar to that but i hope that this thing i wrote really helps someone
