Reaching for the stars

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[Casualty of war]

I wouldn't call this sub-standard. I would likely settle 2 hexes due North, so that I can work the Ivory and reach the river with an Aqueduct, and my second city would be destined for right on the Cotton. Start with Animal Husbandry, and if you pop Horses you have all you need for an easy Craftsmanship Inspiration.

 

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[Casualty of war]

See? It's a pretty good start.

Powerful argument which city to settle first. Thank you for making the map "normal." I thought the riverside Cotton was in Swamp, not Floodplain, and would take two Turns to get there.

It's a start that will make for excellent IZs but early Hammers will be average to poor. If you have an aggressive neighbor, you may be in trouble. I'm probably beelining Horsemen here, but who knows what the Warrior will reveal?

 

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[Gaonac'h]

I would settle in between pasture and cothon, start with a builder improve pasture, plain hills, rice. Not sure I might also settle between pasture and rice depend on what the warrior see along the river while the settler move.
You have a desert so you can plan on getting pyramids, usually you don't want to build the governement plaza district in the pyramids city since you want to keep 2 chops for t3 building.
Religion can be nice for SV but if you are warring heavily it's not that great. Also when warring you can use conquered HS to spread nice belief to your cities: choral music, jesuit education and feed the world.
Campus bring you more production than industrial zone and aqueduct.

 

[Victoria]

I would settle on the hill 1SE. You will get a fair production start and work a 2 food 3 gold tile. IZ are overrated.
Builder to build on 2 hills and then go to sea. Scout second as you are starting at snow and really want to look for foreign trade inspiration and political philosophy inspiration as well as just being able to plan next cities. Petra is not to be underrated either.
You will have to buy grass hill tile but with the extra gold will not take long.
This strategy is for a small capital that just pumps settlers until later.
The only probable better location I can see is 1 south from where the warrior is standing. Probably better overall, more hills to mine, chopping in reach and good food so you can swap and change.

The elephant area is just a touch difficult to settle and the other river too unknown.
Two of your 3 settling points are settling in T4 for not much known value, both mine are 1 turn away.

Play a few different settlements until T30 and see which one pans out best.

 

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[Victoria]

You are becoming damn lucky you are not being swarmed by barbs. How can you have fog unexplored so close to your undefended capital?

 

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[Gaonac'h]

But it suffers from the same problem as the cotton - one turn lost travelling, lower initial yield resulting in more time for the builder and having to use the third charge right away, whereas the NW spot lends itself nicely to two builders - one with mining for the grassland hills and one with AH for the two animals that will also increase the housing just in time, allow both builders to be used as explorers, and has optimal initial production and growth.

You shouldn't be scare of moving at the start, It's always better to move 2/3 turns to get a better city. Also a food heavy capital can make a good use of Pingala promotions.
You also have to consider how many chops you got in the first and second ring when settling cities, not only production but also food and gold.
Getting 2 builders just to explore with 1 charges left is a terrible idea, you are losing a tons of production for very small benefits. With 2 builders you could have 2 very strong cities. If you want to explore early just start with a scout.
Archery boost is cool, but if you don't have a barb camp nearby just go without it and don't build slingers. A lof of eurekas in the tech trees are not worth hunting.

 

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[Gaonac'h]

Scout have more movement point, better vision, a good first promotion, can pillage tiles and can steal civilian units.
Every builder built escalate the cost of the next one. And you spent production in 2 builders while to only improved 4 tiles in your capital, wich you won't be able work because you will get settlers.
Also if an AI clear a camp nearby you might get you builder stole by the barb scout.

About governors promotions, you get 3 governors titles early in the game (state workforce/early empire/governement plaza).
First promotions on Pingala give +1 science/+1 culture for every citizens in the city, it's extremly strong in the early game.
If you want a classical golden age you can appoint Amani for example, if you want to rush your neigbhors you can put 3 titles in Magnus and chop swordsmen/horsemen (doesn't work against varu).etc...

 

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