Kublai Kahn - Archipelago

Due to massive incompetence on my part, my last thread failed (thank you, lymond for helping me get my things in order.) Hopefully, I won't do anything particularly egregious this time around.



Prince Level (I normally play Monarch, but this is one of my first archipelago maps)
Archipelago, Standard Size
Temperate, Cylindrical, Medium Sea Level
Random 7 AIs
BUG 4.4/BULL mods

Well, I rolled a pretty good start, which makes up for rolling a pretty weak leader.

I think settling in place is the best course of action. The only other two options I see (1 SE, 2E) will take the Dye out my BFC.
Agriculture>Mining>Bronze Working>Fishing looks pretty promising here
Along with: Worker> Warrior till growth> Worker> Warrior till Fishing> Chop Boats

Move scout to that tile with blue circle first, but probably won't matter.

I'm inclined to settle on the bananas, which are rather weak anyway, but give an immediate boost to worker production and small boost to growth. Basically losing 2F later for faster start.

Dry rice is very weak tile so clams are your strongest food here. I would go Fishing>BW. Start Worker until Fishing complete, then build Wb. (second WB will be chopped later)

The critical thing here is timings. General building WB I would work highest hammer tile first. However, it might be best, with settling on nanners, to get that 2nd pop first and then switch to higher hammers tiles. I'd have to test it myself.

Kublai is the better of the Mongols. Creative makes him solid enough.

ah...I see you moved the scout already. Anyway...erm....I think settling on the bananas is indeed...the ....erm...right call....cough...hairball

yeah, I like the plan I laid out after testing. After switch to WB on turn 6, a WB finishes in 10t working 1F2H tile. However, you get 2nd pop in only 6 turns working the rice. So at pop 2 switch to both 1F2H tiles to finish WB in 5turns. Basically you get WB 1t slower, but the 2nd pop means more production later and insta-Worker whip after BW if that is the best play.

edit: You won't need to whip the worker. At 1t from finish WB, you should be able to switch 1 1F2H tile to a 2F1H tile and still stay at 1t on WB. A little micro that gets your growth up a bit.

Worker then finishes in 5 turns worker netted clams and the other unfinished clams (for more commerce). Worker moves to Gems to mine.

I had no idea Bananas gave your cities an extra food. I am going to go look through and memorize all the city bonuses you can get...

Oo, I didn't even think about the fact that the rice was dry which gives it the same food as clam with no Commerce. Herp. Fishing first here, definitely.

The critical thing here is timings. General building WB I would work highest hammer tile first. However, it might be best, with settling on nanners, to get that 2nd pop first and then switch to higher hammers tiles. I'd have to test it myself.

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Should I let my Population grow before Fishing so I can build the boat fast? Then have the worker come out closer to Bronze Working so he won't have as many wasted turns?

Kublai is the better of the Mongols. Creative makes him solid enough.

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Yeah, Aggressive is just pretty bad, especially on a water map.

lymond said:

yeah, I like the plan I laid out after testing. After switch to WB on turn 6, a WB finishes in 10t working 2F1H tile. However, you get 2nd pop in only 6 turns working the rice. So at pop 2 switch to both 2F1H tiles to finish WB in 5turns. Basically you get WB 1t slower, but the 2nd pop means more production later and insta-Worker whip after BW if that is the best play.

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So I should insta-switch to Slavery?

Note that I messed up on the tile yields above. I meant work 1F2H tiles at size two.

Gotrilliten said:

Should I let my Population grow before Fishing so I can build the boat fast? Then have the worker come out closer to Bronze Working so he won't have as many wasted turns?
.

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No, you will still have Mining and TW, so the worker has plenty to do before BW.

So I should insta-switch to Slavery?

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I generally don't switch into Slavery until the first Settler pops. That way anarchy occurs before that new city is settled, thus losing a turn in that city too. There are exceptions, but that is a good rule. ( the exception mainly is if I have a really nice high food cap that I want to whip out of immediately or I want to whip that first worker like I had mentioned, but you don't need to do that)

lymond said:

No, you will still have Mining and TW, so the worker has plenty to do before BW.




I generally don't switch into Slavery until the first Settler pops. That way anarchy occurs before that new city is settled, thus losing a turn in that city too. There are exceptions, but that is a good rule. ( the exception mainly is if I have a really nice high food cap that I want to whip out of immediately or I want to whip that first worker like I had mentioned, but you don't need to do that)

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Ah, okay, sounds good. That's what I generally do, aswell. I just have yet to learn what makes good exceptions.

HUZZAH! GEMS!




Quite unfortunately, Carthage is on my island aswell. Too far to rush, but it looks like I might be able to stunt his growth fairly easily with good city placement.


But, in the meantime, I am going to follow your plan out.

Now then, I am a bit confused on which tech I should research. I am thinking Agriculture>Animal Husbandry (for the rice and hopes of Horses) or Pottery.

I also have no idea where my second city is going to be.

You can start building a warrior, so your city can grow a bit onto gems and you also have green mines here once improved

Agriculture is not important, you should most likely tech sailing and masonry so you can build good stuff.

Fippy said:

You can start building a warrior, so your city can grow a bit onto gems and you also have green mines here once improved

Agriculture is not important, you should most likely tech sailing and masonry so you can build good stuff.

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Good point. I should probably do that.

Sailing sounds pretty good, but how does Masonry help without access to stone or marble?

Great Lighthouse

Fippy said:

Great Lighthouse

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Is it worth it without stone?

Gets no bonus from any resources, and on Archi maps GLH = super overpowered.

Fippy said:

Gets no bonus from any resources, and on Archi maps GLH = super overpowered.

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Oh, Jeez, I'm an idiot lol. For some reason I saw that it required Masonry and just assumed it meant it got the Stone bonus.

Should I build it after I get my second city?

Not sure when you should start on Prince, sorry.
But normally rather early, cos this wonder changes everything on Archi.

Don't build your second worker so quickly unless you are prepared to chop it. Rather you want to grow to at least size 3 and work your improved tiles.

Not sure Ag is really a priority early. Rather get POT then Sailing/Masonry to start on GLH. Get sailing first so you can build LH first before GLH activates. On Prince you have some time, so get out at least 1 settler.

I usually like to settle compactly, but Archi is sometimes odd. There's a really good city right up in Hanny's face on a PH, with cows/fish/crabs. Settle that first. Chop a WB, Granary and Library. This city can run your first 2 scientists to get a GS before any GM pops from Krak.

Hanny can still send galleys with settlers through your border, but you should be able to beat him to any good spots.

As for trade routes, they ARE always important. Just wait and see what things look like when GLH is built, you get foreign trade routes, and your cap grows. You will start to see 3, 4 and 5 commerce 4X over. That's like 4 villages or towns right in your city without building a cottage. It's really the best way of getting commerce on these types of maps.

You have about 5 to 6 obvious cities on your immediate land mass and then can settle offshore, which is even better for those trade routes.

You might even take Carthage out early depending on strats.

After Masonry, it might be time to grab Ag for that rice and that corn and then go Alpha.

Sorry for taking so long to continue.

I got The Great Lighthouse built, and my second city built and working on becoming a GS farm.
Should I pump a few warriors before I start setting up cities, since Hannibal is apparently getting pretty strong, or wait and fix it with Alphabet?

Also, I am thinking of teching either Currency or Monarchy after Alpha.