Starting positions

[GeezerGamer]

I usually take what I get on the first turn unless it's a really bad position.

 

[dcbandicoot]

I'll usually make one move first with another unit, then see where the best visible spot is and start from there.

 

[Barry Bonds]

I rarely move my starting settler. But for subsequent cities I tend to ignore the game advice.

Same here.

 

[gettingfat]

In BtS, the starting tile is 70% not the optimal tile. For some reason the settler is usually placed somewhere between an inland lake and the starting point of a river, which mean your capital will not be able to build levee when it's available. A lot of time the settler is also one tile away from the coast.

 

[Minor Annoyance]

The worst starting position I've ever seen? I created a map and left a tundra hill completely surrounded by peaks with no way out and it placed one there. Also it was only about six tiles from another starting location so even if the peaks weren't there it wouldn't be a good spot. I think maybe it weighs the location of resources too heavily because after I deleted all the resources I placed and the starting locations and it seemed to place them somewhat better. I'm still not sure if there are enough good locations for too many civs.

 

[Silence101]

So much of this decision is situational - I would probably regenerate if I was totally unhappy with the start. If the start is pretty good, but I don't like where my settler is located, I might move him for a turn, but I would never spend more than a turn moving my settler. Usually, I just take what I get.

 

[Matty R]

Something I've started doing is using WorldBuilder to see how defendable my area is. If I'm land-locked and totally surrounded, I tend not to play that map. I like areas where I'm on an outcrop of land and only connected to the mainland by thin strips of land (about 12 tiles). It lets me setup a strong defensive line.

I've noticed while doing this that some of the AI civs get starting locations with rich resources.

This is what I found with Genghis Khan in a game I recently started.



Of course, they get some bad ones aswell.



On a Huge Pangea map with only 10 civs, how unlucky do you have to be to start a few tiles from Catherine?

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

^^^ Eeek! I would send a warrior right into Moscow ASAP. Take it, Monty, it's yours!

 

[GuitarHero]

I always start my game next to a body of water, even if that means Worldbuilder.

 

[Underdawg]

Me, I tend to cheat. I'll give myself copper usually. I wouldn't do it if the AI wasn't so stupid about trading. It's Firaxis' fault, really..

Why do you need copper so badly? More often than not, at least on Hemispheres, there is copper within 10 tiles. If not, there is iron, and if no iron, then there are horses. I have never played a game in which I have not had at least one of these resources.

 

[DigitalBoy]

I try to get my city up ASAP. I may move the settler depending on what I can scout out on the first turn, but that's it.

 

[L4zXX0r]

Honestly, I think it's insane to move from your first spot. The best option is to restart the map. I might move, if moving just ONE spot, and still being able to build my first city on turn one is an option. I have done that before. Rarely. Typically, I tend to just get a new map, rather than even move. Why is moving a bad idea? You don't get any research until you build a city, so suddenly you're a few turns behind in the tech tree. Also, if you want copper or iron or stone so bad, just research the techs, and spread yourself out... Or restart. Cheating is lame, even in a single player game like Civ, where cheating seriously can alter the challenge level. You might as well be playing on Chieften.

 

[Cuchalain]

Build the 1st city immediately then send out the second settler to the best spot as located by scout/warrior.

 

[Leodavinci]

I usually play random everything and restart the game only if I happen to play as one of those English ladies or Kublai Khan . I do not know why.

 

[FoxURA]

I usually save my map start than take a peek on world builder to see if I got ripped off with a bad starting position or not. If not, than I typically load the save and start right there or regenerate the map. I also favor map regeneration when too much of the map is filled up with large expanses of dessert on every continent. I just don't like the map when it's like that... It just seems too much like a, "This is what the world will look like if you pollute" right from the lips of Sid Meier. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy's games, I just hate when he tries to make his games into political statements when he can't even back up his positions with verified facts or overlooks other pertinant information if it interferes with the pushing of his viewpoint.

For instance, while the temperature of the Earth has gone up a bit, the sun has also gotten hotter. Wait, does that mean that "global warming" here on Earth is reaching the sun now? No, the sun is simply in a natural cycle just like the Earth goes through. 20-30 years ago everything was about global cooling then... Bam! Climate cycle comes around and all of a sudden global warming is going to end the planet.

Well I think I have ranted enough for one night.

P.S. If anyone wants to try to start a political debate because of my post please don't clutter up this topic. Make a new topic and just quote my argument in your first post. I am sure that the moderators would appreciate this as well as all the forum goers here.

 

[Elros]

I always take what I'm given. Adds to the challenge.

Although I invariably never seem to get horses or elephants and then have to struggle to win any wars. Grr.

 

[Diamondeye]

I usually play random everything and restart the game only if I happen to play as one of those English ladies or Kublai Khan . I do not know why.

Last time i randomed a game I ended up as Alexander on a small, icy island that could support like a size 4 capital and 2 smaller towns. 100 turns into the game I discovered I didn't even had copper or coastal access to any other isles and quit. Come speak to me about bad luck

 

[Elros]

It could have been worse.

You could have been on a small, icy island that could support like a size 4 capital and 2 smaller towns with 4 other civs.

*strolls of whistling "Always look on the bright side of life"*

 

[FoxURA]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone else ever have problems with large desserts on every continent on huge maps or does my games random map generator just not like me?

 

[6K Man]

I almost always settle in place, but I voted fot the "shift" option - since I sometimes move a square or two if one seems obviously better from the get-go. I would not modify the start like you mentioned. Although I have been known to go back some turns if I get in serious trouble - like the one a few days ago where I inadvertantly moved my defender out of my capital (I was trying to move a worker). I noticed it a few turns later when a barb took over my capital. I was going to tough it out, but it just seemed like too much trouble. (The map had some real promise.)

That sounds a lot like me - about half the time I settle in the initial location, and the other half, I move a tile (or rarely 2) before settling.

I don't restart, but I will occasionally reload to correct a physical error, like accidentally alt-clicking on someone or moving a Worker instead of a Settler to where I want to put a new city.