4 Fe + 3 O2 --> 2 Fe2O3

[IdiotsOpposite]

So, if you didn't quite understand the title, it's the chemical reaction for rusting, and I'm rustier at this game than a nail in a hurricane. So, I wanted to post my newest game here (noble; yes, that rusty) and see what advice I could garner.

It doesn't help that I'm a newb.

So, without further ado, here's the situation:

I played a standard Full of Resources map with Isabella and random AIs.

Here's the starting point:

What do you think?

 

[DaveMcW]

Settle in place, build a worker, and research Agriculture to improve your resource.

Post another screenshot after you explored 8 squares in every direction.

 

[Dr.Null]

Nice starting location.

Post the save.

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

Haha... this is why I like playing on Marathon. I can explore 8 squares out in 5 directions and still have just gotten one technology. Movement is so much more powerful at this speed.

Well, I got a tribal map and some gold, no biggie, about 111 gp.

This also happened:

Spoiler :

And after 30 turns, I've just discovered agriculture, and the exploration is complete for 5 directions. The other three are in the sea, so pointless...

And here's the map:

The South

Spoiler :

The North

Spoiler :

Hmm... I'm thinking the next build order should be a work boat... or maybe a warrior. I am a bit defenseless here.

For techs... hunting to archery? I'm not really a warmonger, though. Maybe I should try to pop a religion.

Or...

AH?

EDIT: Here's the saves:

Initial: http://www.mediafire.com/file/nrjzryfm2wj/MY NEW GAME.CivBeyondSwordSave
3670 BC: http://www.mediafire.com/file/in553ygzmad/IdiotsOpposite BC-3670.CivBeyondSwordSave

 

[Izmir Stinger]

So, if you didn't quite understand the title, it's the chemical reaction for rusting

Rust is the final product of that reaction, but the gradual process most people think of as "rusting" is not the only conditions under which it occurs. Strictly speaking, that reaction is iron burning. It sounds strange, but iron burns at room temperature if it comes into contact with oxygen. Any iron or steel object you have is covered with a (hopefully) very thin layer of rust because any iron on the surface that contacted air burns.

The heat generated by this process isn't very significant for an iron object that is just "rusting" because so little of the iron in most objects is exposed to the air, but if you break off some tiny flakes of this iron that have much greater surface area compared to their volume the process will be much quicker and will produce significant heat.

You see this happen often. Its how a cigarette lighter sparks. The sparks from a flint & steel (or soft steel & harder steel, as is the case with most lighters) are just "rusting" very very fast.

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

Actually, the reaction known as "rusting" occurs when iron is exposed to oxygen in the presence of moisture. It is actually Fe2O3*nH2O, and so the reaction I've placed in the title (while you are correct, it is a combustion of iron) can be considered rusting.

However, you are entirely correct.

 

[UWHabs]

You've got decent exploration, and at noble don't need to worry too much about barbs next, so work boat next is probably fine. After that, go for a couple warriors, then a settler.

I'd expand out first. Your land is kind of crappy. Make a quick dotmap, and expand out as far as comfortable. You have a decent city spot next to the wheat for wheat+cow. Then a couple half-decent spots next to the cows to your north (remember to scout around the coast more to see if you have more seafood). The only good land around you are the floodplains. I'd probably plan one city at the bottom, maybe on the plains hill, to grab the oasis, and cottage that city up like mad. Then another city to grab the north flood plains (either on the topmost desert hill, or one of the other plains tiles to the northwest of them).

Techs, I don't know what marathon is like, but I'd probably go towards bronze working next, followed by animal husbandry. Especially at noble, you can afford to try for both BW and AH to see if you have copper/horses around. If you do, skip archery. Chariots/axes work fine against barbs.

Otherwise, make sure you finish exploring. Nothing worse than thinking an area is useless, then finding a deer and fish in the fog, which could make a decent, if unspectacular city.

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

This is going to be fun, I think...

Yeah... a dotmap... about that... no. I still don't quite understand why those are made. I've never made one, I think. Usually I just pick advantageous cities when I build a settler. Bad idea, I guess...

And so... having said that...

Spoiler :

Yeah, I suck at dot maps. Stupid mouse is unsteady.

Hmm... I took a look at blue-green dot, but I think it may be better to keep red dot and add black dot. The way blue-green dot is, it's likely a bad idea...

Yeah, I do need to finish exploring. Almost all of my southwest exploration is from a native map.

 

[mariogreymist]

Get the BUG mod...It has a dotmapping feature that lets you put it right on the map, and it's layered so you can turn it on and off. (Alt-X, once you have it)

 

[IdiotsOpposite]

I actually have the BUG Mod. If you look at the screenies, you can see it. It may be an old version, however.

 

[TheWilltoAct]

Way to be a good sport, a dotmap is useful steady mouse or no.
...though I never do them

 

[CivilizedTiger]

Alt+X in BUG mod offers the option of placing cute city spots on a dot map.

Anyway, I suggest that you stop researching hunting. You are playing noble, which means that you can defend even with chariots, at least for a while. And regardless, learning to use Cu-Pb-Zn is always a better choice early on, as it allows you to see where Cu is on the map and it unlocks the slavery civic. After you research that, if you don't find the aforementioned metal, you can consider archery, but if you do, you can stop worrying about defense. Unfortunately, I have no clue what techs the Castillians start with, since I'll never ever play as that medieval hitler called isabella, but you will want a fishing boat for the clams, pottery because the capital looks good for some cottages, writing for better tech grabbing. I don't know if you have mysticism, but you'll need that too, for border pops.

Have fun!

 

[TheWilltoAct]

Ooh I also wanted to mention that your graphics are... very minimal lol.

 

[JammerUno]

Use more overlap.

 

[mariogreymist]

... Unfortunately, I have no clue what techs the Castillians start with, since I'll never ever play as that medieval hitler called isabella, but you will want a fishing boat for the clams, pottery because the capital looks good for some cottages, writing for better tech grabbing. I don't know if you have mysticism, but you'll need that too, for border pops.

Medieval Hitler...I like that (I actually like Isabella).

Fishing/Mysticism are the starting techs, if memory serves, which is only really beneficial when there is seafood present, so goody for you here. I do agree with refined big cat on the tech path here: Hunting is a dead end in starts like this. You may go the whole game without building an archery unit, and without ivory/deer/fur or a neighbor building masses of chariots (you'll need bw for this anyway) there is no reason for hunting.

 

[Ataxerxes]

Medieval Hitler...I like that (I actually like Isabella).

Fishing/Mysticism are the starting techs, if memory serves, which is only really beneficial when there is seafood present, so goody for you here. I do agree with refined big cat on the tech path here: Hunting is a dead end in starts like this. You may go the whole game without building an archery unit, and without ivory/deer/fur or a neighbor building masses of chariots (you'll need bw for this anyway) there is no reason for hunting.

If this is Noble, wouldn't work boat first have been a better choice than a worker (since she starts with fishing)?

 

[mariogreymist]

At noble...yeah, the barb galleys are not all that dangerous at low levels, so that wb would last a long time. Isabella is one of the leaders I frequently go warrior first with (assuming no seafood, and only 1 ag resource). There is farmable land here though, and worker first is not a bad play, though probably marginally less beneficial than WB/worker.

 

[OJimiJam]

worker first for improving the corn is a massive boost, a lot better than the clam.

 

[mariogreymist]

worker first for improving the corn is a massive boost, a lot better than the clam.

better? yes. a lot better? No. Wb first allows growth, and the additional is not without merit. I think worker first (given there is the fw corn and two fp to farm, keeping the worker busy until bw) is the better play, but a wb is not without its reasoning. At any level over prince, worker first is a no-brainer here, as the chances of the wb lasting long enough to have been worth the investment are small.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

What's with the high school chemistry lesson?