Continent with 2 opponents: how to prioritize Astro?

[jorissimo]

Maps with multiple continents tend to be a little tougher than Pangeas. Everybody knows about iso and its probably even more difficult cousin, semi-iso. Then there is a situation where you share your continent with 3 rivals, meaning you're on the bigger continent that will likely have the fastest tech pace. Here you can play mostly in a standard fashion. But what about the intermediate situation with 2 rivals? You have neighbors, but you're on the slow continent. You somehow need to get to a good military tech but can't ignore Astro or else you'll fall behind. Attacking too early could be fatal. What would be a typical course of action here?

 

[sampsa]

Well I think often the worst strategy is to attack one civ and if it works you are stuck with no trades. Thus you should either kill both while maintaining a strong tech pace (not easy unless a very good start) or just peacefully tech to astro. I think 1-movers perform very well in galleon wars and thus drafted rifles would be my default choice.

 

[Izuul]

I think its pretty heavily influenced by who your neighbors are and how the religions fall. Sometimes you can tech peacefully and even get a neighbor to friendly, and other times you end up on a continent with Shaka.

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

To OP: try this one. Obviously you are not supposed to know beforehand, but you would know rather soon anyway.

 

[Gumbolt]

Having 3x the land space is always a win for me. As even when you find the other continent they will never match your economy with 15-20+ cities. Might be different on deity.

 

[jorissimo]

To OP: try this one. Obviously you are not supposed to know beforehand, but you would know rather soon anyway.

An overpowered Mansa start... what's the catch lol

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

No catch. A great start and a great leader to answer a question. Astronomy first? Take over the continent first?

The map also has other features.

Spoiler :

There are no luxury resources nearby.

1/ For going astronomy first, you normally want to develop peacefully and avoid building up a military until astronomy. You cannot do that here.

2/ For taking over the continent first, you want to have good cities that are nearby. Here, you are separated by a resource-poor jungle so maintenance costs will be higher.

After the first four cities or so, the map's not so easy anymore.

 

[keyboard-rider]

Might I interest you in Noble's Club XXIII? Hatty on a 2-continent map, you start on the same continent as two other civs. You have to make the same decisions - how many civs to take out initially? Go for peace until discovering the other continent, or wipe your neighbors out first? You are not Financial, either.

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

@keyboard-rider

For this map

Spoiler :

Your starting area is weak and you got war chariots. Take out one neighbor. You can improve relations with the other up to friendly status by religion and civic. Then you just research calendar and astronomy.

The continent is big and has all the calendar luxury resources. You economy will grow like bamboo.

The stone is for Hanging Gardens, not Pyramids.

 

[Henrik75]

Lib astro if more than 1 neighbour and you can tech decently. Works even on deity with good empire management and no angry neighbor.
Otherwise double bulb it like normal, maybe grab math currency COL first.

 

[jorissimo]

To OP: try this one. Obviously you are not supposed to know beforehand, but you would know rather soon anyway.

Got kind of intrigued by this start. Might give it a try. For now I'll leave the Hatty NC because

Spoiler :

apparently chariot rushing is possible and that would turn it into a semi-iso.

Anyway, initial reflections off the top of my head (don't have access to the screenshot on this computer):
SIP looks good on the ph. Then Agri - BW - Fishing - Pottery. Starting techs make this easy. Worker first, should time the farm nicely with finishing BW. Then chop chop chop, into a WB and a settler. Fishing not only gives food but also commerce, especially with Fin. Also speeds up Pottery afterwards. I don't think it really matters where we move the warrior. Possible second city on the coast to the south to work a clam (edit: I think somewhere on the river looks better). It's a bit early for this, but if the land allows I'd like to try teching up, Monarchy will be a big priority right after Writing and then just pump the warriors to grow big. Again, depending on the land I think libbing Astro à la Henrik sounds good.

Edit: and the start:

Spoiler :