Seriously Tricky Sticky Game

[Scouse Gits]

La Fayette ... I agree Map Making is an essential advance so we can go exploring/hut finding

SCG you now take the stage

Order of Play

Obiwan18 - 15 Turns
La Fayette - 15 Turns
SCG - 12 Turns
SG[1] - 12 Turns
STYOM - 12 Turns
SG(2) - 12 Turns
Hydey - 12 Turns
DrSpike - 12 Turns
Straybow - 12 Turns
-Jrabbit - 12 Turns

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SG(2)

[Scouse Gits]

Yikes I'm nearly up

SG[1]

[Scouse Gits]

I've just looked at LaFayette's save - we have yet to make a start on the Gardens - don't forget the AI started with 4 settlers each - this is a race we do not want to lose!
rah's trick of using Diplos as 'poor man's caravans' might be useful.....

SG[1]

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

Currency is being researched. Pick Trade next, and we should be OK for Caravans.

I agree HG is crucial... then we can do a bit of a sleaze, if we need to.

[Scouse Gits]

For what it's worth my current take on this game is a game of two halves

Era One - Despotism - grab the Gardens and sleaze on trade specials - keeping the sizes low so as to avoid unhappiness - each city producing three or four arrows - ideally size 3 so we can have some limited celebration, but that just may not be possible

Era Two - Democracy - disband the sleazy cities to get the Settlers (non) to both build up the infrastructure (mines and irrigation are nearly worthless in Despo) and to quickly fatten the chosen cities up to 8

I hasten to add that this is all new territory for me and I would welcome any and all comments upon this or any other strategy we might try...

SG[1]

[DrSpike]

Looks like what I was thinking. With us being in despotism lots of small cities with HG is the best way to go early on........really pack em in wherever is it useful in the short term. Without HG I would question whether this game is winnable.

[Scouse Gits]

DrSpike and [1] ... I half agree, but do like a decent capital ... pity Obiwan18 missed the 4 special site because with the HG it would celebrate with Monarchy resources.

If you disband a city the resulting settler is surely supported from the next nearest city?

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SG(2)

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

I thought disbanded cities produced NONs...now I'm doubting that.

HG + celebration + trade = winnable I think. Why not find a new 4 special site and rebuild the palace there? Or will it be too late (HG needs to be in the capital for this strat to work, does it not)?

[Scouse Gits]

Originally posted by Six Thousand Year Old Man
I thought disbanded cities produced NONs...now I'm doubting that.

It's some time since I've done that ... now I'm having doubts, but don't have time to test it right now. If they are NONs it's a powerful strategy ... but I still think the only way to obtain a NON settler is from a hut, or from bribing close to an AI city. (usually very expensive) Or disbanding a city closer to an AI city than one of your own.

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SG(2)

[SCG]

Originally posted by Six Thousand Year Old Man
I thought disbanded cities produced NONs...now I'm doubting that.

disbanding a city produces a settler/engineer attached to cities the same way it determines the home city of bribed ones. so they would be supported by our nearest city since we don't seem to have anybody close to us (our touring horsies are still closest to S.Willy).

Anyway, i have the game now
I'll try and be more deliberate in my choices this time, so not sure if i'll finish tonight or not

[Ben Kenobi]

Robust constructive criticism: our glorious capital would certainly have enjoyed being founded 2 squares north.

I sure wish I could get starts like this when I play OCC.


I thought about poking around, but I had no idea whether or not we had more specials near. I thought it best to build the city and be sure to get a quick start.

Whales and Cod aren't bad specials for a capital starting position.

[Scouse Gits]

obiwan18 ... I'm sure you wanted to get us moving because this is a strange and difficult game.

However, it never does much harm to wander a few turns before founding the capital and gives barb-free huts as well as NON units.

For location of specials have you tried Hut Finder?

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SG(2)

[Straybow]

A foolish dream...

At Deity level Despotism means, what, six cities before the first extra red face?

No big canal projects until Demo, then.

[La Fayette]

1) Settlers from disbanded cities are attached to the nearest city: I KNOW that .
2) I didn't mention the 'canal ' cities sites because I think (apparently with many others ) that HG will be VERY nice if we can get it. I chose currency (leading to Trade) and an early trireme with horseman onboard, hoping to tip some fat huts (eg 100g, why not?) in order to get those 200 shields ASAP.
3)Our island is too small to make a transcontinental canal really useful (but I swear I build a canal later on if Straybow leaves one unbuilt ).
4) Too bad DaveV is not with us: he sure would have enjoyed sleazing like mad .

[La Fayette]

Re: A foolish dream...

Originally posted by Straybow
At Deity level Despotism means, what, six cities before the first extra red face?

It is linked to map size: IIRC 4 cities on small and medium maps, 6 cities on large maps (and I guess this one IS large).