The Regent -> Monach jump

[Golden Bear]

After reading this thread and Ducki's, I tried altering my game to see if there is an improvement. I have been playing on Monarch recently and doing fairly well.

Twice now, I have been able to set up 5 turn settler pumps in Monarch games that I have played as the Americans. I have to admit that I won both of these games going away. Each time I went to SS but could easily have done Domination if I wanted to bother with the extra work. I was going for speed (real life).

The start was something like, Scout, Worker, Scout, Granary, Warrior, Settler. I pretty much flooded the area with settlements packed fairly tight - not ridiculously so. My second city became the build city.

Combine this with a research path to Philosophy, get a free GL and both times pop a SGL. Is that hard coded? Keep trading to pick up missing techs. I picked up Statue of Zeus both times fairly easily. That assures early game domination usually.

Each settlement goes warrior, worker, warrior and then maybe Temple (to spread out the area of control). Eventually the AI tries to check me - usually with the distant civ attacking through multiple layers of other civs - makes it tough to force peace. In the first game I had to face one KAI, the Greeks, and trouble from the Byzantines who blocked for them. In the second game I think the Hittites wanted to be KAI but I boxed/blocked them and the other countries could not build up.

Anyway, 5 turn pump is not elegant but more than enough to REX to a win on Monarch. I guess that I will have to step up. Of course, I have not needed to win without the pump. That will be more of a challenge.

Carlos

[UnOrthOdOx]

Originally posted by Golden Bear
Of course, I have not needed to win without the pump. That will be more of a challenge.

Carlos

That is where the warrior/archer/horse/sword rushes come into play.

[Golden Bear]

In the second game I referred to, I had horses but no iron. That made it a little tough when the Koreans came calling. But I found some iron a ways away, plopped a city on it, built roads through Ottoman territory and bingo! I had Swordsmen.

I tried to play the second game without conquest. But the Ottomans were really weak and the Japanese were weak and had wines. So I stretched the territory a little bit.

Carlos

[Aqualung71]

Sounds like you've got the hang of it If you can run a 5-turn pump on Monarch, you will soon kill it so yep, Emperor soon, and then you've got your work cut out for you. With only one citizen born content, you must learn to use the luxury slider effectively.

Good to see your city placement is tight....how big can your cities grow? That's the important point

On build queues, I don't know that I would bother with Scouts (unless you're expansionist).

Don't count on the SGL's....it took me 6 months to get my first one!

I think over time you will probably learn to build less Temples, and getting your cultural expansion with Libraries instead. This goes hand in hand with learning to use the luxury slider.

Get on to Emperor and you will find plenty of people willing to give you more and more complex tips

[Golden Bear]

Thanks, Aqualung. All good idea. I have not thought to do Library before Temple yet, except by accident.

I usually do University before Cathedral, though.

My cities can get up to the 17 to 21 range if I recall. I know that there are usually a couple near the borders that get squeezed and have troubles getting above 10 or 12.

It seems as if the Philosophy freebee usually leads to an SGL - at least is has for me 4 times in a row.

I am still wondering how I can get through a game without the AI spontaneously declaring war on me. In these last couple games I had clear superiority in Power and they jumped me anyway. In the first one, I was fighting the entire world at one point, without having ever violated a treaty or attacking anybody. I assume that it is just the huge points superiority that seems to go with the pump-driven hyper expansion.

Carlos

[vmxa1]

Uni before Cath is a function of difficulty level IMO. You will not be skipping caths above emperor in any city that could use a uni.

The SGL is going to be impacted by your traits and luck. I canot recall getting more than 1 sgl for Philo or its free tech. So if you are a Scientific civ you have a better chance.

Getting 4 in a row is so far out of my range of experience. I do not even always get one in a game at all.

As to being attack when at the top of the heap in stats, that is not uncommon. In the final analysis the AI will have few options, but to attack at some point.

I have had them declare when they were down to one tiny city and I had nearly the whole map. Their options are limited at that time.

[Shr3dZ]

Sounds good GB, Ive had similar issues.

I wonder what the point of extending your border by conquest is, the corruption is so high they are all useless cities. The only reasons I can think of for expansion is score , resources & slowing a civ down.

One other quesion i have is: In the game im playing right now I started in a good spot so as to block all AIs off from the majority of land and my empire is actually too big. I have 3 horses, 2 iron, 2 saltpeter, 2 coal & 1 rubber (& 4 lux.) - would there be any reason to trade my extra coal away? If I can stop a civ from building railroads that a major accomplishment right?

[Theseus]

Originally posted by vmxa1
I have had them declare when they were down to one tiny city and I had nearly the whole map. Their options are limited at that time.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Shr3dZ
I have 3 horses, 2 iron, 2 saltpeter, 2 coal & 1 rubber (& 4 lux.) - would there be any reason to trade my extra coal away? If I can stop a civ from building railroads that a major accomplishment right?

I would not want to trade something as useful as coal to anyone, unless I was in a big need for something they had.

Coal/Oil an Al. are item I seldom trade. If you need to invade or attack them and they do not have rails, that is a good thing.

[Shr3dZ]

Cool, thats what I figured too. I know when I dont have coal my whole game is shot, or close to it.

[-SafaN-]

actually not: the AI doesn't aknoledge the power of coal: u cant build military units with it. U can mostly trade it for a lux or so. It just demands a little bit planning to get it done in 20 turns .
It helps if the last turn of the trade u don't stack them, but give every single worker an own square to work.

Greetz

[Shr3dZ]

Yea I agree with that, you can trade for it at a reasonable price. I was partially refering to my last game where the AI had no coal for trade so I went the whole game without it.

Usually within the last few turns of having coal I set all my workers to start railing those last few dozen hills and mountians...

[Golden Bear]

Just a tiny update. As we all suspected, I was just incredibly lucky. After 4 in a row, the next two games have produced no SGL after the Philosophy freebie. Too bad. I liked having the free GL or SoZ or whatever.

Carlos

[rickontherun_21]

Should i have my spacing between cities CxxC not CxxxC?

[Shr3dZ]

I started by trying the CxxC but realized I had a bit too much power in the beginning so now Im trying the CxxxC and it makes it a bit more even, plus less MM.