[BTS] BOTM 295: Mehmed II, Noble - first spoiler to 1AD

[kcd_swede]

Usual reminders to not post stuff after 1AD, or locations of hidden resources belong horses/iron.

Tell us about your early choices... explore before settling? Where did you settle and why? And did you map out where you next cities will be? Anything strike you as a challenge, expected or unexpected? The community wants to know!

 

[Mitchum]

Interesting game with no rivers and no hills. It makes production a bit of a challenge for sure. Interesting how kcd_swede fiddled with the diplo such that it's us plus the world against the Russians. Washington wasn't give the positive diplo with the Vikings though nor was he give the massive negative diplo against the Russians so he sits in the middle, a bit. Elizabeth wasn't give the massive negative diplo against the Russians either but she doesn't like them anyway.

At 1AD, I haven't expanded beyond our starting island yet. I think my breakout unit will be macemen and cats/trebs. I could have starting warring sooner but I wanted a larger tech superiority so that I could conserve my precious units that come much harder with limited organic production. I haven't decided if I want to start with the Russians or our allies yet though...

At 1 AD, I have 7 cities, 37 pops, +167b/128g @ 100% and +138b sustainable at 80% slider. I built the 'Mids and I'm a few turns from the GLH. I have teched Civil Service, Machinery, Construction, Calendar, Literature and Music (2 turns).

Catherine declared war on me when I refused to give her gold. So far, that hasn't amounted to anything too significant yet and as my macemen are coming online, she will be easy to manage.

 

[nocho]

Interesting game indeed with all the riverless and mountainless green! I settled 1E basically just to pick up the clams, the deer to the south was a nice bonus.

My game stats are quite different from @Mitchum 's in that my tech situation is way worse (no CS, machinery, literature nor music, it's at MC, CoL, Calendar, Construction and Monarchy, Aesthetics nearly done), but I did already conquer the Orange Russians with cats and axes, so pop is a bit higher at 10 cities and 50 pop, but sustainable tech rate is barely half at 73 bpt at 50% slider. I built the Oracle for CoL.

I'll likely go after the rest of the Russian block next and meanwhile try to decide what VC to go for, with all the love around diplo might be on the table.

 

[Conquistador 63]

Just returned from vacations and was delighted to discover that @kcd_swede provided us with a creative and unusual setup, much more interesting than a regular noble game!

We have 7 cities, 47 pop, similar to @Mitchum 's game. Breakeven at 70% 163bpt.
Got Oracle (MC), Mids and Colossus.
With zero cottages, most of our economy comes from Rep scientists and coastal tiles. Rep is also helping with the lack of happiness resources.
Running Rep, Bureau, Slavery, OR. Got Hindu in most or all my cities from an unlikely missionary spammer (Ragnar).
Also with no mines, production came from the whip and forest chops. Exception is the city on the isthmus to the north, next to the railroaded tiles.
Tech is up to CS, Currency, Aesth, Construction, Paper, MC, HBR. Easy trading with the friendly AIs has been helping our progress.
Game was totally peaceful until 0AD, when we declared on Peter. We stole a worker and will likely pillage his land while waiting for siege to arrive.
Probably will try to conquer the Russians, then go for diplo or space.

 

[Frederiksberg]

Also back from holidays.

Settled 1E because the warrior found nothing to the north. Probably a good choice because of the deer to the south thus remaining in the FC. Decided early on to expand towards Ragnar, because I wanted to keep him in the game as a friend and attack the Russians first. Thus, I had to grab the ivory and gold near Ragnar by peaceful settling. The friendly AI's make trading very easy. The furious AI's are not really a problem at this difficulty level. On Immortal or Deity, it would have been a big issue.

@1AD the stats are 10 cities, 75 pop. Two cities recently taken from Catherine. Built Oracle (took CoL). Research is up to Monarchy, CoL, Construction, Machinery. Currently researching Feudalism.

I will most likely go after conquest with knights since this is probably what time allows. Hopefully, some of the Friendly AI's will become peace vassals.