Conquest 03 Pre-Game Discussion

[zagnut]

I investigated it in the editor, and now I am 90% sure it is Cattle on plains.

You fog-gazers amaze me. I don't see it, but I have to admit you have been right in the past. If there is a cow to the NW then it would certainly be wise to go W to reveal the maximum number of squares. If a city were founded there it would still be possible to found a city to the south of the "choke" point on the grassland.

Why would ainwood not show the number of units at the start position? That has to be an intentional decision on his part. He has not done it in the past and is therefore trying to tell us something or keep something from us.

 

[dmanakho]

Oh my, I can't believe it's that time of the year again and we are discussing new Conquest GOTM...
Well, since that picture was edited, so we can't see how many startup units we have I dare to suggest we are expansionist Civilization and have a scout...
Just a wild guess, but something tells me i am correct

 

[solenoozerec]

Let me guess. I suspect that there is indeed no worker. If Ainwood wants to make fun of us, this could be it.
If this is right and there is no worker, then I believe that we are certainly Maya as many suggested already. It will change everything. If we are Maya with no worker, it might be reasonable to build Javelin Thrower first and send him to hunt for slaves. Yet it is a gamble.

 

[Lord Jimbob]

I think, for once, I'm going to follow some of the veteran players' advice and settle in place. Maybe that will make it easier to get to Code of Laws and then Philosophy first- to do the 'Republic slingshot'. I think Maya would be a lot of fun- they were the first civ I played after getting Conquests because of agricultural trait and UU w/enslavement!

 

[dmanakho]

Let me guess. I suspect that there is indeed no worker. If Ainwood wants to make fun of us, this could be it.
If this is right and there is no worker, then I believe that we are certainly Maya as many suggested already. It will change everything. If we are Maya with no worker, it might be reasonable to build Javelin Thrower first and send him to hunt for slaves. Yet it is a gamble.

The problem with this teory is that production rate of slave worker is so low that it won't be worth of doing this... Player will be much better to build his own worker rather than spend cycles on building JT and then running around for who knows how many turns trying to capture one... JT has only one chance out of 3 to enslave unit, unless you have bunch of barb hutts around it may take long time to do...

 

[denyd]

My guesses is the reason the #units ticks are gone is because we are expansionist (and would have 3 ticks) and seafaring (on the coast) and Ainwood didn't want to disclose that Portugal was the Tribe so soon.

I'm thinking about settling in place or SW, starting with a pair of curragh builds, then a scout, researching writing at minimum on the get philosophy gambit (if below emperor, I might try for code of laws then philosophy to get republic as the free tech).

 

[dmanakho]

My guesses is the reason the #units ticks are gone is because we are expansionist (and would have 3 ticks) and seafaring (on the coast)

You probably right Denyd, but i somewhat doubt we will play seafaring civ, since we just did it last month.

 

[Tarkeel]

I'm actually leaning towards non-expansionist.. For the same reason you all think it is epxansionist

And I really hope the theory about being Maya without starting worker is wrong, because that will make for a very interesting start...

 

[Crakie]

Here's the minimap. What do you think!

Hehe, it's the first minimap I've seen where you could actually see units

Since we start on the coast, there is an increased chance we are seafaring. I really have no insight in the character of Ainwood as this will be the first game I will be submitting, so I will refrain from speculating why 1 or 2 units have been disbanded.

If we just have a worker, I agree moving it W would be the best option. If we are seafaring, I would like to settle on the coast, and I always want to settle next to a river. That would leave the current and the tile SW to it as the most immediate options, because I think the tile NW does not count as next to a river?

If the plains NW, NW do contain a cow, it's not a gimme that moving towards it, is the most beneficial: the lands south might be sweet, sweet bonusgrasslands

And finally, what if the grass in the south is just a minipeninsula; that would mean the partly revealed water tile in the lower left corner of the picture, is not a lake but sea! This would yield additional tiles where you can settle next to a river and on the coast.

 

[solenoozerec]

And finally, what if the grass in the south is just a minipeninsula; that would mean the partly revealed water tile in the lower left corner of the picture, is not a lake but sea! This would yield additional tiles where you can settle next to a river and on the coast.

I think the chances of this to be a small peninsula (or a lake or a choke point, whatever) depend on our global positioning. That piece of land is not likely to be of great value if we are far at the South.

 

[SniperDevil]

Yes i think it is very probable that we will be expansionist because there are no tick marks. I think the starting postion is good so i will just settle there

 

[dmanakho]

Don't settle until you move your worker... who knows how many cows will open when you do (or may be evil barbarians)

 

[SniperDevil]

good point, but which way should I move the setter W, SW, S??

 

[Akane]

Well, the major issue I see is trying to figure out what the Civ is so we can figure out attributes. It wouldn't be worth it to move from the coast if we are seafaring (Portuguese, Byzantine?); on the other hand, if we're agricultural (Mayan), having the river and the cattle would seem to be paramount.

Of course, it's probably far too early to bug ainwood with more questions, like "Which Civ starts out grey with no units?", but in one week maximum this and many other issues will be settled...

...no pun intended.

 

[dmanakho]

good point, but which way should I move the setter W, SW, S??

roll the dice

 

[danman]

West or northwest with the worker... got to check out that cattle(?).

If we are expansionist then we will have a scout AND a worker so we can check out both directions. I would move the scout northwest, and the worker southwest, and then I would decide where to use my scout's second move... probably another move northwest but we'll see.

 

[Roland Ehnström]

I think the tile NW does not count as next to a river?

No, NW counts as next to a river too.

-- Roland

 

[Roland Ehnström]

If we are expansionist then we will have a scout AND a worker so we can check out both directions. I would move the scout northwest, and the worker southwest, and then I would decide where to use my scout's second move... probably another move northwest but we'll see.

I would rather move the scout SW and the worker NW. That way the worker can start improving the NW tile immediately on the next turn (or move to the cattle if I decide to settle NW). In any case I will want to improve (irrigate and road) the cattle ASAP. The only problem, of course, is that this wastes one of the scout moves...

-- Roland

 

[Roland Ehnström]

Well, the major issue I see is trying to figure out what the Civ is so we can figure out attributes. It wouldn't be worth it to move from the coast if we are seafaring (Portuguese, Byzantine?); on the other hand, if we're agricultural (Mayan), having the river and the cattle would seem to be paramount.

Well, I will not move off the coast nor the river, no matter what civ we are. A coast start is always good, and a river start is even better. I see four tiles which are both on the coast and next to the river: The original tile; NW; SW; and SW-SW (and probably SW-SW-SW too). I will definately settle on one of those tiles. I want the cattle NW-NW within the radius of my first town, so that rules out SW-SW (and SW-SW-SW of course). Also, I think the original tile is not a good place to settle, as it will likely put the capitol on the very edge of my civilization. This leaves SW and NW to chose from. I was leaning towards SW before I saw the cattle. Now I'm leaning more towards settling NW, to get the cattle as soon as possible, and to be able to irrigate it quickly (fresh water from the river through the town and on to the cattle), but also to be able to settle a second town on the choke-point SW-S-S, and a third town on the river SW-SW-SW.

-- Roland

 

[danman]

I would rather move the scout SW and the worker NW. That way the worker can start improving the NW tile immediately on the next turn (or move to the cattle if I decide to settle NW). In any case I will want to improve (irrigate and road) the cattle ASAP. The only problem, of course, is that this wastes one of the scout moves...

-- Roland

I guess my response would depend on where on the map we are. If we are in the north, I would do as you say to move the scout towards the center of the map. However if we are in the extreme south, then I would want the scout moving north, since thats where all my victims will be.