The Emperor Masters' Challenge 3 (on Warlords)

[Pogel]

Shame about the original game, but you can't win them all and it was a tough start on a tough level.

My first move would probably be NE with the warrior to see what's up there, and then consider moving. It would have to show something good, though, as (aside from the lack of hills) you've probably god a decent start given the settings. I think I'd probably settle in place - moving 1N might get you one more land tile, but could lose your capital a resource.

 

[voek]

I think I'd probably settle in place - moving 1N might get you one more land tile, but could lose your capital a resource.

Since all tiles of the second ring of your capitals fatcross (at this position) are forest, there isn't a chance new resources will pop up, since IIRC no resources appear in forest. So you prob. only would would have a chance to gain another resource.

Still not preaching 1N however

 

[njorls]

I've read all your EMC threads and find them extremely helpful. And your writing style makes them an entertaining read. Plus, you taught me to be wary using aggressive AI and especially Monty.

I agree with moving the warrior NE with a mind of settling in place.

 

[tuckerthecat]

Dont worry about the loss, when I saw the neighbors plus no copper & such a bad starting position I would have been amazed if you hadnt lost. In my emperor games if I dont get copper or horses I'm usually dead before I get iron researched/ hooked up. I never bother with archery so if I'm stuck with just warriors till iron working, 9 times out of 10 I'll get wiped out by Monty/Caesar or Alexander. I think on emperor that if you are still using warriors when the AI's get axes/ horses hooked up the more aggressive ones will always attack you because you will fall way way down in the power graph with just warriors.

Good luck on the next installment.

 

[NaZdReG]

Aelf,

tough break friend. I thought the computer handed you a screwed start and it certainly turned out that way.

settle in place.. just like you had iron show up in the 1st game the fat cross is always goosed for the capitol. with all that river nearby you're set for either commerce or watermill setup later.

looks like a much better start!!! best of luck will definately be following it

NaZ

 

[Tyrant Roger]

I am very pleased you have restarted the EMC so quickly. Often defeat is a better teacher than victory.

The corn will be within your borders by the time a worker has reached it so I recommend you settle in place. Algorithims don't lie.

I have never tried a trade strategy and expect to learn a lot as this game unfolds.

 

[sveint]

I immensly enjoy your challenges aelf, keep up the good work. Please also consider archery, it seems to be very unpopular here but it's not a bad tech if you don't want to risk restarts.

 

[dutchfire]

pop the hut first in hope of a map?

 

[MartinhoMukanga]

I think you should settle in place, because you have chance of getting horses copper or iron in your original start and i think getting the corn now isn't so important

 

[aelf]

you get +2 health from fresh water, AFAIK

You're right. Wow. I always thought it only gave 1 health, and nobody has ever corrected me.

I'm still not convinced that Aggressive AI was the main contributing factor in losing that game, since relations between you and the other two had improved signifcantly from the initial annoyed level; I actually think poor starting position and starting beside Monty were more critical.

You may be right, but I can't say for sure. In my experience, Monty has declared war on me with archers a few times, but after I repel him with warriors, he usually agrees to sign peace. I've never seen the AI come at me with so many chariots this early. That, I think was how aggressive AI contributed significantly to our defeat.

Since all tiles of the second ring of your capitals fatcross (at this position) are forest, there isn't a chance new resources will pop up, since IIRC no resources appear in forest. So you prob. only would would have a chance to gain another resource.

How can you be so sure of that? There are a few plain tiles that may hold a secret The lack of hills, again doesn't worry me that much. We can always settle a production city. We can cottage our capital and still enjoy the bureaucracy bonus.

I think on emperor that if you are still using warriors when the AI's get axes/ horses hooked up the more aggressive ones will always attack you because you will fall way way down in the power graph with just warriors.

I think warriors should be 3 strength and have no city defense bonus. Otherwise, they're quite useless if there's anything else around. Anyone agree?

I've read all your EMC threads and find them extremely helpful. And your writing style makes them an entertaining read. Plus, you taught me to be wary using aggressive AI and especially Monty.

I immensly enjoy your challenges aelf, keep up the good work. Please also consider archery, it seems to be very unpopular here but it's not a bad tech if you don't want to risk restarts.

Thanks, and welcome to Civ Fanatics!

The problem with Archery is archers are too passive a defense against enemies that have axes or chariots. And if you don't start with Hunting you won't get Archery that quickly anyway.

 

[patagonia]

There are 5 potential squares in your existing BFC that could potentially be hiding a resource (probably horses or iron knowing Warlords - I never seem to see copper any more...an attempt to nerf axe-rushing?).

I'd move the warrior onto the corn and then probably settle in place unless you uncover something like gold in the process. It definitely looks like a better location for the capital than in the first attempt and you'll want to chop those forests to cottage the riverside tiles, so there's plenty of useful early production to be had too.

Are you going to try the GW > GE > ToA gambit again, or risk a straight build based on the availability of stone/marble nearby?

 

[Dr Elmer Jiggle]

There are 5 potential squares in your existing BFC

I've seen this before. What is "BFC?" I assume F is Fat and C is Cross, but what is the B? Big?

 

[MartinhoMukanga]

yes BFC is big fat cross

 

[Zophos]

Move the warrior NE first. If something especially tasty is revealed, you can think about moving the settler. Otherwise, settle in place. A coastal capital fits well with your chosen strategy, and this is about the best kind of coastal city - not too many (unimproveable) water squares, and all coastline rather than ocean.

 

[Sisiutil]

Tough luck about the previous game, but I also think it was a worthwhile exercise. You chose some very tough settings and as a result, the map generator evidently took you for a sucker for punishment.

Kudos for getting right back on the horse. You're a trooper! And I think turning that AAI off was a good idea, given the strategy you'd like to use. But it was very worthwhile to learn about it in the previous posts. I'm in favour of making that a recurring feature of the EMCs--choose one (and only one ) non-default setting and base your strategy upon it in some way.

Now back to the new game. Hmmm, I kind of like dutchfire's suggestion--if you get either a map or a scout, you could make a much more informed decision regarding the location of the capital. If you don't pop the hut, or don't get either of those two things from it, I would settle in place and put your trust in the capricious god of the map generator. I'm not going to say it looks better than the previous start--they actually look rather similar. But let's keep our collective fingers crossed and hope for copper nearby.

 

[lilnev]

But if you pop the hut and get experience, you'll be wishing you'd let your cultural borders do it.

peace,
lilnev

 

[Admiral Kutzov]

I'm not going to say it looks better than the previous start--they actually look rather similar.

agreed. PRNG

anyway, pop the hut with the warrior. you're not going to want to move inland in light of the stated goals. see what you get then decide.

for now, plant in place appears to be the plan.

 

[aelf]

Don't worry about the map looking a bit alike. We have two rivers in our BFC (compared to the solitary one tile river) and that changes a lot of things.

Now I guess the big question is to pop or not to pop. Popping with cultural borders has a higher chance of giving better stuff. Popping with warrior might give a map or a scout that may influence our decision on where to settle, and reduce the risk of somebody else popping it.

I'll probably play tonight.

 

[Sisiutil]

But if you pop the hut and get experience, you'll be wishing you'd let your cultural borders do it.

peace,
lilnev

On the contrary. Experience would allow aelf to give the Warrior Woodsman II, which essentially makes him a super-scout. Very desireable, though it doesn't reveal much of the map, and neither would gold. In case of those results I'd recommend settling in place.

The only reason to wait for the border pop pop D) is the slim chance that you might get a tech. Which, by the way, is not me saying NOT to do that, because I often do. Just sayin'.

 

[pigswill]

What if you pop the hut and get hostile villagers? Could be a short game.