News: COTM38 Pre-Game Discussion

[civ_steve]

COTM 38: Netherlands

Yes, Prince William is making another engagement. You'll have lots of room to sail around in this 80% Ocean, Large, Archipelago map. Can you dominate the map, or will other larger AI eventually squeeze you out. We shall see!

Here is the COTM38 game info:

Civilization: Netherlands
Rivals: 10 pre-selected.
Barbarians: Restless
Difficulty: Demigod
Land Form: Archipelago, 80% ocean, Large map.
Geology:5 billion years old, Wet and Temperate.
AI Aggression: Normal, mostly

Conquest-Class Bonuses:

1. 
   A 2nd starting Settler
   Knowledge of the Wheel
   A bonus luxury is located nearby

Predator-Class Equalisers:

1. 
   Don't Know Pottery
   UU doesn't start Golden Age
   General Aggression Level increased one level to More Aggressive

(Note: being a Large map at higher difficulty level, you get an extra week to play the game!)

 

[supersova_SU]

Difficulty: Demigod

Incredible !

very interest game...

 

[ignas]

Sounds interesting. Settling second city 2W? Cavalry should do the job.

 

[Più Freddo]

Settling second city 2W?

Well, the influence of the fresh water and either Cattle or Wheat gives us the five food per turn. A chopped Fur Forest makes a Bonus Grassland. Nice.

The problem with both locations is that they aren't on the coast. We'll need to get them Curraghs out A.S.A.P., and the commercial bonus doesn't hurt either.

 

[PaperBeetle]

First town 1SW then. It passes up first-ring wheat of course.
I think that's another wheat W,W,S. Second town where ignas said, third town on the north lakeshore... three 2-turn population pumps?

 

[Othniel]

Wet map should have plenty of fresh water. Combine that with an Agri civ and we should be able to boom, even with the lack of land on an 80% water Archipelago map. This looks to be a very interesting set-up.

Playing Predator might be out for me on this one, though. I don't relish the thought of kicking off a GA with wonder-builds, unless I go 20k, especially because the only pre-Modern Age Agri wonders, IIRC, are Pyramids, Hanging Gardens, and Hoovers. It'll be possible to build one of those, certainly Hoovers and possibly the HG with a good pre-build, but it could really hurt early expansion for building the HG, and neither would make for the best-timed GA. Plus, we'd have to build a Seafaring wonder on top, although the GLH is always nice on an 80% 'pelago map.

 

[killerkid]

I will settle W or in place. However, the conquest bonus of extra settler suggests that we may in fact have an AI on our pelago. If that is the case, darn it.

 

[Chamnix]

Playing Predator might be out for me on this one, though. I don't relish the thought of kicking off a GA with wonder-builds, unless I go 20k, especially because the only pre-Modern Age Agri wonders, IIRC, are Pyramids, Hanging Gardens, and Hoovers. It'll be possible to build one of those, certainly Hoovers and possibly the HG with a good pre-build, but it could really hurt early expansion for building the HG, and neither would make for the best-timed GA. Plus, we'd have to build a Seafaring wonder on top, although the GLH is always nice on an 80% 'pelago map.

Most likely the best approach is to capture an agricultural wonder and build a seafaring one, or capture agricultural and seafaring wonders, then build whatever other wonder is most useful (or happens to be available at an appropriate time).

 

[Othniel]

Most likely the best approach is to capture an agricultural wonder and build a seafaring one, or capture agricultural and seafaring wonders, then build whatever other wonder is most useful (or happens to be available at an appropriate time).

I didn't think about capturing the wonders, so that's an excellent suggestion.

Providing I play predator so that this applies to my game...

I guessing I'll be trying for the GLH, so it'll probably wind up that I'll capture an agri wonder later on and then build another wonder to kick off the GA.

 

[Vegasgustan]

Looks like I am sitting this one out. Demigod...too rich for my blood. I know I am being a baby, but I have a 9 week old and if I am going to miss out on time with him I want it to be for something I have at least a tee-tiny chance of winning. With this game my friends, there is not even a snippit of hope.

I shall await the new GOTM and hope it is at most at Emperor.

Please...

I need the break from the baby.

No really, I'll pay good money for a Warlord game. Good money!

 

[ThERat]

DG? looks interesting

 

[Daghdha]

I never seem to have time to play COTM but I'll give this one a shot. I'm a poor warmonger so will be my credo. 80% wet means a small island so I'll chop 1 granny max, then rax it up and go get Maps. Early dinky is a no brainer. Writing @ max and some and I'll be just fine. Settling 1 SW is likely to hit open waters (small chance of two lakes so close, so far S), so tht's my choise.

 

[anaxagoras]

In addition to the open shoreline to the SW, it also looks to me like there is shoreline both N and ESE. What about sending our worker out to scout N or E before deciding where to plop down?

I've never played a DG game, so I'm not sure I'll do this, but I want to hear what my approach should be if I do leap in.

 

[Schalke 04]

i've never played a COTM, er even a GOTM.
i've never played archipelago before
i've never played harder than emperor
i've never played another map size than standard

i don't know which devil rides me, but i want to try this one. hopefully my first steps in MM won't get wasted by total overwhelming AI-Civs who are kicking me of my island.

my strategie:
great lighthouse and the seafearing trait could get the most of all contact in the beginning. i think it helps a lot for the scientific progress. buiding the GL has priority as same as a tighter cityplacement to expand fast and build a lot of units.
my other strategie is, to build a huge amount of ancient naval unit which can control my island and the reachable others. with that armada you don't have to leave a lots of standing unit in your hometown to guarde it (but some for MP and the worst case).
some stack of swordsmen (if this small island has iron) can hopefully capture city after city of the near archipels (don't know how well they will be defended in DG). and if a archipel is yours these swordsmen can be brought in a very quick way to the next battlefront, while the AI cannot counterattack to recapture, due to my naval domination. this makes fast units less effective than in continental/pangea maps.

After I got enough archipels so that i reach the OCN (schould be 24, right?), i will switch to republic and get the FP to the farest city i hold (of course that city should have enough surrounding cities, too).
EDIT: Perhaps Moarchy is the better decision, due to the larger unit support for my navy and the groundin invasion forces

 

[firepeoplebb]

Okay, I just downloaded the game but I can't find where it is to actually play it. Can someone please help me, it would be much appreciated.

 

[Kool Keith]

You need to put the save file into your conquests saves folder. Then simply load a Civ III game like you usually would.

Your conquests saves folder is probably located like this:

local C: --> program files --> firaxis games --> Civ III Complete --> Conquests --> Saves

 

[Daghdha]

After I got enough archipels so that i reach the OCN (schould be 24, right?), i will switch to republic and get the FP to the farest city i hold (of course that city should have enough surrounding cities, too).

If you wait for the FP until you've reached OCN and place it far away from the palace, then it will take ages to build and come into play too late. If you have a MGL to pop it, then ok, but building from scratch...don't do it. Better to place it in 1:st or 2:d ring to make a power core and you'll have it in place in no time.

Side note: Iron on our island? I'd be surprised.

 

[axehaxe]

This game is definetly my type of game. Although I prefer the Mayans, the Dutch are good too. I'm going to play this but I do have a few questions:

Is Glib trick an exploit?

Is pop drafting an exploit?

Do you have to submit screenshots anywhere?

Thanx

 

[Chamnix]

The list of permitted and disallowed exploits is here.

I can't think of any banned Great Library exploit. If you mean capturing it before you learn Education and gaining techs beyond Education, then it is allowed. If that doesn't cover what you are thinking, and you are unsure, then PM a GOTM staff member to ask for a ruling before you do it.

Pop rushing is allowed in general - adding workers to a city solely for the purpose of pop rushing is not.

You do not have to submit screenshots, but once you reach certain criteria you are welcome to participate in the spoiler threads that will eventually be opened, and you may post screenshots there. Typically the first spoiler will open around 5 days after the save was first available, and you must be in the Middle Ages to read/post there.

 

[silversheep]

It's summer so I finally get to play more. This is my first time playing G/COTM. Demigod seems really hard so I'm doing Conquest class. I'll settle in place or on furs, make a settler factory and send the other settler NW or NE, unless it's coast there.
I want to try for a diplomatic victory. First I'll research to iron working and try to build swordsmen to take control of the island (if I have iron, if I'm not alone), later try for The Republic. Hopefully I'll have lots of resources I can trade with other civs to make them happy and to get stuff. I might try 0-10% science and just trade for techs, but I've never tried this before, so I don't know how it'll turn out.
One quick question:
Do I need to download a patch if I have Civ3 Complete?