Same problem here. Last night I played 3 games. In the 1st, I get a partner that made 15 villagers the hole game. I go off and almost wipe out opponent one, but number 2 irons, and comes after me. I had spent a large part of my resources in bronze so I could not iron right away. I was pushed back and my opponent is attacked. (30 minutes into the game still 15 villagers) He is dieing and I'm trying to help, but player one has started to come back and the iron guy is hitting me with heavy cats. Game over.
Game 2 is much better, Its ranodm civ's and I get Summerian. My partner is rome. He built like 100 villagers. I had 55. I was aggressor and used CA's to slow down One opponet and eventually cats to kill him. My partner is strip mining everything is sight and following me around with 10 villagers and 20 long swordsman towering up all the ground I take and helping himself to the resources. It was great. We won that one.
Game 3 was 2 roman allies, and I was minoin. We played against 2 hittite and 1 summerian. I took out one of the hittites in bronze. (he had 2 villagers left) But the summerian in the middle ironed and came after me cats and hvy cats. I gradually was pushed back. The middle roman player was very good, but the end roman player was into the wall up till late iron siege mentality. SO he kept building up. I eventually got crippled by the summerian player and the remnants of the hittite fleet. The middle guy was attacking everywhere, but I was down to 5 villgers and was useless. I helped where I could. He fought on 2 fronts. Asking the other guy to attack. He eventually did, but the other Hittite and summerian players had 70 percent of the map and just mopped up.
[This message has been edited by Chanchito (edited 01-27-99).][This message has been edited by Chanchito (edited 01-27-99).][This message has been edited by Chanchito (edited 01-27-99).]