GOTM 06 - Pre Game Discussion

[ainwood]

GOTM-06: Pre Game Discussion

This game MUST be played in patch version 1.61. We will NOT accept any games played under any other patch versions.

Further, this game will have its assets protected, so your custom mods won't work. I will investigate with the HOF staff about releasing a version of the save that supports the HOF mod, however.


Game settings:
Civilization: Mongols (Leader: Kublai Khan; Traits: Aggressive & Creative)
Rivals: 6 (Random)
Difficulty: Noble
Map: Fractal
Mapsize: Standard
Climate: Temperate
Water level: Low
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Victory Conditions: all enabled

The starting screenshot is here:


Adventurer Class bonuses:
To be confirmed.


Challenger Class Equalisers:
To be confirmed.



I've been playing a few fractal maps lately, and quite like them - for those of you that haven't played them - give them a try.

After last months very easy game, we have another fairly easy one on noble difficulty. You have the traits and the unique unit for a fairly early military expansion - but make sure that you don't capture too many cities and grind to a halt from high maintenance costs!

FYI - the difficulty will continue to ramp-up over the next few months, with the idea being that players not too confident above noble can ease their way into it and give it a go.

 

[KingdomBrunel]

Looks good. I've never gone for a conquest win before, but with an early UU, aggressive CIV, and a short month timewise for me, this looks like a good one to give it a go on. Only question now is when do I fell those trees now that the patch has changed chopping yields.

 

[Tauro]

Alan tell us about the map type, I've never played one before.
Thx

 

[Markus5]

Fractal maps seem pretty nice. The terrain is interesting and fun to explore. Resources seem to be more common and nicely placed. There seem to be more huts, too. But, I've only seen a few maps. I'm playing one as Mali now on Prince. I don't know specifically what Fractal maps are designed to do.

As a plan, I'll settle in place, the scout will go NW to the hill to see what is nearby. The scout will then swing SW and S to scout along the river. Its likely the second city will be down river. I'll build a couple of warriors first. Research? I'm not sure, yet.

 

[Big Pig]

Looks like the South Pole is not too far away (trees changing and - I think - a tundra square 3SE of the Settlers). Shouldn't impact on the fat cross if capital settled in place but may impact on maintenance as subsequent cities likely to be to the north.

No resources visible again but acres of forest, and the river and 2 lakes (I think there is one E,NE of the Settlers) should help commerce.

Finding horses will be Key given the UU for early warmongering and subjugating neighbours....

 

[=FC=Gorgon]

Is that a 2nd lake to the NE or a hill?

 

[DaveMcW]

Games played with the HOF Mod cannot be viewed with vanilla Civ4.

 

[Samson]

I have not got 1.61 yet (still on GOTM 5) but I read here somewhere that fractal is the new name for continents map script? So we are going to need astronomy for a milarty win. That will make a change from the last few games.

No visable reasorses? Does that mean we are (almost) certain to have horses or copper in our fat cross if we do not move the settler?

The distance reduction in chopping forests has been increased in 1.61 I belive. Do you still get the full 30 hammers at distance 3?

Anyone fancy listing the changes that make the biggest difference in the new patch?

 

[jayeffaar]

Nice. I've been playing with fractal maps and 1.61 for the last couple of weeks, so I know what to expect: the unexpected. Those maps are fun and extremely varied.

As to this game, how about moving the settler W before settling, so we get start working on nice river-front properties? Maybe send the scout SW up the hill first, to get a better view of the area? Of course, if the river runs straight into the south pole, it may not be a great move but who knows, we may end up sending lots of beaver pelts and deer steaks up the river in a few thousand years...

 

[scooter]

Can anyone give a brief description of the Fractal Map? The map guide Sirian made doesn't have it (I know its new).

 

[pholkhero]

Can anyone give a brief description of the Fractal Map? The map guide Sirian made doesn't have it (I know its new).

I think it was Soren's script actually; sirian might've not had a hand in it at all, though i'm not sure.

I also think it was released as the answer to a Random map request (different from the Shuffle b/c Fractal will give you just about ANYTHING as far as size and shape are concerned.)

btw: I LOVE hte script...it's all i play on now.

 

[jayeffaar]

The best way to get a feel for what fractal maps can look like is to start a game with one (using the same options as in this game if you want), go into the world builder and repeatedly regenerate new maps.

In general, they seem to be half-way between continents and archipelagos, with lots of variation in shapes and size of continents/islands.

 

[Conquistador 63]

The distance reduction in chopping forests has been increased in 1.61 I belive. Do you still get the full 30 hammers at distance 3?

Anyone fancy listing the changes that make the biggest difference in the new patch?

Check this thread, more especifically Xifeng´s post:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=166955&page=2

About the changes, you can find them in a multitude of places, one of them here:
http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/patch-detail.htm

Unfortunately I am no expert in order to assess which of the changes will affect gameplay the most, but I found this thread [ http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=168497 ]
about cottage spamming pos-patch interesting.

Anyways, now that new GOTM settings are out, my attempts to catch up with gotm history will have to wait: after submitting GOTM5 this week I had fired up GOTM1 (!) for practice yesterday, which I didn't have the opportunity to play at the right time. But now, out to practice fractal/KK games

 

[jafink]

Yes! It's back! I've checked this thread daily for the last 3 days hopig that the info would be out so i could try some practice games. In the past i've played 1 or 2 practice games but this time i might try 3.

Looks like a slightly below average Start location but that is still to be discovered.

 

[Cactus Pete]

Now that the new patch is out with its reduced benefits of deforestation, vast expanses of woodland are in the gotm. Pre patch, settling in place might have been an viable option, but I certainly don't like that prospect now.

I suspect there will be a steep learning curve as this game progresses. Will someone more skilled than I be kind enough to provide a practice start incorporating the above screen shot and specifications?

 

[culdeus]

Resources don't pop up under forest so this spot is gonna be fairly resource poor. Settling 1W gives better odds of catching the stray horse/copper/iron.

 

[Tech Step]

I like the look of going west as well. It makes sence to hook up to the river.

 

[toller pretzl]

I will move the scout to the plains hill, and move the settler west-west, in preparation to settling on the plains hill. That way I will settle two turns later, but I love settling on a plains hill for the extra hammer. And resources may come into view. Should horses pop up later south-east or east/south-east of the starting position, they will still be in my second cultural expansion, so workable.

 

[Mad Professor]

Mmm. I'd like to see the view from that hill to the NW of the scout. Finding horses quick will be a help with Keshiks being such a handy early game UU.

The thought of moving the settler west is indeed tempting.

 

[Drogear]

what date does to files realise? 1may?