[BTS] BOTM 123 - First Spoiler to 1AD

[kcd_swede]

BOTM 123 - Shaka Zulu - First Spoiler to 1 AD

Use this thread to tell us what happened in your game, up to 1AD!


Were you pre-game settling plans working out as you hoped? How does the galley affect your early game plans? Is the predictability of the Earth2 map script something that is useful for you?



Stop! If you are participating in BOTM 123, then you MUST NOT read this thread unless EITHER

• You have reached at least 1 AD in your game, OR
• You have submitted your entry

Posting Restrictions

• Please do not disclose ANY events or information gained post 1 AD.
• Please do not reveal your final result if that happened after 1 AD.
• Please do not discuss the location of resources that may not show up before 1 AD. (Iron is OK, coal and oil are not)
  
• Do not post any savegame file from the game. Discussions and screenshots are fine but not actual games

 

[Xcalibrator]

Oooh, very big map. Not sure if I'll have time or computing power to finish this... I settled 2S on the plains hill and went AH, Fishing, Wheel, Pottery, Mining, BW. Not at all sure that was a good order--had a lot of trouble figuring out what to prioritize. A forest grew on one of the two open hills so Mining was of little use without BW. I therefore did Wheel and Pottery to give the worker (my first build) something to do (lay roads) after finishing the cows. With so few grassy river tiles, cottages have been pretty thin on the ground.

I got the GLH 1240 BC, Colossus soon after, and am 4 turns from the Great Lib at 1AD. MoM in progress. I have 8 cities, 42 pop, with 2 settlers headed for the big island down south. 4 cities are on the mainland, one kind of off on its own to the NW to grab the gold, but it's a constant battle with Gandhi's culture threatening or taking that tile. I'm making 211 bpt @100%, 135 @64% breakeven. I didn't prioritize properly and lost Music to Gandhi by a few turns. Other than HBR I have all techs through the Lit, Calendar, Constr, Curr, Machinery column. I'm thinking of beelining Astro to settle the New World ASAP and power my way to a Space victory but that would mean obsoleting the Colossus, which is really nice to have with so many coastal and island cities. Likewise, I'm loving the half-priced granaries, harbors, and courthousyish barracks.

 

[kcd_swede]

Hmmm... if I was worried about computing power on a large-ish map, I'd go for Conq/Dom since all civs started on the same landmass (as described in the announcement thread). But if you want a long game because it is such a fun map to play...

 

[nocho]

I took a slightly different approach compared to Xcalibrator and battled my way to a somewhat decently sized empire. Being boxed in without happies and being aggressive I thought it was the most evident way to grow. I also settled 2S, went AH, mining, fishing but in retrospect I think I should've switched for fishing first then mining. I built the GLH and shortly after declared on Zara. Took his 3 main cities and left him with 2 for later consumption. Then declared on Gandhi and took 4 of his 5 cities, also leaving the last one for the early ADs. Delhi is the holy city of the 3 first religions, not that often that 1 AI takes all three of them. I settled one city in Australia and have 4 of my own making on the continent for a total of 12 for now. Pop is just 49, but with some happy and HR can finally start to grow a bit. Tech is up to CS, but lacking MC for instance. Just launched a GA with the first GS, used it to revolt and hope to generate some great people with caste. Germany already spun off a colony in the form of August. Not sure what kind of VC to go for this time around, anything is quite possible still.

 

[lymond]

wow..that was the worse bad luck i've ever had in a game ..ever. Thought I was in for an easy mow down of the Indians, and literally lost 4 axes to an unpromoted archer that DID NOT SCRATCH him. And this was after losing the other battles I expect to lose.

Gold or not, Zara was blazing tech by 2000BC...was he spotted a tech or two?

 

[kcd_swede]

Nope... just normal civ stuff. I feel your pain, just as Matt Ryan will in a few days. C'mon, really, you dont believe that theNFC South knows anything about defense, do you? This could get ugly fast. I hope it doesn't, but well... it could.

 

[lymond]

Hey ..at least the Falcons D has been improving dramatically recently. (can't say that about the 'Aints). Glad to see some Euro-types liking futbol americano. Strange thing is how you became a Saints fan. Why not the Vikings?

 

[kcd_swede]

Hey ..at least the Falcons D has been improving dramatically recently. (can't say that about the 'Aints). Glad to see some Euro-types liking futbol americano. Strange thing is how you became a Saints fan. Why not the Vikings?

Real vikings didn't have horns on their hats, and those purple guys have fake horns. omg

I lived in Baton Rouge for 5 years - even held season tickets to the 'Aints (back when the enemy was 49ers). Saw their very first playoff appearance - and now I've dated myself. Caught the football bug at Notre Dame where I did my PhD. Can't get out of that place without learning something football. Apparently a Swedish guy was instrumental in getting them going (Knute Rockne).

Nowadays I watch mostly the "condensed" version of NFL, where a game takes less than an hour. I think if you got rid of the commercials, it would become a much more popular game to watch around the world. Who knows... maybe even the Falcs could find some fans.

 

[lymond]

Except for Saints/Falcons, which have always been natural arch-rivals, the old NFC West was an odd configuration indeed. NFC South much better. "A Swede in Louisiana"..that'd make a good book. Commercials are ridiculous, but they do pay for the players mansions..and..um..extracurricular activities. Americans for the most part are just numb to it.