tu_79
Deity
So you did a first run to see what this mod is about and you feel ready to try to win this time. Now the big question, how do I begin? Well, no choice is a clear winner, since this mod is all about feasible options. Check your map, check your uniques, check your rivals and decide. I'll give some hints on what to expect from the first choices.
First choice: Building queue.
Scout, Warrior, Worker, Monument or Shrine?
- Explorer approach. Scouts are good to reveal map fast, specially in difficult terrain, but they are easy prey for barbs. Warriors can be use to recon the map too, and they stand better against brutes, but they move too slowly in difficult terrain. Your starting warrior can be used to recon the capital surrounds and even find good spots for a second or third city, so when is it good to start with this extra exploring? It gives some extra goody huts, happiness from Natural Wonders and some candies from first-to-discover city states, but that's just making up for the extra cost. What it really gives is finding best spots for settling, and knowing in advance what your lands are worth of, to allow for more educated choices later (pantheons, policies, techs). Early exploring is specially important for civs that depend on certain resources, so you can secure them.
- Cultural approach. Early monument gives faster border growth, so you can start working a good tile in the second ring sooner. But where it shines is in advancing through policies faster. Policies are good by themselves, and some policies give even more culture. Having many policies in no time is what really is needed to build some Wonders.
- Religious approach. Founding a religion is quite potent if you can do it early. Having an edge converting cities lets your religion expand with less faith cost, which you can save to purchase Great People in the late game. Many good pantheons are too weak to allow founding a religion, and their bonuses are lost when your cities convert to another religion, so building the shrine early is an option. Religions take a while to notice (Middle Ages) but once they do, they are strong. You can usurp another's religion by conquest right, but it won't have the bonus of your choice.
- Growth approach. A starting worker can do little other than plowing farms and needs to be constantly protected. It can be a good option if you plan on playing with just a few cities (more people, more specialists), or find too many forests that can be chopped for extra production. Avoid this start if picking Progress policy tree.
First choice: Research
- Trapping. There are a couple places where trapping is a life saver, specially in forested tundra (try deer with the tundra pantheon) and in waterly starts. Needed for Ivory. Trapping resources are best for feeding people. It leads to fishing ships, and military ships later, an absolute must if you start isolated in an island. The archer may not be the best unit, but for self defense it's much better than warriors alone.
- Pottery. The only reason to rush this is Stonehenge. Settler can wait for your second tech and Granary can wait after your first settling wave (city isn't growing while producing a settler). This is in the way to Trade, so increase priority if you need gold.
- Wheel. It gives nothing useful for the first turns. You won't have yet any horses, and roads are expensive, just the food from bananas isn't worthy. The only reason to start with wheel is to get to Horsemen fast, but that isn't even a reason because you need Animal Husbandry too. It may be worthy for a second tech if horses are easy to take.
- Animal Husbandry. Revealing Horses is a priority for many civs. To grab them as soon as possible or to settle near and secure them. It's good in tiles without features, as cows and sheep are good for extra food/hammer and are easy to improve too for a little extra hammer.
- Mining. Revealing Stones is a nice extra hammer, but it takes a while to be able to improve them and they aren't frequent. Wells are amazing for non-river starts, but they probably could wait for a second tech. The reason for rushing mining is get to Bronze Working and reveal Iron.
First choice: Policy
Notice that all kind of victories are possible with every policy tree, just in its own fashion. A warmonger can win a cultural game if he crushes all opposition, and a Tradition start can lead to a domination victory taking just capitals and burning the rest. Also keep in mind that it is possible to pick some policies from every policy tree, but you won't get the extra bonus for finishing a tree.
- Tradition. Most bonuses goes to capital, rewards Great People and Wonder hoarding. Best suited for a small empire with big populated cities that expands slowly with few to none aggressive wars.
- Progress. Favors building production, working on improved tiles and makes up for getting many cities. Best for empires that want to meddle in world-wide affairs without constant fighting (spread religion, dominate world congress, stop runaways). Expands fast and fight when needed.
- Authority. Favors fighting and conquest. This requires to keep momentum, but rewards accordingly. It expands slowlier than Progress at first, but doesn't need to stop. For people that prefer tanks over butter.
First choice: Pantheon. (... wait, no, that's too long to explain here!
)
First choice: Building queue.
Scout, Warrior, Worker, Monument or Shrine?
- Explorer approach. Scouts are good to reveal map fast, specially in difficult terrain, but they are easy prey for barbs. Warriors can be use to recon the map too, and they stand better against brutes, but they move too slowly in difficult terrain. Your starting warrior can be used to recon the capital surrounds and even find good spots for a second or third city, so when is it good to start with this extra exploring? It gives some extra goody huts, happiness from Natural Wonders and some candies from first-to-discover city states, but that's just making up for the extra cost. What it really gives is finding best spots for settling, and knowing in advance what your lands are worth of, to allow for more educated choices later (pantheons, policies, techs). Early exploring is specially important for civs that depend on certain resources, so you can secure them.
- Cultural approach. Early monument gives faster border growth, so you can start working a good tile in the second ring sooner. But where it shines is in advancing through policies faster. Policies are good by themselves, and some policies give even more culture. Having many policies in no time is what really is needed to build some Wonders.
- Religious approach. Founding a religion is quite potent if you can do it early. Having an edge converting cities lets your religion expand with less faith cost, which you can save to purchase Great People in the late game. Many good pantheons are too weak to allow founding a religion, and their bonuses are lost when your cities convert to another religion, so building the shrine early is an option. Religions take a while to notice (Middle Ages) but once they do, they are strong. You can usurp another's religion by conquest right, but it won't have the bonus of your choice.
- Growth approach. A starting worker can do little other than plowing farms and needs to be constantly protected. It can be a good option if you plan on playing with just a few cities (more people, more specialists), or find too many forests that can be chopped for extra production. Avoid this start if picking Progress policy tree.
First choice: Research
- Trapping. There are a couple places where trapping is a life saver, specially in forested tundra (try deer with the tundra pantheon) and in waterly starts. Needed for Ivory. Trapping resources are best for feeding people. It leads to fishing ships, and military ships later, an absolute must if you start isolated in an island. The archer may not be the best unit, but for self defense it's much better than warriors alone.
- Pottery. The only reason to rush this is Stonehenge. Settler can wait for your second tech and Granary can wait after your first settling wave (city isn't growing while producing a settler). This is in the way to Trade, so increase priority if you need gold.
- Wheel. It gives nothing useful for the first turns. You won't have yet any horses, and roads are expensive, just the food from bananas isn't worthy. The only reason to start with wheel is to get to Horsemen fast, but that isn't even a reason because you need Animal Husbandry too. It may be worthy for a second tech if horses are easy to take.
- Animal Husbandry. Revealing Horses is a priority for many civs. To grab them as soon as possible or to settle near and secure them. It's good in tiles without features, as cows and sheep are good for extra food/hammer and are easy to improve too for a little extra hammer.
- Mining. Revealing Stones is a nice extra hammer, but it takes a while to be able to improve them and they aren't frequent. Wells are amazing for non-river starts, but they probably could wait for a second tech. The reason for rushing mining is get to Bronze Working and reveal Iron.
First choice: Policy
Notice that all kind of victories are possible with every policy tree, just in its own fashion. A warmonger can win a cultural game if he crushes all opposition, and a Tradition start can lead to a domination victory taking just capitals and burning the rest. Also keep in mind that it is possible to pick some policies from every policy tree, but you won't get the extra bonus for finishing a tree.
- Tradition. Most bonuses goes to capital, rewards Great People and Wonder hoarding. Best suited for a small empire with big populated cities that expands slowly with few to none aggressive wars.
- Progress. Favors building production, working on improved tiles and makes up for getting many cities. Best for empires that want to meddle in world-wide affairs without constant fighting (spread religion, dominate world congress, stop runaways). Expands fast and fight when needed.
- Authority. Favors fighting and conquest. This requires to keep momentum, but rewards accordingly. It expands slowlier than Progress at first, but doesn't need to stop. For people that prefer tanks over butter.
First choice: Pantheon. (... wait, no, that's too long to explain here!
)
)
