The Old World, a new Civ-like from Soren Johnson

[mongers]

Yes, thanks Jacob, I'll also check it out.

[Josephus]

Got the new DLC and started a game for the first time in a while. Playing on an easier level until I get the hang of it again. Man, I forgot how unforgiving this game is. There is so much to do at the beginning. You need to expand, remove tribes from around you, and at the same time try to get culture and build wonders, or you will fall behind in points pretty quickly.

[mongers]

Got the new DLC and started a game for the first time in a while. Playing on an easier level until I get the hang of it again. Man, I forgot how unforgiving this game is. There is so much to do at the beginning. You need to expand, remove tribes from around you, and at the same time try to get culture and build wonders, or you will fall behind in points pretty quickly.

Thanks for the timely reminder Josephus, I'll give it a go.

[Jacob]

I typically don't worry about wonders in the opening phases of the game. I mean, it's great if I can get them but usually something else is more important. If things don't go awry, I can often get some wonders later.

[Josephus]

I typically don't worry about wonders in the opening phases of the game. I mean, it's great if I can get them but usually something else is more important. If things don't go awry, I can often get some wonders later.

I find if I fall behind with monument building, it's hard to catch up with AI.

Here's a question: What are your starting strategies?

[crazy canuck]

Mine is build armies early and often. 

[Josephus]

Finished a great game on a map called Empires of the East...which had 10 players. Huge map. Finished third. Winner was "unknown". My guess it was so isolated, it never got into any conflicts.

[Jacob]

Finished a great game on a map called Empires of the East...which had 10 players. Huge map. Finished third. Winner was "unknown". My guess it was so isolated, it never got into any conflicts.

I like that map. It's basically Rome to India and points in between.

I realized the other day that your starting position on that map varies with the leader you pick (at least for the Maurya and Yuezhi).

[Jacob]

I find if I fall behind with monument building, it's hard to catch up with AI.

Here's a question: What are your starting strategies?

So... a year or two back I beat the game on Great a few times. Then I dialed back the difficulty a bit, for more leisurely but still interesting games. Recently I've tried more games on Great and it's not been working out

The point is, my starting strategy may not be up to scratch when playing at the Great level though it typically serves me well enough just below that.

Generally my strategy is to expand as aggressively as I can manage to clear out tribal sites. I'm willing to fall behind on wonders, city development, and (to a certain degree) on general infrastructure, as long as I end up with more cities than the AI (ideally with defensible natural borders). In the early game, I find that if I can steal one or two of the sites that would normally "belong" to my neighbours by being aggressive, I'm on a good path.

Once the numerical advantage is locked in, I have to make it through the fragile period where I get infrastructure set up properly, but once it is I typically catch up and end up in a strong position by the end.

Of course right now, on the Great, I'm struggling to "make it through the fragile period". Recently I'm getting crushed by tribal raid after tribal raid after tribal invasion.

In terms of other priorities - I typically go all in on quarries as soon as I can. I'm also a big fan of shrines and shrine acolytes, and like to go Polytheism when I get there (by then I've usually either clearly lost already, or I'm in the process of locking in my lead). I also like getting my own religion if at all possible, naturally.

In terms of wonders, I don't worry about them until I have a bunch of quarries and rock stockpiles. When I start thinking about them, there's usually only one or zero left of the lowest tier, but that's never really been a problem.

What about you, what's your default starting strategy?

[crazy canuck]

Why do you prefer polytheism?

[Jacob]

Why do you prefer polytheism?

I'm a multiple shrine enjoyer.

The civs I play typically have at least one really nice shrine - like the one that gives +1 level to all ranged units, or the +2 training one which is great for military focused cities. I'm also a fan of using stand-alone urban buildings to expand my cities' territories and urban areas. Getting up to four shrines per city is a great addition to hamlets and monasteries in that regard.

More prosaically, it helps me avoid decision paralysis about the optimal placement of the four individual shrines I have, when I can expect to build every shrine in every town if I like.

[crazy canuck]

Thanks

[Josephus]

I find if I fall behind with monument building, it's hard to catch up with AI.

Here's a question: What are your starting strategies?

What about you, what's your default starting strategy?

similar to you. I try to expand as quickly as I can. So I send out my scout(s) and any military units I have to find and hold the empty cities and wait to get settlers to occupy them. Then I build my military up a bit to take out all the tribal units in my vicinity. Not being able to make peace this early means I'll keep fighting them until they peace out, or I've finished them off.

At this point I should be strong enough to start on my infrastructue. I tend to ignore religion until later on. If I have the opportunity I'll found one; but the religious game is not my priority. I will eventually make the most dominant religion my state religion, and convert my leader to that religion, but once I have one I won't bother changing it.

Then I mostly try to keep up with the other nations. Attacking weaker ones when I can, building up my military and chasing wonders and monuments.

[Jacob]

On religion, I'll usually try to found one if I'm well positioned for one of the two early faiths.
 
If I start with Husbandry and have resources for pastures in two cities, I'll prioritize getting two ranchers to get Judaism; and if I have a good combination of Stonecutting and Divination (that is, I end up having both of them within maybe my first two research completes) I'll try to time getting two Acolytes within the first four to six specialists

Occasionally I target them within the first three specialists, depending on what else is happening with my early builds.

If I get two acolytes out of my first three specialists (assuming I build specialists basically as a soon as I can), Zoroastrianism is basically guaranteed. Same within four, I've found. Five is pushing it, and six is a long shot. But having early Acolytes is not a bad thing, so the opportunity cost isn't too bad.

I never target Christianity of Manicheanism deliberately.