Do You Restart If You Start Out in a Bad Spot?
- Thread starter RX2000
- Start date
So far I've played with what I get. My last game was my first at warlord, and I got a mediocre starting position --- good grassland/river on a peninsula for my first 3 cities, but then hit The Endless Mountains, (I had chosen large map, 11 civs, all random, and got a true Pangaea --- one land mass, no islands! --- 3 billion, warm, wet.) which put me way behind on early expansion. I won anyway. 
I like the challenge. I did quit one of my first games after a terrible starting position and really inefficient wars against the other two civs on my continent put me way behind in tech against the rest of the world, but that was only after playing to 1500 AD or so.
Renata, contemplating Regent next, but doesn't want to push her luck ...
I like the challenge. I did quit one of my first games after a terrible starting position and really inefficient wars against the other two civs on my continent put me way behind in tech against the rest of the world, but that was only after playing to 1500 AD or so.
Renata, contemplating Regent next, but doesn't want to push her luck ...
satchel
Prince
An interesting thing about this thread is that everyone has a different view of a "bad" starting location.
Because I have extremely limited playing time, I restart if there's no place to put my capital - if I am surrounded by desert, jungle, mountains, or tundra. But if there's room for one or two decent cities, so that I know I can at least grow enough to make settlers, I'll play on.
Because I have extremely limited playing time, I restart if there's no place to put my capital - if I am surrounded by desert, jungle, mountains, or tundra. But if there's room for one or two decent cities, so that I know I can at least grow enough to make settlers, I'll play on.
Lord Borak
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2003
- Messages
- 5
I voted "yes", but I'm trying more towards "no". I used to restart all the time, especially if I didn't have fresh water near my start position.
My current game is Persians at Monarch level. I started at the tip of a verrry long peninsula, which was annoying since I could only expand in one direction, and quickly reached the edge of my capitol's influence (corruption problems). In the end, though, it was also helpful as I only had to deal with the Chinese in ancient times (the previous game I started in the middle of a Pangea with borders with at least 5 or 6 rivals - that was tough to defend). It's now the mid 1770's and I control most of my original continent and own two islands that ended up being close enough to my capitol to provide 7 decently producing cities themselves.
So basically, I also suggest people try to stick it out given less than optimal starts. I have a much better sense of accomplishment having overcome my cramped starting position than I may have otherwise.
On another note, I am also trying to rid myself of a related habit - playing up to about 1000 BC, disliking the developments (early war, lost a spot with a crucial luxury, etc.), and reloading the same map at 4000 BC to try to get the "perfect" early game. I'm more shamed by this "Back to the Future" changing the past nonsense than restarting on a whole new map.
My current game is Persians at Monarch level. I started at the tip of a verrry long peninsula, which was annoying since I could only expand in one direction, and quickly reached the edge of my capitol's influence (corruption problems). In the end, though, it was also helpful as I only had to deal with the Chinese in ancient times (the previous game I started in the middle of a Pangea with borders with at least 5 or 6 rivals - that was tough to defend). It's now the mid 1770's and I control most of my original continent and own two islands that ended up being close enough to my capitol to provide 7 decently producing cities themselves.
So basically, I also suggest people try to stick it out given less than optimal starts. I have a much better sense of accomplishment having overcome my cramped starting position than I may have otherwise.
On another note, I am also trying to rid myself of a related habit - playing up to about 1000 BC, disliking the developments (early war, lost a spot with a crucial luxury, etc.), and reloading the same map at 4000 BC to try to get the "perfect" early game. I'm more shamed by this "Back to the Future" changing the past nonsense than restarting on a whole new map.
Nightfang
'Pointy Stick' Scientist
I generally try the start position out for a while, to see if there are greener pastures a little further out. My last game, I played as the Japanese on a medium pangea, and wound up on a peninsula. I thought it was a bad spot, but I was able to block it off, expand south to box in the Zulu and Indians, then settle the north part of the peninsula at my liesure. Made a very nice defendable location, as I was able to fortress my border later and secure it with infantry. The only approach for my enemies was by sea or through my "great wall" of infantry. The wars I waged were with far off civs, using ROP and railroads to get to the front, so my homeland was never threatened except in the early ages.
My current game with the Persians had me in the middle of tons of forest and jungle. I stuck it out, and now have tech and power leads. I am on a continent, and share my borders with three civs, with an inland lake blocking the Zulus from immediate access. I have an army of workers clearing jungle and forest, and I anticipate a domination victory.
Funny thing about that one, six of the civs (including mine) are on the main, huge land mass, and the the AI put the Germans and the French on a little continent, and they are VERY backwater (ten cities apiece, maximum). I am the only civ to have contacted them, and they live off of my tech offerings. I make sure they are equal to each other, so they wont go destroying each other just yet. Once I get riflemen, they will still be in the early middle ages, and they will be my unwitting slaves.
My current game with the Persians had me in the middle of tons of forest and jungle. I stuck it out, and now have tech and power leads. I am on a continent, and share my borders with three civs, with an inland lake blocking the Zulus from immediate access. I have an army of workers clearing jungle and forest, and I anticipate a domination victory.
Funny thing about that one, six of the civs (including mine) are on the main, huge land mass, and the the AI put the Germans and the French on a little continent, and they are VERY backwater (ten cities apiece, maximum). I am the only civ to have contacted them, and they live off of my tech offerings. I make sure they are equal to each other, so they wont go destroying each other just yet. Once I get riflemen, they will still be in the early middle ages, and they will be my unwitting slaves.
eyeball
Chieftain
I restart games a lot. In fact, I have never played a Civ 3 game past 1000 AD (although I have played Civ 1 and 2 to the finish). Civ 3 games tend to be long, and I have too many interests and little time.
Similar threads
