AU402 DAR1: 4000BC-2150BC

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Mountain Sage


I know, I know....
I am strill struggling with AU208, but I will give it up for the summer, and re-start it later on (I was on the verge of conquering England), just for the pleasure of being the second one winning it.

I'll start Gargantua this evening, I need some break of all my previous slaughter but with 7 GL so far

Did not mean to distrub your fun. BTW the way AU208 was beat by two players as Nbarclay finished recently.
I should say he slaughtered it and is well on his way to bashing this one as well.

[Mountain Sage]

Originally posted by vmxa1

Did no mean to distrub your fun. BTW the way AU208 was beat by two players as Nbarclay finished recently.
I should say he slaughtered it and is well on his way to bashing this one as well.

I know, you were the second, but a cultural victory?
Next time we'll play a 'max your culture' game, I'll win by being the only civ standing, afte having erased all others, with 250 cultural points

The above stated, you were the smart one, not having tried to slaughter your way across...

[Mountain Sage]

Now, let's be serious:
Before the game started, I thought about some basic concepts:

Civ traits:

1. Your empire will be spread across lots of water, even if you don't plan to go often to war. Therefore, anything which lowers corruption is a big advantage. Commercial is in.
2. The expansionist trait is useful only in the beginning, on your 'home' island. By the time you have Galleys, all the 'homeland' of others civs will be at least scouted. Therefore, this trait is not so interesting, after all.
3. Industrious? Less workers = more pop points at the beginning = more shields = more galleys and more settlers. Then, ywith 24 civs, you'll win the game on the diplomatic board, and for that you'll need every penny.
4. Militaristic: if you plan to win by conquest or domination on a huge map, you're in for a loong summer. I'm not, so this trait is out.
5. Religious? you could go for a cultural victory, but you'll compete against a bunch of other civs. And frankly, it's not my cup of tea.
6. Scientific: cheap libraries and universities = fast research = early techs = trading possibilities + 1 tech/free every era. Interesting if you manage to stay on top of the pack.

My choices: industrious and commercial = France
Ah, no France? Then Carthage (Monarch), but a GA with a Numidian Mercenary in the Ancient Era?
Ah well, I'll build just 1 NM and keep it to kill a 1 hp tank....

City placement:

On a huge archipelago map, some civs will have more land than others. You absolutely have to compete, in numbers of cities (meaning in terms of output), with these juggernauts. Therefore, a C-T-T-C with exceptions makes sense. Let's go for it.

Wonders:

With 24 civs, you need to start your wonders very early on, meaning warrior-warrior-(worker)-settler-wonder.
If you try to build 2 of them (via a Palace pre-build), you lose your first 2 cities' productivity, which will hamper your rexxing. Therefore, let's go for just 1 wonder in the AT, REX an d explore. The obvious choice? the GLighthouse (even over the Pyramids).

Now, let's see if the above stands the test of game...

PS. I hit 10 AD. The screenshots and AAR are for tomorrow. You know what? No GL so far

[vulture]

I decided to go with Carthage (Commercial, Industrious) on Emperor (which may be a little optimistic). Like almost everyone, I looked at the opening screen, moved one tile east, and decided to settle there on the coast.


3950 BC The Carthiginian city of Gloucester (?) was founded and started building a warrior, whilst researching writing. The worker ambled over to the bonus grassland

3900 BC The worker starts on a mine.

3750 BC Mine finished, worker starts on road.

3700 BC Warrior finished. Moves E into hills to go and explore north. Another warrior is started. Plan is to build two warriors and then start something bigger.

3650 BC Road finished, so the worker moves SW into the forest. Want to chop down forest for shields, so can finish the current warrior build and then start something bigger (currently only settlers or barracks available). Warrior moves onto next hill and sees a hut.

3600 BC Worker starts to chop down forest. The warrior pops the hut, and gets... another warrior - who wanders off north.

3550 BC Our northern coast is discovered, and another coastline can be seen in the distance.

3500 BC Another warrior is built. Decide to start work on a barracks since a settler would be finished before we hit size 3.

3450 BC Gloucester reaches size 2 (hurrah!). The extra citizen is put on the forest for one turn, and then sent to work the whales. The one turn of forest delays city growth to size 3 by one turn, but shaves one turn off the barracks build time (that one extra shield makes a difference sometimes), which means we get to build a settler one turn earlier. The conscript warrior stays in the north to keep the fog of war at bay so no Barbarian camps appear up there, so we only have to worry about barbs from the south.

3350 BC Forest is cleared. Worker moves to the next bit of forest. Two regular warriors are exploring south of the rivers.

3300 BC One of the warriors is sent back to near Gloucester to guard against barb incursions, and particularly to guard the worker who is vital to timing the builds at the moment.

3150 BC Barracks is finished. Settler started.

3050 BC Second forest chopped down. 10 shield added to settler. Worker decided to road this tile before moving off, since it forms part of a road south from the capital, which will be useful.

2950 BC Worker moves to the diamonds SW of the city (on the river). Might as well make a start on that pesky jungle.

2900 BC First settler is produced. City site chosen for my next city is on the west coast, 1114 from Gloucester. Gloucester starts to produce veteran warriors.

2850 BC the exploring warrior discovers a hut in the south. Decides to delay popping it until the settler has founded a city, to give us a chance of a free settler.

2710 BC Leeds founded. Set to build warrior then worker (I think lots of workers are going to be needed here). The hut is popped, and gives us barbarians. Oh well.

2670 BC The barbarians scatter rather than fight my brave warrior.

2630 BC One of the barbarians is hunted down and killed - the first ever military victory of the Carthaginian empire.

2550 BC Two warriors are now defending the river crossings south of my towns on the borders of the desert. Any barbarians will be faced with a fortified veteran warrior on the other side of a river (unless they decide to walk past).

2510 BC Another hut is seen in the west!

2430 BC We have quite a few warriors now, so Gloucester produces a worker and starts building walls, just for something to do until it can start on another settler.

2390 BC The first jungle tile is cleared. There are two workers there now, so they road the tile in one turn.

2350 BC One worker starts a mine, while the other moves SW to the next jungle tile to build a road.

2270 BC Leeds builds worker, which starts to road the bonus grassland to complete the road to Gloucester.

2230 BC Last hut is popped, giving us pottery Gloucester switches its walls project to a granary, which will delay the next settler a little longer, but give us faster settlers after that, and allow us to always stay above size 2 so that we can use the diamond tile to give lots of shields and gold.

2190 BC Continent is fully explored now. Warriors pull back to cover as much as they can to keep away barbarian camps. Two turns from writing (so I'll add two more turns in).

2110 BC (one turn too many - I hope you can forgive me). Writing finished. Since we have pottery from a hut we can now research map making. Since research at 100% doesn't help any (when Gloucester is pretty big and producing 12 gpt or more on its own), decide to go for it at 40 turn pace. Road from Leeds to Gloucester is finished.

At the end of the first section, I only have two cities, which is probably the worst of anyone. But Gloucester isn't far from becoming a reasonable settler pump, and as we all know, the wheat on floodplains sites can be good pumps too. I have three industrious workers which have let me stay ahead of the game in terms of developing tiles as well as make a start on clearing jungle (and those gems tiles on grassland are great for finance).

[Mountain Sage]

Carthage, Monarch.

4000BC – 2150 BC

4000BC: our settler moves E. Our worker goes W and starts a mine. Goal: max production of shields.
3950BC: Erin, our capitol, is founded on gems and starts a warrior. The first tech researched is Writing at 40 turns (as prerequisite for Map Making). Gold: +5/turn.
3750BC: our 1st warrior is operational, we start on a second. The mine is roaded.
3550BC: the road is completed, our worker goes SE.
3500BC: our worker starts irrigating a grassland+tile square. The first warrior pops POTTERY from the NW hut. Ah! And heads south along the W coast. The second warriors scouts E along the coast.
3400BC: irrigation completed, the worker starts to road it.
3250BC: 3rd warrior operational; that one stays in Erin for protection and police purposes. Erin is now size 3, time to build a settler. Our worker clears the forest S to speed up the settler.
3050BC: forest cleared, let’s build a mine.
2950BC: 1st settler heading W. Erin is building another ‘home warrior’.
2850BC: CERIMONIAL BURIAL from the SW hut. Ahhh! And BRONZE WORKING from the SE hut. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! The gods are with me (for the time being).
1750BC: our 2nd city, Roxane is build on the W river. Goes for warrior, worker, warrior, settler.
2670BC: our 2 warriors start scouting the unsettled S, Barbarians hunting.
2550BC: Erin builds its last warrior S as a back-up for the B-hunting teams.
2350BC: 1st warrior in Roxane.
2320BC: worker in Roxane, starts irrigation.
2270BC: our worker in Erin starts a long-term endeavour: clearing jungle (12 turns!).
2230BC: 2nd warrior in Roxane, time to start a settler.
2150BC: Erin finishes its settler, let’s go for the Pyramids (to be switched to the Glighthouse).

Some comments about the First Age of the DAR/AAR:
From the very beginning of the game, I wanted to get the Glighthouse (for obvious reasons) and the Glibrary. Why the Glibrary and not the Pyramids or another wonder? Mainly for 2 reasons: first of all, to deny it to another civ (I don’t want another tech-juggernaut right away) and then my plans were to beeline for republic at max speed, then set science at 0 at cash in the gold. This gold would buy me some medieval techs, but more important, allow me to set my research to 4-6 turn/tech.
But building two wonders this early means setting aside the two most productive cities, without hampering your rexing too much. Therefore, I decided that each of my first two cities would build a settler and a worker, and then start on the wonders. The next two cities would be founded near rivers and would become my settlers’ factories. I counted that with 2 warriors in each and gems, +10% happiness, they would stay moderately happy.

[sozopol]

Hello all, I introduced myself in the main set-up thread . I'm playing the Greeks, mainly because no one else seems to be, on Monarch level. First time trying out an AU game.

3950 BC Greek nomads push east and south, and settle on the sea coast, founding Athens. Greek priests are in the early stages of developing sophisticated Ceremonial Burial rituals which will unify the clans. Our workers are mining and roading the productive land to the SE of the city.

Reasearching CB at 90%, it may be stupid to sacrifice an early route to Map Making, but I want an early temple, and it is the road to Monarchy. Anyway, without CB, what are you but a bunch of savages dumping your dead wherever they happen to fall?

3500 BC There is an expanse of fertile lands stretching south from Athens, between the coast and the Great River to the west. Another Greek warrior ventures out from Athens, this time heading west.

3400 BC Our intrepid Greek warrior encountered the exotic Ligurian peoples to the NW of Athens, on the coast of what appears to be the Western Sea... the Ligurian crafts of Pottery and granary construction were quickly mastered by Greek artisans... Meanwhile, our worker is building a road into the jungle to the immediate NW of Athens, to take command of the gem resources there...

3200 BC Our first warrior is on an epic voyage down the eastern coast of our land, travelling across an endless desert... And our priests have made a breakthrough, endowing our civilization with elaborate and unifying CB rites... single-minded, they now pursue mystical sciences in their quest for meaning of life (and the further unification of the tribe).

Still on 90% science.

2750 BC Our second city, Sparta, has been founded on the desert floodplain river delta SSE of Athens (no tile overlap). This coastal city immediately begins to build a temple. Athens, meanwhile, is now working on a granary, helped a bit by our intrepid lumberjack to the south. We also now have our second gem resource connected (the first is under Athens). Most of our little landmass has been illuminated by our exploring warriors; one has sighted a strange village on a peninsula forming the extreme SW coast of our homeland, beyond the Great Desert.

2710 BC Wow, the strange villagers in the far SW turned out to be Thracian nomads, and, get this, they yearn to settle down and build a city and are just looking for a little despotic guidance... What luck for the glory of Greece! They immediately do so where they stand, and build the city of Thermopylae, and waste no time beginning construction on a temple to their adopted Greek gods!

2270 BC Mysticism done; working on Polytheism next (I want to get to Monarchy). The last village on the island gave us gold and dispersed. The worker is almost finished connect Sparta to Athens, having harvested and roaded the forest tile in between.

[vmxa1]

Welcome to the AU sozopol, nice start and well told.

[Panzer32]

DAR#1: 4000BC-2150BC

Panzer32

My first decision is what civilization to pick. I go for spain... mainly because I like their colour...

I'm going for monarch difficulty; toning down a bit from Emperor. I do not win consistenly on Emperor anyways.

Gah! That starting location!! OK, lets not judge it right yet. Move my worker 3 to see what lies across the river. Very nice! Flood plain and shielded grassland. Move settler 3 also. Build city there next turn. Go for early production my mining first; need to get a grainery up soon. Research writing at 10% since it is the most costly tech, and still making 5gpt because of river. As I read the DARs, I note that most people place their capital 9 of where mine is. This was basically an early game mistake on my part; I didn't see that there was the fish and the whale on the coast that I could have gotten. I should have moved my worker 9 instead of 3.

First warrior begins to explore to the south, as it looks like we're on a peninsula. Hugs the east coast. Madrid produces 3 warriors before starting on the granary, helped by a forest chop. Second warrior produced; will hug the west coast. 3450bc, Madrid grows and goody hut spoted to N; second warrior diverted to the north to pop hut and see how far land goes. Hut popped, pottery given. Handy for the granary production I'd say . Third warrior fortifies in Madrid. Northern warrior only sees a straight; will go back south hugging the west coast. Southern warrior pops another hut; maps = alot less exploring needs to be done here .

Worker done chopping in 2900bc; mines grassland right there. By this time I am almost sure I am on an island... good think I went for writing! 2710bc: done grainery; start on settler. Will go 2-3-3 from Madrid for a balence between growth and production. 3rd hut popped; deserted. Island totally explored now; warriors go back N in hopes that barb camps will spring up in the south for some upgrades. Worker roads now mined tile, then goes S and mines another grassland then roads - new city soon connected.

In 2390bc, I worked out my city placement strategy for the island. Black cities are core cities and have tile priority over all other cities. Red cities are simply placed to take advantage of water tiles and will only have trade improvements in them. The top blue city is probably where I'll put my FP if I decide to have it on this island, and the bottom blue city is my lowest priority city; only placed there to work tiles unreachable by black cities. Note that the picture itself is from 2390bc; only starting my second city because of granary build.