GOTM 36 Pre-Game Discussion

[ainwood]

GOTM 36: England

1. Civilization: England.
2. Map Type: Archipelago.
3. Size: Standard.
4. Rivals: 7 preset.
5. Age: 4 billion.
6. Ocean Coverage: 70%.
7. Climate: Normal.
8. Temperature: Temperate.
9. Barbs: Raging.
10. Difficulty: Emperor.

Class equalisers:
Conquest class: Extra starting worker AND settler.
Predator class: All AI start with an extra worker. Attack bonus vs barbs reduced to 25% (DemiGod). AI Free unit support increased to DemiGod.

Starting map:


Minimap:




Now, I've never really been very good at fog-gazing, but I think that when I blow it up to 400%, I can see a couple of cows....

 

[AlanH]

At last, the Brits get their revenge

Well, the English, anyway. Sorry Sam

 

[WackenOpenAir]

Now, I've never really been very good at fog-gazing, but I think that when I blow it up to 400%, I can see a couple of cows....

wonderful

 

[a space oddity]

Two first thoughts looking at that start:

1. Nice dilemma, go for the cows or the river? One move before settling or two? I'd be inclined to go SE, SE. Be on the river, get lots of shields and grab a cow after initial expansion. But I'm curious to see what the guru's think of this one.

2. England is not normally expansionist, what's up with the extra unit?

 

[WackenOpenAir]

Much could depend on if that water is fresh or not.

 

[AlanH]

2. England is not normally expansionist, what's up with the extra unit?

'Tis in my reference (compiled by Julian Egelstaff)

 

[King Of America]

In Vanilla/PTW, England is Expansionist and Commercial (can you say "Map Making"?)

 

[grs]

Hmm, I'd be very interested in how many food that coastal tiles give...

Btw, any news of the COTM-04 results?

Edit: I would not move the settler. London will not get above size 6 before all available land is settled.

 

[Lord British]

Much could depend on if that water is fresh or not.

Being Archipelago i'm guessing it's salt water.

 

[a space oddity]

In Vanilla/PTW, England is Expansionist and Commercial (can you say "Map Making"?)

Right! Forgot about them moving the traits around between versions. Good reference to MM, BTW, these days I get surprised by being able to trade map in the AA. Maybe this switching between GotM/CotM is too complicated for lil'ol' me.

 

[samildanach]

At last, the Brits get their revenge

Well, the English, anyway. Sorry Sam

Not at all. Once again I will be able to use the flower of pixellated English manhood to move my drinks cabinet that bit closer to Berlin .

Looks like a nice start position.

 

[bed_head7]

Darn, I was hoping the English would be ours in COTM8, after the Portuguese and Sumerians. This sort of makes that unlikely, doesn't it? But I guess I'll have to play this one, after deciding last month to just play COTM.

 

[Lord British]

I'm not sure on my opening moves yet but a pre-build for the Great lighthouse will definitely be on my agenda.

The great British Empire will once again rise to rule the world!

 

[ainwood]

Btw, any news of the COTM-04 results?

Will get on to that tonight after work.

 

[Denniz]

Now, I've never really been very good at fog-gazing, but I think that when I blow it up to 400%, I can see a couple of cows....

You never know. It might turn out to be wheat.

 

[Xevious]

Hmm, I'd be very interested in how many food that coastal tiles give...

Edit: I would not move the settler. London will not get above size 6 before all available land is settled.

I'd be willing to bet the coast is salty. If you look at the mountain 2N, you'll see a bit of coast there as well. My guess is if you stay in place you won't have much room to settle to the north. I think the move 2 SE sounds plausible, but then you only get one cow. My thoughts are to go SE,S and settler on the forest. The worker can go SE,SE and irrigate then move to cow, irrigate/road, move to next cow and irrigate/road and the work on the BG.

Before any of that though, we have the scout to consider. I'm thinking 2S to uncover uncover the area I'm headed for.

 

[Renata]

Definitely scout it first. Not that there's probably more fresh water down there -- that'd be much too kind. Maybe we should scout east instead ...

If there is no closer fresh water than the river, it'd take quite a while to get those cows irrigated (or irrigated & mined, as the case may be) for a four-turn settler factory. Quite possibly it would take long enough that it'd be more efficient in the long run to give them to a second city rather than the first. Dunno yet.

I hate the two-move option on Emperor; staying where I am also doesn't agree with me (one move off river *and* (probable) coast? Ewww -- it's like an AI city). That leaves one SW to coast and cows (but no river, and irrigation a long way away), one E to bonus grass (minor eww for that, and no cows) or one NE to hill by river (more rough terrain in city area and still no cows).

I think there'll be a lot of different start types in this one.

Renata

 

[WillowBrook]

I have little experience with extensive first-move analysis, so I'm wondering if someone could comment on the merits (or, more likely, lack thereof) of settling SW on the coast. Given the map type, it will clearly be important to get boats out ASAP; is it reasonable to plan to use later settlement(s) to build them?

 

[AlanH]

We also have the old chestnut of no irrigation through a hill city for vanilla players. So staying put is even less attractive for us as it doesn't cut the time needed to wet the cows.

[EDIT] Correction. There's no difference for vanilla players. Even if you settle in place it's just as quick to irrigate using the grassland as it would be to rely on water running through the hill city.

 

[AlanH]

Given the map type, it will clearly be important to get boats out ASAP; is it reasonable to plan to use later settlement(s) to build them?

Mapmaking is probably two 40-turn research projects away. We have a 4 turn settler factory available, so in 80 turns, by 1000 BC you're likely to have built anythng from 8 to 15 cities depending on how you play and how much land there is, so I'd say no, you don't have to plan for boats from your first city. Building on the coast would only be important if you want to build something like the Colossus early.