Zalson plays one turn at a time [COMPLETE]

[pindicator]

Another fan of settling on the rice here. Also, love this concept and reporting; keep it up! (But don't let it stop you from joining a MP game before you finish)

[Zalson]

Another fan of settling on the rice here. Also, love this concept and reporting; keep it up! (But don't let it stop you from joining a MP game before you finish)

I think I am likely to settle on the rice but I'm unsure as to which site to prioritize.

Glad you're enjoying the reporting. One of the things that this game is making clear to me is that I definitely would need to play on a team if I did play multiplayer. I don't have the consistent time to devote to the turn pace of a Pitboss game. PBEM might be the solution, in that case.

[The Black Sword]

The fish requires a workboat, the fishing tech, a monument and 10t for a border pop(it does save a 20h forest for this). At which stage it only beats the alternative spot by 1fpt. Before all that the alternative spot is 1fpt ahead. I think your instincts are right, if you can set-up an efficient border pop via something like Mono then settling on the rice is worth it, otherwise it's probably a wash.

The wheat spot is probably more important though, it's settling toward the (presumably) contested land and the high value flood plains spots.

[Zalson]

Finished playing Turn 36:

Road complete on S-S forest, 1/2 complete on S forest.

Settler at 8T in Mecca

BW in 1.

Now to start simulating: does anyone know a good way to make a wordlbuilder file? Is there a copy-paste technique?

Tests to conduct:
Time to Monotheism with Rice city
Time to Monotheism with Gold city

Anything anyone else wants to suggest? I'm also thinking of trying a writing push as well.

[Zalson]

Test 1: Monotheism then rice city

t39: both chops into settler
t41: masonry, Medina founded on Rice
t45: mecca grows to size 4, starts settler 2
t47: polytheism
turn 51: whip settler (19h overflow) -- can I found Damascus on t52? What's the formula to get a holy city? if I grow Medina, I can get it to size 3 easily by then.
t55: Judaism and Damascus founded.

Test 2: Wheat city first
t39: chop the settler
t41: masonry finishes, medina founded on grassland hill
t45: start second settler
t50: whip settler (12h overflow)
t56: monotheism

welp.

maybe let's throw in pottery?

t42: pottery finishes
t47: masonry finishes
t48: whip worker from medina
t52: poly finishes
t59: monotheism,damascus

the other benefit is this allows me to spend a lot let time building workers -- i can start on the granaries earlier. 3T for that benefit? That seems ok? I can probably tighten that up with better worker management.

[T-hawk]

Now to start simulating: does anyone know a good way to make a wordlbuilder file? Is there a copy-paste technique?

In single player, you can just enter Worldbuilder and save it. You do run the risk of seeing the map outside the area you've explored. If you're not willing to do that, then you'll have to manually paint what you know into a new Worldbuilder file.

What's the formula to get a holy city?

It favors your largest religion-free non-capital city, but that's not a guarantee, it can go in any religion-free city (including the capital, at a much smaller weighting.)

[Zalson]

Thanks T-Hawk.

So, I thought about it a bit and chose pottery as my next tech to research. Granaries are pretty necessary for this low-food start and cottages early-ish will help with my economy -- along with giving my workers something else to build. If I micro intelligently, I might be able to use them to get Monotheism 1T sooner? Maybe?

Also, it seems like a generally better longterm play.

T37:
Bronzeworking: Start Pottery (5T)
Revolt to slavery
Both workers start chopping both forests south of Mecca.

Warrior 1 (I see why people in Pitboss games name their units) continues to scout east where he meets:



Ramesses II of Egypt, who founded Hinduism in 3080 BC. He knows someone else because at on Turn 38, I get that little Espionage popup next to his name. 0/4 ratio booyah!

I think Ramesses being present makes Monotheism a stronger play (I'll need a religion for border pops as he's likely to get Stonehenge) but I'm still several turns out. I'm definitely going to ensure I've gotten an early trade route to city 2 for extra commerce and will probably try with all my might to see if I can get Monotheism ASAP.

T38:
Pottery (4)
Settler in (6) at Mecca.

Chops are 2T away.

Warrior 2 uncovers barren ocean to the east of the jungle gems. He'll double back to the capital while the capital's warrior goes to check out the western-most dyes -- maybe there's seafood off there?


I see my nearest copper, on a desert hill in the east.

[Zalson]

I realize that it might be worth it to think about what other tech choices I have available after Pottery.

Fishing (4T)
Archery (5T)
Meditation (6T)
Polytheism (7T)
Masonry (5T)
Iron Working (15T)
HBR (18T)
Writing (9T)

The one thing I regret is: if I'm going to go for Pottery, I should have teched fishing first -- maybe? It would have cut a turn off Pottery so maybe that's not worth it.

Masonry is only worth pursuing because it goes to Monotheism. Same thing for Polytheism.

Writing is valuable for Madrassa -- I think if I lose out on Monotheism, writing will be the next move.

Anyway, T39:

Pottery due in 3T
Both workers chopped to complete settler.
In the warrior shuffle, I realized that I should have moved the Warrior in Mecca north earlier... There isn't a risk to the settler since barbarians are off but it still would have been nice to be a better thinker.



EDIT:Elements of Style editing.

[Zalson]

t40
inadvertant waste of a worker turn — for some reason, i thought i could road on mecca, move through mecca, and then have a change to road on the plains. that obviously didn’t work.

first worker priority is now getting that wheat farmed asap.

warriors shuffled.

mecca starts another warrior.



t41
pottery due in 1.

medina founded t41. starts a warrior (will switch to granary next turn (along with Mecca))

Naturally, I neglected to take a screenshot; instead hoping to focus on this hut.

Guys — there’s a hut.



t42
pottery completes. start masonry (4T)

mecca Warrior(1) to Granary (12)
medina Warrior(7) to Granary (30)

Pop goodie hut and get a warrior! Not sure how Ramasses missed this one.



Worker B puts half a road into the plains tile SW of media. Worker A keeps farming. Naturally, there is no illustration provided.

There is no seafood south of these dyes. Mourn with me for the lack of food.

[TheHumanHydra]

I'm mourning with you. Also warrior rush at Egypt FTW Yolo lol.