SGFN-09: Constantinople stands alone!

[TheOverseer714]

The beautiful princess Theodora stood on a bluff overlooking a lush river valley. She thought to herself, this should be a grand spot for her father's grave. Upon the hill overlooking where I shall settle our nomadic tribe, to build a great village where our people can be guided by his spirit. We shall never leave here, and we will commission great cultural works that shall be admired by all the people of the world. So much so that we will rule the world. Right now, I will go to our tribe and tell them my dream as the new Chieftess.

So I'm finally ready to start this. 20K has proven to be a viable game as an OCC, and in my test game, I had an 1830 AD finish with a mediocre starting spot. A good start will allow better, given a strong effort by all concerned. I will relax the OCC to a 1BC, allowing us to keep popped cities and settlers, and to take AI cities by force or culture.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Here are 4 starts generated with mapfinder. I decided on a continents map to allow access to more luxury types.

 

[TheOverseer714]

General rules:

Rule #1 of SGFN08: We're all friends here. We will learn as much from our mistakes as from our successes. Criticism of your turnset or questioning your decisions is not a personal attack. Don't use it as one, don't take it as one. This is also a Democracy, any major decisions like what techs we pursue, when to begin a major offensive, what wonders to build or when to begin a major offensive should be voted on by the team This is not to say that you have no say so, on the contrary. What powers you do have are mostly the same as solo games, just nothing that will turn us onto a damaging path that the rest of the team would not agree to. Use your common sense.

Rule #2: Detailed logs. We can't spot mistakes unless we can see what's been done, the whole team needs to be able to make sense of your turnset.

Rule #3: There are no stupid questions. If you're in the middle of your turnset and either: (a) realize that you're in over your head; or (b) have hit a crossroads that needs a group decision, stop and ask. Discussion is greatly encouraged.

Rule #4: When in doubt on cheats, exploits or bugs, consult. If you can find someone online to ask, great. In the absence of that, I like to use GOTM rules as a guide. They are always accessible, even if no other team members are online. If they need modification or if we decide not to use one of those rules, I'll put it in the informational post once a decision has been reached. GOTM rules can be found here: http://gotm.civfanatics.net/games/rules.php

Rule #5: No worker automation, ever, and limit the use of go-to orders to situations that are detailed in the notes to the save. It is really annoying to press enter on the first turn of a set and have little figures scampering all over the landscape. It is even more annoying to chase them down and turn them off.

Rule #6: No reloading, no playing ahead or playing alternate turns. It is aceptable to replay as close to what you did before if technical issues destroy the save.

Rule #7: Have fun. I hope everyone enjoys this one and learns lots.

Specific rules:


Rule #1. Rule 1 is the core of the variant, and is very simple: We will build no settlers...ever! Once we settle, we can't build another city unless we pop a settler (by my definition, a popped settler is a [group of] foreign barbarians who admre our culture.

Rule #2. We may keep any city taken in warfare or culture flips, with the caveat that the excess population must be enslaved, leaving one foreign citizen before allowing the city to grow.

 

[DWetzel]

You're mighty kind with the 1BC. I think a 0BC (a settler popped from a hut would be merged into home) is also quite doable.

 

[Elephantium]

Checking in with the Council of Cultural Elitists.

 

[GamezRule]

I am in this, so I guess I should subscribe. I am going away for a few days, but I have a potential roster here that I posted in the interest thread.

Potential Roster:

Overseer
Sparthage
Elephantium
DWetzel
GamezRule
Aukrest

 

[vmxa]

Best of luck TheOverseer714.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Starts are up for voting, players can check in and vote at the same time. My preferences are C, A, B and D. I like C because it has a goody hut(CB for an early temple), only a few coastal tiles, and a variety of tile types. I like A for confirmed Ivory, SoZ early is a monster 20K boost, easily worth 10%of the 20K needed, and gives us a decent army for awhile. B has 3 cows, but requires an early decision, sacrifice a cow or moove over and sacrifice a BG and a turn. D is mediocre, but has Ivory.

 

[vmxa]

Overseer I hope that you spelled it moove on purpose as that cracked me up sounding it out juxaposed with the sacrifice a cow.

 

[DWetzel]

I'd vote, in order, B, C, A, and D but I'd never play out D.

I'd really really like to know what's revealed on B when you move the worker 1SW onto another cow; if there are decent shields there (either BGs or forests) I'd settle in place. I can't tell you how helpful it will be to get to 5 fpt with no effort whatsoever in these sorts of games. Can you post a pic of this?

C is very playable by settling in place; however, there had better be 2-3 BGs lurking in the fog to make it a truly good start.

A has a fairly severe problem of no food bonuses at all -- that can be an absolute killer for these sorts of games, because you just can't afford to take that long to get up and running.

D is, well, like you said, it has ivory. It'll never ever have enough shields to be much fun though.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Overseer I hope that you spelled it moove on purpose as that cracked me up sounding it out juxaposed with the sacrifice a cow.

Caught me! Never pass up a chance to make someone smile, glad I could be of service

Confidential to DW

Spoiler :

The move revealed a 4th cow and a BG. Here is the photographic evidence.

 

[Elephantium]

A - what do you see if you move the Worker onto the Ivory? If it looks good, we might just want to move onto the Ivory and build our city there.

B - Settle in place for 3 cows and 3 BGs. Looks like there might be a hill to the NW, too, but I'm not sure. This is a very powerful start.

C - Settle in place (on a BG, I think -- but you can't help that). 5FPT from the Wheat and Fish allows fast growth until size 12, then switch citizens to hill and mountain-heavy assignments for high production.

D - meh. It has Ivory and probably a couple of FPs to the NW, but it'll never have many shields.

Actually, I'd really like to see a screenie of C after settling in place. Depending on what's in the fog, it might be anything from GREAT to merely decent.

 

[DWetzel]

Actually, I'd really like to see a screenie of C after settling in place. Depending on what's in the fog, it might be anything from GREAT to merely decent.

This, though with that extra bovine encampment in B, it's gonna have to be some pretty special stuff to get me to say anything other than B is the obvious start.

 

[DWetzel]

Confidential to DW

Spoiler :

The move revealed a 4th cow and a BG. Here is the photographic evidence.

I'm in love. This means that, as an absolute minimum, you know you can get 28 spt from this spot once forests are in. (town center = 2 spt with the cow I think?, 3 mined cows = 9 spt, 3 mined BGs = 6 spt, 4 forests = 8 spt, one hill = 3 spt, and one mined grass = 1 spt). I think that's right. If it isn't it should certainly be possible to run temporary deficits at 27 spt with an extra forest, and then 25 spt with a watered grassland to make the food back up.

 

[TheOverseer714]

B is a growth and shield monster, which might mean a very good finish date. I did what Elephantium said and C moves to 2nd or 3rd place. It's now a no-brainer.

 

[Aabraxan]

Good luck, gang!

 

[Spoonwood]

Lurker here: Pick B. DWetzel meant three forested cows, which provide you with 3 spt each. It's also a good spot for production post-Shake's.

 

[DWetzel]

Lurker here: Pick B. DWetzel meant three forested cows, which provide you with 3 spt each. It's also a good spot for production post-Shake's.

Yeah, that.

 

[Sparthage]

I'm here too. I might not be able to play every time I come up, but I vote for B.

 

[Bowsling]

I guess I'll join in too... I've never done an XBC (or cultural) game.