What do you do when your stuck in an island?

[StampyDodo]

Stuck on an Island with the Mongols (Expanisoist, Militaritisic). Its really small. Its Huge Map all Civs on, Pangea 60 percent water. Is this kind of game just dead on arrival because your civs 2 abilities are useless and your going to fall way behind in everything?

 

[BasketCase]

The first huge map I played (huge pangaea, Romans), the Ottomans got stuck on the only island in the top right corner of the map. It was a fairly large island (12-15 cities), but the only land the Ottomans could reach by galley was already settled very early in the game. Result: Ottomans didn't have enough cities to build up lots of research; and they spent the whole game lagging.

Go straight for Map Making, build some galleys, and see if you can expand at all. If not, then you've got a very tough game ahead.

 

[Globo]

No game is really dead on arrival in my opinion but it sounds like a nasty beginning indeed. Depending on my mood I'd either go for it or just setup a new game and forget it ever happened.

If I decide to go for it I'd make map making my priority and would also try to get the Great Lighthouse. Expansionist is worthless but Militaristic might still come in handy once you are ready to wage war on the other civs. Don't forget the AI is not handling a map like that very well so it is possible to keep up. After map making and hopefully aided by the xxtra movement point of the Great Lighthouse it's time to send out suicide galleys I'd focus on science after that. The tech pace will probably be slow anyway because it is likely there is not much tech trading between the AI.

Yep it sure is a difficult start and I wouldn't do it if I was playing on a level I'm not yet comfortable with. On the other hand it could make for a nice, challenging and different game.....

 

[StampyDodo]

Yea i guess all i can do is go for mapmaking and hope for the best. The reason i want to try and finish this game is because i figure if the Computer got this start he coudln't just hit "new game" and neither should I.

 

[Chieftess]

Could be worse. You could be on a 1 tile island in the middle of nowhere. Just watch out for an early attack though, the Mongols like to do that it seems. But, atleast you have a trading partner...

 

[Azrune]

Just watch out for an early attack though, the Mongols like to do that it seems.

Yea the Germans are good for that also, I had a Multi-dude game where my captial was taken when I only had placed just two cities. (it was taken by a warrior and an archer ) The only thing that saved me was it flipping back. Many many years later the Germans paid for that and now have only two cities left on an island far far away. So it goes to show alls possible (it was a monarch game btw)

 

[Globo]

The reason i want to try and finish this game is because i figure if the Computer got this start he coudln't just hit "new game" and neither should I.

Very honorable, that's the spirit! Goodluck!

 

[magritte]

I've had this problem before...my advice: Go for mapmaking--build alphabet, writing, and then philosophy and try for mapmaking as your free tech. Start building the Pyramids and switch to Great Lighthouse.

If you get Great Lighthouse, you're probably in good shape. If you don't, you may have to take the risk of sending some galleys out to finish their turn on sea squares in hopes of finding more land.

The worst problem with this sort of start is not just that it hampers your expansion, but that you usually fall way behind in the tech race. On the plus side, you're core cities will probably never face a significant threat from another civ until at least the late Industrial era, if ever.

 

[AEP]

I've had this problem before...my advice: Go for mapmaking--build alphabet, writing, and then philosophy and try for mapmaking as your free tech. Start building the Pyramids and switch to Great Lighthouse.

My thoughts exactly

Obviously, navies will become an important cornerstone to your future expansion... Check out this thread, it may contain a few useful hints http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=99674

 

[jkp1187]

If you can make this go, you'll be sitting pretty. Your core cities will be VERY secure from enemy attack, and if you build the FP on the mainland, corruption will be handled well (or, vice versa, build the FP on the island, then shift the palace to the mainland later). Please post some screenshots -- I'm sure we're all interested in how this plays out.

 

[Rik Meleet]

What level are you playing on ?

Good tips on the Great Lighthouse, FP and Palace jump.

If you do find some lagging civ, capture their lands as well and you should be doing ok, considering your ultra-safe core. I'd even consider building no defenses at all, except some MP warriors. That is, if there are no barbarians ...

 

[jkp1187]

Wait a minute...are you the Mongols, stuck on an island by yourself? Or are you a different civ, stuck on a small island WITH the Mongols?

 

[StampyDodo]

Sorry, im suck on an island by myself playing as the MONGOLS. I really worded that wrong, i am not "with" the mongols but i AM the mongols. Im so use to playing the greeks i guess when i play other civs it doesn't feel right. Its only on Regent difficuluty. Barbs are on Max Level.

 

[eldar]

I had a game as Korea in a similar position... ended up with 4 Civs (including me), in the Modern Era, I owned the UN after some desperate last-turn trading with 1 turn left on my SETI Build. Unfortunately 2 of the other 3 were my opponents in the vote, so stalemate guaranteed there, war out of the question as I had no Oil, and I only had 7 cities (5 on my island, 2 captured from the ex-Romans elsewhere). Once I realised the game was unwinnable (no way could I research quick enough to keep up... buying Modern techs is EXPENSIVE... and stealing carries the risk of being at war with another Modern Civ with no Oil at hand!) I gave it up. Just shows you can survive, and if you can build the UN and there are enough rivals left for a conclusive vote... it's possible.

Neil.

 

[JMK]

With no opponents, you do not need any units beside workers, also you do not need Barracks.
You start with Potery and Warrior Code. Although Warrior code is useless for now, having potery at the begining is a huge advantage. Build Granaries and grow in population as fast as you can. Reseach at full speed Alphabet, writting, Code of Law and Philosophy. Pick up REPUBLIC for free and research Map Making. Then research Literature (you will use it for trading, AI does research this Tech very late) then build galleys (10 of them may be more if needed) and send them in the ocean (you will loose a few) but try to make contact with the Pangeae. If you can build the Great Light it will be a must but it is not a requirement.
Once you make contact wait a couple turns, AI will sell your contact to other AIs, then buy the cheapest contact first (Cheapest contact means weakest AIs) and buy other contacts from the weakest. Once you have all contacts starts to buy Techs.
Remember, you may not need units beside galleys and workers before magnetism.
Good Luck. It is generally fast game and not so difficult to win.

 

[jkp1187]

If barbs are maxed, you may want a few warriors to protect your settlers and workers until you've filled in the island with your culture...but otherwise, I agree with JMK. Push tech, try to get philosophy...I'd be inclined to get Map Making as the free tech, though, that way if you're close to the mainland, you might have a shot at establishing a foothold there before the other civs fill it in. All the more important if you don't have any luxuries in your island.

If this is C3C, and you get an SGL, I'd use it to rush build either Great Lighthouse (if your suicide galleys can't find any other civs) or Great Library (if you're within range of the mainland). I would also push either the Statue of Zeus or Knights Templar, that way you can get an army while focusing on building up your cities (since you won't be able to build "out" you might as well build "up".

And, again, really interested in seeing pics or a savefile for this one.

 

[citizen001]

Simple advice: restart the game

 

[jkp1187]

Simple advice: restart the game

You must have mis-read his earlier post. He's playing as the Mongols , not France.

 

[StampyDodo]

I'm sorry i can't provide a save file. The game this thread applies to is long gone. But the island was only big enough to hold 4 decent sized cities.This threads purpose was to get ideas on what i can do better the next time. Because every time i get this kind of start i lose the game. Since the diffculity was only on regent, i probably should have tried to be the first to get Philosphy. I went straight for map making, got the greatlighthouse but was unable to reach to Pangea.

Thanks for the tips everyone!