The Opening Build

[Virtual Alex]

I know this is a concept that is highly dependent on map and situation but the question is still relevant.

I am under the impression that it's best to let a city hit size 2 before building a worker or settler just so you can score more resources during that 15 or whatever turns the worker is being built. It feels to me that wasting 23 turns to build a worker right off is a net loss of total worked tiles. Also it's nice to spend that first 20 turns making a warrior or two for exploration reasons.

Yet in most game write ups I read people build a worker first. Is there a case for it? Of course I understand the faster you get a worker the faster you can improve your best tile, but doesn't it stunt your growth?

Also is there ever a case for going settler first?

 

[Tristan_C]

I agree with the OP; I don't like building a worker first. I want to get an extra tile running. If it's a good start location, your second and third tiles should be high-output ones.

But what do I know, I still only play monarch. I also want to know why people are building the worker first on a good start.

 

[Windsor]

Unless my worker is going to be idle I nearly always build a worker first. You'll quickly catch up when your resource(s) are improved. This have been debated and tested many times, and improving your food resource should be #1 priority.

Settler first is rare, but some people do it when they are imperalistic and can get 4 2nd city will be founded superfast this way, nice if it's important to block.

 

[LegionSteve]

I very often build a worker first. If I have a food resource (other than seafood) in the BFC and I have the tech to improve it, or I can research the tech to improve it by about the time when the worker will be ready, then I build a worker.

I haven't done all the maths, but the idea that working an improved food resource sooner is better than working an extra unimproved tile sooner, makes sense to me.

 

[banana man]

I build 2 workers first because you make up alot of the time on the next one and then settler by chopping forrest.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Unless my worker is going to be idle I nearly always build a worker first. You'll quickly catch up when your resource(s) are improved. This have been debated and tested many times, and improving your food resource should be #1 priority.

Settler first is rare, but some people do it when they are imperalistic and can get 4 2nd city will be founded superfast this way, nice if it's important to block.

I like this answer . One pig resource improved will out-produce 2 unimproved tiles. In fact, its yield and the workers ability to continue to improve more tiles to be worked means that in the majority of cases worker first is a huge net gain over other options.

 

[johnny5000]

If you have a seafood resource and a land food resource to start, does it make sense to build the work boat first, or still build a worker?

 

[mechaerik]

I typically build a warrior, then worker. Unless I've found a nearby enemy. Then I warrior rush them.

If imperialistic (and no enemy nearby), I'll build a 2nd warrior while working my highest food tiles, then switch to settler after getting to size 3 or so.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

If you have a seafood resource and a land food resource to start, does it make sense to build the work boat first, or still build a worker?

It depends on the situation. Pigs or fresh water corn are >>>>>>>>> clams/crabs. Fish > non fresh water rice.

If you start with fishing and building a worker would wind up idling it, work boat first makes sense. If you don't start with fishing the worker is often better (and sometimes is better even with fishing).

If you have doubts, you can always add up the turns and yields to see what has the most output at the end of say 30-50 turns (normal speed).

 

[binhthuy71]

If you have a seafood resource and a land food resource to start, does it make sense to build the work boat first, or still build a worker?

The work boat only costs 30 hammers, a worker costs 60. The only problem with building a work boat right off is that once you set it to fishing it will be a magnet for Barb galleys.

 

[DigitalBoy]

If you have a seafood resource and a land food resource to start, does it make sense to build the work boat first, or still build a worker?

I think it depends, although I usually like to do the the workboat first.

In one best case situation, I had a coastal fish and a plains/hill/forest to get the workboat out ASAP. I then built a worker as my second build. I think I got my worker out on turn 18, which means that my worker was only delayed by 3 turns by building the workboat first. That's the best case scenario though.

Anyway, I almost always do worker first unless there's a chance he'd be sitting around idle with nothing to do. And even having your worker idle for a handful of turns is still OK if there are multiple food resource tiles he can improve. In my last game, I didn't do worker first because the only tile I could see that he would be able to improve was a grassland cattle, so I went warrior-warrior-settler-worker instead and used the time to research worker techs to make him more productive when he did come out. Not sure if that helped or hurt me compared to starting a worker and having him idle after improving the cattle.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Not sure if that helped or hurt me compared to starting a worker and having him idle after improving the cattle.

Cows are 4F 2H when improved. You would need to work two forests to match it. However, surplus food is used when building workers and settlers. A cow is 2F 2H over pop cost, the forests are just 2h. Merely going worker before settler would have allowed you to come out ahead most likely. Even worker 1st might have been better, but there are other reasons for warriors: spawn busting barbs is easier if you get warriors out during the time of animals to build up fortification bonuses in forests or forest hills.

Still, the yield from a 6 yield tile is hard to pass up.

 

[pi-r8]

It depends on the situation. Pigs or fresh water corn are >>>>>>>>> clams/crabs. Fish > non fresh water rice.

If you start with fishing and building a worker would wind up idling it, work boat first makes sense. If you don't start with fishing the worker is often better (and sometimes is better even with fishing).

If you have doubts, you can always add up the turns and yields to see what has the most output at the end of say 30-50 turns (normal speed).

What about the situation where you don't start with fishing? Like let's see you have 2 seafood resources, no land food resources, but lots of forest. When I'm in that situation I usually start building a worker while I research fishing, then switch to workboat and finish the worker after the workboat. Is there a better way to handle this? I know it's a bad position to start in.

 

[Willem]

Of course I understand the faster you get a worker the faster you can improve your best tile, but doesn't it stunt your growth?

If you have a good food tile that the Worker can improve, you'll more than make up for the early loss of growth once it's been worked on. Or if you start with Mining and have Gold or Silver in your BFC, then it's definitely worthwhile to get it worked ASAP. It will make a big difference in your early research.

Also is there ever a case for going settler first?

Not Settler only as such but a Warrior/Settler to act as an escort. You don't want to send off a Settler on it's own to get eaten by a Bear. If you have a start where there's no tiles a Worker can improve without some techs being researched, then it can be a good idea to start with a Warrior/Settler instead. One good case for this is if you start with Mysticism and go for Meditation right away. It might take awhile before you can get around to researching any Worker techs so your Worker might end up standing around with nothing to do.

 

[michmbk]

Looks like people have pretty much answered the question - settler first might be viable if you can get 4 base hammers.

Also, this question depends a bit on your level - monarch and above, 90% of starting builds for me will be a worker. Exceptions might include Charlemagne (religion/settler opening means no worker needed for a few turns until getting worker techs), Huayna (quechuas), or a coastal start without an AG or AH resource in the BFC.

Prince and below, most of the time starting with a warrior makes sense. If you find another civ within the first 10-15 turns, you can easily build 4-5 warriors, send them with your initial warrior, and bingo, free capital. Not necessarily the best approach if you're working on moving up to monarch or above, but very viable on prince and below.

 

[Willem]

Looks like people have pretty much answered the question - settler first might be viable if you can get 4 base hammers.
below.

Hammers don't really matter that much when building a Settler, unless you're Imperialistic. Your'e much better off with that unit working a food tile at first to let your city grow to size 2 before starting to build it, and then you can use some high food tiles just as well as Hammers. Just build your Warrior while you're waiting for the city to grow and your Settler will end up getting built faster.

 

[Virtual Alex]

I always build a workboat first if I have the opportunity because that way you can grow your city and still improve a tile at the same time.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

If you are building a workboat first, do you maximize hammers? or growth? I generally build the boat as fast as I can, myself.

 

[Virtual Alex]

T_T

I don't think I ever really gave it thought. I guess I would just work my best tile which in this case is probably the fish tile I plan on improving.

 

[michmbk]

Hammers don't really matter that much when building a Settler, unless you're Imperialistic. Your'e much better off with that unit working a food tile at first to let your city grow to size 2 before starting to build it, and then you can use some high food tiles just as well as Hammers. Just build your Warrior while you're waiting for the city to grow and your Settler will end up getting built faster.

Sorry - I meant settler first if imperialistic and can get 4 base hammers. Not always the best approach, but might be viable in certain circumstances. But you're right, I should have clarified that.