I suck, need to vent.

[StainlessSteel]

My first post... hee hee

I can't for the life of me get anywhere in a Monarch game. Regent's too easy, but in Monarch, I just can't keep up with the AI. This is in C3C

By the time I have 5 cities up the computer is 5-6 techs ahead of me, AND, starts sending over massive waves of archers/warriors/spearmen/swordsmen.

Argh, and is it just me that the Dutch HATE? I've been stuck about 20 tiles away from them last 3 games and they ALWAYS declare war 10-20 turns after they find me. No matter how many military units I build.

Been reading the advice forums, guess I need to just group up my cities or something. *sigh* Everything was much easier in Regent.

SSR

[Theseus]

How far apart are your towns from the capitol and from each other typically? By the time you have 5 built, how many Workers do you usually have?

[StainlessSteel]

hurm

I'm almost always stuck in tundra or desert so I end up with my cities 21 sqaure borders touching most of the time. Usually around 5 cities I'd have 3 workers and 1 in the queue. At least 2 spearmen per city,2-4 warriors wandering around looking for huts/resources. If I've contacted another Civ by that time I have to start pumping out more Spearmen, becuase chances are its the damned Dutch :P

SSR

P.S.
I've been playing Persia/Ottoman this go round so Sci/Ind

[Solomwi]

Bear in mind on the tech issue that ultra-early tech leads often appear enormous, especially if your neighbor is expansionist, due to trading. I'd much rather be behind at that point, when it's relatively easy to catch up, than later in the game, when it can get impossible.

[StainlessSteel]

Government Type

Also, I usually bee-line for the republic for the added effeciency, But I know that this reduces unit support. Is it better to go Monarch early game?

The AI in this game is so fun, they want my World Map for 50gp, but if I want thiers they want 300+ gold
I love it
SSR

[vmxa1]

StainlessSteel, welcome aboard. It is ok to have optimal city spacing at Monarch, but it can help to cut that down to CxxC.

This give you more overlap, but it makes defense much easier. You will have no more than 12 tile worked until you get hospitals (ok you could get the wonder that acts like one).

So being closer is not an issue. If you in fact have very poor start locations, then you have your hands full. Nothing much can be done about it until you can hurt the civs near you.

What tech you start with and how you research and trade is an important factor to stay in the hunt early. Get those contacts and trade those starting techs as much as you can.

After those task, you need to get your tiles improved as soon as you have a citizen to work them. This means workers making roads and mines and a few tiles being irrigated.

If you are weak compared to civs near you, do not hold on to a lot of cash. They will be demanding it, if you have it. So spend it.

This can be done by producing units or structure, researching more or upgrading.

I would suggest you reconsider those spears, unless you need them for defense right now. They are not really needed at monarch that often and that early.

I would rather have horses or swords or units that can upgrade to them, depending on your UU. IOW attackers trump defenders and mobile trumps all.

If you want some detailed advise, post a save or three and players will review them to see what is going on.

[vmxa1]

A PS to the demanding cash aspect. If you need to avoid a conflict, go ahead and pay the tribute. This is less painful if you only have a small amount of cash on hand.

It does not bother me to give my 12 gold, but I do not want to give 112 gold in the first 100 turns. That gold will catapault that civ.

[StainlessSteel]

Hurm

Not sure what the abbriv. IOW stands for.

Usually have spears becuase in C3C it's so rare for me to get any resources, let alone iron. Horses occasionally. Also those are my police units until I get republic.

Ok, so I'll try the "don't keep cash" method .

Got creamed by the Dutch...I think they're using shaved dice....

SSR

[Theseus]

OK, I'll say it...

SS, until you get a better handle on Monarch: RESTART for better locations!!

[vmxa1]

IOW is In Other Words, just some BBS shorthand.

You did not say were you were in the game, but five cities is not that far into the game. I would expect it to be in the BC time frame, unless it is a small or tiny map.

Were you behind 5 techs on all of the civs? Was it a pangea or contients game? I ask as if it was and you have a few expansionist civs in the game, then the ancient techs can get popped from huts and traded very quickly.

Do you have an early save from the game you can post?

[Harovan]

I suck too.

Brother!

[Tattila the Hun]

Why is it, that on later time on the game, a rival might want to trade world maps... and want's nuclear power in addition? Are they stupid, or do they think I am?

[Solomwi]

I must say I've never had that happen. Then again, I generally make it a point to never trade my WM unless I need to. My current game is well into the modern era, at about 1720 AD, and most of my natively settled lands still have to be a black spot on the remaining AIs' maps. That keeps my map more valuable than theirs, since I've uncovered all but some meaningless ocean tiles.

[StainlessSteel]

Yeah

The computer and trading is always one sided.
Thanks everyone for the advice. Still curious what Gov type is the best to shoot for early game? Like I posted earlier I usually try to get republic and switch to Demo if I'm not at war. Is going Monarchy a better early game strat?

Oh anyone else sign a MPP just to have that Civ to declare war on EVERY other country? Last game where I survived a while (standard 7 opponents) I signed with my neighboor to keep him from attacking me, and he attacked EVERYONE else, AND they all attacked me instead of him. It was an short interesting war.

SSR

[Solomwi]

On Monarch, I typically beeline to republic and don't even think about another change unless I'm religious. Monarchy can be a good option, too, if you're in a crowded area, constantly at war.