GOTM 08 Pre-Game Discussion

[pigswill]

Prince to monarch is the same jump as noble to prince or monarch to emperor; easy once you've done it, not so easy to start.
What's a rocky climate?
Isolated start most likely?

 

[Vynd]

With low sea levels it's unlikely that the start will be truly and completely isolated. In fact it's entirely possible that you'll be able to circumnavigate the globe with galleys, encountering many civs along the way. Isolation in the sense of not having another civ on the same landmass as Germany is likely though.

 

[Stormreaver]

Here is one save that's edited to be almost identical (2 of the squares just outside visible range to the southeast differ, I think - but I ran out of time, and those two shouldn't affect the initial gameplay much as I assume noone will found the capital without the gold inside the fat cross).

Edit: Couldn't get the attachment thingy to work - assuming it's because of the worldbuildersave extension. But as said no time to experiment now. I just put it up here instead (use Rightclick->Save file as).

Edit2: Ah, there... normal attachment and save game type now... (link above removed)

 

[Big Pig]

Playing as Germany? - could this be a World Cup themed GOTM?

Predicted opponents are (6) from:

• English
• French
• Spanish
• Romans (Italy)
• Americans
• Aztecs (Mexico)
• Persians (Iran)
• Japanese
• Arabians (Saudi - altho' geographically dubious....)

 

[AlanH]

Pity there's no civ to represent Australia

 

[whb]

Pity there's no civ to represent Australia

Of course there is - what else did you think the Germans are going to be instantly renamed to when I open the save!

 

[DynamicSpirit]

This looks an easy early strategy. I'll be moving West, mining that gold and going for a CS slingshot. Fish plus gold plus pigs = high food, high commerce capital.

Just to fill that in a bit more: I'll start by moving the scout NE, just to verify that there are no good reasons for moving the settler NW rather than W to found the city. However, it'd have to be something very good to make me choose NW because W looks such a good long-term spot for a capital.

(Moving NW onto the plains-hill-forest gives an extra +1 production per turn, but at the expense of losing the fish, the ability to chop the forest, and the high production once that hill is eventually mined. And it takes an extra turn before you can found the city. Going for CS slingshot IMO means commerce is a lot more important than production early in the game, as the limiting factor (on monarch) tends to be the time it takes to research COL. That's especially true with Bismarck's industrious trait.

Also worth knowing IMO: If anyone used to lower levels is worried about playing on monarch, I think this is will be an easier game than typical for monarch. Partly because of the excellent starting location, and partly because archipelago maps tend to make the initial land grab easier:The AI isn't that good at coping with the need to send boats out to colonize. It should also mean that people who build boats early-ish should be able to get to quite a few of the goody huts before the AI (OTOH I would expect total numbers of goody huts to be lower than normal due to the smaller than normal number of land squares). And the smallish land areas will mean barbarians are less of a threat than on other map types.

OTOH anyone going for early conquest is probably going to find it harder and slower because of the likely need to send boats out to find most of the other civs.

 

[PeteJ]

It seems like the barbs are showing up earlier than usual in my practice games. There seems to always be either a warrior or archer waiting to destroy my first settler. Methinks I will research archery first...

 

[mike p]

That site 1W looks so choice that I'm thinking twice about going there. It looks like either a setup, or an aid to make the jump to Monarch easier on people.

I think I'll move the scout west to verify that there is still room for another city if the settler moves west, then settle.

PeteJ - barbs shouldn't be a big problem - unless it's a snaky continents map type you should be able to, on an archipelago map, bust all of the fog on your starting island or at the very least everything on your side of a chosen choke point.

 

[azzaman333]

PeteJ - barbs shouldn't be a big problem - unless it's a snaky continents map type you should be able to, on an archipelago map, bust all of the fog on your starting island or at the very least everything on your side of a chosen choke point.

If we have another civ on our island, then expect barbarians. (And most likely a long, thin island breaking into large patches every so often

 

[PeteJ]

I just seem to get swarmed when I am not ready for them

 

[Nares]

It should also mean that people who build boats early-ish should be able to get to quite a few of the goody huts before the AI (OTOH I would expect total numbers of goody huts to be lower than normal due to the smaller than normal number of land squares).

Actually, I'm hoping huts were removed in this one as they were in the last one (I assume all were removed, though I suppose it's possible that the AI had a few near its starting locations).

That players would actually sit there and try every possible means of popping the huts for techs or larger gold sums kind of defeats their purpose in being there.

With regards to the opening move, I'm going to check the NW with the Scout.

 

[Mastiff_of_Ar]

Hmmm... I'm thinking another scout might be wise as well. It'll be important to know if your alone, if stone or marble is nearby, and as a "fogbuster" for barbs.

I don't think I've ever researched fishing first, but this might be the time. So scout > workboat > worker/settler > warrior

Seem reasonable?

 

[pholkhero]

Pity there's no civ to represent Australia

well, there ARE barbs right?? [sorry, i have nothing against aussies, but this was just an easy cheap-shot]...now back to your regularly scheduled civ...

remember, too, Dyes are Industrious civs best friends ~ 1/2 cost forges for the extra happies!!

 

[Mastiff_of_Ar]

remember, too, Dyes are Industrious civs best friends ~ 1/2 cost forges for the extra happies!!

But they don't have to be in the fat cross, do they? I thought you got the happy benefit anyway...

 

[godotnut]

Thank you, Stormreaver, for the practice save.

Oh, and I vote yes on the HOF mod and yes on it being mandatory. Once folks try it, they'll love it, and it largely takes care of potential cheaters. I'll comment more in the actual thread on that topic.

 

[ShannonCT]

What sort of strategy will produce a quick, high-scoring victory with this archipeligo map type and difficulty? It seems that domination will be quite a bit harder on this map than on the first monarch challenge (GOTM3). In a couple of practice games, it seemed like my standard strategy of building 2-3 good cities and then axe-rushing my nearest neighbors wasn't paying off much.

I am considering a settler rush instead, with focus on financial/science wonders (Great Lighthouse, Collosus, Great Library), techs (COL, currency, literature), and buildings (harbors, libraries) - trying to eat up territory by settling more than by war until there's no land left.

Any experienced archipeligo players have some advice?

Shannon

 

[DaviddesJ]

remember, too, Dyes are Industrious civs best friends ~ 1/2 cost forges for the extra happies!!

I'm missing something here. What's the connection between Dyes and Forges?

 

[Stormreaver]

I'm missing something here. What's the connection between Dyes and Forges?

I think pholkhero got it wrong, theaters get the +happiness from Dye, right?

Edit: Spelling...

 

[Jason Fliegel]

Theaters give extra happiness from dyes. Forges give extra happiness from gold, silver, and gems.