When do you build Barracks?

[DarkSchneider]

At what point do you choose to build barracks with a non-aggresive Civilization and why? I'm still up in the air on that one, although I will almsot always build them before I start producing offensive units.

 

[majk-iii]

well... early.

 

[Smokey McDope]

I like to have barracks when I seriously start producing copper/iron units. I let it slide for the fog busting and escort warriors and usually build it after the first settler.

 

[TCGTRF]

At what point do you choose to build barracks with a non-aggresive Civilization and why? I'm still up in the air on that one, although I will almsot always build them before I start producing offensive units.

With a builder-Civ, I will generally build barracks very quickly in the production city that will be making the majority of my military units. My secondary and tertiary production cities get them a bit later, and they are not built in the rest of the cities until the time where one or more civilizations begin giving me the willies.

I don't build them at all in any post-Drama-founded or captured cities, since usually at Normal speed, they won't be producing a large quantity of military units before the game is finished.

Keep in mind that in cases where you are surprise attacked by a neighboring civ, you can get similar results to a barracks by using Vasslage and/or Theocracy.

In a warmongering Civ, I build them in all of my early cities immediately after the initial spread of cities and the basic city-defense units.

Tom

 

[SlipperyJim]

At what point do you choose to build barracks with a non-aggresive Civilization and why? I'm still up in the air on that one, although I will almsot always build them before I start producing offensive units.

Why would I ever play a non-Aggressive civ?

Seriously, I build Barracks early. Shortly after my exploring warriors/scouts, and maybe a quick archer if I really feel threatened. Generally, my build queue tends to look like: Granary, Lighthouse (if coastal), Barracks....

 

[Boppo]

For me with a non-aggressive Civ I build barracks after the important buildings for city growth and culture are built. Granary, Temple, Library, Lighthouse etc., all come first. Unless I plan to actually go on the offensive against someone.

 

[aviator99_uk]

Sometimes (often) its the only building available so if you don't want another warrior and want to grow the city then sticking hammers into a barracks and finishing it off later seems to work for me.

 

[lawren65]

I build barracks as soon as I find copper for axeman which i build right away

 

[rewster1]

Hmm. What level? SP or MP? I only play SP so far, and just starting on prince. On noble, build the barracks when you want to grow... whether that's before or after you expand with "worker chop worker chop settler" is dependant on your play style. On noble, you can wait til you have archer tech to build any military, as nobody attacks that early and the barbs are all just cute furry critters.

 

[DangerousMonkey]

Getting a Barracks early is nice, but you have to remember that one Barracks is worth about two Archers. In single play you may as well build your Barracks right after your first round of workers, as the AI is pretty peaceful early on. In multiplay, on the other hand, that's rather risky.

If your opponent Warrior/Archer rushes you you'll be at a signifigant disadvantage if you've forgone the three warriors/two archers that you could have had if you had built your barracks later. Overall you're usually better off building a few defensive units before you take the temporary hold on military production you'll need to make your Barracks.