TSG62 Opening Actions

Welcome to the TSG62 Opening Actions thread. This thread is used to discuss the game once you've started playing through your first 100 turns. There are no posting restrictions as such (apart from normal decency), although we encourage players 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.

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

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

- How did the terrain and map affect your early decisions?
- What were your initial priorities?
- What tech path did you follow and why?
- Were there any early wars and who started them?
- What Social Policies did you choose and why?
- What Wonders did you build or miss out on?
- Have you settled on your victory condition yet?
- When and how did you come to this decision?

I'm up to turn 112 now. After moving the warrior like I mentioned in the announcement thread I saw marble that that would be in the 3rd ring if I settled where the warrior started, so that's what I did. I got a 2nd city up to the west next to those whales with the silk in the 3rd ring.

So far I managed to ally both religious CS's and the 1 maritime near my capital.

Religion: I was the 3rd to found a religion.
God of the Seas
Tithe
Cathedrals - pagodas and mosques were taken.
Messiah for the bonus to help get the 2nd prophet faster. unfortunately, the game trolled me yet again. So, I ended up having to buy a missionary when I had gone 3 turns (about 25 faith) over the threshold with no prophet.

The only horses I found are on the other side of Persia. Even the nearby CS's don't have any. Since our horse UU requires horses, I had to tech to iron and hope I'd get lucky.

Persia is running away, both from wars with Germany and the wonder spam. I attempted to slow them down as soon as I got composite bows, but as soon as I DoW'd, I saw pikes and shortly thereafter knights. So i backed off and just picked off what I could while trying to get more units out to replace those I lost in the first round. Luckily he eventually offered a peace deal where I only had to give him 14 gold, so I jumped on it.

During the war with Persia, Rome turned hostile and since I my Dromons are blocked from going east by a single tile of ice, I DoW'd Rome to at least level them up on the west coast. Unfortunately, I'm bogged down trying to get my land units near enough to take any of his cities.

Even with about 8 composite bows, 5 Dromon, 3 swordsmen and 2 GG's I'm still last place in military.

Mods, next time we have a game with a UU that requires a strategic, when you're editing the map please make sure we have that strategic at least close enough for a 2nd or 3rd city location that's not on the other side of the continent.

At this point I am considering abandoning this game, because this map most certainly is not fun.

One hundred turns and it was all over. Persia. No chance.

Settled in place. I started with scout-scout-shrine-granary-workboat(bought)-workboat-workboat-library-NC. I stole a worker from Persia. I made peace later and he went back friendly

When i have reached 500 gold, i rush bought a settler. Adrianople started with granary and watermill, en route for Petra. Rush bought a library in there to start NC. I ''forgot'' to tech Optics for lighthouse but that would have delayed the NC. These workboats take some time to build. Oracle built on turn 60!

I decided to go with Tradition.



At 2 turns from currency, a message appeared : Darius built Petra Oh well it's deity after all. Rush bought settler(Nicaea) from Adrianople to time with end of NC. Built another settler from capital. Now with 4 cities, Germany already settled the poor east land right of me. I've been able to ally both faith cs. Capital is growing really big. I'm close from buying some universities.

Religion : Took Tithe, sword into plowshare, both spreaders and +1 food from shrines and temples.



Minor mistake, i forgot during the first 5 turns(university) to run 2 scientists from capital . Went for Astro first and now im heading for Machinery and the Ironworks so i can catch some important ren. wonders among the way( if the AI doesn't tech too fast, i know that i can a bit late from now). Met some other civs. Universities are now everywhere.



I will likely play a peaceful game and aim for a science or diplo victory.

Not having the same Persia experience. Bribed Germany to DoW Persia with a whale and an embassy, waited a few turns then DoW/worker steal and the runaway got run down. Persia lost their second city and nearly all their troops. I've never had this before in Deity but Darius was actually Afraid. I've got Persepolis ringed with Composites and I'm doing the same squeeze play with Germany on the other side and Darius in the middle. Only his Golden Age boost is keeping him in the fight. If Germany takes Persepolis though it's Game Over.

Of course on the other continent 2 religions were founded Turn 48 and 2 enhanced by Turn 72. I'm on Atheist Island and there will only be scraps left for when I found.

I am giving this a go, despite deity being a level or 2 beyond me. I will be pleased if I survive long enough to lose to the AI.

Turn 119
I took a huge gamble on the map being an archipelago with the intention of going liberty in order to get a religion going. For this reason, I started building a monument (why not experiment). It quickly became apparent (turn 2/3) that this was not an archipelago, but having not met anyone, I carried on. Finally met Persia on turn 18 (probably my least favourite AI) having met 2 city states. Built a scout which met a city state before dying the next turn. Used the city states to help found a religion. Despite this I was late to a religion, only 4th (Someone just founded a religion with no pantheon in the early 50s). My pantheon was god of the sea. I took ceremonial burial, pagodas and itinerant preachers (an attempt to catch up) when I founded the religion.

I have built 3 cities including the capital and they are growing well, but I am currently at war with Germany and their knights are wreaking havoc as my army was spread out over the hills to the south.

I am struggling with gold at the moment and Persia (shockingly still friendly have all of my luxuries )

I tried a Liberty strategy. Planted my first city (free settler) on a hill/mountain to the SE to block Persia and built 6 archers to defend. Persia DoWed on about T65 but I was able to hold them off easily with that city being in a superior defensive position. In the meantime I settled 3 more cities (on the furs to the S on the coast, river/mountain/coast/gems to the west, and just SW of capital on the hill/mountain/lake). Goal was to build libraries then use the free GE from Liberty finisher to rush the NC. I also had another settler ready to plant on the other coastal/whales site to the NW for city 6. However, Persia did a really smart thing (surprisingly) when they coordinated buying up Geneva (who had a lot of pikes!) with a Golden Age turbocharged pike/knight rush of their own. My defending comp bows couldn't handle it (I was in a very vulnerable position when Geneva attacked) and it was gg (I threw in the towel) around T110. Just not enough science to keep up - I would have needed crossbows to defend and I was trying to tech toward Education. Gold was also a problem all game. I got a religion (Aurora, God of the Seas, Tithe, Ceremonial Burial) but Persia had a very strong enhanced religion that was already spreading to my cities before I could enhance. I'm sure someone will figure out a way to win but its definitely a tough map. Good luck!

I'm not sure I'm even in this game, but I'm not dead yet First time with Theodora, first time at Deity.

Turn 100 I have two cities. Settled in place for the first (and later cursed when I saw the marble that I could've had in the third ring). The second is west, with the silk and the deer in the first ring. I considered waiting for the first city to see what else I could see, and cursed when I saw desert south ... desert folklore would be awesome for Theodora, right?

Capital build order was scout, monument, shrine (which I noted as risky, I've never played Deity but my understanding is that early defence is vital), granary (still risking it), workboat (purchased), library, workboat (purchased) archer, archer, archer, archer (you can see where I'm going with this ...)

I got my pantheon early from hitting both the religious city states, and spent a good 5 minutes debated GOTS and Dance of the Aurora. Not wanting to work Tundra tiles early decided me on GOTS. Finally founded my religion turn 100 (and took the last one, two religions have already been enhanced!) with Tithe, Choral Music and Pagodas. I've decided I'm going to try and win culturally.

Watching all the ancient and classical wonders disappear before my eyes was an eye-opener, as I usually play on King (just stepping up to Emperor now), and I'm considering trying to attack Darius but am entirely clear that I'd almost certainly get my backside handed to me.

Although I kept expecting an attack, Darius and Bismarck have been at war with each other - and Bismarck and Rome are attacking city states.

I've sold luxuries to all three leaders, although they never had the full amount on hand so it's been lump + gpt deals.

I'm debating a third city, but can't see a spot I really want so I think I'll be turtling from here on out.

Socail Policies: I considered going liberty, but went tradition (and then kicked myself, because I needed to expand faster to get the spots I wanted). Just about complete, but I'm not sure where to go next.

I was very disappointed with my dromon being unable to get around because of a Roman city ...

Oh, another interesting thing in my game - the Oracle went to the AI on T45! This is the fastest I have seen that built. Absolutely no chance for any wonders, not surprising on Deity.

I have just finished education, and it feels like I should have gotten it earlier. Someone on the other continent entered the Renaissance pre turn 100. So I have too get my science going if I am going to have a change to win this.

I have had two wars with Persia, both initiated by me, but I am currently at peace with everyone. but Persia just made peace with Germany and will attack me with crossbows soon, that will hurt.

I only tried to build one wonder, which was Petra. But i missed it by 10 turns...

This is my empire:

Sigh, that was quick, started quite well

settled in place, started scout > monument > scout>Archer>Shrine
hut popped +1 pop
Pottery>Archery>AH>Trapping>Calendar>Sailing>Wheel
T 11 >> 1st panthenon ???!!!
T 15 >> panthenon, chose GotS
T24 >> GL (WTH?) & unmet player in classical area
T50 >> DoW Germany vs Darius
T55 found Adrianople
T70 founded Nicea
T 80 lost Adrianople to Persia
got both scouts cornered and whacked
Ally / friend to all CS around

Deity is so hard, AI has massive advantages

Will replay, have a sense of underachievement

should have teched for composites, techs very muddled

Settled 1 tile north after seeing that marble can be reached at the 3rd ring.

When I saw a chance to steal Persian worker, I went for it. Darius usually becomes pain in the neck (stupid perma golden age for deity AI...) and when I saw that he was my closest civ and faith mountain is close to him, I decided to kill him fast.

My scout and warrior were dancing around Persian border (2 tiles from it so that he can't see my units unless he has a unit on the border) and took 2 more workers by t32. I took one worker from Sydney as well.

With very successful worker stealings, it might be easy to REX - but there were not that many unique lux.. and I ended up having 6 cities.

CB rush was really late too - I saw that Persia got #1 army and Golden age and his army was approacing my kaliash city (4 tiles from his cap, on the desert silver) - I bribed Germany to DoW him so that I could prepare more CBs. I took Persia cap around t100 (very late, compared to the usual play pace). It seems that unmet civs were doing very well, so I decided to tech education before Xbows so that I can catch up science.

It seems that my tech speed is too late for safe diplo/sci victory, so I guess I have to go for domination.

religion: DF - ceremonial burial - motg - ascetism - cathedral - itinerant preachers

Unmet civs found and enhanced religion pretty quick.

Gl glory7. Few players will attempt a dom. victory. Lot of work to do. Expect long turns too

Minor spoiler :

First time posting, great site and great forum. Thanks all. Never played this level, its cruel..

Turn 130

Setteled in place, saw marble, doh..

Made a scout: sent off warrior and scout, popped 5 huts, 100g, 20 culture, 60 faith, 1 pop, and one map.. Sure great.

Met all CS, both the religious and got first pantheon, chose god of sea, tithe, the religion spread thing, and a faith purchase building.. Took forever to get the religion, and regretted very much to not have gone for the tundra faith one..

Persia dowed the Germans, and wiped Bismarck.

All wonders flew, GL mid 20. Never even close to get even one. Far behind on science.

Got 3 cities, one (A) west by additional whales. The other (N) at coast line, just west of perspolis by river.

Persia dowed me after removing Bismarch, but city (N) has great defensive position, and had 4 archers and 2 boats in position. So its easy to pick off the units as they come in a line.. Reason i chose to make by coast and not inbetween mountains was to use the marine range power of the special unit to support archers. Gonna use great generals/citadels to deprive perspolis of land. Darius has bought all citystates around, so now its only Romans that isnt at war with me on this continent.

In general money is so scare. Continously poor and struggle to keep up with happiness...

Main goal is to live to see the end of the game..

Edit: lost capital at 204 to Genova. Darius airforce changed the game, bombed my defense line to oblivion.

Hammer Rabbi said:

- How did the terrain and map affect your early decisions?
- What were your initial priorities?
- What tech path did you follow and why?
- Were there any early wars and who started them?
- What Social Policies did you choose and why?
- What Wonders did you build or miss out on?
- Have you settled on your victory condition yet?
- When and how did you come to this decision?

Click to expand...

Unlike many, i sadly did not move my warrior toward the Marble, but instead SE. I settled in place.

I opened Tradition, but then decided to go Liberty as there were a few decent spots to settle, and my cap wouldn't have a lot of food.

Religious CS helped me get God of the Seas.

Wonders, lol. I finally finished NC really late after settling three cities and hard-building their libraries.

Victory condition, haha. I'm alive still, which is a win already. I have no illusions of winning, barring miracles.
If by some miracle it seems i have half a chance, i'll be aiming for science or diplo win later on.

Persia has been friendly so far, and i am trying to keep them that way by refusing Germany's friend requests, as i know i am toast if they DoW me.

Rome is hostile and has lots of units milling around me, but they are in a difficult position to attack due to terrain, and have not yet, thankfully.

I am WAY behind where i want to be on tech.

t111, still 7 turns away from Education

Screenies, t111:

casualplayer said:

Not having the same Persia experience. Bribed Germany to DoW Persia with a whale and an embassy, waited a few turns then DoW/worker steal and the runaway got run down. Persia lost their second city and nearly all their troops. I've never had this before in Deity but Darius was actually Afraid. I've got Persepolis ringed with Composites and I'm doing the same squeeze play with Germany on the other side and Darius in the middle. Only his Golden Age boost is keeping him in the fight. If Germany takes Persepolis though it's Game Over.

Of course on the other continent 2 religions were founded Turn 48 and 2 enhanced by Turn 72. I'm on Atheist Island and there will only be scraps left for when I found.

Click to expand...

This is a fun weird game. I got the last religion and Tithe was still left even after 4 enhanced religions! Also Festivals and Monasteries, which makes me very glad Germany didn't get the last religion with all his vineyards.

Germany took Persepolis out from under me so I took it from him then sold it to Rome. I can't bribe Rome to DoW Germany but things are tense between them with a denouncement and now that they share a border. Sharing the continent with #1 and #2 in almost every demographic, just hoping I can brew up a long war between them while I start spreading the faith so I can get back in this.

Umph, this is a hard game. I took my warrior south but found nuthin. Some desert mountains, but shooting for Petra is too risky on Deity. (Actually, I probably could have, as my 4th city came just a few turns short waiting for the GE produced by the Liberty finisher.) I did find two religious CSs before anyone else, basically giving me a free choice of pantheon. Desert Folklore would have been good to combine with buying classical units with religion. But I didn't see enough other reasons to develop towards the South early on. At this time I still figured Domination should be the way to go. And since I found the other 4 sea resources just West, I figured I wouldn't be able to beat 8 extra hammers, so Gods of the Sea it was.

Then I was ticked off, just as everybody else not to find any horses. And no passage by boat. I ended up going Liberty, first spamming worker boats, then archers with settlers.

I'm now at turn 87. Five cities. A bunch of archers that are about to be upgraded to CBs when I finally research Construction. (My tech is too slow ) and then I'm going to pay Sydney a visit, it's in my way to Persia. I feel I'm now committed to Domination, although overseas AIs are hard to conquer at Deity. The Romans are tucked away in a nasty corner and I have no idea what other civs are out there. So my chances look slim. The best I can hope for is Persia is going to just roll over and die and I start spamming Privateers as soon as I can. At least my two coastal cities will be awesome shipyards.

first 70 turns:

t0- settle in place, move warri NE, build scout
t3 - culture ruin (yay)
t4 - find mt kailash
t5 - open tradition, scout done, build scout, meet sydney (30g)
t7 - meet geneva (30g), ruin (evidence...)
t8 - meet persia, pop 2
t9 - pottery done, research sailing
t10 - 2nd scout done, build granary, ruin (mining)
t11 - meet bismarck
t13 - meet vatican (30g)
t14 - found pantheon (2nd), DF, ruin (free pop -> pop 3)
t16 - meet almaty (15g)
t17 - DoW persia and steal worker (no gold for gpt)
t18 - ruin (evidence again...)
t20 - granary done, sailing done, build work boat, research writing
t21 - ruin (culture), meet lisbon (30g), pick LE
t22 - pop 4
t23 - ruin (pop 5), loan 1 gpt to bismarck to buy work boat, peace with darius for 4g
t28 - pop 6, work boat done, writing done, build library, research optics
t34 - pop 7, stolen worker finally reaches cap
t37 - sell whales to bismarck (lousy 80g and 4gpt), persia always spends after 100g :/
t38 - optics done, library done, research calendar, build lighthouse
t39 - scout clears encampment next to sydney, take worker
t40 - warri dies to barbs far NE...
t42 - calendar done, philosophy
t43 - pop 8, finally sell whales to persia (lousy 100g and 4 gpt)
t45 - lighthouse done, build settler (should really be other way round...)
t49 - sell dyes to bismarck (149g and 2gpt)
t51 - settler done
t55 - bribe persia to dow germany, philo done, start nc, tech archery
t56 - adrianople, buy lib, build granny. realize DF was terrible choice.
t57 - archery done, now beeline edu, cap pop 9
t61 - clear encampment for geneva and vatican
t64 - cap pop 10
t66 - aristocracy
t68 - meet rome, sell whales, buy settler


later on i got lazy with keeping notes. founded religion quite late (~t85), unfortunately RT was already gone, picked +1 happi from shrines, tithe and IP. happiness is really tight. 4 cities now, 3 unis @ t127. met all other civs but one. high gpt (50+), trying to get as many RAs as i can. keeping persia and bismarck at war, persia is scary and i dont need any attention since my entire army is two scouts.

seeing tabarnak is far ahead, i really regret not going for one city NC. persia and germany didnt have enough money to support 2 city NC =/

Welp, that was fast. I grabbed Dance of the Aurora with my Pantheon, settled a city on Kailash hoping to go Tradition 4 city start, but Persia immediately DoWed me and ripped me to pieces with a billion Immortals. I'm going to try again, although the immediate surroundings of the island are kind of known to me.

On Deity, I have not won a single Gotm yet. I started with GotS, sold some whales to Darius and was prepping to DoW him and steal a worker but saw one captured by barbs and changed plans. It took too long to get that one freed as it made it to camp, then I lost an archer to barb archer, I was cutting it too close again.

To make long story short it's t69 and I only have my cap , I do have NC up in one turn but need more cities. I abandoned idea of DoW on darius once he got CB and pikes and I still have only 4 archers and warrior. Bismarck spammed a city between me and Persia but I think it can work out ok if I can get them to fight. So far neither takes any offers.

If I can get three fast cities and make enough cash for unis and observatories then I think I can pull offf a diplo win if there will be some CS left. Only 2 religions left and I have not even built a shrine.

Oracle t48 to AI I wonder whats up with that. I saw the marble but did not move, I was not expecting to build any wonders.