AU 503 DAR 1: Up to 2150 BC

[Theseus]

2150 BC

AU Mod, Emperor

Nothing special in the first report… same gripes as everyone, lot of the same decisions. Settled on the forest, mined the hill, met everyone and traded around for pretty good tech parity (only behind the Mongols on Mysticism and HBR). Got friggin’ 25g from the hut. L I had the same reaction to the mountains and hills to the south as some did, though… YEAH, that’s a CS Road made in Incan heaven!!

A couple things I hadn’t seen in other DARs though:

* What’s that you see? A TEMPLE? Has Theseus gone insane? Nope… in a dangerous practice (i.e., capital GWs), I had determined that I wanted both the Colossus and the SoZ there, so I wanted to be able to grow it BIG. Also, planning for down the road, I was very concerned about the paucity of luxuries in the north (a condition known as Luxurious Addictivus Arrianus), and figured Temples would be advisable in general.

* Lastly, I didn’t see much about this in the other DARs, but I though a LOT about upcoming city placement… I guess that is always my first reaction to a tough start!! More on that later.

I was out of pocket re Internet stuff over the last month, but I kept bangin’ away at this bad boy… echoing many others, GREAT JOB alexman!! This game was a blast, and very memorable… tough tough tough, and thanks for the tip about notching one down from regular play.

[Theseus]

* I did want to adhere to the theme, so I slammed out four reg CSs… why four? I guess my thinking was to avoid or at least delay my GA by creating a sufficiently large stack… worked pretty well.

* I went for the Hittites first… why? Three-Man Chariots, of course. I though that would help them smack the Mongols around, so they were my highest threat at the point where I had decide east or west on the trip down. Uh, yeah Big Guy, brilliant decision there. As I could already tell by 2150BC, the Mongols were going to be the threat… but, what the heck, I’m now on the West Coast, might as well use the Hittites as a practice ground for best pillaging tactics!! Buh-bye, roads around Tarsus!

[JimiD]

AU Mod
Monarch (after too many false starts at Emporer.....)
Reading Theseus' thread, and the AU601 DAR has made me return to this game.

I have read the later DARs, but more for the storeys than detail, I struggled enough with this already to feel I am abusing the idea of the game - for me now, it is about learning, not a clean sweep from my first start.

4000bc worker 8, scout 2, and settler 8. Want the corn up first time.
3950bc cuzco founded - start on scout (plan scout, scout?, settler) - Researching alphabet for philosophy at 20% (minimum to get any reasearch). Worker 8 to the corn
3750bc scout has headed south and sights a hut. Worker completes the roading of the corn and heads back to get an ivory
3700BC popping the hut gets us CB!
3600bc scout spots a volcano!
3550bc, Cuzco builds a scout, and starts on another, will grow to size 2 in 2 turns! Need irrigation, but i think that the city on the hill may be my third city that does this. Chasquis heads north, and scout spots a mongol scout. Trade CB for WC and all their gold - 10.
3450 cuzco grows to size 2. Using the fis and wheat, will grow in 10 turns. FIve turns to build anothe CS, but 12 for a seteller. Toy with the idea of swapping to a settler. On any other game I would....
3350 worker finishes roading to the new city spot,a nd heads south to start the road to the lake...
3200 Cuzco completes 2nd CS, now heading for a settler. CS heads south, as we have just seen a mongol warrior heading north. the first CS is now turning round to head south, having watched a red figure leave his sight, without the chance to contact him. The two CS should help persude the mongel warrior away.
3000 BC spot a mongol cultural boarder. Need more contacts... Mogols have alphabet and BW! they have better used their scout...
St Augustine anounces that we are the wealthiest civ in the world! with 88 g (+5pt) will try to use this to trade, when I get more contacts...
2950BC contact Hitties. THey too have BW and Alphabet! Also attack the mongol scout with a CS, just cause I ought to.
2800BC, have to attack a mongol warrior with a CS, heading to close to my pennisular. A one city despotic GA?
2750BC Cuzco completes a settler, to head north, and starts on another CS(CS, CS, Settler - approx)

[IMG]C:\My Documents\James\AU503-2750BC.jpg[/IMG]

2710 BC Tiwanaku founded. scout is facing east and north, chased by warrior and archer, as the two CS head south. I plan to use the GA to offset the poor land start initially, rather than as the usual boost. - Tiwanaku plans warrior / worker.
2590 bc Cuzco produces third CS to head S to hassle the Mongols. THe first CS is in a position to start hassling mongol lands, the scout has spotted another hut
2470 bc hut has yeilded mysticism, and weve met the Vikings. It appears no one else has, cause we trade CB+Pottery for Alphabet and BW. We are up Construction and Mysticism. However the Hitties have these, and the wheel, so we up the research to 100% for IW, and hope to get this, and get some swords on line fast.
2430 BC Loose one CS to a pincer movement by the Mongol Capital, having pillaged some Ivory.
2310 BC attacked some barbarians on the way south with a CS, down to one HP, no promotion. Sit tight on a mountain to heal
2190 BC swith Cuzco to a granary - cant keep dropping to size 1 - must proper REX
CS seem better as distractions - lose 1 CS against a barbarian - the second gets promoted


I have tried searching the collected strategy thread for advice on research strategies, but to no avail yet. I am picking up ideas from other peoples DARs but without a clear idea of the strategy. A pointer to a good thread would be appreciated.