slowcheetah attempts to keep pace

[slowcheetah]

Obligatory first post referencing my forum name, admittedly it's more of a stopped cheetah.

[slowcheetah]

Hello, and welcome to my thread where I aim to keep up with the pace long enough to survive the ancient age .

Some game settings

Trait bans: FIN, only one of (SPI,CRE,EXP,PHI)
Civ bans: India, Inca, Egypt, Ottomans, Rome and byzantine

So I drew first pick in the snake pick, which allowed me to pick CHINA as my starting civilisation. I did this almost completely for the starting technologies (agriculture and mining), which allow quick access to bronze working and animal husbandry for early strategic resources. Cho-ko-nu's are nice but didn't really play a part in my decision and I have no plans on being creative so there is no synergy with pavilions (although they could prove helpful if a lot of other players are creative).

I plan on attempting to abuse SPI in this case (never really have the patience for it in SP) and had initially thought to go for Ramesses (SPI/IND) as my leader but didn't want to first pick him in case other people were locked into industrious, and diluted his second trait. If he is still around at the end I may well pick him up.

However, if Ramesses isn't around I feel that either Asoka (SPI/ORG), emperor maintainence/cheap courthhouse, cheap lighthouse could also be useful on a donut/inland sea. Or brennus, CHA's raised happy cap would help with the early game in an attempt to get to spirituals benefits faster. Hell, i might even be montezuma or saladin (eurgh PRO) if people are picking for warlike early games.

Or i might sack it all off, because I'm feeling to lazy to abuse SPI, go EXP and do bronzeworking, double worker start

[slowcheetah]

By the way does anyone have any good links to hand for learning how to analyse the demographics? Having read Serdoa's PBEM25 thread I think having some idea of how to analyse them may be helpful.

[slowcheetah]

Despite accidently listing my chosen leader before my place in the turn order I think I did get a fairly good pairing for the game set up my choice is; THIS GUY (Ramesses II)

Intimidating isn't he? [SIZE="1"](Note: Image obtained from a google image search and may have only been selected because it was the funniest picture)[/SIZE]

In my version of history he comes from CHINA (because they know how to mine and farm, but don't know a thing about deers or fish) as detailed in the rambling account above.

Anyway, I think he's a fairly strong choice, SPI is good, cheap forges are good, and hopefully some early wonder-building should give me an early game boost, either to expansion (stonehenge) or research (pyramids). Coupled to emperor maintenance costs limiting others expansion and I should be in reasonable nick (well provided my micro holds up).

[Commodore]

Here's your start, barring last-minute changes:

[slowcheetah]

Opponent Analysis- I'm not actually going to write in detail about what I think each players style/level will be, these are more clarifying thoughts on likely strategies for myself (although of course i'm delighted if other people read them ). I've actually lurked here a fair while so have read through a lot of the threads, but it feels extremely odd to comment personally on everyone else when they have never come across me before.

Sian- Catherine (CRE/IMP) of England: From his traits im guessing he's going for fast early expansion. Hopefully that means he shouldn't be competing for any early wonders, if he borders me stonehenge goes up a notch on my want list (at least if it's a tight map, and TT did ask for early border tensions). Redcoats are always dangerous, hopefully he wont get there.

Twinkletoes- Washington (EXP/CHA) of Maya: Cha+ ballcourts means he can access a potential happy cap of 10 (in the capital, without religion/ resources) by teching construction (safety in catapults). Admittedly this comes at a fairly large hammer cost, so hopefully a stonehenge nab will set him back a little. He starts with Myst and mining.

Serdoa- Lincoln (Cha/Phi) of Aztecs- As he said in the tech thread this is an odd pair (although maybe he's just going for the irony of Lincoln using slavery twice as hard as anyone else). Pyramids would be very good for him as would stonehenge. Maybe he's going for a faux spiritual, alernating five turn cycles of philo specialists (pacifism) with five turns of slavery (sacrificial altars), while also benefitting from half price unis. He starts with Myst and Hunting. (Looks like I'm going to have to research myst quickly if i want henge.

TMIT- Bismarck of Mali (IND, EXP)- The other IND player, my hope is that he goes for an oracle to metalcasting to get mints online, leaving some of the other key wonders. Skirmishers make him hard to attack in the early game (although require additional tech). He starts with the wheel and mining.

[slowcheetah]

Thanks Commodore

[slowcheetah]

Initial thoughts, looks pretty good for purpose, it has some nice early production if I SIP. Probably move the capital at come point though, although as IND i believe i get that half price

[SevenSpirits]

Your pictures aren't showing up for me - are you making them public in dropbox?

[slowcheetah]

Your pictures aren't showing up for me - are you making them public in dropbox?

They were in the public folder, and I thought that was enough. I've used the 'copy public link' option instead of just accessing the picture and copying the address, so hopefully they show up now