Re: Civ 4 : Early game strategy

Andre <ANDREJANSSENS1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:


I seem to have a somewhat different starting approach from you guys 
(probably because I am a builder and go for a huge empire with tons 
of cities): For the first city I go for a location (within 1-2 turns) 
to find a good food place. The first unit is then a worker, which I 
automate (for some time) to improve land around that city. Meanwhile 
my extra unit scouts out the neibourhood some 10 steps all directions 
(stop if I see huge deserts or such in the direction, not likely an 
enemy city will emerge there early in the game). 
	When scouting is complete I return the warrior/whatever to
my city and fortify it. I now know the nearby terain and my city is in
good shape due to the worker. The worker is now set to build a road to
where I want the next city, while my first city is building a settler.
After that I try to maximise production of workers/settlers in the fast
growing empire, but this of course depends on the landscape and my
opponents. 
	My first goal is to create 6-10 cities, all connected, tightly
packed (ideally 4 squares in between), all in good food spots. This way
I can assure good internal intelligence, and good production base 
capable of performing in-debt defence if needed (I always give peace to
anyone approaching me, but generally I do not offer free passage early in
the game when I do not need it myself). Resources are generally no
problem,
my 10 city empire will cover enough ground to find practically anything.


> What I'm trying to say is: what traits do you find in Elizabeth that
> would give you and advantage? The other poster said Gandhi because of
> the fast workers. I'd like to start a poll to see which civs are
> people's favourite and why. And is there really an advantage picking
> one over the other or do they even out eventually?

Intriguing question. In my case experience seems to indicate that my
games tend to run basically the same way regardless of traits or intended
strategy. I beliewe that my own basic personality influences my games
much stronger than any trait I choose. One thing though: in my huge
empire/loads of cities the critical face comes when "empty" territory is
becoming scarce. I then have too few units for effective defence.
Diplomacy is a must here, but also few but powerful units. So I go for
traits with the strong unit being before gunpowder units, and usually a
defencive one. With a lot of cities and science hovering round 80-90 per
cent (at war and special occasions down to 50-60 per cent) I can be
almost certain to be the first discovering my main technological goals:
gunpowder and railway. And particularly the gunpowder I do not give
away. (Huge empire = needs to have mobile army, therefore railway). 


-- 
Kaj