Here are some insights that I would like to impart to the newbies to help them get up to speed on their game...
1. Economy
Without a good economy, you're toast in an online game. No doubt about it! Play with the computer on tough or higher and you'll quickly learn that getting your economy in order is a must. Neglect it, and you are doom.
Invest in production-enhancing buildings such as the granary, the sawmill, and the refinery and then research the techonologies in those buildings. Take care to place those building in cities that matter most...i.e. put a granary building in a city with 5 or more farms, put a sawmill in a city with the most wood cutters, etc. Later on in the game, make sure each city has one...if you last that long.
With this in mind, pick civilizations that are good economic boomers and try to disrupt your opponent's economy consistently.
Korea, Maya, Egyptians, Chinese are some good booming civilizations. They will allow you to quickly develop your economy and/or empire vs. other noobs :-p.
2. Multitasking
The ability to multitask goes without saying. In order for your economy to prevail, you must be able to quickly learn how to expand and develop defenses/armies to support your expansion. While you are in battle, do not get overly distracted with the fight such that you neglect your economy. Learn to attack your opponent from more than one angle and/or at more than one location.
Most people will have a central place for their military buildings. Bypass that and you will have unfettered access to their vulnerable cities. Make them divert their attention from their economy and you will have a better chance of prevailing. Raid their farms, wood cutters, and miners. Force them to garrison their citizens. Use generals to create decoy armies to fool your enemies.
3. Age advancement
Keep up with the enemy's Age advancement. The further behind you are, the easier it will be for you to lose the game. Thus, the more advance you are, the better your chances of winning the game.
Higher age armies will be more lethal. Higher Age technologies will be better, thus enhancing their armies, buildings, cities as well as economy.
Try to avoid having combats with an enemy whose army is more advanced than yours. You will be annihilated quicker than you can raise a new army.
4. Military prowess comes second to military know-how
Having a larger force doesn't mean a better chance of winning battles. Know what units to counter the enemy forces with will help you win more battles as well as implementing flanking manuevers and luring the opponent to fight close to your defense structures. Make use of terrain advantage in battles will also increase your army's defenses.
Do not keep sending newly created units into a battle that you are losing. Instead, build up a new army and send them in as a new group.
Create a separate army of calvary to attack the enemy's supply wagon and seige units.
5. Generals, Spies and scouts are necessary evil
Scouts are great for discovering territory. However, they are easily seen. Use spies instead, as they are undetectable unless the enemy has the proper anti-spy development (i.e. look outs, towers, forts, scouts). And spies can also plant informers in the enemy's cities so you can see what is going on in their cities.
Knowing the enemy's territory and what is going on in his/her territory will help you better plan your strategy on how, when, and where to attack your enemy.
Scouts are a must in each army, so they can help identify spies before the damage is done. Same thing can be said of lookout towers. It's good to have one up in each city so you can see a spy coming to plant an informer in your city.
Generals are also a must in each army due to their ability to increase an afffected army's armor rating and attack rate.
6. Towers, forts, lookouts
Build forts and at least one tower next to it to expand your border or to minimize intrusion into your borders. Garrison some combat units in each fort and tower to increase their attack rate.
7. Wonders
Don't go too crazy on the Wonders. It'll be a waste of resources in a multiplayer game. 'Cuz while you are wasting resources on those Wonders, the enemy is building up a strong army to take over your cities! I only build a couple of Wonders at most. The Colossus (improve rate of weath gathering), Pyramid (improve rate of resource gathering), Temple of Tikal (reduces temple buildings cost and free temple upgrades), and Versailles (heal troops in enemy territory w/ supply wagons) are the ones I normally build. If you last all the way to the information age, then do build the later Wonders as they are worth it.
8. Rare resources
Do pick the proper rare resources to gather. They help to reduce your cost in building your army or researches.
9. Quick booming
Build two cities quickly and populate them both with wood cutters and farmers. Build a tower (near your 2nd city) and research attrition tech. Depending on what the enemy is doing, build a barrack, and fort with two protective towers (as close to the border as possible) or or if there is a no rush rule in effect, expand with another city. Research and age advance as soon as possible.
10. Water maps
On water maps, make use of fishermen and build bombardment ships to attack the enemy's docks and coastal structures. Use heavy ships and fire ships to protect the bombardment ships.
Take the long way to the opponent's island so they don't suspect you coming.
Scan the water ways for a safe route before sending your troops across the water, as enemy ships will reduce your troops quickly before they even have a chance on enemy territory.
AP
[This message has been edited by AgentPsycho (edited 08-04-2003 @ 02:22 PM).]