I will tried to get this new forum topic started as well.

When you first enter a new game, you are given the choice which 4 troop units you want to start with. I strongly suggest only 2 unit types to start with irregardless of race. Those 2 types are namely, your buildings takeover units (commandeer, summoner, etc depending on race) and your fastest moving units (scouts, etc).

Why these 2 units? Well simple. You want to get all your surrounding resources buildings and resources before your neighbour start taking over them and to take over resources buildings, only your takeover units can do it while to take resources fast, you need your fast moving troops to scout them out and take them.

Very good idea Genming.

i agree except 1 diff.i split my comm. barracks with spearman to pick off those fast moving scouts of others that try to scoop on my resources

I normally start with 3 Comms and 1 Scouts, seems to work well so far.

To me, 2 scouts means I can pick up those resources lying around more quickly. Remember those resources give you a one-time boost which is critical to ensure that you build the number of buildings you want quickly, research the technology you want quickly and still have resources left to train your troops.

Of course having 2 commandeer units means slower takeover of building compared to 3 units but usually your resource buildings are right next to your castle and you dun expect your neighbour to charge their commandeer straight at them so early in the game. They are more likely to go for your lying around resources more.

Of course if your neighbours are generally less risk taker and less aggressive, then I would go for a 3 comms 1 scouts combination. But then I dun like to take chances.

Would someone like to start Chapter 2? Maybe what buildings to build first?

Last Edited : Thursday, 5 September 2002 - 09:11

yea, good stuff Gen.

just remember, if you have a hint on another issue, please start a new topic.

I go with the two comms and a stack of scouts and swordsmen. The scouts go out exploring while my swordsmen pick up all the close resources, because they are just right there...

what i do is, u get to pick 4 troops. i pick 2 comms and 2 scouts.

1st pick...comm
2nd pick...scout
3rd pick...comm
4th pick...scout

i do it that why cause at the start of the game i can train both comm and scout n both barricks at the same time. and ofcourse everything u all said up above my forum.

I do the same as kingmen3 except 4th pick is spearmen. I do that to keep pesky scouts away and escort commandeers near my borders. Also this then sets up how I want to build and my later troops.

gen, i also use the same first troops as you... and i make sure both my barrakcs specialise, and i am quite surprised anyone would want to split, so that the barracks can make both... what a waste of a bonus from this strat... lol...

dudley...waste?...don't think so, I do exactly the same as kingmen...scouts and comms, Oz has a good point about having spearmen to defend against other player's scouts, but usually my scout production will provide me with greater sized armies...so somebody else can have the swordsmen and spearmen, not me. Scouts can move out faster, gathering resource piles and checking out the neighbor while the comms are busy taking over resource buildings.

I do the same as kingmen as well. First I make some comms, then switch my barracks to all scouts.

... ok, u dont waste anything...

gen, do you understand what i mean by wastage? i think its an easy mistake to make, indeed, i made it many times, was mostly thru luck that i discovered this bonus... im guessing those who go for

scouts
comms
scouts
comms

just havent tried the

comms
comms
scouts
scouts

method... there is a decent difference... well... kinda anyway... for me, it generates 16 more marksmen... i call that a bonus...

im sure i shouldnt be telling you this, if you havent discovered it, its not for me to give it away... hehe... but, i have told u now, so thats that...

people keep on talking to me like im a newb that doesnt even have a grasp of basic tactics... assuming that if me and them think different, they must be right, cus i have only been here a month or 2... when do i gain my wings? lol... when is it that what i say might just be right, as opposed to being wrong by default when contradicting someone else's thoughts? we'll see i guess...

As no-one comes to defend you...
So far, you've proven to be a decent opponent - a little eager to make his mark, but good nonetheless. Will probably overtake ne in due course :-)

But then, as I said, even though I don't think I've won a game yet, I always end up with decent ranks (barring the first proper game I entered many moons ago - which Rap and Gorgon the Headsplitter will tell you about ) so I guess people respect that kind of thing more

*notices he's ranting AGAIN :-)*

The reason why I actually avoided this, believe it or not, is because I haven't seen much of the start screens, so it's not really something I've practiced. Is there something big to be had out of troop picks? I thought barracks were ALWAYS double-set to a single type each, and it would always be comms+scouts on account of:
a) needing to get your empire growing
b) scouts being the biggest and fastest of the basic troops, basically rendering spearmen ineffective.

But then, each to their own... :-)

Sorry, I did not specify the exact types of troops each individual barracks chunks out. Yeah you could specify it as comms comms, scouts scouts or comms scouts, comms scouts.

Specifying only 1 type of troops at the start allow you to choose another unit to produce later on without the cost of a turn (someone confirm this. I can't remember that clearly on this one). I think I did specialize on troops in one of the game but later decided that I do need scouts quick in both barracks to start fast retrieval of resources piles within and outside my area of control (probably that why i ignore specialization totally later). But for those who dun use scouts that much and prefer to go straight for range troops or high melee troops, it is a good idea to chose just one type of troops per barracks initially.

I tends to rely on scouts alot during the early part of my turns. I dun really care if neighbours has spearmen out since I usually outrun them anyway (unless they position them at choke point). Also enemy scouts tend to stay away from you if you have a scouts of equal strength guarding.

dudley what do you mean it generates you 16 more marksmen?
There is no 'wastage' as you call it if you pick comms/scouts/comms/scouts. If you pick those as your initial troops that does not mean your barracks will be producing both scouts and comms at the same time. Once you are in the game you change the military training so that the barracks specialize in producing one troop.

What comms/scouts/comms/scouts allows is production of either unit at BOTH barracks(eg. you have a shortage of comms so you set both barracks to producing comms etc..) without having to waste a turn re-setting the barracks(as Genming said).

Maybe I missed something?

Boevoipes, I tried to rephase what Dudley trying to say and please correct me if I am wrong.

I think (I am not too sure on this) at the start, each barrack is given two types of troops to be assign to it for free (ie. without need to sacrifice a turn). So if you just assign one types of troop to each barrack, you can later on assign another troops without sacrificing a turn.

Dudley here could be giving up the abilities of having both barracks being able to chunk out commandeers and scouts at the same time but instead only assigned marksmen in the later part of the game. This means he put commandeers, marksmen in one barrack and scouts, marksmen in another.

Just a guess here so correct me if I am wrong.

you are not wrong.

oh my.... oh my oh my... lol.. someone worked something out without me having to spoon feed them... ...

boe, gen said what i was saying, in terms that made sense to you... i could have stated what i said in such terms originally, but i prefer to see how many people will just keep telling me i am wrong, as opposed to ask me what im talking about... hehe... im not saying that anyone did that in this instance... but sometimes they do...

as for me being eager to prove myself... hehe... CTD... prove myself? as if proof is needed for you lot to believe my skill! (lol)... seriously tho... im not trying to proove anything in this game... i know what i know, if you guys choose to respect that, then cool... im not really that fussed...

rack me up another win tho guys... hehe... and that is the last of the camp games i can play for a while... still... 100% record aint bad... shame the rankings are... well... not favouring me at current (being a newb and all)...

will start join 'real' games upon my return... will still be around for battles + maybe forums for a while tho...

Oh oh oh I c... Didn't know/think about that. I guess its hard for an old dog to learn new tricks =P.