Infinite

Infinite is the fastest format of the game. I'm talking in terms of micro-management not time. In terms of time, an expert infinite game can go upto 3-4 hours.

Comparing it with the other formats of the game, I'll say " nomad" is about accuracy i.e everything done at the proper time. Standard is about speed (more micro-management) and precision. But infinite is totally about speed. You waste 20-30 seconds at start and you'll end up losing the game.

I aint an expert infinite player but I'm decent enough to play it. Thanks to few advanced infinite players like [AS]_Itachi, [CIA]_Gaupo and {-t2sa-}-JacksonMuir with whom I learnt more about the this format.

In this post I'll emphasize about the several infinite formats and guide you how to play in an infinite game.

Types of Infinite Games:-

There are mainly 3 types of infinite games:-

- Normal Infinite (Start Age: Ancient Age and End Age: Information Age)
- Enlightenment Infinite (Start Age and End Age : Enlightenment Age)
- Information Infinite (Start Age and End Age : Information Age)

What are the conditions?

Infinite games generally have the following conditions :-

- Start with: City Center Only
- Resources: Infinite
- Elimination: Sudden Dealth Capital
- Victory: Standard
- No Wonder Victory
- No Territory Victory

Note that few infinite games also have few additional changes like no_nukes, no_towers, no_wonders, etc.

How do I play?

As the name suggest, its infinite. You start with infinite resources. So dont even build any economic buildings like woodcutter,farms,etc. Your resources never end. They are infinite!

I'll explain you how to start in an Enlightenment Infinite game. Similiar gameplay can be carried out in the other two types.

In an infinite game, you start with a city center with plenty of villagers (about 16) and a scout.

- Build library with all your villagers and use scout to explore the map and your opponents.

Your aim in an infinite game should be to grab territory and build as many military buildings as possible.

- After building library, research civic followed by military.
- Build a city as fast as you can and start building plenty of military buildings. 

The reason to build plenty of military buildings is that you can create plenty of militiary units at the same time. For example you have 15 barracks. Simultaneously you can create 15 barrack units.

- Keep researching civic and military continously while building cities (grabbing territory) and a lot of military buildings.

Note that you should not research commerce and science unless you are done researching till military7 and civic7. You can research science1 in between in order to make temples in your cities.

- Continue researching simultaneously throughout the game while creating army. Rally point them to a common location so that its easier for you to control army.

In infinite games, armies win you the game. So control armies really well. See to it you have a lot of barracks and your capital is heavily protected because it is sudden dealth capital i.e no capital timer.

In a normal infinite game, follow the same procedure and see to it that you age up fast. Using nukes isnt considered as an appropriate way. But its a part of the game. Use it if needed.

In an information infinite game, follow the same procedure. Its almost the same as an Enlightenment infinite game. Just start and end age is Information Age.

Few more tips:-

- At start, create plenty of villagers so that you can build buildings fast. Later in the game kill the extra villagers so that you can create more army units.
- Try to build Collossus wonder to increase population limit.
- Versaillis can be a great wonder to build. Since your armies can keep healing faster under supply wagons.
- Its sudden dealth capital. So be sure you have fortified your capital well.
- In Information infinite, wonders like Space Program and Supercollider win you the game.

In infnite games, nations change the whole game. Bantu is considered to be one of the best since you have a higher population limit and you can build one extra city grabbing more territory.

I hope this post is helpful those who wish to play this format. Not many players like this format. But you should atleast try this format of the game.

Outpost Scouting

Has this ever happened to you? Your ally points you somewhere in your territory and when you scout there, you either get a rare or a ruin.
This has happened with me many times. I used to think that either he/she is spanish or nubians to be able to see the rare/ruin. But later I used to figure out that my ally is none of them.

So how did my ally find it? The answer is "Outpost Scouting"

What is "Outpost Scouting"?

As the name suggests it is a form of  "Scouting". Outpost scouting involves finding a rare/ruin in your territory using a lookout (Outpost). You can find a ruin/rare in the unexplored part of your territory.

How is it done?

- Select a villager.
- Click on military buildings.
- Select lookout (Last one).
- Now, keep moving the mouse cursor in your territory (Dont build it).
- While moving you will get the following :-

• Green spots where you can build it.
• Red spots where you cant build it.

- We are interested in the red spots. Whenever you get a red spot, you will also get a message (reason) with it.
- Look for a red spot with the message "Blocked by unseen object".
- At that location(spot) you will be having a rare or a ruin.
- So we found out a rare/ruin in our territory using a lookout (outpost).
- Other messages which you may get in the red spots are like "Blocked by rocks", "Blocked by trees", "Must build within your own territory", "Blocked by mountain" and "Must build in explored territory". We are not interested in them.

Note that you will always find a rare in your territory (Most of the maps). So dont miss it.

I know its hard to take out time for outpost scouting. But it comes handy in slower formats of the game like nomad games.

I managed to make a video of it. It explains it even better.

Building Placements - II

After getting the economic related buildings at the proper locations, next are the militiary buildings. Your armies should be at the proper location and the proper time. It matters a lot.

I must have lost so many games just because I have my military buildings or armies at wrong locations. Even your defence buildings should be at proper locations.

So let me emphasize on each of them. Firstly, let me start with the basic military buildings.

• Barracks, stable and seige workshop:

 - All these buildings form your military base. They should be build on the exposed city to your opponent.
 - For example, most of the players build them on their second city.
- As your military base is your second city. In most cases that should be your capital.
- Build seige workshops very closer to your opponent i.e on the attacking front (city). So whenever you need to attack your opponent, you wont waste time on slow moving seiges.
- Try to build more than one barracks and stable. So that you can create more units at the same time.

• Towers:

- Towers are mainly required for defence.
- Wherever you have a big resource region for example a big woodcutter/mine which is away from city. Build a tower there. So that region becomes hard to raid.
- Sometimes having a tower behind city fortifies it. Esspecially in formats like nomad, a tower behind city is must.
- Always tower a game changing rare ("Rares") if possible.
- The following are few locations where you should build a tower :-

- In the first image, a woodcutter is towered. In the second image a rare is towered. Horses can be a crutial rare for nations like mongols and lakota.
- The third image has a tower in a strategic position. It protects the woodcutter as well as fortifies the city.

• Castle:

- One of the strongest buildings for defence.
- Two main positions to build it.
- First is behind a city (preferrably your capital). It fortifies that city. So if your opponent wants to take that city, he has to destroy the castle as well as reduce the city.
- Second is to push borders.

Observe the tower location also. It is protecting the woodcutter as well as fortifying the city

• Lookout/Anti-air :

- Lookout is a defenceless building but can detect hidden armies.

- Its ideal position should be near the city in order to detect hidden units.

- But I'll say that build it where you can suspect any suspicious movement to happen. For example, making an outpost on the side would help you detect any incoming units towards your back cities.

- Note that a lookout becomes an anti-air after age 5.

• Dock:

- This can be classified as both economic as well as a military building.
- When you are playing on maps like great lakes check out which pond is the largest then only build a dock there. That time your aim should be to fish.
- If the map is east meets west, build more then one dock for faster navy.
- If you are lakota esp on a map like great lakes. Build docks on all the lakes where your opponents are fishing and raid.

• Missile silo :

 - A missile silo has a circular range. Preferably build it on the frontal cities.

• Air-base:

 - Even an air-base has a circular range. Based on the areas you want to use your airforce, build it there.

Well. Now I guess its quite clear where to build military buildings as well.