COTM 14 Pre-game Discussion

[solenoozerec]

Strange enough, in all tests I made they never built a single curragh, on the other hand.

It isn't really strange. Take in account that although curraghs were introduced in conquest, AI wasn't change much.

 

[Markus5]

I've played a bunch of test games now. It seems that an early republic golden age may be the best thing. In every game, I've easily gotten to the republic slingshot and in most cases, traded well for the ancient age techs. But, at the end of the ancient age and in the early middle ages, I've stumbled. There is usually a a couple of civs that outpace you in tech, and a couple of civs that out-produce you. Sometimes a single civ does both, and sometimes that civ shares your island. I get kicked around pretty good.

Getting a golden age during that time to expand seems to be key for my games. I'm pretty sure a colossus is going to be in my game. Are we sure that building that single wonder will trigger the golden age?

The other thing that I need to work on is expansion by galley. Any tips for colonization?

This should be fun. Emperor level is a good balance for me. I have just enough skill to keep up the with AI advantages. Looking forward to Thursday.

 

[PaperBeetle]

Are we sure that building that single wonder will trigger the golden age?

Yup. All three coastal wonders have the same attributes (com, exp, sea).

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

@Eldar, yes they use them, at least in this case.
Strange enough, in all tests I made they never built a single curragh, on the other hand.

The SEA Civs build and use tons of Curraghs on non-Pangea Sid.
I have no clue why the never seem to do it below, though. Guess they simply haven't finished the other stuff they need, like tons of Spears and Wonders.

 

[eldar]

I've made a basic seafarer-friendly mod, and I'm playing with curraghs a bit.

First up, giving them transport capacity 1, foot units only (this rules out settlers or workers as well), and setting the "Naval Transport" flag.

I still haven't seen the AI build them.

I guess next is allow any units in a curragh - however I'm loathe to do this because transporting a tank by curragh seems a little ridiculous!!

 

[budweiser]

Barbarian hot spots may include areas swarming with galleys. Our island might be safe. Galleys can be quite dangerous to curraghs.

I cant decide if I want an early GA or not. I am thinking about building the Great Library.

 

[eldar]

Another thought struck me - the starting spot (or indeed the English as a whole) may not be ideal for a fast 20K. However... for a high-scoring 20K, this game is probably good for it.

Get early temple/library/etc. by all means. Ignore the AA wonders, but go hell for leather on the Middle Ages and later wonders. Very doable.

 

[Redbad]

As for my plans, currently I’m moving my settler two tiles east (thanks for that idea Redbad ) and then building a settler to go back to the start position, and I think I’ll somewhat waste my golden age by building the Colossus, as the extra gold we get from that will have a lasting benefit for most of the game.

I've been thinking and testing some 20K ideas further.

An despotic golden age wil be of little benefit for York (the 20K-city). It wil be working quite a few 2-shielders (mined bg's and furs) and 2 coiners (roaded furs and riverbanks). Of course the extra commerce of the Colossus is very attractive for a long time, but that's an empire-advantage rather then an advantage for York. York however will pay the price for it by having 6 coastal-tiles in it's range.

If going for a 20K, I think, the next option could be quite reasonable.

Settle in place, build warrior, warrior, settler.
Found York 1S/1SE of London. (based on what can be seen now)
Research: cb, myst, writing, philo and (hopefully) a free literature
upside: early start (no initial settler moves)
#1 furs/forest-chop to settler-production
#2 en #3 furs/forest-chop to York-temple
superb 20K position (again based on what can be seen now)
temple, Oracle, library and Glib quite early and reasonably possible
downside:
London in city-range of York
have to work out a plan for early 'till mid MA-GA
no early republic, possibly even monarchy first

It's allways quite nice to make 20K plans and then see them fall apart when actually playing the game

 

[Gato Loco]

"regionally intense barbarians" - from GOTM 40

They could be hell if placed strategically in continent crossings.

 

[WackenOpenAir]

Now everyone is gonna do 20K ?

I didn't plan on any competition game... I just want to play a relaxed little game !

 

[Own]

I think I'm going for conquest or domination. And this time I'm gonna finish it. It's been about 9 Gotms that I've tried, done well most of the time, but never finished. I promise to finish this one.

By the way, Wacken Happy B-day

 

[WetSawdustDemon]

@Redbad: Yeah I did consider something similar, trouble is that it’s hard to run tests for things we can’t see. I think there’s a very good chance the forest S, SE of the start has Furs on it. Does anyone know if we’d get any benefit at all from settling on a Furs tile? (apart from being instantly connected to the furs). I think I remember reading somewhere that you lose and food bonuses on city sites, but that a bonus grassland for example gets you an extra shield when above size six.

Having London inside York’s radius is not the end of the world (If this were true in real life I’d be able to commute to Uni from home! ), distance corruption will be at a minimum and workers built in London can be added to York on the turn they are built. I think by the time we palace jump to York by abandoning London, it will not be too long after we’ve built Shakespeare’s Theatre, as if everything goes to plan we should have a great leader ready to rush a Military Academy which will let us use Armies as pre-builds from then on. So by the time we reach size 20 all the squares should be vacant. Just in time for our golden age, which is actually not too bad a time to get it as the bonus to research will mean we can get Steam Power and Industrialisation quickly before we end up wasting shields in York.

It might be a bit of a gamble (a lot depends on if we share our island with anyone) but the Republic Slingshot, is still possible, trading for Ceremonial Burial and Masonry (Maybe Bronze Working if York happens to be on the coast) so long as we make contacts early enough. We can even trade away Writing and Code of Laws after a few turns of researching Philosophy. Then it’s into a Republic and leisurely research on Literature to time nicely with our prebuild for the Great Library.

Anyway in short Redbad, you might very well be right, settling in place and putting York SE, S (or maybe SE, SE) loses at most three hills but potentially gains a lot more. Then again, we might just find tundra as far as the eye can see

Wacken: “Now everyone is gonna do 20K”

Yeah, I always play 20K games, mainly cos there’s a reasonable chance I might be the only one, and therefore get a medal by default . Though not this month it seems. Oh and happy birthday!

 

[solenoozerec]

They could be hell if placed strategically in continent crossings.

They could be dream training spots for Berserks. I regret that Renata did not include a couple of such islands in her COTM9 map (my favorit anyway).

 

[azzaman333]

creative 'bonuses' for conquest and predator. its good to see that some people are creative, unlike me. oh and its my b'day

 

[Own]

Happy B-day to you, too .

 

[WackenOpenAir]

Oh thanx for the birthday cakes you guys notice everything

 

[Hannabir]

Does anyone know if we’d get any benefit at all from settling on a Furs tile?

Certainly. You get the extra shield.

 

[Megalou]

Congratulations WackenOpenAir,
(on being 10 years younger than me...)

Remembering GOTM 37, I'd guess that right about now, birthday cakes digested, you're getting fired up about all those 20K usurpers.

As for me, I will build Great Lighthouse in the capital and make sure I get some other city to share that cow. Well, if I play at all. I'm only sitting here because the incredible Swedish summer has made an exception in my part of the country.

 

[Erudine]

Wow, I liked Piu's opening. It got me thinking about how to maximize trade income.

I think building a warrior then worker might be best. Have the first worker irr and road the cow. then move SW to the forrest, chop, mine, road. Have the second move south and chop, mine, road. the first then moves to the BG and mines, roads. The second moves to 3rd furs, chop, mine, road.

Build order = warrior, worker, granary (3000), settler (2800).

Basically lets you always work the furs tiles for incresaed trade, but the extra worker early will a) pay for itself with a forrest chop, b) let you irrigate the cow first which is key. Also, as Piu points out, we may run into a bonus shield under one of the forrests. That saves time on mining.

 

[MeteorPunch]

I usually build 3-4 warriors for exploring, but that's probably a bad habit. I'll build at least 2 though and have them scout and return.

I still think we're on an island with barbs and if one of them pillages a granary, it would be costly. Might even build a spear.