Immortal Augustus Caesar

[Pinďa]

I decided to keep reporting a game while playing. Reposrts will not be long and I will try to wait for any suggestions you can offer me before continuing playing. Shadow games are also welcomed (but be aware of any spoilers please). I will play Immortal difficulty which is maybe slightly above my abilities but I find Emperor too easy sometimes. Do not expect a perfect game without any mistakes (and do not expect a victory although I will do my best). It is an "all standard map" (with random events and huts) with a random leader. So let us start the game...

Our leader

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Our start

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I intend to move my Warrior to the tribal village first (maybe he reveals a map). Then probably settle in place and start building a Work Boat with a 2H1F tile. Research: with Augustus Caesar and a seafood, there is a possibility of skiping Agriculture and beelining Iron Working (with Wheel at some point). However, I do not feel too much comfortable whith such gambits and would probably prefer Agriculture. What do you think?

 

[Fleme]

Popping villages prior to settling is stupid. Why? You can't get a tech from a hut unless you have an existing city, therefore it's best to settle before claiming any huts. You should never want a map from a hut.

That said, settling in place seems like the way to go. 2W has either food or a strategic resource (most likely food) and 1S is most likely horses or if you get lucky, a riverside metal. Pop the hut after settling. If you're really unlucky, both those clear tiles are empty and you get an extra clam 2S which would be the worst case.

Furthermore I don't advocate a wb first either but it seems that we have very different views on how to start so go right ahead. Imo worker first is easily the better choice, even when you can see only one resource you can work on from the start (via Agri). 2W could easily be another grain or perhaps a cow.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Popping villages prior to settling is stupid.

Yeah, save that for below noble (where it is a good idea to abuse marathon + spawning more settlers/workers) and techs come so easily you don't have to try to worry about maintenance.

2W has either food or a strategic resource

2w is a forest tile as far as I can tell...hmm

1S is most likely horses or if you get lucky, a riverside metal

Agreed. Either of these things would be very nice to work.

Definitely settle in place.

I'm torn on WB vs worker because WB has a higher raw-yield and will be a better tile until civil service (and until bio with a lighthouse). If that rice were wet or if we were talking a corn or pig tile it'd be more obvious to me.

Anyway worker 1st seems to have idle worker turns and you're still spending time building workboats off of hammers from unimproved tiles, while wb first you get to put that improved food into what you're building. Is worker 1st really better than the early commerce in this case?

 

[obsolete]

Popping villages prior to settling is stupid.

I guess he wants to maximize his odds of getting a map?

 

[Pinďa]

I do not want a map from the hut but it is more probabilistic than a tech. But you are right, there could be a tech so I agree that popping the hut first is a stupidity.

So I will settle in place first and then pop the hut.
On the Workboat vs. Worker build - I am not sure what is better. If there was a Fish instead of Clam and if I had a 3H tile then I would definitely go for a WB. At this situation delaying Worker could go well together with teching something like BW ---> The Whell ---> IW for spamming Praetorians and not caring about the Rice. But I do not have any practise at starts like that and do not know if it is the best choise. If I start building a Worker then the teching should probably be Agriculture ---> BW for chopping then we will see.

EDIT: A "standard" Teching while building a WB first could be Agriculture ---> BW.

 

[Fleme]

2w is a forest tile as far as I can tell...hmm

Look again. The line of the forest at the edge of the fog indicates that it's an unforested tile surrounded by forests to it's N, S and E. (without knowledge to the W any further.) Given the latitude and the resources visible and the fact that the tile is grass, I'm almost sure it's either corn or cow. It has a small chance of being a strategic resource and a small chance of being empty. As far as that tile directly S of the settler, that looks like a spot for horse if I ever saw one but it still has a small chance of being either copper or iron.

Reading the fog is like astrology.

 

[vranasm]

if the tile 2S1W is PH under forest then I would start with WB.

the 2W tile...I would argue that's forest...

 

[Pinďa]

I settled since nobody suggested any other possibility than settling in place.

Turn 0

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Now the discussion can be more concrete.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Riverside cow is insanely powerful and this is a reasonably solid capitol now. AG ----> AH worker 1st IMO.

 

[Fleme]

I almost feel like I should do a victory dance now but I'll hold to see if I get 2 out of 2. Gold from the hut is nice.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I almost feel like I should do a victory dance now but I'll hold to see if I get 2 out of 2. Gold from the hut is nice.

I never was good at reading fog. Some people can even map out continents using sound. I tried it but just couldn't get a working grasp on it.

 

[Fleme]

I never was good at reading fog. Some people can even map out continents using sound. I tried it but just couldn't get a working grasp on it.

Completely off-topic, but I'm coming to Orlando in like 4 months and just noticed you're from there. Gimme tips on what to do and see, PM.

 

[Pinďa]

I have played some turns...

Turns 1-22

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I started with Worker and Agriculture ---> AH due to the Cows.

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After the Worker I continued with Workboat while growing on the Cows tile (was that right choice?).

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And here I stoped playing.

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We really have Horses in the BFC . In the next turn our Worker will start improving the Cows.

This is our continent.

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It seems like we are isolated. However we still need IW soon. The next tech should probably be BW.

 

[vranasm]

at least you will have easier time with fogbusting.

I wouldn't write off AI's with 22T and the amount of jungle to north.

I agree with sentiment about IW "soon" you would want for praets anyway, but wait for what others will say.

You should get hunting for the ivory and I would settle the 2nd city between cows and ivory.

just to test my early game thinking process I would say -> bw->hunting->pottery

 

[Pinďa]

I played further...

Turns 23-56

Spoiler :

Now it seems like 99.99% that we are isolated.

Reserch: BW (for chopping) ---> Sailing (for connecting cities and a shot on the Great Lighthouse) ---> Hunting (for Ivory) ---> Mysticysm ---> Masonry. The last two techs are not very useful right now but I want to try to build the Great Lighthouse (and Mysticism will be handy later). I go for IW or for The Wheel next (for clearing the jungle and some Praetorians to capture barbarian cities). What is the better order?

My warrior was defeated by a barbarian archer (he was on a hill with jungle and with a woodsman promotion and the archer attacked across the river.) But then my second warrior killed the archer.

From the very first turn, I build in my capital: Worker, Work Boat, Warrior (since the capitol was very close to reach the happy limit), Work Boat, Worker, Settler, Worker, Settler, Worker, Lighthouse, Work Boat (for the third city), Great Lighthouse just started. The second city builds Warriors. The third one builds Lighthouse.

Pictures:

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EDIT: I will probably change the research to The Wheel for connecting the Ivory.
EDIT 2: Should I give the Cows tile back to the Capitol for boosting my production there? I guess not but I do not want to loose the Great Lighthouse.

 

[Gwynnja]

When I find horses in my BFC, the wheel becomes my next tech.

 

[Pinďa]

Turns 56 - 80

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I changed research to The Wheel for connecting the Ivory. This is my Capital bulding Great Lighthouse and using the Cows tile again.

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Prairie dogs - nice.

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Building the Great Wall for gold (I do not have much else to build right now).

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The Great Lighthouse built.

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I started with Pyramids while waiting for IW.

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The Worker on the Ivory tile finishes the road right now - exactly in the same turn when my Capital grows to pop 6 and become unhappy. Good timing!

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My Capital.

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My second city.

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My third city.

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Finally IW.

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Next is Pottery.

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The only metal on our continent.

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I chopped those two forests (for Pyramids in Capital) at the same time when the third city finishes lighthouse and do not need them anymore- good timing!

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Next is Writing.

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Fogbusting. I also changed the locations of my next cities. I want them to be coastal with the Great Lighthouse.

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Pyramids - I did not beleive it when I had started them.

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Finally more Settlers and Workers.

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More.

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And more.

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This is not enough.

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My land.

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I also need a Library.

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What next? Metal Casting?

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I also lost second Warrior (on a hill with jungle to a barbarian Warrior!). I got some money from the Great Wall. I have not changed my Civics so far. As soon as I need it, I will convert to Representation and Slavery.

 

[vranasm]

very good... you managed to get the Mids without stone and GLH will be great here.

I think you should scout more the north west corner for some oversea city.

Wouldn't be CoL much better if confu is still on? You need some religion.

 

[Pinďa]

I am not sure about the research. Metal Casting is a possibility since I do not plan to build many Cottages in this game (which I usually do, so I hope I will mannage it somehow) and so working water tiles with the Collosus would be nice. Code of Laws is another possibility but I guess I will not be the first one to get it. One more possibility is trying to build the Great Library without marble and with no more forests (however I am industrious) and going for Aesthetics.

I will scout the rest of my continent as soon as I build some better units than Warriors.

 

[vranasm]

well dunno...getting MC for colossus could be interesting. But since you will run Rep I am more for Caste+mass specs...