Dumb Player

[MikeH]

So, the AI isn't the only stupid one.

I am in the middle of this game at the moment, on prince (my first one -yeah, I'm a dumb n00b) and I could do with some more cash. I have a pissed off JC with stacks of Praetorians on my doorstep and bit of a cashflow problem. Well... things cost a bit more on Prince and I expanded too fast. Anyway, got things under control just about. Courthouses and markets springing up all over the place, cottages turning into hamlets and towns. Nice.

Also, I managed to build the colossus and the great lighthouse and I'm playing as Lizzie so my water tiles are giving me 4 gold each. Which is lovely. Anyway, there's this lovely little one square island, just off the coast which has fish and clams (both of which I could do with for health) and is surrounded by lovely gold bearing water tiles. On the mainland directly next to the island is a rice tile.

Brilliant I thought. A fast growing gold mine.

So I get my galley to take a settler and archer over and found my new city. Send a workboat with it to stick on the fishes straight away.

Unfortunately... (I really should have thought of this) it has only one hammer, on the main island square. I can't expand the borders over to the coast where there is some lovely land waiting to be built on (and a worker all set to do so) because I have no culture in the city. I've researched calendar so I can't build an obelisk, a library's going to take 90 turns.

Luckily it grew really fast (I sent another workboat up the coast from my other city) so I could add new population as citizens (for one hammer rather than 2 food and 4 gold!) I could have pop-rushed it when it got to size 6 but before that could happen I teched to drama and put the culture rate up long enough to expand it.

Well I felt stupid for a few turns until I sorted it out anyway.

[LordShiva]

I was hoping for a story about how JC's praetorians had their way with you

[dac]

Would it be worth it to switch to the Civic Caste Something or other and make some of those citizens Artists? That would expand your borders. Or, if you've adopted a state religion, maybe you could have a missionary land there. If all you want is that first border expansion, religion can do that for you in a reasonable time frame.

[Arrian]

Not as Lizzy. As a SPI civ, maybe.

-Arrian

[MikeH]

I didn't think of a missionary. :b

I was very bored waiting for my lift home last night which is mainly why I wrote this story up.

[Theseus]

I think people are too wary of poprushing. Especially in a high-food / low-hammer city like this, CRACK THE WHIP!!! -2pop for 15 turns of 1 unhappy cit is a great deal.

[LordShiva]

So true, esp. on Marathon.

[gilfan]

As someone already mentioned, switch to caste system, then turn your 1 available citzen into an artist for 3 turns.... that will give you 12 culture and expand your border. I do it all the time with my new cities when I have 20 workers ready to make an instant city, but need the culture borders to expand to let me work.

[Senethro]

Recently I've caught myself making more use of Caste system. At least, as a Philosophical civ running Pacifism with a couple of cities that can support 6 specialists each. Churned out ten great scientists and built a mixture of academies and super-specialists. For an encore, I got two great merchants, upgraded my horse archers to Cav and destroyed France.

[Badtz Maru]

Caste System is a truly awesome civic, but the problem is you have to remember to use it. I can't count the number of times where I've been waiting forever for a city to expand it's borders and I don't remember I can make an artist until it's too late (I also have the same problem forgetting to change civics when building the Pyramids and feeling like restarting because of the time I wasted not using Representation)...BTW, Caste System is awesome with Representation because of the research you get with all your specialists.

[MikeH]

Thanks guys. I am wary of poprushing it's true.

I got the handle on my princely economy. Was keeping Hatsheput happy at the expense of JC and he spotted that my military was suffering and he attacked, but at that point I was ahead of him in techs and I rapidly built up an army to counter attack. I had been waiting until I got redcoats until I attacked but I was 3 techs/9 turns away when he attacked. Ooops. Bye bye JC.

It's handy only getting the game at christmas, I can learn loads from people who've had the game for months longer.

[Urban Ranger]

I am wondering why Aeson isn't posting more. Maybe he has already transcended.

[Aeson]

If transcendence is spending every day at the beach, and having loaned my copy of CIV to my brother... yes!

Sunblock: $8
Beach Towel: $25
Board Shorts: $45 (Ilima: Inca Gold)
Having your whereabouts as a topic of discussion in the "Dumb Player" thread: disconcerting

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Aeson
Having your whereabouts as a topic of discussion in the "Dumb Player" thread: disconcerting

Reading a thread with the title "Dumb Player" on ACS while hanging out on the beach. Hmmm...