RAH Rules: The Rules Keep Rolling On.

[rah]

Yes there is, just plains.
Yes the high trade maps are more fun, but it can be annoying when you're cranking 8 or 9 beakers out of your first two cities, and all your techs are still blue.

[War4ever]

well at least you know everyone has an even start, this way the whining is kept to a minimum

the trade maps just allows more techs at a quicker rate...much more fun than lagging along and getting gunpowder 8 hours in to a game

[rah]

Yeah, but it's sometimes fun when everyone doesn't have trade and the first person to figure it out can get an advantage if he starts down the war trail first.

[Ming]

Since most of our games are one nighters, the high trade maps are just more fun. Nothing slows a game down more than having most people not get monarchy by even 2450.

[rah]

Yeah, but even on a high trade map, one person usually get's reamed.

[War4ever]

usually is Barono. j/k B......

all maps ream someone.....nature of the beast. the other day when i had to wander , the nomad and tribe and the trade i found paid off

[rah]

The less trade worlds require more skill. Anyone can cruise through the tech path with gold and silk.
(and a little hut luck)

[Ming]

Yeah... it's really tough to "manufacture" trade when the world doesn't have the right specials. But that can be fun.

[War4ever]

all corn can quickly be manufactured into trade, and of course mining hidden specials....i do this every game now, it really pays off on any map

[rah]

Yeah, if you're near water.
Mining wheat early takes too long, using resources that could be put to much better use.

But I do find myself mining more hidden specials these days.

[War4ever]

are you kidding me..two settlers on a wheat takes five turns max.....voila instant silk...i always get silk....

and i do it unless i need the food which isn't often....

as for mining specials, a great way to improve your origional terrain...if you have a ton of sets on the board roading, taking 2-4 of them and making them build mines on wine etc, gives you those extra important shields...

of course it has to be cost effective.. i know how to run an empire

[rah]

But who has two spare settlers prior to 3000? The goal is getting to monarchy as quickly as possible. Those two settler could be cities along the sea or a on river generating 4 extra beakers. Closer to 2000, that would make more sense, but by then, you should already be in monarcy.

RAH

[War4ever]

well i am talking about after monarchy and after the first round of sets, ...the second round and third round are often roading and doing work , unless there is dream land , in which case its settle settle settle....

those extra beakers for sci or shields do add up and save turns....if you have no trade, silks are great to boost the economy especially when in monarchy or republic..

i tend ot have too many sets on the board, i probably road/irrigate etc too early, but i can't help it....

[Ming]

Yeah... early, those settlers have to create cities/science and quickly. After monarchy, you can crank the settlers out and then I start thinking improvements. I will build a few earlier roads if the settlers are going that way anyway

[War4ever]

or if monarchy is a long way away and i already have too many cities..may as well improve the roads/land before dropping them into position ...

but at the same time , you dont want to lose out on other city locations...its a toss up