What will you do when you start with a hut in your initial position?

[George Garrett]

Thank you, Sand Monkey, Gentlemen - much re-assured, heigh-ho a house hunting we will go! I wonder...can one use a caravan to investigate a hut?... as I've stated on another thread, I use them for about everything else... with camels and settlers, who needs cissy units like howitzers and nukes? :-)

[Ming]

I'll join the crowd here...
If I see a hut on the openning screen, I delay my starting my first city (assuming there is a good place to start one) until after I've openned the hut. Since early in the game, you can only get a non-unit, money or a science, only a bad science that will slow you down to monarchy will hurt.

An early horseman or chariot can make a big difference.

On another point, in MP, I've noticed that the second city gets the same anti-barb protection that your first city does. I've seen barb chariots just die as they attack my weak warrior... and comments on this one, or am I just crazy

[DaveV]

Ming - my experience versus barbs leads me to think that any defensive bonus given to the human player diminishes rapidly as your number of cities increases. With one city, my defender takes no damage, regardless of how numerous or strong the attackers are. With two cities, the defenders seem to do better than expected, but they do take some damage. By the time I reach 3 or 4 cities, I don't think there's any bonus at all.

[SmartFart]

In my expirience,1st two cities are barb-resistant until you build your 3rd.
So far,i only saw once barb archer killed my warrior (and my capitol with him ).
Advanced tribe about 3800bc is everything.

DaveV...your small map conquest record is shaking.
So far i made 3 bc conquests and once w/o Sun-Tzu.
All i need is little luck with AI positions.

[Ming]

I would have to agree with you Smartfart on the first two city rule. I've held off building my third city before, just to avoid losing a city to barbs... It sucks to have to slow down your expansion, but I have never lost a city when I have done this... even when my defensive units were really out matched.

[finbar]

Just to prove there are exceptions to every rule, I have lost a first (and only) city to barbs in a MP game. They can wipe you out, believe me. 'Twas a rude shock. On the other hand, I've had countless examples of barbs hurling themselves at a single warrior in an only city and bouncing off. Quick way to vet status, usually.

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finbar
Mono Rules!
#33984591

[Ming]

Yeah finbar... There are exceptions to every solid rule. You sound like you really got screwed That's the problem with civ mp, it is just so buggy that anything can happen.

But, it's better than some of the other games in the family...

[Crustacian]

I usually hit the hut right away, and yes sometimes it makes my capital. And as others have noted the dang barbs sometimes are relentless. In this duel with Milo they painted my 2d city red for some (showed on top 5 cities as red ) time till I found the right shade of blue again to doctor it up.

[Empress]

Oh I love huts!! I just can't stand it, I just HAVE to open them

[KenThur]

To answer your Q, Ming; "...and comments on this one, or am I just crazy"
Yeah, U R. Why else would U B hanging around here so much?

Re: hut hunting... (assumig deity MP)
As a former balls-to-the-wall hut-hunter, i'v learned to be a little cautious after 3000BC or so, due to the REAL hordes of barbs. But in the situ S'Fart posed, GO FOR IT & don't wait until U build roads away or move your other settler away. As Ming & others pointed out... it often = a NONE unit that U can immediately use to find the best place for your capital.

As for other huts, AFTER U have established a city, I'll still usually jump them... unless i'm am closing in on a path-to-monarchy tech. I finally got it thru my thick head that if it's a "free" tech, it sets your research back significantly by increasing the # of beckers required to finish all future techs. In those cases, i'll resist instant-gratification & curiousity(try cavebear, U can do it). It's easy enuf to come back & open it after the research to done.

Thanks for the info on the 2nd city barb-safe (exceptions noted, finbar)! Every little bit helps, especially against some of the likes of U all.

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"Hm-m-m, doubt me you will?"

[This message has been edited by KenThur (edited April 23, 2000).]