[SPOILERS] Novice's nominal nonchalance

[novice]

Picks so far:

Code:

Playtime   Leader/civ           Handicap   Techs
Novice  1800-2100  Isabella of _______    -2t        
Seven   0600-0800  Darius   of India      -4t      Myst/Mining
Nicolae 1000-1400  Pacal    of Egypt      -4t      Agri/Wheel
Mackoti 1600-1900  Mehmed   of Inca       -3t      Agri/Myst
Serdoa  1600-2000  Ramesses of Sumeria    -0t      Agri/Wheel

[novice]

I'm actually reconsidering China. With warrior first I could get a head start on exploration and pillaging, maybe cause some problems for a neighbour too, although my neighbours should all be 20 tiles away. I think I did a micro test where I 1-whipped 2 expansive workers and then chopped a settler.

Any suggestions from Pling or the peanut gallery?

[zakalwe]

Zulu + chariot rush.

[novice]

Zulu + chariot rush.

I knew you were going to suggest that.

I think our opponents C&D is too good for that - they'll know where the strategic resources are.

[zakalwe]

Getting some warriors out fast probably isn't a bad idea, from the pillaging perspective. Even if your opponents have a warrior up when you reach them, that's not enough to protect both their city and their improvements.

[pling]

I'm actually reconsidering China. With warrior first I could get a head start on exploration and pillaging, maybe cause some problems for a neighbour too, although my neighbours should all be 20 tiles away. I think I did a micro test where I 1-whipped 2 expansive workers and then chopped a settler.

Any suggestions from Pling or the peanut gallery?

Something bloodthirsty?

Which an early warrior would count as I've not really any opinions tho ... how does that compare timing wise to just doing the conventional thing, given the headstart on everyone but Serdoa?

@Zakalwe - there's the pre-placed ones to pillage for cash, as well, so "stealing" those from neighbours is a plus too.

[zakalwe]

Also, I hear Chokonuts are the shit.

[novice]

Warrior first opening, t20:



Minimap shows how far my 3 warrior have gotten. I can settle 2S1E of the sheep on t22, maybe t21 if I put overflow from whip #2 into the settler instead of a warrior.

[novice]

Worker first opening, t20:



I can settle the city on t20. And I'm ahead in tile improvements, and have saved forests. Next worker coming eot21 (and that is without the forest that's being chopped), but it's at 39/40 eot20 so I think I can micro it to do that. And that is soon enough to build a second worker I think. I'm also ahead on beakers, and since my tech path was Wheel->AH->BW I can gain more beakers by picking an Agri/Wheel civ and teching AH->Mining->BW.

So this opening is pretty clearly ahead, except I'm one warrior down and have explored less.

So I think I'm going to pick an Agri/Wheel civ - France maybe.

[novice]

With Sumeria and Egypt already taken, it's got to be Ottomans or France. Babylon is out.

Or China for the Chokonuts.