critique my game

[Kate]

So, as a follow up to my other thread here, I decided to start a SP game with no advanced start and give this a try. I chose Hatshepsut of Egypt because she's cool in the early game and I like her hat...

I decided to start with Big and Small map (it seems interesting from the screenies I've seen on the forums), small size and normal speed (because I'm impatient), with no vassals (personal quirk). I am also on Warlords difficulty, because I'm a shameless wuss.

Spoiler Here's my custom game screenshot :

This was my starting screen:

The warriors seemed a much better place to put a city down than my starting position, so I did so -- my capital didn't plunk down 'til turn 2. Thebes with stone in its fat cross seems like a no-brainer to me... Settling 1 square SE of the starting spot also lets me mine the hill for more production, instead of squatting on it. Thebes also has a ridiculous amount of growth with 12 extra food after I get all my resources hooked up and toss a lighthouse in there. I'm envisioning a great person (possibly great merchant) farm.

Of course then I had to decide what to build (I eventually settled on a warrior) and what to research. Fishing, Mysticism, AnHusb, and Mining -> Masonry all seem good. After much deliberation I chose Fishing because it can improve the most tiles in my fat cross and I can use workboats to explore those islands. Also, it's one of the quickest techs to research. I sent my warrior out exploring.

Once I was done Fishing, I went for Mysticism. I have a bad habit of leaving wonders too late, because in hotseat usually my teammate builds them. My wandering warrior found a goody hut that gave me Hunting.

Turn 9 - my second warrior was finished and I sent him exploring out to the west. I started building a workboat.

Turn 11 - decided to start researching Masonry.

Turn 14 - I run into Zara's scout over on the eastern portion of my screen. Yikes. I will have competition for a cultural win and, having played Zara before, those Oromo Warriors could get nasty.

Turn 18 - I start researching Mining, partly because I have tons of jungle and will need Iron Working, partly because I want Bronze Working, and partly because I forget that I already have Masonry and don't need Mining to get it. *d'oh*

Turn 20 - both my warriors have fought a couple animals and get promoted. I choose Woodsman I because the defense bonus is nice in the jungle and because it might eventually lead to Woodsman II, making them effectively scouts with a better strength that can also attack. Thebes finished its workboat and starts on Stonehenge for 2 turns, until it grows and I will switch it off to a worker. (I'm really itching to get this wonder built...)

My turn 20 screenshot: (shrunk because of imageshack's size restriction...le sigh)

Obviously I'm going to want Calendar and Iron Working PDQ. AnHusb is a high priority as well. Ideally I want to do an early rush on Zara, but I have to find him first -- and he has a scout, so he could be miles off.

I also need to think about expanding. I haven't dotmapped the land yet. I'm definitely putting something over by that cow in the east though...any ideas?

Any thoughts on how I'm doing so far? Suggestions? I was thinking of doing early expansion and early wars with this to head into a cultural victory. Critiques of that plan are welcome.

I've attached my initial save and my turn 20 save if anyone wants to take a look. (I'm running BtS 3.13, Bhruic's patch, and the BUG mod.)

 

[Sjaramei]

You should explore more up north-east, the jungle down south isn't very suited for the early cities. And you can't go wrong this early unless you do something really stupid

Unless you find something better, settle the pigs.

 

[duende29]

Nah, don't bother with a rush, you don't have the production to pull it off alright. You are doing fine, just settle those pigs, explore NE. I hate those jungle/desert/tundra starts, they blow.

Get AH/Wheel then BW.

 

[Refar]

I would take BW before AH (Hatty has Wheel)... Capital - lots of water, some food (Clams) not soo exciting production -> Whipping. Also knowing where (if) Copper is is important for settling.

Zara scout probably went through jungle, so he might not be too far away after all. Still not sure if rushing him is a good idea - your troops will have to march throught that jungle too...

 

[Kate]

Wow, very helpful and very quick! Thanks for taking the time to reply, guys.

the jungle down south isn't very suited for the early cities.

Yeah...I'm used to those advanced starts where we begin with Calendar.

Nah, don't bother with a rush, you don't have the production to pull it off alright...I hate those jungle/desert/tundra starts, they blow.

You're right, I don't have the production needed for an early rush. I guess I'll be using peaceful expansion for awhile...and a lot of diplomacy. That desert to the NE does suck pretty hard. Tundra, when I get it, also ticks me off. Jungle I actually like, because the tiles are just so malleable, especially when there's a river nearby. Plus, it tends to hold lots of pretty resources.

Zara scout probably went through jungle, so he might not be too far away after all. Still not sure if rushing him is a good idea - your troops will have to march throught that jungle too...

I think rushing Zara is going to be way more effort than it's worth, even if I can pull it off.

~~

I played another 40 turns...kind of got wrapped up in the game. I went for BW and, as of turn 33, had no copper in sight. (I eventually found some waaaay down in the SW.) I also met three of my neighbours. I researched Pottery, because I will want granaries and cottages soon, and Iron Working. I am presently working on Writing because I found Zara and Sury's borders. One of my warriors beat a bear

and subsequently got his Woodsman II. So he can gallivant about the jungle now.

I'm not too happy with where I settled Memphis to get the pigs, but it was that or one-off-the-coast with four coastal squares. It has extremely low production and about half a dozen extra food. I suspect I will cottage spam it.

I did explore NE. This is what I found:

Spoiler :

Yay for food and iron surrounded by desert?

Spoiler My empire at Turn 60 :

I'm pretty sure I want to expand S and W to grab resources and block off my enemies, but I also want to go E to that iron. Blocking off Zara seems iffy given we'll have culture wars and he can just build a stele.

 

[Jet]

My suggestions are tuned to a harder level than Warlord, but they ought to work on Warlord.

If you want Cultural, I'd research Archery and build 2 archers and 2 settlers before finishing the Pyramids. I'd put city #3 1E of the corn and city #4 on the river Spice. I don't know when Zara would get his Settlers there on Warlord, so my instinct is to make it a point to get there first yourself. Next, 1N of the Rice. Any of those cities would make fine legendary cities. On Small you only need 6 cities to build 3 cathedrals. You wouldn't need to expand any farther out, but I would try to get the Wheat for health.

You can probably research Code of Laws or other religion-founding techs first, but even failing that you should be able to lightbulb Theology (Prophet from Stonehenge + Obelisk) and Philosophy (Scientist from Library, after Drama.) With Buddhism that's 3 religions. 3 cathedrals in each legendary city is enough.

When you have time, you might want to send out a couple boats and see if you can find Marble for the Sistine Chapel on an island somewhere.

 

[Zanttu]

Production seems to be the issue on this map. I would settle next city on top of the sugar in the east, it would make a decent production city with few hills, the iron and the cows. Also the corn adds the needed food. Then one decent location would be 1N of the rice, 1SE of bananas, this one would be a commerce city with nearly 0 production. One city could be settled somewhere near the spices to grab as many hills as possible. 9 cities would be ideal for cultural victory, so you can build cathedrals to all your culture cities. 9 cities isn't a must though, but a good target.

 

[Glouglou]

Too late for this advice but notice it for next games :
when beggining with seafood, you have to focus on fishing and workboats. As soon as you have fishing build only workboats!

your build order should be :
worker (until fisching) > workboat (using the forested ill to maximize ) > workboat > workboat (with warriors if higher level)

Then build a lighouse and the Maoi satues in your capitole :
each lake tiles would have been 312 and each clams 512 making your capitole a powerhouse ...

 

[Kev]

Agree about the fishing and getting work boats out ASAP, though I might have pushed to get to size 2 first by either building a warrior or starting Stonehenge rather than starting on a worker.

I also would not have delayed AH - would have been an early effort in my mind with the cow and the need for horses for the UU. Perhaps fish/mining/AH/BW. At least AH before you have your first settler ready so you can go for horses if they are nearby.

War Chariots are great units, and with the starting techs of Ag and Wheel, you have a quick way to get them. Did horses ever appear (seems you progressed further in your spoilers)? If you don't have an AI nearby to rush with them, the War Chariots are wonderful barb killers and make great 2-move escorts for settlers.

Other thoughts - nice of the second city to build a workboat for what I assume will be the capital, but with lower production it's best to build something that would benefit that city (perhaps a defending unit as it seems to be undefended now).

Would not worry too much about a culture war with Zara as Hatty can hold her own in that area just fine. If you could pick up Buddhism from Zara (founder), you can match his culture fine and start things friendly if you wish. Should he build the shrine - might be a nice target later...

Agree that Pyramids are nice for the government switch and the GE points, but this map might lend itself better to cottages as already suggested, and therefore they wonder might not be as useful. Stonehenge might have been nice, but the Great Lighthouse might be as well given the map and the idea that you might have a number of coastal cities (plus it's Great Merchant points if I recall correctly which are cool).

 

[vicawoo]

Definitely on the sugar, your capital will get +1 food, and there's no other way of getting the corn and iron.

Later on, you can get the clam/clam/corn city.

Not everyone agrees with the all fishing boat start. With a lower happy cap, you tend not to be able to support more than 2 fishing boats, and workers are more useful in the long run.

Get tons of workers and expand/cottage fast. Whip out a library when you can, and get some guys working on a great scientist. With so much grassland, you're probably better off with SE, so the pyramids are a little less useful than it would be otherwise. I'd do great wall first and expand/cottage like crazy.

 

[Glouglou]

Definitely on the sugar, your capital will get +1 food, and there's no other way of getting the corn and iron.

Later on, you can get the clam/clam/corn city.

Not everyone agrees with the all fishing boat start. With a lower happy cap, you tend not to be able to support more than 2 fishing boats, and workers are more useful in the long run.

Get tons of workers and expand/cottage fast. Whip out a library when you can, and get some guys working on a great scientist. With so much grassland, you're probably better off with SE, so the pyramids are a little less useful than it would be otherwise. I'd do great wall first and expand/cottage like crazy.

This is Warlord level so I don't think the happy cap is a problem here, It will allow you to work the 2 ills and the stone ... And even with a lower happy cap your capitole should become a settler / worker pump so the 3 seafood would be exploited ...
Of course Worker are better in the long run but producing worket with one tile worked (probably no commerce) is not very efficient ... whereas producing them with 3 seafood and 2ills is easy and fast ... There's a thread wich demonstrated that the only strat that is better than worker first is the all workboat one ... an early worker here would only have improve under valued tiles are there is no copper nor iron nor gold, silver, gems in the capitole cross ... where as workboat and clams provide 4 and 2 directly and without expecting an hidden ressource ....

The main objectiv in Civ4 is Growth!!! Bigger cities means more tiles worked which means more and which lead to more and more military power.
Thus, having an enormous capitole early may be game breaking ...