[spoilers] Gaspar and Commodore welcome you to the islands, mon!

[Mardoc]

Encouragingly, Isabella is prone to getting rushed with tons of horse units around turn 55, so our Numidians might come in handy.

Gaspar? I think we might need some extra spears in PBEM24 .

[Gaspar]

Gaspar? I think we might need some extra spears in PBEM24 .

Spears? You mean Pikes, right? Since Engineering completes next turn.

[Commodore]

So I did a little scouting and forced your hand with the warrior, for two reasons:

One, that's an ugly peak down there in the south.


Two, moving NW would reveal a lot hidden by the annoying peak.


Thusly:


Yuri and Sian both found SIP or moving one to be to their liking.


Am I nuts to say settle 1E?

[Mardoc]

Am I nuts to say settle 1E?

No, not really. We'd lose a coastal city, but ought to gain control of our island faster by having a stronger capital. We'd just have to build our navy from later cities.

Except! We still don't have a name for the capital! How can you settle a city of no name?!?

[Commodore]

No, not really. We'd lose a coastal city, but ought to gain control of our island faster by having a stronger capital. We'd just have to build our navy from later cities.

Except! We still don't have a name for the capital! How can you settle a city of no name?!?

Right now I'm thinking Zandalar, nerdy as that'd be...

I'm not hating the gamble of S, SE, but my slight preference would be to go 1E now. Need some Gasponian input. Or Gaspar, if you're voting either way you can go ahead and play it, either option I could be swayed on.

[Mardoc]

Need some Gasponian input.

Definitely. Don't know why he thinks that 'work' is important when he could be civving

But yeah, my advice will be reliable...if you can run Aristocracy/Agrarianism and build Hawks. Since you can't...

or maybe:

[Commodore]

So...south is a trap unless there's something really nice down there, it's not a good idea. Moving 1E makes an obscenely large number of hammers. I made two workers here, but I actually think going worker, settler, warrior, worker is best. Workers got bored otherwise...a mine at this point in the game is a cry for help.



SIP actually did okay, although it was slower than 1E very slightly, it does allow the cap to make a workboat when we want to grow, which has more utility than a warrior, probably. 1SE has the same net effect and I'm happy with that option too.



South any more slows down the worker, which slows down the next worker or the settler in either case. It's not worth it, IMO, unless fog hides an amazing tile. Tundra deer? Not an amazing tile, sorry.



Basically, I'm on board with SIP, 1SE, or 1E. I'm leaning 1SE to keep ahold of the port capital, but the plains hill plant is very nice.

[Gaspar]

Sorry. Long day.

Erm. I hate everything. I'd actually really like a non-coastal first city, so we can get strong production. Naturally Moai will go on some random one-tile island with fish somewhere. I really can't countenance one east. You're talking about 4 unworkable tiles in the capital. I think it boils down to S-SE taking a hope for Deer/Seafood, SIP and just accept that the city will blow, or 2E push hard to a city on the coast and get the hell off this rock ASAP.

Or the really crazy choice - move the warrior N and if we see seafood settle on the PH NE of the warrior on T3 and if we don't see seafood settle 1S of the Wheat on T3. I understand its wasting two turns, but what choice do we have?

I think its either the crazy choice or dive for Deer because with our crappy Fishing/Mining start even double cows won't do anything for us for 15T. We're going to have a really slow start.

So more specifically:

1. SIP, go Agriculture -> Animal Husbandry -> BW. Worker or exploring workboat first.
2. S-SE, pray, tech choice to be determined by what we find in the fog.
3. Settle one of the crazy options on T3, tech choice to be determined by what we find the fog.

I actually think I'm leaning 3. This is officially the worst start I've ever seen in a PBEM here, btw.

[Gaspar]

Saw this after you post. I could live w/SE as well.

[Gaspar]

Ok, so after much debate, we played. Zandalar founded SE on the FP, mon.



And.... We've. Got. Furs.

Erm. Am I excited about tundra furs? Turrrible.

For later perusal, settings:



And T0.5 demos:



Once Commodore gets a good sandbox up I think there's a lot of simmage needed to determine optimal play here.