How to get a good start in Civ2

© 1996 by Carsten Straaberg, straaberg@inet.zitech.dk. v. 1.0, August 1. 1996. 
Please, do not link this page directly, 
but make a link to my Civ2-page in stead.
You are not allowed to redistribute this 
material without expressed permission!

This is my own experiences, though, I am aware that other people has similar views on how to get a good start in Civ2.
This document focuses mainly on getting a good start. But, the rest of the game is also shortly covered. The aim in this document is to win by launching the Space Ship. The described approach is not optimal for conquering the world.

Comments are welcome by email to: straaberg@inet.zitech.dk.

1. Settling down

At the beginning of the game you should build your first city as fast as possible. This implies building on the square where you start out, unless this is an extremely bad terrain square. If any of the squares you can see immidiately is a grassland square or a river square, then move there and settle. If you see a goody house, take the chance and get it. If it contains barbarians you are probably killed, but so early in the game that is not a big tragedy.

2. Build something

Check your city to see, if the people are using the surrounding squares properly. Your main goal is to grow fast, but an extra shield is also very good, since you can build defensive units faster. Remember, that you do need a food surplus! Build a phalanx (or archer) if available, otherwise build a warrior. 

3. Advance

Your first choice of advance should be Bronze Working if you haven't got it. Otherwise you should go for the fastest route to Monarchy (use the Goal button, if in doubt). Pottery is also very handy in the early game, since it gives you the ability to build a Granary, which speeds population growth.

4. Build more

When you have build your first unit, change production to Settlers. Check the food roster to assure, that city will be at least size 2, when the settler is build.

5. Another city

At the time your settler is build, change production back to phalanx, and send your settler out to found the next city. You might want to let the settler a road next to your capital city, and another road next to your next city, simply to improve trade. Always remember, that a road should be build in a square, that is already in use by the city population.

6. Improve defense

Your new city should start out building a phalanx, and thereafter another settler. Every city should have to phalanxes as defense, if you made a warrior as your first unit, send the warrior out in the world looking for new great city sites, booty houses and rival civilizations. With a little luck you should be able to get a feeling of the nearby terrain and the shape and size of your continent/island.

7. Be the King (or Queen)

Change to Monarchy, when it gets available. This improves your general production. Check the Tax Rate, and raise the Science Rate to 70% if possible.

8. Expand

When the settlers are build, let them found new cities. Build phalanxes and new settlers. Now the wheel starts turning. With four cities each building settlers, you can rapidly expand if you got room for it.

9. What to research next

When you have Monarchy, Bronze Working and Pottery, you might start to research naval technologies, especially, if you think you are stuck on an island. Trade is also a very good thing to discover, since it gives you caravans to improve trade and build wonders faster.

10. More defense

When you have two phalanxes in every city, and a few units is roaming round the in the darkness, you should definitely build City Walls in every city. Remember, that City Walls do not cost upkeep!

11. Going for the Future

The rest of the game just goes. If possible (you're not engaged in wars) change to Republic. Then expand further and discover a lot. If you need more space or your rivals is simply doing too well, then change to Fundamentalism and capture some enemy cities, seriously setting your rivals back in science, and giving you a good boost in cash flow. In the mid game you should also have a lot of settlers/engineers irrigating and building road/rails. When you have your rivals under control, prepare for Democracy like this: Check the cities and be sure you have temples and coloseums (and maybe cathedrals in the big ones). Make peace with your rivals, raise luxuries to at least 20%, call your units home, and disband the ones, you don't need. Become democratic, and see your taxes drop, and science skyrocket. Advances every second or third turn is not rare. 
With 20 to 30 cities you should be able to easily win the space race.

Civ on.