Early-game expansion

[FreeChina]

What's your strategy for early-game (4000~0 BC) expansion and growth?

In the first 100-150 or turns, I typically expand like mad and have at least 20 cities, depending on continent size. My production order for each city:
1. Warriors.
2. Settlers.
3. Settlers.
4. Settlers (if population is still 2 or greater), otherwise
4. Temple
5. Phlanx/Horseman
6. Settlers.

Once I get mapmaking, take a bunch of settlers to another continent, repeat as needed. It drives the AI insane during the early turns, since for every city they capture, two more spring up elsewhere!

[War4ever]

1warrior
2horseman
3settler
4settler
5settler/wonder all depends
however its not always the case

[Carch]

It ain't Starcraft. Canned build orders won't win ya the game.

_/\ C

[Krushala]

settlers only until I have bronze working (I usually research it before monarchy, because I never get the option of researching monarchy when I have all the prerequisites). Warriors are useless. I might build one just for a scout and hope to pop a horseman in a hut. If barbs come for me, I usually just reload.

[Sten Sture]

I am more of a warrior, warrior, settler, settler. I tend to build a lot of the little martial law guys. I don't keep them around for very long but they are cheap and quick and great for happy control, marking future city locations and denying access with their ZOC. I also use them to round out coast line and one movement terrain exploration that my horses may have skipped. Later I use them for stacking or disbanding to get a start on a caravan.


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If you can not think of a really good reason why you should build something other than a caravan, build a caravan. - jpk

[Rasputin00]

You guys obviously dont play with raging barbarian hordes or at deity level, if you did you little single warrior would be swallowed alive and there goes your great expnasion plans

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Rasputin The Mad Monk,
Ra Ra Rasputin, Lover of the Russian Queen

[Krushala]

I agree. Even my phalanxes stuggle against barbarians. I never build more than 1 warrior for exploration. And it takes to long to get leos workshop to upgrade them.

[VetLegion]

It is easier to defend with warriors then with phalanxes. I do it this way: have lots od them (two per city or something) and I use them to stop barbarian advances by means of sacrifice. I send them towards barbs and I take them 1 mp that way until I build a horse, phalanx, whatever. You could call it a "buffer".

[rah]

I'll sometimes do that also, move them out to a mountain and fortify, so i don't risk the city pop, or defending on bad terrain. Sometimes you get a vet to move back so another one can move out.

RAH

[Aurelius]

I've been with Rasputin on this one. A vet phalanx is quite tough against barbarian archers. But they do flinch at the discovery of polytheism or Ironworking--citywalls are often a necessary drag.

But since playing OCC, I've begun to appreciate the warrior strategy a bit more overall--especially in conjunction with the elimination black space (the birthplace of barbarians--dat was an enlightening tip!)

Aurelius --let the barbies rage you pagan gods!

[War4ever]

i also find that if you build on a river you only need warior early on .... after that i take units from huts and protect with those... and i only play RAging hOrdes.... and sometimes i get screwed too..... but not against ai.....

Rah your strat is one i use as well.... vet warriors can defeat many an attacker early in the game

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They call me Mr. Fierce

[Theben]

1st city:
warrior, warrior, settler, temple, phalanx, colossus (will become SSC)

2nd or 3rd city (depending on shield output): warrior, warrior, settler, settler, temple, some other useful wonder

all others: warrior, warrior, settler, settler, temple, etc.

Once I get Writing I build 1-3 diplomats, depending on the size of my borders...also I explore, explore, explore! If I encounter an enemy civ I'll look for a descent bottleneck and put units there, then expand my cities towards him, moving the bottleneck forward.