First Turn Moves

[troglodyte]

I don't think we should build a settler or worker first up - this will delay the growth of Berlin too long. It's easier and faster to build them when the city has grown - even to 2. I also don't think that we should take the chance of leaving the city undefended, this is way too risky: We should build a Warrior since there is nothing better to build while allowing the city to grow: The Warrior can be upgraded after BW discovered to Axemen/Spearmen, depending on threat assessment.

As to the BW first issue, this is a comparatively long research time tech. If we go BW first, we still have to recce to find the Copper. With Archery, we can at least develop a useful defence unit that is comparatively rapidly built (faster building than Axemen without decent production in a small city anyway).

Once the Warrior is built, we can place him out on a "sentinel net" peak, and this adds to the "scouting" while giving us warning of any early probing - and he can run back to defend if necssary and/or escort the Settler to the new site, while we talk about Worker/Settler next build.

I would like to use the Scout to get line of sight on the immediate area and then find our clients, and that's another reason that we should get a Warrior in first - it lets the Scout go further abroad than we may want to let him if we have zero defence.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Basically I see two theories here:

Worker first, research Bronze.

Scout/warrior first, research archery then bronze. Build Worker at size 2.

IMO, the chopping more than makes up for the lack of growth if we go worker first, chop a settler, then a warrior/archer. If we build anything else other than worker first, this begins to detract from the advantage of starting with mining (bronzeworking pre-req) to be able to choppy quicker than anyone else.

Basically, I'm for Bronzeworking (14 turn, guessing), worker (15 turn build, guess) first, use said worker to chop production to make up for the lack of growth. In fact I based my favoring of Freddy on this plan.

[troglodyte]

Nice summary, Oh 1/2 of One Great Leader, and quite succintly put!

Maybe we should look at it this way: What are the odds of someone nasty being close enough to destroy Berlin? If the odds are in our favour, then BW and the Worker seem reasonable. If not, then maybe we should look at defence first.

[Togas]

Settle Now.
Bronze Working.

--Togas

[troglodyte]

In a different thread Togas said

"However, it's going to be hard to make friends early. No one will want a mercenary team on their border. They may even start a preemptive war over the issue (as they did in the MZO Demogame)."

How was the defence handled? While I can see the utility of BW and Axemen, the need to build a Worker, find the mineral, mine it and then build an Axeman can delay our defence.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Actually, our original neighbors in the MZO game were quite understanding, and no military confrontation came of our border sharing other than what we were hired to do. Our new neighbors have refused to make any kind of border agreement, violated a contract, renting units, moving them into their territory, and destroying them.

We are handling it now, and cannot go into details here as there are members of other teams here. Feel free to join us over there if you want to read up on it.

[rush]

right, I am eave-dropping

Actually, I am just annoyed you choose to buy techs from other teams instead of us.

[troglodyte]

UnO, I had a look at the MZO Demogame thread, but I can't see how to get access to read up on the happenings. The suicide of the units seems a very nasty way to deal with rented units. NOW I FINALLY understand why you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to keep control of them.

As to the first moves, I have played a few games using your suggestion of BW and then chopping worker, worker, settler, military unit - and it's not a bad way to start, although you lose out on the woodmill production in the midgame. I can live with this route, although I do have some concerns that an early dagger or choke could be annoying.

As to moving the settler, I have done a few starts and I find that if we move the settler across a river on the first move, we cannot settle immediately. Can anyone else check this out and report on their finding - as I would hate to think its an artifact of my computer? (v1.52).

[rush]

You can read this thread. It's posted on the common forum.

http://forums.mzocentral.net//index.php?showtopic=15246

If you want to find out more, then you have to join their team. UnO, Togas and Kloreep are all members of the Mercs team for the MZO C3C DG. Just post on the thread below, MasterZen will be able to grant you access to their team Forum.

http://forums.mzocentral.net//index....ic=1586&st=125

I play the save for the Monarchist team; we are on a different continent from the Mercs. You are free to join us too, if you don't want to mix with the Mercs