Rate of Expansion

[wodan11]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
My experience at Prince-level is that the barbarians will be up to axemen and swordsmen before my capitol will be up to using all its good resources. These can kill my workers, my settlers, and my city if I have not mined metal and corraled horses. Of course, I use aggressive AI and raging barbarians, so perhaps Emporer-level without those offers a less intense beginning?

Generally easier and faster to get BW than AH. Plus, you can then chop and whip stuff.

[Blaupanzer]

The horses get you chariots, the counter for axemen, long before AH.

[wodan11]

Originally posted by Blaupanzer
The horses get you chariots, the counter for axemen, long before AH.

Really? What game are you playing?

[rah]

While I'll usually try for BW first, depending on starting techs, civ and resources, I may go for AH first.

[snoopy369]

The only reason I'd get AH first is if I were either playing Egypt, AND got the prereq techs first (don't recall Egypt's), or if I had a lot of cows and such to corral.

[DaveV]

Originally posted by snoopy369
The only reason I'd get AH first is if I were either playing Egypt,

Or Persia, which starts with Hunting and Agriculture, so AH is a natural first pick. I like Immortals even better than War Chariots, since their defensive bonus means they can do a pretty good job of garrisoning captured cities. Now that the barbs make a lot more spearmen, though, the chariot rush has been (justifiably) weakened.

[rah]

Originally posted by snoopy369
The only reason I'd get AH first is if I were either playing Egypt, AND got the prereq techs first (don't recall Egypt's), or if I had a lot of cows and such to corral.

Isn't that what I said.

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by DaveV

Or Persia, which starts with Hunting and Agriculture, so AH is a natural first pick. I like Immortals even better than War Chariots, since their defensive bonus means they can do a pretty good job of garrisoning captured cities. Now that the barbs make a lot more spearmen, though, the chariot rush has been (justifiably) weakened.

If I'm playing a chariot rush, I have no need to worry about garrisoning cities... as there will be only one city to garrison, and it will be one with which the AI disappears

edit: I'm also a bit confused about the spearmen comment. I would never chariotrush during the point at which barbs might come at me with spearmen... far too late along. Does this come earlier at high levels (I play prince/monarch)??

[couerdelion]

Agreed. BW is better because you can leverage slavery. But if you've already got animals to husband and workers with jobs to do, AH is a decent enough first tech to go for.

Particularly for the egyptians or persians

[rah]

I had to laugh where one MP game I looked at my land and there were no unforested hills and lots of river grassland, but only 1 resource in my BFC, so I'm figuring that there is a higher percentage of a revealed resource, so since it was mostly grassland (and a cow) I figured what the heck and rolled the dice for horses to appear and went AH first.

Alas, no horses appeared but when I later finished BW, copper appeared on one of those grassland squares.

As always, it doesn't pay to think.

[DaveV]

Originally posted by snoopy369
I'm also a bit confused about the spearmen comment. I would never chariotrush during the point at which barbs might come at me with spearmen... far too late along. Does this come earlier at high levels (I play prince/monarch)??

I play monarch, too, but the barbs abhor a vacuum, and seem to pour in to attack my newly acquired cities (thus my appreciation of the immortal's defensive bonus). I don't see any barb spears during the chariot rush, but may see some not too long afterwards, while I'm trying to defend some culturally weak former AI cities.

[SvenVvath]

But I thought the barbs don't up until YOU up. Or is it any civ? Either way... it seems, and I have no way of being sure, that barbs aren't badder ass until I have the ability to be there, too.

I've never seen Axemen before I've researched CW and Swordsmen before I've researched IW. While my Cap is growing I'm usually building warrios/archers.... until I reach the limit ready for the push.

[rah]

CW? Or did you mean BW?

[wodan11]

Originally posted by SvenVvath
But I thought the barbs don't up until YOU up. I have no way of being sure, that barbs aren't badder ass until I have the ability to be there, too.

That's definitely not true. Plenty of times I get barb archers while I'm still on warriors. Usually it happens when I get BW and have no copper, or AH and have no horses, etc.

[SvenVvath]

Sven does mean Bronze Working ^_^.

Do you all aim for enough cities early in the game to cover the chance that you get a "building quest'?

Do you think the building quests are worth the inconvenience? Or are they inconvenient for you, the good player?