i am not very good

I played 30 turns more as a curiosity but will post my results along side to others later tonight.

Hotrod

Welcome Hotrod,

Try to post save files for the break points in the timeline if you can. The first three dates are 3450bc, 2950bc and 2590bc. I can uses these save files to produce some consolidated and comparative graphics as the game progresses.

After the discussion round on Friday, we will probably proceed forward with three more bites at the apple of 10 turns each.

These additional break points will be at:
2190bc (turn 40)
1790bc (turn 50)
and
1525bc (turn 60)

You may not want to play ahead to these break points until after the discussion process and looking ahead this will aim us toward another discussion point after turn 60.

I want to jump in on this progession game. I will get caught up on turns and will post later.

I guess I got a bit carried away with images Your composite image is much more interesting than any single game image could be so I'll keep the images off from now on. Maybe just the minimap, somehow I have a need to include a picture with my post

I went with your suggestion of a quick space victory as a strategy, I think HandyAndy should really let us know what objective he is pursuing so we can stir our games in the same direction.

I am not clear on what the report format should be, either a quick summary with the most notable event and a save game each ten turns or a single detailed 30 turns report with all 3 saves? I believe that without the reason of why a certain move is made there is not much learning potential.

Anyway, I will go along with what ever format is choosen. As I said before, I tag along mostly to get practice using this forum.

2900 BC (I) -
The granary completes, and I begin a settler.

2800 BC - Up luxury tax to 10% until the settler is completed.

2710 BC -
(I) I begin research on The Wheel next, but that could change since I just spotted a unit from the south and I may be able to get the wheel.
A settler completes, and I order another.

2670 BC - I pop another goodie hut and get warrior code for free.
?? Why can't I do this in emperor where it would really help ??
We have 2 sources of iron nearby.
I have first contact with the Zulu, and they have no technology to offer - surprising for an expansionist civ.

2590 BC - I have another first contact - the Iroquois. I can really tell this is warlord, as the Iroquois are also hopeless for tech.





http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads2/HA1-LKENDTER-2590BC.zip

Not much to talk about, some warrior exploring, b-line for pottery/granaries, and irrigation of the wheat. Got Maps from the hut.

Here is the save and image:
http://civfanatics.net/uploads2/ha1_hotrod_3450BC.zip

Use settler to found city #2 to the East on the River with cows.

Building Granary in Persepolis, see ivory to the West

Here is the save: I can't seem to get my images up properly, I get confirmation bu they are not there??

http://civfanatics.net/uploads2/ha1_hotrod_2950BC.zip

Built the granary, started on settler number 2, not too much more exploration. Had to raise lux to 10% because of the rapid growth in the capital and no MPs. With some MM capital growth and settler completion should be the same turn.

Here is the save: http://civfanatics.net/uploads2/ha1_hotrod_2590BC.zip

Got home a bit earlier than I hoped.

Here is the 2950BC save:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads2/ha1_padma_bc2950.zip

and the 30-turn 2590BC save: http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads2/ha1_padma_bc2590.zip

A quick screenshot of 2590BC:


I seem to have lost my notes, but you can tell the most important things from the screenshot. I have 2 cities built, and 2 Settlers on the way. My northern Warrior has popped 3 Goody Huts, and received 3 Barb warriors each time! That's why he's Elite now.

I am going 100% Research; I have discoverd Alphabet, and decided to go for CB because it was relatively cheap, and *I want my temples*! I usually get CB from a goody hut, but like I said, only Barbs, so far.

One exploring Warrior has found the Eastern Sea, while another is heading west to see what's there.

My two cities are almost linked together, and I plan on putting a worker to use around Pasargadae.

I'll save anything else for the discussion round.

Stwils seems to have fallen into a black hole with both 2950bc and 2590bc and I still do not have an upload for handyandy to match the 2590bc (turn 30) time point. Hopefully they will both join us soon.

I have several comparison and composite pieces of information to provide to you all as it is gleened from the save files you have all uploaded.

First, I have a set of composite maps that overlay all the exploration positions for the second save point ast 2950bc.



The base map image is sort of a kluge since city positions begin to be different for each player, but the key point of this composite is to give you a feel for the diverse elements of the exploration and expansion approaches for the various players.

If you would like to look at the individual map positions for any player in more detail, I suggest you look back in the postings at the turn reports for that player and then download the corresponding save games.

The common approaches that we saw in the composite image of warrior/explorer positions in 3450bc have given way to more focused exploration approaches on a grand scale:

• Cracker continues to head straight north
• Borealis is dedicated to exploring west.
• Jaxom is exploring almost exclusively to the northwest.
• Hotrod is looking for whales to the southwest
• Padma and Lkendter have very similar central approaches.
• Handyandy is still doing no exploring beyond the suburbs of his towns

There are colored dots placed on the composite map to correspond to the five players who have founded 2nd city locations. If I recall the reporting posts correctly, Jaxom got his second town from a settler from a hut while all four of the other towns where from built settlers. One other player has a settler out and on the move.

This next image is just a clearer composite with only the outlines for Borealis and Jaxom shown so we can see that they are clearly headed in two different directions.



The most significant advantage shown in this image is the town at the yellow dot that cam from the free settler nearby.

(remember that the secondary city locations near Persepolis are for composite reference to other player's maps and thes towns do not really exist for either one of the outlines shown.)

This next image is not to pick on handyandy but is just meant to emphasize the great expanse of territory that most players are exploring while Andy is building towns and staying home.

(note that the QSC power scoring formula has not been giving Andy the lowest score so far.)

This fourth and final composite image, is a comparison between James's position and handyandy's position because these two games represent the two extremes of the exploration process.

James has three warriors out exploring but has not yet built a second town, even though he has a settler out and on the move.

Handyandy has produced no exploration units at all but may have built the first settler to go for the second town.



This image also clearly outlines James's three pronged explorer approach.

Here are two tables that summarize the power ratings of each player's position at 3450bc and then again at 2950bc"



The second table has more elements in it as players add units and gain techs:



These tables are based on the Quick Start Challenge point system that rates every game position in terms of its equivalent "Gross National Product". You can find more about the points system at:

http://www.civfanatics.com/doc/civ3/cracker/quik_start/scoring.htm

if you are interested in that detail.

-----------

When you look at the tables, bear in mind that every player started the game with stuff that was worth 250 points even before they made any moves.

In the first table, we see that power scores range from 350 to 415 points, with Borealis in the lead by virtue of her strong technology position.

In the second table, everyone is gaining power points even more quickly than in the first table and the relative positions are beginning to shift a bit. Lee Kendter is in the lead in at 2950bc on the strength of having gotten Mysticism out of a goody hut because this is the first second tier technology in the game that takes advantage of some other prerequisite tech.

In the second table, you can also see the free starting techs highlighted in yellow, and the techs that the player already had at 3450bc highlighted in orange.

I will try to have a graph of this power score tracking by sometime Friday if we can get stwils and handyandy in the rest of the scoring up to 2590bc.

DISCUSSION IS NOW OPEN

Feel free to ask questions and discuss anything you have seen in the posting threads up to 2590bc.

A key part of this discussion is to focus on what choices we have made up to this point and what we effects these diffent choices seem to be having on game play.

Try not to talk about future plans because that is not how this format works.

When we are done with discussion, we will hopefully let each individual move forward and apply anything new that they think they may have learned from the process to improving their position in the game or "progressing the game forward" from that point in time.

It helps in these discussion processes if you focus in on things you are observing and ask questions of other players to explore how their decision logic and play choices may be leading to the differences we are seeing in the game so far.

Good luck to all,

Just thought I'd pass on that stwils has indicated in our other SGs that she is away from her coomputer until sometime late Sunday.

@cracker
The 2nd table as of 2950BC is incorrect. I had a setter on the map at that time.

Lee,

The scoring table (and me too) is not infallible, so it is possible there are mistakes in the table.

Here's a screen shot of your map position composited with your military advisor list:



I think you were building a granary and had 2 warriors and a worker as shown in the score sheet. If you can help me find the settler, I'll add him/her in.

@Cracker

I will try to have a graph of this power score tracking by sometime Friday if we can get stwils and handyandy in the rest of the scoring up to 2590bc.

I missed the above comment the first time, and I was confusing 2950 with 2590.

Looks like the formula gives a decided advantage to early tech grabs and contacts. Early exploration will give both of those through techs and new civ contacts but may not give a quick start on new city sites.

I found maps in my hut and that really influenced where I started to explore. I saw some good land to the North and decided to head west to the coast. Cracker, Lee, Jaxom headed North and got contacts or more huts etc. but didn't get a look at all the lands close by.

It is usually my preference to explore in a kind of a circle to find out where the next 2 - 3 or even 4 cities are and wait for a new city to build a warrior for future exploring outward in a single direction, looking for huts and contacts. I have a habit of placing my cities almost too soon without getting a true feel of what is in the area and that wheat or cow that was just in the fog shows up just out of the city reach.

I am interested to see the "scores" for the last 10 turns! This is a pretty cool concept and I really enjoy the discussion and information.

Hotrod