Help with Strategy (Monarch)

[ButSam]

I need some advice. I started a Medium-and-Small map on Monarch. This is my first non-GOTM Monarch game. I just won an AP victory on Prince with a lucky start.

Well, the odds are balancing out now, and take a look at this start! I start on a long, skinny island, and got a 2nd city on a neighboring island. I have already met another civ, which is apparently settled on the next island over from my furthest west.

I think my original city can grow quite large with all those clams and fish (total of 5 in the radius).

What is the best path forward with this start? Or is it hopeless? (I don't think so, with all that food rolling in.)

Sam

 

[nullspace]

You weren't kidding when you said the island was long and skinny. It looks rough, but it might be doable. Settle more cities, and try to get a foothold on the main continent. That way, you can gradually ship in troops without building many galleys, instead of trying a major naval invasion. But watch out for colony maintenance.

You might want a more advantageous situation for your first monarch game. Medium and small maps are very watery, if you want more land, you should try a different map script.

 

[mudphud]

This map looks like it will be tricky. I don't much care for maps with too many islands. I would send a couple work boats out to explore and start REX. Did you have a victory in mind? If you find a big land mass that you can settle then you will want to move your capital there to avoid high maintenance.

On research I would recommend going for monarchy soon to raise the happy limit as I don't think you are going to have a lot of cities right away. I'm not sure about researching math right now. I'm guessing you want calender but I don't know if that should be the top priority right now. On a map like this I am thinking about wonders. Great lighthouse springs to mind as all of your starting cities are probably going to be coastal but it can be tricky to get since the AI seems to grab it early. Also you may want to try to get the oracle for MC to get the colossus although that might be difficult given the lack of forests and bronze or marble.

Switch to slavery and whip the settler as soon as you can. I'm guessing you are going to build a city to the north on the forest to get the gold. That should help boost your economy. After the settle I would build another naval units for exploring along with another warrior to fog bust. Barbs shouldn't be a problem because it will be incredibly easy to fog bust. Use the naval units to explore more. Work boats make nice cheap explorers. Of course you may want to start on the GL (great lighthouse - not great library) I think that would be a big help and let you expand faster. I think I'd try to grab it soon since you have both the needed techs but it's your call. Those bananas and gems to west look like they could be a promising city once you get IW (maybe trade for it after alphabet).

Edit: I was thinking and I really would advise not going for calender or math at this point unless I am missing something I don't see the benefit. Just cottage the sugar for now - it will give you more commerce and that city should have enough food and you will get more happy if you get monarchy and switch to HR. You'll grab one of the sugars eventually maybe even both if you want to trade them but for now stick a cottage on there especially since you are financial.

I know I threw a lot of things out there but I don't want to give a step by step play book just some thoughts. Let us know how it goes!

 

[ButSam]

Yes, I was going to get Calendar quickly, but thanks for the advice. Slavery also could be very helpful. I am finding my main challenge is production right now, though, so I really am not sure I have a chance at the Great Lighthouse, unfortunately... but it is worth a shot.

I may put this game on hold since I need something a little "kinder" for my first Monarch game, but I am definitely coming back to this one! I will keep you posted with how it goes. Or perhaps I can recommend it to the people who play Succession games and they can take it on for a challenge? I still have the starting save, and this one is very interesting. I can definitely learn from it, but I'm learning enough just to survive at Monarch. I would like to play it out at some point in time though, after I have one Monarch game under my belt (and it doesn't matter whether I win or lose).

 

[futurehermit]

your problem will be production.

that means whip, whip, whip, whip, whip, whip

you also want to get to democracy for universal sufferage to $$$ your production problems away

but in the meantime, you're left with whipping

try to focus on getting a good economy. colossus is going to be key!

settle peacefully as much as you can and then try to expand once you have a tech edge and have resolved your production problems with universal sufferage.