Expansion or Clobberin'?

[khyron]

Okay, I guess this one comes down to personal preference, but a question:

How do you like dealing with your neighbors in the early game? I like playing on larger maps, usually about 12 or 13 civs, depending on how big, but I've usually got only one, maybe two within anything near close range. My usual method of action is to expand quickly as possible around the neighbor, and wait till Iron till I...remove him from the game. (Mostly this is due to playing Babylon, since I don't like using my bowmen and risk an early GA.) If diaster strikes and I have to, I will go after a threat, but I try to hold on as long as possible.

By the way, I'm somewhat n00b1sh, I guess, since I'm just beginning to inch my way into Regent.

Opinions, anyone?

[alva]

There are LOT'S of threads concerning this subject, even on this page. I suggest you read a couple of them. But everyone had there own style, there is no 'best strategie', so play a few more games and see what works for you.
You are on the right track btw

[GeneralTacticus]

For me, it generally depends on how much room I have to build peacefully. If I feel I have enough, then I sit down and build, if I don't have enough or there is something curcial that another Civ has, I will gear up for war and crush the offending civ.

EDIT: This is on Regent level.

[Theseus]

khyron, this is shameless, but find a thread I started called "the Care and Feeding of Neighboring Civs." It's mostly about early interactions.

Otherwise, there's a LOT of commentary in Strategy about this, spread all about.

The general sense is that smacking AI civs around is a good thing.

[Harovan]

The best approach seem to be the "Oscillating wars". Go 'round your neighbors with 1-2 armies of whatever unit is appropriate (warriors, archers, swordsmen, horsemen, depends on distance, map and resources), harass them, take/raze 1-2 cities and another one for peace (plus a couple of techs), leave them alone with 3-4 cities (don't eliminate) and go for the next neighbor. Rinse, repeat. When you have visited all, start with the first again. This is called "pruning". You let the AIs build your cities and do your research. You fill only gaps with your own settlers. When the wars yield a leader, use it either for a well-placed Forbidden Palace or an army, to build the Heroic Epic early. This works great up to Emperor. In Deity, the ancient age is very short and the AI's tech lead usually quickly turns your units obsolete.

Btw, where in Central Florida? Orlando? Tampa/St Pete? Or the Atlantic coast?

[OPD]

I like to build 4 cities as quickly as possible and forget all improvements except for barracks. Then I build about 14-20 units (usually bowmen) and attack the nearest enemy. I'll usually get about 5 or 6 cities by force or peace and then I just fill in the gaps with a few new cities. At this point I'll designate my 4 best cities (or most food producing) to be culture cities which will be allowed to grow and build improvements (and a worker army) while the other cities get the job of rebuilding the armies which are usually swordsmen and catapults by now. I'll take a few more civs then sit back and wait for a space age win.