What to do with this start?

[EMT]

Hi, first post in forever, but that's probably not why you clicked on this thread.

This is:



I ran this game on Monarch difficulty using Full of Resources, so it's either a Fractal, Big and Small, or a Pangaea map, and the leader is Darius of Persia.

Here's what I'm thinking:

The tiles W and NW of the grassland pigs look like they're both sea tiles, while the tile southeast of that is a forest. That means that if I want access to the northernmost clams at all without settling on a resource, I have to settle either 1NE, 1E 2N, or 2E 3N. Of those 3, 1NE gives me fresh water and ALL of those food tiles while allowing me to share those tiles with cities close to the capital while the other 2 positions leave me without fresh water and in the case of 2E 3N, too many ocean tiles for a good capital.

That means 1NE and 1E 2N are my viable city options. There's no question that this will be a GP farm, and I'm thinking 1 NE so that I can build the Globe and NE in my capital. It has so much food that unhealthiness and unhappiness would quickly become a problem and building the Globe there would counteract 1 of 2 while the fresh water would help me ease the issue.

I'm pretty convinced that 1NE is it, but I'd like some feedback on my decision. Any takes? Here's the save if you need/want it. No mods, all I have installed is in the customassets folder.

 

[xenex]

1NE seems obvious, the only issue would be too much food, but you can easily share food with 2 other cities.From what is visible now, 1S of the hill pig is a city spot, obviously 1 tile south more is also a choice, it really depends on what other tiles are around there and another city site 2W of where the settler is standing now, this way you have pretty much 3 cities all set up and only needing to have used 1 worker.


When talking about sea tiles do you mean east of the pigs?Since west is already visible
I would move the scout 1NE then 1S onto the pig then either 1SE of the pig into that forest or 2S1E, at first I wanted to say just move the scout 1E then 1SE, but since your very likely moving that settler onto a forest tile you can afford to check out the east area of the pig on the second turn.I'm saying very likely your moving the settler onto that forest since, if the scout discovers some seafood north to north east of that flatland pig things might have to change.

 

[Seraiel]

1 NE, definately because of fresh water and because of less ocean tiles. You'll be very low on production, but with such a location you can whip everything, including World Wonders. Globe is the right choice aswell, as you will have lots of whipping anger, even with large whips, I didn't count it, but it looks like +18-20 Food surplus. Only thing speaking against Globe is, that you loose another awesome production city should you find another food-rich location, but you have some time to decide that, if you do find one, I would build the GT there, as a GP Farm usually also has a high happy-cap because of Forge / Market, and with so much Food, you could also simply whip a Temple or two if you really run out of Happiness.

Even though having 2 Pigs, you can skip AH with that start as Darius starts out with Agri and you need Fishing for Commerce and Food, one of the PIgs can be mined which probably is the better choice for most of the game, that are already enough tiles for the beginning when happiness is low.

 

[coanda]

Move scout, look into fog. See if there's a way to split those food tiles between two cities easily.

 

[Manco Capac]

^
Agreeing with Coanda.
But adding the point scouting may reveal some more sea foods in the north, so a instant NE may either spoil completely those sea foods or make you lose a turn or even two for no benefit.

 

[Seraiel]

You agree with me Tachy, otherwise I demand a divorce .

In all honesty, he's playing Monarch, why not let him have a little fun and make a super-city. I simply would make it dependent on if there is other Food around the city, if not, split Food, but if yes, go for a GP Farm of unimaginable greatness. Try to get all World Wonders in one city that doesn't have high production aswell. On Monarch, this should be possible.

 

[Mylene]

SIP position, wouldn't even consider NE here
I know full of ressources, means the whole map will have these amounts of food.

 

[PeteJ]

Yeah I agree with Mylene. If you SIP you can still settle a city at the tip of the peninsula up north to work the clams and grass pig.

 

[coanda]

Went ahead and played a bit of the save, just up to T20 or so.

Spoiler :

1NE is the right move. More generally, you've got an absurdly great starting location here. My second city would be 4S of the capital (stealing corn and pigs), and my third city would be 1N of the stone. I'd chop out the Pyramids in my second city while spamming settlers, because you've got space for 8 great cities and 2 passable ones on your very own continent. Further, there's an offshore island/continent (I'd get a work boat to scout it and learn the size of it after I had a couple cities and had improved those seafood tiles). You can fit at least one good city there for overseas trade routes; if you're lucky you can get more cities there. If you're really lucky, it's another continent with some AI trading partners, as well as space for your overseas trade route cities.

 

[Killroyan]

@Seraiel: SIP also has fresh water and 1NE gives you the same amount of ocean tiles as it has now. It also gives you 1 more tile with seafood netting you in one more seatile by moving NE and there is a chance that there are more seatiles to the east. I agree on mining the pigs.

@Coanda: Moving the scout first is the best move and then see what you have to do with the capital. I have to say it has been a long while since I saw a six food capital like this. Only downside is the corn not being riverside, hey, but who cares Can you post a screenshot of the surroundings of the capital after playing a little?

 

[vicawoo]

The problem with NE is the lack of hills.

 

[Htadus]

SIP and then found a city 3N2E above pigs to build a Moai Statue city via whips. Another city south 3S1E or 3S2E can share the Pig and corn with the capital. Heck you may want to mine that pig for some hammers for a while.

 

[JoeyB98]

Easy enough, 1NE, build farms everywhere and run SE. If you really still need extras, do Colossus and Maui Statues.