TheGrumpyBuddha
King
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2013
- Messages
- 834
I've been goofing with the Amazon Plus and South America maps with Monte/Raging Barbs and I figured I should probably share my pain/wonderment.
THE BAD:
THE GOOD:
Attached is a save file that took 5 or 6 restarts to make -- tossed a couple where it wasn't all jungle, another couple where there were no hills at all. This is a jungle start in the top 10%, I'd say. Haven't even played it yet!
SO. What do you do? Opening Honor might seem obvious but you're Monte already, do you really need it? How many early units? Do you go straight Liberty, given you'll have good growth anyway bcs of Floating Gardens? Maybe go crazy straight Honor, take out an early AI (assuming they're close which they probably won't be. Or maybe you don't mind the loooong walk)?
Can you make enough units to protect your workers, clear CS quests, and farm, while building libraries and granaries and gardens that float and Colleges?
Have fun!
----
DLC used -- all but Scrambled. You need Explorers for this map.
THE BAD:
- Them barbs, they're a ragin'.
- Production is usually low because of all the damned jungle.
- # of different luxes available, also low, so you won't want to city spawn.
- Seriously, there are a lot of damned barbs. You can make a bunch of archers to go barb-farm, sure, but if you do that you won't be finishing CS quests or protecting the home front.
- Good luck sending caravans to the AI for an early science boost.
THE GOOD:
- The AI is dumber than usual. For instance, sometimes +1 culture/jungle is left for the 4th or 5th pantheon (i.e., yours).
- You're Monte! WOOT! Getting 8 or 9 SPs before Ren, piece of cake.
- Overall the AI will *probably* be slowed by the setup (e.g., Ren on turn 120 instead of 105) but it's not guaranteed, given there are sections of the map that are less jungly.
- You'll get a lot of ruins. Sometimes turn >100. Maybe even turn >200 in the western side of the map.
Attached is a save file that took 5 or 6 restarts to make -- tossed a couple where it wasn't all jungle, another couple where there were no hills at all. This is a jungle start in the top 10%, I'd say. Haven't even played it yet!
SO. What do you do? Opening Honor might seem obvious but you're Monte already, do you really need it? How many early units? Do you go straight Liberty, given you'll have good growth anyway bcs of Floating Gardens? Maybe go crazy straight Honor, take out an early AI (assuming they're close which they probably won't be. Or maybe you don't mind the loooong walk)?
Can you make enough units to protect your workers, clear CS quests, and farm, while building libraries and granaries and gardens that float and Colleges?
Have fun!
----
DLC used -- all but Scrambled. You need Explorers for this map.