TSG 242 Opening Actions Thread

[vadalaz]

This thread is used to discuss the game's opening decisions and strategies through the first 100 or so turns. Here you can post questions related to the game and share your achievements/anger/frustration/victories while you play.

Quick links: Upload submission | Announcement thread | After actions

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
- How many cities did you found on the Home Donut?
- Have you sent settlers to the Big Donut yet?
- What Social Policies did you choose?
- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick?
- Any trouble with the neighbors?

 

[The_Black_Vegetable]

I guess I should have expected something silly for April 1. Before I started the game, I started a different game on a donut map, because I had never played one before. The map description states: "A circular pangaea. You can choose what type of terrain is in the center". Here, the map editor decided that our starting location was in the center, I suppose. Halfway through my standard opening scout I realized there was not much to explore, so I switched to a worker.

I'm not sure I'll play this one out though. My start is incredibly slow, which is in part due to starting isolated (on pretty poor land, in my opinion), and in part because I'm trying to get top military, but failing. I checked twice whether this was really warlord, as I was beaten to a pantheon (stone circles, which I was also considering), and I am fifth in army with four triremes, one spear, a warrior, and a scout. Top military Greece has more than 50% of my army score. What the hell, Alexander?

 

[Rhodro]

I did not expect the donut in a donut! Haha amazing. So we do get to use the UA.
For some reason my computer refuses to make a screenshot, really weird because it used to work, now I just get a short black flash and no screenshot

Anyway I have 7 cities up, 1 more settler almost at location and 2 more settlers in the pipeline.
I got my religion enhanced and I have monastaries, mosques, stone circles, initiation rites and itinernant preachers.
Currently 48 faith per turn and 6 tourism.
I'm 7 turns from theology for Candi. After that probably going for civil service for open borders.

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
Expected to be on the big donut and wasted UA, but turns out different. I focused on shrine, getting triremes early and optics so I could swim settlers over the ocean.

- How many cities did you found on the Home Donut?
3, I think you can't fit more than 3 in there.

- Have you sent settlers to the Big Donut yet?
Yea, but also the tiny 3 tile islands, with the sri pada. They are gonna help spreading faith pressure to the big donut.

- What Social Policies did you choose?
Standard stuff for sacred sites. Liberty for cheaper settlers, then peity for Sacred Sites.

- Any trouble with the neighbors?
No and I don't expect them to dow me on warlord. I even told a few im settling in their neighbourhood

 

[zxcvbob]

Haha. April Fools! I was 2 or 3 turns into building a scout when I figured out the joke, and switched to a worker. I decided to go Great Library straight to National College, then settle my first expo.

It's turn 112; When I got to 100 I kept going to see if I got the Parthenon or if someone would beat me to it since I started it so late. (I got it)

I went full Tradition into Aesthetics. Next will be Rationalism and a few points in Exploration. I haven't decided which ideology to take yet, but that still a long ways off.

I did get a religion: God-King, Tithe, Pagodas, Feed the World, and Religious Texts.

"Any trouble with the neighbors?" I don't have any neighbors! I've sent a scout to the big donut but no settlers. I probably won't settle any cities there, but I might capture one. There's another island to the east that looks like a decent place for a 4th city.

 

[Megalou]

- Have you sent settlers to the Big Donut yet?
Yea, but also the tiny 3 tile islands, with the sri pada. They are gonna help spreading faith pressure to the big donut.

I just noticed that settling on the iron tile on the eastern tiny island "destroys" the iron if you create nutmeg, cloves or pepper there. I also noticed Rhodo was right in the announcement, no spices created from settling on the big donut.

 

[sebtanic]

At turn 100, I'm slightly behind Rhodro. I also have 7 cities, but only 4 tourism and I think 34 fpt. I took Goddess of Festivals instead of Stone Circles. Probably a mistake since there seems to be more stone/marble on the big donut than wine/incense (at least in the regions that I've explored so far). Faith per turn obviously compounds hugely in a Sacred Sites game.

My religion: Mosques, Pagodas, Church Property (+2gpt/city), RT

 

[zxcvbob]

I just noticed that settling on the iron tile on the eastern tiny island "destroys" the iron if you create nutmeg, cloves or pepper there. I also noticed Rhodo was right in the announcement, no spices created from settling on the big donut.

I settled one city on the big donut and I did get cloves. You probably don't get spice for a second city there. Settling on the deer to preserve the iron was a tough choice. Turns out I didn't really need the iron and keeping the deer might have been better, but I didn't know that at the time.

 

[Rhodro]

I also noticed Rhodo was right in the announcement, no spices created from settling on the big donut.

I just checked my game, I did actually get the 3 kinds of spices. One from settling on the small island west, then one from the big donut to the north. Another settle to the west on the big donut did not give the 3rd spice. A settle on the small island east gave me 3rd kind of spice.
Maybe the UA only triggers for distinct continents, thats why the 2nd settle on the big donut didn't give any?

 

[Megalou]

I settled one city on the big donut and I did get cloves. You probably don't get spice for a second city there. Settling on the deer to preserve the iron was a tough choice. Turns out I didn't really need the iron and keeping the deer might have been better, but I didn't know that at the time.

Yes, you and Rhodro are right. Yes, it has to be distinct islands but the big one did count.

 

[raider980]

So it is a tiny doughnut! Within a big doughnut, nice April fools. Unfortunately, I didn't realize in time and I got a Scout that just sat there twiddling his thumbs for quite a while. I beelined Optics (after AH) to give him something to do. (And I lost the scout after stealing a CS worker fairly quickly so that was a bust.)

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game? -- Wasn't sure what to expect from Warlord and April 1st. So I was just going to wing it.

- How many cities did you found on the Home Donut? -- Two so far. I'll get a third soon but wanted to get the Sri Pada site and a site on the big doughnut before the AI took it.

- Have you sent settlers to the Big Donut yet? -- Yes, one settler. Its a good thing too; these Warlord AI are quite expansive.

- What Social Policies did you choose? -- Went Piety up to before the Reformation policy; then opened Tradition because I read somewhere that if you take Reformation before you actually get a religion, you won't get the reformation. I read somewhere else that you do get the reformation but I didn't want to take a chance since its GotM and can't replay turns. I got my religion and then took the Sacred Sites reformation.

- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick? -- Yep: Goddess of Festivals for quick extra culture and faith. Tithe as usual and Monasteries as first building since we have two Wine.

- Any trouble with the neighbors? -- Not yet, but I fully expect there to be trouble given the neighbors. Especially with Russia since my Big Doughnut city is very near her and I already bought tiles toward her.

Its turn 103 and things are going well. Only got two ruins but they were a Spearman and 60 Faith to advance my religious quest along nicely. There have been quite a few barb camp quests but I haven't been able to get any. On T62 I stole a settler from Alex; he was willing to make peace as soon as he could though, and even gave me 1 gpt. T66 Monte asked me to go to war against Napoleon; sure I said. I don't even know where the French capital is but its no where near me so it should be safe. Then a little later I make peace with Napoleon and he asks me for a DoF. I said yes, which was probably a mistake because it will make Monte mad and Monte is on the inner doughnut coast so will be able to attack me over the inner sea. I do have 4 tourism and am already Exotic over one AI so that's a nice beginning to Sacred Sites!

I checked twice whether this was really warlord,

I am always amazed at how well the AI perform on lower levels. At least in the early game. They've all got several cities and a big army. The AI are also taking up all the space so my SS strategy may need some conquering in order to really shine. Science is where their lacking, so we are able to rocket ahead fairly early.

Spoiler Big Doughnut City - hopefully Catherine forward settling Alex and Polynesia with Novgorod will provoke them to fight each other :

Spoiler T103 Indonesian Civilzation :

 

[Bufnitza]

I did not expect the donut in a donut! Haha amazing. So we do get to use the UA.
For some reason my computer refuses to make a screenshot, really weird because it used to work, now I just get a short black flash and no screenshot
lord. I even told a few im settling in their neighbourhood

I kinda figured that out from the announcement screenshot, the doughnot was waaay too small.

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
It's my first ever GOTM attempts, feels right to have been on a warlord difficulty. Looking to go for a relatively peaceful run, hopefully, focusing on wonders and tourism.
- How many cities did you found on the Home Donut?
Two. The capital on the starting tile and one diagonally opposed.
- Have you sent settlers to the Big Donut yet?
Right now I'm on turn 95 and I just settled my fourth city, the first one on the southern part of the big doughnut.
- What Social Policies did you choose?
Full tradition opener and into Aesthetics. Got lucky with some good culture hits from ancient ruins early on.
- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick?
Got lucky with 2 faith hits from ancient ruins early on and was able to get a pantheon then religion up pretty early. Chose Goddess of Festivals pantheon, but wasn't sure what to do with the Founder belief... I am skeptical that my religion will expand very well so I went with Interfaith dialogue, although that might've been a bad choice, considering the AI is pretty bad at it on Warlord. For Follower belief, went with Divine Inspiration.
- Any trouble with the neighbors?
No trouble yet, although both Montezuma and Oda were less than happy that I put a wedge smack dab in between them on the big doughnut.

Since it's my first ever playthrough with Indonesia, I don't have experience with them. The unique ability is nice, but it also caused me to lose the 6 iron on the small island to the west of the start location by settling directly on top of it. Oh, well... I guess this was a rather intentional trap

 

[Bufnitza]

An update at after playing another 90 or so turns. It looks like this game isn't turning at all how I had predicted it

Everyone's killing each other off except for me, who has 2 defensive pacts. Furthermore, my religion has gone viral, literally, and I didn't even try to spread it too much. I only realized how much it spread when I noticed that I was earning waaaay too much faith and then I zoomed out and saw it was all over the place. Poor Catherine with extra conversion strength and great mosque of Djenne can't put a dent in it, it seems.

I guess I was right that I should've taken some other beliefs...

Spoiler world religions, turn 181 :