Big jump to Emperor

[bongo]

Just startet my first game on emperor yesterday. Is the jump in difficulty from monarch that big, or did I just get 'lucky' with the maps?


Started on a medium-sized continent with 3 AIs, I got Germany on the norhtern (jungle)tip of the continent. By the time I got out of there, the AIs had already met and shared techs. The AIs ask silly prices for techs, even on the cheapest ones they want like 150% of the research prize. The more expensive ones(which could be traded around) are simply out of reach. I am also out-rexed(no bonus-food, access to water far away). Only managed to squeese in 4 cities(I can get 3 more in between as camps..)


The two options I can think of now are:
1) Suicide galleys. I have lost 3 currags already, more will follow. Only problem is that the unknown civs will probably me more advanced than me as well

2) War! It is still early ancient age and I'm still on par with the AIs in military tech. If I build for war, I could do the usual 'give me what I want or be destroyed' trick...The AI is such a lousy commander I may be able to pull it off despite being last in everything.

[Arnelos]

Re: Big jump to Emperor

Originally posted by bongo
Just startet my first game on emperor yesterday. Is the jump in difficulty from monarch that big, or did I just get 'lucky' with the maps?

The jump isn't really that large. I think a lot of us who played on first Regent for a while, then on Monarch for a long time had this perception of Emperor somehow being so much harder. It's really not. Emperor is harder, sure, but not all that much so. The same types of things will win you the game, the AI just gets slightly more challenging and you have a few more problems to tackle.

I think you'll probably find Emperor a lot easier than you lead yourself to believe it would be. That's basically what happened with me, at any rate.

[bongo]

I expected a difference, but to be outdeveloped by a factor 2 seems a bit rough...

If the AI weren't such a lousy general, I would declare this game lost already

[vmxa1]

A poor draw on the start location can make any game harder. Two things make it harder :
1) citizens born content is only 1
2) bonus

AI Bonuses
Def Land Units 2 4
Off Land Units 1 2
Start unit type 2 0 1
Extra free support 4 8
Bonus for each city 1 2
Max gov transition 4 3
Cost factor 9 8
AI to AI trade 140 150

[Goethe80]

I've recently 'graduated' to Emp, and I can understand your frustration.

The 2 greatest difficulties for me were the unhappy citizens and the AI's tech pace.

Regarding the unhappy citizens, the best advise I can give is to make full use of your MP and your lux slider. As for tech, the key issue is contacts. You want to make sure you're on full contact ASAP, and check your diplomacy screen regularly to make sure you're in on the tech trades. Once you're out of the loop, it's often a downward spiral from which it is difficult to recover. One 'typical' strategy apart from the general ideas above on contacts and happiness is to make the writing-philo beeline immediately (quite possible even with alphabet as a starting tech on emp) and gun for the GL or Lighthouse (depends on map, whether or not you have seafaring).

[Mr Justice]

i recently made the move as well. i found that one of the problems was my perception of how i was doing.
in monarch i could out rex and out build and out reaserch the AI. in emporer i find that you have make sacrfices. reaserch was the first one to go. especially since ur at the disadvantage of small empire. i find that you need to establish clear strategic goals and work towards them.

in your current game i would take a hard look and decide if military expansion is the way t ogo (imo it is). if so then concentrate on building an effective invasion force of atleast 10 units and pick ur target.

try invcolve as many AI in your war as posible, if they fighting ur enemy they wont challange you. but beware if ur in the middle then be prepared for masses of troops crossing ur lands. tis nearve wrecking but neccessary evil.

my 2cents

[Arrian]

I think the jump to Emperor is pretty large, so I disagree with Arnelos on this one.

The reason I think it feels much harder is the combination of that extra 10% boost the AIs get, the extra free units they get, AND the drop in your own civ's happiness (1 born content). That last one is usually the one I notice most when I play an Emperor game.

-Arrian

p.s. Err, yeah, what vmxa1 said.

[Arnelos]

Originally posted by Arrian
I think the jump to Emperor is pretty large, so I disagree with Arnelos on this one.

The reason I think it feels much harder is the combination of that extra 10% boost the AIs get, the extra free units they get, AND the drop in your own civ's happiness (1 born content). That last one is usually the one I notice most when I play an Emperor game.

-Arrian

p.s. Err, yeah, what vmxa1 said.

Well, I think what happened with me is that I imagined Emperor to be SO MUCH HARDER than what I was used to that when I actually played at emperor, I found it easier than my inflated expectations.

It's harder, to be sure, but not so much harder compared to what I expected.

[Krill]

What you need to do is play a game on monarch, then play the same map on Emp, then Demigod, then diety. You only need to play the start to see the hole you landed in.

[bongo]

I probably got myself a very bad start here. Apart form a truly rotten terrain (mucho jungles....) the 3 AIs started close to each other in relatively open terrain. I guess they made contact even before I built my first unit..

On the plus side, I am to the north and only need to focus on ONE front...I am at the end of my first war now. Stupid mayans tried to blackmail me, after loosing many units the price for peace has gone down from them wanting a city from me to them offering me a tech. As the iroquis were unwilling to let my troops pass their land, I had no change to take mayan cities...I'll get to them later, just have to win a war against the iroquise first

[Arnelos]

Just keep restarting until you get a sweet start location.

[Krill]

yeah, a 4 turn pump is nice Post a couple, make a new thread in the start forum, people will help you.

[bongo]

I dunno, I will try the military solution before I quit/restart. Even if it was a genuine crappy start. If I make it I will be even prouder

Best I could hope for is a 10-turn pump Much better to take AI cities

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by bongo

Best I could hope for is a 10-turn pump Much better to take AI cities

I had to chuckle at the 10 turn pump. I think after about 6 turns, it is no longer a pump.

I hope you can swing bongo, it will be very satisfying.

[bongo]

Came to think of it, I got A BANANA wohoo, that's a 8-turn pump? (I am never able to make those calculations without consulting the civilopedia)