It's quite all right for the AI to advance before you do; you can still beat them all with ease - even up to 6 or 7 AI opponents.

The correct "formula" for beating the AI will see you putting your first 10 villagers on Sheep and berries. Be sure your Scout steals as many sheep as possible from your opponent(s).

Build a lumber camp and put about 4 villagers at the camp and about 4 villagers chopping stragglers around your town center. Hit the feudal key with about 20 total population, then build a Barracks during Feudal research. The instant you get to Feudal, build a Stable and Blacksmith while researching Loom, Axe and producing one more Villager. You should have just enough resources to hit the Castle Age key when the Stable is complete. Lure your first boar once Loom is researched. If you can research Horse Collar and Heavy Plow before building your first Farm, it will be a benefit to your Wood budget. Questions? Ask me.
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Actually as u increase the difficulty the resources the comp starts with increases .... if u play with the hardest his resources r lot more than us in the beginin...like 500-1000 or so.To get the exact number record a game and then spectate the comp.

jst concentrate on food and wood in the beginnin and build good walls...go for gold mining only once u have upgraded all ur food and wood upgrades.

Well i never manage to beat them in advancing when they r in hardest or hard difficulty ...but coz of my good walls their early advancing doesnt matter. I make it a point to reach in castle b4 them reachin in imperial. Once i reach in imperial ,its over for them.

start playin multiplayer over lan,ur game will improve drastically
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Try a lower difficulty.
I kick ass in standard. (Just started playing again)
Or just need to work a little more faster.
Work more on food and wood in the Dark/Feudal Ages.
AND
When you hit the Feudal Age IMMEDIATELY start building your walls/gates (stone). Helps slow down your enemies. Plus walls are cheap
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Try using the basic supplies at first, food, and wood mainly. Don't start mining gold and stone until mid feudal age. get around 15-18 villagers 7 on farms/bushes/animals and 7 on wood. the rest building the buildings and houses.
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quote Coburn00013677

I spend a lot of time in the dark and feudal ages building up supplies and defences... you know... but i can't win when the second i advance to feudal my enemies r in castle... is there a way to turn that off... HELP

um... get better? you should be able to advance before any difficulty but hardest
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