TSG 277 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: Announcement thread | After actions

- 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 Social Policies did you choose?
- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick?

 

[ForkOfSpite]

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game? Galleasses for the win!
- What tech path did you follow and why? Compass with detours for mining (lux/chop) and masonry (lux)
- What Social Policies did you choose? Tradition for borders, capital culture, and wonders. Honor for war. Exploration because so, so useful.
- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick? No, but some more ruins faith and religious CS friends might get me there. Chose hammers for wonders with the mostly accidental pantheon.

Turn 100 Update on the Galleass Rush Strategy

Spoiler :

Meh - good chance it'll work. I've only found three civs so far but all three look open to galleasses + quinqueremes. Better players would be more successful (or, more likely, choose a superior strategy), but the galleass rush seems to be working mostly as intended. Reached Compass on Turn 98 with only two detours (Mining and Masonry). Used Great Library for Drama and Poetry because I was researching Philosophy at the time (in case someone beat me to the GL). Completed the Oracle on Turn 91 to open Exploration (coastal hammers policy soon thereafter). No army yet of course (but still practically at the top for army score) - plan is to build some galleasses and then set sail. Not sure of the first target. Oda has the Statue of Zeus and Great Lighthouse (and Stonehenge, I think), so he'd make a good target. He was recently the top military, so he also has a few units that might be useful for training the galleasses. However, we have a lux/lux trade and I'm pretty far from the exploration happiness policy.

If I were to attempt this strategy again on this map, I wouldn't have built libraries in my expansions (at least, not as the second build after the monument). Both expansions have early flaws (lighthouse needed to correct), so it took forever to get through those builds. I was intending to go directly into the National College after the Great Library, but the libraries weren't ready yet (and didn't have Philosophy yet either). By the time I got around to building the NC, it would have only saved a few turns for Compass. Workers, work boats, granaries, lighthouse (when available), and even units would have been better choices at that time.

Initial Builds: scout, monument, worker, settler, settler
Pantheon: Monument to the Gods on Turn 58 (cleared a barb camp for Lhasa)
World Wonders: Great Library (T67), Oracle (T91)
Social Policies: Tradition, Honor, Aristocracy, Warrior Code, Military Tradition, Exploration, Maritime Infrastructure

Reflecting on these screenshots below (all Turn 100), I can't spend that much time on workers. Will switch the expansions to galleasses even though I've already put hammers into the workers. Will buy a worker in capital in case the expansions ever go back to them (plus, closer to the island horses).

Overall Empire

Spoiler :

Carthage

Spoiler :

Utique

Spoiler :

Hippo Regius

Spoiler :

Demographics

Spoiler :

 

[Rhodro]

For once I did write down my ruins:
T6, gold, bought scout
T14, map, revealed GBR, bad spot though
T21, barb camps. T58, trapping.
T62, scout upgrade to archer
T73 culture. T86 faith. T88 map, revealed nothing. T91 gold. T97 bronze working.

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
Since prince AI don't put up a fight I was planning to make an archer army, supported with quinrereme, and swim it to opponent capitals. Hoping they are reachable by coast. I did make 2 quinrereme early to explore the waters.

- What tech path did you follow and why? Granary and mining first, because of 3 deer and many forests, silver. Then embarkation. Focus on the wheel to start income from connected cities, lux techs, upgrade archers to compbows, national college, now focus for crossbows.

- What Social Policies did you choose? Full liberty, left side first, built NC and picked a GS. I'm building oracle now to pop exploration.

- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick? Not yet. If i get one i will take 100gold per city probably.

My compbows took iroquos capital at T82 and Japanese capital at turn 93. Now swimming for Vienna. I really hope the last 2 civs are reachable by coast. I haven't found them yet but I'm sure they are south, looking at the minimap.
I built pyramids for the 1 turn repairs, which is always nice with pillaging.
I'm not sure if my strategy results in a fast win, i feel compass + great lighthouse + exploration policy is also gonna be fast...

My cities:

Spoiler :

Army swimming to Vienna:

Spoiler :

 

[Megalou]

The same city placement for everyone so far. I guess it was a no-brainer to settle on the luxuries. I built my second town before Collective Rule (e little early) and the third one with the Collective Rule settler (a little late).

Social policies: Honour starter, then the complete Liberty Tree, finished on turn 100 with a great engineer for Zeus.
Turn 100 was also the turn I finished Compass to start on galleasses. Unlike Rhodro I haven't even researched archery.

Techs: pottery, mining, calendar from hut, trapping, masonry, sailing, optics, writing, philosophy, Drama and poetry, Theology from Great Library, Compass. (I didn't do Wheel because I had forgotten that it's the tech that triggers city connection by sea as well.)

I built 1 scout whose main contribution was to nick one worker from Lhasa. The scout also helped the starting warrior to farm culture from the barb camp about 5 tiles north of Carhtage.

I then built monument to get the culture going.
Next worker, granary, shrine. The shrine was for +1 food camp pantheon (Goddess of the Hunt)

Lighthouses in all 3 cities - the last one bought. - Great Lighthouse in Carthage.
Great Library for free Theology.
Oracle.
Quinqueremes here and there.
In the screenie from 102 you can see that I just hurried Temple of Zeus with the free Liberty Engineer.

I think Rhodro might be faster with the slow but early archers, but the boats will be deadly.

 

[ForkOfSpite]

Focus on the wheel to start income from connected cities,

Was surprised when The Wheel gave the city connections message and symbol, but looks like I was already receiving the income. Same Turn 100 screenshot as I posted above but highlighting the economy:

Spoiler :

Greyed out in the Economic Overview, but the gold per turn includes the city connections.

 

[Megalou]

Was surprised when The Wheel gave the city connections message and symbol, but looks like I was already receiving the income. Same Turn 100 screenshot as I posted above but highlighting the economy:

Spoiler :

View attachment 748072

Greyed out in the Economic Overview, but the gold per turn includes the city connections.

A bit strange since the city connection confirmation (or symbol) doesn’t appear until after Wheel.

 

[lymond]

not posting screenshot as I forgot to save one at the time, and have played a few turns on. However, looking at those shots posted, my settlements are basically the same. However, I settled on the cow to the SW so I could grab the clams and more seafood.

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
That I really want to finish this one....lol...and that I may try naval warfare for once

- What tech path did you follow and why?
Usual pottery, i got something for free..maybe mining, sailing, writing, optics..def wanted Greatlighthouse
- What Social Policies did you choose?
Opened Tradition for the culture, then Liberty
- Did you get a religion? What religious beliefs did you pick?
Yes, but went with my first non-reli point pantheon, in a long while, with god of the sea, which I feel was the right choice here. Reli likely won't play much importance though otherwise.

I've played peacefully up to this point. Friendship with Japan early helped with some early funding. Stole 2 workers from Lhasa, but had to build the first one. Mised Great Library ..not even close. I've come to consider it mostly a trap wonder. I really wanted Great Lighthouse and got it.

Scouting pretty good. Picked up some huts on little islands and got to the S. Friendship wiht Almaty way south by saving some workers and nabbing a hut.

Trade routes are going to be a problem as I get ready for war. Most of the routes lead thru soon to be enemy territories, and Lhasa is blocked. Money is good, though, so I should be able to buy some ships as well as build them as I beeline Compass.

I expect some early dates here.

 

[raider980]

-Before the game I thought of how many Quinquereme's to build to do a rush with them. I didn't even think about Galleass', I didn't figure I'd be able to get there quick enough so I went for Archers and was hoping a couple of those plus Spearmen plus Quinquereme would do it. It took longer than I thought to take Kyoto; I had one Archer, one Spear and 4 Quin's, but had to build more and bring some back home to heal. I finally took it on T95.

I only founded two cities; Carthage proper was real good and had high production so can pump out units on its own. I've only met

Spoiler :

Japan, Iroquois and China so far and I'm going to try and take them out in quick succession; Hiawatha and Wu's capitals aren't on a hill so hopefully will be easier.

Social policies were full Honor after opening up Tradition. I did get a religion, thanks to my friend Lhasa, God of the Sea pantheon, the usual Tithe and Pagodas; may not get to Enhancement, just buy some Pagodas.

Spoiler T95 :

 

[sebtanic]

I went Liberty and just settled one city with the free settler. Built one worker, stole one from Lhasa, and got a free one from Liberty. Now I have too many workers for only two cities. I decided to make them chop the whole island since there is nothing better to do for them lol.

Didn't take note of the ruins this time, but I did get Mining from one when I was researching it already. Not 100% sure but I think I had it more than half researched. I think I got gold and culture also. No pop ruins this time.

Decided to go for Galleas rush, but didn't beeline the tech since I needed luxes. So after Mining and Optics (for Lighthouses) I made sure to get all the lux techs, plus trapping since it was only a few turns and gives a major food benefit in the capital.

Didn't take much notes this time but here's my time line:
t56: GLH
t89: Oracle -> Liberty finisher -> GS which finished Compass for me (timed it so there were 6 turns left, which worked beautifully)

After Compass I started to spam Galleases. In the screenshot you can see my first ships heading toward Japan. I am about to take out their Trireme, then go for their capital.