TSG76 Opening Actions

Welcome to the TSG76 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 settings affect your early decisions?
- What were your initial priorities?
- What tech path did you follow and why?
- What Social Policies did you choose and why?
- Have you decided your VC pre-game or based it on situational gameplay?

The terrain looked too difficult for a camel attack, so I tried to play peaceful.

My priority was scouting and a pantheon, I didn't get DF, settled for tears.

I did writing > currency and tried to get petra.

I opened 2 in piety and then tradition after I lost DF pantheon.

The VC was situational.

Met everyone by Turn 42, which frequently steers me towards a Cultural Victory. However...









lost 2 Settlers to Barbs by Turn 55, whose camps were just out of sight on the other side of the hill I wanted to settle or in the exact frickin' spot! So annoying because my Riverside Mountainside Hill cap had crazy potential with 3 Cows and an Oasis for food and 3 unique luxes. I still might try to grind this out as a Science Victory but for now I'm too grouchy to continue just yet.

First go at Deity. People met me quickly and have DoF with all near neighbours. Got four cities out although missed a spot I wanted on gems further north in the jungle. Have Mecca on the gem hill near the start and Medina between the mountains on the wine. Other city in between the sheep on the coast.



Baghdad just inside the jungle. In hindsight, I shouldn't have settled Baghdad as it means I've a lot of building to get East India Company.

Have lots of people sending caravans and am selling pretty much everything.

Going for science or diplo at this point but feel way behind! Trying to grow every city at the moment.

NC done and have 2 universities up. Lots of RAs going (sold most luxes to friends for lump sum).

I went full liberty this time - normally go tradition but wanted early growth and fast infrastructure.

Will be interesting to see how this goes and would be interested to know what people have in terms of BPT at turn 100?

This is my first time doing the GOTM. Spoiler after 121 turns, sorry but not much happened in the first 100 turns since it took me longer than that to get to Chivalry:

Welcome to CivFanatics and GOTM.

Best of luck in your game.

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?

I wanted to capitalise on the desert with petra, and see if I could get a religion going. Didn't stand a chance, built a shrine first thing but didn't pop a pantheon until 4 religions were already founded - i needed a bit of cash to ensure i got a tile so i sold the shrine in disgust!

- What were your initial priorities?

Finding other civs so quickly i tried marking in mind where i wanted cities and then made expansion my next priority. Seeing that solomon's mine & wine to the SW made me drool a bit so city #2 settled on the river and as Hiawatha was closing in i purchased tiles to ensure i got all the resources. I had the SE coast in mind, but figured i'll save it to later as it didn't have any new luxuries and i'll try and get my mark before the other civs take all the land. city #3 went N amongst the jungle, wasn't a big fan of the spot but i felt it was important for the distance from capital and as a barrier to slowing down other civs. From that city i looked E (about the only available direction left) and didn't see any exciting resources in a next-city-appropriate-distance, but as i searched a bit further E i was surprised to find a solid city-sized gap between 2 civs which if i was lucky included marble and sugar (among others). My settler raced for it and city #4 was declared, immediately after another civ settled near by, so i spent quite a lot securing all those resources 2-3 hexes away - unfortunately a civ has now built between city #3 and #4 where i intended to plot my final #5. So far everyone's friendly so hopefully an on-going open borders won't be too tricky.

- What tech path did you follow and why?

Mostly bee-lining to currency for petra, with a couple of detours for calendar and trapping so i could sell more resources.

- What Social Policies did you choose and why?

I opened up tradition & liberty for the culture boosts, then got my free worker, was intending to get the free settler but turned out i didn't need it as i was making so much cash from selling luxuries, so i got the tradition-wonder-help-builder (you can see how great i am with names right?) literally on the turn before i could start building petra.

it wasn't until t79 that i started building petra, so i really didn't expect to make it - but come t94 surely enough it was built! such a shame i couldn't get a religion and make those desert tiles really work for me.

- Have you decided your VC pre-game or based it on situational gameplay?

i'm hoping for diplomacy, but really my tactic from here on in will be focusing on science and seeing what VC best comes available - i don't really think culture is on the cards, and i'm not keen on conquest (and so far most civs are happy to be friendly so hoping i don't have to get the fisty cuffs out).

Time for the midgame, Just hit Education, bought university in Mecca, contemplated buying one in Medina too, had the cash, but decided to buy the three riverside tiles towards the Iroquois instead to secure future growth there. Settled four cities, probably keeping it there. Finished Tradition T80 and should hit Renaissance just before sixth policy, so far so good. Baghdad is going to be a pretty useless city, settled it to try and grab the last religion which got taken when I had 180 faith.

Got my National Epic built and soon gardens finished, so Mecca should be a GP factory early. Going to try and snag Pisa too, but probably wont manage.

Had a few errors, tried to steal a worker from Hiawatha early, but ended up loosing a scout, then twenty turns down the line, forgetting I was still at war I lost an archer to a stupid blunder.

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
Set out to find everyone fast and try and get early friendships to sell luxes too, that has gone well and cashed me a lot of gold.
- What were your initial priorities?
Try to get a religion while not going to far out of line, was planning to get Haga Sophia to enhance religion pretty quickly after founding. But got beat to religion, lucky its on the same path as Education(Though could have gotten faster stables had I not gone for it)
- What tech path did you follow and why?
Pottry, Animal Husbandry, Trapping, Archery, Calendar, Writing, Mining, Philosophy, Sailing, Drama and Poetry, The Wheel, Horseback Riding, Mathematics, Currency, Civil Service, Theology, Education T109

Should have hit The Wheel and Horseback Riding before Philosophy, would have had time for it.
- What Social Policies did you choose and why?
Tradition so far, next should be Rationalism(failing that Patrionage opener)
- Have you decided your VC pre-game or based it on situational gameplay?
Decided for peaceful game if possible beforehand. Probably shooting for Science, culture and diplomatic seem farfetched to manage.

The ferocious Dutch Assault on my cap. My fault, as I pisssed him off early trying to steal his worker and pillage caravan. I denounced first then noticed caravan was to Mecca and I would get nothing, decided to keep going and never Dowed. I was getting almost half my bpt from that caravan....Did not in fact steal anyone's worker and thanks to that got lots of DoFs and a DoW from William

He came with CBS and warrior / spear force and got my cap to zero for a while as I tried to kill every melee in sight even when I had to sacrifice units to do so. It paid off, I kept the cap, he lost his army and I will keep working him over with CB and Chariots until CAs come online.

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?

Settled gems seeing I will have few cows anyway, opened with monument instead of scout since no culture ruin possibility.

- What were your initial priorities?

Grow cap, scout, steal worker, find first victim and good high production city locations.

- What tech path did you follow and why?
Pottery for granny, then horse/iron to see if any in area, philo,lux techs, currency, then to Chivalry

- What Social Policies did you choose and why?
Liberty all the way so far

- Have you decided your VC pre-game or based it on situational gameplay?
Figured domination would be quickest if stars align, but seeing the terrain and space available maybe standard SV or DV would gave been quicker. But Camel rampage should be fun and will see how many caps I will need arty for, hope to do it before planes. The Dutch attack set me back a bit, should be interesting the rest of the way.

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
Settled on gems, and one additional city next to mountain/river to the west, it seemed a bit cramped to be founding more cities.

- What were your initial priorities?
Attacked Dutch with warrior plus a couple of archers to grab a worker, this went very well the AI didn't seem to have many troops and sent out 2 more workers to repair pillaged tiles which I stole as well, then an unescorted settler(???).

Had to wait for more troops plus research for comp bows before taking his capital plus one other city, then made peace.

Ignored Religion completely (don't think I even bothered with a shrine). Didn't think I had a hope of getting one. Didn't try for any wonders until Renaissance era, for same reason.

- What tech path did you follow and why?
Techs for granaries, then archery, lux techs (mining and calender I think), philosophy (science) then civil service (growth).

- What Social Policies did you choose and why?
All tradition, then managed to go straight to Rationalism.

- Have you decided your VC pre-game or based it on situational gameplay?
Situational, but looking likely it's going to be Science now, can't see any of the options as viable.

After I made peace with the Dutch I was friendly/neutral with everyone, got 4 DOF's and several research agreements going, income was over 100gpt. After getting universities bought science which was bad improved.

Brazil had some dozen units milling around my border making me very nervous so I built 3 more camel archers, taking total army strength to about 8 CA, 4CB and 3 Swords.

Around turn 120, Holland DOW, (last AI I expected to! - bribed I think), next turn DOW from Egypt (lost RA), Siam (Lost RA), Morocco (Lost RA), turn after that Brazil.

So I am now fighting of Holland to the west and 4 Civs to the North, luckily mountains and an allied city state stalled their attacks, so was able to fight off Holland then race the Camel archers back to defend main two cities.

Many (20-30?) turns later and loads of dead enemy units, plus captured Morrocan city on coast and I manage to finally get white peace with all but two (Siam and Egypt I think, furthest away so hadn't lost as many units.) Then Iroquois DOW oh joy.

They take Amsterdam, I retake then loose it and take it again, killing dozens of units, he can sure spam em' as fast as I kill one wave and try to advance on his cities another wave appears.

This war is still ongoing - and I've nearly quit several times now

Made peace with everyone else though, and was first to industrial, but happiness is a problem and due to loosing all my trade routes my gpt is down to 20.

I had no plans to play more than few turns but the game turned out more interesting and weird than I expected so I played until industrial which I hit 2nd on T156.

Scout, monument,shrine & Liberty. Met La Venta and eventually took Desert Folklore a turn before 1st religion was established - 5 civs went Piety and Morocco even with 2 faith providing NWs didn't get a religion.
As the religious game was off the next obvious plan was to spread havoc instead so my 2nd city was settled in the face of the Dutch while dodging a Brazilian & a Siamese settler. 3rd city beside the KSM on Iroquois border again without a reaction after which I grabbed a Egyptian worker which resulted a short, less than enthusiastic war between us which the general public mostly ignored. 4th city on the to prevent Austrian settlement and bordering Morocco in which I bough neighbouring tiles to upset him without any luck. At this point I was more keen to see wtf was going on with AI than actually conquering anyone - I already was friends with most of them. I even opened Honor for the fun of it but it doesn't seem to bother anyone. I'm also the only one with Liberty so I build Pyramids but very late.

Used Liberty GP for NC on T89 and settled 6th city on Austrian border and all I got was a polite request not do that again. Few CS allies and decent income for change. Almost non-existed army didn't trigger any sort hostility so I signed few RAs lazily building Unis while struggling with happiness as the game doesn't handle well selling the same lux several times in one turn and is even more confused with the Arab UA so I sold the last copy few times.

By T156 I'm friends with everyone, 7 RAs going, 6 CS allies, enough cash for upgrades should I need an army suddenly but this is the most pacifistic game I've ever come across - not a single war apart from the short one between me & Ramesses.
The AI is apparently winning techs in lottery as stealing takes 20+ turns even though everyone is going tall; they sure aren't generating beakers to advance. Average number of DoFs is ~4.

I still have no immediate intentions to finish the game but I'm tempted to see how long can this warless status quo exist. The actions of AI or lack of them is just beyond odd at times.

Just playing through this, I'm not following the no reload rule also.

Not really a Deity player, I'm currently just playing to survive at the moment.

Went Liberty. Quickly got two settlers out for two cities NW and SW.

Later created a city to the east, and about to create my fifth final city (well, at least in the space available) to the far east.

Didn't even bother with religion, I thought without huts it would have taken a huge effort to get a pantheon before other civs enhanced.

Turn 99, just completed Liberty, unsure of what Great Person to select however?

Also, not sure where I should go from here, in particular, is there any possibility of expansion?

I've attached the save. Any suggestions appreciated.