DMI XIV - The Code of Junil (FfH)

[·Imhotep·]

Okay, off we go. Here is the finalized roster, Old Lion may join as Alternate if one of the players drops out or is OOP.

• Imhotep
• pholkherina
• Ozbenno
• Xenoborg
• Meatbuster
• ssmage
• Monkeyfinger

I used FfH 0.41 patch g now, we will be updating to new patches (only exception if they break save games) as we play along.

Those are the game settings:

Permanent Alliances and AI No Unit Level Requirement are checked too. As it is Monarch we should be fine with that, Monkeyfinger can beat anything up to Deity, and I usually trash the AI at Monarch too.

Our leader:

Org/Chm is a nice combo, it is obviously geared towards a big empire. With Sabathiel you can usually run God King all game. And the Archangel really is the only reasonable choice for our game anyway .

Here is our start (the first one I rolled):

I suggest moving the cap to where I pointed, we will have irrigated rice, a lot of production and good economy ground with the floodplains. Getting the research kicking off fast is crucial in any game of ffH, but the more so if you aim for one of the later religions as we do.

I'll play the first 30 turns once you guys had a chance to comment on the start.

Have fun, hope you enjoy the game!

Imhotep

 

[Ozbenno]

Checking in!

Are they desert hills? Production isn't that great if they are but still better than where the settler is now.

Haven't played 0.41 at all yet, any great changes?

 

[Xenoborg]

Desert hills can always be springed away later, but even early game the marked site seems really strong. Do check for anything else nearby as the settler moves down. (Can't remember if the starting settler can make it there and settle on turn one)

 

[Monkeyfinger]

Where's lone wolf on the roster?

I'd move the settler 3E, 1N, to the forested plains hill right next to that wine.

- We get 2 riverside wines, an amazing early resource in FfH. In BtS that's a midgame resource, but here you research crafting and you're done. 3 food, 4 commerce apiece, that's really nice.
- We get a defense bonus instead of a defense penalty. You never know what nasties will come for your capital in the early game, and settling your capital on a desert with its 25% defense penalty is asking for it even on a difficulty like noble.
- It leaves us with 2 floodplains. Those combined with the wines provide plenty of early food and commerce while not giving us any unhealth.
- The extra hammer is always nice.

Haven't played 0.41 at all yet, any great changes?

No notable balance changes. Just a more polished civilopedia, a slightly improved AI, a truckload of new unit art, and some bugsplat.

 

[pholkhero]

i think Monkeyfinger means 3N, 1E, but, as he can beat deity, my newb self defers to him.

 

[ssmage]

I'd say 1N of red dot, Or Monkeyfinger's site. (3E 1N)

pholkhero, your looking at red dot, and not the settler.

 

[Old_Lion]

I'm fine with either 3E1N or 2E1S (my favourite in spite of defensive malus)

the settler should move 1NE then 1SE and see what appears, and still have time to settle at first turn. (it has 4 moves, and the hidden tile looks like plain or floodplain, right ?)

 

[pholkhero]

I'd say 1N of red dot, Or Monkeyfinger's site. (3E 1N)

pholkhero, your looking at red dot, and not the settler.

eureka!!!!

 

[·Imhotep·]

Monkeyfinger has some valid points. I'm leaning towards his spot now. I'll play and report tomorrow.

Imhotep

 

[·Imhotep·]

I pondered Monkeyfinger's post and decided he was right. Moved the Settler to the spot he pointed out. As I saw the pig up there I moved 1N, but as I spotted a fish up there too which we can use for a nice 2nd city I left the pigs alone and settled in the designated spot. Yes, this will be a strong early commerce cap indeed.

We meet the first Civs. Garrim Gyr of the Luchuirp. We have to be alert, as they are apt to buiilding some military early on and don't hesitate to rush you if they spot you're weak.

The second Civ we meet is even worse in that regard. The Doviello are all out military. With them to the South and the Luchuirp to the West it will be a interesting game - we will have to fight for our land grab.

One feature of our cap is particularly annoying - the Barrow right next to it which will spawn Skeletons all the time. I didn't risk to explore it when it was unguarded - chances that strong barbs are summoned are pretty high and could be the end of the game right now.

We will clear it later once we have enough military.

Our sturdy Scout - which had popped the hut for 30-something gold - met his fate in the guise of a Hill Giant. He got a first class funeral in a stomach.

With our Wines nearby I set research to Crafting of course and timed the worker to appear just when the tech came.

Early commerce, yikes!

The result of 2 improved wines and 3F/4C tiles can be seen in the fact we reached Ancient Chants - which unlocks both Mysticism and the path to the ever-important Education - just some turns later.

Right now we have 13 turns left on Mysticism, which will drop once we improve our third wine. God King that early will be killer with that cap. That's a pretty strong start into the game.

Imhotep

 

[·Imhotep·]

• Imhotep >> JUST PLAYED
• pholkherina
• Ozbenno
• Xenoborg
• Meatbuster
• ssmage >> ON DECK for 20 turns
• Monkeyfinger >> UP NOW for 25 turns

Don't be annoyed at this, but as the early stages are pretty crucial in FfH I'd like the more experienced players to play them. In case of Monkeyfinger it's a no-brainer anyway - I have seen him in my SGs before, and there is hardly a better FfH SG player than him.

Imhotep

 

[ssmage]

Great set, That burrow will be annoying.
Reverse roster, eh?

Monkeyfinger/Imhotep, can we have a land map?

 

[Old_Lion]

What's the plan now ?

I can't remember if spawned monster attack at once or whether the worker has the time to flee.
(do we have roads anyway?)

I'd go to five/six warriors and destroy the barrow.

as for the next cities, a map would help.

 

[Lone Wolf]

I didn't risk to explore it when it was unguarded - chances that strong barbs are summoned are pretty high and could be the end of the game right now.

If you just place a military unit on a barrow, it won't spawn anything.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

Got the save

 

[Monkeyfinger]

Played 35 turns.

Canceled mysticism, switched to agriculture. Once it finished, I researched Calendar so I could plantation that incense. Incense is even better than wine, having a commerce yield comparable to gold.

Once that was taken care of I hit mysticism then mining. I revolted to god king + nationhood. Still not in agrarianism yet though (had no farms when calendar hit.) Next player should switch to it soon. Maybe when we get education you could revolt to apprenticeship + agrarianism at the same time.

The other lairs are starting to stir:

The lizard one is the biggest problem. Lizards are stronger and faster than the other barbs. One of them managed to gank our early worker so I had to build another one. (Had 2 warriors on him, but a skeleton from our burrow killed one, then on the same turn a lizard struck from the fog of war and killed the other -_-)

Killed the guard of our local lair and posted one of our own to keep it quiet. Suggest not exploring the lair till bronzeworking.

Mining revealed copper near lizardland. I think these should be our next city sites:

Straightforward. Copper, corn and cows in #2, gold, pigs and fish in #3. 2 gets the copper immediately.

 

[·Imhotep·]

Nice! Don't forget our variant goals though, we should beeline towards Honor and thus founding the Order soon.

 

[Monkeyfinger]

You mean orders from heaven. Honor is for empyrean.

Required techs for orders are education -> code of laws, philosophy -> way of the wise. Easy beeline.

 

[·Imhotep·]

Yeah, of course Monkeyfinger. Btw, a save would be nice .

 

[pholkhero]

wow ~ lots of turns in so short of time ~ almost like GreyFox were playing.

whta's up with the lairs? more virulent versions of barb cities (w/o the "city" part)??

also, i don't care about the roster, but perhaps putting it in order of play would make us more...."absent-minded" players keep things straight?