TSG102 Opening Actions

Welcome to the TSG102 Opening Actions thread.

STOP - Please do not continue reading this thread until you have completed at least 80 to 100 turns in your game.

This thread is used to discuss the game once you've started playing through your first 100 turns. Apart from normal decency, the only posting restrictions are to please not post videos until the deadline is finished and to use the spoiler tags for screenshots. Here you can post questions related to the game and share your achievements/anger/frustration/victories while you play. Please remember that we are running a family friendly site, so express anger or frustration with this in mind.

Please use this thread to discuss your goals for the game and your opening moves through the first 100 turns. Anything after that should be posted in the After Action thread once you have completed your game.

- What were your initial priorities for Domination on a water-based map?
- Have you settled on an offensive strategy in the first 100 turns? If so, describe what led to the decisions?
- What Social Policies did you choose and why?
- Did the terrain and/or difficulty shape these decisions? If so, how?

Played 90 turns

Settled on T2 on the coastal hill to the SE as I thought the extra hammer would be quite important. Started mon, arch, arch, gran, quin, settler. Used the quin to scout the island to the east, found japan/ottos. Decide to forward settle on that nice double salt spot on their island around T50; settled on the horses. Nice base of attack.

Then to battle. Got impatient and tried to attack Kyoto around T75 with 2 arch, char arch, and 2 quins. I didn't plan on Oda quick building a trireme, which somewhat negated my quins. Lost both and had to retreat with the archers. Knocked off the tri and 2 pesky warriors while healing. Came back with 2 arch, 2 CA, quin against zero Japanese resistance. Took in 3-4 turns, no losses. One down, 6 to go.

Techs: started archery, then beeline to optics, then fill in a few (writing, AH, mining, etc...), get elephants, get longbows, now getting ready to beeline compass and frigates.

SPs: Took a mix of honor and liberty to start. I should probably finish off honor to get the extra gold.

I stand at T100 with a one capital down. Gonna finish off Oda, then knock on Suleiman's door with 2 elephants, 2 longbows, 2 CA, 2 quins. Then off to find the other merry civs. Not going to knock anyone's socks off with the finish turns, but progress is progress.

Going in my strategy was to use Great Library to get Iron Working to turn my Warrior into a Swordsman. With a tech lead I could get Colossus and Hanging Gardens. Unfortunately Oda grabbed GL fifteen turns earlier than in any of my practice games, turning my best-laid plans to dust.

Next jolt was my barren island--barbarians being the primary resource--and no iron anywhere for a settlement. In earlier games, particularly at an easy setting, I've noticed the GOTM staff uses the map to add a challenge and keep things unpredictable.

My initial priority was for the Warrior to scout the island for another civ to conquer while I worked up to Optics--no such luck--just Kabul and Bucharest. Everything else is offshore.

My offensive strategy had been 3 Longbowmen with a Swordsman but now that I don't have a tech lead I want to use the African Elephants. My military advisor says I can conquer Suleiman. With promotions I can defeat Oda (getting back the GLibrary though the extra tech is gone forever) and the military advisor also says Askia is also beatable if I get there before he builds up his army.

At turn 80 my social program are Tradition, Honor, Discipline, Aristocracy, Military Caste and Professional Army. After the Honor tree is finished, Exploration is next for a naval war.

The open terrain is another reason African elephants are looking good. On Prince I expect to win wars so the challenge is getting the army to where it needs to fight. I haven't even found half the other civilizations.

The good news so far is that the three quinquiremes got 30 gold from most CSs and by turn 80 one has almost circumnavigated the map.

Suleiman has iron south of Istanbul. My army will have to go there.