Super Isolated Starts

[Stalker0]

Spoiler :

So running through an interesting game at the moment. I am dealing with a completely isolated start, no one was near me until I get Caravels, and only 1 CS was nearby.

So obviously a lot of barbs, but I'm used to dealing with that. However, I really struggled with happiness this game. With no CS and AIs to draw luxs from, I just could not get happy. So I basically cut off growth until I made it to caravels, and now with every lux I can snag, I am back in the black, but I'm last place with a lot of work to do.

So was curious what people thought the best way to handle this kind of game is, in terms of build or tech orders, religious beliefs, etc. I'm thinking I may have to sacrifice some things and just beeline even harder to caravels

 

[azum4roll]

Is there really nothing west of Mombasa? And nothing you can see with your scout?

 

[Stalker0]

Is there really nothing west of Mombasa? And nothing you can see with your scout?

There's an island but I couldn't get to it until Caravels. And Mombasa wasn't accessible either, so I was able to friend it through a quest, but I couldn't ally it for its lux until astronomy

 

[azum4roll]

There's an island but I couldn't get to it until Caravels. And Mombasa wasn't accessible either, so I was able to friend it through a quest, but I couldn't ally it for its lux until astronomy

You could've sent a Trireme through there at least, and see if the western island links to the mainland.

 

[Stalker0]

You could've sent a Trireme through there at least, and see if the western island links to the mainland.

I did, and they are not

 

[Noob Fanboy]

I try to go Progress when that happens, while cleaning barbs with the less amount of units possible, getting science oriented religious beliefs help a lot too. Make sure to have enough Cargo ships by the moment you have Caravel so that you can send them inmediatly to the neighbours. The worst issue with an isolated start are: Missing gold from IA, missing science and culture from trade routes.

 

[CrazyG]

The main disadvantage is lost gold and happiness. Sometimes a lack of city states hurts, which is extra true here since you played Siam.

Initially barbs are tough (but look for CS quests as a silver lining). As annoying as the barbs are, you really don't need that many units, and once the barbs are under control you can save production and gold by going light on military. You can skip walls until caravels, and for inland cities I'd probably skip castles forever.

By saving production and gold in the classical era you should have pretty good infrastructure in games like these, which can make progress appealing.

 

[randomnub]

Progress and beeline the Great Lighthouse, buffed up triremes usually spot some coastal water next to a nearby continent they can travel to.

 

[Stalker0]

Progress and beeline the Great Lighthouse, buffed up triremes usually spot some coastal water next to a nearby continent they can travel to.

Not a bad idea. Sigh, well unfortunately I got the hard "Next Turn" bug on Turn 270 so I won't be able to play this one out. I was still dead last but at least I had some good diplomacy going, so I at least had an angle to make some moves.

 

[CrazyG]

You've probably already seen this thread, but it's good to link here:
https://forums.civfanatics.com/thre...lts-new-players-welcome.636685/#post-15223194

Just my 2 cents but I really don't like the Great Lighthouse rush in a situation like this. None of fishing-trade-sailing are important economic techs here, I think rushing them hurts a lot. I think going for libraries or arenas is wiser, though it would be different if you had fishing luxuries or were playing a civ with trade route bonuses.

 

[azum4roll]

I think the fact that you didn't get your tree bias hurt extra hard. At least you had strategics.

 

[randomnub]

Just my 2 cents but I really don't like the Great Lighthouse rush in a situation like this. None of fishing-trade-sailing are important economic techs here, I think rushing them hurts a lot. I think going for libraries or arenas is wiser, though it would be different if you had fishing luxuries or were playing a civ with trade route bonuses.

I would have probably blind started researching mining due to it being necessary for silver, in those 10 turns pathfinder and warrior would have explored enough coastline and ice that I could have figured such an isolated start, then attempted pyramids (probably buying a hill tile). On the path to sailing we have settlers and granaries, can have cities grow to 3 and work 2 hills, 3 after a granary and the third progress policy, and just focus on production. I mean Sailing is not such a huge detour when you are still in the expansion phase and have a bunch of civilian units to churn out. A food route to capital and one to an allied vilnus for a bit of science would also mitigate the lack of libraries/barracks that are quite a gold sink without trade partners.

That's all theory anyway, just what I happen to do when I roll continents and an isolated start, the 25% of time I don't reroll the map because it's not that fun afterall

 

[randomnub]

I think the fact that you didn't get your tree bias hurt extra hard. At least you had strategics.

Right, what map script is this?

 

[Stalker0]

Right, what map script is this?

communitas_79, 2 random rifts (narrow). I will sometimes get a "fishing" isolated start, where I need to cross some narrow coast to find opponents, but rare I get the full isolated on these settings.

 

[CrazyG]

Random question but isn't like your 3rd game as Siam in a row? Any particular reason for that?

 

[Stalker0]

Random question but isn't like your 3rd game as Siam in a row? Any particular reason for that?

i tend to play the same civ several times in a row, gives me a chance to better find the groove with them and gives me consistency as I look at certain things game to game.

But I will move on to the next civ soon

 

[Thibix Magnus]

I wonder if the authority opener could be worth it in these situations? Culture paying for itself and increased combat bonus meaning less troops needed?

 

[CrazyG]

I wonder if the authority opener could be worth it in these situations? Culture paying for itself and increased combat bonus meaning less troops needed?

Authority would start strong but will struggle with culture and science long term.

 

[Thibix Magnus]

Authority would start strong but will struggle with culture and science long term.

no I meant only the authority opener, then full progress. Or maybe authority opener after progress opener (then again back to progress). An isolated start with room for Progress means a lot of barbs, I'd imagine the culture from kills would make up for the policy delay, and you need less units to fight barbs as they have a bonus, so more production to get progress rolling. I think I've done it once on immortal with Celts.

 

[CrazyG]

no I meant only the authority opener, then full progress. Or maybe authority opener after progress opener (then again back to progress). An isolated start with room for Progress means a lot of barbs, I'd imagine the culture from kills would make up for the policy delay, and you need less units to fight barbs as they have a bonus, so more production to get progress rolling. I think I've done it once on immortal with Celts.

It won't make up for the policy delay due to how social policy costs scale.

You will get progress's 10 culture per city later and you'll earn less culture per discovered tech, I don't think this land could kill enough barbarians to overcome that.