BOTM 35 First Spoiler - 1 AD

[leif erikson]

BOTM 35 First Spoiler - 1AD

Reading Requirements

Stop! If you are participating in BOTM 35, 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 discuss anything that happened after 1 AD,
• Please do not divulge the names of any AIs that is on another landmass.
• Please do discuss modern era resource locations.
• Please do not divulge your final result if that happened after 1 AD.
• Do not post any savegame file from the game. Discussions and screenshots are fine but not actual games.

 

[ElWanderer]

Yes, you're playing the real Victoria. On a map that vaguely resembles the real world

I should have paid more attention to this bit of the game description. The realisation that the map looked rather like Earth came slowly. Slow like my expansion, as the interior of the continent didn't seem like good land and I kept expecting to meet another civ's scouts...

But at least my exploring workboats had fun.

I settled on the coast, 2(SW) of the starting point. That had pigs, (horses appeared in range) and plenty of cottaging potential, but not much production. I probably should have used the income to expand more quickly.

 

[PutCashIn]

Chose Prince setting, I settled in place, and once I realised that the continent was segregated, I settler spammed and headed for space, or maybe a time win if I can restrain myself.

 

[Deckhand]

Yes, you're playing the real Victoria. On a map that vaguely resembles the real world, though a statistical analysis of the number of tiles in that map that represent England would suggest you're quite unlikely to be actually starting in her home country. But you never know...

I liked the starting continent because it had so many possibilities. We weren't forced to take any particular path due to the presence of an AI. Easy level, large isolated starting area with lots of resources. Pursuit of any victory condition is feasible.

Pyschologically though, I was in NW europe, despite obviously being in southern hemisphere. I finally realized we were in Africa, the Middle East was blocked by mountains and the Nile ran west from them.

Settled in place. 2nd city to get the horses. 3rd city for the marbles.

Can't decide on victory condition, so going to switch to GOTM for a bit.

 

[kcd_swede]

At about 1AD is when I figured out that we had a really earth-shaped map, strting us in South Africa. I'm a bit slow, I guess.

I played the Challenger save, settled in place.

Techs: BW > agri > hunt > AH > myst > med > PH > wheel > pottery... last tech acheived at 1AD is Civil Service. 1AD rate = 60bpt (sustainable at 50% science).

Builds: Worker > warrior > settler

I built the Oracle and took CoL... I started it late, so didn't think it was worth the risk/effort of trying to get something better from it.

by 1AD I had basically filled up all the land in African continent by settling or by capturing barbarian cities. Basically in the process of whipping courthouses to get economy strong again. REX is sustained by mature cottage on every floodplain, and there are a lot of floodplains on this map. The mountain barrier in the Middle East meant we could expand liesurely... but why would you? This is great land up there with plenty of happy and health resources.

I've been running this like a space race game, I guess. Certainly not a fast military victory since I haven't warred at all (except barbs). I am kind of disliked because I adopted Confu. But its Prince level, they'll have no techs worth trading for, and will be weak. So I can afford to be arrogant. (And so I'm not aiming diplo).

 

[jesusin]

Techs: BW > agri > hunt > AH > myst > med > PH > wheel > pottery... last tech acheived at 1AD is Civil Service. 1AD rate = 60bpt (sustainable at 50% science).
Builds: Worker > warrior > settler

BW first? What did you do with that? Was delaying wheat farming worth it?

Why Hunting? Couldn't you have skipped it?

 

[kcd_swede]

BW first? What did you do with that? Was delaying wheat farming worth it?

Why Hunting? Couldn't you have skipped it?

I was planning to put second city near a copper (if no copper in BFC) to enable an axe rush if the opportunity arose. No such opportunity existed on this map. Had I known that, I'd have done things a lot differently. As a consolation, BW first enable whipping (and chopping)... A way to turn all that excess FP food into early production. I did not prioritize the farming since food was adequate without making more of it, and my first worker was going to be chopping out a settler, in my plans, rather than building a farm. This may not be optimum strategy... I don't really know. But now you understand my thinking.

Hunting... I could have skipped. I should have skipped, probably. I was probably thinking pre-req bonus, or had not realized that I didn't need it as a pre-req after getting agri. Maybe wanted to build spear to back up my axe-rush that never happened. In any case, a mistake unless there were furs or deer around, which I don't think there were.

 

[Arnold_T]

re: > "On a map that vaguely resembles the real world"

yes, I somehow missed that too, and instead I spent time researching the meaning of
"Map: Tectonics - randomized earth"
furthur down in the game description.

I figured out the map soon enough though.

This game seems easy - guess I'm getting used to being crushed on Immortal!

the civ to the north (inca/maya?) initially tried to invade my continent so I had to take their city away from them and they were pissed for a while, but then for some reason they converted to my religion, no pressure from me. OK!
Started trading tech with them, now they love me.
Big tech lead now.
Figure I'll go for space.

 

[mikeocarroll]

Well I declared my intention to go for a conquest victory, and by 0AD it isn't working out to great. In fact at 1AD I've only discovered one other civ, let alone conquered anybody. I got tempted into the interior of the starting continent and didn't build a coastal city until too late, so my exploration is rather slow. Will still try for conquest but it's not going to be quick!

I settled in place, and built worker first. Teched BW first as figured instant ability to chop would outweigh the benefit from a farm on wheat. No calculation in this so I may well be wrong. Chopped a settler and settled between the Copper and Gems. Settled my third city up by the marble to aid building of Oracle. This was a mistake as with low production this city doesn't help my aims otherwise and at this level I could have got Oracle easily without marble. Built my fourth and fifth cities in good production locations on the east coast of the continent, and a sixth up by the gold in the north-eastern mountains. Finally built a workboat around 400BC and have recently discovered the Maya. My capital is working 6 cottages (2 village, 2 hamlet, 2 cottage), the rest are set up for production, through whipping or mines. I will conquer all - eventually. I also lost a bit of time early on from having London working to wrong tiles for a few turns rather than maximising growth, these things can be very costly early on in the game! Got a GS 700BC and settled in capital, but that's the only GS so far.

My tech was: BW-Agr-Wheel-Pottery-Writing-Myst-Med-Priest-Masonry-CoL-Maths-CS (with Oracle, 750BC)-Alpha-Sailing-MC-Monarchy (25BC). Also traded with Maya for Hunting, AH & Iron Working.

Currently Bureaucracy, Hered Rule, Slavery (too useful whipping to change to Caste Sys - specialists not too important when going for conquest on a low level I don't think as tech lead is easy). Also converted to Confucianism for happiness bonus.

My aim now is to explore as much and as quickly as possible and declare war on someone. Will tech machinery and engineering for maces and trebs, and since I've be so slow thus far and the AIs will be well spread out by now, I will leave tech running moderately to get Astronomy to cross oceans (assuming it's needed), Gunpowder, Mil Trad and eventually Rifling to finish everyone off with Redcoats. Will aim to conquest around 1600AD but that may be a bit difficult as time runs away from you on standard speed!

 

[WelshGandalf]

Discovered I was on a continent of my own - so decided to go for space race, done a lot of conquest recently and was looking too late to go for a decent cultural victory. Settled on the PH 2S of starting location, in retrospect probably not the best option but it's OK. 2nd city was upstream as the river gives way to forests. 3rd was in the plains but had an oasis and a copper, so not great but OK.

Considering the continent was empty I expanded pretty slowly tbh, kept building stuff instead of settlers/workers. Had a pretty hairy moment or two from the barbs, my cpaital was undefended so I had to whip a new warrior. Had about 6 cities at 1AD I think. Did the CS sling successfully, adopted Confucianism.

Since playing xOTM's I have improved quite a lot & played at higher difficulty levels, this is my first game back at Noble for a while, not sure if it's the improvement in general play or the CS sling or both, but I am so far ahead of my opponents in tech already compared to before I started xOTM's

 

[MarleysGh0st]

I moved the warrior N and the settler 2S as I said in the pregame thread, but then I didn't particularly like that spot, so I moved the settler 2W of there to build London on the coast. I decided to go for a cultural victory in this game, although I didn't follow all of jesusin's recommended strategy for that.

By 1 AD, I had five cites, I had founded Confucianism, and I got the CS slingshot to switch to bureaucracy. I had sent one galley along the eastern coast, which encountered Ragnar and Isabella, but since Isabella wouldn't sign open borders, it had to turn around at that point.

 

[whb]

Wandered about a bit before settling, on the coast 2W of the southern plains hill.

Originally, I was going to go for an early conquest -- but it became apparent that we were shut-off except by boat, and I balked a bit at the idea of ferrying troops back and forth. Thought about heading for space.

Founded Confucianism, CS slingshot via Oracle. First time I've done that. I actually had to carefully delay the Oracle a few turns while I researched Mathematics. (Delayed it by hiring scientists to put out an early Great Scientist for an academy).

Hunting -> AH.

3720BC Hunting. Hunting worked out better than Ag with the timing of the worker build for pasturing the pigs, and I wasn't planning on farming the flood plains.
3320BC Animal husbandry.
2840BC Bronze Working
2600BC Wheel
2320BC Founded York on coast 2N of the northern plains hill, next to the corn, but wasn't paying attention so didn't research Ag!
2280BC Pottery. Cottage time!
2120BC Founded Nottingham by the two oases (1N of the wheat)
2080BC Mysticism
1880BC Agriculture
1640BC Writing
1440BC Polytheism
1320BC Priesthood
1280BC Adopted slavery and had a bit of fun with a whip (I've never used it before!)
825BC Code of Laws, Confucianism in York
700BC Founded Hastings on the Nile by the elephants
Here I was delaying the Oracle by hiring scientists in London in order to get Mathematics first and get an academy out too
650BC Mathematics
625BC Built the Oracle -- Civil Service, immediate revolt to Bureaucracy
500BC Iron Working
450BC Founded Canterbury near the southern tip of the continent
450BC Great scientist in London -> academy
425BC Founded Coventry by the dyes
325BC Metal casting
300BC Archery (a 1 turn science)
200BC Monarchy, immediate revolt to Hereditary Rule
150BC Masonry
125BC Monotheism (a 1 turn science)
25BC Alphabet, revolt to Organised Religion

At 1AD:
6 cities, Confucianism, Bureaucracy, Hereditary Rule, Organised Religion

I hadn't sent any workboats exploring, but Isabella contacted me before 1AD via her own.

 

[kcd_swede]

@whb:

I find the most amazing part of your story to be this:

Spoiler :

1280BC Adopted slavery and had a bit of fun with a whip (I've never used it before!)

Never??? Your profile says you've been at CivFanatics for 8 years and you've never whipped anything before???

(Or maybe you meant first time THIS game?)

 

[whb]

@whb:

I find the most amazing part of your story to be this:

Spoiler :

Never??? Your profile says you've been at CivFanatics for 8 years and you've never whipped anything before???

(Or maybe you meant first time THIS game?)

To the best of my knowledge, I've never clicked that whip button before this game (in Civ4 or BTS)! Yes, slack I know!

Probably whipped in Civ3, 2, or 1 though.

Ok, well not in a GOTM or BOTM anyway.

Well, maybe I've just got a shocking memory.

 

[-Asterix-]

Awww... Everybody seems to have no problems with their CS slings while I lose the Oracle race to my nemesis by 4 turns (if I remember correctly) at turn 71. Just my luck and this is getting personal. I bet most of the others are completing their Oracles at least 5-10 turns later...

But anyway, I'm doing a lot better than in the previous noble BOTM where I also lost the Oracle before 80th turn or so. Have been expanding and teching more and faster so almost anything seems doable, can't be fast enough to really compete, though. And I can't seem to decide what victory type to go for so rest of the game will be just aimless playing.

 

[billybgame]

I just submitted, but will try to recount 1 AD.

I waited 2 turns to settle, as I went S to the Hill, but realized I wanted a better spot, and had to move again.

My 2nd city was N as well, then 3rd around the coast, then 4th, N more, for the river and boatloads of the Ivory. 5th, E of York and SE of Canterbury(Ivory city). I probably had 6 or so cities at 1 AD, as well.

Once I realized the isolation, I also thought of Space victory.

I founded Hinduism, though, and Buddhism came from the Mayans to the N.

Had my eye on many other good city sites at this point and was fending off Barbs and taking out their bad city sites They were close to where I might want to be, to the very SE and way W, but no cigar.

 

[_T_]

Settled north and west..with corn in BFC...I should have stay in place.
I think I am not doing that well. I have 5 cities and sixth is under way. Too late I have discovered that there is no other civ on this landmass..In fact, the thing that we are in SA become obvious just after I took screenshot of 1AD and put it as a wallpaper I assumed that we are going to be in the north west europe with lots of other civs around us all hunting for the Europe dominance and new world conquest...but no.
So i did not concentrate on REX. But I am about to complete pyramids and hopefully the representation will help me with happy cap and 5 more cities..also plan a quick CoL and courthouses and then going for space (probably the lowest scoring space
So far I ve met only 3 civs and at managed to get one against another..hopefully they ll be busy fighting and wont have time to settle in Africa at all.

I forgot to mention the biggest mistake I made...I lost settler+worker to animal...and I have had a warrior in the forested tile next to them but i moved S+W and they got eaten by the 2movement animal. ARRRGH it was the settler aiming for stone. And it took me while to rebuild settler and worker.

 

[WelshGandalf]

Awww... Everybody seems to have no problems with their CS slings while I lose the Oracle race to my nemesis by 4 turns (if I remember correctly) at turn 71. Just my luck and this is getting personal. I bet most of the others are completing their Oracles at least 5-10 turns later...

Hmmm yes I think my oracle was quite slow, I had to whip & decrease science slider for various reasons as I was getting close...

 

[jesusin]

jesusin, contender. Goal: fastest cultural victory.


4000BC-2600BC

War N to PH, see sea and corn. But settling on the PH would have 0 hills… in place has 6 forests, so no initial health problem… Settle in place, see oasis and irrigated wheat, great.


Initial Techs: Agri-Wheel-Pott-BW-AH
Initial builds: Worker-Warrior-Granary (double whipped)- 1t of Worker to deposit the overflow-Warrior-Settler (double whipped)- Worker.
Initial Worker tasks: Farm wheat, mine, cottage.
Exploration: see where we are, see marble.

The early Granary meant I had a powerhouse going. But it also meant a delayed second city settling. I was hoping to catch up with subsequent settlers.

The plan: cultural victory with marble, 4 or more religions, CS sling.


2600BC-1000BC

Techs: Myst for Monu, Poly and Mason for founding judaism (fail), IW because of reduced happy cap, PH, Wri and CoL for CS sling

Builds: new cities get Monu and Granary, capital is always producing Settler(double whipped)-Woker-Warrior (rinse and repeat).

Cities:
02 in the S tip: pig and fish.
03 NW: jungle, gems, 3dyes, corn, river
04 N: 7FP, marble, ivory

There is a barb city in my GPFarm (Gibraltar strait): gold, 4FP, fish, pigs, oasis.

Exploration: WB sent towards America.

Strategic resources: my settling is done to maximize food, in such a way that no strategic resource is really convenient. I fogbust and ignore it till I see and covet that barb city.

1000 BC Stats: 4 cities+set, 12 pop, 5 workers, 8units(8War), 0 strategic resources, 1 luxury resources, 4 health resources, 0 great persons, 0 world wonders, 0 national wonders, food/production/commerce=44-16-48, 32 sustainable beakers per turn, 6 culture per turn, 0 great person points per turn, 25 gold, 3gra,3monu. 0 religions, 3/5 cottages used, 13 Techs: Wri, PH, IW, no sail. 0 civs killed. 4.5 hours played.

My impression is I haven't done a good work. My expansion is too slow, I would have liked to have 6 cities by now. I have falllen again in the FP trap.


1000BC-1AD

Techs: CoL (first religion), Maths, CS sling, Monarchy for infinite happiness-Mono-Theo (second religion), Aest (start Parth), Currency, Calen, Literature

Cities:
05 NW: wheat, banana, copper
06 E: fish, banana, gems
07 N: barb city, will be my GPFarm
08 SE: clams, corn
09 N: 7FP, 5 ivory.
10 NE: 2 food resources
I plan to build a useless city on stone much later on. By the way, ignoring Pyramids can't have been bad, since I have zero specialists hired.

GPs: 1GS for Academy in capital, generated in 02. Library in capital quite late.

Revolutions: I've got 4 turns of anarchy for 4 civics, Slavery, Bureaucracy, HR and OR. Not efficient, but they all seemed so urgent that delaying any of them wouldn't have been beneficial... or would it?

Successful management: every new city got a worker working in it immediately upon settling and when coastal, a WB immediately upon settling too.

1AD Stats: 10 cities, 45 pop, 10workers, 19units (4Axe), 2 strategic resources, 2 luxury resources, 6 health resources, 1 great persons, 1 world wonders, 0 national wonders, food/production/commerce=162-47-211, 150 sustainable beakers per turn, 33 culture per turn, 2 great person points per turn, 150 gold. 2 religions. 11/11 cottages used, 26 Techs: IW, no MC, Theo, CS, Aest, Curr. 0 civs killed. 10 hours played. reli/city, temples, caths== 9,1,0

Time to work hard on religion spreading.





I am having so much fun this game! I love isolation, I am a builder and it shows. It's great to be able to play as if there were no AIs out there. Pacal capitla is great, but I already have a lot of citeis capable of pumping a GreatArtist.


Questions and comments are welcome. Would you have done something differently?

 

[pnp_dredd]

I'm playing contender with a vague goal of domination, but mainly having some classic fun after some time with Civ5.

At 1 AD I've got 11 cities (43 total pop) but only 7 workers. Most cities are in the general vicinity of jesusin's but I've focussed many on production rather than food. I didn't pursue the Oracle and tech-wise I'm only up to IW, Alpha and Calendar. I switched to Buddhist, so I'm lovey-dovey with Izzy and Pacal hates me.

I built my second city to the west to share some FPs and capture horses and wheat in the BFC. I farmed all of the FPs and have just switched about half over to cottages. I had a few scares with Barbs but didn't lose any cities, workers or settlers. I've been well fog busted for the last thousand years.

I guess from here I'll fill out the continent and perhaps take some Knights into Europe.