Gamemaster77
PC > Mac
The early GA.
Which Civ do you use the most?
- Thread starter KevinRuddPM
- Start date
KevinRuddPM
Sleepwalking Past Hope
What's wrong with early golden age? I think of it as a blessing.
To be a little more precise, the problem isn't an early GA, it's a despotic GA. The problem with those is that you may not get as much benefit from the GA as you could post-despotism. Despotism skims 1 food/gold/shield off any tile producing 3 or more. So if you have a 2-shield tile and kick off your GA in despotism, that tile produces 3 shields in the GA. The despo penalty then kicks in, skimming off that last shield and now it's a 2-shield tile again. See the problem?
The problem with it is that it's sort of wasted because your government is too inefficient (Despotism) to fully take advantage, and your techs are so low that you can only mass produce your UUs, Spearmen, Archers and Horsemen.
I guess, as always, it depends on the strategic situation at the time, and it could be a blessing to have an early GA in certain situations so that you can expand rapidly and claim valuable land/strategic resources/luxuries.
I prefer a Medieval Era or later GA, because then you can mass produce some stronger offensive units (Longbowmen, Knights, Med. Infantry, etc). Also, the effects of the GA are a lot better when you're in Republic or Monarchy.
EDIT: Beat me to it Aabraxan.
Your reply is much more thorough though. ^_^The early GA may not optimize production and commerce, however it gets you commerce and production *earlier*. In some situations it's better to have a little less commerce and production earlier than to optimize both of them later. It's not a "yes/no" question as to if the early GA works well or not... it depends on the situation.
As for bad-mouthing Carthage, I can point to a Sid level and Deity level game with pretty good finish dates where I've had an early (but not ultra-early like Portugal or England might with the Colossus, which is more beneficial in a 20k game imo) despotic GA. Also, if you really don't like the early GA, Carthage potentially lies in a position to get a Monarchy or Republic slingshot faster than probably anyone else (though admittedly Spain or India might become a Monarchy or Republic earlier due to a quicker revolution). Seafaring gives you more commerce from the get-go, and industrious allows quicker roads for more commerce earlier also.
As for bad-mouthing Carthage, I can point to a Sid level and Deity level game with pretty good finish dates where I've had an early (but not ultra-early like Portugal or England might with the Colossus, which is more beneficial in a 20k game imo) despotic GA. Also, if you really don't like the early GA, Carthage potentially lies in a position to get a Monarchy or Republic slingshot faster than probably anyone else (though admittedly Spain or India might become a Monarchy or Republic earlier due to a quicker revolution). Seafaring gives you more commerce from the get-go, and industrious allows quicker roads for more commerce earlier also.
KevinRuddPM
Sleepwalking Past Hope
Well my golden age certainly came at the right time.
Greeks every time!
Partly because I don't have time to really explore the strengths of the other civ characteristics.
Partly as a hangover from CivI, when I got into the habit of playing Greek when it made no difference at all; but I got into the "science-lead Colossus + Copernicus" habit in that game, and still like to lead on science. Even though CivIII offers very clever strategies for coming back from being primitive in science.
(OK, and my girlfriend is Greek, not that she has any interest whatsoever in what civ I might choose when I play...Still, it does mean I can swear authentically in Greek when the Super-Spearman trashes my Modern Armour).
But the Hoplite UU is really useful for triggering an early Golden Age, which if I time it right makes a lovely Swordsmen-rush possible to gain me an early territory advantage.
And the Greek Elite Mobile Librarian Corps has no equal in quickly expanding culture boundaries in conquered territory.
Partly because I don't have time to really explore the strengths of the other civ characteristics.
Partly as a hangover from CivI, when I got into the habit of playing Greek when it made no difference at all; but I got into the "science-lead Colossus + Copernicus" habit in that game, and still like to lead on science. Even though CivIII offers very clever strategies for coming back from being primitive in science.
(OK, and my girlfriend is Greek, not that she has any interest whatsoever in what civ I might choose when I play...Still, it does mean I can swear authentically in Greek when the Super-Spearman trashes my Modern Armour).
But the Hoplite UU is really useful for triggering an early Golden Age, which if I time it right makes a lovely Swordsmen-rush possible to gain me an early territory advantage.
And the Greek Elite Mobile Librarian Corps has no equal in quickly expanding culture boundaries in conquered territory.
timerover51
Deity
I also play the Dutch a lot, as my background is Dutch, from the Groningen area. However, I just played a game with the Spanish, and discovered that I like the short anarchy period and also the Conquistador unit.
KevinRuddPM
Sleepwalking Past Hope
I recently played with Hittites, I got my biggest city ever with them! A 12! 
Rodrig0
Monarch
I wasn't bad mouthing Carthage. It was the early GA that sux. And also for a 20K game, you build the Colossus and Pyramids, and there you go! Golden Age for everyone
while you're still researching Philosophy. Enjoy. 
But in fact, it is my favorite civ. I like it because of its traits and UU. Numidians look strong, ARE strong, laugh like men, and can beat almost anything you throw at them until late in the medieval age. I've seen them many times win impossible battles. Spearmen just DON'T feel the same once you've tried numidians. I remember the first time I played with a civ other than Carthage, I gave a try to mayas. But I was terrified to send my settlers out with just a spearman as bodyguard!
The looked so puny.
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