AG12 - Space Race (Sid)

[Yom]

@Greebley: I think I've seen that happen before, I think, but the risks outweigh the benefits. I would temporarily leave a gap every once in a while though. We don't want to be stuck at war with them this early, especially on Sid (at least they're far enough that their units won't reach us before they'll talk).

@Aggie: Ignore what I said to you earlier. I just got the CD working again. Hopefully it will stay that way.

 

[Mark1031]

Pre turn: Switch Persepolis to settler. Sci to break even Pott in 22.
2510 Move warriors for the block
2470: Block in place, Persegrade worker- warrior
2430 : German settler/spear retreat.
2390: zzz
2350 zzz
2310 Persegrade warrior -> rax , Persepolis settler->settler
2270 zzz
2230 zzz
2190 found Arebela
2150
2030
1990 Persepolis settler -> temple (granary)
1950 Arebela warrior -> warrior
1910
1870 Found Antioch

We have relatively nice land with lots of BG if we can take it and hold it. Tentative dot map attached. Can switch Persegrade from rax to temple (granary) if you’re not worried about military (pottery due in 4) also switch Persepolis when pottery comes in. Arebela would make a better military city. Germans have 10 cities and iron and are up wheel, myst, pot.

 

[Aggie]

Hey, we wanted a random map and random civ. So we have to try to make the best of the situation. I actually dare to say that it is good to see that Germany doesn't have all techs that the Vikings have. Why is that? They surely must know each other?

ROSTER:
Greebley
betazed
Mark1031
Aggie------ up
Yom------- on deck
open

 

[Aggie]

I have a few comments on the dotmap. I think that we should have the cities closer together. I know that our goal ultimately is to win the space race, but I think it is important to use as many tiles as we can until Sanitation (size 12 cities). I also like to have the cattle in the SW in the first 9 of a city with fresh water.

 

[Aggie]

I will not play today, so discussions are welcome

 

[Greebley]

I prefer my dot map to the North. For example, you do not settle on the hill to allow irrigation to the to the northern plains.

For the south, I agree with aggie we want a denser city distribution. Since we are stuck at a max of size 12 for so long, utilizing more squares early on is better.

[Edit: I don't think Germany will attack the blockade if they have room to settle. There is a good chance they do have plenty of room and we will thus have no inclination to attack us (I have NOT been attacked when there was more land to settle.

If we get the opportunity to scout their lands with a boat, it is worth doing. It can help us determine better if an attack is likelier.

Also as the borders expand, we may need more units blocking. Aggie, you should look at this and see if we do need more. Also we may be able to have a blockade that is always open, but a stack of enemy units cannot go through it. This is done by opening one end and then the other causing the AI to go back and forth. Do we have the ability to set this up with more units?

 

[Greebley]

Aggie, I will be travelling from this wednesday thru Monday. If my next turn comes up before Tuesday of next week (6/29), then I will probably need a swap or skip.

If I can play, I will post a statement to that effect before my normal turn. I am posting here, but this of course is true for Ag10-12.

I am visiting a gaming buddy who is getting married. Will I be able to play? Who knows?

[edit: I am also thinking of taking a trip near the end of the month of July where I definitely won't be able to play. Your games will probably last long enough that this will affect them].

 

[Aggie]

IHT: Science from 70% to 80%. Pottery in three now.

Turn 1 (1830 BC)

IT: Arbela: warrior->warrior

Turn 2 (1790 BC) Science to 30%. Pottery in 1.

IT: Pottery->Alphabet.

Turn 3 (1750 BC) Persepolis to Granary (in 12). Science to 10%.

IT: Pasargadae: barracks->settler.


Turn 4 (1725 BC) Luxury to 20%.

IT: A German spear appears. What's the plan Otto? Arbela: warrior->settler.

Turn 5 (1700 BC)

IT: Antioch: warrior->worker. Scandinavia starts the Lighthouse

Turn 6 (1675 AD)

Turn 7 (1650 BC) We can now see the borders of Scandinavia to the west. Our warrior cleared a bit of fog there. There is a real danger that they will settle on our island, now they have Map Making.

Turn 8, 9, 10 (1625, 1600, 1575 BC)

Germany still doesn't have Alphabet. Unbelievable!! The Vikings won't give us the tech for 9 gpt and 50 gold. All we have. Actually, with everyone on taxmen and sliders to 0% I see that 24 gpt and 50 gold still makes him doubt the deal! I am very worried about our slow expansion and therefore I had other cities on settler as well.

The red arrow points to the Viking empire. We may be lucky. This could be a point that can be crossed by a curragh.

 

[Aggie]

ROSTER:
Greebley--- on deck
betazed
Mark1031
Aggie
Yom------- up
open

 

[Yom]

I got it. I'll play this sometime this afternoon/evening when I have time (still have to set up the dual install though). In the meantime, we should discuss where we want to settle. With a forest chop of that game tile, irrigation, and a granary, Parsagadae can become a 6-turn settler farm at least and possibly a 6-turn settler/warrior farm.

 

[Aggie]

I'd choose Greebley's yellow dot north of the capital as a next city. And then build towards the cattle, fresh water and spices south. I have no time for a dotmap But I'd like a tighter build than Mark1031's suggestions.

 

[Greebley]

BTW, why didn't we chop the forest on the deer and irrigate it? Pasargadae could have then been at +4 food and grown twice as fast. I would still consider doing this; we need more workers and fast growth will get both workers and settlers.

 

[Yom]

I'm definitely going to chop ASAP. With one BG it can produce 1 warrior and 1 settler every 6 turns (as long as corruption doesn't eat more than 1 shield). But we'll have to settle in the jungle or build a temple to bring that BG within range, so I'll set up a 6-turn settler factory. I'm leaning more towards a granary now rather than a settler in two as long as no one has any strong objections.

 

[Aggie]

Hmmm, I may be very wrong. But I get nervous about 15 turns without a new city and us building granaries. These are very important but cost 2 settlers in shields. The Vikings have map making and are close neighbours. They can take our land. What about settler now and granary immediately after that?

 

[Foresight]

I am up for play. I can beat diety and have actually tried SPACE RACE by myself on SID but I lost. Actually, I lost bad because I had just researched Space Flight when a computer won it.

I prefer to play earlier in the game rather than later but it is up to you AGGIE if I even get to play at all. I can usually get 8-12 cities (2 are usually junk cities) with most starts on SID, but then again I usually play Pangea.

EDIT: my email is keenan2k2@hotmail.com and I have never played a SG before. I am by no means a noob to this game. However, I do understand all of the rules associated with this type of game play and discussing everything will be fun.

 

[Aggie]

@Foresight: Thank you for your interest to take part in this one. But in this SG, were the chances of success are not very high (Sid level simply is very difficult) I like to have people in the team who's level I can judge. I have a fairly good idea of the skills of the current team.

I certainly like to see new CFC-members in my SG's. There's also a spot open in AG11, a difficult deity variant. I could put you at the end of the roster there and you could join the discussion. That way you could show your insight and skills and then we can see if you are up to it. I hope that I didn't discourage you with my reply. That is certainly not my intention.

 

[Foresight]

No thanks Aggie. I like games where I can use as much strategies as possible. Variants to games such as AG11 is just like choosing Chieftan and saying you can only attack with hoplites throughout the entire game.

As for this game, if you are doing Space Race, you generally need 3 power-house cities. At one time, you will most likely not be able to produce more than 3 three spaceship components. That being said, you guys should be packing your cities closer together.

Advantages of doing this. Cities count towards POWER. A computer won't attack you as easily if you have 20 cities even if they are junk.

Not sure if you guys agree with my selection for cities, but I think this is somewhat you guys should do for a tighter city placement.

Two cities will have to be CLEARED by workers because of the marsh first.

Not sure if you guys consider this an exploit or not, but I like to use this trick sometimes. Where I have a RED DOT, you place a junk city there for one turn, use it so you can continue irrigation, then you abandon it.

 

[Yom]

Sorry I couldn't get it tonight . I'll play this tomorrow.

 

[Greebley]

Go ahead and skip me after Yom plays. I will be traveling and not able to play.

 

[Yom]

Just when I find time to play this, my conquests CD refuses to cooperate!! I think I'm going to buy a new copy tomorrow, unless it's still $10 on Amazon.com. Please skip me for now. I'll let you know when I get a new cd/get the cd working again.