ALC Game #22 Take 2: Arabs/Saladin

[kazapp]

Pyramids, I say.

 

[paulthebug]

Sisiutil,
You must read how DaveM screwed up his closest AI expansion plan by stationing a queacha near the AI's capital on one of the Obsolete thread. I strongly suggest you do the same with your protective archer! Beeline archery!

 

[TM Moot]

(only on page 4, must help get to page 10....)

Turn 1 - Warrior 1NW, settler 1S > 1W

Turn 2 - Warrior 1SW, settler-found capital where located unless anything groundbreaking shows up, and pinkies crossed that we pop 'masonary' from the hut!

 

[vicawoo]

Sisiutil,
You must read how DaveM screwed up his closest AI expansion plan by stationing a queacha near the AI's capital on one of the Obsolete thread. I strongly suggest you do the same with your protective archer! Beeline archery!

I've done this to cripple mansa. You could have done it vs louis.

 

[oynaz]

Both Stonehenge (for a non-creative civ) and the Pyramids are amongst the most useful wonders.

Someone asked why Stonehenge. Stonehenge allows you to use your hammers for something more useful than monuments, helps against the barbarians by lifting the fog, and gives you an early Great Prophet which settles for 2 hammers and 5 gold - a huge boost in the early game.

So I recommand going after both wonders. This will mean getting the stone in the BFC.

And use the warrior to put the hut and hope for a map.

 

[Froggie818]

Just my 1.5 cents (after taxes):

Move the warrior 1S to pop the hut and, maybe, see a little more of the land in that vicinity. The settler should move 1SW and, probably, settle there to get the river, stone and pigs (plus whatever he and the warrior reveal to the south).

For tech, I would prioritize AH (pigs), archery (protective archers to go forth and disrupt any neighbors you may have) and masonry (to get the stone and go for Henge & the Mids).

Build a worker (to start improvements), barracks (might as well give the protective archers another bump), archer (or a few), Henge, depending on where you are with the teching by this point.

As always, feel free to take this with a grain of salt as I'm currently on warlord (I finished up my chieftain run last weekend!)

 

[Quotey]

It won't particularly matter whether he statons a protective archer near his opponent or a regular archer. City garrison does not affect forested hills. Drill I... well..... think about it

Keep in mind that the borders of the capital will pop to get the Stone, and even quicker assuming eh slots a Madrassa somewhere in its queueeueueu. I'd trust the mapgen. Now, hunting or agri frst?

If not grains: Hunting, it's cheaper.

 

[Aquarius_DJ]

I don't want to spoil the discussion, but you may have made a big mistake in your game settings that will require you to generate a new start. Did you really mean to set the number of continents to "Random"? This would seem to give a very high chance at being isolated, or at best having only 1 civ on the same landmass as you. There wasn't any discussion related to turning this into a Lonely Hearts game that I'm aware of.

I think he is right... I like to randomize my starts to the max because I like to find out how the map looks like by exploring. I noticed too that random number of continents gives a much greater chance of a (semi)isolated start. Maybe someone should check before you progress...

 

[ese-aSH]

Both Stonehenge (for a non-creative civ) and the Pyramids are amongst the most useful wonders.

Someone asked why Stonehenge. Stonehenge allows you to use your hammers for something more useful than monuments, helps against the barbarians by lifting the fog, and gives you an early Great Prophet which settles for 2 hammers and 5 gold - a huge boost in the early game.

So I recommand going after both wonders. This will mean getting the stone in the BFC.

And use the warrior to put the hut and hope for a map.

stonehenge is 120H, monument 30H, so you must build 4 cities before the investement is profitable (I know 120H in the capital in 10 turns are not really comparable with 30H in a new city, yet monument are very easy to whip).
if we get stones early (as I said, if you settle in place you wont) then its only 60H -> 2 cities.
just considering the hammers :
having stones, ok its proftable, not having stones it depends on the game, not sure you will settle 5 new cities before a religion comes (or drama)

considering Great prophet, i think arabs and egyptian are the 2 civilization that do not need early great prophet points from wonders. better go for GW or the mids early (unless you want to spam wonders).

I know stonehenge is a powerfull wonder, yet I dont think its a must have in all cases.

 

[Daedal]

Nice start! Settle 1W or 1SW, build worker, connect stone while building another worker, chop SH and GW. Wallow in your supreme shininess.

 

[Bandobras Took]

If there weren't the possibility of getting Stone in the BFC and if Saladin couldn't directly research Masonry from the start through Mysticism, I'd agree with those saying skip Stonehenge. As it is, it seems to me to be a very good hammer investment, but only if the Settler will have the Stone in its BFC.

 

[civ4legs]

I almost always settle in place, but I am intrigued by the idea to scout the area on the first turn before committing to in place, or 1W. I was about to write about how I don't think you should do this, when I noticed that west of the stone is desert-y, which would probably make a second city to grab the stone a crummy city.

I am all for a quick early wonder rush with the stone to pick up stonehenge, GW and pyramids. That is the priority that I would give them, BTW. Since we're looking to leverage the madrassa, getting representation would be a big plus, and I really like the idea of pushing for the ankor wat as well: I would love to see a "priest economy" in action!

 

[thefais]

You've gotta take the stone, man! Move the Warrior 1NW, and see what you've got. I'd just go 1 West for now with the Warrior.

 

[Nares]

Keep in mind that the borders of the capital will pop to get the Stone, and even quicker assuming eh slots a Madrassa somewhere in its queueeueueu. I'd trust the mapgen. Now, hunting or agri frst?

I think there's plenty to do before focusing on the stone and the Pyramids. So much that you won't make much use of the stone until after the third border pop.

You must read how DaveM screwed up his closest AI expansion plan by stationing a queacha near the AI's capital on one of the Obsolete thread. I strongly suggest you do the same with your protective archer! Beeline archery!

Seems a little cheap to me. Especially since it has nothing to do with Protective, and everything to do with AI weaknesses.

 

[Bandobras Took]

Unless the first build in every city is a wall.

 

[Nares]

Unless the first build in every city is a wall.

A nice thought, and I very much hope to see deficit research through gold returns on huge overflow from whipping/chopping on the final turn of a trait specific double production building.

But first you need to connect the stone. Then you need to connect your cities to your trade networks. That could take anything from an additional tech to multiple worker turns of road building. I've definatly whipped without realizing my city wasn't connected, losing out on a nice chunk of gold.

For what it's worth, Sis had his road building skills in the first Saladin game. Maybe the road to nowhere will lead somewhere this time? Like to the heavily forested but otherwise commerce/GPP city?

 

[kazapp]

I don't want to spoil the discussion, but you may have made a big mistake in your game settings that will require you to generate a new start.

Spoiler :

You can chill out... Sis's got plenty of land, but he isn't alone.

 

[Tracnar]

hey sis, sry bout ur last game. lets hope this one goes better

it looks like to me that 2E and 1N is tundra so i advise settling 1W,or 1NW/SW depending on recorsece/ect. stone would be good in the BFC and stonehenge might be nice for a change.
warrior i would move 1 SE.

GL

 

[Bandobras Took]

Even without Gold overflow, I've never regretted wallspamming as Protective with Stone.

 

[Aquarius_DJ]

You know what's the whole point of this protective thing? How many times has a city been under siege by the AI in an ALC game? I bet that hasn't been the case too often...

That's the thing that needs to be showed off. Get attacked by some freaky civ and let them get kicked ass by you protective archers with some help of the castles, walls, statue of zeus etc etc while you go for a cultural victory.