What to build first in first city?

[OleOslo]

I'm having some problems. I seem to keep getting left behind by the enemy civilizations on Warlord. I think it might have to do with my building queues.

What I do is I usually build one or two warriors to scout, then build a worker, settler, settler, granary.
Is this the best order of building to expand my empire fast? What about the second city, should it start building a worker right away?

 

[delra]

Via normal build: Warrior or two, Stonehenge, Great Library, Library (work on scientist to either get an academy or sling for something cool like Acoustics), Oracle.
Via purchase: Worker or two, settler or two depending on the map.

 

[milk steak]

I usually go Scout to get ruins and meet city states.

 

[CoffeeMonster]

I go either warrior or scout (particularly if you are Washington). Then I'll go settler, warrior, settler etc.

Put those settlers on luxury spots, buy a worker (or ideally capture one or two from a city-state / civ) and you're off. Abuse city states for food, luxuries, (and free workers!) and keep the happiness up so you can keep expanding.

I never make granaries. An alliance with a maritime state is far more efficient and global.

 

[Landstander]

I start with 1-3 scouts depending on how quickly I can pump them out, followed by a worker. Then, in no particular order, I'll build a settler or two, a couple warriors and another worker or two. I'd say part of your problem might be prioritizing a granary ahead of more workers. Try to get 3-4 workers in the field for your first 2-3 cities as quickly as you can, without sacrificing exploration or defense.

In short, I won't build any building until I have ample workers, warriors, scouts and settlers. By then, you have other cities producing as well, so unless you want to have an early war you can spend some time on a few key buildings - or a maintenance-free wonder!

 

[Tennyson]

Start with warrior, go for scout, start with scout, go for warrior. Scouts when upgraded by ruins become archers with fast movement; very handy. Then worker, then monument. Settlers go where the luxuries are.

 

[delra]

Oh, and put next cities where stuff is even if it's a bit fartehr from the capital. Try to maximize the number of actual resource icons within 3-4 rings of the city, each of them is priceless in money and happiness later on.

 

[qyll]

For me:

First city: Scout --> Worker --> Settler --> Warrior --> Monument
Second city: Monument

I'll usually buy my 2nd worker once I get enough cash

 

[MuteWolf]

I use to go scout first, I thought it was really important to get a good amount of scouting done because of the natural wonders and all but I have to say I've found that worker is actually better. Despite all the bonuses from scouting it still remains true, as it was in IV, that worker first is usually best. Yeah you may not get a scout out ASAP but increasing city productivity/growth first is still more bang for your buck.

So for me right now I go Worker-scout-scout or warrior, settler. Usually by the time I build the settler I have most of my tiles improved in my city culture area and the scout can go to the new city. I also may prioritize getting a monument too depending on what is going on, say if I am wanting to get to a certain pop or something.

Also if you get a luxury resource developed quick you can often sell it to someone and just buy a scout or warrior to speed up the process. I've even managed to buy early buildings with the money I get.

 

[Ogrelord]

If you play as the Aztecs, build 10 Jaguars and go on the warpath.

 

[Lanstro]

Your build order doesn't sound terrible, so if you're getting left behind it might be because you're not settling your first city in a good spot.

In civ5, if you don't have a good hex or two in the most immediately bordering 6 hexes, you'll be stuck working poor squares for quite a while. Your border expansions won't keep up with your population growth and you'll always be working some second rate 2 food 1 commerce, or worse yet, 2 food only, hex. You should make sure that there is at least one good hex in your starting 6 like a 3 food or 2 food/1 hammer.

In civ4, the immediate 8 squares of the capital weren't so important because you're most likely to have at least a grassland forest in there (2 food 1 hammer), which is not much worse than a 'good' square like a flood plain (3 food 1 commerce). Then soon after the borders expand out and you're working all the nicer second layer squares.

My build order for the average civ5 start is currently (emperor level) is scout, worker, settler, warrior. I tend to grow to 2-3 then manually change the citizens to work hammer heavy hexes. The build order changes when going for something specific (eg cultural victory: stonehenge) or for extraodinary starts (eg first warrior dies, or several farmable/pasture-able resources in starting 6 hexes).

 

[THE_COW_IS_OK]

Warrior-Worker-Settler-Warrior-settler-warrior-stonehenge-settler. (Purchase workers afterwards when needed)

Early on, Gold from resource trading + Purchase ability brake the game early (slaving in Civ4 seems suddenly balanced in comparision

Beside exploring, My main objective early on is to grab as many luxury resources as soon as possible in order to start trading ealiest (stupid trade AI). Hence lods of settlers that early(cap @3 and keep 4th city for iron if I didn't have one nearby). I computed my income from trades first 100 turns around 35GPT (way more then pathetic regular city income).

My usual play:Slingshot metal casting (after luxuray enabling tech and writing), Spend my accumulated culutures on mercantalisme. bulb steel, upgrade 3 warriors to longswordsman and usually at turn 80s steam roll all opponent's capital, getting even more GPT and gold for peace.(stupid Diplomacy AI).

Civ5 is so so so not balanced.

 

[bhavv]

In my first city, I build Monument > Worker > Settler > Stonehenge > Great Library > Pyramids > Oracle > Library

 

[lilnev]

Scout-worker-settler or scout-worker-warrior-settler. The former is favored by a high food/hammers ratio and close neighbors (they'll fogbust for you, but may also steal your intended city sites). You'll want to recall one of your combat units to escort. The latter is better if you have lots of hammers and/or it's a wide open map, where you want to keep your explorers out there and the extra warrior can fend off pillagers.

 

[Corbeau]

Definitely Scout->Worker, then usually (but not exclusively) Settler.

 

[tharg]

Worker > Monument > Stonehenge
Maybe scouts on paganta. Usually buy settler when get 1010.

 

[BARBEERIAN]

Scout > Worker > Warrior </> Settler > Monument (warrior or settler first depends on who/what's around).

 

[highfive]

I start with 1-3 scouts depending on how quickly I can pump them out, followed by a worker. Then, in no particular order, I'll build a settler or two, a couple warriors and another worker or two. I'd say part of your problem might be prioritizing a granary ahead of more workers. Try to get 3-4 workers in the field for your first 2-3 cities as quickly as you can, without sacrificing exploration or defense.

In short, I won't build any building until I have ample workers, warriors, scouts and settlers. By then, you have other cities producing as well, so unless you want to have an early war you can spend some time on a few key buildings - or a maintenance-free wonder!

My biggest problem was starting buildings to soon. Scouts, workers, warriors and 1-3 settlers are much more productive. Once you have a few cities running and a couple of policies, buildings/production becomes much quicker.

 

[Churchdown Yank]

In my first city, I build Monument > Worker > Settler > Stonehenge > Great Library > Pyramids > Oracle > Library

You need to move up from Settler difficulty...

 

[cembandit]

Scout , worker
If I have calendar resources I go partial monument, stonehenge, finish monument, sometimes great lib now or a warrior, then settler.

If no calendar resources I go with the flow, I start pumping settlers when they cost about 5 turns of hammers, I just crank out 4 or so in a short time frame. Till then I improve the capital and collect some policies.

Prince level though. I'm trying to feel the game out as intended for a while.