BOTM 25 Pregame Discussion

[DynamicSpirit]

BOTM 25: Vikings

[img=right]http://gotm.civfanatics.net/civ4games/images/botm25civ.jpg[/img]

Game Details:

Because it's Christmas - I thought you'd like to celebrate the season of goodwill by terrorizing the seas, launching lots of raids on nearby lands and capturing your own presents. So you're playing as Ragnar of the Vikings. And I've even given you a couple of furs to help you cope with the cold.

Game settings:
Civilization: Ragnar of the Vikings
Rivals: 6 AIs
Difficulty: Monarch
Map: Archipelago
Mapsize: Standard
World wrap: Cylindrical
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Epic
Options: None.
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Pericles:
Ragnar is Aggressive and Financial and starts with Fishing and Hunting.The Aggressive trait gives a free combat 1 promotion to all melee and gunpowder units and double production speed of barracks and drydocks. Financial gives +1 commerce on each plot that's already giving 2 or more.

Unique unit: Berserker(replaces Maceman)
The difference between a Berserker and a Maceman is that Berserkers have an extra 10% strength for city attacks (similar to swordsmen). Plus berserkers start with the amphibious promotion.

Unique building: Trading Post(replaces Lighthouse)
The Trading Post gives the usual +1 food to water tiles, but also gives a free navigation 1 promotion to naval units built in the same city.

Starting screenshot

This is the start of the game (click for a bigger image):




Adventurer Class bonuses:
Game will be played on Prince level. Note that AI starting units still match Monarch level.

Challenger Class Equalizers:
Game will be played on Emperor level. Note that AI starting units still match Monarch level.

To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 on 15 December 2009, server local time (UTC-6:00). From that date and time, you'll be able to get your chosen starting save >>>here<<<.

Submit the save after your victory (or defeat) here, by 15 January 2009.

PLEASE NOTE that there will be no separate "Saves Available" thread for this game.

Civ version

This game MUST be played in Beyond the Sword (NOT Warlords or vanilla Civ), patched to version 3.19. It must also be played with the BUFFY mod version 3.19.001. Note that for game security reasons this HOF mod version requires you to be logged in with an account that has admin privileges when you are playing for your game to be a valid entry to the GOTM competition. You'll see a warning dialog if you attempt to start a session without appropriate privileges.

While playing...

Remember - for your entry to be accepted, it MUST be your first attempt to play this game, and you MUST NOT replay any turns. If you make a mistake while playing, you have to live with it, learn from it, and carry on the game without replaying.

We will open 'spoiler' threads during the month for players to discuss what happens in their games. Do not discuss any details of your game outside those threads.

(And sorry for the late posting of this - I had a broken graphics card making my main computer unusable)

 

[Niklas]

Oooh, Vikings!

Scout NW-NE, probably settle capital on the southern furs. Though settling on the plains hill allows for a second city on the plains tile in the west. Hmm... Maybe scout should go NW-SW instead on the first turn, while settler moves E. Then on the second turn the scout can go NE-NE, and the decision between furs and plains hill can be made.

 

[leif erikson]

Maybe scout should go NW-SW instead on the first turn, while settler moves E. Then on the second turn the scout can go NE-NE, and the decision between furs and plains hill can be made.

Looks like this is what I'll be thinking about. It would probably kill me to settle on a FP tile. Not sure I like settling on a fur either?

Ragnar and Archipeligo means

 

[Rusten]

Scout NW+NE for me -- settler 1S if nothing special is revealed. I'd like to settle 1SW, but I'm guessing it has copper/other resource so probably not good.

Grassland forest fur is 215 (including financial) -- too good to waste IMO. I'd rather go 1SE than 1E. Maybe 1SE is better than 1S, but I'm a bit worried about giving up the health bonus on archipelago -- there's not many grain resources are there?

 

[classical_hero]

It does look like the spot where the scout is, is a good spot to start. With such a good start, I am wondering what horrors lie beyond the starting zone?

 

[LowtherCastle]

This game looks really fun. Plenty of coins. Monarch level means AIs not too fast, not too slow. Epic is great for the human player. 1SE gives lots of food, but less health, like classical_hero said. In place seems to have another hill and more 3-coin coastal tiles, perhaps for Moai.

So the question is how to maximize this set-up? I think REX is likely to be a good route. Get a settler/wkr farm asap, then a production city for HR happiness, and a GP farm. Plus a slingshot in there somewhere. Get a workboat or two out exploring asap. Foment some fake wars. Lots of fun possibilities.

 

[beestar]

Argh, I got stalled on BOTM24 and am unlikely to finish it, and BOTM25 is already up? Monarch is more of a natural level for me, so I should just leave BOTM24 incomplete and start on this one ...

 

[azzaman333]

That looks like ice to the north, and tundra to the east and south. At least that'll mean plenty of snowmen.

 

[srad]

This will be a real-time-killer.

Settling 1S seems nice (+2 Health); 1SE means +3 food.
Initial teching: Mining, BW, Sailing, AH, Writing, ...
Build order: WB, Worker, WB, ... (not sure if Worker first is better) - any opinions?

Only thing I'm pretty sure about is that the Great Lighthouse is desirable.

 

[lymond]

The flood plain seems odd their. Depending on where you settle I guess we'll be hit with a health penalty. Settled 1E on fur would give instant commerce boost to cap. However, the rare grassland furs are quite attractive as workable tiles, especially for a FIN leader. Several decent places to settle here, but I would want that flood plan cottaged.

Right now, depending on what the scout shows after moving him NW to the plain hill, I'm inclined to settle where the scout is now. That would make for a nice GP farm with possible move of the cap later. I'd really like to know what's going on to the east before settling though.

I may take my first challenger save for this one.

Question: Would yall be inclined not to chop the furs to keep the hammer?

 

[srad]

Question: Would yall be inclined not to chop the furs to keep the hammer?

Yes, I tend to not chop. Long term this will give more hammers and +1 health. But there are surely situations when it is better to chop.

 

[srad]

Some questions:

1. Having more than 1 city on an other island means paying colony for these cities?

2. Space race: Does it make sense to go for Sid Sushi? Normally I wouldn't do that because Medcine is only later needed and I could not use State Property.

 

[Niklas]

1. Having more than 1 city on an other island means paying colony for these cities?

Colonial upkeep is proportional to the number of cities on any given island, squared. Typically you feel next to no colonial upkeep until you have at least 3 cities on a landmass.

I too wonder about Sushi. Surely it would be good for score, and I would expect it to be useful for the space race as well.

 

[srad]

Colonial upkeep is proportional to the number of cities on any given island, squared. Typically you feel next to no colonial upkeep until you have at least 3 cities on a landmass.

Thanks!

Another problem is the lack of hammers on those water maps. Slavery is a possibility - maybe even Communism for The Kremlin? Normally I wouldn't run Slavery for a Space Race at this point of the game but for this kind of map?

Hm, this is going to be interesting...

 

[Deckhand]

Argh, I got stalled on BOTM24 and am unlikely to finish it, and BOTM25 is already up? Monarch is more of a natural level for me, so I should just leave BOTM24 incomplete and start on this one ...

You have three days to finish BOTM24. Do it. I spent last two finishing it. This one won't start for a couple days and you have a month to finish it.

Ragnar, Archipelago, Monarch, Epic, yumm.

One flood plain has no impact on health. .4 < 1

Can we tell if we are North or South?
Could we be on small peninsula with ice in north the limit of our domain?
Gonna need galleys to Rex.

 

[adrianj]

Scout moving NW then NE onto the furs there will at least reveal if settling 1SE gives extra seafood. Assuming it doesn't, I think I'll settle 1S in favour of the fresh water health bonus.

Moving the settler there via the plains SW just in case there is seafood out that side, and showing what that tile across the sea is. Maybe it's a resource on a hill? If it's a plains hill giving decent production, would settling SW be beneficial to a) leave space for another city on the visible plains hill, b) save a forest and c) still be fresh water?

Gahh, I don't know!

VC... I have no idea. But regardless, I think the UU is too cool on this map to not use

 

[Grifftavian]

...Can we tell if we are North or South?
Could we be on small peninsula with ice in north the limit of our domain?
Gonna need galleys to Rex.

1 NW + 2 N of Settler looks like Ice to me, so the answer to your second question might be yes

Much as I hate to give up a turn at the start, 1 SE looks like a good starting spot. 3 Food resources for the whip, 2 Fur and a cottage on the Flood Plain for Ragnar's Financial Trait. The Cottage most likely grown to a Town by the time you start running Bureaucracy in the Capitol.

 

[culdeus]

Loving it. Randomly told my wife I'd like a book on the Vikings (not NFL team) for Christmas just a few days ago.

Usually play Epic Monarch games exclusively so won't have to adjust much. Epic Monarch Pelego plays a little easier and with financial will play a full level down if the map isn't messed with too much.

Not sure why people think this will take a long time to finish. Pelego is pretty easy to manage from a MM perspective.

Probably no reason to move away from scout site then REX like mad deforesting the whole area in a mad, unwavering chopfest.

 

[grymloq]

Looks like fun, i haven't played civ in a while but this looks like just the thing to get me sucked back in.

Any chance someone with greater knowledge than i in these areas can make a test game? I think i am going to need to work off some rust.

 

[WeezelDS]

The original post says 'Pericles' when describing ragnar.