Mayan Long Count

[Mesix]

Mayan Long-count forces one to put great people to good use!!

Yeah, I managed to research Theology pretty easily by turn 63 on emperor so got these long count GP @:
72, 86, 101,117,133,152,183, 234

The first two took Admiral and General as suggested...
Then it was Engineer (wonder), Merchant (CS Ally and $$ for settler), Great Artist (to extend Golden Age), Scientist (saving), Prophet (extra faith points).

I would recommend a GS on turn 72 and plant him as an Academy. This will likely generate more over the course of the game than a bulb at the end of the game, not to mention that technologies will come sooner throughout the game creating a snowball effect. It is not quite as powerful as Babylon who can get a GS for an Academy with writing by about turn 16, but it makes a huge impact...especially on the early game.

I generally plant GS up until the Industrial/Modern Era. Somewhere between Public Schools and Research labs, I start saving them for bulbing later.

 

[Mesix]

I played a quick game though the mid 1800s. I have updated the OP with my new observations.

 

[flairin]

yeah, in this case I should have planted a GS... I didn't honestly think it would take so long to spawn the four great people in my cities that is why I did the Admiral and General first thinking that I could spawn the four before t150

If long-count starts early again, next time I will probably go 1) GS (Academy), 2) Prophet (religion enhancement), 3) GE (wonder), 4) Admiral or General, 4) Admiral or general...

then I hope to be able to pop the four great people in my capital circa 145-150...

 

[Hammer Rabbi]

i think i remember MadDjinn saying somewhere how to know when it will happen. He just did a Mayan deity LP and gave the number to look at to know. I just dont remember how to find his assessment, maybe in youtube comments or the LP itself.

 

[Mesix]

I played another game as the Mayan yesterday. I found that when using a quick ICS strategy early (I think I had 6 cities up before the Renaissance), they can cement an early religion advantage. By selecting Cathedrals and Pagodas as the follower benefits, I was able to generate over 100 per turn later in the game. It is amazing how fast builds upon itself as you get the necessary buildings (and Wonders) in every city. The extra allowed me to buy GE at will to rush wonders and save up for a GS bulb fest at the end of the game.

If you combine this with 1-2 well timed multiple great people generated in cities and a thought out strategy of abusing the Long Count, the Maya can really shine. The bonus +2 from the UB in every city doesn't hurt either.

 

[kamex]

So your saying its always the same turn numbers (on any given speed)!? I thought the 'count / calender' started when you got for Theology and it went from that...

 

[Mesix]

So your saying its always the same turn numbers (on any given speed)!? I thought the 'count / calender' started when you got for Theology and it went from that...

The Long Count periods are predefined. When you finish Theology, the Long Count doesn't start new. You will be part way though one calendar period when Theology is researched. As long as you finish it before the defined calendar end points (predefined turn numbers on each speed), you will receive a free great person on that turn.

The last end point is 2012. You can work backward from there every 394 years.

 

[kamex]

The Long Count periods are predefined. When you finish Theology, the Long Count doesn't start new. You will be part way though one calendar period when Theology is researched. As long as you finish it before the defined calendar end points (predefined turn numbers on each speed), you will receive a free great person on that turn.

The last end point is 2012. You can work backward from there every 394 years.

Great ok. I didn't know that. So if you research theology by turn 72, you get the max number of GP (standard speed)?

 

[Mesix]

I think there is one earlier than that, but getting Theology this early would take some real effort (multiple huts and the Great Library) since isn't very high this early in the game.

 

[kamex]

Might be possible on settler, just to try it for completeness sake.

 

[MayanAddict]

After some painstaking playthroughs on Marathon at Settler difficulty, I pulled off what I believe to be the fastest possible theology tech (2330 BC): http://www.2shared.com/photo/OyG5Pe5j/Earliest_Tech.html

Note that I achieved this exactly one turn (!!!) before the 2nd b'ak'tun passes: http://www.2shared.com/photo/XucZiDNr/2nd_bkatun.html

I was more than a little bit peeved when I discovered that I didn't receive any GP for my achievement until the 3rd b'ak'tun (1920 BC): http://www.2shared.com/photo/nxtewXlv/First_GP.html

Is this a bug? Or maybe the producers just didn't expect someone to tech theology this quickly? In any case, I achieved all of this by using a settler found in the ruins to establish an early expansion, going through the tradition social policies, getting God of the Craftsmen for my pantheon belief, and timing the completion of TGL to coincide exactly with my completion of theology's prerequisites so that I could use the free tech on theology itself.

 

[adsin15]

So you take GA and GG first?

I tend to take Great Merchant first and build a customs house because I tend to be short on gold early in the game as Maya with all my Atlatlists running around.

I'm getting into the Maya because I like the free GP ability and also you can do the Super-Shrine strategy if you get an early religion.

Nothing like having Shrines with:
+1 food
+1 culture
+2 faith
+2 Science
+1 Happiness

and temples with:
+3 faith
+10% GPT
+1 food

You need to take the Piety Tree and get the proper religious bonuses but you can have insane Faith Buildings with the Maya.

 

[kaspergm]

After some painstaking playthroughs on Marathon at Settler difficulty, I pulled off what I believe to be the fastest possible theology tech (2330 BC): http://www.2shared.com/photo/OyG5Pe5j/Earliest_Tech.html

Note that I achieved this exactly one turn (!!!) before the 2nd b'ak'tun passes: http://www.2shared.com/photo/XucZiDNr/2nd_bkatun.html

I was more than a little bit peeved when I discovered that I didn't receive any GP for my achievement until the 3rd b'ak'tun (1920 BC): http://www.2shared.com/photo/nxtewXlv/First_GP.html

Is this a bug? Or maybe the producers just didn't expect someone to tech theology this quickly? In any case, I achieved all of this by using a settler found in the ruins to establish an early expansion, going through the tradition social policies, getting God of the Craftsmen for my pantheon belief, and timing the completion of TGL to coincide exactly with my completion of theology's prerequisites so that I could use the free tech on theology itself.

Probably they coded it that way, presumably just because they didn't expect anyone to finish Theology that early, although that is just my guess. It might have been for balance reasons, but I sort of doubt them thinking that deeply about that.

 

[TM Moot]

Having played Mayan a few times, I generally go with...

GS, settle an early Academy
GE, rush a critical early wonder
GP, enhance your religion (& spread)
GG, other civs start getting twitchy by now, in my last game this GG dropped a crucial citadel
Gart, save for when a golden age is required
GM, send out on a trade mission
GAd, ocean navies are important by now

also i won't rush Theology too much, get your cities up and running first

 

[beezany]

I think you need to finish Theology before the last turn of the baktun to get a great person. At standard speed, turn 61 is at the end of the third baktun (3.18.15.0.0), and turn 62 is at the start of the fourth (4.0.15.10.10). The end-of-baktun celebration happens between turns, and you get your great person on turn 62. I'm pretty sure that I've missed out on the bonus when I finish Theology exactly on turn 61. I think the sequence goes like this: You need to finish Theology by turn 60 to celebrate the end of the baktun on 61 to get your bonus on 62.

Speaking of which, the end of baktun 12 happens in 2012, but you don't get the final bonus until turn 433 (AD 2013). Again, it appears that the end-of-baktun celebration happens in turn 432, and then you get the bonus the following turn.

 

[Shadow717]

hm, I wish a saw this thread last night! I started a Maya OCC and I could have given out the bak'tun turn numbers for 4. - 7.0.0.0.0 at epic pace. Oh well.

It's an interesting ability to say the least, If you can rush theology early enough it can be a very nice bonus to the early game. Personally I think a GE and GS make the best starting choices in most case, but an early customs house from a GM can be seriously powerful too, and I think it probably gets overlooked sometimes because people only think of the trade misson (not that an early trade mission is bad).

edit: What do people think of using a GE from the first bak'tun choice for a manufactory rather than rushing a wonder? that's a serious amount of production from one tile so early in the game, it might be a viable choice. This UA gives so many options

 

[Browd]

Bradd is right. Turn 60 Theology for first L-C GP on turn 62.

Early manufactory is truly the gift that keeps on giving. It has more of an impact on your game than any early game wonder can ever have, assuming you expect the game to last a reasonable length of time (i.e., you're not playing an early domination game). Just like all GP tile improvements, its importance/impact fades as the end game approaches.

 

[Zezima]

Here are the baktun turns for Epic speed.

99 - b4
115 - b5
131 - b6
150 - b7
177 - b8
203 - b9

That was as far as I've gotten so far in my recent Maya game. I think I hit Theology around turn 87, so I wasn't able to get baktun 3.

 

[compwiz1202]

Has anyone ever gotten the GP for the third bak'tun? I tried a while back and got really close once. Maybe with more ideal conditions I might have had it. I forget if it was because I couldn't finish the Great Library fast enough or if I just never got to the beginning of Theology in time. I will have to try again tonight

 

[joncnunn]

Has anyone ever gotten the GP for the third bak'tun? I tried a while back and got really close once. Maybe with more ideal conditions I might have had it. I forget if it was because I couldn't finish the Great Library fast enough or if I just never got to the beginning of Theology in time. I will have to try again tonight

You can pick these in any order you want; you just can't duplicate unless you complete the full set first.

Personally I think it may be best to pick GP first; this can be about the time you get a GP naturally so you get to enhance your religion shortly after founding instead of waiting.