AU501 - DAR1: 4000BC-2150BC

[ducki]

Originally posted by Nor Me
So no-one's spotted the two deliberate mistakes yet?

And you quoted me with :

Reaching and maintaining tech parity so early was, I feel, a direct result of getting as many towns down as quickly as possible with tile improvements ready for the citizens to work and I didn't want to gamble on being able to get Pottery from an AI.

Since I'm new to Emperor, how is this a deliberate mistake? I thought I justified myself well enough and your follow-up didn't really help me understand my mistake.

This was definately the reverse for me. I've never had all ancient era techs in 1000BC before. It's more or less all down to the AI which does very well at Demigod and with the AU mod's research priority tweaking. My capital built only 3 settlers before starting on a Lighthouse prebuild. This gave me the contacts to do the rest. I didn't really need to research at all for trade, I was almost able to do it just with the starting techs.

I was lucky to get pottery in 3300BC like I did when the Sumerians could easily have got Alphabet from the Hittites. But that sometimes happens when you put a high priority on getting contacts fast.

And now I'm really confused about the bold bit. It sounds like my strategy was more conservative, safer and you gambled, accepting that you might be making a potential mistake. You got lucky with getting pottery early while I never had any doubt about precisely when I would get it.

I'm not being snarky, I really want to understand what you meant about deliberate mistakes, especially if I inadvertently made one.
Thanks.

[Arrian]

I finally got around to downloading and playing this last night. I chose stock rules, Emperor.

Sorry, no screenies (at least for now, as I'm at work).

Build on the spot, and went with a worker first, followed by 3 warriors and a granary. The hut on the Volcano gave me maps and the hut up in the marsh gave me 3 barbarians. Those 3 barbs, over the course of several centuries, killed THREE of my warriors. Thank goodness for Conquests passive barbs, or I was in serious trouble.

Second city founded 777 of Constantinople (on the tobacco). This built a warrior (who died), a worker, and then started my 2nd granary. Third city founded 111 of Constantinople, immediately punched out a curragh. Fourth city founded 966 of Constantinople. It also built a curragh.

My first curragh met the Japanese, and I sold Alphabet, all my gold, and 1gpt to them for the wheel. Yay, we have horses.

My second curragh met the Sumerians and Hittites. I made trades with them, netting Mysticism, Masonry and gold. Hmm, I don't remember how I got Ceremonial Burial. Must've been another trade with the Japanese.

Anyway, I figure that gets us to about 2150bc. To be continued in the next thread.

-Arrian

[Dominae]

Originally posted by Arrian
(at least for now, as I'm at work).

Arrian, it always amazes me how much you remember about your games when at work. I for one cannot recall all but the most general themes of a game if it's not open in front me!

Nice of you to join us!


Dominae

[Cort Haus]

Arrian's ability to both recall and project games in his head is indeed quite something. I don't know whether he plays chess, but if he does he's probably one of those who can play without ever actually looking at the board.

(Chess : Early protoype of Civ with no cities, less unit types, smaller map and no storyline. And no dice!)

[Arrian]

I really got into it last night, so it's vivid. I may be a bit off here and there, though.

I did a TERRIBLE job of saving the game, though. I think I have 3500bc, 800bc, 360AD and 450AD. I just forget to save it... ONE MORE TURN!

-Arrian

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Arrian's ability to both recall and project games in his head is indeed quite something. I don't know whether he plays chess, but if he does he's probably one of those who can play without ever actually looking at the board.

(Chess : Early protoype of Civ with no cities, less unit types, smaller map and no storyline. And no dice!)

What you don't see, Cort, is all the scribbling I do on paper (or in postboxes or whatever you want to call them) prior to actually posting things. And even then, I often have to go back and re-work them... how many edits have I done to the Cake or Death worker actions/WF changes lately?

I do occasionally dabble in chess, but I'm not that good. Good enough to beat most of my friends, but none of them play any more than I do. I'm a totally reactive player in chess - I rely on the opponent to make a mistake, and then I pounce. I rarely think more than a couple of moves ahead.

-Arrian

p.s. Thanks, though.

[Dominae]

Originally posted by Arrian
I just forget to save it... ONE MORE TURN!

[Mr.Burns] Excellent... [/Mr.Burns]

[Arrian]

I really do play speedciv sometimes. Fast 'n furious. Hence getting to 450AD in about 3 1/2 hours of play. Or isn't that fast? I don't know, but it seemed to fly by.

I like this game, even if I am on a small island with 1 luxury source (thanks, Dom, thanks a lot) and my first military adventure bears a strong resemblance to Dieppe.

-Arrian

[Arrian]

Ok, I've read the thread now, and I have MAJOR settler-from-hut envy.

-Arrian

[SirOsis]

I decided to go full out on the early Curragh production and built 3 before anything else. I have contacted the Japanese, Hittites, and Sumeria. A suicide curragh almost contacted the Egyptians(?) (yellow). I have done no tech trading as of yet. I also have not popped any of the huts. I'd built 2 warriors but they have been killed by barbarians and I really need to get some forces on the home island.

I've got 3 cities. I'm prebuilding for the Great Lighthouse because I want to be the best at the seas. I've started a thread in the story section. I had planned to tell more of a story but I've found I like pictures better.

My biggest concern right now is the barbarian camp to the north and east. I hope I won't have to switch production to fight them off just yet. The Ivory on Japan's island is also very tempting.

Sumeria is by far the strongest techwise and has Iron Working.

Power of Seafaring - One history thread

[MrWhereItsAt]

The start. OK, I am not used to thinking things through well enough to be phrased in a DAR, so I force myself to look around and take note of things before starting. A tricky choice obviously shows itself - move to the coast and pick up the Seafaring trade benefit, or stay inland on that hill for defense and don't waste one of those bonus grasses. Am horrified to see the volcano nearby - I have managed to avoid that in most of my C3C games to date.

I move the worker to a bonus grass to start improving and found where I am - fresh water, fish, forest and bonus grass, and eventually cows. Fine. I opt for a quick warrior first. Writing is my first tech goal, so I start pulling in the cash (50 turns at any rate, so I set it to the minimum).


The first Warrior arrives at 3800BC, and I set him towards the hut I see on the volcano. Etruscan warriors! ARGH! Stupid luck. Perhaps with the latest patch (which I have just installed) the barbs are docile as they were in 1.12... I take on one that is on a hill next to Constantinople anyway, and die. Well, my first great success of the game At least I take out the second one with my SECOND warrior.

By 3200BC I have explored to the East coast and am heading south - my first lux! Incense is not too far off, and close enough to Whales and Game so I have my next city site already.
The new Settler leaves for it in 3100BC, the same year I find the SW edge of my land, and a Volcanic Mountainous other landmass further in that direction. The Warrior heads for the unexplored North. Adrianople founded in 2850BC and a Curragh will be built. I'd forgotten about them.... Still researching at 20%, but now it's 28 turns until Writing. Hope I find someone to trade with...
2800BC and I am beginning to fear my landmass is small, maybe another 6 cities.

2630BC the Curragh is built and I switch to a Spearman, to take advantage of the forest chop done next turn in clearing one of the game forests. There's nothing else to build apart from units, the Colossus and Barracks. Perhaps Pottery would have been the best choice before...

The Curragh heads to the volcanic land to the SW. Meanwhile I finally get to see an instance of fish on Marsh.... bizarre.... 2590BC it scouts the coast, and sees a green territorial border! Yay! A trading partner! I just need to find a place to get next to their territory...
2550BC the Volcano near Constantinople becomes active, endangering the works being done on the game to the immediate S. I hurriedly move the worker elsewhere. I pop the final hut in the marsh area and - 3 more barbs. Damn this luck! Eager to trade as soon as possible, I head the Curragh back to the North and then west of the new island, to where there is a coast tile belonging to these greenies. They have Ivory in their borders! And it is the Japanese - I find Osaka right on the coast there.

All I can offer them is Alphabet for the moment, so I take The Wheel, with a few gold thrown in on my side (the best deal). They still have WC and CB. Nope, no Horses for me... ANOTHER warrior dies attacking one of those barbs in the marsh. Great. Another island is spotted to the NW of the first one - think I'll head there right now, and get back to the Japanese.
2430 BC - The Volcano erupts and messes up some useless moutains away from my cities. Good. And I notice there ARE Horses around - right under Constantinople! Finally some good luck! Or rather some deliberately placed luck. I have a new settler moving around unaccompanied, but the barbs that killed my warrior are not moving from their marshland pubs.

I forget about the movement penalty for Curraghs at sea, and end the turn with it stranded. It doesn't sink. WHEW! I must check the finally decided AU rules when I go online again. The new island is all jungles and marsh along the coast.

Finally reinforcements arrive to clear the Barbs out, but they die too. ARGH!

Caesarea founded to the NW, near the wheat and gold. Finally the barbs attack another warrior I send - and they kill it too! WTF?!?! I have one last one, and then I'm all but defenceless. NOT a good start. The Japanese refuse to trade any of their techs for my 139 gold. Jerks.

[MrWhereItsAt]

Originally posted by Arrian
Ok, I've read the thread now, and I have MAJOR settler-from-hut envy.

-Arrian

YOU'RE envious?! I'm not sure (after skimming most of the thread) I have had the worst luck of anyone or am just the worst player.

Which is it? All huts so far have popped barbs that have taken out at least 3 warriors and a worker. Only 2 cities at 2150BC, and no techs researched. Help! How can I shake myself back into Civ of a league even APPROACHING the stories posted by those (like me) new to AU, after a couple of months of no civ at all?

[ducki]

so I start pulling in the cash (50 turns at any rate, so set it to the minimum).

Just wanted to point out, as I've read from the old vets here and found in my own experience, this is sub-optimal.

It appears that you are consigned to 50 turns, but that's merely because you have only 1 citizen. If you set tech to minimum, you are definitely stuck at 50 turns.

If, however, you set tech to max, as you grow - citizens in your capitol and moreso found new towns - you should/will see that number drop dramatically, simply because you are getting more beakers per turn from having more potential sources of beakers.

I can't remember any of the other threads I've seen Dom or others put it more clearly, but, IIRC, the veterans here - at least a significant number of them - seem to agree that you can't gauge your "real" tech rate based on the displayed numbers when you found your capitol - the odds of you staying at 1 citizen for that 50 turns approaches zero.

[Dominae]

Silly double-post...

[Dominae]

Originally posted by MrWhereItsAt
How can I shake myself back into Civ of a league even APPROACHING the stories posted by those (like me) new to AU, after a couple of months of no civ at all?

Barbs are a lot more common in Conquests. However, many people loaded the dice by not building a military unit first (opting instead for a Worker) which has the effect of preventing the "Barb" outcome of Goody Huts.

Writing is my first tech goal, so I start pulling in the cash (50 turns at any rate, so I set it to the minimum).

No!! Unless you're really planning to research Writing at the minimum (50-turn) pace, there's no point in keeping your Science so low (i.e. anywhere under 100%). Although it says 50 turns when you start off, this number will decrease rapidly as your capital grows and you work more Commerce-generating tiles. All you're doing by putting Science at 20% is putting some money in the bank...not really all that useful in the first stages of the game.


Dominae