TSG116 Opening Actions

Welcome to the TSG116 Opening Actions thread.

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

This thread is used to discuss the game once you've started playing through your first 100 turns. Apart from normal decency, the only posting restrictions are to please not post videos until the deadline is finished and 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.

Please use this thread to discuss your goals for the game and your opening moves through the first 100 turns. Anything after that should be posted in the After Actions thread once you have completed your game.

- Describe any significant milestones in the first 100 turns - land expansion, key techs, wonders or wars?
- How many ruins did you get? What were they?
- Did the map type or neighbors alter plans for an SV? If so, how?
- Have you set any benchmarks or expectations on Prince?

I think there has been a copy/paste mistake with the map type.

Moderator Action: Not sure why you think there has been a mistake, but that you do means you must have opened the save. Please do not post in the announcement thread once you have opened the save due to potential spoilers. If you think a mistake was made, best to send a private message to the game designer telling them why you think a mistake was made. Thanks.

You are correct, Swissy. It is a Continents Map. I have corrected it in the Announcement. It was my bone-headed fault for this. And yes, should you notice something like that again, please let me or Leif know through PM.

My apologies again,
HR

Amazing starting position! Really having fun so far on this one.

t2 settled 3E of starting location (on coast next to mountain, within 3 tiles of Kilimajaro).

built scout, monument, shrine

t24 stole worker from Japan
t36 One With Nature pantheon
t46 completed GL, took Philo, started NC
t60 completed NC

Had to buy the Kilimanjaro tile for 110 gold as I wouldn't get it "automatically". Giving me some nice extra food and early culture bonus.

Built Archer, then HG

t80 founded York next to the Gibraltar mountain
t89 completed Tradition
t94 completed HG
t95 founded Buddhism: 2g/city, 2f/wonder
t102 lost GLH to Isabella

Only ever built one scout, and he got trapped in the barren lands between Japan and Spain for a long while until we could research Civil Service and negotiate open borders. I hadn't scouted north of Belgrade, as there was a barb camp at the time, so I assumed our continent would end there. Only recently I discovered Russia and the Shshone. Still haven't scouted all our continent, it might have an inland sea? Quite an intriguing map.

My plan is to get Education, then maybe Astronomy before I go for Longbows and take some of Japan's cities. At least Tokyo which is settled on the coastal desert hill with lots of cotton to our east, a prime location. Maybe he'll even build Petra there for me if I ask nicely?

My strategy is simple: start by attacking the neighbours. I found Mt Kilimanjaro and all the units went past it for the hill promotion. First tech was Archery to take over nearby capitals with their resources. I plan to attack Japan next turn, 100, with two composite bows, catapult, ballista from Bratislava and a swordsman. With luck the army can continue directly to Spain.

Five ruins: scout to archer, 100 gold, 20 culture and two maps.

I don't really have benchmarks because I still find the attack approach tricky. I'm used to fitting the army in around the wonders, gold and happiness demands, but this time it's the reverse. My second city is by the mountain east of Kilimanjaro. If the early conquests succeed I think science should develop quickly.

Agreed. I find this map to be quite interesting, although it has forced me to change my plans slightly. With only 1 AI within a reasonable attacking distance, and that one being the only who declared friendship with me!! I'm also having some happiness problems because Japan took my favorite city location even though I rushed rushed a settler!!!

My plan this game was to ignore Great Library and instead focus on economy, culture, and faith, all of which would align for late game SUPER SCIENCE! In fact, my overall strategy is really focused on late game science (even though I can normally get 1000 beakers per turn it still takes forever getting those last few techs to launch!) My goal is to get 1500 late game beakers. As mentioned before, Japan got my favorite city location (on the coastal desert hill at river to the east), which because of crappy CS location has me putting that city 1-tile west of Mt Kilimanjaro, which was my third total city. My second city was due south of the capital in the small bay within 3 tiles of gold. My fourth city was on the western coast. I have another settle built and on his way to Gibraltar with the dyes. I was able to get the first pantheon, which I took the +1 Food from camps to help with massive city growth. In fact, after granaries my deer tiles are already rocking out 4 Food and 2 Hammers each!

I'm at turn 100. Feeling good, not great about this game. I will not have a record finish, but it will be strong (my ruins were not great). In fact, sub 280 would make me ecstatic (this is slow Prince level after all) but unlikely. Sub-300 would be ok.

My first wonder was Temple of Artemis - mostly for the growth, but there will be a longbowmen rush against Japan in about 50 turns. My second wonder was Colossus (gonna need the money on Prince). My third wonder was Stonehenge (for GP and late game faith - also was a CS quest). I'm currently building Oracle in my second city (which will be my scientist garden), and the National College in capital (8 turns left). Obviously going for 5 cities in first 100 turns slows NC opportunities. Again, not concerned about it because the late game science is where this is gonna be decided for me.

Strategy moving forward is to continue building trading partners, found 1 more city in a land far far away, conquer 2 Japanese cities. Going to finish Liberty with my Oracle in 8 turns and plant the Great Scientist for an early academy. My goal is 4 academies, so after a natural spawning one from my first universities, I'm also going to rush Leaning Tower for scientist and build Porcelain Tower for another. Hoping I can achieve those four by turn 160, which will get me to Public Schools fast, use Oxford for Radio, and research plastics... We will see.

On another note. I love this civ... but wish I was planning more attacks, in particular the Ships-of-the-Lines!!!! might play an English domination game for fun after this one!

My plan was to go for the Great Library. Which I got, then I ended up on a wonder run that included in order, The Pantheon, The Pyramids, and finally the Terracotta Army.

I finished the Liberty track and got a worker (+2 from The Pyramids), and a settler. I've got 3 cities. Not happy about the location of one of them. Because of the slow settler start, York is pretty crowded by Bratislava and Zanzibar.

I got a Pantheon and took Messenger of the Gods, with it's +2 science per connected city. And quickly connected my 2 colonies with all the workers I have.

I got a Spearman from exploring and another from a city state, then doubled from the Terracotta Army. So I have a decent, but kind of small army.

My biggest problem at the moment is income.

Moving forward I'm going to increase my income and build up my 2 colonies. Plenty of room for another 1.

Hopefully, found a religion, which I'll use to boost income and science if I'm able.

I don't see any nearby iron, which may be a problem, so explore for some over seas.

Otherwise, stay out of wars if able, and double down on science buildings.

I haven't played on Prince in a while and completely underestimated the difficulty. Also I made a series of bad decisions. Since VC is science I decided to move my starting settler two turns to the east to settle next to the mountain within two tiles of the NW. Not on the coast, not on a hill, not on a river, not directly next to NW. Boarders didn't expand to it, so I had to buy that tile later. With no good growth tiles, the start was quite slow.

I went scout, scout, shrine. Was the first to found a pantheon and took One with Nature (+4 faith from NW). Also was the first to found a religion. After that I built two settlers and stole a worker from Bratislava. Although I was durdling around I tried GL, but wasn't even close. It went by turn 60. Since the growth in my capital was abysmal I went for HG. Which I managed to complete.

Soon afterwards Japan declared war on me. I should have checked Demos, but I neglected that too. He had superior army tech (swordsmen and comps) while I teched for education and hadn't produced any military units up to this point. I had 1 warrior, 1 scout and 1 archer (ruin-upgrade), he had 4 comps and 5 swordmen. Did I mention how poorly I placed my capital? I somehow managed to kill 3 of his swordmen but by turn 103 my capital was captured.

I will keep on playing, trying to get back my capital and finish this game sucessfully. I only have to blame myself for this poor performance up to this point.