solenoozerec
Stranger
StrictlyRockers said:
I think I will be building a curragh first. May be even two 
Not like I am sure that this is the right decision, it depends on the rest of the map which we do not know.
Call it intuition or madness
.
COTM 09 Pre-game Discussion
- Thread starter AlanH
- Start date
I think I will be building a curragh first. May be even two Not like I am sure that this is the right decision, it depends on the rest of the map which we do not know.
Call it intuition or madness
.
I will build a warrior whilst my worker mines one of the bgs and then go for a curragh with production at 3 sh/turn. After that? It depends upon what I find. I guess if food is short a granary in the capital might be in order, and sooner rather than later. Maybe I'll get another couple of explorers, knock out a settler then go for the granary. At least with the bgs and the oasis, production will not be a problem.
If it's quite tough for Monarch level maybe we won't have many nearby contacts and we'll suffer from a lack of room to expand (or maybe just loads of jungle to the north and a fair spread of marsh elsewhere). Still, that's the fun of having a map you can't predict much about. You react to what you find.
If it's quite tough for Monarch level maybe we won't have many nearby contacts and we'll suffer from a lack of room to expand (or maybe just loads of jungle to the north and a fair spread of marsh elsewhere). Still, that's the fun of having a map you can't predict much about. You react to what you find.
SirPleb
Shaken, not stirred.
I don't see a reason to move the settler. More food would be great of course but there's no visible reason to expect it in any particular direction. I plan to start by moving the worker W just in case that reveals something of interest. I expect it won't and I'll then settle at the start position.
The following thoughts are based on the assumption that the two hidden tiles NE,NE and SW,SW of the start don't have anything special. If they do things might change.
It is a low food start. Maximizing early growth seems a priority. One part of that is to produce a settler as soon as possible - the town the settler builds adds another source of food. There are two ways to further boost food: 1) Build a granary so quickly that it doesn't delay the first settler by much. 2) Find a food bonus tile and settle it quickly.
With extreme measures (mine, mine, chop, without pausing for any roads) I think that a granary can be built with only a two turn delay in the first settler. But this extreme approach has some costs. Research is slower because roads aren't built. Extra worker turns are required later to come back and road. Worst of all no warriors get out exploring. And that means it won't be possible to pick a great location for the first settler. So although it could be a strong opening this approach is very much a gamble.
A slower approach to reduce the compromises (e.g. build roads along the way and start with a warrior) also reduces the benefit of producing a granary vs. starting with a settler.
A settler first approach seems safer. And it is good if there's a food bonus nearby for the settler to claim.
I think this looks like a good opening sequence: Worker W, mine, road, NE, road, mine. Build warrior, curragh, warrior, settler. That sequence should finish exactly when growing to size 3. There's just one production overrun when building the second warrior. Note that the two warriors and curragh can be built in any order and the sequence still finishes at the same date. I like warrior first to get a quick look at some of the immediate surroundings.
I plan to use that sequence but it is subject to change depending on what the exploring units find. There's jungle to the north. I'll send the first warrior west at least two steps. Then probably north and then west. Curragh north. Second warrior south. I want the two warriors to explore the nearby terrain for a food bonus before the settler is produced.
I'm unsure about the curragh in Predator class. The Predator attack strength 2 barbarians sound wicked. I expect it will be important for Predators to attack barbarians instead of defending against them. Curraghs, with no defensive terrain available and no healing in the field will be especially vulnerable. Early curraghs may not be a good idea for Predators. OTOH, the "atypical" map may need them.
I plan to initially research Writing at maximum. It isn't clear how soon I'll be wanting Pottery so I'll start by heading for the Republic slingshot.
The following thoughts are based on the assumption that the two hidden tiles NE,NE and SW,SW of the start don't have anything special. If they do things might change.
It is a low food start. Maximizing early growth seems a priority. One part of that is to produce a settler as soon as possible - the town the settler builds adds another source of food. There are two ways to further boost food: 1) Build a granary so quickly that it doesn't delay the first settler by much. 2) Find a food bonus tile and settle it quickly.
With extreme measures (mine, mine, chop, without pausing for any roads) I think that a granary can be built with only a two turn delay in the first settler. But this extreme approach has some costs. Research is slower because roads aren't built. Extra worker turns are required later to come back and road. Worst of all no warriors get out exploring. And that means it won't be possible to pick a great location for the first settler. So although it could be a strong opening this approach is very much a gamble.
A slower approach to reduce the compromises (e.g. build roads along the way and start with a warrior) also reduces the benefit of producing a granary vs. starting with a settler.
A settler first approach seems safer. And it is good if there's a food bonus nearby for the settler to claim.
I think this looks like a good opening sequence: Worker W, mine, road, NE, road, mine. Build warrior, curragh, warrior, settler. That sequence should finish exactly when growing to size 3. There's just one production overrun when building the second warrior. Note that the two warriors and curragh can be built in any order and the sequence still finishes at the same date. I like warrior first to get a quick look at some of the immediate surroundings.
I plan to use that sequence but it is subject to change depending on what the exploring units find. There's jungle to the north. I'll send the first warrior west at least two steps. Then probably north and then west. Curragh north. Second warrior south. I want the two warriors to explore the nearby terrain for a food bonus before the settler is produced.
I'm unsure about the curragh in Predator class. The Predator attack strength 2 barbarians sound wicked. I expect it will be important for Predators to attack barbarians instead of defending against them. Curraghs, with no defensive terrain available and no healing in the field will be especially vulnerable. Early curraghs may not be a good idea for Predators. OTOH, the "atypical" map may need them.
I plan to initially research Writing at maximum. It isn't clear how soon I'll be wanting Pottery so I'll start by heading for the Republic slingshot.
My plan is to settle in place, make one warrior and if nothing turns up in initial scouting go for the early granary.
With the seafaring bonus we should get pottery just in time before the settler prebuild expires.
Worker will mine, road then chop. First settler should come about the same time as w/o granary.
With the seafaring bonus we should get pottery just in time before the settler prebuild expires.
Worker will mine, road then chop. First settler should come about the same time as w/o granary.
Arrrr, sometimes the thing for too many enemy boats is a few catapults. Especially if there are a lot of barb boats- they don't have the option to heal (right?), and wimpy curraghs can move in for the kill on weakened targets, or even survive an attack by a redlined galley. I rarely build catapults, I may choose not to play this game at all, but if I do I expect to see a few.
Do you think the map is a spiral in the shape of Renata's avatar? Or an island, in a lake, on an island, that's in a lake, on an... island
Do you think the map is a spiral in the shape of Renata's avatar? Or an island, in a lake, on an island, that's in a lake, on an... island
Barbarian galleys are conscript, so even a regular curragh has a chance of winning (not enough of a chance to go deliberately looking for trouble though ).
I'll probably start with a warrior, I've suffered too many 3350BC conquest defeats by not doing so. Well, OK, only three, but they're all etched in my memory. Plenty of archers for a beserker upgrade seems like a good idea, at least we're not totally stuck if we don't have iron or horses. Ancient Cavalry plus berserkers should make for some serious early medieval war mongering. I might try for the Lighthouse if circumstances permit, but building two ancient age wonders might be a bit too much.
).I'll probably start with a warrior, I've suffered too many 3350BC conquest defeats by not doing so. Well, OK, only three, but they're all etched in my memory. Plenty of archers for a beserker upgrade seems like a good idea, at least we're not totally stuck if we don't have iron or horses. Ancient Cavalry plus berserkers should make for some serious early medieval war mongering. I might try for the Lighthouse if circumstances permit, but building two ancient age wonders might be a bit too much.
Gah and double gah!
Being Swedish, I would just love the chance to play Scandinavia. Just ask my avatar.
But I don't have Conquests (yet), and I don't have time until after Feb 16 to play it. Hmm, it shouldn't be a problem to get the expansion before then, but I'm not sure I'll have sufficient time to finish it...
Why couldn't this have been COTM10 instead??
Being Swedish, I would just love the chance to play Scandinavia. Just ask my avatar.
But I don't have Conquests (yet), and I don't have time until after Feb 16 to play it. Hmm, it shouldn't be a problem to get the expansion before then, but I'm not sure I'll have sufficient time to finish it...
Why couldn't this have been COTM10 instead??
A coastal start! Er ... where are the rivers? 
Curragh and then a second Worker seem the priority. A Granary can then be built comfortably before the capital grows to size 3, without skipping roads, so the next towns can be settled quickly and research is fair. And if there is fresh water anywhere we should get to it asap.
'A-typical map' could mean anything. Who knows, maybe we are on a spiral ...
Curragh and then a second Worker seem the priority. A Granary can then be built comfortably before the capital grows to size 3, without skipping roads, so the next towns can be settled quickly and research is fair. And if there is fresh water anywhere we should get to it asap.
'A-typical map' could mean anything. Who knows, maybe we are on a spiral ...
Up north there seems to be jungle, so one might hope to find some fresh water that way. OTOH the desert in the south might have floods plains near. It seems strange to be so near the the south pole and still have desert in the south.
WillowBrook
Lurker
Wow - this one looks like a lot of fun. Too bad I don't own Conquests. And that my RL schedule is practically packed. 
socralynnek
Civ & Hattrick addict
a space oddity said:Up north there seems to be jungle, so one might hope to find some fresh water that way. OTOH the desert in the south might have floods plains near. It seems strange to be so near the the south pole and still have desert in the south.
Remember this is an atypical map, so such speculations are not based on the World creating algorithm...
Just to address some of the more wild speculation (not that there's anything wrong with that ), "atypical" refers to nothing more than Redbad's original guess: a map that doesn't properly fit into any of the three default categories. The map has been customized somewhat, but "temperate, normal, 3 billion" should still roughly apply, and different land types should still be more or less in the same places they would be on a truly random map.
Hope I haven't ruined any of the fun.
Renata
), "atypical" refers to nothing more than Redbad's original guess: a map that doesn't properly fit into any of the three default categories. The map has been customized somewhat, but "temperate, normal, 3 billion" should still roughly apply, and different land types should still be more or less in the same places they would be on a truly random map.Hope I haven't ruined any of the fun.
Renata
Tubby Rower
Chronic Slacker
I ususally lose the GOTM's but I'm going to gamble that we are on an "island" by ourselves and build 2 curraphs then go for a settler then granary. Hopefully this dice roll will pay off, but I guess we'll see next Tuesday!
denyd
Emperor
One thing for those worried about barbarian galleys, they won't appear until someone researches Map Making, so the early curraghs will be safe for a while.
I thinking the possibility of being solo on an island is quite high. Because of that, I'll build a warrior, then a curragh. If the warrior's travels seem to confirm that, then a second curragh. If this is more archipelago, then a second warrior. It's almost a sure thing that the first settler is before the granary. As for victory types, I doubt there will be enough dirt to make 100k practical (and histograph is always out for me), so it's down to space, diplomatic, 20K or war. I did space for quite a while (waiting for Mursilis to finally get to Alpha Centauri
). The remaining choices are so varied, yet requiire early dedication to the path, I will probably know by the end of the QSC which way I'm heading (unlike the currect GOTM).
I thinking the possibility of being solo on an island is quite high. Because of that, I'll build a warrior, then a curragh. If the warrior's travels seem to confirm that, then a second curragh. If this is more archipelago, then a second warrior. It's almost a sure thing that the first settler is before the granary. As for victory types, I doubt there will be enough dirt to make 100k practical (and histograph is always out for me), so it's down to space, diplomatic, 20K or war. I did space for quite a while (waiting for Mursilis to finally get to Alpha Centauri
). The remaining choices are so varied, yet requiire early dedication to the path, I will probably know by the end of the QSC which way I'm heading (unlike the currect GOTM).@denyd: I was wondering about 20K. The hills, bgs and oasis will give us good mid-game production for a coastal site-especially with Republic slingshot. At least one of the Colossus or the GLHouse should be achieveable as the AI grequently uses poor sites to build these and if we have a monopoly with Ivory, we can fall back on SoZ if we don't get one of the major ones such as Pyramids or GLib. However the drawback is a lack of fresh water and I'm not sure that Construction will be discovered soon enough. Are you considering it?
denyd
Emperor
When I go for 20K I like to have a coastal city with fresh water (no aqueduct needed) & a hill or two (for shields). If I can find such a sight, that's a likely choice. If the AI are spread out on seperate islands, research will be slow, so the Great Library, Colossus & Hanging Gardens would all be possible in the AA and then a Beserk induced GA could contribute Sistine and a head start to Bach. The problem with 20K and the Vikings is no cheap culture buildings.
Redbad
should have shaved
Tone said:
I was thinking in that direction also. However one should be aware that the very tempting wonders Colossus and the Statue if Zeus will trigger a Golden Age. So the slingshot should be first and preferly the aquaduct also. The latter will probably only be possible if there is a ivory-monopoly.
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2001
- Messages
- 30,080
I will probably settle in-place, although I am trying to decide where to move the worker. South-west on the hill is OK, but I am intrigued by the hills to the west - might move the worker to the BG, then maybe onto a hill. Will waste two worker turns if I end-up settling in-place though, so that might have to wait for the first warrior. The starting place looks OK, and the coastal commerce plus the capital commerce bonus means I'd be a bit reluctant to move away from the shore.
MeteorPunch
#WINNING
What's a republic slingshot? Also, do people ever care that they're giving out tactics as this is somewhat a competition ?
?
