Time to create your own custom Civ for MP!

[Zero]

I would put this in MP thread, but topic is more relevant to strategy...

Im currently playing a hotseat game with bunch of hallmates. We play on tueday, wednesday and some thursday nights while we are watching must see tv on NBC. Anyway the rule of this game is Conquest, Spaceship, cultural only and helicopter carries 4 infantries as opposed to 1 (to promote use of inf).

Civs can be customized and given any 2 UUs. Since its a hotseat game and game will last long, I chose Greek avatar for its geekiness on modern era with Rel/Ind trait and jag warriors and Riders.

Im also thinking about playing a turnless games with them if my friends pick up copy of ptw using the same rules. With all default rules except Custom 2 trait + custom 1 UU. What are your suggestions for the customization?

My plan: Mil/Sci + Jag warrior or Legions
Its basically uber ancient Germany

[Inverse Icarus]

mounted warriors and hoplites would kick a little too much ass early on.

[DaveMcW]

It depends a lot on the map. If pangea, you need to concentrate all your firepower in the ancient era. If you are alone on your continent, you can beeline for knights or cavalry.

[Zero]

The Hotseat game is continental. For the Turnless game we'll probabaly make it pangea.

Although I thought about having M.W for turnless game, Legion or Immortal would be more suitable if Im going Sci/mil. Reason why I wanna go sci/mil is to apply German early aggression strategy (early arch/spear rush while researching IW)

we got 2 mil/rel, 3 com/ind and 2 mil/ind players. 5 of them has panzers.. we'll see how this game turns out.

[Aeson]

Do you get to pick your starting techs too, or just linked to your traits? Can you pick the Wheel for a 'Japanese' Militaristic?

[Zero]

Yeah, wheel or WC is acceptable for mil. But You have to stick with starting tech that your trait is relevant to. You can be rel/exp and have bronze and alphabet.

[Aeson]

If you take The Wheel and Bronze Working it does set back the Archer/Spearman rush a bit, but you'd be able to see Horses right off, and one tech from Iron.

You could go for the Numidian Mercs, as they would be available from the start, have a longer lifespan than either Spearmen or Archers, and fulfill two roles. It would probably be better to hold off on the early conquest until you have Horses/Swords though.

[nbarclay]

How about a Sci/Mil civ that starts with The Wheel with War Chariots as its UU? The GA would come extremely early, but the potential for an early or ultra-early rush could be awesome. Mounted Warriors would probably be even nastier in that context - research one tech and away you go. Horseback Riding is actually cheaper than Iron Working - the same cost as Alphabet.

[DaveMcW]

Yes, MWs on a militaristic civ would be incredible. Great Leaders everywhere! Add industrious or expansionist for a fast start, and you don't even need a second UU.

[Arrian]

Industrious/Militaristic. Choose The Wheel as militaristic start tech.

UUs: a powerful ancient/a powerful medieval. I'd probably go Mounted Warriors and Riders, but then you could be screwed if you don't have immediate access to horses. Therefore, you may want to go with Legionaries or Immortals in the ancient age, and then Riders later.

Edit: Actually another way to go would be to use the same traits, with Mounted Warriors and Impi. If you're on the same continent as your rivals... oh, dear, are they dead.

-Arrian

[Brizey]

With JW and Riders, your friends should never see Panzers.

I would pick religious, industrious, MW and Rider. Then pray for horses.

[Brizey]

Oh, and I agree with Arrian. I like Impi's better than Hoplites to go with MWs. Super-mobile early invasion force. Pick mil/sci and take BW and Wheel. Kill everyone.

[Nor Me]

If you're set on an archer/spear type rush, go with mil/ind and bowmen. Bowmen would allow you to replace scientific with a better rush trait as they're better than spearmen and could partially replace swords/legions.

But then I saw this:

Originally posted by Calc II
For the Turnless game we'll probabaly make it pangea.

and this:

we got 2 mil/rel, 3 com/ind and 2 mil/ind players. 5 of them has panzers..

At least a standard pangea with no expansionist or scientific civs?
I would go with Ind or Mil and Expansionist with JWs.
JWs are deadly if your opponent doesn't have spearmen and you may have enough huts not to worry about researching at least one of HBR and IW.

[Arrian]

Pangea, and people chose Panzers? Hmm. Doesn't make sense to me.

I'd load up on ancient or medieval units, and do my best to decide things long before Motorized Transport.

The more I think about it, the more I like the MW/Impi combo. Industrious is big, but you can probably toss Militaristic. Either Religious or Expansionist instead would work.

-Arrian

[Theseus]

Panzers are f-cking crazy.

This kind of game will be decided in the ancient era. I like Arrian's last post (MW/Impi and Ind/Exp).

But I could also see a slowmover approach: Immortals/Hoplites and Ind/... uh, Ind? Hmm, how about Mil? Not as good survival odds as fastmovers, military roads that much more important, and cheap barracks for a super-aggressive game.

Damn, that'd be fun.