Worker and roads advice for semi-newbie

[MichelG]

Hi everyone,

I'm writing this post because I've been reading many posts about the early game, and going "huh?" What I don't quite understand is the extent to which you use your worker(s) to help your expansion. I've been reading about REX, and I just don't understand how to get all your cities connected, roads built to luxuries, and some terraforming done. It just seems impossible!
I played Civ II some, but I had the same problem.

How specifically do you handle road-building in the early game? Do you just keep going with your worker building roads farther out? If you do, do your cities "suffer" by not having as much time spent in improving the terrain?

Or do you make your roads piecemeal, going back to your base city for some work? By piecemeal, I mean build 3-4 squares, go irrigate or something, come back later and do another 3-4 squares, etc. Do you do much of any city T-forming other than plopping down roads? The problem I have with the second approach is that I'm not sure if it hurts expansion, since your settlers have to go farther without roads to speed them along.

Also, in the expansion time, do you find yourself making at least one more worker along the way? I know it's important to get the settlers out, but I'm having problems getting enough roads with just one.

Thanks.

[UnforgiveMe2000]

Build A few more Workers along the way, in a game i'm on right now using the earth as america i've expended to control all of what america controls in in the real war today have about 15 workers, only about 5 to 7 is building my trade network and the rest are improving terrain. I tend to use the automate feature for the trade network just hit ctrl N and they'll go do their buisiness building roads to resource squares and cities the rest of the settlers i send 1 to each city then that i have enough for and hit Shift I to improve terrain in just that city radius. Like i said right now using the strategy of building a settler in capitol then worker, then another settler, by that time my second city is build up to produce a settler then worker then settler and so on! this is for a peace making strategy though cuz until you have done expanded their's not much to building a military. I'm weak military wise and a little behind on tech but have plenty of resources so when the time comes i'll trade and catch up. anyways hope this helps

[Iconoclast]

I always build most of my settlers once my cities have reached the max city size of 12 in the middle ages.
That way you only lose a population point for one turn, and you do not waste the extra food that is piling up while you wait for Sanitation and the hospital.


EDIT

HAHA, I am still thinking Civ 2. I mean workers, I rarely make settlers after the first epic, because if you do not close off the borders fast someone else will!

[Dienstag]

I always build most of my settlers once my cities have reached the max city size of 12 in the middle ages.

There's still anything left to settle in the middle ages? If I held out that long to expand I'd be in big trouble. Maybe on a huge map on a far away island I'd be ok.

MichelG, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't figured out a great strategy for this either. Of course, it will vary with difficulty level, what kind of terrain you get, where the other civs are, and what they do...(ain't it great?! ) Keep trying stuff, and HAVE FUN!