GOTM 36 Pre-Game Discussion

[klarius]

@Megalou
The tricky point in a combo factory is the 10sh in the first turn. Both options I mentioned allow this on the growth turn to size 5.
So the growth turn to size 7 is never used and no aqueduct is needed.
But I will probably not use any of these. We don't know if we have any use for this many warriors.
Setting it up may take quite some time and the positions don't look promising for the center of a nice empire.

I will just settle somewhere near the cows ( first for more BGs and other city positions) and look to it to get a city to the river ASAP for more commerce.

 

[Roland Ehnström]

@ Roland -- you're overlooking one thing with your 2nd city shield powerhouse plan that you outlined above: you'll actually need 11 shields to make it work, because you'll lose one to corruption. If there's another bonus grass in the radius, though, you're golden.

Very true, I was overlooking that. Still need more experience in micro-management.

-- Roland

 

[Roland Ehnström]

You can use both cows in one turn for +6 food and one cow the other, while a second city uses the other cow.
That gives 10 food in 2 turns for the first and 10 food in 3 or 4 turns for the second.

Clever! As you say it's probably not very practical, considering the amount of micro-management that would be needed, but I find it pretty anyway.

-- Roland

 

[Megalou]

@Megalou
The tricky point in a combo factory is the 10sh in the first turn. Both options I mentioned allow this on the growth turn to size 5.
So the growth turn to size 7 is never used and no aqueduct is needed.

My mistake. I'll put it down to that disturbing thing called work.

In the second option, you're on a river even

This, however, doesn't sound right. Stay put and you are not on a river tile but next to a river tile.

 

[Renata]

I thought my reference to your second option was where you said you'd move 1 SE? In any case, I still misremembered the map; I thought that was the move that would put you where 1 E actually does.

So nevermind -- we're both right and we're both wrong.

Renata

 

[jeffelammar]

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....

I know it's already been said, but I have to say I nearly fell out of my seat laughing when i saw this.

As for the start...
1. 2 cows, I'm salivating already.

2. Moves:
Others have covered it pretty well. I agree that the power of the 2 cows is greater than getting to the river unless our scout can reveal bonuses up there.
I think that I will send the scout east to explore the river. The northern mini-map start makes it even less tempting to even consider a northward expansion.
If the scout reveals a good food bonus within 2 moves of the start, I will consider heading that way, otherwise I think 1 sw or 1 se is my start.
Assuming 1 SW, I think I'll pop out an early worker to help get water over towards me, but I may change my mind when it comes time to actually do it.

 

[iqppfk]

Well, this will be my second attempt to submit a GOTM, and really hope to do better than the embarrassing defeat of GOTM35.

My gamestyle is not warmonger, so I'll probabbly go for a Diplomatic or Cultural victory, hopefully made easier by our traits.

Since we're in an archipielago map, I really don't think we can take much advantage of our Exp trait and most probabbly make my bet on the Commercial one, so, this is a first sketch of my plan:

1. IMHO, a settler factory is not a prime in this GOTM; I believe that if I can get a settler out every 10 or 12 turns I can have all the cities I need in this starting island well before I research MM.

2. I'll bet on the river, since it's where I'll get more commerce and a faster research rate. This is where I'll send my scout first, to explore what's the best commerce producing tile by the river for London.

Building on the coast would only be important if you want to build something like the Colossus early.

3. Second most important city will be coastal, either N or SW from the cows, and will prebuild there for the Colossus and/or Lighthouse (First one favored).

4. I haven't decided just yet, but my two research paths could be a) BW-Writting-MM or just b) Writting-MM. If I just had the chance of getting BW without research...

5. Then, make a rush for republic and desperately look for a trade partner because it's Emperor and I'm risking falling too back behind the AI in research if I stay alone too long.

Do the guru's here have any piece of advise for me? This is my first Emperor game, but I have a good feeling...

 

[Lord British]

The only advice I would give is don't underestimate what a settler factory can do for you. The higher the game level (and Emperor is quite high) the more you need to expand your empire. Even if this is a relatively small island and you dont want to expand elsewhere, you need to pump those settlers out as fast as you can and get working on infrastructure. Otherwise you may fall behind in tech and find the going tough. I think a settler factory is probably the number one priority in any game.

 

[Tone]

Since we're in an archipielago map, I really don't think we can take much advantage of our Exp trait and most probabbly make my bet on the Commercial one, so, this is a first sketch of my plan:

1. IMHO, a settler factory is not a prime in this GOTM; I believe that if I can get a settler out every 10 or 12 turns I can have all the cities I need in this starting island well before I research MM.

I've played a number of maps where archipelago did not mean that I had the island to myself. I've always taken it to mean les than four civs on an island that could actually be quite big. In that respect alone getting a settler factory going early on could be important. Claim the land early and then develop your cities at your leisure.

Even if we did have the starting island to ourselves their may be other islands nearby that we want to claim for resources. Call me suspicious but with two cows at the start there must be a catch somewhere.

ps Did you really post this thread on Oct 1st, ainwood as listed on post #1?

 

[viper275]

That's a good-looking start, could easily get a settler factory running quickly in Despotism. I know my first moves . This game should improve my gameplay a lot, a start like that gives me a pretty good chance of winning but I may struggle a bit.

 

[iqppfk]

The only advice I would give is don't underestimate what a settler factory can do for you. The higher the game level (and Emperor is quite high) the more you need to expand your empire. Even if this is a relatively small island and you dont want to expand elsewhere, you need to pump those settlers out as fast as you can and get working on infrastructure. Otherwise you may fall behind in tech and find the going tough. I think a settler factory is probably the number one priority in any game.

Don't get me wrong, I never said I wanted a xenophobic empire never leaving this little island, On the contrary, I want to be able to expand as soon as possible, and that's why my main concern is getting MM as soon as I can; and surely, it would be just great for me if I can find some other civ in the same island to trade with, and by all means, that "would" change my entire focus back to expanding before commerce to prevent being eaten up by them.

On a second thought, a settler factory could be much more easily converted into any other kind of profitable city, with a high growth rate and high production, I could use it as a worker factory to quickly develop my empire and even to build a wonder there when I can't expand any further; and, having more cities quickly also means a bigger economy sooner which means, higher research speed.

I'll be watching close what others' plans are for this GOTM.

Thanks!

 

[AlanH]

ps Did you really post this thread on Oct 1st, ainwood as listed on post #1?

What sharp eyes you have, Grandma!

If you really want the grisly details:

Ainwood drafted it before he left for a jolly in the South Seas and one of his minions transferred it to this forum on the due date and bumped the thread to get it noticed. Hence the gratuitously nationalistic second post

 

[Tone]

I noticed because I was just surprised at how quickly the thread had grown and I was sure it wasn't around before I left home this morning. That's the problem that I have as my workplace has barred access to this site.

 

[AlanH]

I was sure it wasn't around before I left home this morning.

If you are where your profile says you are, or anywhere further west it *was* up when you left for work this morning. It went live at 9:30 PM BST yesterday so it's had 24 hours to accumulate 54 posts. Two posts an hour isn't bad

 

[Renata]

Even with all that yammerin' increasin' the durn thread count.



Renata

 

[bradleyfeanor]

I noticed because I was just surprised at how quickly the thread had grown and I was sure it wasn't around before I left home this morning. That's the problem that I have as my workplace has barred access to this site.

Not that I would ever want to deny your boss(es) will , but have you tried using Google image search or some other redirector as a way to work around it? That worked for me at a former job.

And no, its not a "former" job for that reason!

Just type in "Civ 3" or something similar into Google's Image search, then when the page comes up you can navigate the site as you normally would. No guarantees, but it worked for me!

 

[Randy]

I know Age = 4 billion is the middle setting.

Ocean Coverage = 70% is that the middle setting also?

Temperature = Temperate is that the middle setting also?

 

[grs]

yes and yes

 

[solenoozerec]

I think a settler factory is probably the number one priority in any game.

Except when you are on a very tiny island (no matter if you are along or with another civ). Ainwood was mentioning a possibility of a chieftain game several times. I think it could be an interesting variant (people so used to build settler factories that it might be interesting to have a game where it is not really needed).
As for the starting moves, I am still unsure. It looks like I need to decide on a victory type before I make first move, since it depends on what I am going to achieve.
Also a remark about a sea cost 2N does not prove that our W coast is a sea cost. We are on archipelago, so sea should be somewhere, which does not necessarily mean that we are not on a lake.
I have a temptation to send a scout W and then N (may be S depending on what we will see). This way we have a chance to get a better view on the nature of our cost.
I think if this coast will look as a lake I will stay at the lake, I may decide to stay on this coast even if it is not a lake.
I also think that since this game is emperor game, Ainwood was kind to provide us with a lux nearby… I hope that our fog-gazers will locate it for us before this game will be realized.

 

[Xerol]

I'm going to hope for iron on the island, or at least a good supply of wood for an archer army. Shoot for IW first while expanding to fill the coasts(if I'm not alone, any AI cities settled in the center I can just try to flip over). Then, pump out swords(or archers, if there's no iron) while heading for MM, then getting ships together and taking over the nearest islands I can find, also building other settlers in the process to fill in gaps. That's a pretty generic plan, but I'll wait to fill in the details until I actually get into the game.