TSG 244 Opening Actions Thread

[vadalaz]

This thread is used to discuss the game's opening decisions and strategies through the first 100 or so turns. Here you can post questions related to the game and share your achievements/anger/frustration/victories while you play.

Quick links: Upload submission | Announcement thread | After actions

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
- How much gold did you get for discovering natural wonders? On what did you spend it?
- What tech path did you follow and why?
- What Social Policies did you choose?
- What world wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick?

 

[The_Black_Vegetable]

The first 100 or so turns have flown by. I was expecting at least one natural wonder, so my intention at the start was to get at least two scouts out. I scouted mostly in the right direction, because I discovered Solomon's Mines and Barringer Crater first, and bought two settlers to settle those wonders ASAP. Meanwhile the capital was getting the shrine out as quickly as possible, to get One with Nature. I settled Solomon's on the coast (Barcelona), which turned out very well as it grabbed a bunch of crab and fish. It was right on Germany's border, but since this is King difficulty, I figured I would get away with that. So far, Barcelona is the best thing about my game. It built Great Library, Hanging Gardens (clutch, since it did not have fresh water), Temple of Artemis and Oracle, and on top of that I stole a bunch of workers from Berlin, to the point that I did not need to steal from city states. I did lose Great Lighthouse by a few turns, though.

Barringer I settled a bit further north than I would have liked, but there was a barb camp in the way, so I could not easily get a better spot. The better spot would be mostly in the form of more Petra tiles later on. I did build Petra there, although I had to race (and declare war on) Inca to get it, since he was attempting it in his capital. He did build Mausoleum which I also would have liked.

Mount Kilimanjaro I settled a little late, so I did not get my pantheon there as I had already founded a religion. This time I went tithe, pagodas and mosques. I almost always pick religious community, but this game I would like a lot of culture and faith, and perhaps I will later choose the sacred sites reformation anyway, just as a little boost to tourism.

As can be seen from the screenshot, I am actually struggling a little with happiness at the moment. I don't have many happiness buildings up yet, and it did not help that a barbarian horseman pillaged a luxury. At a later point in the game, I would like to get more cities out, as there are still a few decent spots left (although the AI will start to settle those unless I stop them), but first I want to get my national wonders out, possibly including hermitage.

My general feeling of this game is that it is an embarrassment of riches: there is so much more that you can do compared to an ordinary game, but for me it feels it difficult to realize the map's full potential. My game is good by normal standards, but given three natural wonders (except for Solomon's not the very best, but still amazing as Spain), I feel it could have been a lot stronger. I suppose I will see what the other players will manage.

 

[Rhodro]

This is a very fun game so far!
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
I thought the GOTM creators were gonna have something in store, because a Spain game with no wonders is no fun. Turns out yes, 3 natural wonders

- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
SIP because I couldn't find a reason to move from a coastal river hill.

- How much gold did you get for discovering natural wonders? On what did you spend it?
My first scout went NW and 2nd scout went SE. I found King Solomons mines really fast (500G) and rushed a settler there. I found barringer crater not long after that (500G) and also rushed a settler. It took a long while before I found 3rd wonder (100G) so I hard built a settler for that.
- What tech path did you follow and why?
Pottery, AH, Archery, Luxury techs, rushed sailing because barcelona has big hammers easy to make a work boat. Then trapping and mining. Bronze working and Calendar. Philosophy, Currency (for petra), Masonry, Civil Service, now teching to university.
- What Social Policies did you choose?
Tradition and I just opened aesthetics.

- What world wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
All of them. I found weakling bismark next to production powerhouse Barcelona so I decided to spam archers and take him out. While I was moving settler to mt kilimonjaro I saw Pachacuty moving there with an settler warrior combo. I used my scout and archer-scout to prevent him from settling there. Those 2 units died but it was for a good cause. He settled his city enough to the south that I was able to settle mt kilimonjaro later. Then army went from Bismarck to patchacuty and now I have the island to myself.
- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick?
yea, One with nature, then prophet for tithe and pagodas, then a missionary that spread to Cordoba and Berlin, giving a nice spread and pressure. Waited for 2nd prophet to enhance, took itinerant preachers because every city is just outside of 10 range and cathedrals (because mosques were taken). Soon the city states on the whole island will be converted which is nice for the slower influence drain. Now im just spamming pagoda's asap.

Because of my warpath happiness was an issue and it took me a long time to get first 2 caravans up. I can see from The_Black_Vegetable's screenshot he/she has much higher science per turn. It's probably gonna take me 4 or 5 turns longer to get Education.

I'm sailing a trireme around from Barcelona clockwise but I don't think I will reach the other continent with that, it would surprise me if it did.

I got temple of artemis in barcelona. I did fail on wonders stonehenge and hanging gardens sadly. Started them too late. I hope to get Chichen Itza though, and Petra is getting close to completion (was very though with a 5 pop city start).

Spoiler :

 

[raider980]

I agree with the above, great game so far! Spain with 3 NW; can't ask for more than that.

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game? -- Spain so thought about NW and Conquistadores. And I haven't been disappointed so far!

- Where did you settle and what did you build first? -- Settled in place and went Scout, Scout, Shrine, Monument, Scout. I knew I had to find those NW so went with 3 scouts.

- How much gold did you get for discovering natural wonders? On what did you spend it? -- Got 500G for KSM and Berringer's Crater and 100G for Mt. Kili. Bought a settler with the first 500, then bought a worker (that was a mistake as there weren't really any tiles to improve early), bought another settler when I got enough gold again. I was going for KSM with my first settler but then I found Mt. Kili and changed course. I have to have Mt. Killi always! Second settler went to KSM since I figured Berringer could wait awhile. Settled BC with my Liberty settler.

- What tech path did you follow and why? -- Standard tech path except went for sailing a little earlier than normal but then didn't even build any Triremes lol.

- What Social Policies did you choose? -- Went left side of Liberty then Piety to Reformation. Opened Aesthetics and finished Piety some time in there. I was going to go straight Piety but decided on Liberty left side for the extra settler.

- What world wonders did you try to get and did you get them? -- I was so busy settling cities that I didn't try for many wonders. I did get ToA, GLH, and Pyramids. But was beat to Parthenon and Petra by a few turns. Losing Petra really hurt because Cordoba really needed it to be a good city, now its just mediocre.

- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick? -- Yep, standard Tithe, Pagodas, Interent Preachers and Mosques. Went Piety for the Reformation of To the Glory of God; I don't think I've ever tried that. This map would have been great for Sacred Sites; but I tried that in the April Fools game and even on Warlord I didn't do that well with it. I was about to win the game and had like 98% influence over the last AI when it started going backwards! I didn't even know that could happen. And then I actually fell below 100% with a second AI so it was kind of frustrating and wanted to try something different this time. I saw someone posted in the After Actions (didn't open it just saw it being posted in) and I assume SS is how they won so fast; you can fit a lot of cities on this map and with 3 NW and OWN the faith is massive.

Bismark was expanding fairly quickly and snuck Munich in where I was going to build a city. Then I see an undefended German Settler heading for a 4th city and I could not let that happen so I took it. The next turn another settler appeared and I took that too, poor Bismark. We iddn't even really fight much but a little later he popped up and sued for peace, offering Munich. I usually don't take AI cities but Munich was in a pretty good spot that I was going to settle in that area anyway so I accepted. After that I was able to get enough cities down to thwart any further attempts of his to settle. And luckily, Pacachuti didn't seem too interested in settling cities so he was no threat.

I'm not done settling cities yet and I've already spied a one tile island with Marble off to the east that my first Conquistadore will settle. Hopefully I can find other islands and maybe even have some space on another continent to send out more Conquistadores.

 

[Megalou]

I'm not done settling cities yet and I've already spied a one tile island with Marble off to the east that my first Conquistadore will settle. Hopefully I can find other islands and maybe even have some space on another continent to send out more Conquistadores.

D'ya know if the conquistadors are expended when they found a city?

 

[sebtanic]

D'ya know if the conquistadors are expended when they found a city?

yes. but they cost the same as a settler

 

[raider980]

D'ya know if the conquistadors are expended when they found a city?

Yep, they are. So your city will be alone and defenseless. But they're cool so I use them. They're still better than a settler, faster and not defenseless.

 

[Megalou]

Thanks, a non-defenseless settler is certainly great for one’s nerves. More expensive than settler in capital post collective rule, though, I take it?

 

[raider980]

Yea, they're not affected by collective rule so they are the original hammers, not cheap but by they time you get them your cities are pretty big so should be able to build them without too much time
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