Without a definitive answer on the turn count, I decided to go with 20 to start. The reasoning is that it gives each of us a chance to develop a plan and execute it, without it suddenly stopping, and then a separate direction starting. My primary emphasis was to get a strong base of operations going from which we can draw on a number of options. The second was an extensive a search of our surroundings to give us choices on where to settle from here. The other objective I had was not getting careless with civil disorder, or leaving the capital easy prey for a wandering barbarian, should one suddenly pop out from nowhere. Based on those objectives, we still only have the capital CI after 20, but it has a granary, and its ready to crank settlers, workers, javelin throwers, or whatever else we need. I think maybe after weve all done a round, maybe drop to 10 turns each. So, that said, heres how it all went:
4000BC- worker mines, settler 1 NE.
3950BC- settler finally gets to drop that darn knapsack after waiting on Atari support and a patch that has yet to be seen. Warrior in 4. Science to 90, WC in 18.
3900BC- zzzz
3850BC- zzzz
3800BC- worker mine->road. MM CI growth 4>3.
3750BC- Growth in 2, warrior built. Move out, soldier! Heads north. Warrior in 10. No, that wont work. Need recon. MM warrior in 3.
3700BC- worker moves to wheat plains tile.
3650BC- worker starts to irrigates wheat. Recon continues.
3600BC- Another warrior. Granary in 12. Recon sw verifies not 1, but 2 gems! Liz Taylor will be pleased to hear it.
3550BC- Warrior trips GH. So yes, Virginia, there are barbs in this one. Get skilled conscript. Assigned to Military Intelligence unit.
3500BC- wheat irrigated, move to second wheat tile. More terrain checked out. Anybody out there? No sign of civilized life yet.
3450BC- more traveling by our troops
3400BC- Skilled conscript enters GH. Steps on feet of barbarian chieftain, creating international incident. His two twin brothers appear. Wheat irrigation under way, growth in 1, lux to 10 to keep em smiling at pop.
3350BC- Epic battle of Barbarian Mountain. Our warrior redlined, but survives first attack. Second barb decides hed better entrench, lest our 1hp conscript fell him in one blow. Third barb decides now would be a good time for some R and R, and hightails it out of the combat zone. Wimp.
3300BC- Wheres the math major when I need him? According to the sacred scrolls of Bamspeedy, I need the granary to complete right before the city pops, but we have too much wheat being worked. I cant get the numbers to come out right by rushing pop and trying to complete granary right before the following pop Not enough shield production.
3250BC- More terrain revealed.
3200BC- Risk having heart ripped out in heresy trial, by actually slowing city pop growth to make granary arrive at right time.
3150BC- Another GH to pop. Do you feel lucky? Ceremonial Burial, why bless those Cherokee! Now we actually can build the temple at Chichen Itza.
3100BC- Granary in 1, pop in 2. looking good. Yet more terrain revealed, but still no civs discovered. Consider signaling the Enterprise to beam us up, as there appears to be no intelligent life forms here.
3050BC- Granary in, settler in 5. GH sold on E-Bay for 25 gold.
3000BC- My work here is done. Time to go take the jaguar for a walk.
All-in-all, it wasnt too bad. I would have like to have met one of the Civs by now, as the clock is ticking on our UU. A fair bit of the surrounding terrain gives us some choices. We have dye west and gems south. Wheat to the west looks attractive as well. If theres one area Ill probably be second-guessed on, it was not pushing city growth more. As I see it, we have enough sustaining power now to push settlers in several directions every few turns with our factory, and the neighbors arent even in sight yet, buying up the choice lots.
On the question of is the tile by the river, right click the tile. Straight grassland has no gold. Any tile adjacent to a river gets 1. Thats how you know. You cant always depend on the graphics to tell.
High Priest Reg is up next, go take it to em!