This is an idea I've had for a while, which I think will make an interesting challenge.
Settings: Deity, standard rules, large map, no starting techs.
Goal: Win by Spaceship (the only ship we'll build).
Rules:
(1): We are not allowed to build (or bribe) boats for any reason, even to uncover squares in the city radius. We can, however, build harbours.
(2): We can't build Marco Polo's Embassy or the United Nations. Once the UN is built, we will be allowed to use the contact that provides to reach the civs that never visit our island.
I think this game will provide an interesting set of challenges. The most obvious is being unable to get an offshore delivery bonus for caravans. Also, a foreign bonus will be difficult, and distance will be severely restricted.
I'm not sure quite how large our landmass is, but I don't think it will be large enough to let us build an arbitrary number of cities. So we'll be limited by the number of cities that we can build, thus limiting the most obvious way to get around limited trade bonuses. Also, this should make for shorter turns in real-time, especially with the prohibition of a massive trade network.
Finally, our foreign contact will be limited only to those who reach our shores, at least until the UN, and we won't have embassies with most (if not all) civs.
(1) 4000 BC: Black clicking reveals that this island is at least moderately large, so it should suit the purpose of this game well. Hut: Archers.
(2) 3950 BC: Im in a difficult position. Im not sure if I should reserve the river for an SSC or build 2 cities on it. Problem made worse because in a normal game I would place the cities in such a way that both would have to be disbanded if we had to use the location as an SSC. Decide to explore south with a settler to see if there is a special (and what kind) that would help me make my decision: Buffalo. Decision is made, an SSC with only a few river squares and at best one trade special (if the river grassland even has one) is not a particularly good spot. Will build two cities. Build Berlin, start warrior. Science at 60%.
(3) 3900 BC: Begin Alphabet.
(4) 3850 BC: Build Leipzig on the shield grassland instead of the clear one so that it can take advantage of the buffalo when the time comes. This is in the location the SSC would be located if it has to be here; Im now wishing Id built this city as Berlin, as if it must become an SSC, well probably want to disband Berlin, and so wed have to move the Capital. Oh well, life goes on.
(5) 3800 BC:
(6) 3750 BC: Alphabet, begin Ceremonial Burial. Hut: Code of Laws!!!
(7) 3700 BC: Berlin Warrior, begin Settler.
(8) 3650 BC: No forest in Berlin city radius.
(9) 3600 BC: Leipzig warrior. Will move this one to Berlin and produce another, so that Berlins can explore.
(10) 3550 BC:
(11) 3500 BC: Hut: Warrior Code. Rush 2s on Berlin settlers.
(12) 3450 BC:
(13) 3400 BC: Berlin grows to size 2; move second citizen from fish to plains.
(14) 3350 BC: Leipzig warrior. Hut: Pottery. I seem to be getting a lot of techs from huts.
(15) 3300 BC: Leipzig size 2.
Notes:
I built both cities on the river in order to get 3 trade from each. I'm not recommending that we build all our cities that close together (although it would be an interesting strategy to do so and have them all have trade routes with the SSC as a way of boosting total trade arrows).
I've been doing more exploring than I usually do at this stage, but I think that we have to get some idea of our island to make plans. I'm guessing that an SSC will be crucial for this game, so we should look for a place to set one up.
Settings: Deity, standard rules, large map, no starting techs.
Goal: Win by Spaceship (the only ship we'll build).
Rules:
(1): We are not allowed to build (or bribe) boats for any reason, even to uncover squares in the city radius. We can, however, build harbours.
(2): We can't build Marco Polo's Embassy or the United Nations. Once the UN is built, we will be allowed to use the contact that provides to reach the civs that never visit our island.
I think this game will provide an interesting set of challenges. The most obvious is being unable to get an offshore delivery bonus for caravans. Also, a foreign bonus will be difficult, and distance will be severely restricted.
I'm not sure quite how large our landmass is, but I don't think it will be large enough to let us build an arbitrary number of cities. So we'll be limited by the number of cities that we can build, thus limiting the most obvious way to get around limited trade bonuses. Also, this should make for shorter turns in real-time, especially with the prohibition of a massive trade network.
Finally, our foreign contact will be limited only to those who reach our shores, at least until the UN, and we won't have embassies with most (if not all) civs.
(1) 4000 BC: Black clicking reveals that this island is at least moderately large, so it should suit the purpose of this game well. Hut: Archers.
(2) 3950 BC: Im in a difficult position. Im not sure if I should reserve the river for an SSC or build 2 cities on it. Problem made worse because in a normal game I would place the cities in such a way that both would have to be disbanded if we had to use the location as an SSC. Decide to explore south with a settler to see if there is a special (and what kind) that would help me make my decision: Buffalo. Decision is made, an SSC with only a few river squares and at best one trade special (if the river grassland even has one) is not a particularly good spot. Will build two cities. Build Berlin, start warrior. Science at 60%.
(3) 3900 BC: Begin Alphabet.
(4) 3850 BC: Build Leipzig on the shield grassland instead of the clear one so that it can take advantage of the buffalo when the time comes. This is in the location the SSC would be located if it has to be here; Im now wishing Id built this city as Berlin, as if it must become an SSC, well probably want to disband Berlin, and so wed have to move the Capital. Oh well, life goes on.
(5) 3800 BC:
(6) 3750 BC: Alphabet, begin Ceremonial Burial. Hut: Code of Laws!!!
(7) 3700 BC: Berlin Warrior, begin Settler.
(8) 3650 BC: No forest in Berlin city radius.
(9) 3600 BC: Leipzig warrior. Will move this one to Berlin and produce another, so that Berlins can explore.
(10) 3550 BC:
(11) 3500 BC: Hut: Warrior Code. Rush 2s on Berlin settlers.
(12) 3450 BC:
(13) 3400 BC: Berlin grows to size 2; move second citizen from fish to plains.
(14) 3350 BC: Leipzig warrior. Hut: Pottery. I seem to be getting a lot of techs from huts.
(15) 3300 BC: Leipzig size 2.
Notes:
I built both cities on the river in order to get 3 trade from each. I'm not recommending that we build all our cities that close together (although it would be an interesting strategy to do so and have them all have trade routes with the SSC as a way of boosting total trade arrows).
I've been doing more exploring than I usually do at this stage, but I think that we have to get some idea of our island to make plans. I'm guessing that an SSC will be crucial for this game, so we should look for a place to set one up.
I think I can hold up well enough, but I'll make sure to ask for advice when in doubt. I've been working on a balancing mod for Civ II since forever, not sure if I'll ever get around to finishing it.
