RB Pitboss #3 [SPOILERS]- Suryavarman II of England

[haphazard1]

I am tempted to move NW-NE, actually. Reveals a lot more tiles further west. We might have to then do E, taking one extra turn compared to Cyneheard's proposal of N-NE. But we see a lot more tiles.

N-NE works too, although the first N move will only reveal one tile.

I am going to try some worker/development tests this morning and see what I can come up with, as a comparison to Cyneheard's. I expect to get pretty similar results, but a second check never hurts.

[antisocialmunky]

There's something not forested if we do NW that we can look out on the small chance that there is actually a resource there.

There's no reason to E before we reach the hill, a chain of NEs followed by a E gives us more LoS.

[Cyneheard]

NW-NE-NE sounds good, although we are leaving a forest tile fogged (NE-E of Gulliver's current position). Not a big deal, it's not likely to have anything on it.

[haphazard1]

NW-NE-NE sounds good, although we are leaving a forest tile fogged (NE-E of Gulliver's current position). Not a big deal, it's not likely to have anything on it.

Don't say that! That tile will have a crucial resource!

More seriously, I would prefer not to leave isolated fogged tiles. Even if it takes an extra turn, let's clear it.

[antisocialmunky]

How about NW to see the grass, NE onto the hill, and then we can get rid of the fog with a E?

NW-NE-E? Maybe there's a fur or dear, lol :-p

[haphazard1]

NW-NE-E is OK with me. It takes a little longer than N-NE, but we reveal more tiles overall and do not leave one fogged.

Probably there is nothing on that tile. But I hate the uncertainty.

[Cyneheard]

I didn't want to risk the wooden spoon of being last, and we all wanted to go NW this turn. NE-E puts us on 2 successive hills, and clears that bit of fog.

[haphazard1]

That western river area looks pretty nice, although still no additional food seen other than the dry wheat. Likely to be a reach to get this spot, if our spacing estimates are correct. But very nice commerce potential.

NE next looks good, as planned.

[haphazard1]

OK, I have run several tests going Agri -> AH -> BW, and got some interesting results.

- Option 1 for fastest settler: finishes T34. We have pastured sheep and two mines (on the river grass hills), city is size 3, one worker, 2 warriors (starting and one built). BW is due T38, which would mean settling before we know where copper is. But we would know where horses are (if there are any).



- Option 2 for second worker, then settler: finishes T39. We have pastured sheep, 3 mines, farmed plains river tile, both workers in separate forests ready to chop when BW finishes (T38) but not in time to speed settler. 2 warriors (starting and one built), so we would need Gulliver back to escort the settler. Or we could build another warrior, sending the built warrior as escort. City is size 3 so we would be OK for happiness long enough to get it done, which could be 2 turns. We would know BW and AH when settler is ready, so would have max info for choosing a site.

Note the ciity is still size 3, so the extra improved tiles are not helping yet.

- Option 3 for second worker, grow to size 4, then settler: finishes T41. We have pastured sheep, 3 mines, farmed plains river tile, and 4 warriors (starting and 3 built). Two forests have been chopped (one by each worker).



The advantages here are a larger capital working improved tiles, more warriors for exploration and escort (Gulliver can head off into the wilds), and knowing both BW and AH for max info on picking a city site.

Also, there is large overflow (19 hammers) from the settler due to the double chop. We could turn out another settler by T48, or with two more chops by T45. We would have enough warriors to have explored more and to escort a second settler, and could send one worker to each new city as the capital will have extra improved tiles. (It could also build another worker quickly to start improving the chopped tiles.)

I am not sure which I like more, option 1 for settler on T34 or option 3 for two settlers by T45 (or T48 if we want to save 2 forests). Getting the second city down early is attractive, especially since CRE gets our culture expanding for free. The capital would be a bit less developed (1 worker only) but BW would finish on T38 allowing a second worker to be chopped quickly (all forests still available with this approach). Not knowing BW to see copper is a bit of a negative, but maybe there will be horses visible.

Option 3 is a bit slower getting the first settler out (7 turns later), but has a bigger more improved capital and a bunch more warriors built for exploration and escort. We could rapidly produce a second settler, and would be able to see both horses and copper for picking both sites.

I think getting the city out quickly is vital, assuming we spot a decent site somewhere with Gulliver. Option 1 compares quite favorably with Cyneheard's second scenario -- settler one turn earlier, same 2 mines built, plus sheep pastured, and plus the forests still available. One less worker built, but the capital will have enough improved tiles and a second can be quickly chopped while the city grows to size 4. Would not be able to see copper, but could see horses.

[Cyneheard]

Of your three, I like Option 1 the best. I assume you work a forested tile of some sort (or the sheep) while the rice is being improved, and then grow to size 2 just in time to finish the warrior?
I don't like option 3, that many improved tiles is a waste this early. Unless a city shares tiles with the capital, they're not going to be used, and farming resourceless tile is doubly a waste, since we're going to want cottages instead.
Option 2 looks like my AH-first plan, only slightly less optimized (Under my plan, I work the rice for 2t while building the first worker, then warrior + working rice + sheep (once size 2), switching on the last turn to the just-finished grassland hill mine to hit size 3 exactly and maximize overflow, where the worker then gets 4 food and 8*1.25 hammers on the first turn thanks to overflow). Compared to my 2-mine BW-first plan, though, I don't think that it's better.

Compared to BW + 2 mines:
Option 1 has a size 2 London, so we're short 1 worker and 1 pop, with 2 more forests, and get the settler 1t sooner, with slightly more development. However, the BW first plan also gets us a far more efficient anarchy (we can revolt while the settler's moving), making up that saved settler turn later. I didn't try to see how quickly I could get a second settler out (and we'd need some military, as well), but with 2 workers, I could get at least 2 chops in (40h + 10hpt at size 3), knocking out a second settler on T40, and the sheep would be pastured on T41 or 42. Or a 3rd worker (sending one of the workers off to city #2).

Note: We'll want a worker at every new city to chop a granary once we get Pottery in. Every new city should have their granary complete before they have 11 food in the box.