I'm basically happy with my starting position. Our neck of the woods may suck, but at least there's no one squeezing us, thanks to all those mountains and jungle. On a different note, it's amazing how quickly we've fallen behind in tech. I intend to expand to Zwingly's second suggested site rather than the first, as it's more likely to be taken by another civ. And given our lousy terrain, Orleans will serve as a warrior/worker pump for my twenty turns, while the newer cities try to grow in the weeds.
2150: Orleans builds warrior, starts worker.
2110: ...
2070: Forest cleared, irrigation begins.
2030: Paris builds settler, starts another.
1990: Irrigation complete, road begins.
Orleans builds worker, starts warrior.
1950: ...
1910: Lyons founded by the lake, starts granary to take advantage of it.
Worker starts clearing jungle north of Orleans.
Warrior discovers Germany to the NE. They have the same four techs as
everyone else - but Russia has researched math, while we are 14 turns
away. Holding off is technological suicide, so I buy it for 151g + 2gpt.
I trade America math and 1gpt for iron working, ceremonial burial, and 9g.
I then trade Germany math and 2gpt for mysticism (a hidden tech), the
wheel, and 6g. I then start researching polytheism (40 turns), which the
AI tends to neglect. The wheel came at a 2gpt savings versus buying it
separately, and shows us where horses are - just outside Paris' borders.
Warrior code seemed optional, given that we have iron near Paris ready to
be accessed for swordsmen.
1870: Russia starts on the Oracle.
Start mining bonus square north of Paris.
1830: Paris builds settler, starts another.
1790: Bonus square mined, start building road.
1750: Exploring warrior killed by barbs.
Orleans builds warrior, starts another.
1725: ...
1700: Bonus road finished, intend to connect iron for defense.
1675: Warrior discovers Babylon SSW. Trade math for Warrior code and 4g.
1650: Start road S of Paris instead of connecting iron - archers now available for
defense, and warriors preferable for garrisoning our rapid expansion.
1625: Paris builds settler, starts another.
Rheims founded - N of incense, safely away from barb camp - and
starts building a warrior.
Orleans builds a warrior, starts on a worker.
1600: Finish road S of Paris.
1575: Tours founded north of Paris - a tight squeeze, but those productive tiles,
which can be shared, will be valuable for a long time.
Roadbuilding started on wine hill.
1550: Jungle N of Orleans cleared, road started.
1525: Wine road completed, brings wine into Paris.
Orleans builds worker, starts another.
1500: Workers split up to connect Tours, Rheims and Lyons to Paris.
Persia about to be discovered in deep S.
An arithmetical analysis of my moves will reveal that I played an extra turn - I forgot to write down an early one where nothing happened. There's a possibility that not all of the civs have made contact with each other, so writing may be worth buying when it becomes available. I would suggest expanding NE of the incense - near the game - and then both toward Germany and E on the coast, near the fish. Regardless, the majority of our cities will soon be productive. A decision will also need to be made pretty soon on whether to build some archers or swordsmen.
With regard to DnG's mod, research is clearly slower - I couldn't get it down from the minimum for anyhting close to being worth the money.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads4/djb-4, _1500_BC.sav
Rival civs include, Germany, Russia, China, America, England, Babylon, and Persia. Of course, the difficulty level is monarch. The game is open to five committed and experienced players. Please review the SG abstract stickied at the top of this forum. Please post if interested. I hope the usual suspects will be involved: Txurce, DnG, Zwingli, Tao, etc. You know who you are.
. The other civs seem to all have contact with each other plus Persia looking through the diplomatic screens, but peering under the fog shows that we will meet Persia soon as well.
