Escorting settlers

coryl · October 1, 2002, 17:54

My question is:
In the early game, do you build military escorts for your settlers/workers or do you hope a random barbarian or civ never finds them?

I usually escort them but wonder if I'd be better off using the extra military to scout for huts or opponents.

Knightblade pDM · October 1, 2002, 18:04

Sometimes I do sometimes I don't. It all depends on what my current situation is. What I do on occasion is leave some scouting troups fortified all around the map, especially if I'm on a island and there's no where else to go until Map Making, in areas that I want to settle in, and if I see a barb, I'll use whoever is closest to attack and cleanse the area.

But I'll lose a settler here and there just because I'm at war and I can't spare the troops. So if you feel comfortable about using escorts, do so, then use the escort to fortify in the city just in case a barb gets by and ransacks your gold/production.

Theseus · October 1, 2002, 18:06

Hardly ever. I do try to make sure a military unit can get to a Settler or undefended town in no more than 2 moves though.

WarpStorm · October 1, 2002, 18:11

Theseus, will you still do that in MP?

I usually build an escort which becomes the first defender because it is much quicker to build it at a more developed city.

Theseus · October 1, 2002, 18:18

No, nor will I use Warriors as escorts (or at least get to Spearman ASAP).

I nail AI settler / warrior pairs all the time... a warrior / warrior pair on a mountain or hill is a deadly thing.

Demerzel · October 1, 2002, 23:10

i don't normally bother escorting my settlers as my simple tactic for when barbarians come raid my city is to spend all my money before they get there. that way when they reach the city they raid a gold piece or two for their efforts.

as I normally play on the high difficulty levels, I often have no money at the start of the turn anyway ( at least not when I'm rapidly expanding ). so it suits me fine

Tuberski · October 1, 2002, 23:36

I always do, but I usually wait until spearmen before I do. So, I try to get Bronze Working as early as possible.

Jaybe · October 1, 2002, 23:57

Demerzel, a barb entering the town might also steal away the women and children (a pop point) or destroy your production.

I once lost a (gasp!) Wonder construction that way. It was my capital, it was an uprising that broke through my legions.

Demerzel · October 2, 2002, 19:16

generally, my outlying cities are garrisoned by the time they reach size 2 or size 3 whether from my interior cities or their own production. so losing production time to dirty barbarian scum is unlikely

my capital is normally doubly reinforced in early times to avoid unhappiness in despotic emperor level ancient times - so that isnt a prob either

Sheik · October 2, 2002, 20:35

I never escort. However I try to always get a defensive unit in the new cities ASAP.

Sheik · October 2, 2002, 20:55

I never escort. However I try to always get a defensive unit in the new cities ASAP.

Inverse Icarus · October 2, 2002, 21:08

i hardly ever escort my settlers until i have more than enough productive cities to do so.

usually, it works out that theres a ap between settler productions (city needs to regrow), and a spearman fills that gap well.

2 cities can be synched properly to make a spearman and settler pop out real close together.

i may have to adapt to MP though

MosesPresley · October 2, 2002, 23:37

I never escort in the early game. Later, like late BC, when the barbarians are more restless, I always provide an escort. The cost is too prohibitive in the first few turns of the game.

SpencerH · October 3, 2002, 09:37

It depends on which civ I'm playing, but generally I dont escort since I put out a lot of warriors, impis, etc to scout terrain ahead of my expansion.

Nym · October 3, 2002, 12:07

I always escort my settlers or workers moving outside my territory with at least the best defensive unit I have. This becomes the first defensive unit for the city, if the protected unit is a settler.

Arrian · October 3, 2002, 12:28

I almost always escort my settlers. Sometimes, however, if I have a bunch of exploring warriors and the terrain works out just so, I will forgo the escorts. Cities get garrisoned asap, though. That's for happiness as much as anything else.

Escorts are primarily warriors, at least in the beginning, but I will use spearmen toward the end of ReX. I want the outlying cities to have spearmen because they are most likely to come under attack.

-Arrian

bbaws · October 5, 2002, 14:16

Early, early in the game I don't but after 3 or 4 cities I always do. Even if it means leaving a city briefly undefended. The most a barb can do is kill one pop or ruin some production (spend, spend, spend the gold), settlers are two pops and thirty shields, plus i have never yet been able to pop rush a spearman, at need, in a settler.

jdd2007 · October 5, 2002, 22:06

i dont, but i should.

TheStinger · October 7, 2002, 11:13

I can't be bothered

georges bonbon · October 8, 2002, 05:49

Escorting settlers should be in function of barbarian activity?

Maybe also in function of the difficulty level?