Nobles' Club 396: Elizabeth of England

[AcaMetis]

The Nobles' Club series started out as a way for Noble-level (and below) players to improve their game. Most of the original participants now play at much higher levels, so this has become a way for advanced players to help others learn to play better. You can play your own game at any level and with any mod, but it would be nice to comment on the games of other players and give them advice.

Our next leader is Elizabeth of England, whom we last played in NC 328; we last played the English under Churchill in NC 357. The English start with Fishing and Mining.

• Traits: Elizabeth is Financial and Philosophical. Financial adds +1 to any tile that already produces at least 2. Philosophical gives all cities +100% generation and a +100% bonus to Universities.
• The UB: The Stock Exchange, a Bank with an extra +15% generated over a standard bank. Banks are rarely build buildings as they are somewhat expensive (200 on standard speed) and maintaining 100% slider isn't hard to do when you can build Wealth, sell resources and excess techs, or just punch money out of weaker civilizations. That said, if you're planning on going conquering a few Stock Exchanges in economic backbone cities will keep your economy safely afloat. Unless you send an army that would make Genghis Khan faint to take over an amount of land that would make the Romans call you completely crazy, of course .
• The UU: The Redcoat, a Rifleman with +25% vs. Gunpowder units in addition to Mounted. These guys have an edge against the most common unit types they're likely to fight against, including their intended counter unit, making them an all-around excellent unit to use in their era. Rifling is a lengthy detour from getting "any" decent attacking unit on the way to Cannons, but Redcoats do have an advantage in that they can be drafted, and Banking is on the way to Rifling.

And the start:

Spoiler map details :

Pangaea, temperate climate, medium sealevel.

Spoiler edits :

A few strategic resource swaps.

The WB-saves are attached (zipped; they are bigger than standard saves). To play, simply download and unzip it into your BTS/Saves/WorldBuilder folder. Start the game, and load your favorite MOD (if you use one, if not, check out the BUG MOD), select "Play Scenario", and look for "NC 396 Elizabeth Noble" (or Monarch, etc., for higher levels). You can play with your favorite MOD at the Level and Speed of your choice. From Quick-Warlord to Marathon-Deity, all are welcome! We stuck with the name "Nobles Club" because it has a cool ring to it.

Spoiler what's up with specific difficulties :

In each scenario file you can select your level of difficulty, but that doesn't give the AI the right bonus techs by itself. Use the Noble save for all levels at and below Prince. The Monarch save gives all the AI Archery. Emperor adds Hunting; Immortal adds Agriculture; Deity adds The Wheel.

Spoiler what is demigod :

The difference between Immortal and Deity difficulty is akin to the difference between Noble and Immortal. Players eventually reached a point where Immortal was too easy, but Deity was still out of reach, and so neither difficulty provided a fun experience. "Demigod" is an otherwise standard Deity game where the AIs are only given their Immortal level starting units, in an attempt to bridge the gap.

Spoiler for players on Monarch or above :

You should add archery as a tech for the barbarians (if you don't, the AI will capture their cities very early). This cannot be done in the WB save file and must be done in Worldbuilder as follows:

Spoiler how to add techs to the barbarians :

1. Zoom in all the way so you can't see the rest of the map.
2. Use the CTRL-W key (or the menu) to enter the worldbuilder. Avoid looking at the mini-map in the lower right corner.
3. By default you're in "player" mode (look in the box in the upper right; the icon that looks like a person should be selected). You'll get a drop down menu labeled with your leader's name. Barbarians are at the bottom, so cover the rest of the list with your hand if you don't want to see who else is on the map. Select "Barbarians".
4. Select the "Technologies" tab in the box on the left.
5. Find Archery (the arrow head icon; 8th row, 3rd column from the right) and click it.
6. Exit the worldbuilder.
7. Zoom out again after the map fades, and start playing.

If you're playing at higher level than Monarch, consider also giving them Hunting at Emperor, Agriculture at Immortal, and The Wheel at Deity.

Spoiler huts and events :

Note: The standard saves have no huts and have events turned off. If you want tribal villages and random events, choose the saves with "Huts" in their names. If you want huts but no events, select the Huts saves and use Custom Scenario to turn on the option that suppresses events.

 

[AcaMetis]

Plains hill settle? Good. Plains hill settle when it moves away from wet corn? Sketchy. Plus going north means moving away from grassland river tiles and into complete unknown. Don't think there's too many I'unno gold or gem mines up there, though there might be. Warrior is out of position to check, though.

Basically another "SIP is probably good enough" situation for me, what do the experts think?

 

[sampsa]

Assuming warrior SE doesn't reveal another food/gems I think I'd go 1N, especially if playing a relatively low difficulty level on this map script. Can go BW first.

SIP is of course fine, especially for a longer game.

 

[Fippy]

Maybe warrior nw helps more with that decision?

 

[sampsa]

Reveals only forest I'm afraid. Well, possibility of a deer of course. Tile 2S of warrior looks empty so a real possibility there is something...

 

[Build2Much]

Interesting. I honestly assumed moving away from the corn would be an absolute “don’t do it”.

@sampsa if one were to settle 1N on Immortal, not find an extra resource, and go BW first, would the initial plan most likely be mining the pigs and then chopping away? Headed towards pottery next I assume?

 

[sampsa]

Yes, either worker first and mine the pig or grow to whip a settler (size 4 or 6?), only then worker.

 

[Build2Much]

Looks like maybe I have a new opening strategy I never would have considered to try…

 

[Build2Much]

I just downloaded - able to tell that N of the plains hill is forest. Followed the “move the warrior 1SE” plan.

Spoiler Obvious choice :

I will SIP

 

[redmeat]

deity x2

Spoiler no pics, minimal opening spoiler :

Was going to try the PH BW grow and whip settler first approach to see how it plays. Huayna's holy city started eating my capital on t20.
Had another go with sip agri -> bw. No holy city in my face this time, but just as 4th settler was to be whipped, completely surrounded with 3 cities t56. Tough stuff. Gonna be watching for now.

 

[Izuul]

That's a tough choice. I think FPs + pastured pigs (eventually) is probably enough food in the cap, but not having the wet corn is going to slow down early growth quite a bit. PH + mined pigs is good production early though which could compensate. Elizabeth's biggest weakness is her early game. PH hammer + chops will help quite a bit with that.

 

[soundjata]

1W gives fastest level 2 (and 3), I think.
Grow to level 3 building one warrior.
ALT+Settler
Agri > BW
Flood plains can be shared.

 

[chinemol]

IMM played twice

Spoiler :

First time PH opening with BW. Huayna oracled Philo turn 70 or so. Game way out of control techwise

Replayed, but SIP. Agri, AH opening. Size 2 settler got the horse, corn oasis spot. Huayna declared (with axes and spears), and Justi plotted, but went for Mehmed.
Round 2 was way more forgiving, but I don't think it was because of any of my doing.
No religion, gifted city to Charlomagne. Bulbed math, philo, part of education. Other than going for organized (just in case was forced to enter religion), standard game. Going for cuirs

 

[redmeat]

IMM played twice

Spoiler :

First time PH opening with BW. Huayna oracled Philo turn 70 or so. Game way out of control techwise

Replayed, but SIP. Agri, AH opening. Size 2 settler got the horse, corn oasis spot. Huayna declared (with axes and spears), and Justi plotted, but went for Mehmed.
Round 2 was way more forgiving, but I don't think it was because of any of my doing.
No religion, gifted city to Charlomagne. Bulbed math, philo, part of education. Other than going for organized (just in case was forced to enter religion), standard game. Going for cuirs

Spoiler What was your reasoning for :

the math bulb (over academy I presume)?

 

[chinemol]

Spoiler :

Trade. Academy takes long to pay off (rationalization, not reasoning). Had a buffer city downriver working the capital's corn and 2 scientists from early on
Didn't plan my tech route ahead of it, though. Wouldn't have gone Aestethics if I did

 

[Swejok]

Emperor 1st attempt

Spoiler :

Huayna and Justinian vassaled to Charlie. I am in no condition to fight them all. Must do second attempt and try to punish Charlie or Huayna earlier.

Elisabeth is a slow starter, good practice map

 

[soundjata]

This map is really...

Spoiler :

hardcore to the bone or at least way beyond my level.

Reasons:

Spoiler :

Empty barb land to the north and west.
Huge cultural pressure from religious nuts east and south
Justi expanding into our direction as well.
Early dows from neighbors

I'd like some hardcore specialist like @Lain, @Henrik75, @drewisfat or @My to show me the way to this kind of map

 

[redmeat]

Spoiler bump, fwiw :

I'd like some hardcore specialist like @Lain, @Henrik75, @drewisfat or @My to show me the way to this kind of map

 

[redmeat]

Spoiler :

Justi expanding into our direction as well.

It was Justi who had wrapped all around to settle cow/wine north of London on t55 in my game. Not even copper or horses. Damn..

 

[AcaMetis]

This map is really...

Me during the map rolling process:

Spoiler :

Oh hey, here's a map that easily gives you a civ and a half worth of space even on Deity, let's roll a more reasonable one. Oh hey, here's a map that looks like everyone is reasonably spaced apart, let's use that one.

Actual results: I've got good news and bad news .