GOTM 36 Pre-Game Discussion

[solenoozerec]

I hope when I will wake up tomorrow I can check what predator “bonuses” are. Just curious.

Now I hope to see predator "bonuses" before I go to sleep.

I thought Ainwood promised to publish them a day before game release

 

[ainwood]

Now I hope to see predator "bonuses" before I go to sleep.

I thought Ainwood promised to publish them a day before game release

Well, here they are:

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.

 

[solenoozerec]

Well, here they are:

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.

I have a temptation to try it , though DemiGod raging burbs in PTW sounds real scarry

 

[CKS]

Well, here they are:

Conquest class: Extra starting worker AND settler.

Well, this makes me think about going conquest class. I could set up my capitol inland and a 20K city on the coast nearly simultaneously, giving myself a huge edge. I've been playing open, but I still qualify for conquest class (at least until the GOTM 35 results are out).

Probably I'll still go open, but just in case: There is a good chance that I broke into the top half in GOTM 35. Does this mean that if I start before the results are posted I can go conquest, but if I start after they are posted (and I did make the top half) I can't?

 

[Mistfit]

@CKS - IMHO (which means little or naught) If you are intending on using it to whip up a really good finish time you shouldn't be using it. OTOH if you think you will need it to survive or will not play otherwise go ahead and use it.

 

[AlanH]

Don't forget you forfeit 15% of score if you go Conquest

If you are really an Open player, and it sounds like you are, I doubt if you are going to learn a lot by putting training wheels back on.

 

[WillowBrook]

Ooh - an extra sttler! That is tempting, since this will be my first Civ III emporer game and I hate barbs. But it's quite possible I scored in the top half in GOTM35 (my first GOTM) , and I just spent several hours figuring out (maybe) how to have at least 13 towns by 1000bc (albeit with the unrealistic assumption that those raging barbs won't cause too much trouble...), so I probably should stick with open. :shakehead

 

[dmanakho]

I wouldn't be much worried about raging barbs...
On emperor level land is settled so fast - barbs won't have chance to be much of a trouble.
(exception would be if we are alone on that island and it's large enough for us to fill in a short time)

 

[eldar]

IIRC, the 'Restless' barbs were enough of a problem in GOTM33... something to do with a large tract of Jungle.

Neil.

 

[CKS]

@CKS - IMHO (which means little or naught) If you are intending on using it to whip up a really good finish time you shouldn't be using it. OTOH if you think you will need it to survive or will not play otherwise go ahead and use it.

Well, for me on emperor, a really good 20K finish time would be before 2050 AD. I'll play either way, but I don't really expect to win it. I've gotten to the point where my goal isn't "don't lose by conquest" anymore, but I don't need my fingers to count my emperor wins - my thumbs will do (one GOTM, one other, both diplomatic wins).

As for the scoring penalty, the difference between 850 and 1000 isn't nearly as great as the difference between 8500 and 10000.

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

In short - if the closest city to the palace is at (say) distance 4, then all cities that are distance 1, 2, 3 or 4 from the FP will have rank = 1.

I've read the PTW Corruption now. Is the following accurate? Say I set up a 2 RCPs around a capital, size 4 & 8. I put 4 cities in the first one and 8 cities in the second one. No matter what I do at the FP location, the 1st RCP cities will be rank-1 and the 2d RCP will be rank-5. At the FP location I can set up as many cities as I can/want at distance 2-4 and they will still be rank-1. I can set up as many cities as I can/want at distance 4.5-8 and they will be rank-5. If so, WOW have I not been using my FP right!!!

 

[ainwood]

As long as your cities near your FP are closer to the FP than they are to the palace, then this is correct.

 

[smackster]

I've read the PTW Corruption now. Is the following accurate? Say I set up a 2 RCPs around a capital, size 4 & 8. I put 4 cities in the first one and 8 cities in the second one. No matter what I do at the FP location, the 1st RCP cities will be rank-1 and the 2d RCP will be rank-5. At the FP location I can set up as many cities as I can/want at distance 2-4 and they will still be rank-1. I can set up as many cities as I can/want at distance 4.5-8 and they will be rank-5. If so, WOW have I not been using my FP right!!!

Nearly right, the cities round the FP get rank 1 at distance 2-4.5, and those at distance 5-8 get rank 5.
Generally I would squeeze both ranks closer, although it does depend on the map, so RCP 3/6 is more typical for me.

Although I use this, I do like the fact that its gone in Conquests.

 

[SirPleb]

Phew, got here with barely enough time to read and then post a few thoughts before the game starts.

I plan to start with the scout heading east. If the scout doesn't reveal another food bonus, I'll settle SW of the start. I'll probably irrigate both cattle and share the resulting excess food but this depends a bit, on there being a good tile (BG or better) further SW or under a forest, and on there being some room to expand. If the need for more production outweighs the need for more food (unlikely but possible) then I'll irrigate one cow and mine the other.

I'm planning to start with 40 turn research toward Writing. I'll speed that up if it seems that I can get a good bit of commerce, e.g. if I'm motivated to produce a worker or settler before granary or if settling near a bonus on the river looks good.

After Writing I plan to head for Republic. In the meantime I expect another Civ will get Map Making. I'm going to try to build the Great Lighthouse via a prebuild, completing it after becoming a Republic. This plan may have to change if someone gets Map Making too early in the game.

I haven't decided on my initial build sequence. It will depend on what the scout discovers during the first few turns before it is becomes necessary to commit. If the scout discovers another nearby food bonus then a settler will be a priority. If the initial land area is anything but small another scout will be a priority, and/or a warrior to explore the immediate area and to protect against barbarians. A worker may be worthwhile before granary. Hard to choose among these until a bit more of the land is explored. After doing that and deciding on any initial extra units (scout/warrior), I'll then calculate fastest approach to getting a granary (worker first or not.)

 

[solenoozerec]

SirPleb@ - no AAC in this one?

 

[DizzKneeLand33]

With a scout in hand, I agree, it's very difficult to make a decision on the start position without seeing a few more tiles. I mean, MAYBE it's a small island..... maybe the water is a lake and not sea..... MAYBE.......

You guys really analyze every last tile! Man..... I bet it takes that to be a great player at this. I am taking your advice to heart in this one, and moving the settler, probably SW (all else being equal).

What if you could see quickly that this was a small island? How would you change your city placement and plans?

 

[DJMGator13]

What if you could see quickly that this was a small island? How would you change your city placement and plans?

If a small island I would probably settle my cities on the coast leaving the interior land for tile sharing versus putting a city in the middle which would claim most of those tiles. Map Making & galleys becomes a priority to get settlers to the other islands.

 

[klarius]

I'm still very undecided.
The SW move looks like a given, but OTOH it's not such a large advantage.
The second cow will be worked only after the 7th turn, so a move w with only one cow initially could also be nice, if there is something interesting there. That would fit nicer to the next cities I want to have.
Irrigation will take quite long and I'm even toying with the idea to make roads first and not irrigate to get at least a little bit of commerce. Then get a first settler out quickly and settle at the river.
That may mean a very tight (range 2) placement of the first two cities and micromanagement madness for quite some time. I for sure want the second city to be able to share at least one cow and at the same time I want river tiles.
I think scouting to the east is not needed initially. We see already a lot of good land to place at least 5 cities in the east and se. The question is really what is in nw and sw.

 

[gozpel]

While white-bellied ainwood stands in the local bar, doing a Haka to prevail any mountain trolls, the rest of the GOTM-crowd is waiting for the save.

It's friday afternoon here in Australia.

 

[ainwood]

Wot? And miss the NPC Semi-Final?