RBPB3 - Gandhi of the Egyptians

[T-hawk]

I now have a total of 10 forests. There is a very real possibility that have to go BW fifth at the latest. Bollocks. This isn't making me happy...

Part of Civ is playing what the situation gives you. It is an option to just research to Bronze and enjoy the extra 40 hammers of chops. A pre-planned strategy does not fit every map.

[Krill]

This turn has gone fairly fast. Not even 2 hours have passed and there are only 4 players left to go...

The more I look at this land the more I'm, well, fretting that I may have made a mistake going AH first. I need that gold to research at a solid pace. There is no good gold city that is easily accessible without teching Polytheism. If I tech Polytheism I am drastically delaying BW and an easy way to get workers (chops or slaves). I think I really need another 2 workers and I can't see a way to get them.

I may have to resort to a rather drastic solution: worker first in Dunmanifestin, working the gold. Sufficed to say if barb archers appear early I'm screwed...

[Krill]

Part of Civ is playing what the situation gives you. It is an option to just research to Bronze and enjoy the extra 40 hammers of chops. A pre-planned strategy does not fit every map.

Not if you read the pre-requisite of not playing any standard strategies.

However, here is the problem: This is a toroidal map. There are 21 rows of tiles with the tundra forest type on them, and in the far north there is the temperate type forest. There are no standard maps with that layout, unless Sullla altered the dimensions of a standard map type. Personally I think that this is a "Green" MP type map, most likely TBG. This map has insane maintenance.

I pity any fool that tries to expand to 3 cities without some cottages down, or a good commerce tile. Planting 2 cities 5 tiles away will drop the slider to 50% even with that gold tile worked according to the numbers I'm seeing. So what use is 240 hammers? An 8 WC ruish, after I just killed one neighbour? That is long term suicide. Chopping out an extra 4 workers and expanding into that space asap? Look at the Incans in RBPB1. If I'd have been in control of them from t120, then they might have just survived the assault they are looking at, but in this game such a strategy of massive growth will just lead to me being dog piled sooner.

The only other option seems to be sink the hammers into wonders, Oracle is one possibility, but as O look at it, its going to be insanely tight to get something useful out of it and get BW. And that is without be getting any cottages.

BW is just a red herring tech in these situations. It doesn't help my long term prospects, I just need to find another way of getting a worker or two.

[Krill]

Scrap the idea of worker first: it's stupid. I need to be growing DM, not leaving it stagnant. If I grow it I can get extra commerce from the gold and still work the food tiles to grow, which makes BW slightly less crappy.

Note for Civ 5: remove chopping from the early game, it's gamebreaking. It probably needs to be completely abstracted out...

On that note, probably going to have to chop Oracle...

[Krill]

I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and go with BW, and try to Oracle CoL, if I head for Poly. If I get lucky I land everything I need, including Hinduism. And getting Hinduism but losing Judaism is kinda like a score draw: I would lose the religion I originally wanted, but I get to invest less upfront beakers.

It's risky, no denying that, but it should give me a solid first tier GNP and a not insignificant future GNP from the shrine. That gold tile is massively important, and I'm going to end up relying massively on Diplomacy to survive...

[Krill]

So the Conclusion:

Hope no one is heading towards Polytheism. If beaten there, then get annoyed and WC rush them.

[plako]

The only other option seems to be sink the hammers into wonders, Oracle is one possibility, but as O look at it, its going to be insanely tight to get something useful out of it and get BW. And that is without be getting any cottages.

Isn't Monarchy always a decent option, if you lack the research power and fear losing Oracle.

[Krill]

I don't really need the happiness. As far as I'm planning, I get a religion, gold, silver if I have to, and a cheap temple, to get the capital up to size 9. That's enough, early on.

The main aim with the Oracle is to short circuit anyone else going for it, so if I absolutely had to, I'd take Monarchy, but I'd also be tempted to just take IW/Monotheism etc if I could. If I have to I can see myself researching CoL quite easily. But for planning I'm going to keep my options open and try to get Writing while I build/chop it...

[plako]

I don't really need the happiness. As far as I'm planning, I get a religion, gold, silver if I have to, and a cheap temple, to get the capital up to size 9. That's enough, early on.

The main aim with the Oracle is to short circuit anyone else going for it, so if I absolutely had to, I'd take Monarchy, but I'd also be tempted to just take IW/Monotheism etc if I could. If I have to I can see myself researching CoL quite easily. But for planning I'm going to keep my options open and try to get Writing while I build/chop it...

Tech trading is on so it doesn't had to be a tech you really need.

[Krill]

I don't care too much what techs I research for trading at this juncture, but I really want the religions in this game. Call it roleplay, but I think they are key to controlling the diplomacy in this game.

Also, slowing the release on HR into the world also slows the game down. Horizontal growth is limited, so the more I can limit vertical growth the less damage a slow start does to my long term prospects as I have more time to catch up.