Inhospitable Terrain

[bernhj]

Hello me and my brother started an MP game yesterday (late at night so we took a break). I only have 11 cities and one settler I found far away in all swamp. I have all plains in the middle, to the north of the tiny continent I have all desert with a few plain tiles. On the east and west sides its all jungle or swamp. From what I know of his continent (or colony) is that it has all grassland, rivers and plains with some tundra/glacier up north.

Does anyone have any advice, should I settle in the desert and then just terraform it later, or mass produce some Knights?

[Maquiladora]

If youre far enough way and he doesnt have Knights yet, id build as many cities as your government can take, prerably away from the desert, coast if you can find it, mountain + grass or plains even better, or plains. Improve your cities with happiness buildings, find all the ruins you can and build Knights to kill him!

[bernhj]

I have settled all the cities I can on my Island except for some coastland, but the coastland has almost all desert tiles. I have absolutely no mountains or hills near me and we are pretty even in science at classical education. I think I will stay in republic and not switch to fascism because my city count is so low.

[bernhj]

Doesn't matter now though I have discovered him and I will bring upon him a swift military victory. I have 10 Knights already and I am creating more very fast.

[EPW]

Expansion is the key to victory, no matter what the terrain is like.

[bernhj]

Yes, but an all desert city will not benefit me much, in fact it will hurt me more because I need to defend it etc.

I won anyways