test your opening play

[illram]

I am a monarch player, been playing since CIV IV came out. Whether that's advanced or not I'll let yo decide.

I flew through this game although I tried to pace it. I normally play marathon games because I feel the game (and civilization) flies through too fast otherwise. Marathon games I tend to think between turns which leads me to not make many mistakes but I nake enough of them anyway.

BTW, I did not realize this game had no barbarians so I was a little more cautious in early expansion.

I actually edited my previous post and took out "advanced" as I am curious about everyones play, didn't want to make it sound exclusive or unreasonably subjective. Sorry 'bout that.

Interesting point on the marathon play- I generally play monarch/normal as I can't stand waiting so long for my units to be built/techs to be researched, but maybe I'll give epic another try to minimize my inevitable mistakes/misplays.

 

[Unconquered Sun]

I only focused on a demo capital development (which I played really fast). If not OCC, do expand. Capital development can go pretty much the same way, only a bit slower for some settlers and more workers.

 

[madscientist]

Interesting point on the marathon play- I generally play monarch/normal as I can't stand waiting so long for my units to be built/techs to be researched, but maybe I'll give epic another try to minimize my inevitable mistakes/misplays.

My games (huge maps too) generally are taking me a week in BTS (about twice as long was warlords). Like I said, I really hate seeing the ages fly by. I am a little older that most here, and prefer NOT to see life pass by so fast

 

[slobberinbear]

... (epic speed helps reduce) mistakes/misplays.

I'm not sure about that. It can be hard to recover from a series of bad mistakes on Epic. A bad tech order early can kill you at the slower speeds. If you start with a civ with few/no worker techs (Spain, Aztec, Celt, etc.), it is a huge decision early whether to go for a religion, get worker techs, etc.

On the other hand, Epic/Marathon do make you appreciate the value of a turn. Since (theoretically) you're getting more done with each turn on Normal, yeah, it feels like less margin for error when you're going faster.

I play Epic because I enjoy the military aspects of the game and my units don't go obsolete as fast.

 

[Qwack]

On a general note I have a question for both of you and others in this thread. When you guys play, are you really micromanaging your games and taking a long time with your turns to optimize everything? Or do you find you can still perform impressive starts and games with a more laid-back approach. I'm asking because I'm the type who tends to fly through my games, and while trying to manage my empire at optimum efficiency I still find myself playing "fast and loose".

For me, it just depends. I tend to micromanage much more in the early game because for me if I can get far enough there I can relax later on and cruise to victories. I also find the early game more fun to micro since there is less overall cities and it does not take way too much time to change your cities around. Just as an example, sometimes in my games, I will take 4 hours to play up until 1 AD, and then only like 4 more hours to finish the game off (For space race/cultural/diplomatic). War games just take more time in general.

I also tend to micromanage more in succesion games and RB tournament games then I would do in my solo games that I am just playing for myself.

 

[Percy]

I only focused on a demo capital development (which I played really fast). If not OCC, do expand. Capital development can go pretty much the same way, only a bit slower for some settlers and more workers.

Even then, i can't figure for the life of me how you can get Lib at 1 AD ^^
I must be missing something, and i'd like to learn what it is =P

 

[Cabledawg]

Percy...Unconquered Sun's 1 city 1AD Liberalism is more of a paper tiger in my opinion. This is not how you could win with the higher score than someone else who actually built cities or conquered neighbors. I took Railroad with Liberalism from my game. More expensive than even Democracy. If this was a OCC, then I would say good job...but its not.

 

[Percy]

I know, but even then, it does mean that his research was blazing fast. I mean, i wish i could do that in a OCC...

 

[thorban]

Even then, i can't figure for the life of me how you can get Lib at 1 AD ^^
I must be missing something, and i'd like to learn what it is =P

I'm with you, I wanted to know exactly how this was even possible... So I tried it taking hints from his research path and log. Here's my detailed results... BTW, since I'm not nearly as skilled, I reloaded a couple times to get better results! Not ashamed to admit that I need the handicap to even come close to that level of skill.

0: Move settler SE, Warrior sleeps 1 turn
1: Found Cuzco, Warrior pops hut for Fishing (!), first build is work boat working a 1f2h tile to get the work boat out fast, researching mining -> BW
5: Quech pops hut for 23g
13: work boat done, queue another, working improved clam tile to grow
16: Cuzco grows, working imp clam tile and 1f2h tile now
17: Quech pops hut for 48g
18: Adopt slavery, begin researching Sailing
24: Cuzco grows, add 2f1h tile temporarily
26: Putting 1 turn into a worker, but will switch to lighthouse next turn
27: Sailing is done, begin researching The Wheel -> Pottery -> Writing (this is different than Unconquered Sun). Working 2 4f3c and 1 1f2h tiles
30: Quech pops hut for 37g
31: Wheel is researched, whip lighthouse to completion, restart Worker
32: Working 2 5f3c tiles now
35: Pottery is researched, start on writing
36: Worker is done, he will chop a granary, mine 2 hills, and road to the stone.
42: 1 pop whipping the "Terrace", next up is another work boat
43: Writing is researched, starting on meditation -> Priesthood, warrior pops hut for hunting
45: Mine is done, working 2 5f3c tiles and 1 1f3h tile
50: 2nd mine is done, working 2 5f3c, 1 3f3c, 1f3h, 1 unhappy citizen
51: Priesthood is finished, researching Monarchy, work boat is done and moved, bulding a library that will be whipped to completion asap
52: 3 pop whipped lib start on Quechua for happiness
53: Working 3 5f3c tiles and 1 1f3h tile.
55: Hired 1 scientist, working 1 5f3c tile and 2 1f3h tiles for a bit. Whip will be ready again in 7 turns.
56: Quechua done, building another
58: 1 more quechua, 1 more in queue
59: Scientist fired, working 2 5f3c tiles, 2 1f3h tiles. Growth in 4 turns, but I will whip in 3.
60: Quechua done, 1 more in queue... 1 turn of hammers than I whip it into the oracle.
62: Quechua done, 15 overflow into the oracle, worker moved to chop some lumber into it as well. Working all food+commerce tiles now, monarchy will be done in 4 turns so red faced citizens will soon be gone
66: Monarchy done, researching CoL, in anarchy but setup city with 2 scientists, 3 5f3c and 2 3f3c tiles.
74: Oracle in 2, CoL in 2... Scientists were fired last turn to get everything times properly
76: CoL, confucianism, The Oracle, Philosophy, Taoism, convert to taoism... 2 scientists rehired
77: Civics change to Pacifism, time to get those GS's... Waiting on caste system til I whip the monastaries.
78: Researching alphabet
82: Both monastaries have been whipped, GP due next turn
83: GS born, he built an acadamy, building a couple quechuas
84: Traded for IW and AH, can't get masonry... So I'm gonna research it quick, than head for math/civil service
85: Civics to caste system
86: Running 6 scientists for 5 turns
91: GS born, all scientists fired... Building aquaduct - moai stones
103: CS done, researching paper... Working 3 scientists and chopping out moai stones
107: I reloaded to this point and starved out another GS when I realized how close I wasd at turn 112 or so.
109: Paper done, used 2 GS to fully bulb education, obviously this isn't something anyone should or would do in a normal game! Building science through liberalism now
119: Liberalism researched in 100 ad, only 4 turns behind Unconquered Sun!

Well, there it is. I learned quite a bit from doing that, hopefully some of my fellow mortals can as well!

 

[Percy]

Very interesting thorban, thanks a lot =)