GOTM 45 Pre-Game discussion

[brennan]

For those non-expansionists, no there is no mid to late game advantage. You get a scout and better stuff from goody huts, that is it. Standard practice is to make the most of it by building 1 or 2 more scouts as first priority. It seems unlikely that we will start next to other expansionist civs, so go for those goody huts, remember that expansionists never pop barbs from goodies.

I believe that so long as you do not have a settler building, and have no more cities than other civs, there is a fairly good chance of a settler pop too. Ainwood have we still got a chance of this or have you turned settler pops off as an unbalancing variable?

One consideration; 12 civs on standard map will make for a fast tech pace.

 

[denyd]

Brennan: I case you haven't played XOTM recently, the staff modded the expanionist tribe games to produce a worker instead of a settler from goodie huts and that might be the case this game.

It seems as though the priority in this game is to get a quality settler factory site, build a granary and start popping out those settlers ASAP. With 11 opponents, I may place a settler on my 4 ring and then try to settle my second ring at 7/8 before back filling the balance of my inner ring. I'd like to be able to walk far enough to allow the starting location to be on the second ring, but a don't think I can afford to wait 6+ turns to settle, so my northern arc of the rings will probably be on low food terrain.

I agree with the preciction of a fast tech pace, between the AI trades and the Russian age change bonus, we could be researching a 2nd level tech by the end of the QSC. The key will probably early contacts and liberal tech trading.

 

[Puppeteer]

My first thought was to settle in place, then I remembered furs give you an extra shield, not an extra food. Then I thought I'd chop 'em then remembered this is PTW w/ a 10-turn chop. I still may settle in place and chop just to be stubborn and different unless that's tundra under those fur forests.

 

[bio_hazard]

remember that expansionists never pop barbs from goodies.

Seriously?? I never knew that!!

Not sure what I'm going to aim for. 20k seems like it might be difficult with 12 civs unless you get a lot of leaders, which would mean lots of fighting, which would mean pointy-stick research which I don't seem to be good at.

Early conquest/domination seems scary without knowing the map and who our neighbors are. Also seems like something of a gamble in that a stalled campaign could set you back quite a ways in techs.

Diplo seems do-able if I can parlay an early tech lead/contact trades from the expansionist trait into lots of gold to fund research (and trades) through the MA and IA. This will require some expansion in the AA to secure resources, luxuries, and enough productive city sites, and doesn't necessarily preclude some later wars as long as I don't screw up the diplomatic side of it and keep everyone else on my side and happy.

 

[Più Freddo]

The far northern location is problematic not only for the shape of an empire core, but also for scouting. If we are also in a western or eastern corner of the continent, we can expect to pop maybe three or four huts and meet four or five civs. Not much.

 

[Own]

The expansionist trait is useless with all that forest and mountainous terrain.

My build order would be
scout, worker, granary, settler, settler, rax, warriors until swords.

 

[brennan]

Brennan: I case you haven't played XOTM recently, the staff modded the expanionist tribe games to produce a worker instead of a settler from goodie huts and that might be the case this game.

It seems as though the priority in this game is to get a quality settler factory site, build a granary and start popping out those settlers ASAP.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head there. The worker popping thing sounds familiar, which is why I asked the question.

Get over the other side of those mountains and I bet expansionist will pay off.

 

[Scaevola]

I wonder if the river SW is the source of the river or the continuation of the one north of us. Either way I hope it continues for a while.

 

[bio_hazard]

Do people disband their scouts after the exploration phase? Just wondering if they are worth keeping around for any reason. They don't work as MP's, right?

 

[ainwood]

No, they don't. Some people used to park them on resources in AI territory, however that's now ruled-out as its exploitive.

 

[ionimplant]

Do people disband their scouts after the exploration phase? Just wondering if they are worth keeping around for any reason. They don't work as MP's, right?

yeah, i usually disband them for shields once the exploring phase is over. however they sometimes can be so far away from home....

 

[solenoozerec]

Do people disband their scouts after the exploration phase? Just wondering if they are worth keeping around for any reason. They don't work as MP's, right?

I never disband them, though I frequently send them on suicidal spying missions.

BTW, its 14th, where is information on predator class? Although I doubdt that I will find time to finish this game, I may, at least, start it.

 

[denyd]

I use mine to block the AI settlers and to sit on the AI roads and slow down AI movements (no illegal resource blocking). However, once most of the cities are in place, if I'm paying unit support, I bring them home and disband them.

BTW, any final word on workers or settlers from huts?

 

[Twonky]

The barbarians are set to ´raging hordes´, so I guess there won´t be a problem with scouts getting old...

 

[ainwood]

Workers from huts, and iron stays-put.

 

[brennan]

I don't think barbs are going to be a problem, the map will fill up very fast with 12 Civs! Is it even worth the investment in a factory?

 

[Xerol]

I don't think barbs are going to be a problem, the map will fill up very fast with 12 Civs! Is it even worth the investment in a factory?

I'm probably going to be part of the "no" category here. 60 shields = 3 archers or 6 warriors or 6 scouts. I'm going to pop huts like mad, and then pointy-stick what I don't get from huts. I'm most likely going to go for 20k again, with the Diplo option open. This isn't that great of a 20k map, so I'm assuming not many people are going to go for it, and the low score can be achieved even with a moderately sized territory. Colossus seems out of the question unless we're fairly near water, but since we're scientific, I'm going straight for libraries so the GL will probably be the first or second wonder build.

 

[Scaevola]

when does the ruckus start?

 

[bio_hazard]

when does the ruckus start?

my question too. I was hoping to download the .sav files while still at work tonight. Of course, my productivity hasn't been the best because I refresh the GOTM forum page about every 10 minutes.

 

[ainwood]

my question too. I was hoping to download the .sav files while still at work tonight. Of course, my productivity hasn't been the best because I refresh the GOTM forum page about every 10 minutes.

I normally try to post it around 7:00 PM NZT - ie in about an hour and a half from the timestamp of this post.

Unfortunately, something a bit urgent has cropped up, and it may be delayed an hour or more.

My Apologies....