GOTM 29 Pre-Game discussion - Saves now available!

[Justus II]

Well, my main reason for moving is to allow a 2nd or even 3rd city to share more of the FP tiles. I only brought up the forest because many people seemed to be discussing mining the hills, (or plains), but a forest tile lets you postpone that in favor of more irrigation, sooner.

 

[King Of America]

Justus II,

Your idea of ample food makes sense--although if this map reflects reality, we'll have a mighty long stretch of river + FPs!

I'm wondering how far away the coast is.

 

[Muldoon]

I have had a look at the starting image under my "microscope" and am lead to believe that there are resourses located at the tile W, SW although I do not know what. (Can just make out something irregular.

Looks very much like the 'Holy Grail' of wheat in a floodplains to me!

 

[Email10]

Moving to get the forests seems like a nice plan.

I must agree with the whea. It seems that it is something under the fog of that flood plain, and since the only possible resource available on FP:s is wheat AFAIK, it must be that.

I will try get another settler out as fast as possible, maybe even by whipping, if we have a wheat fp. I'm not sure whether to build a granary or not. Since we have such a food-rich start and might have a shortage of shields, maybe it's better to just pump out settlers without the granary, but I will have to decide that once I see a few more tiles.

I will try to make the best use of the Nile and focus research on getting Monarchy asap. Once I have it I will probably initiate my first war with War Chariots, getting a quick GA and boost me into the Middle Ages.

I would like to go for a conquest or domination in this one, but might change my mind...

 

[ainwood]

Just to let you all know: Saves are now available for download, linked from http://gotm.civfanatics.net/games/gotm29_egypt.shtml

Once you have downloaded the starting files, please refrain from posting in this thread (you may still read it to laugh at everyone else!

If you notice any bugs etc, please let me know ASAP. Enjoy.

 

[Megalou]

The area that is exposed to us looks suspiciously large on the minimap. If it is indeed a small world we're dealing with, maybe the granary will be too time consuming for the short time span we have to fill up the available tiles (especially on predator with the extra AI settlers). I think I'll hope to trade pottery and research the wheel straight away.

My feeling about pop-rushing granary is quite negative, because it simply takes too long before you can do it. Does anyone have a different opinion about that?

Like someone said, worker north is a possible starting move, but it will probably only reveal 1 tile (a plain) which doesn't fall within the 21 tile radius of the starting position anyway.

 

[King Of America]

After a painful lesson administered by the X-man in Open class, I'll be playing Conquest class again.

Would anyone care to advise me about how to use my Treasure chests--at 20 shields, they are 1 barracks, most of a Temple, or two warriors (or a warrior and part of a building).

A temple is good for a 20K attempt but I don't know if that's realistic at emporer level (of course Temples have their uses in Emperor, at least before Currency). Barracks means if I send warriors out to explore they have a shot at the barbs; earlier warriors means quicker exploring but a chance to get killed early.

Any thoughts?

 

[Email10]

Originally posted by Megalou
My feeling about pop-rushing granary is quite negative, because it simply takes too long before you can do it. Does anyone have a different opinion about that?

From what I know about pop-rushing you can contribute 20 shields for each pop and one citizen will be unhappy because of this for 20 turns. Since it seems we will have so much food and not so many shields, poprushing seems to be an alternative. For instance, poprushing the granary when the city have reached 40+ shields at the cost of 1 pop and 1 unhappy citizen for 20 turns could be worth it and I will probably do it. I'm even thinking of poprushing my first settler, but playing emperor is already tough with unhappiness problems so I haven't decided yet.
Correct me if I'm wrong... I haven't really played with poprushing so much yet

 

[Space Cadet]

Does the map have to be a 'standard' type map or could we be looking at a long thin map with the 'Nile' going E/W rather than N/S.

 

[Sardukar[SU]]

What is the main target of GOTM29?

 

[dojoboy]

Originally posted by Space Cadet
Does the map have to be a 'standard' type map or could we be looking at a long thin map with the 'Nile' going E/W rather than N/S.

That is what I was wondering. If so, we're probably on the Blue Nile, given its eastern flow which would place it to the north of a E/W map. That also means we're in Sudan = Muslims (Arabia, etc.).

 

[Karasu]

I am looking forward to this game!
Couldn't play GOTM for a while, and I've been missing it...

I read lots of interesting points here, and I am convinced that balancing food and shields in the game opening turns will be key.
For this reason, looking at the forests is interesting- but I think I will spend a worker move to see the surroundings a bit better.

@King, good question. If I had those shields, and given the abundance of food, I would probably use them to speed up an early settler.

@sardukar: welcome to the GOTM!
The main target is to play it and have fun! You can pick the vitory you like the best. Good luck!

And now off to download the game...

 

[Txurce]

Originally posted by Justus II
No one seems to have mentioned, that there appear to be forest tiles NW of the hills, which would provide the same shields as the hills without the time investment of mining. Right now my inclination is to let the worker start irrigating immediately, and move the settler W, which should give me a second forest tile potentially, and more importantly free up more FP tiles to the east for my second city to share.

I agree, top to bottom. It also puts Thebes in range of any resources that may be hidden by the fog to the west.

I'm in no hurry to build the wheel, however, as it will take me a while to decide if I intend to trigger a wastefully early GA with the UU. I'll stick with pottery, then go for republic (now that SirPleb has convinced me that even religious civs don't benefit enough from monarchy). And I'll build the Lighthouse, which has become the most important early wonder for me with the new contact rules... unless I come to realize that we are on a pangaea map!

 

[Grotius]

Hmm, so only one content citizen, eh? That means I have to be watching for Civil Disorder when my cities grow to size 2?

Monarch is the highest level at which I've won, so this will be a welcome challenge. I guess I'll manage happiness the way I always do -- using luxury resources, the luxury slider, trades, and marketplaces. Gulp.

 

[cracker]

Before you begin play in this game, you should perhaps remember and review the lessons that are explored on the "Improving Your Opening Play Sequences" website. Although that information was penned over a year and a half ago, it would seem to have particular value in this example where the starting position has many characteristics in common with the Example of Russia that appeared in Gotm8.

Even a marginal reliance on the whip may not be able to equal a few well placed moved to place the flood plain regions in balance with some moderate shield and resource producing squares.

Remember that the center square of the town will always produce 2 food units regardless of the underlying terrain or bonuses that it overlies.

(On a side note: Nicely inappropriate place for your question Rocinante!! great start. )

All fixed now!

 

[Offa]

Originally posted by cracker

On a side note: Nicely inappropriate place for your question !! great start. )

Welcome back Cracker. Will you be playing?

Good point about the start. It does seem very close to the position in your brilliant article.

I hope there is wheat to the west and feel drawn to move towards it. Of course if you settle on the spot it should still be available when the borders expand.

 

[samildanach]

I will research the wheel at max - waiting for monarchy to deploy your War Chariots may be a bad idea as fuedalism will probably not be far behind.
If this river is supposed to be the nile then there may be alot of it. I may forsake a concentric build for a linear one and whip out the chariots like a crazy dominatrix. I suspect the romans will be nearby and I want to hit them very hard before they even think of getting legions- if they are and one doesn't then it is going to be a very long day at the office.

 

[dojoboy]

Looking at that start pic, reading eveyone's ideas, and reading over Cracker's "early movement" example is really... stressing me out! I'm considering a move to the NWN, toward the hills and forests but still by the river to avoid the need for an aqueduct.

 

[denyd]

For some silly reason I have this idea to get 4-5 cites built ASAP then turn all production to veteran chariots and try to run over the world. However, since it's likely that there are probably mountains & jungles everywhere or there won't be any horses available nearby, I'll probably settler into my expand and build infrastructure mode of play until a bully AI forces me into armed combat.

The FP start is interesting and I'm thinking the under-the-fog prophets are about 50% right, so I'll bet against them this time and settle in place after the worker goes 1 west (just in case). Probably max science for pottery then to the wheel (I might shift this if there's a couple of expansionists in the game).

I'm also thinking this might be a land based game, since the last couple were heavy water games.

I'll be starting tonight, so catch you all in the spoilers.

PS: If anyone could post the download file list for PTW users, I had to reinstall over the weekend to get C3C to work.

 

[Dianthus]

Originally posted by denyd
PS: If anyone could post the download file list for PTW users, I had to reinstall over the weekend to get C3C to work.

Take a look in GOTM Reference Thread