Predator
![Civ3 Conquests [c3c] [c3c]](/images/smilies/c3c.gif)
1.22f
Cities
I made a variety of mistakes in this game. I moved the worker west, and like Offa, thought the blue flecks beyond the mountains were coast. I thought we were on a very small island with nothing much good over the mountains. So I settled the BG, roaded and mined the grass and then joined the worker (yes, even after noting in the pregame that I thought there was never a good time to join the worker. I guess I was swayed by some of the arguments for joining.) Things kind of went downhill from there for quite a while. I built curragh, curragh, warrior, warrior, settler, settler. I didn't move the warriors so I could keep my science at max, only moving them when the first settler popped.
I settled Rotterdam on the grass by the river, between the two BG. The second settler founded The Hague just S of the cow. I got a worker out of The Hague and 2 workers out of Rotterdam, to get it behind The Hague in growth. I managed Amsterdam to get a settler exactly at growth 3 and just in time to allow the Hague to get ahead of Rotterdam in pop. I abandoned Amsterdam in 1625, jumping the palace to the Hague, just S of cow. By 1000 BC I only have 6 cities, but I'm planning to start packing them in. I want as many on the river as I can get for the food bonus.
Technology
My tech choices were bad too. I did Writing at speed, but then I traded it for other techs and went for Philosophy. I need to learn to not trade for techs so soon. I have some kind of stigma where I hate to be behind in tech, even though I know in the back of my mind that I can catch it all up quickly later. So I did Philosophy next, and took COL for free, knowing I could get Map Making later when I needed it. Then I did a 50 turn Republic, another mistake that I made last COTM. You'd think I'd learn. I plan on writing all this down and bashing it into my skull before the next COTM. I didn't finish Republic until 590BC, and got 4 turns of anarchy. I had traded for everything but Currency by this time and decided it was very likely someone else would get it long before me, so I turned off research. Barb uprisings hit in 470BC, only a few turns after becoming Republic, so it looks like I made the right decision. I traded Monarchy for Currency from a nearby neighbor and entered the Middle Ages.
Exploration
My first two curraghs, and later a third did quite a lot of exploring, and were lucky enough to survive a few dangerous water stops. By 1000BC I knew all but one of the other civs, and met the last in 710BC. I may be behind in every way, but my techs are on par with the best of them.
Foreigners
I had one of the other civs settle on the north end of the river in 1075BC. It was only defended by a warrior, so I decided to take it out. It took 2 vet warriors to do so, but I really didn't want them there. I made the mistake of not resettling Amsterdam with the last settler and hence lost that Peninsula to another civ that settled on a hill there later on. I'll deal with them later.
Ancient Age Summary
When I entered the Middle Ages, I had 12 cities, including one each by the horses and iron, and a settler heading to the tundra to start finishing off our island. I've got 36 citizens, 6 workers (way too few, I'm working on that), 2 galleys, 1 curragh, and 15 warriors. I've got a treasury over 1200g, from the 50 turn Republic research, and tech trades, and a plan to start upgrades soon to go after the nearest neighbor. I'm dead last on the scoreboard, just over half of the score of the next lowest civ, but score is improving and my power ranking is about third, and steadily growing against the others. I think I've got a chance to pull out a decent game, so I'm not giving up on this. I definately think the palace jump will be a big help.