Is anyone using the Raging Barb option in Fire?
I stopped using it (and Marathon speed as well) when it seemed like the counter was moving too fast for me to keep up. Getting constantly pounded by barbs held back my research, growth, etc. and I was dead meat when the Horsemen appeared.
Anyway, I went back and just started 3 Raging Barb games on a huge Fantasy Realm map at Epic speed. Here are some observations on those 3 games. Your comments are welcome.
1. My first game my starting screen had FIVE barrows. Not a single goodie-hut - I'm not sure if there is a relationship or not. However, I decided there was no way I would be able to get all of the Barrows before they were protected (see below). Exit to Main Menu, start a new game.
2. In my next two games before the yr. 10 one AI civ was eliminated. It could only have been Skeletons, right? Maybe the Dirge dropped a few right next to a civ's only city. I think some AI civs explore and leave the city without a defender. Even so, one Warrior likely without promotions will get killed by one or more Skeletons. I had it happen to me once.
3. In my other games I moved my Scout/Warrior to take out a Barrow close to my city. I was shocked when a Skeleton guard spawned in yr. 4 to protect the barrow. No way my Scout or Warrior is going to win that battle. This means Skeletons will be spawning from the Barrow close to my city until I can get a unit strong enough to kill the Skeleton Guard. Note: the same thing happens with Lizardmen and their Ruins. I thought yr. 4 was a little early in an Epic game to have Skeletons spawning. But, then again, you get the Dirge in yr. 1!
4. Schizophrenic Lizardmen. Has anyone been able to figure out their behavior in the early game? I haven't. I saw one right next to an AI Scout with only Combat II - an easy kill. The Lizardman moved away. However, next turn he killed my Warrior!! Sometimes they just buzz around, sometimes they attack, sometimes they just guard their ruins. How can you develop a strategy against these whacky creatures?
5. In both games there were plenty of Lizardmen and Skeletons buzzing and attacking before the orc spearmen and goblins appeared. These are Strength 3 units and you have warriors and scouts. It can be tough unless you manage to get promotions before your units are killed. Also, I noticed in both games when the spearmen and goblins came, when you add in the Skeletons and Lizardmen, the animals had completely disappeared from the map. Capturing animals, if you had a chance, was no longer possible. You had to wait until you could build Nature's Revolt in mid-game.
6. As expected swarms of raging barbs appeared and attacked me for about 50 turns before moving on to attack some other poor civ. This prevented me from advancing in the game much - no improvements, slow techs, no additional cities and I fell behind 5 other civs who had not been swarmed by the barbs.
7. The counter was moving at a hasty clip - up to 20+ before turn 175. I was just getting Hunters and ready to settle my second city.
Conclusion: I think Fire is fantastic, but you still cannot play it using the raging barb setting with Epic or Marathon speed.
PS. One question: The barbs come in Epic around yr. 72. In Marathon, they come around yr. 114.
However, in both speeds you get the animals, most Skeletons, etc. in yr. 7, Why isn't there an adjustment made to Marathon as in the case of the barbs?
I stopped using it (and Marathon speed as well) when it seemed like the counter was moving too fast for me to keep up. Getting constantly pounded by barbs held back my research, growth, etc. and I was dead meat when the Horsemen appeared.
Anyway, I went back and just started 3 Raging Barb games on a huge Fantasy Realm map at Epic speed. Here are some observations on those 3 games. Your comments are welcome.
1. My first game my starting screen had FIVE barrows. Not a single goodie-hut - I'm not sure if there is a relationship or not. However, I decided there was no way I would be able to get all of the Barrows before they were protected (see below). Exit to Main Menu, start a new game.
2. In my next two games before the yr. 10 one AI civ was eliminated. It could only have been Skeletons, right? Maybe the Dirge dropped a few right next to a civ's only city. I think some AI civs explore and leave the city without a defender. Even so, one Warrior likely without promotions will get killed by one or more Skeletons. I had it happen to me once.
3. In my other games I moved my Scout/Warrior to take out a Barrow close to my city. I was shocked when a Skeleton guard spawned in yr. 4 to protect the barrow. No way my Scout or Warrior is going to win that battle. This means Skeletons will be spawning from the Barrow close to my city until I can get a unit strong enough to kill the Skeleton Guard. Note: the same thing happens with Lizardmen and their Ruins. I thought yr. 4 was a little early in an Epic game to have Skeletons spawning. But, then again, you get the Dirge in yr. 1!
4. Schizophrenic Lizardmen. Has anyone been able to figure out their behavior in the early game? I haven't. I saw one right next to an AI Scout with only Combat II - an easy kill. The Lizardman moved away. However, next turn he killed my Warrior!! Sometimes they just buzz around, sometimes they attack, sometimes they just guard their ruins. How can you develop a strategy against these whacky creatures?
5. In both games there were plenty of Lizardmen and Skeletons buzzing and attacking before the orc spearmen and goblins appeared. These are Strength 3 units and you have warriors and scouts. It can be tough unless you manage to get promotions before your units are killed. Also, I noticed in both games when the spearmen and goblins came, when you add in the Skeletons and Lizardmen, the animals had completely disappeared from the map. Capturing animals, if you had a chance, was no longer possible. You had to wait until you could build Nature's Revolt in mid-game.
6. As expected swarms of raging barbs appeared and attacked me for about 50 turns before moving on to attack some other poor civ. This prevented me from advancing in the game much - no improvements, slow techs, no additional cities and I fell behind 5 other civs who had not been swarmed by the barbs.
7. The counter was moving at a hasty clip - up to 20+ before turn 175. I was just getting Hunters and ready to settle my second city.
Conclusion: I think Fire is fantastic, but you still cannot play it using the raging barb setting with Epic or Marathon speed.
PS. One question: The barbs come in Epic around yr. 72. In Marathon, they come around yr. 114.
However, in both speeds you get the animals, most Skeletons, etc. in yr. 7, Why isn't there an adjustment made to Marathon as in the case of the barbs?