Relearning my Civ ABCs (getting back to Monarch)

[Capellan]

I have played the next 25 turns (26 actually, as I accidentally hit end turn). Will post later when I have a bit more time, so you can tell me all the things I did wrong. They are probably numerous, but that's the point of asking!

 

[Capellan]

My exploring work boat found an encouraging amount of land for me to grab:

That red northern resource is Stalin. Sitting Bull also turned up. Suleiman is the Ottoman leader, btw.

I'm not yet sure if that strip of land from the fish to the gold is an island or a peninsula - will send my WB to find out.

I've also nabbed two cities that are just off the bottom of this view - one S of the capital, which I will likely eventually Moai (and which is working 2nd clams), and one on the coast south of Sparta, to claim marble and horses.

As you can see, I am going for GLH, and am chopping to support that quest.

 

[Capellan]

In other news, I did just pick up a 1963 Space Race win on Monarch with NC 224 Zara Yaquob. Seemed a pretty forgiving map overall, really, though.

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

@Capellan

Would it be possible to edit the starting post by attaching the original save file (BC4000)? I don't think I will report the result publicly... it might be a public embarrassment. But I want to give it a shot. Thanks.

 

[sampsa]

@Capellan I suggest that you take another look to the opening after you've finished the game. There is a lot to learn.

 

[sampsa]

@sylvanllewelyn the starting save is in post #14: https://forums.civfanatics.com/thre...getting-back-to-monarch.658434/#post-15778900

 

[Capellan]

I will probably play to turn 100 in about 12 hours, so any comments before then would be appreciated. Right now my plan is to try to win GLH and to spam coastal cities if I do. If I don't, things may get a lot more Axe-y.

I'm also playing the latest Nobles' Club (Darius I) on Monarch, using some of the insights I got here. No guarantees I will win it, but I definitely feel that the tips have helped.

 

[Capellan]

Ended up playing to turn 125. I have the most cities in the world (9), and have been building enough phalanxes to stay in touch on power. Just agreed to declare on SB for Shaka (at least partly because SB sniped a barb city from me), and have adopted Suleiman's religion since we have a long border with each other. Got a GM from the GLH, which I used for a trade mission (900GP). Have construction and will get HBR next for elepult action (though not sure against whom).

Just founded Ephesus on an island to the south and it should be quite nice: Iron and a PH for hammers; Fish and Crabs for food. If I hadn't already mostly built Moai somewhere else, I would have done it there.

The rice-banana peninsula is alas a peninsula, not an island.

Save attached.

 

[sampsa]

It's a promising position, despite numerous mistakes. For the next game, I'd suggest taking it much slower and upping the difficulty.

 

[Capellan]

I put the Alex game on hold at 1919AD after a huge world war broke out; I could probably win the war eventually but I didn't have the energy to face it, right then, and it would probably give the one uninvolved Civ a big lead in winning the game in any case.

So instead I fired up Asoka and got this start.

Starting save is attached.

Now in this case, I have already played to 475AD. What I'd love to see is how some of you attack the start. So if anyone is willing to fire it up and play say the first 50-100 turns or so and let me know how they tackled things, I'd appreciate it. You will need BUG installed, I think.

I'm going to put what I did in spoilers below. Please don't read before playing, but please do read before posting your outcomes. I'd like not to hear any spoilers about things I don't know yet!

Spoiler :

I moved NE/N to avoid settling one off the coast, actually taking the computer's blue circle advice for once. I went Warrior then Worker - this was a mistake as the Worker completed faster than I expected and was idle for several turns. Should have done 2 warriors.
Exploring warrior met Zara early, which alarmed me since he was obviously close and he's Creative. I did not want to get boxed in by him.
I kept moving south to find the edges of his culture while building warriors to fog-bust my planned city sites.
Chopped Stonehenge for free border pops in all my cities and then spammed settlers out, grabbing sites closest to Zara first - one of which proved very fortuitous as it meant I denied him any metals.
Then I built chariots, spears and axes and declared twice on Zara. First war I took his two non-capital cities and then got three techs for not taking his capital (which I frankly did not have the troops to do at that point).
Then I built up and declared on him again. Just got Aksum. Zara has managed to found a city on another island but I am okay with that as it should not be a cultural issue for me. When he is willing to talk, I will extort more goodies for peace.
I've had an exploring work boat out and have also met Willem, Cyrus and Genghis. We're all in a Hindu love-in, right now.
I have picked up the GLH and Temple of Artemis, too. I've been building the 'mids too, but honestly that's mostly for fail gold.
Here's the world as we know it, right now:

Zara's new city isn't visible in that view, as I only know about from cultural borders, but I think from Bombay it is 1S and 5W.
I just founded Calcutta. I plan to leverage the benefits of Stonehenge, the GLH and cheap courthouses (I have CoL, though I was not first to it) to found more cities on the other landmasses I know of.
Zara won't talk yet, BTW, so BUG's "will sign a peace treaty" claim is a bit incorrect

 

[rah]

I have picked up the GLH and Temple of Artemis,

The only reason to be building the TOA if for Fail Gold. Always let another AI complete so you can take advantage of better trade missions.

 

[Qactus]

Judging from the screenshot, you can greatly improve by:
- chopping forests: There's way too many around for 475AD
- using scientists: The 85% prophet 15% merchant bar suggests you leave it completely to SH and GLH to generate a great person
- trading resources: Especially incense, wine and spices would help you get out of unhappiness. But each trade helps with relations, so something like a fish vs. clams trade has value, even if you don't have the spare resource.
- opening borders: Any reason not to open borders with Cyrus?
- trading techs: AI are offering Alphabet, Maths,... These trades should've happened in the BCs. Not sure what your tech path was, but there seems to be room for improvement.

With the GLH your commerce should be much higher. I suspect you have no trade connections to all the civs since you are still at war with Ethiopia and that's blocking all your foreign trade routes? Otherwise you should be making much more than 111 bpt at 100%, should be at least the double amount.