I've tried to enclose unimportant stuff in italics for the less builderer-inclined.
We have some long-term plans to consider...
First, Alpha Base. What will it build next? Currently it just finished the settler (as of the end of 2600) and is now building an Axeman, assisted by our worker's forest chop. It should be free to go on to its next build, perhaps with some overflow to boot, in 2480 BC or 2440 BC. (Here's why: Over the 2560 BC and 2520 BC turns it will generate the hammers needed for the build - exactly 15 out of the 35, with the other 20 guaranteed in 3 turns by the chop. I believe that means 2520 BC will be when the 20 hammers are delivered, but I still haven't got a handle on these newfangled Civ4 workers. Could be in 2480 BC.) So, we'll get to choose another build relatively soon. I think we should go for another Axe, at least for a few turns, and then another settler; this way AB won't be stopped from growing to the next size a mere turn or two before it's about to. (If we immediately go onto a settler or worker, the city will stop growth 1 or 2 turns away from getting to pop 3.) We could examine, though, switching to a settler as soon as the growth occurs, leaving the axe nearer completion but not quite there and pulling the same trick we did with this current settler - sending AB's lone garrison out and quickly replacing it.
Tile-wise, I think the two citizens of AB are exactly where they should be; the copper tile for a load of hammers, and the pigs tile for a load of food that will help it grow and enable it to work the oasis once more. So I think our only concern in the short-term will be to a) build something besides settlers and workers during the turns 37-40 so that it can grow to pop 3 ASAP, and b) to make sure the new citizen goes on the oasis when it is born.
Now to the second matter... what the new city (name undetermined) should build first. It will not have copper when it is built no matter how we may try. (It would take 8 turns past the founding of the city to bring it copper, and that's assuming that we have the worker do nothing but road once it's done chopping.) So, our build options are rather limited at first as far as military units go, particularly since we don't have archery. I think it should either build a second scout or start right off with a barracks. I'm somewhat dubious of the scout, as a full human barbarian can't be that far off. I think a barracks would be a better idea. Even if we later delay it in order to get the first axe sooner, we'll at least have made some progress toward it.
Not that this city will be building all that fast at first if I get my way. The city will have wheat in its initial radius, - 3 food, an additional food that can carry it to +3 food and make it grow in just 8 turns, while adding another commerce to our treasury as well. Yes, this is the tile we should work first.
And last but not least, what to do with our worker. As I've said before, I think AB doesn't need it nearly as much as the new city will, and so I think it should head down there. Question is, do we first establish roads, or simply send the worker down post-haste? I think the best route would be to send the worker right to the copper tile by the new city, stopping to road a forest inbetween. This gets the copper mined ASAP and then connected ASAP, two turns after. Here's how it would work: After chopping the forest by AB, the worker (without roading) moves immediately 3-2, 2-1 to one of the forests between the city and the copper. Here, the worker roads (3 turns). So the worker has spent 5 turns getting to the forest and roading - exactly how long it takes for the new city's borders to expand, putting the copper in our borders. This means the worker will be free to move to the copper and start mining as soon as it becomes possible to mine it (can't build mines/irrigation etc outside your own borders, only roads). The mine takes 4 turns. So, 9 turns after the city is founded, the mine is complete. And remember, it should take only 8 turns to grow once the city is founded, so the copper tile will be producing gobs of hammers just 1 turn after the second citizen is ready to receive them. And, to top it off, the worker can then road in 2 turns after finishing the mine, bringing copper into the 2nd City just 11 turns after founding. Under this plan, copper is connected only 3 more turns after it would be if we undertook to build a road between AB and 2nd City immediately, and as a plus the copper mine has been finished for 2 turns at 11 turns after founding, rather than at least 1 turn away from being built - a benefit of 9 hammers or more.
We have some long-term plans to consider...
First, Alpha Base. What will it build next? Currently it just finished the settler (as of the end of 2600) and is now building an Axeman, assisted by our worker's forest chop. It should be free to go on to its next build, perhaps with some overflow to boot, in 2480 BC or 2440 BC. (Here's why: Over the 2560 BC and 2520 BC turns it will generate the hammers needed for the build - exactly 15 out of the 35, with the other 20 guaranteed in 3 turns by the chop. I believe that means 2520 BC will be when the 20 hammers are delivered, but I still haven't got a handle on these newfangled Civ4 workers. Could be in 2480 BC.) So, we'll get to choose another build relatively soon. I think we should go for another Axe, at least for a few turns, and then another settler; this way AB won't be stopped from growing to the next size a mere turn or two before it's about to. (If we immediately go onto a settler or worker, the city will stop growth 1 or 2 turns away from getting to pop 3.) We could examine, though, switching to a settler as soon as the growth occurs, leaving the axe nearer completion but not quite there and pulling the same trick we did with this current settler - sending AB's lone garrison out and quickly replacing it.
Tile-wise, I think the two citizens of AB are exactly where they should be; the copper tile for a load of hammers, and the pigs tile for a load of food that will help it grow and enable it to work the oasis once more. So I think our only concern in the short-term will be to a) build something besides settlers and workers during the turns 37-40 so that it can grow to pop 3 ASAP, and b) to make sure the new citizen goes on the oasis when it is born.
Now to the second matter... what the new city (name undetermined) should build first. It will not have copper when it is built no matter how we may try. (It would take 8 turns past the founding of the city to bring it copper, and that's assuming that we have the worker do nothing but road once it's done chopping.) So, our build options are rather limited at first as far as military units go, particularly since we don't have archery. I think it should either build a second scout or start right off with a barracks. I'm somewhat dubious of the scout, as a full human barbarian can't be that far off. I think a barracks would be a better idea. Even if we later delay it in order to get the first axe sooner, we'll at least have made some progress toward it.
Not that this city will be building all that fast at first if I get my way. The city will have wheat in its initial radius, - 3 food, an additional food that can carry it to +3 food and make it grow in just 8 turns, while adding another commerce to our treasury as well. Yes, this is the tile we should work first.
And last but not least, what to do with our worker. As I've said before, I think AB doesn't need it nearly as much as the new city will, and so I think it should head down there. Question is, do we first establish roads, or simply send the worker down post-haste? I think the best route would be to send the worker right to the copper tile by the new city, stopping to road a forest inbetween. This gets the copper mined ASAP and then connected ASAP, two turns after. Here's how it would work: After chopping the forest by AB, the worker (without roading) moves immediately 3-2, 2-1 to one of the forests between the city and the copper. Here, the worker roads (3 turns). So the worker has spent 5 turns getting to the forest and roading - exactly how long it takes for the new city's borders to expand, putting the copper in our borders. This means the worker will be free to move to the copper and start mining as soon as it becomes possible to mine it (can't build mines/irrigation etc outside your own borders, only roads). The mine takes 4 turns. So, 9 turns after the city is founded, the mine is complete. And remember, it should take only 8 turns to grow once the city is founded, so the copper tile will be producing gobs of hammers just 1 turn after the second citizen is ready to receive them. And, to top it off, the worker can then road in 2 turns after finishing the mine, bringing copper into the 2nd City just 11 turns after founding. Under this plan, copper is connected only 3 more turns after it would be if we undertook to build a road between AB and 2nd City immediately, and as a plus the copper mine has been finished for 2 turns at 11 turns after founding, rather than at least 1 turn away from being built - a benefit of 9 hammers or more.
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