Coastal Economy?

[AnaNg]

Ok so I gave up on my terra jaunts mostly because there were only so many sandwiches I cared to run off, make and eat in between turns (does it really NEED to take that long when there's only one or 2 cities building, like, granaries for 9 years in the new world? Sheesh.)

Decided to play a medium/small map with Willem (yes, he of the ill-fated DoW mentioned earlier today, but I've got a bit more nous than that) and I'm on like sick map for him when I hit dykes.

But I have to get there first.

Everything is sort of snaky/swiss cheese - lots of water (salt and fresh) tiles, not a lot of land but some decent hills/mines/quarries for production. But I've got all these 3c water tiles and quite a few clam/fish in the BFCes. Do I play off the 3c tiles and run it like a CE? Do I leverage lighthouses and the clam/fish and run an SE full bore with caste system, Representation(got the 'mids (I never do, settled the Moai city on the stone - it was in the midst of hills with iron on a grass tile, surrounded by water with pigs and clam nearby and just built 'em in place after Moai - see this is what I'm sayin!))

It's a pleasant little area (though Sury seems a little jealous and has been ineptly camping on my doorstep occasionally declaring but not attacking or even pillaging) but I'm not quite sure what's going to bring me the most effective research return. I've never really had a map with a Fin leader with this much water and water-based food before.

Just to give an idea on how much water/swiss cheese we're looking at:

Spoiler :

 

[jason77024]

Bummer no copper there.

 

[GenocideBringer]

I'd focus on trade. Get all the trade boosting improvements you can. Run open borders and free market. Coastal cities give a crapton of trade commerce, and this will make up for the commerce you don't get from having matured cottages.

Other than that, I'd run it like a CE, maybe with some specialists mixed in where you have a lot of seafood. The best thing is that, with a lighthouse, every tile gives you enough food to grow for the next one.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

If you can get GL and ToArtemis go for those as well.

 

[Sephlock]

I like how, just to add insult to injury, there are sprinkles of desert tiles where you KNOW that there could not possibly be any desert (any geologists out there feel free to correct me ).

Anyway, I'm no expert, but I'd recommend nabbing the Colossus quickly... (then again, forges won't provide you with much benefit... or at least, not nearly as much as they would in an area with more land).

 

[obliterate]

You must get colossus. Ocean tiles are 2 food 3 commerce Coast 2,4. That is almost as good as a CE plus the trade.

A coast fish tile with dyke, maoi statues and colossus in a golden age will generate 6 food 3 hammers and 5 commerce.