Opening Strategies

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    • TimboInLimbo wrote:

      If you're only attacking with 1-2 units, yes. But if you hit a city with a large stack, the entrenchment bonus isn't a big deal because the battle is over in 1-2 rounds. During this first rush I use my single ASF as a scout to make sure I know where his troops are.
      that is still assuming that the other guy does nothing
      like… you do realize you aren’t the only one who knows that unit stacking is a thing?
      I am The Baseline for opinions
    • My main opening strategy:

      1. Raid the market! - early stages are full of beginners/noobs who don't have a fuckin clue how to trade and put up Supplies/Raw materials for as low as $5 or less! I buy as much as I can, sometimes in the thousands or whatever my economy allows me. One noob had 3000 supplies up for 3 each! All these materials will help you develop faster than others. You can't build infantry, research or build any buildings without Supplies. And without Raw materials you can't do research or upgrade your buildings. Stock up early.

      2. Diplomacy - make peace or ally with your bigger neighbours by sending them messages from day 1. Just be friends with them, say we'll join up later on and offer advice. Come across as the cool and friendly guy so they won't attack you. If you have a big neighbour who is rank 1 or a complete noob, I avoid joining the same alliance as you're better of killing him and taking that territory later on, rather than someone else taking it and then sitting on your border.

      3. Rush the neighbouring AI countries - getting that territory early is vital to create a buffer around you and get your economy growing. The bigger your territory looks, the more menacing you will seem to others. Psychology works.
    • Folks,

      In general,

      At hour zero of day 1, lots of things are uncertain and every strategy or tactic is a gamble.

      Every tactic and strategy I've seen written here can work out well, or can completely backfire.

      So, the central question to discuss probably isn't whether each or any of them has a counter-tactic/strategy.

      The question is how often each is likely to be successful, in a public game.

      Are there 5, 2, 6 or 10 primary choices to choose among?

      Let's say there are six dominant options. Are they equally likely to succeed? or are the likelihoods 30%, 20%, 20%, and 10%, 10%, and 8%?

      A part of discussing whether a tactic or strategy is likely to succeed includes whether it is flexible enough to morph into a different approach if/when you realize you chose poorly, or if instead it locks you into a do-or-die situation.

      Another part of discussing whether a tactic or strategy is likely to succeed includes whether is will be apparent quickly, or slowly, whether what you doing is going to work out well. The faster you can discover that, the faster you can think about switching to a new approach.

      KFG
    • Tom_Cruise wrote:

      My main opening strategy:

      1. Raid the market! - early stages are full of beginners/noobs who don't have a fuckin clue how to trade and put up Supplies/Raw materials for as low as $5 or less! I buy as much as I can, sometimes in the thousands or whatever my economy allows me. One noob had 3000 supplies up for 3 each! All these materials will help you develop faster than others. You can't build infantry, research or build any buildings without Supplies. And without Raw materials you can't do research or upgrade your buildings. Stock up early.

      2. Diplomacy - make peace or ally with your bigger neighbours by sending them messages from day 1. Just be friends with them, say we'll join up later on and offer advice. Come across as the cool and friendly guy so they won't attack you. If you have a big neighbour who is rank 1 or a complete noob, I avoid joining the same alliance as you're better of killing him and taking that territory later on, rather than someone else taking it and then sitting on your border.

      3. Rush the neighbouring AI countries - getting that territory early is vital to create a buffer around you and get your economy growing. The bigger your territory looks, the more menacing you will seem to others. Psychology works.
      … these are the starting offers; they’re individual for each player
      I am The Baseline for opinions
    • Teburu wrote:

      Tom_Cruise wrote:

      My main opening strategy:

      1. Raid the market! - early stages are full of beginners/noobs who don't have a fuckin clue how to trade and put up Supplies/Raw materials for as low as $5 or less! I buy as much as I can, sometimes in the thousands or whatever my economy allows me. One noob had 3000 supplies up for 3 each! All these materials will help you develop faster than others. You can't build infantry, research or build any buildings without Supplies. And without Raw materials you can't do research or upgrade your buildings. Stock up early.

      2. Diplomacy - make peace or ally with your bigger neighbours by sending them messages from day 1. Just be friends with them, say we'll join up later on and offer advice. Come across as the cool and friendly guy so they won't attack you. If you have a big neighbour who is rank 1 or a complete noob, I avoid joining the same alliance as you're better of killing him and taking that territory later on, rather than someone else taking it and then sitting on your border.

      3. Rush the neighbouring AI countries - getting that territory early is vital to create a buffer around you and get your economy growing. The bigger your territory looks, the more menacing you will seem to others. Psychology works.
      … these are the starting offers; they’re individual for each player
      Can you extrapolate on this please?

      I don't always see such low starting offers (<5 for supplies/raw matierials), only rarely. Nonetheless if its <8 I'll go in heavy and grab what I can.