Arrowstorm
Chieftain
I played an online game for the first time, Earth map. It didn't get finished, but I was isolated on North America, and didn't really know what to do with that. So what to do when you're isolated?
Tips on Isolated Starts?
- Thread starter Arrowstorm
- Start date
kamikazees
Warlord
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2012
- Messages
- 266
I don't play online, but have played many isolated starts.
One of the first things I do is settle a coastal city and get sailing early. Get a trireme out to see just how isolated you are. You will often find that your island is connected to the main continent by shallow water. If not, you can at least build two trade routes (with sailing) to send to city states, or to your own cities for growth.
And you need to prioritize growth. Growth will allow you to tech faster to astronomy, which will allow you to get caravels to explore. That is unless you are Korea, which has to get to Navigation to explore the seas.
Also consider taking 1 point in exploration, for faster ship movement and sight (and the Lourve). Since you can't take over an entire land mass, try to take over the seas. Ships will probably be your main units, since no one can really attack you by conventional means.
Isolated starts lend themselves to Cultural and Science victories, since you are less likely to be hated by everyone.
One of the first things I do is settle a coastal city and get sailing early. Get a trireme out to see just how isolated you are. You will often find that your island is connected to the main continent by shallow water. If not, you can at least build two trade routes (with sailing) to send to city states, or to your own cities for growth.
And you need to prioritize growth. Growth will allow you to tech faster to astronomy, which will allow you to get caravels to explore. That is unless you are Korea, which has to get to Navigation to explore the seas.
Also consider taking 1 point in exploration, for faster ship movement and sight (and the Lourve). Since you can't take over an entire land mass, try to take over the seas. Ships will probably be your main units, since no one can really attack you by conventional means.
Isolated starts lend themselves to Cultural and Science victories, since you are less likely to be hated by everyone.
Arrowstorm
Chieftain
So a focus on science if you've got a lot of natural food territory, and culture if you've got a lot of natural hammers? And the grand navy of awesome?
johnny_rudeboy
Warlord
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2013
- Messages
- 288
Good advice.
Focus on food first then science next. You will only need a minimum of warriors to protect workers and improvements from barbs so you can save money to get your new cities up quicker (buy libraries, lighthouse etc in them).
When I get an isolated start I usually place my capital in the mainland (hill, river the usual stuff) then my 2nd, 3rd and perhaps 4th city I place on the coast. That way you limit the chance that another civ will find you and settle to close to you since you most likely have claimed enough land so that they have no room to settle in. Also makes your capital safer.
Tradition is a great opener for every start but even more so if you are isolated and dont need to rush things early on. Exploration is a good 2nd SP to dig in to. Not only will it give extra hammers for coastal cities, improve sight and movement of your navy but also boost your sea trade routes. Then follow up with Rationalism.
Focus on food first then science next. You will only need a minimum of warriors to protect workers and improvements from barbs so you can save money to get your new cities up quicker (buy libraries, lighthouse etc in them).
When I get an isolated start I usually place my capital in the mainland (hill, river the usual stuff) then my 2nd, 3rd and perhaps 4th city I place on the coast. That way you limit the chance that another civ will find you and settle to close to you since you most likely have claimed enough land so that they have no room to settle in. Also makes your capital safer.
Tradition is a great opener for every start but even more so if you are isolated and dont need to rush things early on. Exploration is a good 2nd SP to dig in to. Not only will it give extra hammers for coastal cities, improve sight and movement of your navy but also boost your sea trade routes. Then follow up with Rationalism.
Sturmgewher88mm
Kaiser
Dominate the continent, focus on growth and techs, and have a huge navy. If you aren't the tech leader, you need more ships.
sprucetrap
Chieftain
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2013
- Messages
- 4
North America isn't isolated at all. You can travel shallow coast west to Asia, Oceania and Europe and you can travel as far east as Greenland. South America, now that's isolated. You can still ravel to all of those places, but it takes forever. I would get a coastal city on both coasts and take advantage of the relative isolation and peace to grow your cities as big as possible. Once you get optics, you can march right in to South America and Asia.
Deau
Emperor
in a MP game, even though I'm no expert, I would've stretched everything possible to get a good religion for dbl happiness follower beliefs and would've gone tall+wide and picked my VC by what wonders were left available.
Going wider gives you security for mid-late game invasion (more hammers to field units at fast pace). Going tall still allows you to at least keep up but very likely get a significant tech edge so that by the time they can come to you, you are already an era ahead in units and unreasonably difficult to invade
Going wider gives you security for mid-late game invasion (more hammers to field units at fast pace). Going tall still allows you to at least keep up but very likely get a significant tech edge so that by the time they can come to you, you are already an era ahead in units and unreasonably difficult to invade
