The Map Generator Is Giving Me The Cold Shoulder

[azzaman333]

Occasionally, you get a start that leaves you wondering, what the hell am I supposed to do with this. I just rolled this beauty.

Suffice to say, not the easiest map to roll when trying to get a gauge of how I actually fare on Immortal. I'm about 300 turns in to my game, and still in with a chance of winning (against all odds). But what I really want to know is how others would play out a start like this, and if it's actually an easier map than it looks from the start.

France, Small Continents, Immortal, all dlc. Random opponents.

 

[Vintage Port]

I like the interesting starts like this. Too bad the warrior can't get on the forested silver to the S.

I think that is where I would found the city. Hill + Mountain and coastal since it is small continents.

 

[pilot00]

Well I had worse

I would sacrifice a turn and get to the silver deposit down. God willing there is farmable land or at leads deer/campable animals down. Beelining shrine for godess of the hunt if its viable (i have actually won a game thanks to that) or go for the fish as my primary source of food. From there it depends on terrain actually. And you need tradition something fierce.

A pic of the next 5 turns with more revealed terrain would make an easier assessment.

I would hazard a guess that the snows have oil

 

[Catan_Settler]

Lots of food and mountainside access... I'd call it an above average start. Not the best of the best due to snow/tundra but still... look at all that silver you can trade.. and religious idols. I donno, people rag on coastal starts a lot but.. with that many fish and a couple deer thrown in for good measure you can really grow that city upwards.

 

[IAmOzymandias]

It's not nearly as bad as it looks. Although it's certainly not the type of map I would jump up and down for, i'd move one square down (at least) or take an extra turn to get on that silver hill.

From there, as others said, work those fish and try to get back on your feet.

A very challenging start but not unworkable. Very glad to see you stuck with it instead of rerolling, that's the spirit.

 

[Plumfairy]

I would definitely found my city on top of the forested silver. You'd have a ton of food (from fish), a silver on a hill for production & money, and then you'd also have the other silver for trade. Depending on what's revealed to your south, that has the potential to be a pretty amazing start, actually.

 

[wigwam]

I would definitely found my city on top of the forested silver. You'd have a ton of food (from fish), a silver on a hill for production & money, and then you'd also have the other silver for trade. Depending on what's revealed to your south, that has the potential to be a pretty amazing start, actually.

Agreed! If you move to the forested silver, you've still got every visible resource within three tiles, you're on a hill, you're next to a mountain (Observatory), you've now only got one snow hex within three tiles, and hopefully you've got a bunch of exciting new stuff to the south as well. There must be another luxury resource around there somewhere.

That said, the settler's initial position is hilariously terrible. I've never seen half that many snow and mountain tiles around a start site and I've never seen a start site with so few luxuries. Fish are a great food source, but not for the capital; they take forever to get up and running (need three work boats and a Lighthouse; that's at least 20 turns of production). The forest Deer and the hill Silvers are the only decent tiles around, and two of those "decent tiles" have no food; if you settle on the forest Silver (as you should), you'd better hope there's something good to the south, because as soon as your population hits 2, you're going to be falling behind, working an unimproved Fish.

 

[Vintage Port]

Is that a River to the south of the deer/southwest of the forested silver?

If so there could be lots of food/potential there.

Looks like a fun start to me.

 

[glory7]

this is not that bad... move to forest silver then you have decent food, production, lux.

 

[azzaman333]

Spoiler settling 2S :

Settling on the silver forest gives +2 hills and +1 desert oil, the rest gained is either coast or mountain

The start location itself isn't the worst aspect of the start. Sure, it's not ideal, but the fish give it plenty of food potential, and there's enough production around to get things built. But there are limited expansion opportunities and it's definitely not the friendliest of neighbourhoods.

 

[Vintage Port]

I was going to play an Immortal Arabia game next and try out Liberty as I never do it but this France start is looking more and more intriguing.

Don't have too many more games before BNW though and so many Civs to still play for me.

Tough call. I also have never played England.... hmmm

 

[BrokTheFanatic]

Definitely below average to poor IMO. I'd go S to the silver by the camp. I'd try to get the food camp pantheon, well maybe (normally prefer happiness over all else). I can't really say without scouting. If lands are good to the S, it works. If it is not so good..

The difference a starting spot can make is understandably dramatic. Normally they are good but I am playing on pangea with a great starting spot and it has made the immortal match feel like emperor. I have the most wonders built, lead in tech, its been very easy. Was a nice change since I had previously tried two starts a little bette rthan the one you show. One I lost and the other I managed to win but with a restart that went back 40 turns.

 

[SirPepsi]

I've had a very similar start - all tundra and snow with 2 Silver resources. It's challenging, but as long as you get the Pantheon founded quickly and explore for more suitable expansion, you'll be fine.

Hope you win!

 

[pilot00]

How do you guys upload the files? It seems that everytime I click the upload I get the message: 'sending request to forum' and it never uploads. I have a real fun start to show

 

[nanomage]

That would make a great IC8: weak civ + unusual start seems interesting. While looking awfully, this sure has some possibilities.
EDIT: oh wait it's France. I thought America

 

[Gucumatz]

Meh the current OCC Deity game I am playing had a worse start , all tundra and only a wheat + 4 forestless deer for food. (river with a hill too which gave me 2 farms) - Winning that at the moment... although I should preface it that its with Babylon [Only a lux, was a shuffle map but I think I landed an ice age start]

 

[pilot00]

I think I can still beat ya all However I cant upload the damn files

 

[Antiphon]

Looks to me like one of the better starting locations. You can only expand to the south, but also only be attacked from the south, this city should make for a good defence, plus you can go both God of the Sea or Religious Idols. Note though you are in for a slow start, with three fishes you should have ample :civ5food: once improved. I consider this location actually above average, and good if silver to the south (where you should settle) would be next to a river. But there are not enough ressources for the long run it seems, so definitely expand once the city outgrows the useful tiles.

 

[azzaman333]

Looks to me like one of the better starting locations. You can only expand to the south, but also only be attacked from the south, this city should make for a good defence, plus you can go both God of the Sea or Religious Idols. Note though you are in for a slow start, with three fishes you should have ample :civ5food: once improved. I consider this location actually above average, and good if silver to the south (where you should settle) would be next to a river. But there are not enough ressources for the long run it seems, so definitely expand once the city outgrows the useful tiles.

That's the thing though, there is no land to the south with the sole exception of a 4 or 5 tile island to the south west.

 

[The Pilgrim]

As far as tundra starts go, it's one of the better ones I've seen. Looks pretty interesting.