Dot map help

[MrKlew]

I've started this game on an archipelago map. I've got a nice island with lots of resources but could use some advice on how to settle to best utilize those resources. I tend to struggle between short term usefulness of a site and long-term usefulness. I tend to go toward long-term usefulness, but suspect that is part of the reason I still play on noble. So what would you do with this island? Here are my current thoughts:

The capital is awesome with 5 seafood it will become a great person farm (also down the road, awesome for Sid's Sushi). The spot marked C, 4N and 1E of the capital, can't be seen but would grab marble and a crab. I'm tempted to grab it and make a run at some wonders (oracle, ToA), but I am going to put that off as the more immediate need is going to be some decent production.

The first thought for a production city is marked A, just south of the corn. This site would get those hills on line the fastest as it could share the clams with the capital. But long term, once the capital needs the clams back it won't be much of a city.Until then though it could run at least the plains hill and two of the desert hills.

The best long term options seems to be one of the B sites. The site marked B, on the plains forest SE of the sheep, could use the flood plains and the sheep to eventually run 3 desert hills, 1 plains hill and 2 grass hills, but not until size 13. B' 1 south of that loses a flood plain by settling on it but gains the ivory. The other question is do you farm the flood plains and make this a pure production city or cottage them and move the capital there for bureaucracy.

Site D will be a decent food city and can run a few specialists but will be so-so otherwise. The resources could be split up by moving it south and then settling another fishing village on the ice up north. But that leaves 2 rather mediocre cities. Site E is cut off but is on a penisula of grass forests. It get the fish and ivory. So what are all your thoughts?

 

[Killroyan]

Site A is perfect. With clam and corn and a lake it will have more then enough food. The capital will still have 4 sea food so it can grow like mad. Site B is not something I would normally do. I would put B 1SW of the sheep on the desert. It gets to use all the good tiles, gets rid of a desert tile and it is coastal (which is huge with the dutch). I would cottage the flood plains in this one. You are financial.

D is a good site. Whales come late into the game but with wheat, fish, deer and 2 hills, this could be a very good Maoi city.

Then you could squeeze another city in 1E of the Elephant. It still gets to use 2 FP and can use some of the hills that A is using too. Unless there is a land tile left of the elephant so you can acces the fish. Then that is the spot it should get.

The marble of C sounds good. You can't really go wrong with marble and clams. No worries there. ToA and Oracle are nice but as always the great lighthouse is key on these maps.

 

[shakabrade]

I tend to struggle between short term usefulness of a site and long-term usefulness.

If it proves you are isolated, go long term since short term benefits make you utilize trades with AIs better.
Although all that short term/long term discussion is silly since those ''short term benefits'' in some other games are actually long term benefits since they help you win the game more.

I agree with Killroyan on dotmap and wonders completely.

There is an island to the east, settle it as fast as possible for better internal trade routes. Also very nice synergy with GLH.

 

[lymond]

Your tech path looks bizarre. This should be a BW>Sailing>Masonry opening and build GLH. Settle everything coastal and compactly (benefits you later as well with Sushi). I like A 1NW of the current spot. That allows a lot of sharing of improved tiles with the cap which is very good early, especially when the cap is whipping or running specialists (obvious GP farm). Site A will be very productive and I would build GLH there.

B is very bad. Split that up and make everything coastal.

D looks ugly, but is actually a pretty darn good early city. Probably should be your B city, i.e., second new city. Has at least 5 to 6 improvements to work early plus decent food - it can run specialists. D(B) may make a very good Maoi city as well. (edit: Kill basically said the same thing...arrg...must....read......full.....posts)

Try to find some offshore sites asap for bigger trade routes, especially with GLH. GLH owns this may way more than Oracle, although if you are playing lower levels you will likely get Oracle anyway. Priesthood beeline here is totally a waste.'

edit: xpost with shaka - do you mean your other east?

 

[MrKlew]

Site A is perfect. With clam and corn and a lake it will have more then enough food. The capital will still have 4 sea food so it can grow like mad. Site B is not something I would normally do. I would put B 1SW of the sheep on the desert. It gets to use all the good tiles, gets rid of a desert tile and it is coastal (which is huge with the dutch). I would cottage the flood plains in this one. You are financial.

D is a good site. Whales come late into the game but with wheat, fish, deer and 2 hills, this could be a very good Maoi city.

Then you could squeeze another city in 1E of the Elephant. It still gets to use 2 FP and can use some of the hills that A is using too. Unless there is a land tile left of the elephant so you can acces the fish. Then that is the spot it should get.

The marble of C sounds good. You can't really go wrong with marble and clams. No worries there. ToA and Oracle are nice but as always the great lighthouse is key on these maps.

Yes, there is a grassland forest 2W 1S of the elephant that could get the fish. I thought of that desert tile, only problem that leaves 1 flood plain undeveloped and also means I probably can't work all those hills until biology.

 

[plasmacannon]

Yes, there is a grassland forest 2W 1S of the elephant that could get the fish. I thought of that desert tile, only problem that leaves 1 flood plain undeveloped and also means I probably can't work all those hills until biology.

? huh?
With Site E, you get the last Flood Plain.
Site A gets 9 food and can easily work 4 hills.

This is a great setup. The other locations are great for GP. Build the HLH and you'll be fine.

 

[shakabrade]

@lymond

edit: xpost with shaka - do you mean your other east?

No no no. I mean my east on the right side.

You can see when city A pops a border up, an island will be accesible.

 

[lymond]

ah yes...I see it...didn't look close enough. Good to know you are not directionally challenged like me

 

[MrKlew]

So further exploration has revealed another fish 2N of the whale. So a city on the spot 2N of the northwestern fish would get 2 fish and a whale but would only work sea tiles. Should I put another city up there to share the fish and whale with D or just stick with a single city at D and forget about the second fish?

And Shakabrade was right there is an island or perhaps a series of islands to the East. I sent my first galley exploring. So far the only resources visible are more ivory.

 

[lymond]

^^^2 cities share the fish as needed