No one has mentioned settler first. It may take 25 turns to get him out, but a worker takes 15 turns anyway. Having a second city producing and growing as soon as possible is big. You can then be producing a worker and a warrior at the same time. I haven't actually worked out the numbers but this method works well for me.
What to build first?
- Thread starter alexandergreat
- Start date
JimT
Warlord
Different starting positions create different situations so this is not set in stone.
Generally the best two tiles in a city radius are resources. A worker can usually improve these by 2F/P or more (might be less for rice). The worker can be out early, improve a resource and you may get the settler out almost as quickly and have an improved capital. This can be further helped by chopping a forest and/or building a road.
Settler first will mean a speedier second city but at the expense of letting your capital stagnate while building a settler then a worker and finally building your first improvement
. So I don't do it but I'm sure your not at much of a disdvantage. The other point is your second city is earlier but I want to make sure I have a strategic resource for my seccond city and want the relevant tech popped first.A problem with Settler first is that since you're only working one tile in your capital and one in your new city, typically you'll only have about 10 beakers per turn. The addition of the second city will induce maintainance costs, which will mean at least 10% of your research (1 beaker => 1 gold). That's a significant slowdown during the early game.
Additionally, while the effect may be the same (doubling production, food, etc), the utility of that food from the 2nd city isn't as effective as it would be from upgrading a food resource (flood plains for 3f 1c vs irrigated wheat for 6f 1c).
And finally, at higher levels, you will have to be more warry of barbs hitting your 2nd undefended city.
Additionally, while the effect may be the same (doubling production, food, etc), the utility of that food from the 2nd city isn't as effective as it would be from upgrading a food resource (flood plains for 3f 1c vs irrigated wheat for 6f 1c).
And finally, at higher levels, you will have to be more warry of barbs hitting your 2nd undefended city.
Chemtech
Chieftain
There was a nice experiment that is on the mainpage (can't go there now because the main page is blocked but the forums are not) so this isnt my idea but I have found that it works well...
I usually go worker - worker - settler
On the tech tree I beeline to BW
Most of the civs will tech BW before the 1st worker pops - then I chop the second worker ASAP and both chop the settler. This puts you at two workers and a second city very quickly - Noble you will be in business well before real barbarians so there is little danger - Ive used it successfully on Prince as well.
Depending on where there resources are I will improve tiles in city 1 or 2 or even chop a 3rd worker from city 2 with one of my first 2 workers.
This usually gets me off to a ripping start.
I usually go worker - worker - settler
On the tech tree I beeline to BW
Most of the civs will tech BW before the 1st worker pops - then I chop the second worker ASAP and both chop the settler. This puts you at two workers and a second city very quickly - Noble you will be in business well before real barbarians so there is little danger - Ive used it successfully on Prince as well.
Depending on where there resources are I will improve tiles in city 1 or 2 or even chop a 3rd worker from city 2 with one of my first 2 workers.
This usually gets me off to a ripping start.
TyranusBonehead
Bound & Determined
worker-warrior-settler
I look at tile yields. To a good approximation (before granaries), 1 food = 1 hammer. Add them up and call them 'production'. Commerce is a little trickier, but a reasonable rule of thumb is 2 commerce = 1 production. Assume you have all the unimproved forests you want. Those are 3P tiles, but really they're +1P tiles; you need two food for the citizen working the tile, so the net is one. There are some much better tiles available. A simple mine is +2P, twice as strong. Call a riverside mine +2.5P, half credit for the commerce.
Farmed rice is +2P (dry), +3P (next to lake/oasis), or +3.5P (next to river). Wheat and Corn are even better. Cows and Pigs are always at least +4P, very strong tiles, and riverside even better.
Your capital starts out as +4P, +8C. Growing to size two costs 22P and yields +1P for the future, if you're only growing onto a basic forest. Building a settler costs 100P and yields a +4P new city (assume the free 1C from the city offsets maintenance). Building a workboat costs 30P and yields +2P or +3P, definitely a better return. Building a worker costs 60P and returns ...
Well that depends on what tiles he improves. Pasteurizing a Cow or Pig yields +3P (switching from a 3P forest to the 6P animal). Farming an Ag resource increases its yield by +1P (dry Rice), +2P (wet Rice, dry Wheat/Corn), or +3P (wet Wheat/Corn) depending on the circumstances. Digging a Gold mine is about +3.5P (less on desert hill, more for riverside or Financial leader), though that's accepting the 2C = 1P premise. Simply mining a hill is a +1P move (switch from working a forest to a hill), or +1.5P if you gain a commerce for riverside. So the value of a worker depends on how many and which tiles he improves. But it's quite easy for it to be a large amount. If he pasteurizes a Cow and mines a riverside hill while your capital grows to size 2, you've gained +4.5P already, more than the return on a settler. And you still have the worker to do more stuff. That's a very modest example, but it suggests why worker-first is usually best. He can improve multiple tiles.
Identify your strongest tiles and maximize them.
peace,
lilnev
Farmed rice is +2P (dry), +3P (next to lake/oasis), or +3.5P (next to river). Wheat and Corn are even better. Cows and Pigs are always at least +4P, very strong tiles, and riverside even better.
Your capital starts out as +4P, +8C. Growing to size two costs 22P and yields +1P for the future, if you're only growing onto a basic forest. Building a settler costs 100P and yields a +4P new city (assume the free 1C from the city offsets maintenance). Building a workboat costs 30P and yields +2P or +3P, definitely a better return. Building a worker costs 60P and returns ...
Well that depends on what tiles he improves. Pasteurizing a Cow or Pig yields +3P (switching from a 3P forest to the 6P animal). Farming an Ag resource increases its yield by +1P (dry Rice), +2P (wet Rice, dry Wheat/Corn), or +3P (wet Wheat/Corn) depending on the circumstances. Digging a Gold mine is about +3.5P (less on desert hill, more for riverside or Financial leader), though that's accepting the 2C = 1P premise. Simply mining a hill is a +1P move (switch from working a forest to a hill), or +1.5P if you gain a commerce for riverside. So the value of a worker depends on how many and which tiles he improves. But it's quite easy for it to be a large amount. If he pasteurizes a Cow and mines a riverside hill while your capital grows to size 2, you've gained +4.5P already, more than the return on a settler. And you still have the worker to do more stuff. That's a very modest example, but it suggests why worker-first is usually best. He can improve multiple tiles.
Identify your strongest tiles and maximize them.
peace,
lilnev
@Lord Parkin
About Multiplayer......AGREED (I play much much more MP myself). I always make Warrior first in MP due to fact some flamer will always walk into your border within the first 6-10 turns and try to gay your capital. When I make post in these forums though they are always geared towards SP unless the thread is specifically relating to MP due to the fact most people play SP over MP (approx. 80%
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=190502&highlight=poll
About not get into the habit of always doing this or that, I have to strongly disagree
. I believe a person will become much much more effecient if they do the same thing over and over again. Of course you have different land layout and resource layouts but I already have a plan ahead of time how to most effeciently use them. This way there is no guess work. I have already practised all my different b/o possiblities to death beforehand, therefore when I am actually involved in the game I simply execute. I also only use 2 leaders. I find it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to master every single leader/traits/UU/UB. Like all those Brood War and Warcraft Professional Gamers..... VERY very seldom do you see a random professional user. They also put much much more importance on build orders and timing. I try to incorporate the same thing into all the games I play. Call me sick in the head but I don't care about playing with every single leader and trying all the different ways to win. I want to be the most effecient killer ^^. For me that entails few leaders, lots and lots of repeatable and boring practice in order to maximize my results, which in turn accelerates my learning curve and continually pushes my game to the next level!
@chemtech
I believe you are thinking of this post:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=154872
The new patch has nerfed chopping and therefore, imo, the strategy (unless you are imperialistic). It takes 4 chops to get one settler out now and that is alot of forest. I save my forest for GL/NE, or stonehenge/oracle/GL.
About Multiplayer......AGREED (I play much much more MP myself). I always make Warrior first in MP due to fact some flamer will always walk into your border within the first 6-10 turns and try to gay your capital. When I make post in these forums though they are always geared towards SP unless the thread is specifically relating to MP due to the fact most people play SP over MP (approx. 80%
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=190502&highlight=poll
About not get into the habit of always doing this or that, I have to strongly disagree
. I believe a person will become much much more effecient if they do the same thing over and over again. Of course you have different land layout and resource layouts but I already have a plan ahead of time how to most effeciently use them. This way there is no guess work. I have already practised all my different b/o possiblities to death beforehand, therefore when I am actually involved in the game I simply execute. I also only use 2 leaders. I find it nearly IMPOSSIBLE to master every single leader/traits/UU/UB. Like all those Brood War and Warcraft Professional Gamers..... VERY very seldom do you see a random professional user. They also put much much more importance on build orders and timing. I try to incorporate the same thing into all the games I play. Call me sick in the head but I don't care about playing with every single leader and trying all the different ways to win. I want to be the most effecient killer ^^. For me that entails few leaders, lots and lots of repeatable and boring practice in order to maximize my results, which in turn accelerates my learning curve and continually pushes my game to the next level!@chemtech
I believe you are thinking of this post:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=154872
The new patch has nerfed chopping and therefore, imo, the strategy (unless you are imperialistic). It takes 4 chops to get one settler out now and that is alot of forest. I save my forest for GL/NE, or stonehenge/oracle/GL.
