Hi, I am Thunderstruck

While playing online I've seen some slow booming players, Players who build weird and random stuff and don't advance properly and thus, fall so far behind they can't catch up.

I decided to do this guide as a BASE formula for what needs to be done to set up a good boom early. Not focusing too much on military early. But you want a barracks and stable in Medieval age (Not so much of a rush before it though unless your worried for an early attack)

Nation Powers may vary but the formula is basically the same for every nation other then Lakota.

Send scout out scouting. DO NOT use auto scout. Hold your shift key and do movement orders for the scout on the minimap with right click. Your scout will follow your clicks in order and will pick up any ruins he finds on the way.

Research Science first.

Research Civic second

Max out woodcamp and build two farms at your capital.

Build Second City

Research Commerce

Build Market

Build Merchants to any rares found. Prioritise Wealth Rares. Don't Build more then 3 merchants in Ancient age as they become expensive. Build a caravan.

Build Farms at second city and another Woodcamp if needed.

Research Military

Once you have +100 Food and +100 Timber income (Aim for as much wealth as you can, if you have 110 timber remaining build another market, Don't bother with a temple just yet)

Research Classical age


Ideally you want to be at four library researches and 100 food and 100 timber income and clicking classical age before 5mins in a normal standard game. A little longer in nomad.

Build a mine

Build a University

Build Senate

Research Republic, Build more farms at second city.

Research Sci 2 (DO NOT BUILD GRANIES OR LUMBERMILS YET!, They are ineffiencent this early, wait till later on with Sci 3)

Research Civ 2

Build Third City

Max your Caravans, Grab a few more rares Prioritize Knowledge then Wealth rares first.

Build Temple

Build 4 schoalrs at First Uni

Get more university's at other two cities

Build more farms and timber and mines until you have at least +150 Food and Timber and a full mine, maybe a 5-6 man mine to begin with (Start putting more focus on metal in Medievil)

Research Medievil.

You want to aim for Medievil in standard games by 9 mins at the latest.


Overview:

Hitting the third age you want to have
+150 food and timber
A full mine of Metal (+60 or so will do)
High wealth
And a decent Knoweldge income. +50 and up would be good.

Do not build a barracks in Ancient age unles you are about to research classical and have the wood to spare. Wait until Classical age. Only build 1. Do not build units unless you need too


Do not build towers early. The wealth costs adds up.
Only build towers to protect a woodcamp, Mine or rare resource.
If you want to build a tower to protect a city. BUILD THEM BEHIND THE CITY, DIRECTLY BEHIND, NO GAP BETWEEN CITY AND TOWER!. Do not build them infront fo your city. They are useless there.

Build Farms close to the city as you can. It protects the citizens better.

Build woodcamps away from the city if you need to. Do not worry about city limits so early in the game.


Knoweldge is the key resource, Followed by Wealth. And Wealth = Knowedge.


You can use citizens to scout. I decided not to mention this because it requires alot more focus on the minmap but Ruins are important for a better early game.

Test yourself. Do a sologame by yourself and turn off nation powers and special units and aim to get from Ancient to Information age in 25mins. It can be done that quick as I've done it numerous times before.