[BTS] another Emperor Shadow Game

[jerza]

Hi, I'd like to start my own shadow game and I want to ask what are the rules and recommendations for doing so. Can I just start a thread and that's it?
I have followed closedly the Old Dude's Monarch shadow game, so hopefully you won't have to explain everything again
As for settings, I'd like to play on Emperor as that's the level I'd like to master (so far I have about 50% success rate at Monarch). As one of my biggest problem seems to be tech trading (and maintaining relations with other AIs in general), I'd probably choose Pangea, standard size, with most of the other settings on random. Any suggestions / comments are more than welcome.

Spoiler settings? :

 

[Gumbolt]

Turn off huts and events. Which leader?

 

[jerza]

Turn off huts and events. Which leader?

I'd probably prefer random, bad idea?

 

[lymond]

Leader does not matter. I'd make the sea level normal here.

 

[AcaMetis]

Personally I'd also put Climate on Temperate. Shouldn't make too big a difference, but just to make sure you don't end up with, say, a capitol that only has permanently dry Rice for food because of a Rocky climate hill chain.

 

[jerza]

@lymond ok, I won't make any experiments here and put sea level on normal and climate on temperate... and random leader.
are huts and events a no-go?

 

[lymond]

Yep

 

[Gumbolt]

Yeah low sea level is a bad idea. Give Ai more land to settle and can work out a little unpredictable. You would need to compensate with an extra AI. Keep the game simple.

 

[jerza]

one more question - can I use custom city names or is it better to stick with the original ones?

ok, so the settings are Emperor, random leader, Pangaea, standard size, temperate climate, medium sea level, no huts, no random events

Spoiler settings :

and here's the game that was generated... this is probably the first time I have seen no food resource right after spawning

Spoiler 4000 BC :

Not really sure what to do here If I SIP, there's no chance for any sea food and I would have to hope for something 2W or 2E. There seems to be plains in the south, sea SE and SW and there is jungle NW, N, and NE...
I would probably move the warrior SW and if they don't discover anything worthwhile, move settler 1S (would that reveal anything?) and then 1NE and see...
Or I could generate another map

 

[Fippy]

Quick clarification why most prefer no huts & events for shadow games,
random stuff is not very helpful for training some basics.

Your pic with some settling thoughts

Spoiler :

I think harder starts would be fine either way for shadow games (no clue how this one turns out)

 

[AcaMetis]

Can Deer spawn on a plains tiles? I don't remember seeing that before, and if not I'm not sure what other food source could be on a forested plains tile.

 

[lymond]

I concur with the lady. By the way, please make sure you mention when mods are used.

 

[jerza]

@Fippy thanks for the comments.. I don't really mind harder starts, I just thought this setting might be somewhat unusual (or very unusual)which would make it unsuitable for learning

moving warrior 1E indeed revealed wet corn 2E of the settler. one more question - are the blue circles where the game suggests you should place your cities of any use or should I just ignore them?

Spoiler 4000BC warrior moved :

 

[jerza]

@lymond I use the usual BOTM setup - BTS patched to 3.19 and BUFFY 3.19.005, no other MODs. (I used to play with blue marble, but I don't use it anymore...)

 

[lymond]

yes, blue circles are where game tries to tell you where to settle but you can generally ignore them - often they are poor. But two things of note, they might indicate hidden resources, and AIs tend to settle blue circles by default.

ha...oh I know NOW that its 005..just saying for others or in general, post the mod used in the OP. That way are machine doesn't explode when we try to open your game. hmmm....for some reason I cannot open the save. Do you have BULL DLL installed? i'm trying that anyway

blue marble does not conflict with anything, by the way. It is installed in custom assets.

 

[lymond]

My, did you open the save or did you just use the image to make your own diagrams?

Well, somehow the save finally loaded - did not really change anything - but the UI is gone. something is wrong here.

Jerza, I'm curious if you have made any changes to game files or have any other mods installed.

yeah, my issue isn't the dll thing, but something else is off on my end. So you the game loaded fine for you with UI and everything?

must be a steam version thing messing me up...I'll try on my other machine later

1S saves a forest too, but moves away from more green stuff

 

[Fippy]

Image used, did not click on the save (but i can test if opening would work for me)..
okay you need the standard .dll, as with gotm Buffy is not compatible with BuLL.

Both SIP and settling 1s have some pros and cons,
1s gives a chance of getting lucky with some hidden resis there,
while SIP might keep a strat resi like copper or horsies.

Works fine for me, Lymo.

 

[Fippy]

Can Deer spawn on a plains tiles? I don't remember seeing that before, and if not I'm not sure what other food source could be on a forested plains tile.

Yup it can, 4f 2h deer tiles are possible. But true, i missed that forest..very unlikely with food there

 

[jerza]

@lymond well, I did rename the file before posting, but that shouldn't mess things up, right? I attach the file after the warrior move, hope it works better for you

@Fippy so the pros are basically the following, right?
SIP = more green stuff, bigger chance of horses or metal, fresh water (not crucial with expansive), that dye that might come in handy later on
1S = saves the SIP forest, chance of resources down south

not really sure, I would probably follow the rule "when in doubt, SIP"

 

[jerza]

...so I have decided to SIP there is wine 3S of Madrid and a plains river SW, and jungle gems 2N3E
Madrid is now building a worker (12t) and I will be researching Agriculture first. The warrior will go scouting E/NE (?)

Spoiler BC3960 :