6otM43 Opening Action

[leif erikson]

Welcome to the 6otM43 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.

- Where did you settle your capital city? Your second city?
- What did you research and which policies did you choose and why?
- What was your build order?
- How long did it take to find your neighbors? Were they hostile or friendly?
- How soon did you build a District? Which ones did you prioritize?
- Did you try to build any Wonders?
- Did you emphasize expansion? How many cities have you built/captured in the first 100 turns?
- How quickly did you get Trade Routes working, who did you trade with?
- How did you play your governance cards, priorities?
- Which Governors did you choose and why did you choose them?
- Was your first age a Dark Age? Did you take any Dark Age cards?
- What City-States did you meet and which ones did you cultivate to your side?
- How were the Barbarians?
- Any surprises?

Please use spoiler tags for any surprise details you'd like kept hidden. Thanks.

 

[Chalcedon]

After 100 turns, I really feel waaay behind... low production in most cities, too few cities, everything´s meh ;-)
Probably trying to expand further north without too much war, as I don´t really like it, especially on below Deity difficulty.
Was really looking forward to a science/aussie game, as I never really used Diggers and the +prod features from John Curtain came in rather occassionally in the past.

- Where did you settle your capital city? Your second city?

Originally (see Opening Actions) I intended to settle N/E on the grasland coast, but decided to go further S/E to use +early science from Yosemite. As I saw the river, I decided to settle there, tho it took me quite some turns... second city went next to the elephants on the coast northwards for +prod, but it took some time to improve growth there - think it was worth it.

- What did you research and which policies did you choose and why?

Sailing (early galley), AH (Furs/Ivory), Mining (quarry), Astro (with early pantheon decided to get a religion - wasn´t worth it, but faith came in handy of course), Pottery into Writing for Campi.
Urban Planning+Discipline, after that for colonization... built gov plaza too late, early gov class rep for +housing/amenities.

- What was your build order?

Slinger / Galley / (goody hut worker) / Settler / Holy Site

- How long did it take to find your neighbors? Were they hostile or friendly?

Found Japan really early, they stayed peaceful, but disliked me all times.

- How soon did you build a District? Which ones did you prioritize?

Early on Holy Site for religion, then campi, after that mainly campi/harbours.

- Did you try to build any Wonders?

Nope.

- Did you emphasize expansion? How many cities have you built/captured in the first 100 turns?

Built 7 incl. cap. Haven´t captured any as I wanted to keep Stockholm/Yerevan alive and did not want to take any Jap cities (and wasn´t able to do so).

- How quickly did you get Trade Routes working, who did you trade with?

Early on, I mainly traded for the roads.

- Which Governors did you choose and why did you choose them?

Magnus for +chops (Harvest Pantheon). Amani for Stockholm souz.

- Was your first age a Dark Age? Did you take any Dark Age cards?

Golden.

- What City-States did you meet and which ones did you cultivate to your side?

Focussed on Stockhol here.

- How were the Barbarians?

A joke. A quadrireme spawning north of my 2nd city sucked for a while, but even a slinger was able to deal with her.

- Any surprises?

A barbarian force taking out one well developed japanese city 4 tiles west of Okayama (see screenshot). They made me expand north without any loyalty issues.
By now, I dislike the lack of opportunities for outback stations, and am suffering low prod, but it might work in the long run.

 

[Zeppa]

Settled in place. Built city to the N for coffee. Built city to the S for furs. Built city to the E for whales. Used my normal research for this difficulty which is b-line to archers. First time I've seen this --city to the E for whales was attacked by 2 barb vessels. Sent two archers to defend. The city and one archer were destroyed along with all improvements. Never seen barbs do this before. Wasn't that big of a deal as I rebuilt the city and another one to the SE with 2 luxs.

As to Governors went science all the way.

 

[Synium]

- Where did you settle your capital city? Your second city?
I settled ne on the grassland plains on turn 2 to emphasize production. Again for production, my second city went south of the furs on the river, and my third city went south west by the wonder.

- What did you research and which policies did you choose and why?
I went early mining, animal husbandry, pottery, writing, sailing. Got my worker techs and then went towards the campus. On turn 7 I realized Hypatia was the first great scientist, and planned to rush her after my second settler, but that was two slow. Korea, though I didn't know who it was at the time, built a turn 26 campus, turn 34 library, and then rushed a project and bought it before I could. Wondered after that if I should have rushed it before my 3rd city, but later on when I began to commit to a frigate rush, I felt better about it.
I met yerevan early so I didn't need god king and went urban production and the barb policy because all I had was a warrior and a scout. Killed 3 barb camps with them in total in the early game Then civics went for early empire because I knew I wanted to chop out settlers, but ended up just using the 100% production on galley card to chop settlers instead. I've got to remember that

- What was your build order?
I went scout, settler, settler, campus in my main city, primarily because I knew it was island plates and figured I wouldn't need much scouting or defense early. After I got my three cities out, built tonnes of workers, and eventually chopped out 4 galleys and 2 settlers more in my cap (I think by turn 58?).

- How long did it take to find your neighbors? Were they hostile or friendly?
Took me forever to find other civs because I didn't build early galleys. Scotland found me turn 48. Were pretty friendly, until I tried to get them to declare war on me by denouncing them and regularly demanding things. Actually got quite a few luxuries from that. Was very surprised -- although I know Scotland's agenda is all about trying to peace everyone. Will keep that in mind for the future. Met stockholm turn 4 with my warrior, yerevan turn 10 with my scout. Got a panth turn 22 -- went for divine spark since all the others I was interested in to do a science faith game were gone. Decided not to found a religion after that.

- How soon did you build a District? Which ones did you prioritize?
Built my first campus I think turn 40? Ended up being way too late for the rush. I normally play online speed, so wasn't sure for the timing of these things. Built two early campuses and bought good appeal tiles that would continue to be breathtaking after I chopped my forests and added mines. Then tonnes of commercial hubs and 3 harbors (one city with harbor and hub with reyna later). Wanted a good balance for a frigate rush. Eventually put up a theater square, and had a second laid out by turn 100.

- Did you try to build any Wonders?
Nope. Nada. Maybe will go for that double naval one later.

- Did you emphasize expansion? How many cities have you built/captured in the first 100 turns?
Emphasized early expansion, then districts after 5 cities. Still have 5 cities turn 100, which I feel mixed about. Maybe I should have taken yerevan with swordsman, but other stuff always felt more important. Planning to attack scotland with frigates, caravels, and swords though, maybe turn 112?

- How quickly did you get Trade Routes working, who did you trade with?
Took a while to get trade routes up, but now I have 5. Trading with Stockholm so my traders don't get plundered, though I sent a trade route to Mohendaro.

- How did you play your governance cards, priorities?
First two towards magus for chops and the no lose settler pop card. Next two towards reyna and double commercial hubs and harbor bonuses. Will probably fully upgrade amani next, but not sure. Didn't really see a need for her early, and I got the stockholm suzerain without her.

- Was your first age a Dark Age? Did you take any Dark Age cards?
Nah -- honestly, didn't even try. Think I had about 17-20 era score when Classical went around. Went for monumentality because I was putting a bunch of districts up. But medieval is a golden age, and I went for the commercial hub and harbor adjacency bonus card. Got 65 science per turn now, and about the same in gold per turn.

- How were the Barbarians?
Although the barbarians delayed my 3rd settler for two turns, otherwise they were really chill. I just enjoyed the gold and boosts they gave me, and took out all three camps with a warrior and a scout.

- Any surprises?
All the civs are awesome on island plates!!! Japan? England? Netherlands? Oh man, I'm scared of them Just glad Brazil isn't a part of this, though those German U-boats...
Turn 104 (I know, a little past 100 turns, but I played the first 105), I had a joint war declared on me with Japan and Korea. I don't think I've ever had a joint war delcared on me before. Wonder if it's because of my low military score, or all the demands I made of everyone? Maybe because I surprise declared on the Netherlands to pillage three of their trade routes. Not sure Just excited for the frigate rush, and trying to liberate kumasi for another 20 turns of 100% production! I think my goal is to upgrade 3 galleys and 11 quads turn 112. But we'll see how it plays out.