I didn't play yestoday because i had some problems with my internet connection and i wanted to post my thoughts about the game before playing.
I assume we wan't to chop forest only with Mathematics. I calculated that we'll get Mining, Masonry, Fishing, Bronze Working and Math in about 23 turns or so if we continue using 2 scientists and then build an academy. That is assuming 90% research rate and not taking prerequisite multipliers into account, so it should actually be a couple of turns earlier.
I think we need to stick to using the scientists, because that means math sooner, and that means Piramids sooner (unless we waste shields by chopping withpout Math). I think i was wrong when i said it was a mistake to hire them.
But to connect the stone soon enough and to chop the forest we need more workers, and to build them soon we need to work the cow tile. Since i would hate to move a citizen over from one of the cottages and i would hate to remove a scientist, i think we should convert to confucianism and grow even though it is risky.
We can grow in one turn now if we remove one of the 2 scientists for a turn. Then we can work 3 cottages, cow and 2 scientists. We can build the WC for 1 turn, grow and build a worker and a settler in Thebes, then Piramidse. In Memphis we build a worker, then military units. In case of emergency we'll be able to finish the WC in one turn and if Catherine doesn't attack us we better build a barracks before the WC
We can do the same trick in Memphis: build chariot untill there is one turn left so that we can finish it quickly in case of emergency, then build barracks, then finish the chariot.
Since we'll have to build a worker and a settler in Thebes (settler comes after the worker because we cannot connect the stone instantly) we also need to cottage 2 more tiles so that we can work cottages while building worker and settler. After that we can work a mined hill and a quarry and cottages are taken over by the third city.
Here are the details:
The build order in Thebes:
- War Chariot (1,1)
- worker (10,11)
- settler (10, 21)
- Piramids (9, 30) - 3 forest chops
Memphis:
- Oracle (5,5)
- Worker (7,12)
- Chariots
...
Worker 1
- cottage (2,2)
- cottage (8,10)
- move (2,12)
Worker 2
- Born on turn 11
- move (1,12)
Workers 1 and 2
- Road (1.5)
- move (1)
- quarry (4.5)
- road (1.5), ready on turn 21, the same turn we build the settler in Thebes and switch to Piramids
Worker 3
- Born on turn 12
- move (2,14)
- mine (6,20)
After this all 3 workers chop forest towards Piramids.
We get Piramids 30 turns from now. This may be a bit risky, but this only about 6-7 turns later then the build sequence which targets building Piramids early and completely neglects cottages and units.
We'll get BW really soon and we can adjust this strategy a little bit in that case to get a couple more WCs early on if Russia has bronze, but we don't have it. And Iron Working will take a while for them to research.
I assume we wan't to chop forest only with Mathematics. I calculated that we'll get Mining, Masonry, Fishing, Bronze Working and Math in about 23 turns or so if we continue using 2 scientists and then build an academy. That is assuming 90% research rate and not taking prerequisite multipliers into account, so it should actually be a couple of turns earlier.
I think we need to stick to using the scientists, because that means math sooner, and that means Piramids sooner (unless we waste shields by chopping withpout Math). I think i was wrong when i said it was a mistake to hire them.
But to connect the stone soon enough and to chop the forest we need more workers, and to build them soon we need to work the cow tile. Since i would hate to move a citizen over from one of the cottages and i would hate to remove a scientist, i think we should convert to confucianism and grow even though it is risky.
We can grow in one turn now if we remove one of the 2 scientists for a turn. Then we can work 3 cottages, cow and 2 scientists. We can build the WC for 1 turn, grow and build a worker and a settler in Thebes, then Piramidse. In Memphis we build a worker, then military units. In case of emergency we'll be able to finish the WC in one turn and if Catherine doesn't attack us we better build a barracks before the WC
We can do the same trick in Memphis: build chariot untill there is one turn left so that we can finish it quickly in case of emergency, then build barracks, then finish the chariot.Since we'll have to build a worker and a settler in Thebes (settler comes after the worker because we cannot connect the stone instantly) we also need to cottage 2 more tiles so that we can work cottages while building worker and settler. After that we can work a mined hill and a quarry and cottages are taken over by the third city.
Here are the details:
The build order in Thebes:
- War Chariot (1,1)
- worker (10,11)
- settler (10, 21)
- Piramids (9, 30) - 3 forest chops
Memphis:
- Oracle (5,5)
- Worker (7,12)
- Chariots
...
Worker 1
- cottage (2,2)
- cottage (8,10)
- move (2,12)
Worker 2
- Born on turn 11
- move (1,12)
Workers 1 and 2
- Road (1.5)
- move (1)
- quarry (4.5)
- road (1.5), ready on turn 21, the same turn we build the settler in Thebes and switch to Piramids
Worker 3
- Born on turn 12
- move (2,14)
- mine (6,20)
After this all 3 workers chop forest towards Piramids.
We get Piramids 30 turns from now. This may be a bit risky, but this only about 6-7 turns later then the build sequence which targets building Piramids early and completely neglects cottages and units.
We'll get BW really soon and we can adjust this strategy a little bit in that case to get a couple more WCs early on if Russia has bronze, but we don't have it. And Iron Working will take a while for them to research.
). With reloads not permitted, as we play this game, we need large numbers of chariots (may be about 15) to actually see the advantage. We are not going to build 15 chariots in the near future just to see 3 more of them retreating instead of dying. And the other feature of flanking II which is immunity to first strike, is already there with the chariot.
