[BTS] Saved Game - What to do here?

[Gumbolt]

Finished other game 1140ad. Not met the final 2 AI. Actually had land to spare on the continent. Spammed so many cities. Shows you what dates an HA/phants/pults rush might of got? Is pre 1000ad possible? Probably with perfect micro and just killing off all the AI early. Maybe chain vassal with small
naval assault? Hmmm. Shaka's biggest stack had 10 uinits. They were workers.

 

[LincolnOfRome]

@Gumbolt, I think I was too generous in giving cities back to my vassals in my Ragnar game. I usually conquer them and give them back the cities I conquered (at least most of them). If you give your vassals back all their cities, you need to conquer more vassals to get domination since only a percentage of their land is counted.

This is a bit of a lesson for me.

Yeah skip AH as it requires 2 techs. AG obvious for now. Wet corn and 2H city tile is sweet.

Think the plains surrounded by forest will be a resource. Sometimes this can be late game resources.

You will want BW pretty early here. Likely before AH.

For now scout in a circle route round capital to find new resources till Agriculture. Worker first.

We know this is a pangea map with six AI's. Becerro de Oro is near the equator. The ocean we see could be an inner sea, but it is more likely not. Based on the shape, it looks like Isabella's capital is near the center of the map.

We know we are not isolated. I suppose worker stealing could wait until we see scouts (even though there are probably AI's in every direction). I have a tendency to try to try to steal a worker as soon as possible. Often this leads to not finding any AI's and not finding the best second city site. How wide of a circle do you think? The edge of the fog of war would about the narrowest I would circle.

Anyone want to share their thoughts on the initial warrior movement?

 

[sampsa]

I think SIP, worker first and agri first are obvious, though you should always select/de-select the tech choice until T5. That way you win several if you meet AI(s) who already have that tech. I think this is so important that I always try to maximize the chance of meeting an AI in the first 5T, only then revert to normal scouting duty. You can consider worker stealing if you see AI borders close.

In general you want to get BW as fast as possible, because that allows chopping. You have enough good tiles, so the cow can wait. I'd say pottery is also more important than AH, not only for cottages but also for EXP granary.

 

[LincolnOfRome]

I think SIP, worker first and agri first are obvious, though you should always select/de-select the tech choice until T5. That way you win several if you meet AI(s) who already have that tech. I think this is so important that I always try to maximize the chance of meeting an AI in the first 5T, only then revert to normal scouting duty. You can consider worker stealing if you see AI borders close.

That's an interesting trick. I am on turn two and have selected agriculture. Can I deselect agriculture?

Years ago, I had my interface set up where I wasn't forced to choose production for every city (and maybe tech choice) at the beginning of the turn. Anyone know where that setting is?

In general you want to get BW as fast as possible, because that allows chopping. You have enough good tiles, so the cow can wait. I'd say pottery is also more important than AH, not only for cottages but also for EXP granary.

It isn't set in stone, but Ag -> Mining -> BW -> Wheel -> Pottery -> AH

Isabella's starting techs suck, but cheap granaries are great.

 

[sampsa]

Can I deselect agriculture?

No, not after you've started putting towards it.

Years ago, I had my interface set up where I wasn't forced to choose production for every city (and maybe tech choice) at the beginning of the turn. Anyone know where that setting is?

I don't think I have such setting on. Just select some tech, then click on it on the top to de-select. For cities you can click a number to build nothing.

edit: misread, you said forced to choose production for every city at the beginning of the turn. Yes, that can certainly be turned off somehow.

 

[LincolnOfRome]

Besides the wet wheat, gold, stone, and ivory can be seen to the east. Charlemagne's scout appears on a jungle-covered hill to the south on turn 5.

Spoiler :

 

[lymond]

Linc - I think you are referring to pop-ups. In options, select "Minimize Pop-ups". This applies to tech too. You will get little icons on the right of the screen instead. Once you have made all your moves that turn, you will then get prompted for action, or the prompt will be ignored if that action was already taken. I also turn off Advisor prompts and Sid's tips.

 

[sampsa]

Spoiler :

I think the interesting directions for now are S of capital and E of capital, partly due to rivers. I would ignore N and W for now. 1N of wheat seems like the most obvious spot, though other spots that claim 1st ring wheat make sense, too. Ivory makes scouting/settling east a bit more tempting, for both and the possibility to elepult, which is also made more tempting with such land ( , forests). So I guess the choice with warrior now is whether to push north a bit before reverting back to SW to check the river S of capital.

 

[LincolnOfRome]

Linc - I think you are referring to pop-ups. In options, select "Minimize Pop-ups". This applies to tech too. You will get little icons on the right of the screen instead. Once you have made all your moves that turn, you will then get prompted for action, or the prompt will be ignored if that action was already taken. I also turn off Advisor prompts and Sid's tips.

Thanks! That's it.

I think the interesting directions for now are S of capital and E of capital, partly due to rivers. I would ignore N and W for now. 1N of wheat seems like the most obvious spot, though other spots that claim 1st ring wheat make sense, too. Ivory makes scouting/settling east a bit more tempting, for both and the possibility to elepult, which is also made more tempting with such land ( , forests). So I guess the choice with warrior now is whether to push north a bit before reverting back to SW to check the river S of capital.

I was thinking the same thing. One north of wheat is just within the low maintenance zone and can support the growth of cottages. Wheat for growth and gold for commerce are within the first ring. It is coastal for better trade routes and has fresh water for health. The ivory can't be worked by this city location, but there may be a good city spot that can.

Doubling back and exploring south is a good idea. To the east is obviously a great settling spot, but we know we have a neighbor to the south now. The south provides possible worker stealing or foreign trade routes. The river near our capital flows south and provides a free trade connection. I also spotted a river mouth on the south side of the bay near us. Charlemagne is likely on one of those rivers (or they could be the same river).

This is a small map. Judging from the trees, the jungle area is likely a thin band and there may be a settling area south.

Doubling back, here is Mansa's scout on turn 7. Agriculture will be known in one turn.

Spoiler :

A question about micro. The city is currently working a plains forest. This has no commerce and the worker will come out in four turns. I should also consider working the gold hill. It has two commerce but the worker will come out in five turns. Could the benefits of extra commerce in this case warrant the delay of the worker?

 

[sampsa]

Doubling back, here is Mansa's scout on turn 7.

Don't forget to immediately put on Mansa.

Could the benefits of extra commerce in this case warrant the delay of the worker?

No, definitely not. 1T faster worker means also 1T faster improved corn, 1T faster improved gold and so on. You could check whether you can work the gold for some time and still get the worker out in 4. 2 might be better than 1.

 

[Gumbolt]

Ignore me as expansive civ.

 

[sampsa]

This is a big concern if you have not grasped how worker/settler production works.

EXP

 

[LincolnOfRome]

Hah. I don't know how worker production works! Isabella is expansive. This means there is a bonus on worker production. It looks like the worker is coming out on turn 11. I'm not sure how this works exactly. Before the border pop, it looked like the gold hill was the best for worker production. After the border pop, the plains forest was best.

If I work a three food tile (3 surplus food and 2 hammers), the worker will take 5 turns to complete.
If I work a one food, 2 hammer tile (1 surplus food and 4 hammers), the worker takes four turns to complete.

My guess is that expansive 25% modifies the hammers, but not the surplus food.
e.g.
3 surplus food + 2 hammers + .5 hammers (25% of 2 hammers) = 5.5 production toward worker vs
1 surplus food + 4 hammers + 1 hammer (25% of 4 hammers) = 6 production toward worker.

Civ 4 usually rounds a fraction down. That would explain why the plains hill was as good as the floodplain or corn. Hah. I think I figured it out.

 

[lymond]

Hah. I think I figured it out.

You did

 

[LincolnOfRome]

On turn 9, Peter's scout shows up from the south. We are near the equator. Where are our northern neighbors? I'm heading to the grassland hill where Peter's scout is now. I will be there in two turns and get a better view. I see my first lion.

Spoiler :

 

[LincolnOfRome]

Turn 10 and Bismark shows up from the north. There are six rivals, so it is likely three are north of Isabella and three are south. Two rivals have not been met.

Spoiler :

On Turn 11, the Holy Romans are here and the worker is done. The Holy Romans have plains incense. Just north of the Holy Roman city there is a plains cow and a banana covered by jungle.

I'll stop here for the night. Stealing a worker here would be nice. Foreign trade routes are also great. The river may connect Aachen and Beserro de Oro. Worker actions are also something to consider. Since it takes a full turn to travel to the corn, do I want to put one turn of irrigation on the floodplain before going to the corn? Without the wheel or pottery yet, I can't put anything else there.

Spoiler :

 

[LincolnOfRome]

You did

Thanks!

One more move.

I had to move the warrior one south....

Spoiler :

...and the worker looks delicious!

 

[Gumbolt]

Stealing worker looks good. Should mean double settler once size 2-3. Need more exploration round capital.

Hopefully set HRE settler back many turns. He loves his imperialist trait. Need to protect worker on way back.

Will we want mids here once borders expand. Might want to find metal or horse in case HRE does not go for peace.

Overall 10 turn worker and free switch to slavery should save 6 turns on a norma; start. Extra worker could save 2-3 turns off settler too. Sweet.

 

[LincolnOfRome]

I did steal the worker. In turns 14 and 15, Churchill and Justinian approach from the southwest. So, all the players have been revealed and they are building their second cities. Becerro has built a warrior. The corn has a farm and the gold has a mine. I have two workers now. I have one turn of farm on one of the floodplains. The warrior followed the river west. The stolen worker did help bring the gold mine online sooner. It is turn 19 now.

I welcome any micro suggestions as far as the workers are concerned. Do I build another warrior? I could also put some hammers into a barracks. I kept the warrior in Becerro. I am at war with Charlemagne and he refuses peace. At any point an archer, axeman, or maybe a chariot could show up.

Spoiler :

 

[Gumbolt]

I wonder at what size you should of gone settler. You could of done size 2. Size 3 only add 3f farm. Unless you double farm flood plains?

Albeit 5 turns off BW. Why is warrior in capital? Fog bust?

I would not rush this game. If you want a game to play quick set up private game and use this for forum.