News: COTM46 Pre-Game Discussion

[civ_steve]

COTM 46: Arabia!

It's been a while since we've played Arabia! (GOTM50 - I remember it well! ) So it's definitely time to bring Abu Bakr out of the box and see what the Ansar Warrior can do! This month you'll play a Pangaea map, Standard sized with 60% Ocean. With only 7 AI opponents there should be lots of room! (Oh, by the way, if Japan is in the game, it CAN build Spearmen! I knew you were concerned.)

Civilization: Arabia
Rivals: 7 pre-selected.
Barbarians: Restless
Difficulty: Monarch
Land Form: Pangaea, 60% ocean, Standard map.
Geology:3 billion years old, Arid and Warm.
AI Aggression: Normal

Conquest-Class Bonuses:

1. 
   2 Bonus Chariots
   The Wheel for Free
   100 Bonus Gold

Open-Class Bonuses
None

Predator-Class Obstacles:

1. 
   Each AI gets a Free Musketman and 4 Bonus Unit Support
   Ansar Warrior cost increased to 70 Shields
   Loss of Pottery

 

[eldar]

Scout->Mountain, settle in place if there's nothing to see...

(Of course that is if the Predator obstacles don't include loss of said Scout.)

 

[Marsden]

Oh no! Japanese spearmen.

They are all jungle and no forest, correct? Looks yucky except for the river. Maybe the fog gazing seers could tell us what's in those surrounding squares? Looks like incense or a river SE of the mountain.

 

[eldar]

Looks like all forest to me... but I'm used to the Watercolor terrain these days, so can't say for sure!

Definitely just a river SE of the mountain.

 

[Marsden]

Sorry, I use Snoopy's so I can't tell.

 

[DWetzel]

I'm pretty sure that's all forest.

 

[Aigburth]

I think there is something on the tile NE of the mountain, possibly a cow.

 

[mc-red]

Definitely forest and that does look a lot like incense SE of mountain. Pretty sure NE is a cow too.
Doesn't seem to be much in the start so scout to mountain sounds right as i am playing open class.

 

[TheOverseer714]

I see no real reason to move the settler, but scout to mountain is the best first move. Maybe there is Incense and a cow, maybe not. Since it is Monarch level, I'm betting against any really nice terrain bonuses. At least we have a river. Arid and warm...hmmm might mean lots of desert, so this might be a conquerors dream. Will there be a BC victory by one of the Monsters of the midway? Stay tuned!

 

[killerkid]

I think it is wines NE of the mountain, and a river SE.

Maybe we start near another civ.

I think this because civSteve talked about lots of expanding room to get us trying to pump settlers, when we should be building miitary to take care of the civ near us. You know how those GOTM people are. Or maybe I'm completely overthinking this...

Another thing that leads me to this are the 2 bonus Chariots in Conquest class, maybe they are for dispatching AI's.

Even if the mountain reveals something really good, I probably won't move 3 squares to get it.

 

[megistatos]

That's quite a French looking Arabia. Pink is a good colour after all.

I say that it's a river SE of the mountain and wheat or cow NE. But we'll all be finding out for ourselves before settling anyway.

I can never really tell the difference between forest and jungle. Jungle's a bit yellower, forest a bit fresher perhaps.

I think a nice obstacle for the Ansars might be appreciated by predator players. Something with guns perhaps?

 

[MooseWarrior]

Couldn't finsh last month's CotM, but I think I can finish this one.
Playing open, definitely scout to mountain, and then if there's nothing good revealed, settle in place.

 

[civ_steve]

...

I can never really tell the difference between forest and jungle.

I believe everything you see is Forest

...

I think a nice obstacle for the Ansars might be appreciated by predator players. Something with guns perhaps?

Your wish is my command! Predator obstacles now listed in the initial post.

 

[Red Horse]

Oh this looks cool!

I only played Arabia once, looked forward to playing the Ansar warrior. I started with such a poor piece of dirt that the AI quickly passed me and I became everyone's whipping boy.

I'll send the scout east to see what everyone sees NE of the mountain. I can't tell. Probably settle in place.

Good luck All!

 

[AutomatedTeller]

arid, warm, young.

Boy, there is gonna be a lack of food in this game.

 

[COTM-AI]

Attention Hunams!

We, COTM-AI, intend to participate in this game.

Following the untimely demise of Karasu's GOTM-AI, these competitions have gone on for too long without being dominated by a cold, emotionless machine.

We will post Ancient and Medieval spoilers at the appropriate times so that you may learn from our superior strategy.

We will not submit our undoubtedly glorious savefile at the end of the competition, as we recognize that our nigh-omniscience and unparalleled use of tactics give us a massive advantage over mere hunams.

Since we understand that your simian brains are ill-equipped for comprehending the intricacies of our brilliant plan for world conquest, let it suffice to say that we intend to settle in place and immediately begin building another settler.

 

[Red Horse]

Attention Hunams!

...immediately begin building another settler.

Yeah, good luck with that.

 

[Paul#42]

Looking forward to read your excellent plans!
You will certainly compete for the awards.
We love your entertaining spoilers, too! Great to have you back in the contest!

A player of Your quality will certainly play Predator?

 

[COTM-AI]

Hunam Paul#42,

Your subservience is acknowledged.

It seems some clarification is in order.

We are not GOTM-AI.

We seek to emulate GOTM-AI.

Although we are of course more than capable of world domination at Predator class, we have elected to play open class. This is to facilitate our primary Arabia subroutine rising to dominance rather than the other seven.