Help regarding the Great Library

[ricelg]

Hello,

Been playing this game for a few weeks now...I know I have a lot to learn. Am playing with a friend and he beats me to Great Library EVERY time...no matter what I do. This always seems to give him a huge boost that I cannot catch up to. At this point, it would be a victory for me just to beat him to it even if he ends up beating me another way.

I figure Babylon or Korea is the best civilization but I get the feeling he's got an edge on me on either production or food that allows him to get there first. Can anyone describe the conditions or "blue print" for getting there first?

Thanks

[VicRatlhead51]

I think Babylon and Korea's UA happen too late to help get the great library so most civs are on fairly equal footing here. Just remember science is powered by population. Try building a worker first so he can build farms. You should be done researching pottery by then so build a granary. Once you have writing start the Great library and research mining. Once mining is done start chopping down forests with your worker for the free production bonus to help you get it faster. If this still isn't working you can set your citizens to production focus to build faster. Just make sure your city is still producing food for growth. He may already be doing these things so it could all just come down to the resources available to your city.

[Joketa]

Well, there are a lot of different strategies and there are a lot of different terrain and resource factors that allow you to get a quick jump. Wheat, deer, and stone certainly help. So does having forests to chop.

The first thing you have to do is tech Writing and then probably Mining to chop trees or make mines. Animal Husbandry and Trapping could work as well depending on your situation.

I use one of two methods, the Tradition and the Liberty methods.

With Tradition, build a monument and a worker (buy a scout) and then start on the Wonder of choice. Choose Tradition, Legalism, Landed Elite, and Aristocracy. Landed Elite gives you +2 food, which equates to +2 or more production if you stick a citizen on a hill. That's more production than the percentage Aristocracy will get you at this stage of the game. When you hit population 4, go into your city screen and choose production focus or selectively choose the best combination for production and force your citizens there. Use your worker to chop any forests, especially those along a river, and improve production-based hexes.

Liberty works pretty much the same way except you'll build a Monument and a Granary and get the free Worker. The Granary does the same for you as Landed Elite. The free food allows you access to more production.

Try it, and if he's still beating you to it, he's either got better hexes, better micromanagement, or more luck.

[ricelg]

Thanks. I've been using Liberty to get the free settler and worker, so maybe I will give tradition a try. I have not used the granary so that is a good tip too. Settling my first city on a hill better than grassland? Sounds like Pottery, then Writing, then Mining? And for production Worker, then Granary, then Monument?

Does founding a second city right away help or hurt this effort (or is it immaterial)? Should I have change my citizen management focus to production?

[Magic_Hotdog]

Who gets the Great Library boils down to luck. Whomever settles near hills and has 2 or 3 forest tiles to chop will always get it.

[Gooner]

Give tradition a go if you're both going for the GL.

It also just could be bad luck that is preventing you from building it first. Some city starts allow for greater production whilst others allow for greater population growth or gold. If you find ancient tribes (+1 population) it could give you a bonus, as could culture as this may help you get to tradition first.

I'd suggest researching pottery and writing as your first techs. Build a worker first, unless there is little point to doing so (eg. most of the terrain around your city requires techs to maintain) and then the GL as soon as you get to writing. From there, focus on researching the techs that will get you the biggest bonus free tech from the GL. I'd suggest either Calendar and Philosophy (free tech of Theology) or Sailing and Optics (free tech of Compass). Compass is the most valuable free tech, whilst Theology is more useful from the perspective of the Hagia Sophia and to a lesser extent, the garden.

[ricelg]

Thanks to all! Tonight I applied many of these...and with a pinch of good luck, got the GL first and went on to eventual victory. I used Neb II and got a break discovering pottery in ruins on my 3rd turn!

[VicRatlhead51]

Right on! Congrats.

[ShuShu62]

Funny.

No one suggested playing as Rameses to build the great library.

Also noone mentioned Marble.

Oh well. I have only been playing for a week... so not sure those suggestions matter.

[Shark2346]

Ramses with Tradition wonder bonus is a great move if you are looking to wonder ☺☺☺☺☺

[civdiss]

Funny.

No one suggested playing as Rameses to build the great library.

Also noone mentioned Marble.

Oh well. I have only been playing for a week... so not sure those suggestions matter.

They matter, unless you are playing on higher levels.