Thanos, I hope I don't offend you, but bronzing at 16-18 can be fatal vs a tool or bronze rusher. Good players can Bronze not only Shang but Phoe, Yam, Assy under 12 minutes with an ideal map, and get 13 easily if they have a decent setup and the inclination to do so. I am talking 1.0 speed here, but the times aren't much worse on 1.5
.. also these same games feature tool times of 8ish w/20 peons, w/24 you can still tool just after 9 and strive to tool by 10.
What's my point? So many of my 1v1's and 2v2's lately are ending up w/my opponent(s)
having 20-24 dead peons between 13-15 and about 8 -10 boats, in the process of sinking.... why? Because, the average guy had become too infatuated w/BOOMING.. what is happening is that they search around too much for that perfect spot, often falling behind in the peon count, then they stress wood at the expence of food and tool late..like 12 but with boats.. but still lacking food and or/wood to bronze immediately ! Thus they bronze at 16 or 17.
All this leaves them OK if unmolested. However, you can't wall in stone and you can't build anything to stop a decent camel/cav or CA's rush in tool except walls..not to mention he may trannie in or ST your walls, if his troops don't crack em.
What I am saying is practice w/the computer, and make sure you tool by 9 and bronze by 13 w/Shang and 9:30 and 13:30 -14;00 w/the better other civ's. Shang can do 20-24 peons, but make sure you have food if you want to go more than 20 w/other races. Don't stress early boats so much. It's nice to have one up to pump fish boast during the bronze transition and by then you probably can suppport it... get what youm need to bronze faster. Then you won't be tool or bronze rush bait ! the next step then will be to learn to bronze in 14 w/24 peons and boats and off course a great economy !Practice ! Practice ! Practice ! - neilkaz -