Re: Early Expansion Question
 

Well in the 20-30 MPs I have played in, all but 1 have been indie 5. The 1 being indie 0...that was good fun...scouts running around taking provinces.

Well there have been more off the wall MPs recently such as the megagame, team games, using mod nations and others. The settings are rarely altered much from the default.

Typically indies will be 5, sites 35-50, 1 province start, money 100, resources 100, supply 100 and 15 provinces per player map.

In SP on the other hand I personally play some very wacky games with the settings all over the place.

The most used mods are worthy heros and conceptual balance.

Re: Early Expansion Question
 

"Speaking of the Blood Druids:
Does anyone else wish you'd get them instead of regular ones when you have to fight them? Is there a site you can get them from?"

There is a magic site called blood henge which allows you to recruit blood druids. I've only seen it once though, seems very rare.

Re: Early Expansion Question
 

Sadly, after reviewing the effects of elephants on any troop I am going to have to retire my original plan. Which means I might as well say what it was.

By following this recruitment path:
1-Guru
2-Nagarishi
3-Nagarishi
4-Nagarishi
5-Yogi
6-Nagarishi
7-Whatever

It is possible to reach Alteration-3 on turn 8.

Using a Guru or Yogi monkey to cast Body Ethereal on 2 Nagarishi, and them casting Iron Skin(2x), Quickness(2x), Earth Might(1x), Blessing(1x,10% regen. + +2 reinvg) then the monkey runs and the Nagarishi hold for two turns and then attack closest. They win against anything unless the Blessing misses. The Guru always gets away, but sometime the Yogi will get hit by an arrow. "Casualities" are taken when a Nagarishi sucumbs to Cupcake Lust and becomes Heroically Obese. Other than that, a Nagarishi may pick up a non-damaging affliction, or one that forces into research, rarely.

However, elephants SMASH to efficiently for me to follow this plan.

Re: Early Expansion Question
 

So while we're talking early expansion, what is your expansion technique? I'm a radial expander, taking every nation that borders your capital first, so you can get more resources. There's also a bonus for weak nations when two nations that border your capital also border each other (making a triangle). You can attack from your capital and your newest conquest at the same time, then combine forces and send the commander back to the capital.

Anyway, the downside is that towards the end of the expansion phase you're walking to the front rather than taking provinces. Is there a consensus on what is the most efficient technique?

Depends on the map and opponents
 

If the map has chokepoints that you can seize early to hold larger regions of territory, and your opponents aren't extremely mobile, this can be a good plan.

If you have a weak neighbor, kill him and take his land before anybody else does. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Depends on the map and opponents
 

It depends on your troops.
With LA Atlantis, it's usually quite tough to expand, but I have a decent bless.

I build teams of 16 Arssartut and 1 Tungalik, and have them expand along the path of least resistance. The first team completed takes my first province, and then continues outward with the idea of limited casulties and taking a province every turn without backtracking. So, straight outward, more or less. The second team takes another adjacent province. Occasionally, the first team will take another adjacent province, but only after predicting my casualties.

Meanwhile, my starting army with additional Seal Hunters takes on cavalry or barbarians. This second force is designed to consolidate my territory, radially or whatnot.

Re: Depends on the map and opponents
 

For me it is all about geograpghy. Like Taqwus said - it is most important to take control over strategic provinces that can block enemy. And if you are lucky you can leave a lot of indy provinces that only you can attack.