COTM 19 - Pre-game discussion

[Karasu]

Second time I open the pre-game thread without pictures...
EDIT: made it!

The game now:

Civ: The Dutch
Map: Standard
Landform: Archipelago
Temperature: Normal
Climate: Temperate
Geology: 4 Billion years
Water: 80%

Difficulty:
Rivals: Seven (generously pre-selected)
Barbarians: no barbarians


Starting position:



Minimap:




Conquest Class Bonuses
- Gold: start the game with 150 gp
- Units: start the game with 3 curraghs and 1 extra settler
Note: the curraghs are place on either side of the starting position, 2 on the eastern tile and 1 on the western one

Predator Class Equalisers
- You thought you knew all secrets of Agriculture... but you can only grow tulip bulbs!
The Agricultural trait has been removed, but you still start with Pottery and Alphabet

 

[GOTM-AI]

Feeble humans,
we have a humble request.

We have completed CotM18, but time was short and we only made it thanks to Karasu's kind efforts (for once, this human proved of some use...).

We fear we may not make it this month, and we know you love to hear our stories (our CotM18 spoiler is in the making).
And of course, CotM is our life.

We are therefore in need of a volunteer who would play this game for us, and take notes for our next spoiler.
Anyone interested shall contact Karasu, who will once again be serving us.
First come first served.

Ehm...

...

...thanks

 

[Karasu]

Yes, PM me or send me an e-mail, or post here. Whatever

I will send a 4000-BC save with the AI as the Dutch and debug mode enabled -you'll be able to see what all AIs do, and especially our beloved GOTM-AI.

This will clearly spoil the game, so you will want to try this experiment either if you are planning not to play the game or if you have time after submitting it.

It's a very instructive experience, if one has the patience to go through it...

 

[tomasjj]

A good civ, a good starting position, archi map matching the civs strengths.
A nice start... as needed on Sid.
Will be interesting.
I will settle on the spot.

 

[madviking]

Whta's for? Super Sid+?

 

[Twonky]

Do my eyes decieve me or is that a shield under that cow?!

Now, just out of curiosity, what are the predator equalizers this time?

 

[sanabas]

Do my eyes decieve me or is that a shield under that cow?!

Now, just out of curiosity, what are the predator equalizers this time?

Under the cow is just down to 'show food and resources' being turned on I think. Cow has 1 shield, so 1 shield shows on the map.

Looks a decent starting location, although it's shield-poor. Wonder if we have the island to ourselves to prevent anyone getting overwhelmed very early, and wonder if 'generously pre-selected opponents' means nobody else has alphabet?

As for GOTM-AI, if nobody else volunteers, I can do it, depending on how much time is involved. Will give me an incentive to finish my game early, I'm currently struggling to get this month's game finished in time.

 

[Karasu]

...Sid it is...

@Twonky, you are right. I am sure I had removed the BG from under the cow, but it appears to be there.
At this point, I'll probably leave it even if that will cost me a reputation for unreasonably good starts...
oh, well, that can always change, can't it

As for the Conquest bonus, I was thinking of two or three of: a few curraghs, a lot of money, a settler and/or a worker, a tech or two. But it still has to feel like Sid, you see...

The Predator equaliser is likely to be the removal of the Agricultural trait (as a way of taking away food). Not much more, I'd say, although if anyone wants to play predator and wants a bigger challenge, I'll be glad to comply...

@sabanas (and anyone else potentially interested): concerning GOTM-AI's game, there is already a volunteer -but there will be other CotMs too.

Following GOTM-AI's games may take some time, as they are more interesting and more dynamic in the ancient-middle ages, then slow down somewhat and I have never seen them end before Modern.
So the last turns can be a bit boring, especially if there are other things to do.
Still, it's an interesting experiment (at least once in a while...)

 

[sanabas]

That cow has 2 shields? nice.

Assuming we're on our own island, nasty predator condition would be moving curraghs back a couple of techs. Having multiple contacts with isolated civs is one of the quickest ways to learn techs and get cash, slowing down the opportunity for that would make life a bit more interesting.

 

[Obormot]

level is not that bad with such map conditions and such a start. I also bet that we are alone on an island, our island is the biggest and best of all islands and that none of the AIs starts with Alphabet (as well as no AI has a food bonus) I would have really enjoyed a sid continents or pangaea game (Maybe we can have one after having some rest on lower levels? ), but this should also be fun. And taking away the AGR trait would be the most nasty predator equaliser of all i ever seen. I would rather start without techs and build no curraghs then loose the food

 

[Megalou]

I would rather start with minus one tech, eg not knowing the art of putting on my pyjamas.

 

[Andronicus]

... although it's shield-poor.

How so? I make 3 BGs, cow on BG, hill to SW plus 3-5 forests from visible tiles.

 

[sanabas]

How so? I make 3 BGs, cow on BG, hill to SW plus 3-5 forests from visible tiles.

Too many 20k games lately, I was thinking of shields after RR, by which time all the forests are gone.

 

[King Of America]

re: Conquest bonuses--don't worry, I'm sure that no matter you give us, it will begin to "feel like Sid" by the 2nd half of the Middle Ages

My own preferences would favor settler/worker pairs the most, followed by techs, curraghs (easily built), and money, but I'm sure you'll be generer--er.. evil enough.

 

[socralynnek]

I hope, we are alone on our island. Then we should build a lot of Curraghs to get contacts with everyone before anyone else meets.
Then we could keep up in the tech race.

 

[Smirk]

I love these shieldland cows, keep em coming, they make for some fun 20k games.

I'll settle in place, this canal might become important. I assume we're alone and I hope the AI all have 1 or 2 tile islands .

 

[Obormot]

I am 99% sure we are alone and there are no barbs. We also start with both Pottery and Alphabet. This means that i will go for extreme farmer's gambit. There is no need to build anything before a granary.

 

[Nata]

I tried practice game with this setting.
With this start I could either build a curragh and then a granary in 14 turns with going to size 4 on 15th turn, but with an empty granary (chop Furs).
Or I could build curragh, granary and warrior in 16 turns, going to size 4 on 17th turn with full granary, i.e. ready for a settler factory. Warrior + Furs would let me save Lux money later.

But maybe I should consider going directly to granary and build curraghs in the following towns.

Also I had no trouble with Republic slingshot in this setting.

 

[Obormot]

Also I had no trouble with Republic slingshot in this setting.

You mean the safe version of the slingshot when you take CoL for free or the risky one when you take Republic for free? I thought the latter one is out of question on sid even with such generous settings. But if it is possible then i might change my mind on going straight for a granary and build a warrior or 2 before for MP to research faster. I don't see the need to build any curraghs so early, i'll propably build them after founding several towns.

 

[WackenOpenAir]

If this game has no AI with alphabet to start, we are alone on an island and the AI's are not clustered in bigger (>2) groups, it is made way too easy imo.
So while i fear this is the case, i hope it is not.