[spoilers] Comm-ny-Sudragh

[Commodore]

Hush Xenu, you gotta believe!

Hannibal of France

...also, I'm going to archer rush Pindicator again.

What the heck.

Well, I picked Hannibal McDry, but I started simming things in my head on the way in to work. Fast Workers+Imperialistic is kind of sick; I'm looking at effortlessly getting out Stonehenge too unless someone gets really weird with one of the Industrious guys. Basically, Hannibal of France is a much better combo but I think I can make Charlie viable.

Plus, this is like my one chance to play around with India.

Well, I normally think of chopping as being bad with quick speed... but maybe with Imp and Fast Workers its worth it again?? Looking forward to seeing what you can do!

It...gets kind of crazy. Mostly, I get away with the AH delay by the mines being just as good as the pastures for building Imp settlers...
   

[Ceiliazul]

Ah, I see the tech thread... Charlie it is!

[Commodore]

Well we've not yet begun, but unless Dazed, Pin, and I all pitch a fuss about the list I believe we've seen combos at least start. Let's go in pick order, then, beginning with:

The Human Hydra (narrator, indecisive) as
Victoria (Financial, Imperialistic) of
China (Mining, Agriculture, Chucklenaught, Pavilion)
THH is an eager new newbie, still fairly fresh on these forums; even though he's been here a few years, he only has two games to his name. In 45 Greens he sort of bumped along, not making much noise or reportage, probably because rapidly his main focus was on 46, where Serdoa and three newbies tussled in one of the more absurd games we've seen on the forum. Everyone invaded everyone else, and although THH never got invaded and indeed successfully killed off Serdoa, he didn't keep his conquests. Eventually, the most hag-ridden of his fellows clawed his way back to a draw after THH and the fellow exchanged several hundred units. That would be a black mark were it not for the other guy being notorious badass Old Harry. THH, burned out, has been dedlurking Team Badass for a while before returning here to the fray.
Skill Consistency:404 file not found
Fear Factor:
The truly ridiculous, and I mean as in might be found in a zero-bans snake pick ridiculous, Victoria of China needs no real introduction. Imperialistic, I judge, is a pretty good trait here for REX, while Financial is just duh strong, helping on about 80% of the tiles Full of Resources throws. And to pair her with China! Amazing techs, solid unique unit, and a unique building much improved by tight maps...yeah, lottery winner. Fortunately, its being carried by the guy with about a dozen less games' experience than each of the rest of us.
Combo Power:
Early Game Power:
Middle Game Power:
Late Game Power:

Quote to keep in mind:

I love THH's spirit, but marching one-movers slowly through hostile culture is...not best.

[Commodore]

Ichabod (flighty, popular) as
Isabella (Expansive, Spiritual) of
England (Mining, Fishing, Redcoat, Stock Exchange)
The gregarious and cheerful Ichabod is easily one of the most likable guys on the forum. He's played a lot of games and finished...many, although fewer than he's begun. His skills, while not top-flight, are respectable, and when he is engaged he is a dangerous foe. Unfortunately, he is prone to discouragement and can be a bit of a reliability problem at times, which is why I'm glad to see the rock-solid Mardoc and retep dedlurking him. They're both talkative and engaged teammates, as well, which should definitely help Ichabod's engagement levels here. He's in this to win this and worth complete attention and respect.
Skill Consistency:
Fear Factor:
He's also piloting a pretty scary leader with a can-be-decent civilization. I suspect he's got a fishing start, as he picked the English over Hannibal of France. Well enough. Expansive is excellent, of course, for the expansion-mode push, and Spiritual needs heavy planning but can be amazing, particularly on Quick where that saved turn is even bigger. England's uniques are late enough to not matter any more than Germany's, the majority of games, but gosh darn it, they rock against AIs on Pangaea!
Combo Power:
Early Game Power:
Middle Game Power:
Late Game Power:

Quote to keep in mind:

Well, why not suicidally smush right next to my capital? I guess you just kinda assumed I suck at Civilization and don't have enough troops or something?

NEXT!

[Commodore]

Even just playing around casually...

...keeping it fast and loose...

...I like Fast Workers.

Now I'm off to actually optimize things.

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

I usually play quick speed, and the fast worker is *even* more useful than normal where worker turns are at a premium. Chopping 25% faster and moving to a resource that is 2 tiles away at the same speed if you micro properly is unbelievably strong.

What's your long term plan/thoughts though to keep up in tech/win with the (possibly worst?) combo of traits? Although IMP is serving you well as you said, allowing you to have later pastures without too much cost.

[Commodore]

What's your long term plan/thoughts though to keep up in tech/win with the (possibly worst?) combo of traits? Although IMP is serving you well as you said, allowing you to have later pastures without too much cost.

Worst? Better Charlie here than Churchill, Tokugawa, or Sitting Bull...

I'm playing this like a weakened Joao, actually...hammer savings on settlers and workers (because less Fast Workers needed) get funneled into other useful stuff. Like, as seen above, Stonehenge. If I can net 'henge I'll be very happy here, but I'll take the cash to get to Math faster either way.

Keeping up in tech is the biggie. I need to cottage the hell out of this amazing riverside ASAP and keep those cottages worked. If I can get away with Fishing unto Pottery I'll do that over Agriculture, actually...of paramount importance is to have a couple worked hamlets before the fourth and fifth cities bang down. Gold/gems/silver/furs are priority settlements, of course. I suspect this might be a game for a planned Alphabet bulb.

[Commodore]

Pindicator (crapshooter, gambit) as
Hannibal (Financial, Charismatic) of
France (Wheel, Agriculture, Musketeer, Salon)
Ouch. We got us a Hungry Man, here. The talented if erratic Pindicator just picked himself a pick that yells “I wanna win”, which is understandable given the recent run of early exits and disappointing Big Games he's inhabited. Focus Pin is easily a top ten player on the forums, although he's still a man who loves a gambit overmuch. We've got a storied history, Pin and I...he's come out the better a few times, I've come out winning a few others. This is easily the biggest threat player in PBEM 62 by an order of magnitude, and he seems to want a solid win here.
Skill Consistency:
Fear Factor:
Although not as grossly egregious as Victoria of China, Hannibal of France is still an amazingly excellent combo. Financial is obviously awesome, and Charismatic pairs really well with it given the whippy nature of the cottage economy beast. France is a good solid civilization; Agriculture and Wheel for early Pottery, a good draftable UU that pairs excellently with knight stacks. The Salon is meh but who cares? Raw commerce your way to Gunpowder then Nationalism, make a bunch of musketeers and knights, wreck the most behind guy for fun and profit, win. This isn't rocket science.
Combo Power:
Early Game Power:
Middle Game Power:
Late Game Power:

Quote to keep in mind:

Good deal! Thanks for watching, folks at home; I hope we continue to entertain. Here's where the turn began:

[Commodore]

So I'm looking at my start; my initial run is fairly competitive. Growing first nets me a settler at the same time, but loses a handful of hammers and two mines, while gaining...very little. What is more interesting is going for two Fast Workers before a settler...
   
My nomenclature might be a bit confusing, but here's the upshot: If I can squeeze bronze working in a turn early (this plan naturally gains +2 beakers, and a third can be gained at cost of one food), I can one-turn a settler only two turns late, but am up a pop point and have a second fast worker.

I'm next going to figure out how it works just ripping out a settler at size two, but really a lot of this is going to be dependent on what scouting finds along the river; an early second city is worth...hard to tell.

[ReallyEvilMuffin]

What's your long term plan/thoughts though to keep up in tech/win with the (possibly worst?) combo of traits? Although IMP is serving you well as you said, allowing you to have later pastures without too much cost.

Worst? Better Charlie here than Churchill, Tokugawa, or Sitting Bull...

I'm playing this like a weakened Joao, actually...hammer savings on settlers and workers (because less Fast Workers needed) get funneled into other useful stuff. Like, as seen above, Stonehenge. If I can net 'henge I'll be very happy here, but I'll take the cash to get to Math faster either way.

Keeping up in tech is the biggie. I need to cottage the hell out of this amazing riverside ASAP and keep those cottages worked. If I can get away with Fishing unto Pottery I'll do that over Agriculture, actually...of paramount importance is to have a couple worked hamlets before the fourth and fifth cities bang down. Gold/gems/silver/furs are priority settlements, of course. I suspect this might be a game for a planned Alphabet bulb.

Hmm I would definitely prefer Sitting Bull to charlamange, but I quite like philo and running a SE if I need to. And I would value agg over imp any day, but perhaps I am just too aggressive myself (when you reach the draft it does become much more powerful as xp promos are at a premium)

But it does sound like a solid plan, and I will look forward to seeing what happens to it!