Finally got the save, and this is what I saw:
![[Image: startposition.jpg]](http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/641/startposition.jpg)
Oodles of Floodplains (food + bonus commerce) which is good, but there seems to be a distinct lack of hammers which is definitely NOT good. We've got the usual start units for the Malakim (LB, warrior and Starting Settler). The Starting Settler has 4 movement points and +3 visibility, so I have some options on where to settle.
Looking at the scores/Demographics everyone except WarriorKnight settled on turn 0. My guess is that we all have a PH in range to settle on Turn 1 (the second turn we play.....Civ starts at turn 0). I'm tempted to settle on it (2H base tile plus defensive bonus), but I really don't want to loose a turn on Quick speed. I moved the warrior 2 sw across the desert which didn't reveal anything interesting (I'll pop the hut next turn, it's close enough to the start location to be safe). The lightbringer moved NE onto the Wheat which revealed a grasshill with a barrow on it. (forgot to grab a screenie at this point
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After some head scratching and a trip outside for a smoke, I decided 2 N is probably my best bet. It picks up the PH, the PH sheep, the Wheat (unirrigated), 6 floodplains and some forest (handy for the health). By settling on the Floodplain, it turns into desert (-25% defence penalty) but this is (mostly) offset by the Nomad +20% desert combat ability. I'll also have a 2 commerce centre tile. Not as strong as a 2H tile, but better than a slap in the head with a dead fish.
The capital after settling:
![[Image: settled.jpg]](http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4843/settled.jpg)
Hmmm, looks like I could have done a better job with the image cutting a pasting.....
Score shows 1203 land tiles. According to the Settings tab, we're on a standard sized map so we're looking at around 50% water tiles.
![[Image: settingsk.jpg]](http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/383/settingsk.jpg)
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Opening builds/tech path:
I've decided to go with a delayed worker opening for a couple of reasons.
1) Early commerce. Each of those floodplain tiles is a 3F 2C tile before improvements. Growing a pop point or two will do wonders for my early reasearch.
2) Scouting/defence: The barrow to my east is going to tie up a unit until I can pop it (barrows won't generate barbs if there is a unit on top)
3) God King. This civic grants a 50% bonus to hammers and gold. The hammer bonus will compensate for the lost worker turns (it turns a 1f/2H plains forest into a 1f/3h tile, as good as a grass hill mine.)
Plan: Grow to size 4 (my current health cap) while teching Mystism, and building two warriors. I should hit size 4 about the same time as Myst comes in (turn 13). Then pop out a quick 4 turn worker while teching to Agriculture and Calendar (for the Agrarianism civic). Grow to size 5 on warriors (plus possibly a scout depending on what exploration shows to the north).
Why a scout? Because there are forests to the north which spawn invisible str 5 spiders. Getting a warrior or two munched by something they can't see would put a nasty crimp in my plans. =)
Once Calendar is in, I'll like head through Crafting to Mining so I can mine the PH and find out what the copper situation is.
I'm toying with the idea of getting a Pagan temple up in the capital after the first settler so I can run a priest to bulb RoK, but that will depend on how things unfold in game.
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![[Image: endofturndemographics.jpg]](http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8552/endofturndemographics.jpg)
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They are likely building a warrior/scout and will start pumping workboats to get some pirate coves in play once Fishing is in.
for the Bannor than the Ljos. Fishing is possible, but unlikely.