Deity,x1x1 - The Expansion

[SmartFart]

I presume that most of expirienced Civ2 players already knows about this strategy,but I am pretty much surprised that very few (if any) actually using it,so I've decided to write a few lines if anyone care to try it....

1st settlers :

- build your capital near shielded grassland and forest ( I will not consider a special but it's easy to adjust your opening if any of it is around)
- let your foodbox fill to half using your 1st worker on a shielded grassland (5 turns)
- siwtch your worker from shielded grassland to forest

That way you'll pump out your 1st settler in 14th turn w/o rush building,specials or huts

2nd settlers :

- build your 2nd city 4 squares away,inland (no waste with 3 shields in despotism and a possibility for further expansion in 3 basic sides without an ocean blocking you one way )
- repeat shielded grassland/forest thing
- your 2nd settler is ready 3000bc

That way you'll have 4 cities placed in 2900bc (+ - turn or two).
3rd and 4th city will have one waste with 3 shields in despotism (no way you can have monarchy before 2000bc in most cases) so this is the time when you have start to build your exploring units because there is no use of placing your workers to forest before a monarchy.

This is indeed a mighty strategy because it gives you a several turns of advantage in multiplayer which actually multiplies by every passing turn further on.

Very often I found myself with 1/3 more cities than 2nd player on the end of 1st session. If you're going for Bronze or Horse as your 1st tech,you can always switch your production to military if you playing raging hordes or see an enemy unit approaching your cities.

I am also open for debate

SF

[Rasputin]

do you build a defender first, or just go for the 4 citys quickly. I usually try to get some sort of defender finsihed first, and then go for expansion. i also mainly do diplo games so i ma looking to make peace quickly with my neighbours not kill them (that bit comes later)

[SmartFart]

No defenders. 1st and 2nd cities build settlers right away. It pops out same turn when your initial cities are about to grow to size 2.

[CapTVK]

It's just the refined expansion strategy, although you can speed it up with ICS (bah! ). The only problem is an early barbarian raid from the sea. Because you can't see them up coming they'll land next to your doorstep. And when you don't have enough money to buy them off it's lights out.

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by SmartFart
No defenders. 1st and 2nd cities build settlers right away. It pops out same turn when your initial cities are about to grow to size 2.

You're going to be toast.

[Smash]

I think most of the time you will be safe at this point in the game.Once in awhile someone starts real close and stumbles on you..but that would be the exception rather than the rule.

The only thing I don't like is you may be giving others abit of a jump at the board and it's huts.If you snag a NON first,then go with settlers first.I kinda like to get out abit.Then again,map size would be a big factor here.

Timing it right can save a turn or two.2>4>8>16.Even if you can't time it perfectly,a pre growth Elvis will still save some turns.If you aren't worried about getting every early wonder you can have a fair # of cities by 1000bc.

[War4ever]

if your on a tiny map....this strat wont' work too well unless you get those two cities down pronto.....

i like to get about four warriors + whatever i get from huts.....out in the field looking for huts terrain and rivals.

granted if noone finds you this is a great strat and can give you an advantage....one the computer takes away by giving me an advanced tribe and/or nomad to compensate for your tremendous lead.

i would recommend this strat on med maps almost out of neccessity especially when play individuals who do nothing but pump out settlers

had you tried this strat last night in the game i was in..... two civs of the three would have been eliminated for sure... instead i had to use cannons to weed out the rodents who managed to make temporary homes in my backyard...

i would rather be safe and develop a tech lead and then go marching with the band

[SmartFart]

Most of 1x1x games are played on larger maps. I like to build up an army instead a hunt for hut-army with mountaintop cities. But you're right...tiny map non-duel this certainly wont work.
Hope we'll have a game tonight.

[Bird]

Originally posted by War4ever

had you tried this strat last night in the game i was in..... two civs of the three would have been eliminated for sure... instead i had to use cannons to weed out the rodents who managed to make temporary homes in my backyard...

Damn rodents in the backyard. Wonder who that was

[War4ever]

Originally posted by SmartFart
Most of 1x1x games are played on larger maps. I like to build up an army instead a hunt for hut-army with mountaintop cities. But you're right...tiny map non-duel this certainly wont work.
Hope we'll have a game tonight.

i agree.....the one thing i look forward to is non mountain top cities.... i never build em against the computer and i don't like building them in MP but sometimes its a good safety perimeter

[deity]

Appreciate the thoughts SmartFart.

I often use forests in combo with incremental rush buying to achieve this result but I've heard it's not so good to do this; I'm not sure why??

Also, I can't stand not getting a trade arrow from a shielded grassland and will usually build a road or two with the second settler before establishing the second city. From there I basically use your strat. Usually it's quite safe in the early game.

Eyes alluded to this problem with rush buying too.

You can be so experienced at all this civ MP stuff but still not know it all!!

Thoughts on this very much appreciated...

[SmartFart]

Deity : by building 1st 4 cities asap,you compensate wasted arrows by getting one from your city squares quicker. Since everybody using resources as a site for their cities,I see no need for roading near size 1 cities. That can be done a little bit later.

With bronze (or horse) there is little to fear about both other participants or raging hordes. Even if someone find you that early in x1x1 games,he still need something more than few horses to take you down and he will have one (unless loading map on another computer or exploring uncharted parts of the map by right-clicking,which vast majority of players around here don't do so this isn't realy a problem) and you can always switch settler production to appropriate military unit.

This strategy isn't anything new...I was just wandering why nobody is using it when circumstances are right.

And finally...let's kick mountaintop/hilltop cities out of Civ or at least those cities should be free to bribe.

[markusf]

I don't use it because it forces me to stay in monarchy to long and kills my ability to crank out wonders. If you don't have HG your good as done. I'd rather have 8-10 cities in rep. Then celebrate to size 7-8 and crank out a caravan every 4 or 5 turns before 1000bc. After that just massive expansion. And in the start of the game i want to uncouver as much land as possible and get as many tribes as possible. In the average game 50% of my cities are tribes at around 1000BC. in the tourny game i found 5 tribes before i built my first city from a settler i built. not to mention i had 10 hut units... Uncouvering huts and land asap is one of the most important things in 1x 1x and in 2x 2x who ever gets the best huts by 2000 bc wins the game period.

[War4ever]

markus , enough of your king strategies at least you play x1 and have mastered it though

[markusf]

its a diety strat. King is just all out expansion, unhappiness doesn't mean a thing... but on diety if you have more then 12 cities your going to be in big trouble if you go rep.

[War4ever]

i can usually get 21 cities or so without real problems in republic on a small map....... then you have to start building temples right away.... sometimes i only get 18

[markusf]

war we are talking 1x 1x diety here.... not that 2x crap... In 2x unhappiness is never really a problem not even on diety