PHI is probably solid in this game, what with needing alternate means of teching, but again, there is no synergy here at all.
Every EXP leader, including Pacal and Peter, was available. I think it's been established here by now that FIN and PHI doesn't mix that well together - you will get use out of both, but never to their full potential. India also has the worst starting techs among the civs in this game.
Anyway, we have one good pick (Hannibal of Egypt) and two suboptimal picks (Willem of Zulu and Elizabeth of India). The suboptimal picks aren't bad per se, but there are no mutually reinforcing parts of them.
I have a feeling that I have radically different expectations on how this game will develop than the rest of the players. If the lurker thread was more active, I'd probably be worried, but it's pretty dead right now :neenernee
From an economical standpoint, I have by far the weakest combo, but militarily I should be able to more than hold my own against the other teams. Sure, strong two-movers can be hard to deal with, but no team has chosen a militarily-oriented leader.
I imagine I will end up running an wonder-charged specialist economy. The two key early wonders are of course Oracle (for MC) and the Pyramids (for Representation).
I guess this game will come down to my hammer vs their beaker.
I need both Agri and Fishing anyway, and will probably put in Hunting (34) and AH (88) too. So that's a total of 479b.
The Oracle costs 100H. I will probably have to generate 67-100 raw hammers to get it. Each chop will give 13, and I have six forests available. If I do a well-timed whip of a worker or settler, I can get 30-35 raw hammers (includes food->hammer conversion) that way. Ryd can get 9hpt with a mine at size 3.
9 + 32 + 26 = 67
So two chops and a well-timed whip of a worker or settler should be enough to one-turn the Oracle.
This also implies that it's more efficient to research Pottery early. We are more research-constrained than hammer-constrained in building the Oracle. Of course, that leaves the question how much we can develop in peace.
Planning for Pyramids
As for the Pyramids, there the constraints are in hammers, not beakers. 335H is a lot in the early game. I assume I can get help from a forge and OR, so each base hammer is worth 2H. Ie, I will need 168-170 base hammers.
The problem here is that our capital isn't that well-suited for production except via the whip. Three chops give 39, four if we chop the elephant too. 30 per whip of a worker or settler, assume two of that. That still leaves 70 hammers to slowbuild - and our capital is only at a "natural" 9hpt.
Hmm... seems I'm in a situation where I have to choose between guaranteed early military security or early MC. I think I'll have to adjust my plans depending on how the other players open. Worst-case would be one making military moves against me, with another player starting up the religious tree.
I know AutomatedTeller is capable of quick beelines (his Priesthood rush in PBEM 34S will put mine to shame), and as Hannibal of Egypt he has a vested interest in early Mysticism. I think I'll have to trust in my production edge and that I have better micro.
Stick&Brick's Willem of the Zulus has the highest probability of early military action, and the least incentive for the religious tree.
Catwalk is probably the least dangerous in both regards. The only edge Elizabeth of India gives is more efficient chopping, and I will have plenty of workers available.
The best from a metagama perspective would be if I started closer by Catwalk, and I could foul up his opening with my extra warrior, while Stick&Brick and AutomatedTeller started closer to each other, and S&B fouled up the opening of AT.
And... we're on! Argh! And it's been rotated 90 degrees, so I'm all confused now...
Settings and demos after ending turn
The password is Ida
I sent my plain warrior SE, where I think I spot some mountains, that are likely to be a contested area and a source of some goodies (if Commodore has used the same concept as of PBEM 34). My CG3 warrior goes north, to check out the area around the sheep. He will return from there in a few turns, and my new warrior will go west to check out the area around the silver and maybe secure my second city spot.
Research set to Fishing, and builds to a warrior. Working a grass forest for now.
I note that research costs are lower than in my sandbox, which is a pleasant surprise. This map is set to Duel size - is that what you intended, Commodore?
From reading the demos, everyone is starting by working a grass forest and settled in place (big surprise there).
Sticks & Bricks are researching a double-discounted tech - only way to reach GNP 22, so they're going for Animal Husbandry (they're Zulu). Since we're #3 that means one team is going for a discounted tech. I imagine that's AutomatedTeller (Egypt).
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.
Because I simmed out various openings, and found that getting the clam online was the most important part in the opening. I would build a worker in 8t if I opened with that - by going warrior-wb-worker-worker I could get 2 workers in 9t.
We're also very cramped in here (24x24 map), so I think having a true extra warrior (apart from the two I start with) would allow me to foul up the start of someone else.
Revised micro-plan, based on my new sandbox, which is based on the actual game. This will take into account the faster teching and the change in orientation. Note that faster teching will probably make my 2-worker opening stronger.
Settler: SW (T25) -> move and settle 1SW of silver (T26)
I'm not wholly satisfied with this. While I manage to handily insert Archery, building a skirmisher after the second worker delays the second city with a turn. I also feel the worker movements can be done better, so we can improve and work the sheep a little sooner.
ETA:
I will get Priesthood on T35 using this sim, and am 10 adjusted hammers short of one-turning the Oracle. Builds are pretty inefficient, however. I went for a granary after the third worker, skirmisher - worker (whipped) might be better.
My two warrior continued NE (buffed) and SE (plain). Not much of interest was revealed. The buffed warrior will continue NE next turn, and then return to the capital. The plain warrior will go S to by, since SE is a mountain.
Demos:
TheStick's borders expanded when they ended turn. Since they're on automatic tile management right now, they immediately switched to the ivory.
ETA: This also tells me they're building a worker, since the governor would've put them on the rice if they were building a warrior.
![[Image: rbpbem42-t1-demos.jpg]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10039024/rbpbem42-t1-demos.jpg)
![[Image: rbpbem42-settings.jpg]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10039024/rbpbem42-settings.jpg)
![[Image: rbpbem-t2-demos.jpg]](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10039024/rbpbem-t2-demos.jpg)