Winning on the Oasis map

[Arbuthnot]

I really like the layout of the Oasis map but I'm damned if I can win on it. Anyone else have this problem? Anyone have a strategy? It seems that I invariably wind up in some obscure corner at the bottom of the map, awash in jungle, maybe a few hills and desert, and it takes me forever to get untracked. Then of course all the horses are at the other end of the map so I never have horses. Some jerk always winds up with 4 or 5, but he comes into the game annoyed, and never ever will deign to trade me a horse no matter how often I bend over and spread my cheeks for him to have his way with me.

[Blaupanzer]

Seems like you either get metals or horses. Perhaps that's a design intent?

[Blake]

Oasis is a great map, and it's definitely one of the harder ones!

1) Get out of the hole you start in ASAP, this means scout out for the nearest patch of floodplains and send the next settler over.
2) Expand like a weed until all the floodplains (and other good sites) are taken. Organized and Financial are conductive to this. Don't be afraid to chop the abundant forests in the south.
3) Religions can be useful as the extreme river chains conduct religion very well, unfortunately you often end up with your religious allys being on the other side of the map (like you on the bottom, they're on the top at the other end of the river).
4) Make claiming metal a high priority. As a rule you can find copper in the forest/jungle, but iron is mostly in the desert. So scout out the desert and claim a patch of iron!
5) You'll probably need to go to war for certain resources, one or both metals, oil, coal... Oasis is a resource scarse map. So have a strong army and remember you can always resort to catapults.
6) Barbarians will be a problem which is all the more reason to have a strong army.
7) As a food rich map slavery is often very strong.

[LzPrst]

interesting, I might check that one out later tonight.