Addicted to Creative...

[Yosho]

Well, if I'm not creative, I basically go one of two ways. I usually either found one of the early religions and then just make sure I connect up roads to all my cities ASAP, or else I get libraries fairly early and use that as my first culture building. Monuments work too, but unless I'm getting an early religion, I generally don't bother getting mysticism early.

[Unimatrix11]

The thing with libraries as substitute for creative is that it is exactly the creative trait, that makes them come cheaper. So when you are not creative, those things can take a while to build and may slow your expansion down a lot.

[Crossfire]

I should probably mention that I am generally playing on Monarch so it is pretty hard to beat the AI to an early religion or Stonehenge, unless you get stone or another really good resource in your starting city. I just played the first half of a game where I survived a combined Monty and Boudica attack and managed to get Judaism and didn't seem to have culture issues except in one city so I might be on the right track. Thanks for all the help.

[Blake]

The second best source of culture for a new city, after creative, is religion. Sometimes you can time founding your second city with a new religion, like with CoL/theology slingshot, you can then use that missionary for a 3rd city, if you wish.
Generally, it's better to spend 40h in an established city for a missionary, than 30h in a new city for a Monolith.

So if you can swing it, having a missionary waiting at the new city site, is a good thing. Organized Religion is the easiest way to produce missionaries, but a Monastery also isn't a bad deal, particularly in your capital, that extra +10% adds up, over the game.

Also with monasteries, the monastery produces +2 culture for only 60h, it's the "cheapest" source of culture other than theaters and allows training missionaries and has +10% science, so don't underestimate them. Since they cost 30h less than a Library, they can be a good deal in new cities which have picked up a non-state religion before your state one - the religion wont produce the +1 culture, but the non-state monastery will produce the +2 culture.
You have to make a judgment call there, whether it's better to spend 30h for +1 culture (monument), or 60h for +2 culture & bonuses, I tend to think the monastery is a better deal in general.

That can go as part of the "pray for religion" strategy for getting border pops, if the wrong religion turns up, build a monastery, if you get impatient or really need that culture fast, build a monument.

[LzPrst]

creative is good. especially the library cheapness is great.

but yeah, monuments or religion can offset it.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Blake
The second best source of culture for a new city, after creative, is religion. Sometimes you can time founding your second city with a new religion, like with CoL/theology slingshot, you can then use that missionary for a 3rd city, if you wish.
Generally, it's better to spend 40h in an established city for a missionary, than 30h in a new city for a Monolith.

I hope to have my second and third city down LONG before CoL

[Asmodeous]

Depends on the tech path, Ming.

Sometimes I go Myst->Meditation->Priesthood->(insert all the worker techs I don't have here)->Writing->(worker techs I didn't need before)->whatever


Since I'm mostly building worker techs, I usually build the oracle fairly quick because I have no religion at this point, and slingshot CoL.

That's usually while the first or second settler is on the way, depending on the position.

Me.

[Ming]

Even with oracle and taking CoL... I still hope to have a my third city down by then. Whether I'm playing SP at a high level, or even MP, you can't afford to fall behind in cities/territory.

[rah]

Then use the free missionary for your second city.

It's nice when you do discover conf. without already having a religion. The +5 culture is nice in your second or third city.

I also usually have 3 by then because it's usually MP and you have to check out BW and AH for resources a lot quicker in MP games or you don't last very long.

But on the other hand most of the others do too so You can delay oracle a tad more than in an SP game.

[Fleme]

I used to be a creative-addict myself. Playing with Willem and his powerful combo got me into it and I found it increasingly hard to let go.

Then I started playing random. You just hate it when you get something bad like Protective but you can always remake those games (I always do, I HATE that trait). Random will throw you in different positions and I always find myself playing according to the traits rather than being loyal to my old builder ways.

Getting Genghis and becoming the worldwide ass he usually is is actually quite rewarding. You won't get a moment of peace or security before you have total dominance over everyone else though

Easy way to get rid of your Creative addiction is to aim for Stonehenge every time. In time you'll find that you won't need even that and when you, for instance, get the religion at Monotheism or CoL you'll have completely forgotten about Creative.

[joncnunn]

I'm partual to random myself (with reroll whenever I get Agressive)
I also reroll if I get a civ completely unsuited for the map type.

[Ming]

I like playing random as well since that's how we do it in MP. You have to learn to use all the civs.
But like you I reroll as well if the situation totally sucks. I have no interest wasting time playing something I'm not going to at least enjoy some

[Crossfire]

I reroll too. Has anyone else found that the harder the level you are playing on the harder it is to get a decent map? It seemed like on Prince most of my maps were good, where as on Monarch most seem pretty crappy. But then maybe it's just that I know I need a decent map to win on Monarch and Prince is easy enough to win no matter what.

[Yosho]

Originally posted by Unimatrix11
The thing with libraries as substitute for creative is that it is exactly the creative trait, that makes them come cheaper. So when you are not creative, those things can take a while to build and may slow your expansion down a lot.

Yeah, they do, and at least some of your cities won't be expanding right away. But on the other hand, you get libraries early which is certanly a good thing, and if I'm going that tech path I'm also the first one to alphabet, which can make up for a multitude of sins. It's a trade-off, sure.

[Unimatrix11]

Originally posted by Yosho


Yeah, they do, and at least some of your cities won't be expanding right away. But on the other hand, you get libraries early which is certanly a good thing, and if I'm going that tech path I'm also the first one to alphabet, which can make up for a multitude of sins. It's a trade-off, sure.

I guess the whip, which i never use, comes quite in handy there...