TSG 254 Opening Actions

[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

- Have you played OCC before?
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
- What tech path did you follow and why? What wonders have you built already?
- What Social Policies did you choose?
- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick?

 

[The_Black_Vegetable]

I was eagerly anticipating playing this beautiful start location, so when I spotted the save file 5 minutes before I was supposed to get dressed, I decided I could come into work a few minutes later today, and ended up playing the first 40 moves . I started scout - worker, and researched mining to get the salt up as quickly as possible. My plan for the early game was to go for Temple of Artemis quickly, since that was the one wonder I did not want to lose (of course, I also did not want to lose Petra but on King I was less worried about that). After the worker I built another scout and went granary into ToA. I got a decent amount of ruins with no pop ruin, but instead two more important ones: archery, so I could tech Masonry to get the marble online, and a 20 faith ruin, giving me an immediate pantheon. I felt my normal build order of scout-scout-shrine would be too slow for spamming wonders, so I had planned to postpone the shrine, having Hagia as a back-up to get religion, but now I did not need to build a shrine at all. Before the start of the game, I thought I might pick Fertility Rites to get my single city as big as possible, but I had completely forgotten about that while playing and defaulted to desert folklore - which might actually be for the best, as the late-game faith might come in handy for buying scientists, and also it helped me get a religion without building another wonder for it.

My interactions with my neighbours are relatively peaceful so far; I stole a settler from Poland, a settler and a worker from Carthage, and after that I only declared on Carthage once more after inciting her to declare war on Persia (in the hope of freeing up a Persian luxury deal, but that did not work). After ToA I went Great Library (seemingly uncontested), then NC, Oracle (I wanted tradition finished quickly), Petra, and finally Hanging Gardens. Most of the AI were doing silly Piety and Honor things, so there was little risk in losing the Gardens. For religion, I went religious community and tithe, and the plan for enhance is Swords into Plowshares and Reliquary.

From the screenshot you can see I just got my university up (I had meant to buy it, but didn't have enough gold for it, so it ended up being a 3-turn build), and am now on my way to Astronomy (nicely in time for the Rationalism opener, and I also have only one filler policy - Patronage opener), and after that to Printing Press. The wonders I did not build are Great Lighthouse, Mausoleum, Chichen, and Hagia. Also no Colossus since I don't have bronze working yet. I still hope to pick up Colossus, and would like Mausoleum too, although I'm a bit wary of stacking merchant points (also at least one engineer seems inevitable now). Chichen I hope to build later, and Hagia I probably won't have time for. Oh, also in the screenshot: I just got my second We Love the King day, so the game is going good !

 

[Megalou]

- Have you played OCC before? No, but I have played Venice and won at deity I know, it's not exactly the same, but pretty close.

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game? Well, I should perhaps have waited to read the advice in the announcement thread to figure that out, but I was mainly focused on wonders. I also made an effort to build a rather early worker, since I tend to rely too much on captured workers which can cause severe improvement delays. This was absolutely crucial since Almaty didn't build a worker for me until around t30 or 35 (looking at their tiles now, they have so few shields!) and I didn't run into any AI settlers until much later.

On turn 100 I had picked up Great Library, National College, Hanging Gardens, Petra, Parthenon, Oracle, Mausoleum of H, Colossus, and Chichen Itza is 2 turns away. So yes, this was a formidable starting location. I also chose to boost ancient and classical wonder builds to the max, taking the triple rebate:
Aristochracy (the tradition policy)
Connection of marble (but I built my first worker rather late, only after 3 scouts and (IIRC) the shrine)
The Monument to the Gods Pantheon

Fun fact: Colossus took merely 3 turns to build.

Because I didn't pick Desert Folklore, I haven't got a religion yet, but I am licking up to La Venta to speed things up.

3 Scouts was one more than usual, and it did pay off with some great hut popping (which is probably the one single feature that I enjoy the most). The best ones:
Early culture for Monarchy (this was the southern hut on turn 2 I believe). Calendar. population. Another culture. AH. Later some population boosts.

Social Policies so far are Tradition tree, Patronage opener and Consulates (resting point is 20).

As for techs, education is 9 turns away. As for wars, I had to stop a Polish settler from settling near the salt by our northern borders, and so captured it. We will see if I can squeeze out a decent peace treaty. No other wars.

Very unlucky with WLTK - since the first lux that the people wanted was silk, and I haven't seen any anywhere!

As you can see in this t99 screenshot, The Black Vegetable is once again pulling ahead of me. I also happened to capture an interesting barb situation: By putting a worker in reach for the axeman, I am hoping that the axman will capture it instead of plundering the trade route to Florence. IIRC the axeman chose to attack the scout who was then upgraded and we were safe. Edit: The scout was not upgraded, so both it and the worker had to retreat. Next, the axeman stepped into the sheep pasture and was then blown up by city bombardment. "Mind the sheep, Lisbon!"

 

[Rhodro]

Here is my situation after 100 turns:

Spoiler :

Some setbacks include 2 scouts getting stuck in locked in lands while scouting. I also lost great library 2 turns from completion to William. Which was sad because I knew he was building it, I declared war on him, I was pillaging him with a scout and I saw on demographics that I had more hammers per turn than him Also my caravan to kabul got pillaged by barbs.
I have hanging gardens, oracle, TOA and petra.

Seeing @The_Black_Vegetable having almost double my science output is amazing. And you got WLTKD, I have to get whales... It's gonna be difficult to catch up.

 

[The_Black_Vegetable]

I have to get whales

I see from your minimap that I won't be spoiling anything by saying that at least wales are obtainable (Melbourne). Indeed I did get lucky with my second WLTK, although the first was a bit expensive: three luxes plus 7gpt (he did not like me at the time) for Persia's wine.

 

[raider980]

Its T101. I may have tried an OCC game but I don't think I've ever finished one. I see all those potential city locations and am sad that I can't build settlers , same reason I don't play Venice. Before the game I thought about how to grow as fast and big as possible. And also that I must get DF and Petra. I decided I would build a worker earlier than normal to start improving all those nice Salt and Wheat.

• Ruins were pretty good: Culture, Pop, Mining, Barbs, Gold, Culture, Gold.
• Build order was: Scout, Worker until Pottery, then switched to Shrine then back to Worker, Monument, Scout, Archer.
• Tech path was beeline Currency for Petra with minor deviations.
• I went full Tradition, which if I'd have thought about it I wouldn't have done. I would have gone Honor after opening Tradition and also taken the first two policies in Tradition. Honor because I plan on conquering the world.
• I have gotten quite a few wonders: ToA, GLHouse, Petra, HG, Oracle will finish next turn.
• I did get a religion: DF, Tithe, Faith from Wonders because I was building a lot. Haven't enhanced yet.

Everyone seems to hate Dido and William. I have a DoF with Persia and Poland. Persia DoW'd William and he had planted a city very near mine so I joined in and took his close city with Archers and a Warrior. I peaced out for some gold and a lux. There are a few coastal capitals, including Carthage and Amsterdam, so I'm going to go for Galleas' and then Frigates. Guess I'll wait for XB before starting the land wars.

Screenshots from T54 and T101. I'm not as far behind as I usually am although Black Vegetable still puts me to shame lol.