News: GOTM133 Zululand - Pre-game discussion

[mad-bax]

GOTM133 Zululand - Pre-game discussion

Here we go with another game following our new game format whereby we sponsor a specific victory condition. For this game it is Diplomatic. Of course, you can play and submit a game played to any victory (or loss) condition, but medals and other awards will only be made for Diplomatic victories. You can lose any way you like. Those awards are unaffected. Jason scores are not penalised for games submitted to an alternative victory condition.

This is an Monarch level game and you play as Shaka of the Zulu nation. The Zulu tribe is militaristic and expansionist and start the game with warrior code and pottery. The Zulu unique unit is the impi, which benefits from a larger range of movement than the spearman, which it replaces.

This game continues to use a modified form of the standard PTW scenario, and although no bugs have been reported in some time, it is possible that play testing has not been exhaustive. Any in-game event or behaviour that a player feels is unintended should be reported to the GOTM staff immediately.

Game Paramters
Civilisation: Zululand
Difficulty: Monarch
Map Size: Small (80X80)
Map Topology: Cylindrical Continents
Rivals: 7 pre-selected tribes
Barbarians: Sedentary
Required Victory Condition: Diplomatic


Here is your start position.

The game starts on 12 April, when the start save may be found here.

 

[Più Freddo]

I guess I'm more curious on the Flood Plains than the Jungle, so I'm thinking about sending the Scout south, perhaps to the Hill.

 

[templar_x]

or maybe rather the mountain 1-1 of the starting Position?
t_x

 

[Più Freddo]

The Mountain S, W or the one SE, E?

I'm interested first to find a good place for the Capital, which should be some way away from the Mountains, so I think the Hill is better for a clear view over the Flood Plains.

Although I'm not very fond of having the Capital surrounded by Flood Plains. All Food and no Shields makes Jack a sad boy.

If there's nothing better than Flood Plains, I'll send the Worker E to the Mountain and hope there's something (other than "Tragedy") by the Beegees.

 

[templar_x]

1-1 would translate to SW-SW, or how you put it and the way the Scout would go, S-W. there may be some production tiles there also, so Jack does not Need to worry so much

otherwise, like you, i would say worker east.

t_x

 

[greatbeyond]

I would have to agree with the comments above. As this is Monarch, spending a couple of turns to find a better spot to settle will not affect chances of winning. (There will be a better spot, right?)

However, if the scout doesn't find anything good enough to warrant a move, perhaps 1N would be the best alternative. Settling on the jungle to keep the already cleared spaces for improvements.

A diplomatic victory will take some planning. The whole diplomatic victory and the AI attitude toward the human player is harder to quantify.
Perhaps from the start, a general rule will be no war against the AI chosen to be our support. This requires a review of how the UN functions.

Doesn't the civ that builds it have control over whether or not a vote is held? That would mean no gifting the UN city to the smallest least liked civ.
Sometimes it is hard to remember the differences in the Civ flavors. Somewhere I read a good review of all the factors that decide AI attitude, if I could only remember where.

I wonder if the specially selected AIs are ones that don't believe in the UN, because they don't like to get along.

At last, the gift of sedentary barbs...

To see more of the flood plain area, the scout might be better off going 1S, 1SW ending up on the hill vs the mountain. The hill, I think will show more of the area to the SE, the mountain will show more of the area to the W. I guess I'll have to test it to know.

Perhaps now would be the time to start the Ottoman game.

 

[Più Freddo]

At last, the gift of sedentary barbs...

Just to defuse the super Barbarian-hunting Impis.

 

[tR1cKy]

My main concern, in this map, is if it is possible at all to build a 4-turner with all those flood plains. It much depends on what lies Sx3 (it may be something else than a fourth FP), and to the southwest area.

So either scout S-W, or S-SW at first. I'm not fond of settling N because it would take too much for city 2 to be built.

Addendum: there may be something Sx2-SE and SEx3, but i'm not sure if those small irregularities are wheat tiles or just a jpeg artifact.