Masters of the Seas

[Incan Emperor]

I was playing an Archipielago game with 7 leaders who where specialy suited for this and was enjoying it so much I decided to start a thread about it, I was playing as Willem van Oranje and made it first to Liberalism, Astronomy and had just researched Steam Power, on an Archipielago that made for a certain victory so I decided it was way to late to start a thread on it so Im starting a new game.

The settings are standard size Archipielago with Archipielago land masses, Monarch difficulty, normal game speed, time victory unchecked and locked modified assets.

Our guests include Ragnar, Hannibal, Joao, Elizabeth, Tokugawa, Isabella and your host will play as Willem van Oranje once more, Im tempted to change leader cause I would love to have an earlier UB like Hannibal, which I think is just as powerful as the Dyke, or Ragnars military prowess, you know, early Berserk equals dead neighbors or Joaos UU and keep all the unclaimed land for myself but I still want to perfectionate Willem a lil bit.

Hope you enjoy it.

Well heres our starting position quite promising, lots of food and productive potential with the dyke since the tiles that are not water are riverside.

Moving warrior to the grassland hill east, working a grassland hill, first production is a workboat, researching Mining-BW.

Popped a hut with a map, we are in the south pole other than that looking very promising, I have spotted two nice production sites which are scarce on Archipielagos, Capital will probably stick to commerce.

Completed workboat working clam tile, next build another workboat for the other clams.

BW completed, will try and get to Monotheism for Judaism/OR, no Bronze in sight though.

Workboat completed, going for worker, at size 3 and with 2 clams in the BFC it will take next to nothing.

Workers out, chopping a plains hill to mine it. Building Warrior.

At size 4 building settler.

After settler working on another warrior.

 

[Incan Emperor]

This will be my new city

Ill hold it up for one turn to make sure Judaism is founded in the capital, also I was thinking of a production city because of the stone, but with the gold and dyes there its better of as commerce.

Did made it to found Judaism, I adopted it with the ensuing anarchy, not sure what to research next.

 

[BalbanesBeoulve]

Sailing for the great lighthouse, asap.

 

[Incan Emperor]

Well this is the dot map, I think we really have something to work with here, theres some overlap in some areas but its definately worth it.

Ill take any advice for city specialization since I kinda suck at it.

Im working on a workboat at Utrecht for Amsterdams clams on the opposite side of the shore and researchng The Wheel, wasnt sure if that or Sailing or IW, but I decided I wanted to hook up the gold and stone.

 

[Incan Emperor]

Sailing for the great lighthouse, asap.

Think so? Yeah, it might be worth it, specially since I have Masonry already. OK, Ill change it now thanks, Ill take a break till tomorrow Im going to bed now.

 

[BalbanesBeoulve]

Definitely. It's amazing on archipelago maps. The overseas trade routes you'll have from the beginning will let each city pay for itself right from the start, you can rex without taking a hit in your science rate, especially if there's another civ that you can trade with pre-astronomy. I prefer it over the colossus on water maps because the colossus expires too soon, astronomy is something you want to beeline on these maps.

If you're isolated and you don't see any other civ within coast distance, i'd definitely go for the colossus anyway, usually picking up metal casting through the oracle. You can delay building settlers while you get all those wonders built. But if you meet another civ, those hammers are better put to use building as many settlers as you can and getting to those islands first.

 

[Pe Ell]

I would probably have put my second city one tile SE to allow it to act as a canal. No health for fresh water there though. No bronze eh? Hmm, either AH or archery soon then to keep the barbs at bay. Your dotmap looks ok. Also consider sending a workboat out to scout for possible AI's that might be connected through coastal squares.

Edit: Speaking of canals you could do that in the south too.

 

[r_rolo1]

I don't like much of your sheep/corn city.... why not settle in sheep? It woud get corn/stone/fish/sheep (in spot ) and it would be a better city overall ( more water tiles too ( remember the UB... ) )

And do the Great lighthouse ASAP... in this kind of ragged map it is the best wonder to have.... well collosus is a good one too

 

[Incan Emperor]

I don't like much of your sheep/corn city.... why not settle in sheep? It woud get corn/stone/fish/sheep (in spot ) and it would be a better city overall ( more water tiles too ( remember the UB... ) )

And do the Great lighthouse ASAP... in this kind of ragged map it is the best wonder to have.... well collosus is a good one too

Well the sheep would be almost totally wasted then and so would the tiles in between the capitol and the city, if anything Im thinking of settling in top of the stone, since the stone city would have no food to grow otherwise.

Edit: No, sorry, settling on the stone wont give fish on the BFC, I hope there is an island there that can use the fish.

 

[Incan Emperor]

Im thrilled by the peninsula west from Utrecht, Moai+Dyke Yikes!

Im thinking Heroic Epic there, not Ironworks since it wont have the food to feed the engineers.

 

[Incan Emperor]

I would probably have put my second city one tile SE to allow it to act as a canal. No health for fresh water there though. No bronze eh? Hmm, either AH or archery soon then to keep the barbs at bay. Your dotmap looks ok. Also consider sending a workboat out to scout for possible AI's that might be connected through coastal squares.

Edit: Speaking of canals you could do that in the south too.

You really think a canal is all that important?

IMO city placement is more resource oriented, eventually if I need a canal I can just build a fort either way, right?

 

[Incan Emperor]

What I have the most trouble with is GPP farm, does anyone recognize one here?

 

[Incan Emperor]

Im doing the wheel and sailing after it, I think the extra hapiness will actually help me complete The GLH.

 

[BalbanesBeoulve]

With an island like this, yeah, a canal would be awesome. But you don't need a city for that. Forts can act as canals too. I'd put one in the plains north of the stone, or the tundra north of the deer. I dont think you need a GP farm. Your capital will produce a ton, since its almost certain you'll have to remove some workers with all that seafood and flood plains.

 

[Incan Emperor]

Well we havent met yet but by the color of the borders I can tell Izzy is our neighbor, that most definately means early wars since Im a Jew and she is always the founder of buddism.

 

[Incan Emperor]

I have completed The Wheel and going for Sailing now, Priesthood comes next.

Due to the timing between completing Sailing and the workboat Im starting a Lighthouse on Utrecht, and since it has the stone quarry which means lots of hammers I think Im building TGLH in Utrecht.

I have also adopted OR and Slavery with the ensuing anarchy, OR should help me complete TGLH.

 

[BalbanesBeoulve]

Open borders with her and adopt her religion. An ally is better than an enemy. If she's your only neighbor you'll definitely want a trading partner. And if ironworking doesn't give you any iron on your island, you definitely don't want an early war.

 

[Incan Emperor]

Uhmm, Barb archers, they have already killed my south warrior, trouble ahead.

Uhmm, the barbs just faded back into the fog, I have completed Priesthood, where should I go from here?

Im torn between IW and AH...

 

[Incan Emperor]

Open borders with her and adopt her religion. An ally is better than an enemy. If she's your only neighbor you'll definitely want a trading partner. And if ironworking doesn't give you any iron on your island, you definitely don't want an early war.

True, should I go IW or AH first? I think Im going IW since its on an important path to get optics.

If no Iron I will adopt buddism as soon as it pops on any of my cities. If Iron, cats+maces and kill the heathens.

 

[Pe Ell]

Ah, forgot about the forts. I tend to build them very seldom, only in late games to act as extra airports. Good thing you didn't listen to my advice.

Iron sounds good since there probably won't come many barbs on such a small island. With north fogbusted their only way at you is from that narrow choke in the south. Don't forget to build a trireme to protect your seafood.

What's the general plan for victory? Astronomy bulb as done in the ALC with ragnar would be really good, as it always is on archipelago or in isolation.