City Startup

[DarkCloud]

Here's what I do

Build 2 Warrors; or phalanxes
build a settler; walk a few steps and colonize a city
build a warrior or horseman; explore

(eventually have 2 horsemen exploring)

Then keep building settlers with first city until you have 4 cities; then change to building up.

Each colony city should follow the original plan and build 1-2 settlers; then change to building up.

This way you will have an unstoppable army within but a few turns.

[cpemma]

If foreigners are knocking about I'll send a chariot or horseman with the settler - they can go in advance & find a good site while the settler adds to the road, then they defend until the new city has it's troops.

[Blaupanzer]

Note this start works very well for both perfectionist variations as advocated or for ICS, where the cities go on producing settlers and building units ad infinitum.

[War4ever]

i build four warriors...... from my two cities..... depending on what i get from huts....maybe more to fill holes from barbs..... cap will produce one settler the second city will produce 4 settlers then i build it up as well....

if i get a nomad the second city will build a wonder too.... if it has the production and i get the city down right quick

[rah]

Very similar to war4.

Yes it's nice to get an early nomad or city. If I get it early enough = early start on wonder.

The only difference is that if I wander a little too long or if there are just some really juicy sites close, I will spit out a second settler from my cap.

RAH

[Scouse Gits]

I try to find a few Non-Units from huts before founding - preferably on four legs. These guys go and explore whilst the Archers or Legions will garrison the first cities. Woodland huts near the capital are saved until after founding as they can be a rich source of nomads.

If the capital has reasonable trade specials no settler will be built - as I want to grow a potential SSC. A Temple - assuming CB is in F6 is the first target. If I find a Non Settler he may do some roading and will then join the SSC when the place has reached two - for quick growth to three. If the capital has high production potential (Pheasant, Peat, Iron etc) then a Barracks will be the first build for a quick source of Vet units. If the place is just a ****hole then it's a settler.

In second city I want a good food supply as this place may spend most of the early years as a settler factory. I use Warriors for martial law - but with the odd vet Horseman around for Barb duties plus a vet Phalanx to park on a mountain/hill for the Barb King trick.

The usual pattern to build the empire is:
Build City - Warrior - Settler - Warrior - Settler/Caravan depending upon the game/food supply in any one town.

I usually play large/medium worlds.

-----------------

SG(2)

[Eyes_Of_Night]

"Here's what I do

Build 2 Warrors; or phalanxes
build a settler; walk a few steps and colonize a city
build a warrior or horseman; explore

(eventually have 2 horsemen exploring)

Then keep building settlers with first city until you have 4 cities; then change to building up.

Each colony city should follow the original plan and build 1-2 settlers; then change to building up.

This way you will have an unstoppable army within but a few turns."

Poor kid, somebody needs to teach him how to start off a game.

[War4ever]

Even you Eyes, have to put a few units from cities into the game.....huts can really make a huge difference......there are situations where good hut luck is better than over all skill.....

but your right, he relies too much on early defense..... you gotta grab that turf quickly and harass the enemy equally so...

[Eyes_Of_Night]

I only build 1 warrior.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

My start is much in step with SG(2). If I start with just one settler, my first unit produced is a second settler. My first defensive units are usually NONs from huts.

Whichever of my first few cities looks best for an SSC will build a unit and temple, then start on a wonder a.s.a.p. The other cities then roll out the settlers for roads and new cities. Any with multiple specials I'll let grow after the first settler is done.

[The Andy-Man]

i usually just build stterlers until i have bronze working.

sometimes, i build the hanging gardens first. so my capitl is usually undefended for quite some time.

but i suppose i do ned up with 10 cites nice and quick and spare sttelers tyo d othe tidying up.

[fittstim]

Building two warriors (or, god forbid, two phalanxes) seems terribly EXCESSIVE and wastes A LOT of time.

If you play in deity mode, use that second settler to find a unit with a movement of 2. This can, with a little luck, usually be done within the first 10 turns. Otherwise, you'll be building 2 warriors (20 shields), a settler (40 shields) and then a horseman (20 shields). If your city isn't in a prime place with plenty of grass/shield squares, this could spell your doom right from the start.

During those precious first 50 turns when Dark Cloud is trying to produce 4 suspect units, my settler almost assuredly will have found at least 1, maybe more, 2-move units which can then go out and find more huts. Thus giving me techs, cities, gold and more 2-move units. But Dark Cloud will still be trying to produce a settler... (no offense Dark Cloud ).

Personally, I build one warrior and then a settler. I move the settler completely out of the capital cities radius - but still close and smartly positioned. Then the process repeats itself. Meanwhile, my horsemen or chariots that the second original settler was so kind as to find will be out searching the countryside for more goodies.

[geofelt]

I play on deity, so I always have two settlers. I always explore a bit. Firstly to find huts, and second to identify a decent capitol site. The location must have some science, and preferably some production potential. I try to keep the settlers not too far apart, so I can found two cities at about the same time.
My first science is horseback riding. This gives me defense from the raging hordes. Next is a rush to monarchy. Along the way, I research pottery, or some other wonder tech if that is not available.
Under despotism, you can have at least four, and perhaps five cities, and I try to found them quickly. The cap builds a warrior, then a settler. I then build a horseman for defense, and start on a wonder if one is available converting to hanging gardens if possible. This increases science dramatically. The second city builds a warrior, and then turns out a settler. After the 4/5 cities are founded, and have built a settler, units are produced until monarchy when expansion resumes. Until monarchy, I use the settlers to build roads and mines on coal/wine hills.
After monarchy, I expand until trade. Then, inner cities build caravans for wonders, and outer cities keep expanding.
The warrior is the first build, it gives time to get to size 2 so a settler can be built. I try to build a settler for every city that can support one(excepting the cap) . If trade is not available yet, I build horsemen for defense, and as an expensive unit for disbanding to get an early wonder. I have found that a horseman can stop almost any barbarian early in the game.

[The Andy-Man]

i play in prince and soetimes king. so i dont always get 2 settlers.

but when i do, a build a cioty with one, and use the other to irrigate and road. think about it, he is a free sttler that costs no resources from a city.....

[EOL]

Originally posted by The Andy-Man
i play in prince and soetimes king. so i dont always get 2 settlers.

but when i do, a build a cioty with one, and use the other to irrigate and road. think about it, he is a free sttler that costs no resources from a city.....

But seriously diminishes your chance of getting a nomad from a hut and could be helping your exponential expansion out instead.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Yes, Andy-Man, to echo EOL, players have tested whether that really is worth the free worker. I used to always keep NON settlers to work without food use. I've since been convinced it is much better to settle him as soon as you find a good site. Sure, take the time to build a road from your capitol to the new site if it's nearby. But nomads pop out of huts much more frequently (a difference between once or twice a game and ten or more!) if you use them to settle.

[jpk]

Some time ago someone did an experiment to see whether it was better to plant two cities or use one of the NON settlers to build road, irrigate, etc. Their conclusion was that planting two cities was better because you get twice the science from two cities.

I apologize for not recalling more details about this study.