Strategy or Bounty?

[darski]

I have been playing the Iro Domination game and trying to get the best score I can at my wussy warlord level.

A question that comes up in several games is that choice between going for a 2nd/3rd city that will take in a bountiful food site or a chokepoint that will stop AI settlers from getting through.

I admit that I tend towards the strategic site most often because there is no guarantee it will be there when your plentiful city can get the next settler out.

I'm just curious about which way most people would tend to go. I do understand the power of food -> settlers but is it the better way>

 

[TheOverseer714]

I'd say it is situational. If early in the game and near your capital, food is king. Later, strategic concerns are more important. BTW, good to see you Darski, it's been awhile. I've been using you civs by alphabetical order idea, it has been eye-opening. Right now, I'm doing Japan and struggling, they have a poor trait combo, and the UU has underwhelmed me. Maybe I'm playing them wrong...

 

[timerover51]

Yes, it is good to see you, Darski. My view it that it is always good to block the AI out, and the earlier the better. Food is important, but if you have sites near you that are good with food, but also a choke point to stop the AI, diverting one settler to block the AI seems to me to make more sense in the long run.

 

[vmxa]

What is the Iro Domination game, I like the sound of it? Darski you should add a sig that points to your 31 color mod.

 

[Spoonwood]

I picked strategy, but I mean any sort of strategic consideration (like building the Colossus in the second city, or a city for workers for the capital, or for a luxury, etc.). I don't put my second city someplace to block the AIs settlers from getting through. Especially not on Warlord.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

I don't play all that much anymore...

but when I did, I generally didnt' worry about blocking the AI except on very high levels. I figured that if they were plopping a city in my midst, they were just holding it for me

 

[The Professor]

If the food-rich site was the only good, close site for a settler factory, I would definitely choose food over a chokehold. If I knew that the Civ on the other side of the choke had a pain-in-the-butt early UU, I would probably try to settle the choke early. Most of the time, though, the AI is sufficiently bad at both strategy and city placement, that I wouldn't worry too much about where they settle.

 

[templar_x]

what about simply blocking the choke with 2 or 3 warriors? why use an early settler for a bad site just for blocking purpose? i would not do that, especially not on low levels, as was already mentioned by others.
i don´t believe you are going to try domination without using force, are you? so let them just plant down their cities!



templar_x

 

[Optional]

what about simply blocking the choke with 2 or 3 warriors?

That would be right up my street. I'm fanatical about blocking and diverting AI settler pairs. It's a good thing the AI isn't human, because otherwise it would throw the playing board right at my face out of frustration with my early game playing style.
It's a main reason why I think building some regulars before starting a barracks is a good thing. Taking a settle spot back by force is a bigger effort, and might or might not fit in with other diplomacy and trade plans, so I rather work on prevention.
Once the AI is up Map Making blocks become less effective, of course.

 

[Desertsnow]

Food, as a general rule, but there are exceptions.

 

[templar_x]

Once the AI is up Map Making blocks become less effective, of course.

hi my friend
have you ever seen how the ai galleys just stop if you have your one galley on a tile where they would have to end up on their way, using their full movement? it´s hillarious, although i hardly use it (50% for it´s an obvious exploit of another ai weakness, 50% for i keep forgetting about it )

templar_x

 

[Aabraxan]

For second or third city, I'd probably go for food. I like a compact empire and that's an important city to get down. That chokepoint isn't going anywhere. It'll still be there when the time comes to take it.

 

[timerover51]

Darski, this has been one of the more interesting discussion that I have seen, since it is quite balanced. Did you have a specific map in mind or more just trying to get a consensus opinion?

I have done some more thinking about this, and might have to qualify my initial answer. If the choke point is the result of lakes, mountains, or jungle, I will go to block it. It if a narrow spit of land between two land masses, then I might go for the food just in case the AI has galleys out already, or I am on one of my modified maps were a curragh has a capacity of two.

 

[darski]

The problem with using a couple of warriors is that the AI just plants a city right next to my guys and then the strategy is lost.

It is interesting that my game has finally gotten more generous with cows and wheat so I think that is why this choice has suddenly come up in my games. And playing as an aggie also makes food an important part of a domination strat.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=300696
the iro domination thread. I need to get more focus in my playing. I have this bad habit of "building" Ah well... it's still fun

 

[templar_x]

you´ll have to block them BEFORE they reach the choke in order to have them settle in a way where their culture does not gain the tiles you need to block

templar_x

 

[Snarkhunter]

you´ll have to block them BEFORE they reach the choke in order to have them settle in a way where their culture does not gain the tiles you need to block

templar_x

Or you could, you know, just kill them & pick up a few slaves

kk

 

[darski]

Or you could, you know, just kill them & pick up a few slaves

kk

This is the best strat for this situation but my RNG luck is notoriously bad. I can keep place until I get a settler there but if I lose the battle I also lose the control of that choke.

I should mention that I am generally talking about blocking their capitol city from further expansion.

 

[timerover51]

So, Darski, have you come to any conclusion through this debate?

 

[darski]

i am still in favour of hitting the choke point over the food in almost every instance.But then I have always been one to build out and back fill later. (always play modded games)

 

[Snarkhunter]

i am still in favour of hitting the choke point over the food in almost every instance.But then I have always been one to build out and back fill later. (always play modded games)

Yeah, that early in the game I almost never go for the chokepoint. Expansion is compound interest; early delays impact you massively throughout the game. I might consider it for the 4th city, if it is a 1-tile exit from my current settlement, especially on higher levels to try to preserve some lebensraum, and if it isn't too far away. But that constellation is almost never in the sky when I play. My results when I "lunge" for resources/geography are usually mediocre, compared to steady CXX.5C expansion.

A modification would be if I've got 2 settlers at once; I would be more willing to send one off to the chokepoint/resource, while the other fills normally.

kk