Yeah I know - especially when I'm playing lazily (no other excuse considering I keep tile yields on) I just miss it.
It happened in the SG not long ago.
Why I hate playing as clan on EC. (It doesn't spawn naturally on the traditional scripts FTR)
Erebus in the Balance - a FFH Modmod based around balancing and polishing FFH for streamlined competitive play.
The last couple turns have been fairly uneventful. Our scout has been spending most of his time running, rather than finding new stuff - I've recently spotted a Hill Giant, 2 lizardmen, a Giant Spider, and Selrahc's scout exploring a lair near the scout as well.
At home, we're putting up new roads, and we also have another skeleton inbound. Not sure if he's the one we popped or not, but I've got to waste a couple worker turns running away. He's coming in via the bananas, which was intended to be the next tile improved.
On the other hand, we're size 2 now, only one other is size 2, so we're growing quite well. This skeleton disruption, combined with the vast forests and still working on Mining tech, means that we'll run out of improved tiles to work pretty soon, actually. I'm debating with myself if it's worth halting growth at just the improved tiles and knocking out a settler, or if I'd rather have the extra pop even if it only works a forest tile. I think I'll aim for size 4, at least, working the rice, 2 grass farms, and banana, for a food surplus of 11 fpt/2 hpt, and an 11/12 (depending on overflow) turn settler. Requires the skeleton to hurry up and die, and probably both workers to move post-haste to the banana, but it could be done.
If I grow twice more, I could be at 11 fpt/4 hpt, for a 10 turn settler. That isn't really worth the delay for growth at home, with one caveat - I feel I need at least two warriors built to go with the settler/worker roading party. But I'd rather start working the Oasis tile right away, and get city 2 founded before Creative wears off, than have two more hpt at Ringmaster. It might be different if Mining's ETA were less, but even with the Academy it's a long long ways off. If we can't improve tiles, we shouldn't grow to use them, except as a byproduct of other goals.
Alright, so that's the plan, then. Grow ASAP, working food tiles first and hammer tiles second, and as soon as we have two more warriors, swap to a settler. Meanwhile, the workers will focus on getting the banana up, and on getting a road to the city 2 site. Second priority is roads on all the tiles I want to improve eventually but can't until I get more tech (or more culture).
Elven Princesses, ripe for the kidnapping. (HK)
A mysterious disappearing treasure chest.
Dozens of lion dens to punch.
A slew of useless/dangerous dungeons.
A giant with its leg transformed into a tree, held in place.
But what's been vexing me most is a rambunctious little mistform that has been butchering my warriors and workers.
How has it gone for you?
Apparently Selrahc's not likely to be our worst threat .
Draft Wrote:
Come one, come all to see the mysterious magical wonders of the Circus! Ok, come one - we know only the Ice People. In the center ring, you'll find both disassembled and walking undead! The rescued immortal founder of the Balseraph Academy and the world's most cultured city! And frustrated vampires, finding naught to eat!
In the sideshows, you'll see griffons and lizards and giants of all sorts, both walking and rooted. If you look hard, you'll see spiders, too!
Given that he can see my graphs, there's no point in trying to hide the Academy. Damage control in pointing out our culture, describe the various hazards of the wilderness, I can't think of anything else to discuss at the moment.
Thoughts? I'll probably send this off next time I see the turn.
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
A few more turns have gone by. My scout continues running from the animals and barbs, and has found some interesting stuff. It's currently of no use to know that there's a King giant with some promotions, Held on a tile with a Portal, but presumably there's something interesting to find there once I've some warriorpults or skeleton-pults to spare.
At home, last turn we finished the third warrior and grew to size 5. Unfortunately the bananas aren't improved yet, because of the skeleton; instead we have a road toward the furs since it was better than nothing. And we're working two unimproved tiles for the moment. We'll start the settler next turn regardless, though, and trust the workers to catch up now that the threat is gone. On the bright side, with 2 XP the warrior who's been fighting can pick up Guerilla and be an excellent city defender.
Crafting is in, and Mining's up next, due in 11-12 turns IIRC. The banana and all the roads I want will likely take the entire time until then. I can't imagine what people's cores look like who went with only one worker. We're looking at a T40-45 ETA for city 2 founded, with 2 workers in hand and most tiles worked being improved tiles. Mining and the new city will add enough work that I'll definitely want to build a third worker before anything else.
Demographics are...surprising. I expected to be #1 GNP, with the Academy, but we're also #1 Food, by a large margin. Even higher than Ellimist, apparently, despite him gaining 2 pop for free, earlier than us. Not nearly as high in MFG, so perhaps someone is working forests. Although the only reason I can think of to maximize MFG at this point is for a trait bonus, and the only trait that seems relevant this early is Expansive...is HK really building a settler this early? Odd choice if so. (to confirm: Elli: Org/Rai, HK: Exp/Arc, Selrahc: Arc/Cha, gt: Arc/Cre...ok, I guess gt could be building a Monument for the Creative doubling, but that's an even odder choice). Oh, maybe someone's building warriors to handle barbs? Like, say, Selrahc trying to kill a Mistform? That could be it.
Man, good thing Selrahc agreed not to pop Stasis, huh?
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
(March 11th, 2013, 10:50)Merovech Wrote: Man, good thing Selrahc agreed not to pop Stasis, huh?
Yeah, the game would probably already have died of boredom. And certainly the lurkers would have all left.
That *is* what you're referring to, right?
Yes.
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
. 
