2-3 questions about new game

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Seriously, I am utterly amazed at how big a difference a Cow or Wheat resource makes for the early game. It is virtually a game breaker. If one player starts with none (as I have in some PBEMs) and others start with one in their initial radius by the time you reach the Medieval Age the one with the Wheat is typically twice as large as the one without.

It all depends on who can get to bonus food resources the quickest. One in the initial radius is a big plus, one in the expanded radius is a plus, and a few just outside the radius for your secondary cities is a distinct advantage.

Now if that is compounded, say one in the initial radius and then another in the expanded radius, they stack to give an even greater boost to the early game. Strategy is important, Luxs are advantages as your cities grow larger, but the lack of Luxuries can be offset with the Luxury slider. Bonus food resources cannot be offset with anything in my opinion.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by forwax
this is what my game look like for now at 70 AD... I think I got a "fair" game.

[[/URL]

Not sure what you mean by fair. You have some good land, but are in the midst of some storms coming your way. You have at least two wars going and a few that look to be about to enter the fray. With so many civs nearby you will have to defend on all fronts, if things go bad.
You are 11TH or worse in all of the good categories out of 16. So that will need to be improved soon. If you can get some land from the wars and not lose yours, then you could make a turn around.
Being last place in the score by 70AD is not promising. I only say about 7 workers for something like 15 cities, so they will be hard pressed and could be exposed to raids with the long thin border you have.
The city gov is not doing the kind of job you will need at this level in this spot. In Orleans, a citizen was working an unmined or irrigated tile while a mine shielded grassland tile was idle.
Research was set to 10% on Fuedalism. This with +89 gold per turn? You have wars going and are not moving hard to get pikes? With 520 gold in the bank, I would at least move up a few notches. Just to 20% reduced the time from 25 turns to 13. At 50% you get it in 5 turns. Now you will have pikes and be much safer. Likely it will cost you nothing as it is only -5 gold and you will recoup most of that on the last turn.
If you can avoid others from coming at you, you could survive. I think Japand had a bunch of troops in your land, I did not see if they were after some one else or if they think you are it. I know there were at least 5 civs with units in your land, that is omnimus.
Good luck

[madosca]

Forwax,
I play deity only and cheating only.
Ceating is often a point of view though .
I usually do cheat much more than i suggest below.

An Initial good starting location has 1 cow, 1 on other luxury and one river (touching city tile).

To be (only) good it must also be far away (as far as possible) from Other Civs: Save and do retire after the second turn and you'll see where the others start from.

A very good one is one like above that has at its borders a territory with same caracteristics, allowing you to start with also the second city to grow quickly.

The most important thing you can get from good huts are knowledges, not settlers. To this purpouse in order to (try to) arrive asap to Monarchy, which is a milstone in you progress, You must initially choose to search for Alphabet (40 turns) and then Writing (40 turns). This is becaus in goodhuts you tend to discover knowlegdges different from the ones you are researching.

The first most importnat wonder is Piramids, the second geat Library. If AI do any of these, quit and start a new game.

Tribe: I tend to play America or Arabia: Expasionism (both) gives you the scout that allows you to look from the beginning for goodhuts (hope to discover Civ Advances - keep Science at 10% up to litterature). America: workers work faster which is important in huge maps like I like to play. Arabia - Religiuos is quicker to do Temples and Cathedral ( early stage city Improvem.) and only 1 turn (or may be 2) of anarchy after revolution.
To this regard bear in mind that at deity it will often end up with a ICBM war, therefor the short anarchycould be very relevant.

Have good day

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

That's kinda harsh. I don't think you have to quit if you don't get the Pyramids or Great Library. I haven't found the GL to be all that important in my games.

[vmxa1]

Yeah , if I quit every game at deity that I failed to get those two wonders, I would hardly get in a game.
Show some perservance. You do not need either to win at any level.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

The biggest improvement to my chances at winning Diety level games was getting my second city founded ASAP.

[Gufnork]

Is it possible to build the Pyramids before the AI on deity? And you can live without them. Atleast I hope so, in my latest game as Chinese I realized that I couldn't afford to build any wonders since the Japanese and the Indians had me completly surrounded after I've built four cities. Now I'm wading through the Japanese to get my lebensraum. I just discovered he had iron and I don't, though.

I did just get a great leader though. Is it worth it to save him until I get literacy or just turn him into an army?

Work order for first 2-3 cities:

City 1:
Warriors until I can build settler.
Spearmen or archers until I can build settler. Repeat.
(Occasionally I build a barracks, temple or granary instead of warriors/spearmen/archers, depending on terrain and objectives).

City 2:
Temple, Palace, Switch to Great Library

City 3+:
See city 1.

If I have lots of room to REX in I will build a granary in the first 3-4 low food cities (2/square). In tight maps where I plan to war early and I'm militaristic, I build barracks early. If I'm religious and need culture, or have no luxuries I build temples early.

I have yet to win a game on deity with anything other than a huge map, max civs, however. But I believe it's my lack of warring skills that does that.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

NEVER save a Leader. Unless you are done with war and aren't going to fight with any Elites until after you use the Leader.

[forwax]

vmxa1 : I only said fair because it is possible but will have to work hard to win.

Will have 1 week vacancy starting tomorrow (friday) so... )