7 cities trade empire

[ramses II.]

I play deity since about 2 months. I won't play the other levels any more. But the OCC seems to be a very strong and difficult challenge for me. So I prepare for it. I tried to reach Alpa Centauri with only 7 cities.
during some milleniums I built (after two phalanxes, a settler and a temple for every city and one or two triremes) only carvans.
Most of them were needed for building certain Wonders (focus: science wonders) of the World, the others were sent to other civs to increase my income and my beakers.
The AI likes to launch their spaceships with 15-3-3-1-1-1,
I prefer 38-8-8-1-1-1 with Fusion power, that means 5.9 years travelling time (I don't know: is it the fastest ship? Who knows?)
Cause I had the money (trade )I could rush buy the modules and then produce structurals and components.
It is easier to manage a small empire. The AI won't be very aggressive.

[poppawoppa]

I learned in this forum that the minimum time space ship was as follows: 33-8-8-1-1-1 with fusion power which takes 5.7 years. Of course, with the years rounded to full years, the 5.9 would be just as fast as a 5.7, only you would maybe launch one turn sooner because of only having to build 33 structural parts.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Using this strategy, samson launched his spaceship in 76ad, iirc. It really is effective! It's the only way I've managed to launch before even a modest 1800ad...

[Campo]

I haven't had success with a small number of cities. I've played OCC and I think it works because you're so smal that the AI doesn't consider you a threat, even if you have the tech lead. But when I've played with a few cities -- 4 or 5, for example, the AI seems to come at me harder once I get the tech lead.

I think it's the worst of both worlds -- too big to go unnoticed, but too smal to field a decent army.

My experience was to go with either OCC or else at least a moderate number of cities (10 on a small world, 12 - 15 on a normal world).

I'm surprised ramses II won with 7 cities. I'd have thought that enough for the AI to attack you aggressively. Good work.

[poppawoppa]

Just started a Diety game which gave me 12 techs. Thought I would be in a terrible terrain position, but turned out to have wheat, two buffalos and spice in a jungle on the four corners. So I started the city there, after popping a hut to find a horseman. As I explored the terrain, I found I was on an island of about only 65 squares. actually room for 4 or 5 cities, maybe more, but that was the reason I got so many techs.
Well, I decided to go OCC. But later after bribing a trireme from the barbarians, I went around exploring and came to the French. They had 7 or 8 cities, and were at the top of the power graph.
***The point of this is, that the French on the first contact wanted 250 gold to refrain from wiping me off the map for befowling the lands that they felt were rightfully theirs.*** So, it made no difference that I was small, One City, Far away from their home continent, and had just 3 military... They wanted gold as reparations. Since I only had about 290 gold, and was going to use it to rush a library and aqueduct... I refused their blackmail and they declared war.
So, it was of no consequence that I was small potatoes. They were very demanding. As a matter of fact, when I later took a caravan to Lyons, France to set up a trade route, They again wanted to talk, and this time they wanted 400 gold, and again later when I ran into one of their "hidden cities" in my exploring, they demanded 850 gold. Just escalating as the years go by.
Now its 1920 AD and they are still at war with me, but I don't think they even know where I am, since my One city is in the middle of this island, not touching any shore they might be able to see if they went by with a ship, or even a diplomat or 2 move horseman jumping off and on their Frigate. So, I believe I am undiscovered, at least until Apollo is built, and then, of course, watch out.
I'll probably have to build airfields all around my city to prevent them from sending over bombers to do me in... And also fend off who knows how many tanks and alpines, etc.
But, until then, I'm having fun.

[Campo]

Your treasury must be growing for them to demand higher tribute. AFAIK, the AI never demands more than you have. One of the OCC techniques is to keep your treasury down by rush-buying, isn't it? Specifically to avoid that situation.

I thought the AI knows where you are, even if they haven't found you by exploring yet. Isn't that one of the AI cheats?

[Scouse Gits]

Just shows ... You can never trust the French!




Sorry LaFayette

[La Fayette]