Obsession with the "perfect" start.

[gozpel]

I tried Shuffle twice yesterday, only to find myself on frigging archipelago, which also always seem to happen when I pick just random maps. Still playing one of those games, with the Huns next to me. Maybe 6-7 cities available on this island, but I kept the save since there are a couple of nice islands close to me.

Anyways, I give Shuffle another go tonight as ppl here seem to like it. But I want something else, NOT archipelago. Just won a game on that setting.

Normally, I just play Fractal which seem pretty random to me.

 

[DutchJob]

If the starting location is somewhat OK-ish I'll continue.

I do 'need' good 2nd city spots for games that last till the very end.

 

[spider1]

This sort of depends on my mood for the game. If just want to play through a game, I don't care about the start because it's my job to make the most of my situation. This is also why I don't play any difficulties past King. But sometimes on the weekend, if I'm just a tad cooked (so to speak) I'll save the game start, build a few scouts first thing to check out the map, and if I like it, I'll reload from the start.

 

[tyrael233]

I'm the opposite, I reroll if the start is too good... It just makes things too easy and boring.

Overpowered starts just ruins it for me.

 

[black_kitten]

For me, there are two conditions for a reroll, but they hardly occur: either a start where the civs unique ability is useless (celts and no woods anywhere around), or a start that is not especially good or bad, but looks boring, like a continent on my own that I share with only two city states.

 

[Esperr]

The only time I restart is if by turn thirty ive met caesar ghenghis and attilla and they all covet my lands. Thats just a game you were never going to win.

 

[headcase]

I like shuffle a lot, but those hot starts (as in full of jungle) seem to hold humans back more than the AI.

It'd be kind of nice to be able to change difficulty on turn 1 after seeing one's start.

 

[Koiranputki]

The only time I restart is if by turn thirty ive met caesar ghenghis and attilla and they all covet my lands. Thats just a game you were never going to win.

Well...in my present game(as the Ottomans), I met Caesar and Ghengis almost instantly...I think I met Ghengis on about turn 3.... Caesar started a war fairly early, but partly with defence in mind, I had my closest city to him well protected by mountains...only a one hex land entry. But Ghengis was the real "fear"...I thought it was a hopeless game; he was at one point the dominant AI, as well as sitting right on my northern border. But he never seemed bothered by me...???... And he built quite a few wonders that I actually "coveted"...

Eventually I got to Gunpowder and built my Janissary force, and DOW'd him...and to make a long story short, I eventually wiped him out. He had keshiks....but as I've noticed before, humans can play these far better than the Mongol AI can...I easily trounced probably half a dozen of his keshik units. He just left them exposed.

And then Caesar took another run at me....but as the game stands now, he sued for peace and I relented... for the next ten turns anyway....

 

[RedRover57]

Mostly what I want is to start on the continent type that matches the civ I'm playing. It also bugs the heck out of me if I'm playing any of the European civs and get a jungle start.

You may want to try one of the mods that gives you a real earth start. I haven't played one since G&K has come out though so I'm not sure if they are still compatible. The one I tried in vanilla was called Legendary Earth (I believe) and if you click the "Run Scenario" option it will place all of the civs in their appropriate map locations (with balanced resources, so everyone gets iron and horses). It's an awesome map if you play the huge size with all of the DLC (but a long game).