TSG141 Opening Actions Report

Knowtalent

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Welcome to the TSG141 Opening Actions thread.

STOP - Please do not continue reading this thread until you have completed at least 80 to 100 turns in your game.

This thread is used to discuss the game once you've started playing through your first 100 turns. Apart from normal decency, the only posting restrictions are to please not post videos until the deadline is finished and to use the spoiler tags for screenshots. Here you can post questions related to the game and share your achievements/anger/frustration/victories while you play. Please remember that we are running a family friendly site, so express anger or frustration with this in mind. :)

Please use this thread to discuss your goals for the game and your opening moves through the first 100 turns. Anything after that should be posted in the After Action thread once you have completed your game.

- 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 did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
- What were your initial priorities?
- What tech path did you follow and why?
- What Social Policies did you choose?
- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith
- Any surprises? :mischief:
 
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game? After playing almost exclusively on Emperor for the past few months I knew Prince would be a relaxed game. My plan was to sit back and use Liberty to build a large Shoshone empire, chase some wonders, and see if I can finish the game faster than I usually do (around turn 350 on Emperor).
- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
I settled the hill two hexes south of the starting location.
- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
I initially assumed the water was coast, but I still settled next to it even when I realized it was lake. Desert means lots of faith and shoot for Petra, large pangaea map means war could be more viable.
- What were your initial priorities?
Didn't have a clear path, but when I popped writing with my second ruin, I decided to go for some fast early science with the GL after building two PF to go with my original. Delayed my free setter to build NC around turn 70.
- What tech path did you follow and why?
Just a mish mash, aside from taking Philo with the GL, but now that I'm around turn 100 I'm starting to push along the science/religion track to Education.
- What Social Policies did you choose?
Liberty, but opened Honor instead of taking the free settler because I wanted to get NC in my capital faster.
- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
GL, Mids, almost done with Oracle. Will try for Petra, not sure whether to GE rush it or to hard build it.
- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith
I just waited to pop a ruin on turn 20 and got the first pantheon (desert folklore of course).
- Any surprises? Not really, although both Portugal and Spain have pretty crummy capitals. I declared a very late worker stealing war on Pacal and I might take his Uluru/Ivory city that he dropped near me, but I'm unsure how much war I want to wage.

Decisions to make: GE for Petra, or GS for academy from Liberty finisher? Lots of war or play nice? Take Lisbon? Spain's capital? Take Elizabeth's land, who seems to be doing much better than the other leaders thus far?
 
I play mostly MP games and having a Shoshone draft felt refreshing as he gets banned every game :)

Fairly decent game so far. Started by moving pathfinder on the south hill & relocated settler for a better start IMHO. Started with 3 pathfinders (Shoshone/Raging/Pangaea). Almost didn't pay off as I lost 2 ruins on same turn to AI but likely found a clutch spot revealing 2 ruins past T25 and pathfinder battled his life for it.

I believe I got Culture --> Pop (3 -> 4, waited 2 turns but worth the risk) --> Upgrade --> Faith --> GP. After early game got another T85 Upgrade. I noticed 3 barb camps close to Cap and decided to OCC GL -> NC. After 3 pathfinders went worker -- granary --> GL. Stole 3 settlers from England/Inca/Spain. Was only worth it due to OCC, but still questionable. Waiting for DoF and buying probably would've been best. Got another archer/pathfinder, bought one settler and HB my 3rd. Was fairly happy at micro this game haven't lost a single turn due to barb denying yields maybe 1-2 minor mistakes when relocating worker and not optimizing the free pre-builds.

Uluru was tempting but the grassland settlement is quite garbage. So I decided to capitalize on a fairly good Petra spot and a secondary GP City. Thinking of trying a quick Futurism game here.

- What tech path did you follow and why?
Fairly standard Pottery, AH, Iron, Luxes, Philosophy, Petra, Civil, Education.
- What Social Policies did you choose?
Full tradition and will open Aesthetics soon.
- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
GL, HG, Petra soon.
- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith
I lost one turn building shrine when I lost 2 ruins thinking I would not find another for bulk faith. Likely next turn revealed two ruins. 3C with Desert Folklore will quite good.
- Any surprises?
Being so isolated can really break your game due to unpredictable barbarians. I'm glad I invested in some early units which is more than what I'm used to. Looking forward to building a few horse UU's to keep exploring.

T103:
Spoiler :
GOM_139_OPENINGACTIONS.jpg
 
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?

On Prince the AI is bad at culture, so you don't need internet or hotels. My plan was to go mostly OCC petra. Science is only needed to get to hotels/internet fast, otherwise it's your great people who make your win condition and you get all those set up really early and then you just have to sit and wait for them to be born. Science doesn't help you that much with that.

- Where did you settle and what did you build first?

I wanted petra dream. I saw I could get 4 wheat and oasis and some hills. I knew I'd get Hanging Gardens so I didn't mind about no river and the shoshone ability let me work wheat right away even though I settled in the worst spot ever. I built 3 pathfinders, then great library, worker, petra.

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?

Just went petra. I found the terrain to be awful so I really felt more confident in my OCC idea. Just nothing good to settle and barbs everywhere causing mayhem.

- What were your initial priorities?

great library and petra. I didn't even know that great library had 2 writer slots lol, that's how often I get to build it on deity :D

- What tech path did you follow and why?

writing for GL, then straight to currency for petra.

- What Social Policies did you choose?

went full tradition, then 2-3 into aesthetics, then 2 into rationalism, then full aestathics.

- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?

I got everything but I did miss out on mausoleum and oracle which is a bummer. That was the price of me not going OCC and wasting time making a settler and a worker. Otherwise I would have gotten both.

- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith

I just parked a pathfinder next to a ruin to pop it turn 20 and guarantee pantheon. Get wrecked AI. No need to build shrine.

- Any surprises? :mischief:

The land was really terrible haha. Also I didn't realize this was raging barbs again. Didn't really change much of my play but it certainly does make OCC even better.
 
I was working on four 4-city NC, then got one more expo out when I saw Isabella with a settler near me. Fortunately I had the cash to rush buy the Library. NC was about turn ~120. Then five more expos to fill up the space nicely. Not every city has a lux, but I like the locations. I worked for Rock of Gibraltar, but Uluru I missed and was the last or next-to-last city I picked up. Nothing near it, so I guess it did not appeal to Maria? [EDIT: I see hitretz passed on it too!] I would not meet the last AI until about T150.

What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
I wanted to do many of the things that I cannot normally get away with. So lots of Wonders and a Liberty/Tradition hybrid play with as many cities as seems to make sense. I also wanted a peaceful CV game. I have no expectation to win before Internet, so early Guilds to staff Broadway and Sydney (and all the rest of course).

Where did you settle and what did you build first?
SIP. Two Pathfinders, Monument, Great Library.

How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
OP view was a bit of trick since I was sure we coastal! Large Pangaea, so three Pathfinders was the minimum. I probably should have done four.

What were your initial priorities?
Getting the Pathfinders out and about to get pantheon. Making a play for Great Library. Both worked!

What tech path did you follow and why?
Pottery then Writing (to unlock building Great Library), then the tech so I could use GL for Philosophy. Then Masonry to unlock Pyramids, Mathematics to unlock Hanging Gardens, and Currency to unlock Petra. Then I started filling in the techs, Education, Acoustics, Printing Press, etc.

What Social Policies did you choose?
Three in Liberty, full Tradition, Cultural Centers from Aesthetics, open Rationalism (to unlock Porcelain Tower), finish Liberty for the GE.

What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
Cap build every wonder I have mentioned so far. Failed with two expos on Great Lighthouse and Machu Pichu. Two expos picked up two wonders each.

Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith
Picked faith ruins when they were offered, got me first pantheon (Desert Folklore), which got me the first Religion, Pagodas and World Church (not a good choice). I enhanced before buying Pagodas and all the faith building were still available. I picked Cathedrals (Mosques would have been better) and the lower cost missionaries (also a weak choice in hindsight). I have both buildings in all ten of my cities, so fpt is good. Everyone one near me founded, and they are spreading aggressively. I am committed to try and make peaceful work, so I have had to spend too much on inquisitors, especially since I was not proactive enough with them.

Any surprises?
Being in the center of the Pangaea! I had no military and still did not get dow’d, really pushed that more than I should have. I got a Pathfinder killed, very sloppy. Missed, until just now, that the map is raging barbarians! The AIs are not settling very sensibly, as three have walked across the map to settle, yet there is lots of open space.
 
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
Do a peaceful game and trying to steal as many wonders as possible

- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
SiP, pathfinder-monument-granary-worker, skipped shrine as a ruin did the job for me. Actually didn't build a single shrine during the game, as my FPT is high without them.

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
I saw lots of space so I went liberty and forward settled my two closest neighbors and after that had still a lot of space for additional cities. Obviously desert meant desert folklore and Petra. Interesting that poxpower found the terrain bad. I did not have much trouble with barbarians, though they did manage to do some pillaging early on.

- What were your initial priorities?
I actually have no idea how the "choose ruin benefit" mechanics work, but I got several good rewards and a few of them had to take something not so beneficial. I wanted to scout as much as possible and not to lose any of the good city spots (that were plentyful) to rivals.

- What Social Policies did you choose?
Full liberty-2 aesthetics-2 rationalism-full aesthetics.

- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
I got GL, Petra and Pyramids in my capital, Alhambra in one expansion and Notre Dame in another, lost Oracle, Sofia and Parthenon all by 1-2 turns to Pacal. Machu Pichu I lost to Pachacuti also by a few turns.

- Any surprises?
AIs stole some of my non-priority wonders I was building. Took a really long time to find the last civ who was hiding behind the others. Probably in the first 100 turns not a single AI was able to offer me any luxuries to trade, later probably I got like 2 from someone.
 
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
I wanted pathfinders into composite bows, a faith ruin and the rest of the ruins to increase population. Conquering the neighbours might be faster than building cities. That still looks like an added option in the south with Portugal and Spain.

- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
I settled in place, built a pathfinder, shrine, third pathfinder, Great Library.

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
I wanted Desert Folklore and Petra. I intended to take early Sailing til the pathfinders showed I was on a lake. I'd still like to settle south for a blue water port.

- What were your initial priorities?
To find ruins, get Honor and use barbarians to get policies. I had to buy a fourth pathfinder because all the other PFs were out and about.

- What tech path did you follow and why?
I started Pottery and Writing so the Great Library would give me the Parthenon. Then AH, Mining and Bronze to find local resources (of which there were none, so that changed my plans).

- What Social Policies did you choose?
I took Honor, Tradition and Aristocracy to build wonders; then Liberty in case I couldn't steal workers (which I couldn't because the city-states hadn't built them yet) and now the free settler also looks useful.

- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
I got the Great Library, Parthenon and in four turns I hope to have Petra. It's now turn 100.

- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith.
I did go for early faith to the point that so far I have the only religion. I expect to use religion mainly for money.

- Any surprises?
No nearby horses or iron was a surprise. So far all the AIs are First Nations or have women leaders. The very first surprise was that, rather than being a port, the Shoshone capitol is on a lake in the middle of the continent.
 
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
Conquer first, culture later. It shouldn't take long to convert one capital that is surrounded by a ring of enemy troops right?

Portugal and Spain are eliminated as of turn 115. I need to consolidate a bit and then head for England / Mayans

- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
I went to the hill two hexes south for triple wheat. PF > Granary > PF > Archer > Worker

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
Originally I was going to kill Spain first, until I realized that Portugal was on the plains and Spain was in the woods.

- What were your initial priorities?
Use the raging barbs for culture and kill the closest AI's.

- What tech path did you follow and why?
CB's, then plantations for the silk and trapping for the ivory.

- What Social Policies did you choose?
A mix of honor and liberty so far.

- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
I thought I was in a good position to get Petra, but I missed it by two turns. I should have chopped a forest, but I overestimated my tech lead.

- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith
The PFs get me enough faith for desert folklore. The second faith reward does not give you a great person, even though it has the words "prophet", as I discovered :p

Tithe and Pagoda; pretty typical. My missionary did get killed after spreading just once :(

- Any surprises?
Raging barbs + Honor are generating a steadier stream of culture than I anticipated. I didn't build a monument for a long time.
It took me a long time to find a CS, so I hard built a worker.
There are still several civs I haven't met. How big is this continent?
 
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
"Tradition or Liberty?" and "Freedom or Autocracy?" (I went 4-city Tradition. Ideology is still a long ways off)

- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
Settled in place. Pathfinder, pathfinder, worker, granary, monument, settler, don't remember what was next.

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
That's a lot more scouts that I usually build, and an awfully late monument.

- What were your initial priorities?
Find all the AI's (at least 2 are still hiding somewhere), get a religion and Petra, start spamming cathedrals and great artists.

- What tech path did you follow and why?
Kind of all over the place, but I timed Writing and Mathematics pretty well to step right from Great Library to Petra. I wasn't sure I would get GL because I started it late (turn 60?), but my production was really good and it only took about 10 turns.

- What Social Policies did you choose?
Tradition opener, Honor opener, finished Tradition. Aesthetics opener.

- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
I think the order was Great Library, Petra, HG, Mausoleum, Oracle, and Zeus (why not?). And I'm building HS in an expo right now. Don't know if I'll get it. Did I build Chicken Pizza? I don't remember.

- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith
Desert Folklore, of course. Also I settled my 2nd expo near Uluru, mainly to keep Spain from getting it. I took cathedrals for the extra art slots, tithe, faith from world wonders, and religious texts.

- Any surprises?
Yes! I thought I was settling on the coast! I need a coastal city so I bought another settler and settled up near Gibraltar, but I screwed up the city placement and put it one tile too far north (2 ivory tiles in the 4-ring) I was planning to conquer Lisbon and annex it, and I guess I still might, but I don't want to poison my other friendships. She's so far behind she's not a threat.
 
Turn 200 and I haven't met that last civ yet. :crazyeye: I can see the borders of their land with a caravel but haven't found a coastal tile or one of their units to greet them. Sending an altitude-trained pathfinder over to say "Hi".
Spoiler :
from the shade of blue, I think it's France
I've noticed when I find goody huts this late there's only a few choices, and they're generally not very good ones. (would be nice to pop Industrialization or Navigation or Dynamite, etc that way) Oddly enough, "look at their maps" has been useful.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Spain converted one of my cities with a great prophet. I told her the stop and she sassed me, and I denounced her. Rather than convert it right back, I used the opportunity to buy a mosque and I waited. Sure enough, the Maya prophet who'd been dancing around two of my other cities trying to get past the one inquisitor guarding both came flipped it to his religion. The two of them fought over that city until their prophet was used up. It ended up Maya, and I left it that way so I could buy trebuchets to bleed-off my faith. Still got an unwanted great prophet because I wasn't watching my faith totals close enough and it got too high) He might be useful.
 
- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
Super Capital. I also wanted to win via futurism. Just need to rush to ideology, then build all of the artist/writer/musician buildings.

I normally go a quick 4 city build, before building any wonders. However, I thought since it was on Prince, I might try a Great Library Rush, and see how it worked out for me.

- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
Settle in place.
Build order: Pathfinder -> Pathfinder -> Worker -> Great Library (T41) -> NC (T53) -> ToA (T64) -> Settler (T71) -> Settler (T77) -> HG (T89) -> Settler (T96) -> Petra (Currently building)

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
Desert and a bunch of hills meant that Petra was a priority. It also influenced me to go the great library rush with a super capital. Pangaea plus meant that I would want 3 scouts.

- What were your initial priorities?
Find as many ruins as possible, get a great library, found a religion with desert folk lore, and wonder whore.

- What tech path did you follow and why?
Rush to Writing, then to Philosophy, then to Petra, then normal science game from there.

- What Social Policies did you choose?
Completed Tradition on Turn 98. Went all in Tradition. Only change from a normal game was that my 2nd policy was Aristocracy because I wanted to build wonders quickly. Not sure if it helped or not but did save a few turns here or there. Food may have been faster, but it still worked out.

- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
Great Library (T41)
NC (T53)
ToA (T64)
HG (T89)
Petra (not yet finished, but will be probably around T 105/106)

Didn't try for any others. Got all of the ones that I wanted.

- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith
Yes. Did not build a shrine though. I saved a ruin to pop on turn 20, and founded first pantheon desert folklore on T21. This led me to first religion on T62. (Tithe Pagodas). Haven't really used religion yet. Mainly plan on using it for free gold, happiness, etc... Not a major part of my game. Will eventually be used for more futurism or scientists.

- Any surprises? :mischief:
Not really. Raging barbs was much more difficult that I thought it would be though.

Ruin (8) choices:
T8: Culture
T11: Pop (City pop 4 now)
T14: Upgrade to Crossbow
T17: Tech (Calendar)
T20: Faith (Pantheon founded T21)
T28: Upgrade to Crossbow
T41: Pop (City pop 5 now)
T62: Tech (Sailing)

Went to war early with Spain to stop two settlers. Was able to capture two settlers and steal them as workers without any casualties. (T43, and T48 worker steals) This stunted them for the rest of the game so far. I'll likely wipe them out before late game, just for their capital. Not sure whether it's worth it though. They are really far behind.
 
I'm currently at T103. I know going into this I'm probably not getting anywhere near the fastest time. I'm convinced now that not taking GL was a pretty big mistake. Oh well.

- What did you think about before starting the game, what was your approach to this game?
I figured going into this that I would not take any early wonders until I had my three cities founded. Then wonder spam like crazy while playing fully peaceful with the AI civs. Setting out to rush hotels as hopefully the last relevant tech for CV.

- Where did you settle and what did you build first?
Settled in place. Started: Pathfinder-->Pathfinder-->Pathfinder-->Worker-->Settler-->Settler-->Granary-->Library

- How did the terrain and map settings affect your early decisions?
Desert terrain meant getting Petra and desert folklore pantheon early was important. Raging barbs meant keeping one or two Pathfinders-turned-CBs around for defense.

- What were your initial priorities?
Focused on food for growth and better science. Founded cities early.

- What tech path did you follow and why?
I don't remember the order, but basically just rushed to currency for petra, then straight to philosophy for NC.

- What Social Policies did you choose?
Full Tradition. Expecting I'll go as far into Aesthetics as I can, with rationalism opener-secularism when I can fit it in.

- What Wonders did you try to get and did you get them?
Built ToA while waiting for currency to finish. Then Petra. Then Parthenon. Have side cities building Chichen Itza and Oracle when I stopped. Cap building Hanging Gardens. Got everything so far. Really regreting not taking GL, but last time I played prince it was gone like turn 52. I thought it was too risky to build after settlers for some reason.

- Did you go for early Faith? How did you use faith
Relied on pathfinders to pop ruins for pantheon and even took the great prophet +60 faith option once. Never built a shrine or any other religious building. Relying solely on the heavy +faith of desert folklore pantheon. Took RC for extra production and tithes for extra gold. Enhanced RA for extra tourism later and IP for better spread.

- Any surprises?
Great Library is still available. Like how?? Also, raging barbs are way more annoying than I expected. Even when you can two shot them, they somehow find a way to repopulate before you can clear their encampments.
 
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