Alpha Base Build, 2240 BC

[Kloreep]

What should AB build now?

If we work the forest, work times are 8 for settler, 5 for worker or work boat. It should be noted that AB can grow again in 5 turns...

I'm assuming that AB will go largely for settlers & workers now, which I think is how we should be devoting it. It can only grow so far before hitting caps, and specialists just aren't possible right now. That said, in the immediate, the work boat is enticing. With the clams improved and worked, AB can have 8 surplus food while generating 7 hammers; that's 15 hammers for pop unit production! That means 4-turn workers and 7-turn settlers. Thing is though, we already have it going at 13 hammers a turn for pop units. With 30 hammers invested in the workboat and 30 food in growth to pop 5, the clams would essentially have to return a 60 hammer investment when it comes to food/hammers that could have been invested in settlers and workers. That would take 30 turns for the clams to "pay back" by adding their surplus to our settler/worker builds. Still, that's not counting at all the +2 commerce a turn the clams would also be adding in; that would be helpful with research. And these 5 turns would give Fort Sierra a bit more time get on its productive feet and start getting more axemen out before AB does its best to flood our empire with more units needing protection - though, to be fair, we're all right on military units at the moment, having 3 good mil units and 2 cities + 1 worker.

The other attractive build to me is a settler. A worker would be good, but I think before that we should get another settler out; until we do, Fort Sierra is pretty much the only city needing major improvements. So, settler in 8 turns if we go straight for it... or 12 if we go for a work boat first (boat takes 5 but the improved clams will reduce the settler time by a turn).

What do you all think?

[Kloreep]

One last thought: Every turn without the clams essentially costs 2 food, 2 commerce. Every turn without a city essentially costs 1 hammer + 1 commerce + whatever the worked tile brings in, which in most city sites wouldn't be much - probably just a hammer or food until a worker gets to the city. And with maintenance costs, the city probably just brings in the 1 hammer.

[inamirrordarkly]

I'm gonna put my vote in for the work boat.

[UnOrthOdOx]

What's the happy situation?

The workboat is important for the gold situation, however, we are still at a critical time right now. We must grab land ASAP, and we REALLY need troops still. We're 3rd in troops. Most likely the Horde is 1 or 2, and Sierra is not ready to be producing quite yet.

I'm going to say go for a settler now, followed by the workboat, then a worker. But, we may need to work another axe in there as well.

We MUST make a grab for the ponies in the south. An area that could reasonably be a second site for the Horde if they prefer to go after it and backfill. With that city in place, we have a very nice foundation to where we can make a reasonable base from. We lose that city, we will likely lack ponies all together, losing on a number of potential opportunities for mercdom in the process. It also secures us a second luxury, in time, which will prove just as critical to our long term profits and potential.

Land grab and self defense MUST come above all else at this point in the game. We need to seriously consider a switch to slavery as well for a just in case measure sooner rather than later.

[Kloreep]

The happy situation is 5>4 (with unit). I believe if AB was left ungarrisoned, it would be at 5>5, leaving it unable to grow to size 5 productively; that wouldn't be a problem with a settler or worker build though since it wouldn't grow anyway.

As tempted as I am to opt for something else, I think you're probably right about the need to landgrab. We have just enough military units to pull off a third city, so it should be okay to go for a settler now.

Re: Fort Sierra's productive capabilities, the copper mine is only about 4 turns away, and growth to pop 2, enabling painless work of the mine, will happen sooner. Once the mine is built Sierra could easily switch off the barracks and go for 6-turn axes. Axes without promos, yes, but I'd much rather accept some lack of experience than force more military builds on AB, whose enormous food output can only go towards one more growth before it hits its current caps - and if we spend that growth time having it build an axeman, getting it to build a workboat down the road becomes harder, basically requiring us to get at least another happiness point for it (and ideally a health as well).

[UnOrthOdOx]

That's the good thing about CIV, though, switching away from a barracks won't be particularly painfull since the hammers spent is saved.

I'll take a closer look at the graphs to see just what the Horde is up to.

[Kloreep]

2-1 for settler... any other comments?