Can someone do better here? (Brennus IMM)

[Pengu]

So, I started an immortal game, fractal map with Brennus as the leader, no huts, events. Normally I win comfortably on IMM but not this map. Sitting at 1000 AD and it's not looking great. Still a chance though...
So I am wondering if someone might like a challenging immortal game and explain why I am crap and why thy did well?
Note, I have NAT+BULL mad so save file won't work if you don't run them.
I am not giving more details as I didn't know anything either from the start...

 

[Gumbolt]

Moving away from a plains hill for clams with ice. One of those starts you are hoping the game gave you at least some food resources. If you are isolated then you would need to meet AI quickly. Pends how much land/commerce you can get here. GLH would need island or AI contact to be useful. Guessing if you found an AI you would of conquered them. That is a lot of hills for a capital.

 

[Pengu]

What I did was to move the scout 2 NW and then moved the settler to the coast(PH) to claim the crab. Brennus starting techs are REALLY bad though and it will be a very slow start with a fishing start...

 

[Fippy]

Big mistake to move, not even plains cows would be worse than crab without fishing.

 

[Pengu]

Well,, my scout found gold to the east and long term GLH path opens up as commerce might be low with Brennus

 

[Pengu]

I thwn went mining-bw-fishing to chop out the boat working the gold mine while doing it. I know my growth hurt but I felt it was the right move. While waiting I built SH as I was almost done with it anyway.

 

[Pengu]

Land was awful so I went for GLH and was thinking of taking the detour of aest for TGL as I found marble

 

[Pengu]

Isolated and the land didn't get any better at all. No bronze and no horses so I had to go for archery
I was desperate for GLH with this start whch delayed my 2nd city a TON. picked the spot 1 E of the wheat. 3rd city by the 2 flood plains. There is like zero food so I basically couldn't whip.
Small island with room for 8-9 cities. Whole island has 1 wheat, 3 cows, I crab, 1 fish. At least it had gold, silver and fur so I didn't need Monarchy.
Went AH, wheel pottery, writing, poly, Aest, Lit. My 4th city was put down nw of my 3rd city by the coast. All it had was an oasis and plain tiles but still the best spot.
Built TGL and nathional epic and got some fail gold from the Parth. Then went MC, Iron working, compass. Settled 5th city NW of silver by the river so Icould grab the silver and some fur. 6th city was placed 2 s of marble so I could grab my iron.
I need some swordsmen to take out the barb city on the coast west of my 5th city. Next I went machinery-optics to get out some caravels. And I was very late as thie lnd was garbage. Got 2 prophets that I settled and then used the 2 scientists I got to bulb astro. Self teched math and traed for Alpha-calendar from 2 other civs. Getting to astro allowed my to settle the last 4 spots on the island. the 2 best spots had 1 grassland cow, and the others had nothing but will be ok until the other civs gets banking....
So I am now at 1000 AD with 10 cities(could settle 1 in the tundra south of my capitol) But my cities are small and I have to avoid corporation and SM so I can still get any use from GH and TGL....
And I do not like the situation with the other civs one bit...

 

[Pengu]

until 1260 AD
Settled 2 more garabge cities on my island, as it's ok with GLH. Then found a small island with horses way north and decided to settle it. The situation with the other civs are bad. There is basically 2 other continents and one island next to one of the continents. On one one continents you have Monty, Gengis and Julius. Just TERRIBLE starting positions where Julius got 16 cities, Monty 5 and Gangis 4. And then Julis attacked Gengis took 2 cities and vassaled him. So that is great.. Only thing missing is that he attacks Monty and takes him too. The ONLY silver lining is that the tech pace on that continent has been relativly slow. But if Julius gets rifling it will be hell...
The other continent is almost the same. There is Suliman and Shaka where Suli got 13 cities and Shaka 3 cities as Shaka got boxed in while Suliman had ALL the land to backfill . Then on the island next to that continent is Hatchet with 10 cities. The problem is that Shala has been able to do nothing while Suliman and Hatchet have traded all the time. And Monty started plotting on me even though he was pleased with me.(I know it's me as he hasn't met the others yet) Shaka with his 3 cities also started plotting on me(well, at least I think it's me)
I will most likely try to get cavalry, cap Monty and then try to take out massive Julius before he gets rifling and then hope the other continent isn't too far ahead.

 

[Fippy]

Maybe GLH can be delayed a bit? (not sure on Immortal).
Think i would be more interested in Literature wonders etc with marble.
On the bright side no need for Monarchy with so much happy.

 

[Pengu]

The big problem here is food. As in there is only 1 cow, 1 crab and 1 wheat anywhere close. It basically means no whipping. And there not much land to cottage.As I settled on the coast and with the land I had I felt I just could not lose out on the GLH. It can go 1500 BC on IMM. In hindsight I maybe shouldn't have settled the coast but it's what I did...

 

[Pengu]

1510 AD
Well, I settled the small Island north to get the horses. But since Monty could reach it before astro I dowed me and attacked island. I defended it and he wants peace. As I plan to attack him I have no interest. 19 city Julius is not at rifling or grenadiers yet but he is plotting on me or Hatchet so Monty can't peacevasal to him. I lost lib but won economics which helped me tech and trade my way to rifling. Suliman and Hatchet just continue to trade and both have rifling and is getting ahead of me. Shaka is still plotting on me but has still 3 cities and still no astro. Suliman has 14 and Hatchet 12 after settling somei slands.I plan to send 5 galleons and attack Monty with 15 cavs in a few turns and hope it's enough. Just got chemistry and might go steel if Julius gets closer to rifling. I do have 15 cities now but most are crap with 7 cities with a pop below 5(some due to whipping) If my 2 inital landings with 30 cavs in total fails then it's game over..
And I do HATE mercantilism as it just kills my GLH

 

[antimony]

My first thought with that start would be size 2 settler (cow+gold, delaying crab) going for that wheat marble city, then aiming for Oracle-MC instead of GLH? It's just so much cheaper and with only domestic trade routes it will take a long time for GLH to beat those beakers from the free tech.

That's assuming you want Polytheism for Literature anyway and Priesthood at least gives discount on some other techs.

 

[sampsa]

Not sold on moving the settler T0. Yes there is a possibility of getting plainscowed, which would hurt, but at least Brennus starts with hunting. I'd take an extra turn, guaranteed food and river tiles over crabs+gold.

edit: if someone is willing to make a save via worldbuilder that I can play with BUFFY, I could show my opening.

 

[Pengu]

until 1590 AD
Everything is just too slow in this game. Took my army and attacked Monty after begging some gold from Julius. Even without rifling and "only" 5 cities Monty sure loves to span units. Still had a stack with 30 units. Took 3 cities after a while and he capped before rifling. Julius on the orther hand is HUGE with 2 huge stacks containing 50 and 30 units. I needed to wait until I had around 40-50 cavs otherwise I could't take him out. When I dowed Monty Julius didn't even have printing press BUT when I dowed him had had rp and only need rifling. I dowed him and waited for his 50 stack to enter Monty's land and whiped it out. BUT before I could take any coties he got rifling . He still has another big stack and there is no way my cavs can do much alone. The question is to make peace and get steel/physics and come back again. It's already 1590 AD and the other continent is closing in on iasembly line but there is no way to go again a 20 city Julius with a vassal if I don't get cannons.

 

[Pengu]

My first thought with that start would be size 2 settler (cow+gold, delaying crab) going for that wheat marble city, then aiming for Oracle-MC instead of GLH? It's just so much cheaper and with only domestic trade routes it will take a long time for GLH to beat those beakers from the free tech.

That's assuming you want Polytheism for Literature anyway and Priesthood at least gives discount on some other techs.

Maybe, but Orcle usually goes fquicker than GLH and "pollutes the gp pool even further with prophets. And once astro kicks in GLH is great

 

[Pengu]

 

[Pengu]

Western side of the island

 

[CarpoolKaraoke]

If anyone could possibly point me to the worldbuild make script, I'd be happy to give this a whirl.

 

[Pengu]

Until 1695
How crazy is Shaka? I said he was plotting and sure enough it was on me. Decided to sail over and teach him a lesson as I decided I needed artillery to take out Julius so I had the time. Suliman didn't intervene and Shka capped pretty quickly.. Now I need to upgrade my cannons and send over my army and send my 80 units into his territory. At least he doesn't have infantry yet. Suliman and Hatchet will be hard but maybe huge amounts ot artilley+infantry can take out the mech infantry. Have done it before even though it's a pain...
until 1842
The slog continues. Have taken 2 whole cities more and killed a TON of units and they just keeps on coming. Menawhile Suleiman is closing in on fiber optics and computers. i don't think I'll make unless I somehow cheese a diplo win if I can get hatchet too.