One of the best starts I've ever seen

[Tatran]

- all tiles can generated +1 commerce, except the corn.
- corn is near fresh water
- 3 happy resources
- the Incas start with Mysticism, the oasis will secure an early religion
- forge discount (gems)
- plains hill
- Industrious trait, because raging barbarians is on
- both unts start on a hill, more tiles visible
(Btw, leader + map were random)

For anyone who's interested, the save :
Warning : it's a huge map at marathon speed (Monarch)
Happy Easter all

 

[Killroyan]

Impressive start for sure. Grassland gems is just at start. I don't know if Huayna starts with mining. If so then worker is the first thing to build and then start teching like mad. I just love the grassland gems. Too bad it isn't riversided. 2 plains hill + starting plains hill + gem mine + corn is incredible production power from the start on. And the oasis will net you in a religion almost for sure.

If anybody is going to play this, let me know how this one went.

 

[Rameau's Nephew]

Yeah, forget the oasis and the plains hill-- move the settler 1 NE to get the grassland gems in the capitol's workable area.

EDIT-- Okay, so I'm an idiot and confused the Quecha with the settler. I'm not used to the single-unit graphics.

 

[tycoonist]

i was going to give this a go but then i noticed it was marathon and huge with low sea levels: ouch...

 

[Tatran]

Maybe, when there's enough interest, I should continue to post some good/excellent starts.
A game should be fun + relaxing and not a struggle right from the beginning.

I've noticed I spend a lot of time in rolling starts.
Most of them are too ugly to play at marathon speed. Who needs 19 forest tiles in the beginning?
Also, a lot of starting locations conflicts with the random civ/leader.
A good example is Spain. When they start inland, your starting techs are useless.

Now, here's another start as Carthage :



This game has the same parameters as the Incan game above.
(Btw, that game got me the best score ever, solo + SGs).

 

[Guardian_PL]

Thanks, I'll have fun with those. Never played Marathon before and I
fear I'll fall asleep before achieving anything, but I'll give it a go

 

[kazapp]

Who needs 19 forest tiles in the beginning?

With a civ that starts with mining (and can tech BW comparatively quickly) this can give a rocket-fuel boost to your start:

You build a Worker which promptly starts chopping another Worker. The two then chop another two Workers. Then the lot of them chops perhaps four Settlers and a few escorts - you'll be ahead in no time!

 

[2am]

I once have a start with washington in vanilla very impressive:

It was on a shoreline, with 2 clams and one corn, then at the right 3 hills, in two gems and in the other one copper apeared later.

 

[IagoAlberto]

I gave this start a go, and man it sure translated into a big win, read on in the spoiler:

Spoiler :

I quecha rushed sitting bull early and then went on to nab the great wall, which was absolutely necessary with raging barbs, I lost one city and had all the improvements pillaged in my capital. I then rexed once I got COL.

I met the AI's saladin, stalin and a french dude, but the raging barbs just annialated the AI, there was too much land so the barb spawn got to be ridiculous around 200AD, Stalin and the French got reduced to one city each, barely holding on and saladin only has two left and is fading fast. I on the other hand have grabbed every wonder I tried for, without stone or marble. I have 15 cities, because there are so few AI's for the land area. My cities are developed, I have a huge tech lead which is just expanding since the AI can't deal with the barb spawn, I've actually started using my fog busters to defend the AI so they'll survive ! All in all too many barbs, not enough AI's for such a huge map=big win

 

[Iranon]

The fat cross of an AI capital (Persepolis) in my last Immortal game: Clam, Corn, 2 Silk, Gold, Marble, Iron. 5 coast tiles (no ocean), 11 river tiles including the city itself. Good mix of grassland and plains, no junk tiles.

 

[Sswsp1]

A few games ago my capital was surrounded by 3 gold tiles! and it had corn in the bfc

 

[Genv [FP]]

The best start I've ever had was having both stone AND marble next to my city. ( Marble as only 3 tiles away though, But your capital city produces culture)

And I was playing as Ramses....


I drove my empire into the ground though, because I was still a noob back then

 

[Carabodes]

My best capital ever:
Flood plains - Grassland hill,revealed coal - Forested grassland
Flood plains - Flood plains - Grassland - Grassland iron - Grassland cows
Flood plains - Flood plains - Capitol - Grassland - Grassland hill, popped jewels
Flood plains - Flood plains - Grassland hill, popped gold - Clams - Clams
Flood plains - Coast - Clams

As you can see, I did have some severe health issues in that city. The rest of my land was crap, though, huge desert, then plains and mountains, and very few resources.