[BTS] News: BOTM 253 - Churchill, Emperor - Starts 30 Jun

[DynamicSpirit]

BOTM 253: Churchill of England.

As requested by a few people in the community... a game on a small map. Actually your 2nd small map game in a row because @kcd_swede and I both looked at the threads and created games in response at the same time, but @kcd_swede just got his game in first so I held this one till the end of the month! Have fun!

Game settings:
Playing as: Churchill of England
Rivals: 4 AIs
Difficulty: Emperor
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: None
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Fractal
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Mapsize: Small
Climate: Temperate
Sea level: Medium
Map latitudes: -90°S to 90°N


Churchill is Charismatic and Protective, and you start with Fishing and Mining.

The Charismatic trait gives +1 happiness/city, and -25% experience required for unit promotions

The Protective trait gives free City Garrison I and Drill I promotion for archery and gunpowder units and double production speed of Castle and Walls

Unique unit: Redcoat (replaces Rifleman)
Where the rifleman has +25% strength against mounted units, the redcoat has +25% against both mounted and gunpowder units.

Unique Building: Stock Exchange (replaces Bank)
The stock exchange gives an amazing +65% gold in the city it's built in, as opposed to +50% for the bank.

Starting screenshot

This is the start of the game (click for a bigger image):



To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 30 Jun 2023, server local time (UTC-6:00). From that date and time, you'll be able to get your chosen starting save >>>here<<<.

Submit the save after your victory (or defeat) here, by 1 Aug 2023.

Here is a link to a list of the differences between Vanilla, Warlords and BtS.

Software Versions

Windows: This game MUST be played in Beyond the Sword (NOT Civ4 Vanilla or Warlords), patched to version 3.19, and with the BUFFY mod version 3.19.005 installed. You can download the BUFFY mod here. Players using Windows Vista or Windows 7 are encouraged to read the notes on Vista fixes here.


Macintosh: This game MUST be played in Beyond the Sword (NOT Civ4 Vanilla or Warlords), patched to version 3.19, and with the Mac BUFFY mod version 3.19.003 installed. You can download the Mac BUFFY mod here.

While playing...

Remember - for your entry to be accepted, it MUST be your first attempt to play this game, and you MUST NOT replay any turns. If you make a mistake while playing, you have to live with it, learn from it, and carry on the game without replaying.

We will open 'spoiler' threads during the month for players to discuss what happens in their games. Do not discuss any details of your game outside those threads.

@Blake00 @The_J

 

[Fine_Distinction]

Thanks!

Not much incentive too move, scouting SW should not hurt, but the only fresh water preserving and not loosing a turn settler move is 1N. Starting techs not matched to what we see, but that is the whole fun . Generally, the capital looks very nice.

 

[Frederiksberg]

Agree, warrior goes SW and then it's decision time. Settler can settle 1W or 1S without losing fresh water or any of the visible resources.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Not much incentive too move, scouting SW should not hurt, but the only fresh water preserving and not loosing a turn settler move is 1N.

You'd better hope your settler is good at swimming

 

[Fine_Distinction]

You'd better hope your settler is good at swimming

LOL, geography was always my worst subject

 

[Fippy]

The river seems to end down there already..so yup i think 1s has too many dangers for seafood etc involved.

 

[High King J.J.]

Events are on. At least this isn't immortal level... Looking forward to this.
Shouldn't charismatic get +1 happiness from monument and broadcast tower too?

 

[Fine_Distinction]

about freshwater - I thought that 1W of the settler tile does not have it? or is being adjacent to this inland lake provides it?

 

[Frederiksberg]

about freshwater - I thought that 1W of the settler tile does not have it? or is being adjacent to this inland lake provides it?

Yes, the lake provides fresh water to adjacent tiles.

 

[LowtherCastle]

Events are on. At least this isn't immortal level... Looking forward to this.
Shouldn't charismatic get +1 happiness from monument and broadcast tower too?

Goody huts too evidently.

 

[Dhoomstriker]

Fractal: Remember to plan for possible Circumnavigation before learning Optics.

The river seems to end down there already..so yup i think 1s has too many dangers for seafood etc involved.

Great point! Your point gave rise to the following inspiration:
Sending the Settler 2S on Turn 0 will give us extra visibility across of any such Coast or Lake and thus such a move feels like a worthwhile Turn-To-Burn on Emperor (no Challenger Deity is yet visible in this game, in case DynamicSpirit wants to commit to adding one before the game starts).

Even on Deity, I think that it would be worth spending that turn to learn what we see across of the likely southern water body.

We then get 2 turns of exploration with the Warrior. If you accept that you'll send the Settler 2S on Turn 0, it may be a worthwhile investment to make the unintuitive move with the Warrior 1 SE! Then, move the Warrior another 1 SE on Turn 1, so that you can better evaluate the possibility of settling either of:
2E of the Corn or
SE + E of the Corn

The Ivory without a River and without early Hunting is not that compelling.

Moving 2S with the Settler will also reveal the Hills square that is 1W of the Corn that the Warrior would have revealed had it went 1 SW.

It will also still be the same number of Turns (Turn 2) to settle on one of the (possibly Plains) Hills squares at 1S of the Corn or 1W of the Corn. Note that if it is a Lake 3S of the Settler, then settling 1S of the Corn would give you Fresh Water access.


All of that said, gazing at the large-sized game image makes it look like:
SW + 2S of the Settler is Plains Hills
3S of the Settler is a Lake
SE + 2S of the Settler is Grassland River

Still, seeing across of that water, be it Lake or Coast, will give us a lot of info for how best to use the Corn plus the River with our first City.

And, if 3E of the Corn turns out to be a Hills square, maybe we then stick with moving the Warrior 1 SW after all, as moving 2 SE with the Warrior would then only reveal 2 additional squares (plus possibly any further-away Hills or Peak squares).

Regardless, I think that I will commit to moving the Settler first, moving it 2S, and then evaluate where to move the Warrior on Turn 0.

LOL, geography was always my worst subject

As long as you truly are good at swimming, it should balance out in the end, right?

Shouldn't charismatic get +1 happiness from monument and broadcast tower too?

Yes, you're right.

However, if you're playing SGOTM and Mitchum is on your team, he'll cancel your Monument build item and you won't get to build it! Then again, he'll build a Monastery instead, cutting off Kublai's Iron trade and thereby contributing one strong brick toward your team winning a Gold Medal. Thus, maybe it was Mitchum's Charismatic Trait that carried the day, even without those shiny Monuments.

Goody huts too evidently.

Nice thinking! Forget spawn-busting and throw caution to the wind, in this game; there are only 4 AI competitors for the Huts!

 

[Fine_Distinction]

I am wondering warrior 1N (hill) - at least we will see something? Warrior 1SE gains nothing, so as @Dhoomstriker said, only scouting with the Settler possible South, a bit too adventurous me thinks ... warrior 1SW initially seemed obvious but looking less appealing now ...

 

[Fine_Distinction]

As long as you truly are good at swimming, it should balance out in the end, right?

Yes, I have always been really good at swimming - but never saw the connection

 

[LowtherCastle]

@Dhoomstriker: if three S of the settler is a lake, then without moving the settler, we can check if the corn is wet.

 

[Fine_Distinction]

Spoilers?

 

[lymond]

The only concern with moving the settler 2S vs say sip, is those 3 unfogged tiles appear open for possible food - and clearly river grass. I'm inclined to SIP here.
(And great to see Dhoom in the building )

 

[Xcalibrator]

Spoilers?

Seconded.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Seconded.

Thirded.

Oh hang on....

Done