Metaliturtle's Strategy Thread

[Metaliturtle]

Since we've hit a dull spot, new topic: Creating a specialist economy for beginners.

If you were to break this down into simple steps how would you do it?

[rah]

Lots of Farms, caste system, pyramids. If your philosophical, even better. QED

[wodan11]

Lots of Farms, caste system, pyramids. If your philosophical, even better. QED

PHI optional but beneficial
Farms not cottages
Pyramids optional but beneficial
BW first
Slavery
Libraries everywhere, force 2 scientists where food permits, stop whipping in those cities (or, whip MUCH more judiciously)
Caste optional but usually beneficial

There are many variations of a SE. For example, one variation de-prioritizes happy buildings and uses the culture slider; works best when there is little to no empire-wide commerce, and the capitol is not cottaged.

[rah]

Yes, you still have to pay for your empire and without cottages you have to look for a few alternatives. (shrines, trade routes, or converting shields to gold in a few cities)

[Blaupanzer]

Once you get Code of Laws, you can run caste system, so some of your specialists can switch to merchants when needed. This need for early CoL for a specialist economy means that the Oracle sling strategy is most useful. In this strategy, learn some basic techs leading to Writing as your 5th or sixth tech, then race to Priesthood. Build Oracle as soon as you can with total stress on hammers in the building city (even permitting "starvation" if your population wont actually go down). Chop to assist, and slave it out as soon as you can. Select CoL as your free tech, giving you a religion and the new Civic - Caste System. After selecting the religion the machine will show you which city got it. Don't automatically accept the game kernal's offer to "convert to new religion?" if this is your first religion. Take the new civic first. You can't do both civic conversion and religious conversion at the same time. That crucial process can almost guarentee the success of a specialist economy.

Don't bother going the above route if you are light on food specials and/ or have mostly plains in the area of your first three cities.

Anyone care to reveal a good kickstart of this sort related to a cottage economy. Even with a Financial civ, I end up developin the cities toward farms, production, specialists unless I focus very hard.

[wodan11]

Yes, you still have to pay for your empire and without cottages you have to look for a few alternatives. (shrines, trade routes, or converting shields to gold in a few cities)

I generally find that I can expand faster/more in a SE than a CE. But, you've got a point, either way it's good to prioritize things such as courthouses, currency, shrine/spamming missionaries, etc.

[Arrian]

Good stuff, guys. I've never really tried a specialist economy, even playing a PHI civ (I like Frederick). I keep meaning to, but every time I play I find myself going the well-trod CE route (apparently, I'm the anti-Blaupanzer).

-Arrian

[Blaupanzer]

Apparently

[joncnunn]

Personally, I find CE vs SE to be a false choice. I play the Hybrid Economy.

[wodan11]

Personally, I find CE vs SE to be a false choice. I play the Hybrid Economy.

All in white, the color of vanilla ice cream and Moby Dick.