Which continent do you like to start on?

[Nick Garai]

If anyone here has played the standard Earth map on Civ2, wshere does everyone like to start? I have two favorite places. One is England. I love to build a solid Island Empire there and just stay there isolated and build a growing nation. Another is to take over North America.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I enjoy starting in France, and then building NATO. Also, try and rebuild Russia, it's very very hard to beat the Western Europeans to the Caspian and Black Seas, but it can be thoroughly fun.

 

[Bud2998]

I love starting on Australia. It's a wonderful challenge and I like having the core of my empire isolated on a different continent from the rest of the world.

The British Isles would be in second. I love building a naval empire that dominates the entire Northern Atlantic, from Portugal to Scandinavia to Greenland to Newfoundland to Florida. North America's also a fun place to start on if you just want to build a nice empire. The Middle East is fun as well, especially if you like land based wars. Subsaharan can be pretty fun, too.

 

[tomsnowman123]

North America, I seem to have more success there.

 

[nemt]

I like starting in Italy on world.mp, because the default location for Rome has some great resources, and is easily defensible.

 

[civconquer3000]

I like the British Isles and America. To me they're pretty good places for empires. I also like Persia. But my least favorite is South America. I don't even like colonizing them. It's all mountains and rainforest.

 

[Nick Garai]

Australia is a really fun continent to build an empire on. building cities all along the coastline, then working inward and moving to the islands is great!

It makes for taking over Australia hard too.

 

[neutrino]

I think North America would be an ideal place for a less experienced HP (human player) who wants to be in a large world. When setting up the game, make sure to click on an option that allows you to select computer opponents. Also, do not randomize the starting locations of the players. Thereafter, make sure to select computer players in such a way that you are the only one in the Americas.

In this way, the HP will have the space and time to expand and develop without having to look over his shoulders too much until many many turns later. (Though he must be prepared for Barbarian raids from time to time.) The point of this exercise is to get used to the nuts 'n bolts of building a large empire. (Need to get comfy with the 'mechanical' aspect of the game before taking on complex military campaigns.)

*****
On the other hand, if the HP wants something tougher, choose a civ that starts in the Middle East. Then, select computer opponents so that they are not far away. (i.e., the Greeks, the Russians, the Mongols) Alternatively, play the Carthaginians, the English, the Vikings, or the Japanese. Then select opponents so that they impose bottlenecks to the HP's need to expand into continents. (i.e., the HP runs the Carthaginians, but his opponents include the Spanish, the Zulus, and the Babylonians.)

 

[Nylan]

I like Greece, it's as close to crossroads of the world as you can get. Admittedly, with hostile AI this can be a downside, but I actually quite enjoy the challenge.

 

[jazzhak]

British Isles and France. Always fun place to start.

 

[Nick Garai]

British Isles and France. Always fun place to start.

British Isles is great for creating a great Island Empire.

 

[jazzhak]

Yeah but if you don't act quick western Europe will be a little tough to take. Isolationism isn't always the best policy.

 

[Clausewitzian]

Just for the ignoramuses amongst us (like me), where does one find the standard earth map? I only remember WWII and ancient Rome...

cheers

 

[ElephantU]

It's in the Civ2 directory, named either EARTH or WORLD, I think there are three of them of different sizes.

 

[Ace]

It's in the Civ2 directory, named either EARTH or WORLD, I think there are three of them of different sizes.

Its called World. There are 3 of them. World, world-m, and world-S. You can find them by selecting "start on a Pre-made world" from the start-up menu.

 

[Clausewitzian]

Thanks. This site keeps showing me things that amaze me about the game with all its nooks and crannies that are easily overlooked. Visiting here and being shown some I'd missed is a real pleasure.

cheers

 

[Clausewitzian]

Just started playing world. I choose the mongols, and got dumped into the steppes of central asia. So far, playing at deity and 7 civs, I've been having a surprisingly easy time of it. I've expanded into China and india, and still no AI civ in sight.

Do you always get put on the correct part of the map of the people you choose? And I'm amazed at the lack of proximity of AI civs, while being given two settlers, lots of techs and a goodie hut to boot at the start. That usually means tough times ahead, not here though.

O wait, I've just run into some babylonians. They seem to be peaceful though. Too bad for them I'm playing the mongols .


cheers

 

[neutrino]

Hehe ..... the Mongols! I used to play the Mongols the most with the world map coupled with non-random initial civ placements. (I also did the same with Civ I, even more so.)

The nice thing about the Mongols is that the HP starts in the middle of Asia while other civs are far away, unless there is a rival Chinese civ. (To a lesser extent, a rival Russian civ.) If he can crank out settlers early with good number of military units for protection, he should be on his way to having the largest civ. Starting with 2 settlers at the start is nice.

On the other hand, he has to find water! (The nearest one is Lake Baikal, but it is half-surrounded by forest. Takes more time to irrigate from there ... ungh!)

 

[Ace]

You always start with two settlers at Diety.

 

[Clausewitzian]

>You always start with two settlers at Deity<

Thanks. Guess I haven't played at Deity level enough to know that. I believe at lesser levels getting extra stuff always means lots of rival civs in the area.

Neutrino, I'm starting to find out where the other civs are. One, the Carthaginians, I've bottled up in Africa thanks to my Babylonian gambit. Three others are duking it out in Europe. The Vikings are being hemmed in by the Russians, and the Russians are being driven up against the Vikings by the Spanish, who look to be the second most powerful civ after me (they have GL, heheh).

However, thanks to my Babylonian gambit closing off the route through the middle east with war cities, the Spanish now have to come through Kazachstan to really hurt me, which should slow them down to mid-late game. Time enough to consolidate my lead. I've been playing no temples for the first time, and massively using vans for wonder building in the early game first time as well. Coordinating all those vans has been a real headache.

I usually play republic as early as possible, but this new style has been keeping me in monarchy far longer than I'm used to. I'm scared to switch, because of all those units I'll have to upkeep, yet am loathe to dump all my warriors cause I've got Leonardo's. Ever heard the story of the monkey who put his hand into a bottle full of nuts, but couldn't pull it out cause he wouldn't let go? Thats me right now.

Lol, another first, I've completely ignored irrigation altogether. Still wondering when that's going to bite me in the butt!