Sumeria, Space

[jarred!]

It's a nice start, but there's not much in the way of rivers, for lower commerce and less food, and a location on a southern coast, which will lead to higher corruption than a central start where you can form a nice ellipse-shaped empire with the foci the palace and forbidden palace cities would produce, than I'd usually like to play. But, with the two cows, I decided to post the game here.

Here're the settings:

Spoiler :

I've played the first 40 turns, but for now I'll just post the beginning. I decided to move away from the water, from the second cow, and off of the BG, so I move 1E. I found Kish the next turn:

I have the queue set. I'll build an MP and some explorers and then a worker before a granary. After that, I'll get the Enkidu/settler combo factory up and running.


There's the early research plan. CB first with the hopes of getting an SGL for the pyramids, and then hopefully knab the republic slingshot.

 

[Toxicman007]

Great to see something new in here! Any reason for choosing those opponents?

 

[jarred!]

The known world, 2900BC:

The first warrior stays to MP in Kish so science can stay at 100%. The second warrior explores the cow to the west and sees it's one tile away from a river, then sees a wheat, and an ivory on the west coast. The third heads south then explores the coast to the east, meeting Persia in 3150BC.
Meanwhile, in 3400BC research of Ceremonial Burial finishes and I don't receive an MGL. I probably won't try to build The Pyramids anymore. I begin research on The Alphabet at max, expecting to meet someone who knows it before I finish.
When I meet Persia I trade for Masonry for another bargaining chip to help me gain Alphabet. I get masonry and 10g for CB and pottery. (I think pottery should have a cost factor of more than 2.) The third warrior, heading up the east coast, meets Korea in 2900BC. I trade them pottery for the alphabet and 30g; I had 5 turns left on researching the alphabet. This same warrior also discovers silks to the north.

Spoiler Trades :

Kish build a worker after the warriors, who helps road and mine the tiles Kish will need improved before roading toward my second city site.

Spoiler Kish working as a combo-factory :

Turn 1: Growth finishes this turn, production is a 10 shield unit. With the governor set to emphasize production, upon growth, the new citizen will work the forest tile and we'll get these shields this turn. The 8s we are set to get plus 2 from the forest mean we'll complete the warrior this turn.

Turn 2, 3: These two turns I work the same 5 tiles. The first turn getting 9 shields and the second turn, which is a growth turn, I get 11 due to the forest tile again.

Turn 4: Back to getting +5 fpt. 10 shields are needed to finish the settler.

After the worker was a granary, then a settler, and then Kish was able to function as a 40 shield/4 turn factory, allowing me to produce an enkidu warrior and a settler every 4 turns. Those pictures are of Kish from 2590BC-2470BC, the first 40 shield cycle. Later I used the two river tiles being worked in the third image for higher commerce, neighboring cities will use the BGs off-river until Kish is working all of its river tiles for max commerce.
I found Ur in 2510BC and then Sumer in 2190BC. Ur will build a granary and then help Kish with settlers and workers, and might end up being my FP city. Sumer will need an aqueduct. I will have quite a few towns that will need them. For now I build a warrior so I can build another worker afterward.

I have planned an early dot map:

I made a mistake you may notice with the exed-out dot. When I sent the third settler from Kish there, I realized none of the tiles in the cultural area would produce 2 food.

The known world, 2150BC:

 

[jarred!]

Great to see something new in here! Any reason for choosing those opponents?

Yes, my criteria: scientific, don't know CB (I want to research it for an SGL to use on the Pyramids). I left out Germany and Russia so I could add other civs who know masonry or the alphabet.

 

[jarred!]

The next 10 turns:
I learn writing in 2070BC, and begin researching Code of Laws.
I found 3 more towns: Lagash in 2070BC, Umma in 1870BC, and Bad-tibira in 1830BC. Umma and B-t are on the coast and are constructing curraghs. Lagash has access to silks, so I build another worker there to get them connected quicker. B-t has ivory, and I'm connecting it to the trade network quickly as well.
I now have three warriors exploring. The original two haven't met anyone new, but a third I sent out met the Greeks in 1750BC. They know WC, IW, and Mysticism over me and I know pottery and writing over them. The Persians are up the Wheel, WC, IW, and Mysticism over me and I know writing over them. The Koreans know the Wheel, WC, IW, and Math over me and I writing over them. I won't trade anyone writing until after I discover CoL, to lower the chances of someone other than me learning philosophy first. I have 6 turns left on Code of Laws.

My six towns:


The explored land to the north:

You can see me meeting Greece here.

 

[tjs282]

Is that a Barbarian Spearman in the screenies of Kish, i.e. this is a modded game?

What (else) has been changed?

 

[jarred!]

Sorry for not mentioning it, but I just renamed some of the team color palettes. I swapped the pcx file names for pink and white and renamed the blues. I'll often use the default city names, but out of order. The .biq is unmodified.
So, that's not a barb spearman, but a Korean spearman.

Here's a pic with the file path in it. Note that's the main folder's art folder, this will (or maybe should) change the colors for all 3 games (vanilla, ptw, conq) or you could copy/paste it into the Conquests art folder to just change the colors there. You'll need to use gimp (free) or photoshop (paid) or a similar program that can edit .pcx files (paint can't). You can edit the palettes to change individual team colors, but I found swapping file names to change assigned colors was good enough for me.

 

[jarred!]

Turns 50-80, 1750BC-1000BC:
Part i;

Meeting the Byzantines, 1675BC:


Several turns pass, the third warrior I sent out meets the Byzantines (dark red). They also know writing. I trade writing to the greeks and koreans and pretty much catch up in tech. I learn Warrior Code, The Wheel and Iron Working. With Iron revealed, I see four sources nearby! I can probably secure three of them, maybe all four.

Spoiler Trades, 1675BC :

When I learn CoL in 1575BC, I trade it around to catch up the rest of the way. I'm also building a trade route to Arbela, Persia so I can get some Gems from them, but that is still a little while off.

Spoiler Trades, 1575BC :

World Map, 1500BC:


I have found 3 new towns this set, learned CoL, traded to near tech parity, and am close to learning Philosophy. I am 2 turns from connecting silks, ~8 turns from connecting ivory, and probably ~11 turns from connecting to perisa's trade network for some gems.

Updated Dot Map, 1500BC:

 

[jarred!]

Turns 50-80, 1750BC-1000BC:
Part ii;

I change some citizens to scientists to learn philosophy in 1450BC, one turn earlier than expected. I am the first to learn it, and I choose The Republic as my freebee. I use "what shall I research next?" to revolt and fix happiness, then begin researching literature with one scientist, in Umma. By 1325BC I'm in a Republic, but with only one city so I'm paying 16gpt in unit support, and am about to hit 0g in my treasury after this turn. In 1250BC I still have 2 turns to go on Lit and am still holding next to nothing in my treasury. You can see I have been mapping the Greek coastline (their usual light green).

Map of The World, 1250BC:


I have to slow research on Lit so I don't go broke. Once I finish it, I set research to Currency. I find the AI tends to research construction or polytheism here and I have better luck with trades if I research currency. But, two turns before I finish Currency, Korea and Persia both learn Map Making and Currency! They won't trade me currency and MM for lit this turn and I'd like to keep the republic for the era change. I can also trade for persia's gems, it'd be nice to get MM, Currency and gems for lit. In 1075BC this deal is possible:

Spoiler Trades, 1075BC :

I set next research to construction. A few turns later, the Greeks learn construction, but haven't been traded MM or currency yet:

Spoiler Trade, 1000BC :

I've been building the FP in Ur because it will be able to generate a lot of commerce from being on a river. A lot of towns are currently building courthouses, but most will end up as libraries I think. I now have 11 towns with 2 settlers en route. I have finished the trade route to persia and am continuing it on to korea. I am also about to meet the ottomans (orange) on the west end of the continent.

Map of The World, 1000BC:
Homeland:


The Wild West:

 

[need my speed]

I use "what shall I research next?" to revolt and fix happiness

What do you mean with this?

 

[jarred!]

What do you mean with this?

With "what shall I research next," I meant "what's the big picture?" When you research a new government, this advisor pops up before the domestic advisor asking if you want to revolt. From "what's the big picture?" you can navigate to the domestic advisor and revolt a little sooner. While here, you can hire clowns etc before you leave so you don't have to deal with towns rioting.

 

[Toxicman007]

A very useful little trick (exploit almost?), love to see others using it. But this is the first time I have seen someone call entertainers "clowns" actually laughed out loud

 

[jarred!]

I put it in the same category as the gift-all-the-science-civs-to-the-next-age trick, and I'll use that one too. I'm glad you appreciated 'clowns,' but, in turn, I think @tjs282 exposed me to it as well.

 

[jarred!]

Turns 80-100, 1000BC-550BC:

From here I pretty much cruise to the Middle Ages. In 975BC, I meet the Ottomans who are even in tech with everyone: they still need polytheism to advance. When I learn polytheism first, I select "what shall I research next?" and go to the f4 screen where I trade my rivals up to the Middle Ages. Since they're all scientific, they get a freebee for entering the new era. Unfortunately, no one learns monotheism. I go back through my communications to trade the republic for feudalism and engineering. When I exit the advisor, I gain my free tech which turns out to be Monotheism, so I set my research to theology.

Final Dot Map of the Northeast:

My plans for the last few towns in the area. I decided on the site near Bactra because the persians aren't agricultural so it'll be low food and I can try to flip it.

Spoiler Trades, 925BC :

As I researched theology, I continued to build infrastructure at home (libraries, courthouses, aqueducts and harbors), and explore the map. After I met the Ottomans in 975BC, mapping became less of a priority since I had met all of me rivals. The curraghs will finish outlining the continent, and the exploring enkidus will try to find luxes hidden in the fog (for potential trade). My worker who completed the trade network to the persian is now heading on to the koreans.

Map of the World, 750 BC:

New knowledge of the west.

Map of Sumeria, 750 BC:

Building some more settlers. Ur is stuck at size 9 because I'm running with the lux slider on 10% and I need to get some more luxuries!

In 670BC research on theology is finished and research on education started. In 610BC I renew my trade deal with the persians and monarchy and some much needed gold from the Greeks.

Spoiler Trades, 610 BC :

nice 8)

I settle Kuara on the border with Bactra and start building a library. I'll need to get some MPs into border towns to prevent flipping.

Map of Sumeria, 550BC:


I still need to build more workers. Settlement is slowing down and I think there are only a few more city sites I want to grab in the area. F5 says I only have 5 libraries, I also want to grow that number next turn set. There are 3 turns left to research education.

 

[Spoonwood]

Meanwhile, in 3400BC research of Ceremonial Burial finishes and I don't receive an MGL.

Of course not. Who the hell receives an Military Great Leader from finishing Ceremonial Burial first anyways? Enkidu warriors fighting their way to understanding that the people will be happier if the dead get buried in a special building called a 'temple'!

Yeah, I know you meant SGL. And I've made plenty of typos myself. I just laughed when writing that response. And you weren't wrong. You didn't receive an MGL.

 

[jarred!]

You know me, just trying to provide all the information, extraneous or otherwise.