Civ 4 : Early game strategy

In alt.games.civ3 on Wed, 12 Dec 2007, Eddie Grove wrote :
>Paul Hyett <pah.TakeThisOut@nojunkmailplease.co.uk> writes:
>
>> In alt.games.civ3 on Tue, 11 Dec 2007, Hank Stalica wrote :
>> > Very first thing I build is two workers, then a settler (depending on
>> > surrounding terrain). I use the first worker to chop another worker then
>> > both to chop a settler. Gets the 2d city up really fast.
>>
>> 'Chop'? I've not heard that used in this context before.
>
>It means to cut down forests for the production to quickly build the unit.

Oh right - Bronze Working is not one of my early priority techs.
>
>I think a single worker is enough if you are very careful to plan everything
>exactly, and I like to save my forests for the health benefit

Health benefit - I never realised that?

I normally just do a 'Texas chainsaw massacre' for farmland/food!
--
Paul 'Charts Fan' Hyett
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

Paul Hyett <pah.RemoveThis@nojunkmailplease.co.uk> writes:

> In alt.games.civ3 on Wed, 12 Dec 2007, Eddie Grove wrote :
> >Paul Hyett <pah.RemoveThis@nojunkmailplease.co.uk> writes:
> >
> >> In alt.games.civ3 on Tue, 11 Dec 2007, Hank Stalica wrote :
> >> > Very first thing I build is two workers, then a settler (depending on
> >> > surrounding terrain). I use the first worker to chop another worker then
> >> > both to chop a settler. Gets the 2d city up really fast.
> >>
> >> 'Chop'? I've not heard that used in this context before.
> >
> >It means to cut down forests for the production to quickly build the unit.
>
> Oh right - Bronze Working is not one of my early priority techs.
> >
> >I think a single worker is enough if you are very careful to plan everything
> >exactly, and I like to save my forests for the health benefit
>
> Health benefit - I never realised that?

Each forest [or jungle, but should raze those] adds .5 health. Production is
good too. I try not to chop any forests. If you have to choose, keep the
forests on a river. They get the trade bonus once you build lumbermills, so
for golden ages it is better to have forest on river plus non-river town
rather than town on river plus non-river forest. I've read that forests are
less likely to [re]generate on squares with a road, so try not to build roads
where you would like to see forests grow if that is feasible.

The main point of irrigation for food is to be able to use mined hills or
plains and the like. Food merely for the sake of increased population is a
mistake IMO. I'd rather have a town than irrigate for excess food to produce
a specialist, and I usually prefer a forest to a hamlet [growing to a town].


Eddie
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

Eddie Grove <eddiegrove RemoveThis @hotmail.com> writes:

> I try not to chop any forests. If you have to choose, keep the
> forests on a river. They get the trade bonus once you build lumbermills, so
> for golden ages it is better to have forest on river plus non-river town
> rather than town on river plus non-river forest.

That is wrong. My obsession with optimizing for golden ages has blinded me.
Assuming you manage 3 golden ages after lumbermills, that's only 24 turns of
added trade. If you need to use the cleared square significantly before
lumbermills, clearly you should clear the river square unless it is possible
to take advantage of the financial trait or something similar somehow.

I wonder how many times I have made this error. Live and learn.


Eddie
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

"Eddie Grove" <eddiegrove RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:87ir33u777.fsf@hotmail.com...
> Paul Hyett <pah RemoveThis @nojunkmailplease.co.uk> writes:
>
>> In alt.games.civ3 on Wed, 12 Dec 2007, Eddie Grove wrote :
>> >Paul Hyett <pah RemoveThis @nojunkmailplease.co.uk> writes:
>> >
>> >> In alt.games.civ3 on Tue, 11 Dec 2007, Hank Stalica wrote :
>> >> > Very first thing I build is two workers, then a settler (depending
>> >> > on
>> >> > surrounding terrain). I use the first worker to chop another worker
>> >> > then
>> >> > both to chop a settler. Gets the 2d city up really fast.
>> >>
>> >> 'Chop'? I've not heard that used in this context before.
>> >
>> >It means to cut down forests for the production to quickly build the
>> >unit.
>>
>> Oh right - Bronze Working is not one of my early priority techs.
>> >
>> >I think a single worker is enough if you are very careful to plan
>> >everything
>> >exactly, and I like to save my forests for the health benefit
>>
>> Health benefit - I never realised that?
>
> Each forest [or jungle, but should raze those] adds .5 health. Production
> is
> good too. I try not to chop any forests. If you have to choose, keep the
> forests on a river. They get the trade bonus once you build lumbermills,
> so
> for golden ages it is better to have forest on river plus non-river town
> rather than town on river plus non-river forest. I've read that forests
> are
> less likely to [re]generate on squares with a road, so try not to build
> roads
> where you would like to see forests grow if that is feasible.
>
> The main point of irrigation for food is to be able to use mined hills or
> plains and the like. Food merely for the sake of increased population is
> a
> mistake IMO. I'd rather have a town than irrigate for excess food to
> produce
> a specialist, and I usually prefer a forest to a hamlet [growing to a
> town].
>
>
> Eddie

I don't like forests on the tiles adjoining my cities and always chop them.
However I'll keep those within city radius but not directly adjoining the
city.

Reason: If attacked, the attacking units make a beeline for the forest tiles
and the defence bonus there makes it much harder to kill em'
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

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 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

In alt.games.civ3 on Wed, 12 Dec 2007, Eddie Grove wrote :

>> >I like to save my forests for the health benefit
>>
>> Health benefit - I never realised that?
>
>Each forest [or jungle, but should raze those] adds .5 health.

Jungles give -0.25 health, according to the wallchart - which I should
have thought to look at before...

> Production is
>good too. I try not to chop any forests.

Sometimes you have to though, or you have nowhere to grow food.

> If you have to choose, keep the
>forests on a river. They get the trade bonus once you build lumbermills

But those aren't an option until way into the game.

>, so
>for golden ages it is better to have forest on river plus non-river town
>rather than town on river plus non-river forest.

I rarely utilise Golden Ages myself - I tend to use Great People for
other priorities.
--
Paul 'Charts Fan' Hyett
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

In alt.games.civ3 on Wed, 12 Dec 2007, ><(((°> wrote :
>
>I don't like forests on the tiles adjoining my cities and always chop them.
>However I'll keep those within city radius but not directly adjoining the
>city.
>
>Reason: If attacked, the attacking units make a beeline for the forest tiles
>and the defence bonus there makes it much harder to kill em'
>
I used to think that the Barbarians attacked on sight, but have since
noticed that if they face a really strong unit, they flee in terror,
leaving a brown trail behind them!
--
Paul 'Charts Fan' Hyett
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

"Paul Hyett" <pah DeleteThis @nojunkmailplease.co.uk> skrev i meddelandet
news:937DGJHeJOYHFwjQ@blueyonder.co.uk...

[snip]

> I rarely utilise Golden Ages myself - I tend to use Great People for other
> priorities.

If you are building a couple of Great Wonder, nothign beats a Golde Age for
ensuring that you finish them before somebody else does.
In one game, I used a GP to start a Golden Age while building the Taj
Mahal. During the second Golden Age which followed without any intermission
when I had finished Taj Mahal, I used two GPs to start a third Golden Age
after the second one. I never looked back after that.
Of course, the fact that I had built the Mausoleum of Mausollos also
helped.

Öjevind
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

"Öjevind Lång" <bredband.net.RemoveThis@ojevind.lang> wrote in message
news:5scdopF18ics8U1@mid.individual.net...
> "Paul Hyett" <pah.RemoveThis@nojunkmailplease.co.uk> skrev i meddelandet
> news:937DGJHeJOYHFwjQ@blueyonder.co.uk...
>
> [snip]
>
>> I rarely utilise Golden Ages myself - I tend to use Great People for
>> other priorities.
>
> If you are building a couple of Great Wonder, nothign beats a Golde Age
> for ensuring that you finish them before somebody else does.
> In one game, I used a GP to start a Golden Age while building the Taj
> Mahal. During the second Golden Age which followed without any
> intermission when I had finished Taj Mahal, I used two GPs to start a
> third Golden Age after the second one. I never looked back after that.
> Of course, the fact that I had built the Mausoleum of Mausollos also
> helped.
>
> Öjevind
>

Yep...
If you get the Mausoleum of Mausollos wonder GA's are very worth doing.
I do like to keep some Great Engineers in stock though for my 'must have'
wonders:
Pentagon & 3 Gorges Dam.

Lately I've stopped doing power stations of any sort and get the damm after
a rush to Plastics tech.
Much lowered pollution in every city that way.
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

In alt.games.civ3 on Thu, 13 Dec 2007, Öjevind Lång wrote :

> Of course, the fact that I had built the Mausoleum of Mausollos

I have no idea what that is?

> also
>helped.
--
Paul 'Charts Fan' Hyett
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

"Paul Hyett" <pah.RemoveThis@nojunkmailplease.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4fpCsdDVJXYHFwxF@blueyonder.co.uk...
> In alt.games.civ3 on Thu, 13 Dec 2007, Öjevind Lång wrote :
>
>> Of course, the fact that I had built the Mausoleum of Mausollos
>
> I have no idea what that is?
>
>> also
>>helped.
> --
> Paul 'Charts Fan' Hyett

It's the wonder that serves to extend your Golden Age duration by 50
percent.
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

In alt.games.civ3 on Thu, 13 Dec 2007, ><(((°> wrote :
>
>"Paul Hyett" <pah.RemoveThis@nojunkmailplease.co.uk> wrote in message
>news:4fpCsdDVJXYHFwxF@blueyonder.co.uk...
>>
>>> Of course, the fact that I had built the Mausoleum of Mausollos
>>
>> I have no idea what that is?
>
>It's the wonder that serves to extend your Golden Age duration by 50
>percent.
>
Must be one from the most recent expansion pack, then?
--
Paul 'Charts Fan' Hyett
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy 

"Paul Hyett" <pah.DeleteThis@nojunkmailplease.co.uk> skrev i meddelandet
news:f6RbljH0hjYHFw2V@blueyonder.co.uk...

[snip]

>>>> Of course, the fact that I had built the Mausoleum of Mausollos
>>>
>>> I have no idea what that is?
>>
>>It's the wonder that serves to extend your Golden Age duration by 50
>>percent.
>>
> Must be one from the most recent expansion pack, then?

Yes, and a pretty cool one too. Another good wonder to secure, whether one
is a builder or a warmonger, is the Statue of Zeus, which increases the war
weariness of civs at war with you by 100%.

Öjevind
 >> Stay informed about: Civ 4 : Early game strategy