Spoiler for Single-player PBEM - America

[Viva_Chingon]

Clan America

----------------------------------------------

This is the spoiler for the American Civilization in the Team SANCTA Single-Player PBEM.
I am playing to have fun and to learn something so if anyone has any comments or criticisms please, make them known!​

 

[Viva_Chingon]

Starting Position:

I got an alright start from the looks of things. There are Cows and Stone within Washington's FC. It appears as though I'm on the Western edge of my land and don't need to worry about guarding that side for a while. It also appears as though I am at the top of the world as the tile 4N of Washington is Tundra. Unfortunately, this also means that, as I grow, each city is just going to get further away from the Capitol than the last.

There was a hut within my borders when I settled in place on T1 - it provided me with a map. At this point I am going to move the warrior toward the pigs and break East along the forests...hopefully there won't be any Bears around!

There is another good city location to the SE of Washington which will have Pigs, Incense and Spices (not visible, in forest tile centered on bottom edge) once Calendar is known.

Washington is Charismatic and receives +1 from Monuments. For this reason I think it is vital to build Stonehenge for that bonus and the cultural bonus each city receives from having a Monument...this would provide a total of +2 happy and +2 health everywhere (EXP / CHA (+monuments)). Stonehenge could be completed by T44 by chopping the hills to the S of Washington. At this point, also, The Great Wall would take

My only concern with attempting this is that there are two other civs out there who are IND. Memphus is playing one and I bet he'll be going for a Slingshot of one or the other -- I don't know if he can help himself! I would guess that he gambles bigger than smaller and would probably go for CS before MC...maybe I'll try to pull this out from underneath him and just cut to Priesthood as soon as Bronze Working finishes.

I am still weighing whether to rush the Henge or carry out the Warrior -> Settler -> Stonehenge plan. I will also need a buffer building at two points. At the moment I am planning on this being a barracks, but not set on that either. If I do build the Settler first then he will be founding New York on Turn 35 and producing a Worker on T15.

Comments/Questions?

 

[Whomp]

Who do you fear and what are you going to do about it?

Viva--just so you know this site is very honorable. Reading spoilers would get around and make a name for one who cheats. I know of only one case of someone cheating at a site comprised of some CFCers and that person was austersized to holy heck and never posted again.

 

[Viva_Chingon]

Who do you fear...

Honestly they are all great leaders. To me it seems that either Rome and China lend themselves to be the most aggressive; but actual aggressiveness, I think, is determined more by the player than by the leader.

The Quechua and Praetorian are, to me, the most threatening early units with the Cho-Ko-Nu following closely. Obviously, I have to wait quite a while for my UU. That is, if the game isn't decided before that!

...and what are you going to do about it?

Hmm...

Firstly, I hope there is some copper nearby. Secondly, I aim to stay on people's good sides and trade; follow the Constitution's guidance: Seek fair trade with others and stay out of entangling alliances...although this can only get one so far.

Feudalism is only 2 quick jumps from Priesthood and the Longbowman is good for a while; at least long enough to try for Liberalism -> Gunpowder. If I can get to this point then I think there will be a chance of holding my ground and waiting for another civ to be attacked...if I am attacked before this it might be game over early...

That was an interesting question to formulate an answer to...probably a good question to ask myself at the start of any game!

Another consideration is that the Incans are the only Financial Civ out there -- this should put them slightly ahead in Research potential. I hope to make friends with Memphus!

 

[Viva_Chingon]

Spoiler Current Situation :

During T4 I changed research from Mining to Animal Husbandry. I made the change to time AH's discovery with the Worker arriving on the Cow Tile (W of Washington). Following AH I plan on researching Myst -> Masonry to build Stonehenge before my rivals.

After Washington's borders popped I discovered bananas in the jungle to the S of Washington and Wheat to the 1N2W of said resource. Below them it seems that there is a possible entry point into American lands. I feel I should explore this early to avoid a surprise later...however I am undecided whether I should move my only warrior down there now or further East.

Interrogative:
Why do the other Civ's have more posting in their threads than here? Is there some sort of precedent that I am failing to meet in reporting or are the Americans, or myself, simply that uninteresting to people? I want to increase the feedback from the team and haven't had enough experience to know what people expect as spectators. So...

• What input does the team have on my current strategy?
• What are some things I can do in this thread to increase interest/posting?
• Any additional critiques/comments are appreciated!

 

[dutchfire]

There's some potential for a food city down southwest, with the corn and the banana's. You might want to check if there's some sea food there as well.

I think posting a screenshot every turn, along with giving your thoughts and plans, will keep people interested. You have less posts right now because you started your thread relatively late, I suppose.

 

[Viva_Chingon]

I have decided that knowing what's in my backyard is most important to me...I have begun moving the Warrior toward the possible entry point (see spoiler, post 5). After I am satisfied that, either it is secure or, there is a way to block entry I will move East. Possibly with a second Warrior, depending on the terrain to the South.

(EDIT: It seems the upswing to this is that the Warrior heading South can serve as Escort for the Settler emerging from Washington and saving having to build one before. Once Stonehenge is complete I can build multiple warriors for further scouting/Worker defense.)

The area Dutchfire referred to (w/Wheat and Bananas) does look like a good settling location; I thought this myself. I currently have two (2) resources close by which require Calendar and this brings up a question.

What is the general feeling on resource exploitation in regard to it's priority relative to other tasks (i.e. building units/buildings or something else)? Obviously city sites are chosen based on terrain, but actually researching the required techs over other, possibly more strategic techs, is what I'm getting at.

Aside from that, it's business as usual. I want to come up with a better, and more consistent, format for reporting turns; something similar to Memphus' SANCTA posts.

 

[dutchfire]

What is the general feeling on resource exploitation in regard to it's priority relative to other tasks (i.e. building units/buildings or something else)? Obviously city sites are chosen based on terrain, but actually researching the required techs over other, possibly more strategic techs, is what I'm getting at.

Well, most of the resource techs are researched early. I usually research the ones I need, but often enough, you need all of them. Only with calendar is there a real question of priority. There are some many other important techs in that era, that it's really tough to chose. Hopefully, by then, you'll have a tech partner, so you can research these techs faster.

 

[Whomp]

What input does the team have on my current strategy?
What are some things I can do in this thread to increase interest/posting?
Any additional critiques/comments are appreciated!

Some players who post advice will tend to only follow one spoiler so they're not saying something that could influence the game. I plan to post in all of them and throw out innocuous and inane comments. I'm good like that.

The thing you can always do to increase interest is keep it updated and give people a view of your thought process.

I'm not very talented at BTS so I plan to learn. Keep up the good work.

 

[dutchfire]

Some players who post advice will tend to only follow one spoiler so they're not saying something that could influence the game. I plan to post in all of them and throw out innocuous and inane comments. I'm good like that.

Same here.

Though that may become difficult later in the game, when diplomacy becomes important.

 

[Viva_Chingon]

Question: If you were to complete the Oracle with the ability to slingshot MC or take Code of Laws first (found Confucianism) which would you do?

 

[dutchfire]

You need to have a more general plan than that. Just popping an expensive tech gets you nowhere (especially in multiplayer where you can't just trade it for everything else with the AI). But I'd probably pick Metal Casting, especially if you want to build the Colossus. Then again, Code of Laws could give you an easy religion.

 

[Viva_Chingon]

The general plan, in this regard, is to get a free tech and, simultaneously, deny the enemy...just wondering what other's thoughts were on the particular choice others would make between the two freebies I mentioned. While there is water around my land, I don't see many coastal cities in my near future.

Thanks, Dutch.

 

[Theoden]

I'd pick CoL because it gives three useful advantages in one tech:
1. courthouses, which if built early, can allow you to expand faster without breaking your economy
2. a religion, which is always a good thing for happiness and culture
3. caste system! Very early in the game, caste system can be quite powerful allowing you to run scientists without regard to libraries and artists for a few turns in new cities to pop those borders. IMHO, it's even worth it to run CS in favour of slavery for a period if you can get it early.

 

[Viva_Chingon]

Spoiler Scouting :

I am still not satisfied with my back-door security.

 

[Viva_Chingon]

Well...there is definitely a hole somewhere!

Memphus and I are working on an agreement which will benefit our two great civs...I can only hope that he doesn't move that Quechua in for the kill while we're doing so!

 

[Whomp]

Unfortunately, he has no incentive to sign any deal until he climbs that hill. You'll need a deal signed with alacrity.

 

[Viva_Chingon]

Unfortunately, he has no incentive to sign any deal until he climbs that hill.

I realize this. What is also unfortunate is that there is really nothing I can do against that Quechua but make an attempt to hold him off is he does make that decision.

It is my experience playing with Capac that the Quechua will always win.

 

[Viva_Chingon]

With Memphus ready to take Washington I must say that was the quickest game I've ever played.

The rationale was that he may attack...it didn't matter to me. Every time I've ever attacked with a Quechua I've won so it seemed pointless to keep the Warrior there to achieve the same result.

Win some, lose some.

 

[dutchfire]

Couldn't you just have moved your warrior back into your capital some turns ago?