I got bored at work today so wrote up a spoiler on the ancient ages. Please let me know if you want some changes (additions/removals) and especially if something is wrong!
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Ancient Age Spoiler for Team Smackster:
Opening moves:
We settled on the spot, and went for an ultra early food strategy, sending the worker straight to the game to chop it. We built two warriors for scouting while chopping, turning the forest into an early barracks before starting a settler. This turned out to work very well since Veii didn't really need a granary, as our second city was formed N-NW of the game, and would be a 4 turn settler factory once the third city would make the second game available.
Exploration and contacs
The first warrior scouted northwards, stopping just past the floodplain before heading counter-clockwise.
The second warrior scouted SE, and in 3200 BC made a frightening discovery:
smackster said:
Alert alert, Alert alert, enemy sighted, enemy sighted. To the south east, Greek Phalanx, oh dear, run away, run away.
He hightailed home incase Alexander decided to just waltz into Veii. The hoplite folloed us all the way home before heading off into the mountains. Alex finally popped by for coffe before 2710 BC, and sold us Bronze Working before being told he would be the next acquisition in our empire. He wouldn't comply, so we declared on him. Scouting continued south along the western coast, before being put on hold since we didn't want more contacts and had sufficent map to plan cities.
Before 1950 BC England and America appears in F4, guess someone told them where we live. Before 1750 BC we get more company, as Russia, Germany and Babylon appear in F4. France also appeared somewhere in there, but none of them have contacted us yet though.
In 1710 we make our first contacts: Germany first, followed by England and Russia. Babylon contacted us before this with a trade, but there was some confusion if this was proper contact, so war wasn't declared untill the next player spotted the mistake. It probably didn't change much though, as Babylon never managed to become a threat, and only sent the occasional bowman at us.
Scouting was resumed again in 1350 BC, and we have a look towards the north and find French borders.
Settling and Expansion
We decided early on to go with 2 main RCP rings, at 3 and 6. This way we managed to take full advantage of the rivers.
-- I intend to put in a map here with city foundings numbered --
Research and Trading
We started by researching pottery at max, followed by Bronze Working. BW never completed, since it was traded for before 2710 BC from Greece for Pottery and 3g. Continued on to Iron Working at max, which came in 1950 BC. The entire roman culture rejoiced at the fact we had plenty iron to build our might legionnaries. The wheel was the next tech up for research at max, coming in 1670 BC. Maths was ordered as the next project.
Before 1725 BC Hammurabi offers us Masonry and Ceremonial Burial if we'll just cough up Iron Working and 7 gold, which we decide is a worthy trade.
In 1500 BC England sell us Writing for WM, 23 gold and 5 gpt, Russia give us Philosophy for 6gpt and WM, Swap Philosophy for Mysticism with America, and philosophy with HBR from Germany.
In 1275 BC 3 civs have math, so we buy from France for 63g, 1gpt and wm, and sell it to Germany and England for a total of 90 gold. We buy literature from France in 1125 BC for WM+90g.
In 800 BC we buy Polytheism from America at monopoly (13gpt and 284g), and sell to the rest of the world. We start Monarchy at max.
After getting the Great Library (see below), we finished Monarchy then cut of research. At the start of 530 BC Republic pops from the great library, followed by Curreny and Construction in 450 BC, and that's it for research in this age
In 530 BC we finally trade for a world map.
Warfare
Alexanders first raiding party showed up in 2430 BC, consisting of 3 warriors. They attack our defending archer, which defeats 2 and gets promoted, and the third dies attacking the defending warrior. Things looked shaky there, but we pulled through. Immediately after a hoplite appears as well, but that is killed by our elite archer while on grass. It isn't untill 1600 or so that the next "attack" comes, in form of a lone archer. Our elite archer attacks it, and Trajan rises to our cause!
DeceasedHorse said:
Trajan draws up plans to construct several marvelous limestone triangles which will somehow cause our cities to grow twice as fast, as well as provide us with a border expansion. Trajan supervises construction, but perishes in a tragic gigantic limestone cube accident.
The greeks come at us again with some archers around 1450, but it's too little too late. From here on out there is a steady trinkle of Greek units (and others as well) over the mountains, but no serious threats.
We decided to hold of the GA till we could switch to Monarchy, so we built mainy horses for leaderfishing.
Before 690 BC, England allied France against us and we got an early enemy. In 570 BC an elite horse kills the last defending spear in Termopylae, getting us a leader as well. Great Library rushed in the replacement city.
In 330 BC we declare war on the last civ known to us, Russia. England had established an embassy with us, and we used this to sign England vs America for gpt, one turn before declaring premature war on England. We decided that our trading rep wasn't worth much in this game, so might as well get some use from it.
Wonders
Pyramids rushed in Antium in 1575 BC.
Great Library rushed in Syracuse in 550 BC
Conclusion and General Points
I personally love the way that all ancient age buildings, terraind and resources have latin names, gives a much better feeling for the game. Nice work on the latinized player references in city names (Gonzominium?)
Those mountain ranges in the northeast and east posed some initial problems, both in blocking cities and letting enemy units walk close in protected squares.
We haven't really seen any barbs, so no idea on how that barb puzzle is supposed to work.
