Stuck on a small continent

[RedWolf]

How do you guys expand off of a small continent? Do you start sending settlers abroad right away as soon as you realize you're trapped.... or do you wait till you fill up the land mass you're already on.

I usually wait but then I always have the problem that I can never find any prime real estate to build cities on... my empire ends up hurting and I end up with cities here there and everywhere - as well as a war on like 4 fronts.

What does everyone else do?

 

[Siny]

I usually concentrate on the continent I am on before moving abroard.

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[CornMaster]

I expand like a virus, thoughout all the islands of the world!!! But I like to have these cities developed internally first.....but I'm one of the best explorers/expanders!!! (Now I don't like the ICS stratigy at all. I like 20-30, big 15-20 size cities. Not 200, size 3.

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[Andu Indorin]

Depends on the size of your "small" continent. Sixteen well-developed cities are usually enough to achieve global dominance in the late game; and twelve will keep you competitive with AI opponent. If you have room enough for these cities, I'd recommend building up these cities before committing yourself overseas.

 

[RedWolf]

Well my problem is that once you switch to the higher government levels (republic) your NEW cities grow so slowly due to the support needed for settlers. But i get to the point where monarchy no longer works for me because I've built up the other cities so much - I NEED republic just to turn a profit and keep happiness in check on the home continent.

So I end up with small useless cities scattered everywhere.. until the AI gets pissed and attacks me. Then i end up with a war on HIS turf and all i have is one or two useless cities to try to crank out units - which takes forever due to the small industrial base. I can't even effectively defend them let alone go on the offensive. In the early game it's hard to send units overseas effectively...

 

[Mongol Horde]

If you are going to settle foreign shores then then don't do it half heartedly make sure you get a few cities across water to get a solid base. Take settlers across from your other cities to work the land if needs be, get some money in the bank and buy improvements for the cities, make sure that you have a transport channel to get troops across if needs be.

What size maps do you play RedWolf because I never really have much of a problem finding as much land as I need. I play large with 7 civs.

 

[Magnus]

Originally posted by RedWolf:
Well my problem is that once you switch to the higher government levels (republic) your NEW cities grow so slowly due to the support needed for settlers... So I end up with small useless cities scattered everywhere...

WOW! - I change to Republic just to grow my cities faster!!! You have to make sure you pump the luxury rate when you are in a Republic and then you will see the benefits in a big way.

 

[Supernaut]

Redwolf - try sending some other settlers over to help develop the land round your new cities in the early stages. Then, instead of building a settler form the new city, you can build some happy improvements to help get a 'We love the pres' day.

If it's a really small island (less than 4 or 5 cities worth) then I try to get off as soon as I get mapmaking, so that there'll be lots of prime real estate around. Otherwise, I hunker down and go all out for techs, so that when I do break out, I have a much better army, and can build airports to airlift in reinforcements to all those cities I capture!

I recognise the problem of having a war on the opponent's turf, but it can have advantages - if you can build the city quickly to be easily held, or have some forts in nearby mountains, the civ will spend all his energy trying to wipe you out and not develop himself - meanwhile your home cities are getting much bigger and can crush him! Getting to that balance can be tricky though

 

[Mongol Horde]

Only pump up the lux rate if it is gonna start some we love the pres days. If it isn't then pump the trade into cash or science.

 

[RedWolf]

I never thought of using settlers from the "home cities" to develop the cities abroad. ;( Thats a good idea though...

Gonna try it next time. I think i haveta go for the seafaring techs faster as well. By the time I try to leave my continent there never seems to be good land available...

I usually play on large maps - continent.

 

[BlueMonday]

My style of play is to build cities, build cities, and build cities. So I would tell you to expand in pandemic proportions. I guess you could still win the other way, but that's not my style.

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[EyesOfNight]

I prefer 60-120 size 15-30 cities.

 

[drake]

Well I prefer 70-130 thank you very much

 

[RedWolf]

I like a lot of cities as well.. However I used to always restart when I got a crappy starting map. I quickly found out however that you're in trouble in multiplayer because you CAN'T restart.

So I've been trying to play Ai games to help me practice the art of "dealing with the crap that the computer gives you"

 

[BlueMonday]

Well, I prefer exactly 69 cities.

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[SlowwHand]

I usually fill my land mass first, and possibly send boats with a horse to explore further.
Talking MP here because SP is bor-ing.

I need to get Boann to look in on this thread.
She explores entire world faster than anyone I know.
Definitely her strongest point.

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[This message has been edited by SlowwHand (edited May 21, 2001).]

 

[Mongol Horde]

I have never played a multiplayer game what are the differences in the rules from a single player game. I am aware that this is threadjacking a bit but can anyone send me a PM with a pointer to a list of the rule differences? Cheers.

 

[Supernaut]

Originally posted by SlowwHand:
I usually fill my land mass first, and possibly send boats with a horse to explore further.
Talking MP here because SP is bor-ing.

But you can explore while building cities. In fact, I often need to build exploring units, esp triremes, to give my cities something to do because I either can't or don't want to build any more improvements for a while. Of course, the more exploring you do quickly, the more options you have for placing more cities. I don't know about MP, but I can't see why that should change things - for me one of the fundamentals of Civ is exploring. The more you know about the world the better off you are. For example, there are always uninhabited bits of the world around, and the first person to colonise them can have a big strategic advantage later on. You may find an island that is only big enough for one or two cities, but you can quickly improve all the territory on the island and have pretty big cities just waiting to pump out units, and it could take your opponent ages to find them, let alone take them. And if that island is a long way from your main civ, then you can get people in a pincer movement quite easily.



[This message has been edited by Supernaut (edited May 23, 2001).]

 

[GeneralHotRod]

First thing I do is explore the new continent. If the enemy is there I like to have enough gold to rush city walls. Depending on tech Phalanx, Musketeers, Conscripts, etc are very effective against most attacks (until howitzer). If the continent is empty expand like it is the start of the game.