Advice on Noble game? Victoria/Noble/Continents/Standard/Normal

[GGracchus]

Hello everybody on the Civfanatics forums! This is my first post, although I have been viewing these forums for a while. I think I'm a decent Noble player, however I would like other's advice on my playing strategy.

If you would, please play along and/or criticize my gameplay!

I chose random game, huts/events are on(although I know some disapprove of them), default everything for continents.

I got Victoria as my leader

Start is attached, screenshots are also attached.

I got stone, spices, and non-irrigated corn in my BFC as well as fresh water...SiP maybe? After moving the warrior maybe 1 SW

 

[Anomander Rake]

I'd SiP, you have 3GH and 1PH and stone - so plenty of production.
Only Corn, but maybe some more food hidden in the fog. Even if not there are plenty to riverside grass tiles to cottage and the corn will be irrigated via the city when you get CS.
You also have Spices so this is a decent Capital I think.

I'd Go Agriculture - BW and get a worker out first, then warrior. There are a few forests to chop so you'll get a decent start.

I'd be tempted to get the Pyramids depending on how close neighbours are, whether you have copper and/or horses near etc. Make that decision once BW is in and you have scouted the surrounding area a bit more. remember to scout in a circle around your capital to expose possible expansion sites asap

I'd suggest wait for more feed back, BUT if you have to play then you just play 20-30 turns and post back here with more shots.

I haven't opened your save as I play with BAT mod.

 

[GGracchus]

Yeah, I play with unmodded 3.19. A problem I have sometimes is I don't expand as much as the posts I've read suggest(6 cities by 1 AD). After hooking up the stone, should I settle a couple of cities and go Pyramids/Great Wall, or REX to my heart's desire?

 

[Anomander Rake]

well, it depends.

That's why I suggested posting quickly after 20 turns, and getting more advice.

At that stage you'll have Agri and BW in and worker/warrior out and will know if there is any copper nearby, if there is a very close AI you can rush or if there are some nice sites to grab.

I'm only Noble level myself, but I found you get a lot better advice if you can play slower and wait for advice - although of course you can play more turns if you want.

There's alos nothing to stop you playing 2 games at once. Have you looked at the new Nobles Club Game - Zara? That's a nice game you could download and take a crack at whilst you are waiting for more experiences players feedback.
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=412437

 

[GGracchus]

Actually, I just finished NC 55 Zara, so I don't want to do another Zara game, but I might have a go, or I could do a different NC game. Won space 1977. I could try NC 67, Saladin, but I read your and others posts about the situation and know that it isn't exactly an easy start.

 

[Anomander Rake]

Sorry;

I went to bed soon after my last post, it was nearly 1am here. I'm a bit surprised no-one else has posted here.

I suggest you go ahead and play your first 20 or so moves then post back here. I'd also suggest getting a free Imageshack account, uploading your screenshots there and hotlinking larger images, rather than attaching them.

http://imageshack.us/

 

[Riflin'Joe]

A pretty standard looking starting position with the stone obviously being the main point of interest. If the neighbours are peaceful enough you might consider spamming a lot of wonders in your highly productive capital, with imp's cheap settlers popping out your first settler quickly.
Stonehenge , Gwall and 'mids are all going cheap.

I see you are playing on a continents map. Is this what you usually play? If so, consider diversifying.

 

[Riflin'Joe]

Sorry, double post.

 

[Anomander Rake]

I've played 20 turns - Boy is it different without BAT!
I'd highly recommend it - http://forums.civfanatics.com/forumdisplay.php?f=268

I'm happy to post my screen-shots and thoughts if you'd like.

 

[learner gamer]

Agree on your initial warrior move and that it’ll likely be SIP. Wonders are fine since you have the stone but IMHO, it’s far too early to start prioritising them. Instead, IMHO, think about three things at this very early stage: (i) getting your resources improved (and the stone connected) (ii) defending yourself – and what (i) and (ii) mean for your early tech path; and (iii) exploring your surroundings. As others have mentioned, whether you build those early wonders depends on their relative merits (and costs) versus how good the surrounding land is, and who and where your neighbours are – and finding these out requires exploration.

 

[GGracchus]

Thanks everyone for the responses

@Anomander Rake
Please do post your screenshots and comments, I'd like to see how others would play this position
@Riflin'Joe
I play using lots of map scripts, just thought I'd pick a normal one for my first forum post

So, what I did

I SiP, after moving my warrior to the SW and not finding anything especially good.
Capital started building a worker, teched Agriculture-BW-Masonry
Popped a map from a hut, giving me

Explored elswhere, finding two huts. One gave me BW after I was 5 turns into it, the other gave me my warrior
Current scenario at turn 21: I'm about to hook up the stone, should have gone directly to the stone instead of putting a turn into the mine on the hill

The two warriors are going to scout around, hope to god I'm not isolated, or...crap.
This is the south, tags on my early cities

Comments?

 

[Anomander Rake]

You used the wrong link from Imageshack for your screen shots - you need the Direct Link:

ie NOT http://img411.imageshack.us/i/t21west.jpg/ but rather http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/5908/t21west.jpg, which wrapped in the img tags would give you

 

[GGracchus]

Whoops
How do you get the direct link?

 

[Anomander Rake]

Here's my report in spoilers so you don't have to look at it unless you want to:

Spoiler :

Moved Warrior 1SW, saw nothing SiP. Sent my Warrior anti clockwise to scout.
T2: popped a hut got 40G
T8 Agri in - started BW - Buddhism FIDL (founded in a distant land)
T11 Popped 84G from a hut
T15 Worker in - started Warrior. Sent worker to improve Corn
T20 Hinduism FIDL. BW In

Decisions to be made:
Do I go for Masonry to improve the Stone, or wheel to hook up the next city quickly?
I choose wheel, but T21 not taken so I can change my mind.
Whatever I choose, I'll have to improve a riverside GH next and probably a 2nd before Masonry is in.

Here are my ideas for poss city placements:



and London


I think Masonry - wheel next. Then decide if I want to go for Stonehenge (I'll need mysticism for monuments soon) or the Pyramids to get the representation Civic.

Finish the warrior and see if I need to let London Grow on, if so 2nd warrior, if not 2nd worker.

 

[Anomander Rake]

@GG:

When you upload a picture, you are given a number of link options - forum links, thumbnail links etc. one will be the direct link.

If you want the direct links now, you have to open the links you posted (in a new tab/window), and there should be the option to get links somewhere to the right of the image, one of them will be the direct link.

You can also feel free to post larger images if you want to, but if they are BIG, then wrap them in spoiler tags so that they don't force people to sidescroll when reading the text.

 

[GGracchus]

@Anomander Rake
Thanks for the advice.I'll take your "maybe here" spot first, then my spot south second. I'll get a couple of warriors while letting London grow, to spawnbust. Probably go wheel-mysticism, for Stonhenge/GW, depending on neighbors. After, 2nd worker/Settler

 

[Anomander Rake]

If you take my mabe here spot first, then you won't be able to place your 2nd expansion on the spot you indicated as they will be within 2 squares.

I'm by no means an expert on city placement - esp for long term cities. let's see if an expert jumps in with better placement advice....

 

[GGracchus]

@Anomander Rake
I meant the spot in the south, with the gold, spices, and dye

 

[Anomander Rake]

Ahh - you just linked that properly, not seen it before.

So, that southern spot = NO FOOD! That means it will be ages to come online

Rule I've been taught is Food first, preferably within the initial 8 squares settled - but if you are creative you can sometimes settle with the food in you 2nd ring if there is a good tile in your first ring.

Obviously; the gold is tempting for a FIN leader, but Victoria should be able to get settlers out pretty quickly. Why not take a closer look West of the copper to the Sheep/gold possibility?

 

[GGracchus]

Hmm...very true. The gold/sheep would be good city, maintenence costs wouldn't be fun, but sure, why not?