Leveraging good luck

I hardly ever play Isabella of spain, so I though I'd give it a try on Monarch/Fractal/Standard.

Started next to the sea and began building a work boat. While it was building I got greedy and went for polytheism. Got Hinduism. Nice. Then went silly and clicked on buddhism. Got that too. While this is happnening my warrior pops both Priesthood and Monarchy from huts

How can this be leveraged? Having priesthood and monarchy at 3100 BC is just crazy!

... and what's more you've got some absolutely great city sites waiting for you too: Ivory-Cows and Gems-Gems-Rice-Dye-Cows both on rivers!

You're really well set to combine the Expansive trait + Hereditary Rule to control large cities from the outset. The fact that you've picked up two religions already means that you can whip up some cheap Temples as well that will give your already Hereditary Rule happy cities even more happiness while they recover from whip weariness.

After Bronze Working, I'd look towards getting Worker technologies acquired (notably Animal Husbandry), but not spend too much time before heading towards Currency to fund quick expansion - with health and happiness addressed, it's cash shortages that could hold you back.

Looks like a terrific start - best of luck!

How about a feudalism slingshot? And grab Monotheism so that you can pop Theology with your first prophet. You could run Vassalage and Theocracy and have 7XP longbows spreading the faith. Fun times....

Research writing then finish building oracle, take fuedalism, longbow rush (I know it sounds silly, but priesthood and monarchy at 3000BC is silly too). Then tech to CS.


.02

It´s maybe possible to use feudalism to vassalize some of you neightbours early early vassal might be really worthy

...can you post the savegame???

I'd personally Chop/rush the Oracle for COLs before settling any cities for a 3 Religion Holy City AKA, 3 headed Hydra, then research Sailing for quickly spread to foreign Cities on the coast... If you're lucky those 3 religions may end up becoming the 3 biggest religions in the game and you'll be getting heaps of Shrine income and be able to run the Science Slider close to 100% if you're not at 100% already.

you can also use those Religions for Diplomacy constantly switching religions to please whomever for Tech trading bonuses or Diplomatic bonuses like bribing AIs into war and also have the ability to see into those cities with that religion in them during war.

Fuedalism Slingshot is also a good choice for a Longbow rush but only if you have an AI nearby to actually rush, unless you want to use those Civics Vassalage and Serfdom, I can see Serfdom being used for quick worker improvements, it's ok to switch to Serfdom because you can always switch back to Slavery whenever you want because you're spiritual.

I have the feeling that you're isolated (just a feeling of course, could be wrong).
Time for a good run of fogbusting, then settler + cottage spam.
As cam said, you have a good deal of land available, with gems and gold and ivory = no happiness problems.
If I saw this well you could go for cultural quite easily.
Go for the oracle after you settled your second city (oracle in second city if you have production there) and while building workers, settlers, units.
Don't bother with buildings until you can poprush a library...

Suggested tech path : finish BW, then agri>pottery for granaries (you're expansive!)>writing (oracle CoL).
After that, you'll need to know if you're isolated or not.

It would be nice to know if there is a source of food near that gold pit.

The two aforementioned city sites look good, although IW and Calendar are going to be important there.

Definitely have to go oracle-feudalism in this situation. I agree with running vassalage + theocracy although I would gun for catapult + elephant + longbow. That is of course if you are NOT isolated. If you are isolated, I would go for cultural victory using your 3 or more religions in combination with the spiritual trait to go ftw. Don't delay IW and Calendar if you are isolated.

Well, I went for the oracle->feudalism. Got it 1200 BC. Turns out I was anything but isolated, with 4 other civs on the continent. Founded 2 new cities and started spamming longbows while beelining construction.

First target was Huyana Capac, my nearest neighbor, who is now reduced to only one city (the capital). Gearing up to take out that rifle beelining scumbag Hannibal next. Same old, same old

Can't help but feel that I almost would have liked to be isolated on this map, given that I could have gotten perhaps 5 or 6 religions and been well on the way to cultural before the AI gets astronomy..

BTW. About War Elephants, does anyone feel they are semi-overpowered? I know Ivory is rare but building war elephants/cats gives a stack of death thats valid well into the medieval era.

frob2900 said:

BTW. About War Elephants, does anyone feel they are semi-overpowered? I know Ivory is rare but building war elephants/cats gives a stack of death thats valid well into the medieval era.

Click to expand...

Jerrymander rased a similar question in his War Elephants thread a couple of weeks ago that might be of interest.