Duan Xuan:
Building the Government Center is a game time decision that really depends on how things are going. The safest way is to focus on booming from 3-4 ranges, and when wood becomes a surplus build a GC. This sometimes can be 5-6 minutes in Bronze.
When you have opponents that constantly build GCs and boom on you in early Bronze, you should practice your early Bronze Age attacking. 26-28 villagers can't support booming from 3-4 military buildings as well as building a GC and even one more TC. They are vunerable because you should have at least a 3-1 military advantage. You then just have to capitalize "in the moment".
You will become a very proficient Hills player if you focus in this priority:
1) Stone Age economy
2) Tool Age economy and defense
3) Bronze Age booming from at least three military buildings ASAP.
4) Micromanage your early Bronze Age army so that they never stand still. Sounds simple but is very necessary. Raid villagers ASAP, attack smaller groups of military ASAP, run and regroup against larger opponent armies. Be aggressive not passive.
As these skills increase, you will become a great Hills player. Building GCs and multiple TCs are secondary to execution in these four skills. These four skills will allow you to dominate Bronze Age action.
For your benefit, start tracking (and posting if you would like to) these items:
1) When you reach 18 villagers in the Stone Age, go to Achievements and see how many villagers everyone else has. Screenshot it.
2) About 30 seconds after clicking the Tool upgrade, go to Achievements and see how many villagers everyone else has. Screenshot it.
3) About 30 seconds after clicking the Bronze upgrade, do the same thing. Observe Tool times on Timeline.
4) Note the time of your first attack against enemy economy. Note what your opponent countered with. Note what you did once counter units showed up.
Tracking these four events will tell you a story. This story will let you know exactly where your skill level is at.
I think it would be educational to post a reply to these examples. It can open up to a great discussion.
Example 1: 4 player Hills. You are Assy. Partner is Egypt. Both Opponents are Hittite.
Tracking #1- You 18, partner 17, first opponent 19, second opponent 18.
Tracking #2- You 27, partner 25, first opp. 26, second opp. 23.
Tracking #3- You 28, partner 27, first opp. 29, second opp. 26. Fastest Tool time was second opp. -- one minute better than yours. Your pard and first opp. were 30-45 seconds after yours.
Answer these questions:
1) What do you do (if anything) in game with Tracking #1 info.
2) Who will have the strongest Bronze Age army first?
3) Who will have the advantage if there are no attacks on economies at the 20 minute mark?
Example 2: 4 player Hills. You are Assy. Partner is Hittite. First opponent is Shang. Second Partner is Assy.
Tracking #1- You 18, partner 19, Shang 20, Assy 17.
Tracking #2- You 26, partner 28, Shang 20, Assy 26.
Tracking #3- You 28, partner 17, Shang 20, Assy 27. Fastest Tool Time was Shang by two minutes. Other three players within 30 seconds of each other.
4) When do you first communicate with partner?
5) How do you win this game?
Example 3: 4 player Hills. You are Assy. Partner is Yam. First opponent is Hittite. Second opponent is Mino.
Tracking #1- You 18, partner 16, Hittite 17, Mino 17.
Tracking #2- You 26, partner 20, Hittite 28, Mino 26.
Tracking #3- You 27, partner 21, Hittite 27, Mino 27. Fastest Tool time was partner by thirty seconds over you. Both opponents were 30-45 seconds slower than you.
6) How is your early Bronze Age game plan altered (if any)?
Let's begin a good discussion with this and hopefully I can lend you some new insight into the game. There really is plenty of information here to debate critical game play decisions.
Can you survive the Blitzkrieg?