Hello,
So, I've just saw and read through a lot of great posts in the Strategy Articles section. A lot of my observations are explored in those great threads (Dalgo's guide to winning on Revolutionary in a Huge Map is especially good and comprehensive). So, I'll likely keep this shorter.
After the opening phase, the key is specialization. I don't build a lot of cities, especially early.
This post will focus on how I make PP factories, i.e. building up my manufacturing capacity to huge levels, far outstripping the AI.
I'm a large proponent of establishing Lumber Mills with 3 Master Carpenters in as many cities as I can. I particularly like to use these to generate Political Points. On Revolution, the other three European nations will quickly build up sentiment. In other words if you want key later FF*, you have to get points quickly and en masse.
*And I value three highest of all: Sam Adams, Thomas Paine, and Marquis Lafayette: Bells by Tax rate, Production by tax rate, and guns by tax rate. Alexander Hamilton (+3 Hammers in all cities), rounds out my top-4. Others are good, too, but these four make Later game FAR easier.
3 Master Carpenters in a Lumber Mill will load up 37 Hammers/turn (36+1). That equates to 111 PP/turn. You will, of course, need substantial lumber. Hence, you will also need Expert Lumberjacks and Pioneers to build Lodges in the woods.
To do this you need Schools and Colleges. You want to do waves, i.e. 2-3 at a time, because that cuts down on training time, i.e. 3 Colonists going at once yields the same training time, one after another takes longer.
This keeps the REF down. In fact, I like getting through the whole game with no increases to the REF at all! At least until I blitz with 3 Elder Statesman per city with Newspapers and Sam Adams (the tax rate will be over %50 by then). I personally like small REF, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to do that... until I discovered making PP factories.
One food resource and 3 lumber squares is a great spot. I often wipe out a nearby native tribe, and then promptly start 3-4 of these. I build in steps, or after Minuit, simply buying lumberjacks and fisherman for $600 per. And I train as many MC as a I can. You can build in steps, i.e. build one factory... with that huge production capability build a school and college quickly, then turn to PP. Train 3 guys in the college, and move to the next city. Repeat. With Pioneers and the Lodge, you can make a city a powerful lumber factory. 4 Lumberjacks in Tundra woods can get 14-16 wood each (with lodges), so with a wagon train, you can ship out some to make another city a suitable factory, too, with only two lumberjacks (and the influx of +10 wood every turn).
Setting up automated wagon trains is great. With a limited number of sophisticated cites, you don't need many. And you an make sure all raw goods end up to your capital, and your lumber mill/PP factories move easily without any micromanaging.
In short order, you can make a 3-4 cities with 8-9 population (3 MC, 2-3 ELum, 2 EFish; natives work ok in the short run when building up). That way I can leave my capital to build up economy, i.e. tools, guns, coats, cloth, etc. I like a Capital of 20-24, jam-packed with specialists to make huge amounts of goods.
You'll need your Food base (see my earlier post) to generate all those bodies, but you can specialize them quickly via Colleges (i.e. 3 MC in Five turns, for $250/each). Lumberjacks are free to train.
So, I've just saw and read through a lot of great posts in the Strategy Articles section. A lot of my observations are explored in those great threads (Dalgo's guide to winning on Revolutionary in a Huge Map is especially good and comprehensive). So, I'll likely keep this shorter.
After the opening phase, the key is specialization. I don't build a lot of cities, especially early.
This post will focus on how I make PP factories, i.e. building up my manufacturing capacity to huge levels, far outstripping the AI.
I'm a large proponent of establishing Lumber Mills with 3 Master Carpenters in as many cities as I can. I particularly like to use these to generate Political Points. On Revolution, the other three European nations will quickly build up sentiment. In other words if you want key later FF*, you have to get points quickly and en masse.
*And I value three highest of all: Sam Adams, Thomas Paine, and Marquis Lafayette: Bells by Tax rate, Production by tax rate, and guns by tax rate. Alexander Hamilton (+3 Hammers in all cities), rounds out my top-4. Others are good, too, but these four make Later game FAR easier.
3 Master Carpenters in a Lumber Mill will load up 37 Hammers/turn (36+1). That equates to 111 PP/turn. You will, of course, need substantial lumber. Hence, you will also need Expert Lumberjacks and Pioneers to build Lodges in the woods.
To do this you need Schools and Colleges. You want to do waves, i.e. 2-3 at a time, because that cuts down on training time, i.e. 3 Colonists going at once yields the same training time, one after another takes longer.
This keeps the REF down. In fact, I like getting through the whole game with no increases to the REF at all! At least until I blitz with 3 Elder Statesman per city with Newspapers and Sam Adams (the tax rate will be over %50 by then). I personally like small REF, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to do that... until I discovered making PP factories.
One food resource and 3 lumber squares is a great spot. I often wipe out a nearby native tribe, and then promptly start 3-4 of these. I build in steps, or after Minuit, simply buying lumberjacks and fisherman for $600 per. And I train as many MC as a I can. You can build in steps, i.e. build one factory... with that huge production capability build a school and college quickly, then turn to PP. Train 3 guys in the college, and move to the next city. Repeat. With Pioneers and the Lodge, you can make a city a powerful lumber factory. 4 Lumberjacks in Tundra woods can get 14-16 wood each (with lodges), so with a wagon train, you can ship out some to make another city a suitable factory, too, with only two lumberjacks (and the influx of +10 wood every turn).
Setting up automated wagon trains is great. With a limited number of sophisticated cites, you don't need many. And you an make sure all raw goods end up to your capital, and your lumber mill/PP factories move easily without any micromanaging.
In short order, you can make a 3-4 cities with 8-9 population (3 MC, 2-3 ELum, 2 EFish; natives work ok in the short run when building up). That way I can leave my capital to build up economy, i.e. tools, guns, coats, cloth, etc. I like a Capital of 20-24, jam-packed with specialists to make huge amounts of goods.
You'll need your Food base (see my earlier post) to generate all those bodies, but you can specialize them quickly via Colleges (i.e. 3 MC in Five turns, for $250/each). Lumberjacks are free to train.
