Nobles' Club CXXXI: Victoria of England

[tijup]

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 Victoria of England, whom we last played in NC LXXXXIX . We last played England under Elizabeth in NC CXVI. The English start with Fishing and Mining.




Traits: Victoria is Financial and Imperialistic. FIN gives +1 on tiles that already have at least 2 ; IMP gives faster great generals and settlers. The IMP settler production, combined with FIN commerce, might make REXing more viable than usual.
The UB: The Stock Exchange, a Bank with +65% instead of the usual +50%; it synergizes well with FIN in cities turning commerce into gold.



The UU: The Redcoat, a Rifleman with +25% versus gunpowder units.




And the start:



Spoiler for map details.

Spoiler :

Hemisphere, everything default, AIs were randomly choosen.
Spoiler for edits:

Spoiler :

I generated quite a lot of maps before finding one with "2,5" continents and loads of small islands scattered around.
I was wanting to have AIs across multiple islands and possibly mixed territories, to increase tensions between them.
On my test run, it leads to interesting results.

As for edit per se, none at all.

Spoiler :

The map is far from perfect, we lack some resources (non strategic ones), which force trades between AIs and Victoria.

Finally, a cut and paste of our standard doctrine:

There are no hard and fast rules here: fun and learning are our primary goals, but we do suggest that you update your progress at various points in the game, using the Spoiler feature of the boards. You can post as often as you like; here's one suggestion:

4000 BC (starting thoughts, no spoiler required for that discussion)
1000 BC or so (how you decided to progress up the early tech/build paths, which AIs you have met, where you're thinking of putting cities, etc)
500 AD or so (after establishing some cities and a possible plan of action)
1200 AD or so (mid-game, Lib race, wars or peace, or whichever happened or didn't, met other
continent if applicable, etc)
1600 AD (or when you have decided on a course of action and a specific victory condition)
End of game (Victory!!! or defeat, no shame in losing, especially if you tried a higher level. Learning is what we focus on, not fastest win or biggest empire)

This is just a guideline. If you're trying to improve your game, then posting more frequent updates, in as much detail as you can manage, is the best way to get suggestions from other players. If you come to what seems like a major decision and you want some advice, post an update, regardless of what game-year it is.

We also welcome players to ask for specific game advice, as we have a number or stronger players who lurk and help out with solid tips, and of course, we help each other. Replies to specific questions should also be in spoilers, with a simple "@" in front of the person the answer is directed towards.

Special Thanks go to Bleys and TMIT, who really made this series a great one, r_rolo1, mapmaker extraordinaire, for his maps in the early days of the series, and all of you for playing.

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 131 Victoria 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.

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 :

Zoom in all the way so you can't see the rest of the map.
Use the CTRL-W key (or the menu) to enter the worldbuilder. Avoid looking at the mini-map in the lower right corner.
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".
Select the "Technologies" tab in the box on the left.
Find Archery (the arrow head icon; 8th row, 3rd column from the right) and click it.
Exit the worldbuilder.
Zoom out again after the map fades, and start playing.

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.

 

[tijup]

mm.. sorry, dunno how to have a bigger picture from the attach picture.
I have no outside storage, so, I used Dalamb's screenshots.

 

[tijup]

Played it at Noble, no hut.
End in 1730 with a domination victory.
Sorry, no wrap up, I played it last month, I don't remember all of it, and I removed all save files when I played an other game after that

 

[JSS]

Why don't we have fresh water?

 

[WelshGandalf]

Could you change the opening post to include symbols perhaps? "FIN gives +1 on tiles that already have at least 2" and "a Bank with +65% instead of the usual +50%" aren't the clearest statements ever.

 

[tijup]

Sorry, I've been busy this morning, I did the post between two phone calls, in a rush.
I will fix the icons in a few mins.

About fresh water:

Spoiler :

If I remember correctly, we could irrigate the corn once CS come online.
With Crab and Fish, I was thinking that would be enough for the capital to grow for a while.
I don't remember the map, but I think it was making no sense to add a river or a lake at our starting position.

 

[The Oz-Man]

Soft of a weak start. I'd move inland 1E and shoot for the Colossus. Shame the Warrior can't show us anything useful.

 

[JSS]

@tijup:

Afaik. the map generator always makes sure (at least in the map scripts that I've played) that every starting location has fresh water. I'm not complaining that the start is too weak, but that it feels modified.

Fresh water gives +2

 

[tijup]

nope, I made no edits on this map, and I used a default map script.
In fact, my Civ4 is BTS+BAT. I've no other mods nor scripts.
I was wanting something more like an unconventional map, I grew pretty tired of pangea maps lately.
Even the warrior is where the random placed it at map generation.

Is that start that weak ? I had no issues playing that map, but I confess that I can't play at Emperor and above. It may be an issue at those levels, sorry.
Bleh, just seen your post JSS, about the +2 .. yeah, it make sense at higher level.

 

[JSS]

No worries. I'll give this a try.

 

[WelshGandalf]

Soft of a weak start. I'd move inland 1E and shoot for the Colossus. Shame the Warrior can't show us anything useful.

I was thinking the same thing. I also think workboat first might be the way to go, since we start with fishing and not agriculture.

 

[Fierabras]

Interesting start. Workboat first and micromanage so that you finish it the same turn you grow to pop 2.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

Interesting start. Workboat first and micromanage so that you finish it the same turn you grow to pop 2.

Yuck, no. 12-turn workboat, if you are going to start that way.

 

[Patchface]

Sugar is appealing but building a LH for one lousy crab as a non-ORG leader feels sort of wasteful. Would it be too insane to settle on the corn? I'm assuming its a dry corn

 

[The Oz-Man]

Ragequit.

Spoiler :

Sitting Bull.

 

[lymond]

Sugar is appealing but building a LH for one lousy crab as a non-ORG leader feels sort of wasteful. Would it be too insane to settle on the corn? I'm assuming its a dry corn

there's crab and fish there. Not sure if the corn is dry or not. It might be wet as I think I see a river there, but not quite sure if it is adjacent.

I'd settle 1E and use the forest PH to get the first WB out while teching to BW. Settling on the PH is tempting but could backfire if there is no passage through for the WB. I can't tell that without opening the save.

 

[enKage]

Yup, my fav english leader My first thought is to settle on sugar as it is only 1 wasted turn quickly paid back by faster warker, Hope warrior reveals something foody there

 

[enKage]

1000 BC, immo, normal speed no huts, events on (but not working ), BAT mod 4.1

I am a very beginner on immo, so any feedback will be very very welcome

Spoiler :

Moved warrior on a hill to see some juicy resources, but no more, so I decides to make a gambit...
Capital placement

Spoiler :

OMG !!! The way to seafoof is closed!

So the goal: Settler ASAP and settle sugar for workboats!
Tech - Agri - BW
production: Worker, warrior, switched to settler at size 2 (imper bonus from planhills), helped with 1 chopped forest

T25 - SB met. They had 2 cities! Ok, may happen to 1 civ, but on T32 I met Louis and he has 2 cities also. Did I take deity save instead of immo? No, I didnt. Pley deity? Nope. Amazing.

Anyway, T32...

Spoiler :

and chopped 2 WB

Teching: Wheel - pottery - AH (bacause no copper) - Sail - Masonry - Writing (current)

At 1000BC: 3 cities - 2 granaries, 1 lighthouse, 5 workers. Great Wall (far away) and stonehenge (France) built. NO ORACLE YET !!!!! WTF? So maybe there is a chance I will finish my late great lighthouse

I already have 2 settlers ready: first has already reached ivory south of corn, but I am not sure if it is worth settling now (no hunting, no IW, it only raises maintenence. Settler can work as fogbuster anyway
2nd settler is heading to get clain/FP side before SB, will be there on 1 turn and settle another. I will prepare one more settler to reserve pig/corn site.

Tech plan:
hunting, HBR, bulb math, trade math / hbr for IW/Alpha

Empire

Spoiler :

SG attached

 

[Fierabras]

Yuck, no. 12-turn workboat, if you are going to start that way.

I don't see anything wrong in working 2 high yield water tiles while growing a worker after those 12 turns.

EDIT: Agreed, 8 turn workboat and then worker (finish on turn 18) is better. There's no need for early commerce.

 

[JSS]

Deity, up to 75AD

Spoiler :

I contemplated on moving to the river like enKage, but decided against it because I wasn't sure I wasn't blocked off from the seafood.

Tech path was BW (grow to size 2 -> start worker -> switch to slavery -> whip into workboat -> chop the rest of the WB and chop another one) -> Hunting -> Archery -> Sailing -> Masonry -> Agriculture. I went straight for the GLH to avoid losing it, thus delaying Agriculture.

Barbarians were a bit annoying, but with a few well-placed Archers and a WM I warrior on a forested hill to the east, i could manage with them.

I have met Sitting Bull (can't seem to avoid dealing with this guy... he's been my neighbour in about 4 out of 5 games I've played recently), Louis XVI and Tokugawa. Me, SB and Louis are on our continent.

Tokugawa contacted with a galley. He's pretty far along the tech tree. Either he has great land, or he's gotten to pleased with someone on his continent and started trading. He's in Confucianism, and I think he founded it. He has Philosophy too, and Taoism has spread to me, so it's likely he founded it too.

I'm between 2 fires in the sense that I have to stay in Hinduism to keep SB pleased with me, but Tokugawa is annoyed with me because of different religions, and I'm his worst enemy. I'm hoping he doesn't start plotting before I'm ready.

Edit: Nevermind, looking at the screenshots it seems Toku just made contact with SB and his attitude changed to "pissed off" with him immediately. Here's hoping for fireworks between the 2 idiots.

Some screenshots:

Spoiler :