BOTM 249: Mansa Musa, Emperor - First Spoiler - 1AD

[MarleysGh0st]

BOTM 249: Mansa Musa, Emperor - First Spoiler - 1AD



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

Reading Requirements
If you are participating in BOTM 249, 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

• Do not disclose ANY events or information gained post 1 AD.
• Do not reveal your final result if that happened after 1 AD.
• 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

 

[nocho]

I settled on the plain hill 1N which I thought was the most obvious place. Did go worker first and went Agri-AH and started by farming the bananas. I've expanded out of our corner to a solid 9 cities, the map and starting location weren't quite suited to crazy expansion, in spite of all the land available. My last city was on the northern coast near the double horses, to secure later forceful expansion. I got Stonehenge in the capital, which was the only wonder I tried, Oracle went before I could think of attempting it. I went for early alpha to backtrade stuff and then relatively early calendar with all the plantation resources around for a much better happy cap. At 1AD I got the important basics in Cal, CoL, Cur, Monarchy and Metal Casting, starting on CS. Shaka asked me to become buddhist and was happy to comply as it was the majority religion.

 

[Powerfaker]

Settled PH. Getting the cow is a must have and PH always nice too.
Also went Agri-AH and farmed Bananas. Then Pottery before BW, followed by the ''Spi-special'' beeline going PH-Writing and Oracle CoL. Then head to Calender. At 1AD progressed to CS and Machinery. Selfteched IW as well, only Shaka has Alpha but I'm worst enemy so he does not want to trade, working on Currency.

Settled the juicy food West and river North, a gold and a stone city, conquered a juicy barb city on the North shore defended by warriors and settled in Hannibal';s face at the horses/wheat.
By 1AD 9 cities 55pop. The nice variey of resources is really helpful to raise high pop cities, several have 10-11.

 

[LowtherCastle]

Interesting reports for comparisons.

Nocho and I followed similar starts. I met everyone early except Shaka (T100!!!?!), so I felt confident with an alpha beeline. Agr-AH-Pott-BW-Wtg-Alpha (1400bc). Free techs: Myst, Htg, IW, Fish, Arch, Sail.

Next: Math-Cal-Curr (575bc). I got Polly and PH in trade in the next two turns, and the Oracle was still available. I was luckier than Nocho. So I researched COL (475bc) and Oracled CS (400bc). That was my first and only wonder so far.
Final: Hbr-MC-Mach-Msnry-Constr
Next: Engineering

I was unlucky in not discovering the stone until turn 98. My early scout was one tile away from seeing it.

1AD I have only seven cities, but also pop 55. 267bpt, -86gpt, @100%.
I focused on going north, and I also have the horses along with gold gems and silver. I used libraries to expand my borders and settled with border expansion in mind. My only city to the west is three tiles west of my capital and I settled on the stone.

The AIs in my game developed so unbelievably slowly that I think it was a mistake to not to go warring. I actually had planned to, and have Barricks and stables in several cities. Probably too much building and not enough warring. One annoying consequence is a scarcity of workers.

 

[kcd_swede]

I also settled the PH, and did argri-AH, worker first. One thing I re-learned after forgetting by not playing for almost 2 years... if your rapid expansion (REX) is too rapid, it causes problems down the line. But while making a late play for a CS-sling, I got CoL and founded Confu, got a GPro from Stonehenge, and saved us from the economic collapse. I lost the Oracle... could have gotten it without the sling but I go for gold or don't go at all! No biggie... the other civs are so far away that a war first strategy might be ineffecient.

Skirmishers are awesome for city defense against barbs, but by 250BC the wild barbs are not showing up much, and they are making cities for me to take. I do not know what VC I am going for. I am playing for survival, I guess, and will take whatever victory the gods provide. Fun game so far, and suprisingly slow AI, and a really huge "small map". Why did I stop playing this game so long?