Follow a Noob Through Noble

[MrMitra]

So I have been inspired by Orion's home school threads, so I have decided to do one (or some) of my own. There will be one major difference, I suck at this game and have never won on Noble. What this will mean is I will make plenty of mistakes and there's a good chance I will lose. My minor complaint about Orion's threads is he pretty much had the game in the bag by about the time he got out of the BCs. I doubt I will pull away like Orion which may give some interesting glimpses on how to deal with mid to late game issues. Hopefully better players can signal when I make ill fated decisions. Ideally everyone (myself included) can learn from this and become better players.

On to the game. I will be playing on BTS v 3.19. My leader will be Darius I of Persia. Map is a standard size continents with all the default settings (standard speed). I always have the issue of my economy collapsing when I expand or conquer so hopefully Darius's Financial and Organized traits can give me a hand in that regard. An Immortal rush is an option if I happen to find a neighbor too close for my liking. I am not aiming for any type of victory, I will simply pursue the one I feel I have the best shot of achieving.

Time for the starting location (screenshot inside spoiler):

Spoiler :

Now this is an interesting start. 3 clams, 2 fish, and who knows how many hills. I must say I'm not sure how to approach this. Should I pump out work boats and capitalize on all these resources at the expense of a first worker? The one downside I see to this is the one and done nature of work boats. Spitting out 5 work boats cuts into my production a bit. However I can't really complain since I've been given a commerce and production powerhouse as a capital. I'm interested to see what other people think. I'll get started on this game in a couple of hours and I'll post the starting save then.

 

[Ignorant Teacher]

Great idea for a thread! I hope you'll be able to improve your game and help others do so as well.

I have two questions:

-Do you want to have people shadowing your game or only commenting?
-What speed and map script is this?

I'd ask you about the save, but I saw you slready mentioned it.

I think there will be a hidden resource in your BFC. Maybe on the plains. Two workboats to work the fish are more than enough IMO. I don't remember what Persia's starting techs are, but I'd go Fishing, Mining, BW based on the capital. Build the WBs, a worker than grow to size 3 and start on a settler. After that, go to Animal Husbandry to look for Horses.

Try to explore in a zig-zag around your capital so that you'll find the next city spots quicker.

 

[MrMitra]

Oops I forgot about the map settings. I edited them into my original post. I think it would be cool if people shadowed, especially if I crash and burn. Then someone can bust out a save and show how they avoided the pothole I ran into.

 

[disturbed1]

Do you start with fishing? If you do first build should be a work boat, then a worker. If you don't have fishing, first build is a worker, while you research fishing, then second build should be a work boat.

I find that it isn't necessary to build 5 fishing boats to get all 5 food sources right off the bat. The happiness and health cap will rapidly approach, and all you really need is 2 of them to be able to efficiently whip. Once you start getting your happiness cap up, maybe around HR, you can finish building the work boats and get all the sea food sources.

Also, if it gets to the point where you are in the late game, I would consider sid's sushi co.

 

[MrMitra]

I looked it up and saw that Persia starts with Agriculture and Hunting. I'm considering popping a warrior first since besides farming the plains, there's really nothing for my worker to do til I get BW.

 

[Ignorant Teacher]

Start building anything you like. By the time you've researched Fishing, switch to Workboat and start working the forested plain hills on the second ring.

 

[Silu]

This is a prime example where worker first is a total waste. Every land tile is a forest except one, and you don't even start with The Wheel so you can't road everything. There's also a big chance that one non-forest tile is Copper, Iron or Horses (kind of suspicious opening) so farming it can be a waste.

Warriors while teching Fishing, then 2-3 work boats. Aim the first worker for when you get BW, and chop&fish your way into building an empire.

 

[vixafox]

I consider myself a noble player, so I would like to contribute to this thread.

It looks likes a good start with ample food, trees to chop, and hills for long term production. I suggest settling in place and working on a warrior while researching Fishing, then switching to a work boat, using the highest available hammer tile. Work the fish, whilst completing a second work boat, and grow to size 3-4 before starting on workers, warriors and settlers.

 

[bestsss]

On noble w/ darius I'd not hesitate to steal a bunch of workers since the AI makes peace so easily... and then immortal rush (chop/chop) the neighbors.

 

[MrMitra]

Alright my adventure has begun:

4000 BC - I settle in place and the hut pops gold. I plan to research fishing > mining > BW. I start building a warrior.

3640 BC - Warrior done, on to WB

3480 BC - meet Sury, Buddhism founded turn before

3080 BC - meet Toku. Not sure what to make of this. Toku certainly isn't the ideal neighbor, but him being protective makes me uneasy about rushing him.

3040 BC - BW done (no copper ), on to wheel, switch to slavery (I probably could have waited since I have no immediate need for it)

3000 BC - Hmmm maybe I wandered too far north with my scout. time to get him to look south.

2960 BC - Perse is at pop 3, now to build a worker or settler? my gut says settler.

2760 BC - Wheel is done, AH next

2600 BC - Time to map out city placement.

Spoiler :

Toku is there in the red. I still don't know where Sury is. Toku isn't blocking my expansion yet but he is a bit volatile. As I said before, his Protection trait makes me hesitate on rushing him, especially since I do not have copper and he might. Getting stuffed at his doorstep and then feeling the wrath of aggressive axes does not seem like a winning recipe. Plus I do not feel I teched AH fast enough for an effective immortal rush.

My plan is to go yellow then orange. I know settling one tile off the coast is a cardinal sin, but I wanted the pigs and since they were surrounded by mountains I didn't feel like wasting a city that would be not that great. Blue would come next, however upon further review I might be better off shifting it 1N. Other cities may come before purple since I wont be rushing for calendar.

Time for me to check up on some football scores and hear some feedback before I continue my adventure. Here are the saves as well as an unmapped screenshot if someone wants to suggest a better mapping.

 

[Proofeta]

If you could post the save I'll shadow the game, also play on noble. (EDIT: took some time to post, downloading the save now that you posted)

I'd build a warrior while teching fishing, then 2 workboats, a worker and then chop a settler.

 

[disturbed1]

I would consider moving the Orange city location 1SE so it can get both clam sources instead of 1, and a non-forest hill (if I'm looking at that right.)

 

[Truronian]

I second the Orange 1 SE sentiment. I'd also stick yellow 1 East or West (gain coast or gain more useful squares). Blue 1 SE is an option... you gain the rice but lose the flood plains (plus gain peaks).

 

[Proofeta]

Played until 800 BC, the only difference in our tech path until now is that I teched AH before wheel.

Spoiler has all info

Spoiler :

Immortal rushed tokugawa, hoses were in the capital's bfc.
City 1 will be for production, the capital will be a gp farm, so the overlaping tiles won't be a big problem.
Failed to build the GW with 2 turns to completion, now I'll try to build the mids.

Screens:

Stole 3 workers from toku.

One Immortal will try to find Sury, others will stay at the cities/fogbust, I'm building more of the as there's a lot of land to fogbust.
IW to expand in the jungle, as I think that Sury is near there.

 

[6K Man]

I'd move the yellow dot 1E. You lose 2 mountains and gain coast. Yes, you get overlap with the capital, but the mountains are equally useless (if you dislike overlap).

 

[MrMitra]

Well I've made it to 1 AD but things aren't going smooth. Here's the recap:

2520 BC - Teching Writing. Horses popped in Perse BFC

2440 BC - Pasagadae founded 1E of yellow. Starts on warrior. (I was risky and didnt send an escort)

2200 BC - Writing done, IW now

2160 BC - Finally find Survy, hoping he will be an ally.

2080 BC - My scout dies to lions

1960 BC - I'm small, war on Toku may be soon. I'm building barracks for perhaps a late Immortal rush. Looking at their stats I never knew how awesome Immortals were.

1720 BC - Barracks chopped, time for Immortals (I hope I'm not too late)

1600 BC - Slave revolt in Perse, sigh.

1560 BC - My horse pasture is blown away in a thunderstorm. I think this closes the window for my Immortal rush. Crap.

1540 BC - Unable to continue the Immortal, I switch to building a settler.

1400 BC - Pasa finishes work boat to start on a granary.

1280 BC - I whip a settler out of Perse. Surya founds Judaism.

1240 BC - Whip granary in Pasa

1220 BC - Perse finishes Immortal escort and switches to workers.

1200 BC - Pasa is back to making work boats. I need to alphabet so I can trade for religious techs and get some culture.

1120 BC - Susa is founded. My power is scary low.

Spoiler :

1040 BC - Worker done in Perse. Switching to Settler.

1000 BC - Library in Pasa being built (badly need borders expanded)

775 BC - Immortal escort done in Perse, building granary. (I need to give perse a chance to grow it's population)

725 BC - Metal Casting is done. Onto Alphabet. Colossus would be a great wonder for me. Pasa starts on a forge.

650 BC - Ecbatana founded.

Spoiler :

625 BC - Granary done. Working on Immortal escort then a settler.

350 BC - Tarsus is founded. I beat Toku to the punch. His chariot is escorting a settler. Good news, I get the iron and he doesn't. Bad news, I doubt Toku will be happy about that.

Spoiler :

325 BC - Alphabet time. I get Mysticism and Archery for Writing from Surya. Toku doesn't feel like trading. Toku doesn't want to trade anything.

275 BC - Judaism spreads to me and I convert.

225 BC - Whip forge in Perse.

175 BC - I am way behind on workers and I am neglecting my northern cities.

150 BC - Surya begs for Alphabet. Ugh. I give it to him since I don't think Toku is in the mood to trade with anyone.

125 BC - I've heard I should have close to 100 beakers at 1 AD. I will be nowhere close. That's what I get for being short on workers and not using the workers I do have efficiently. Also, I should have had Para be my production city while Perse spits out settlers and workers instead of trying to have Perse do both.

It's 1 AD and this is how things look:

Spoiler :

Things are not good in paradise. Two of my cities are unhappy, my economy is slightly unhealthy, and 3 of my cities are still in the stone age. Some big time recovery is needed. Luckily, none of the AI I've encountered seem to be leaps and bounds ahead of me. I need to get my act together by the time I get Civil Service so I can take care of Toku.

 

[cripp7]

As soon as your horses popped up you should've went into war mode building nothing but Immortals and rushed Toku then. Post your 1AD save so people can look at it also. All isn't lost, you're still learning!

 

[DaveMcW]

Build the "6 more workers" wonder in your capital.

It doubles your worker speed and never goes obsolete!

 

[Ignorant Teacher]

Build the "6 more workers" wonder in your capital.

It doubles your worker speed and never goes obsolete!

That's the best wonder in the game. I should build it more often.

 

[Silu]

That's the best wonder in the game. I should build it more often.

People don't do that often because it's an exploit - due to a glitch you can build this wonder multiple times and even after the AI has built it.