GOTM 38 Pre-Game discussion

[ainwood]

GOTM 38: China

Difficulty: Emperor.
Civilization: China (Industrious, Militaristic; start with Warrior Code and Masonry).
Unique Unit: Rider (Replaces Knight; A/D/M 4/3/3)
Map Size: Standard.
Climate: Arid and warm.
Configuration: Continents, 4 Billion years, 70% Ocean.
Barbs: Roaming.
Rivals: 7.

 

[Offa]

Call that a starting location? How about a few luxuries?

 

[Mathilda]

Yes!
Finally China, my favourite
Cow and Wheat on the river with three BG's and forest
(Surely settle on the spot)
I'm sure there's luxuries everywhere, and horses, and iron...

 

[StanNP]

Call that a starting location? How about a few luxuries?

I remember back in the day (GOTM36) when we used to get two cows at the start location. How are we going to manage without the extra shields?

I usually like to find an excuse to move from the starting location, but here, I can’t see it. Using SirPleb’s food analysis, this start gets us to +6 food as soon as the bonus tiles are irrigated, so we need to find a home for the extra +2 food every 2 turns. There appears to be another river to the south. So the 2nd city will be two tiles SE of the start location and share the wheat every other turn. Worker North, irrigate, road cow, then SE to Wheat, road, irrigate and then move to BG.

Build order Warrior, Warrior, Barracks and switch it to Granary once we find someone with pottery.

Rider moves 3, so it has the advantages of Cavalry speed much earlier techwise. Against Spearmen it is effectively identical to Cavalry. I’m planning on building many chariots and horsemen and then upgrading to Rider once I get Chivalry. Then I’m shutting off research until I clear off the starting continent or capture the GL.

StanNP

 

[dmanakho]

Is it like a Christmas present game????
With all this food and BGs and everything....
It sure going to be a game for the fastest finish in conquest/domination.....

Not that i am going to be able to compete though.

 

[Xerol]

Most likely a mountain range to the west or east with gems in it, and/or furs in tundra to the north. Arid and warm indicates many many desert tiles. Civ split for continents is probably either 5/3 or 4/3/1. Worker actions: Irrigate wheat, mine cows, for +5 food and 4 turn growth(2 after granary). +6 would be a waste. With those two tiles, it's +3spt, add in 2BGs at size 4 = +7. Going +7, +7, then working another BG for +9, +9 wastes two shields, but perhaps we should instead mine the non-BG next to the river for +8, +8 at size 5 and an extra commerce. Build: Worker, Granary. Might chop one to get that done faster. Estimated food/shield/production chart:

Turn #	Tiles-1	2	3	4	5	Food		Shields	Producing
1	Cattle					+3 (3/20)	+2	Worker (2/60)
2	Cattle					+3 (6/20)	+2	Worker (4/60)
3	Cattle					+3 (9/20)	+2	Worker (6/60)
4	Wheat-I					+4 (13/20)	+1	Worker (7/60)
5	Wheat-I					+4 (17/20)	+1	Worker (8/60)
6	Cattle					+3 (0/20)	+2	Granary (2/60)
7	Cattle					+3 (3/20)	+2	Granary (4/60)
8	Cat-M					+3 (6/20)	+3	Granary (7/60)
9	Cat-M					+3 (9/20)	+3	Granary (10/60)
10	Cat-M					+3 (12/20)	+3	Granary (13/60)
11	Wheat-I					+4 (16/20)	+1	Granary (14/60)
12	Wheat-I	Cat-M				+5 (0/20)	+3	Granary (17/60)
13	Wheat-I	Cat-M				+5 (5/20)	+3	Granary (20/60)
14	Wheat-I	Cat-M				+5 (10/20)	+3	Granary (23/60)
15	Wheat-I	Cat-M				+5 (15/20)	+3	Granary (26/60) Use lux slider NOW
16	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M			+5 (0/20)	+5	Granary (31/60)
17	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M			+5 (5/20)	+5	Granary (36/60)
18	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M			+5 (10/20)	+5	Granary (41/60)
19	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M			+5 (15/20)	+5	Granary (46/60) Slider again?
20	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M	BG-M		+5 (0/20)	+7	Granary (53/60) 
21	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M	BG-M		+5 (5/20)	+7	Settler (0/30)
22	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M	BG-M		+5 (10/20)	+7	Settler (7/30)
23	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M	BG-M		+5 (15/20)	+7	Settler (14/30)
24	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M	BG-M	Gr-M*	+5 (0/10)	+8	Settler (22/30)
25	Wheat-I	Cat-M	BG-M	BG-M	Gr-M	+5 (5/10)	+8	Settler (0/30)

Ok, some of these might be a little off, but 25 turns is definately way too late for a first settler. Maybe build settler, granary, worker, and use second city to make a couple MP warriors to save on using the slider until pop 4? I really needa write a program that'll calculate settler factories or something, this is a little much to work out by hand.

 

[Tomoyo]

That is one sweet start!!! And China too! This is gonna be a game where almost everyone competes for the fastest Domination/Conquest. Enough for me to do something different. (Maybe I'l try 100K )

 

[WillowBrook]

There's the possibility of moving west one so a second city (to the northeast) could benefit from the bonus food, as well. And we can't build a granary until we have pottery; who knows when that will be.

Looks like lots of fun! Maybe I'll be able to squeeze this in after Christmas and before classes start again.

 

[WackenOpenAir]

On this start, it is surely not benefical to start with a worker.

Just start the granary, then settlers all the way. Simple as that.

I normally do work out like 5 options by hand (goes really fast when you get the hang of it) but that won't be needed here. It is pretty obvious by itself.

 

[viper275]

This looks too good to be true... Arid and warm, I wonder if we're surrounded by desert? Anyway I know my opening moves, Despotism settler factory, expand fast, then conquer.

This looks fun!

 

[Mauer]

It has been awhile since I have participated in the GOTM, but ainwood just tickled my tweekers with this one!

 

[eldar]

Wow! Christmas Bonus! Though a second Ind/Mil civ in a month?

Neil.

 

[Tone]

ainwood, thanks but you really shouldn't have.

A warrior/settler factory is visible in these nine squares alone. Combine this with cheap barracks and industrious workers and it's just too much.

Where's the catch or is it really the season of goodwill to all men?

With the other river in the south and +6 food, I'll probably settle on the spot and get a close ring 3/3.5 to share the bonus food and use the other river.

 

[TheArchduke]

As I am more the typical monarch player, even with this start the AI will keep me busy, but at least I stand a chance, compared to my death in the greek emperor gotm.

 

[MikeH]

Just start the granary, then settlers all the way. Simple as that.

I'm not sure I follow you here. Are you talking about building the granary immediately after a couple of warriors, or starting a barracks pre-build and researching pottery at maximum and using your second city to build explorers?

 

[Dynamic]

China is one of the best Conquest/Domination civs. Militaristic China with fast Rider will rule on own continents (if we aren't alone).

 

[Mistfit]

What RCP do you all intend on using? I will have to try to get in a few test games to try it out I've never played China on PTW or Vin Civ.

 

[WackenOpenAir]

I'm not sure I follow you here. Are you talking about building the granary immediately after a couple of warriors, or starting a barracks pre-build and researching pottery at maximum and using your second city to build explorers?

Yeah, a prebuild is good i think.

 

[rrau]

Looks like a good start (what's the catch?), but I'm not even done with cotm7 yet. Oh well, I have a few more days before this starts to either wrap it up or be wrapped up.

 

[horragoth]

Yeah, a prebuild is good i think.

With industrious civ you can even take your time with Pottery as you have Pyramids available for pre-build (cheap barracks cannot be used).