Early Landing Games Strategy Guide

[La Fayette]

Some have, some haven't, like anywhere else, I suppose

[rjmatsleepers]

Originally posted by La Fayette
Some have, some haven't, like anywhere else, I suppose

I think the French start life with an appreciation of irony, but the best educated ones are strictly trained in Cartesian logic and have it squeezed out of them.

There's a great joke about an American who discovered irony, but I think I will save it for the Silly Rules game in case I break one of them.

RJM at Sleepers

[La Fayette]

Originally posted by rjmatsleepers
I think the French start life with an appreciation of irony, but the best educated ones are strictly trained in Cartesian logic and have it squeezed out of them.
RJM at Sleepers

This is why you can bet that I am not one of the best educated ones

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by La Fayette

This is why you can bet that I am not one of the best educated ones

But you are an economist.

[La Fayette]

I know, I know:
John M. Keynes became a Lord.
I sure deserve it, but we have no Lords in France

[rjmatsleepers]

Originally posted by La Fayette
I know, I know:
John M. Keynes became a Lord.
I sure deserve it, but we have no Lords in France

You could buy a lordship of the manor - or simply style yourself Baron La Fayette of Apolyton. After a few generations of exploiting the peasants your family would be considered as noble as the next duke.

RJM at Sleepers

[La Fayette]

My grandfather was a peasant.
This would make me feel like exploiting him.
( + IIRC La Fayette was a marquis, so anyone at Apolyton is free to call me a marquis; I guess my friend Sodaq wouldn't be jealous ).

[duke o' york]

I thought I told you lot to hoe the fields!
Get back to work you good-for-nothing peasants!

Originally posted by DrSpike
Do they have irony in France LF?

Yes - they tend to eat it with a creamy sauce and wild mushrooms.

Great work again from solo, and I'd be sorely tempted to use this in my games if I had the slightest clue what it was all about. [joke - no further explanations please]

[Elephant]

Do'Y: read the Wildcard explanation of this thread:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67754

Solo is graphically summarizing Samson's "Wildcard Supply/Demand" formulas.

Thanks again, both of you!

(Iron-y: isnt that when you build your chokepoint fortress city on an Iron mountain?)

[La Fayette]

Originally posted by Elephant
(Iron-y: isnt that when you build your chokepoint fortress city on an Iron mountain?)

[rjmatsleepers]

Refrigeration

In another thread, La Fayette provided this analysis of wheat vs silk as a special.

Originally posted by La Fayette
... here is what should happen in a fully developped SSC:
Let us start with 10 beakers
Library = +0.5 (=15b)
University = +0.5 (=20b)
Research Lab = +0.5 (=25b)
Isaac (doubles the effect of improvements, contrary to what is written in the manual) = +1.5 (=40b)
Copernicus (doubles Science, contrary to what is written in the manual) = 80b
In other words the multiplier is 8.

1) Wheat
A specialist brings 3 beakers/turn, which means 3*8 = 24 beakers/turn in the SSC described above.
Therefore 2.5 specialists bring 2.5*24 = 60 beakers/turn.

2) Silk
With the slider at 100% research, 3 trade arrows = 3 beakers.
Therefore 3*8 = 24 beakers/turn

I think it assumes that the wheat tile has been improved and a supermarket built. On the face of it, this would give a massive population boost that could be employed as Einsteins. 21 extra food could give 11 more Einsteins which would give 264 more beakers per turn. Even if only half the SSC tiles can be improved that is still a massive boost to research.

What does the master have to say?

Originally posted by solo
2.5 Acquiring Technology (cont)

2.5.6 Using Scientists

Lots of grassland in the SSC site may make Refrigeration a useful early landing tech. A huge SSC population is almost like getting two super science cities for the price of one.

An yet in the early landing game #2, the only person to improve the farmland was La Fayette himself. And most people opted for three silk by converting the wheat. There are some major costs associated with the refrigeration / supermarket / improved farmland option.

1) Refrigeration is an off path technolgy - it takes a lot of beakers to research and increases the research costs of subsequent technologies.

2) Building a supermarket in your SSC uses shields that could have been employed in building caravans.

3) Improving the farmland takes time and engineers that could be doing something else.

4) Research beakers are lost because of the need to raise the luxury rate to get the extra years of celebration to grow the SSC.

Evaluating whether the value of those extra beakers is greater than the cost of obtaining them is too complicated for me.

Anyone else like to have a go at the sums?

RJM at Sleepers

[La Fayette]

Re: Refrigeration

Originally posted by rjmatsleepers
I think it assumes that the wheat tile has been improved and a supermarket built.
What does the master have to say?

An yet in the early landing game #2, the only person to improve the farmland was La Fayette himself.
RJM at Sleepers

1) I didn't assume anything: I just made some calculations to partly answer the question asked by Elephant, using the numbers he provided. IIRC the most detailed calculations I have made about the power of SSCs are in the thread named 'Twin Cities'.

2) You are very kind to call me a master. IMO the masters, those who have done most to explain how this game works and how to take advantage of some hidden features, are samson, solo, Xin Yu and SlowThinker (+ Starlifter at CFC)

3) Probably, my example is not to be followed. IIRC my landing date was #4 or 5 in that game. The masters are solo and samson. The strong players are The Monk (hope to see you again soon, Monk ), Zenon and SG(2) (please forgive me if I forget someone).
I'll never be a strong player at early landing unless I begin to make use of black clicking and helper programs, but I don't feel like it at the moment (since I am so fond of scenarios).

[ottok]

SOLO: Presinendent of USA!!

[DrSpike]

Pass around whatever it is you are smoking.

[ottok]

hmm?