fter getting your settlers started on the medium residence, take a look at where the nearest supply of stones and trees are. Keep in mind that buildings are constructed in the order that you place them on the map. First the diggers begin clearing the site. Then the carriers get the message: We need building materials here.

Right next to the medium residence, 2 woodcutter's huts, a sawmill and a stonecutter's hut are under construction.	While the first buildings are being constructed, the first military action can begin: exploring unknown area and scouting the enemy.

Especially in the initial phases, the diggers should never be idle. If you get the feeling that you've got too many buildings under construction, postpone construction, but don't tear any buildings down. The diggers continue their work even on inactive construction sites.

When the medium residence is complete, 30 urgently needed new settlers bustle out.	After crossing the desert, a thirsty soldier deserves a little attention. The enemy is not far off.

The next buildings are now to be built in the direction where you want to expand. Since the sawmill and the stonecutter's hut provides finished goods, they should be located near the future center of your settlement. Depending on the map, of course, this might not be so easy to accomplish.

After the third woodcutter has begun work, a second sawmill is on the agenda.	Keep your eyes open! A soldier spying in foreign territory is always in peril. Surround foreign territory first, exploring from the perimeter to the center.

The battle alarm button is blinking - a mouseclick will bring to you to the location under attack.	Discretion is the better part of valour - time to make tracks!

After you have your third woodcutter, a second sawmill is worth building. As a rule of thumb, you should have about half as many stonecutters as woodcutters for your Roman colony. For promoting your soldiers, build a wine farm for every group of 1 forester, 3 woodcutters and 1 stonecutter. On finishing your initial building phase, you should have the following buildings.

In the initial phases, towers are considerably more effective than pioneers for expanding your territory. The few settlers that you have, you need urgently for construction. The more idle settlers you have, the more pioneers you should make. You shouldn't overlook any short term requirements you might have for free settlers (About 18 carriers are needed, for example, right after an iron smelting works and a tool smith's works are built).

The foreign territory has been surrounded and now can be explored. Stay alert!	Towers are more suitable than pioneers during the initial phases of expansion.

© Blue Byte Software, Inc.
Author: Sven Liebich alias BB_Caesar