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Act the Second: Welcome to CIV world! ---
With the leaders all picked, we merely await the map to begin the game. While we wait, we should asses all of the picks that have been chosen, along with their potential impact.
Kuro: Pericles(Phi/Cre) of Ottomans(Starting Techs: Wheel/Agri, UU: Janissary, UB: Hammam)
NobleHelium and Lewwyn: Bismarck(Exp/Ind) of Mali(Starting Techs: Mining and Wheel, UU: Skirmisher, UB: Mint)
Jkaen: Peter(Exp/Phi) of Holy Rome(Starting Techs: Mysticism/Hunting, UU: Landsknecht, UB: Rathaus)
Elimmist, SleepingMoogle and Nicolae: Isabella(Exp/Spi) of Carthage(Starting Techs: Fishing and Mining, UU: Numidian Cavalry, UB: Cothon)
Before getting into all of them, we can see some things immedietely.
I'm the only non-Expansive civ!
Do you think I'll be slower to expand than everyone?
On the flipside, I'm the only Creative civ. Everyone has to build Monuments or Stonehenge and even then, it's at half the speed of my Creative.
Only one civ starts with Mysticism, giving them a free run at Stonehenge or a religion, but Mysticism/Hunting is a kind of poor trait start, as you WILL need to tech at least one food tech. Likewise, there is only one Industrious civ, which means that they have a nice buzzing edge on wonders before Marble/Stone, if there is any Marble/Stone on this map.
So then, now to analyze everyone, person-by-person, in more detail.
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NobleHelium/Lewwyn's Bismarcking Mali ===
I'll be honest with you. When they said Mali, I thought that was a total
descision. I still think it is a total
descision, too.
Mali's Unique Building is the Mint, which is of course doubled by their Industrious trait. That's good, but the only boost the Mint gives is +10% gold, which is...neglible, really. +10% Gold won't get you much until either later in the game or if you have a good shrine/Merchant farm up and running. The Skirmisher is a decent UU, but it's no reason to pick Mali. Mining/Wheel isn't bad, but they better really hope their best food resource isn't at Animal Husbandry.
Bismarck is an awesome pick. Expansive/Industrious is a good combo and they're the only Industrious civ in the game, so they can inherently slap at a wonder and have a great chance of getting it.
As for the actual people, I've seen NobleHelium around but don't know any games he has been in. I also have seen Lewwyn around and am going to start reading his games to get a feel for him, but as of now the only thing I really know is that I get the impression he is a good player.
Overall, I think this team's poorest descision is to pick Mali. If you wanted starting techs, then China with Mining and Agriculture is a lot better and Cho-Ku-Nu are still decent UU. Carthage was still avalibile if they really wanted a cheap building for that cheap Cothon, has similar or better starting techs too. Rome's Praetorians were still on the board for an early UU if you really wanted one, too.
I think if they can overcome their
civ choice they'll do good, but a decent amount of what they do will be decided on their civ skills, which are their factor X. I expect them to either go for a MC-Oracle sling, which is what they're telegraphing or a Stonehenge steal to deal with my Creative. An outside shot at The Great Lighthouse against Isabella is also a possibility, but I don't think Industrious can make up not starting w/ Fishing.
Something I find interesting: Either Lewwyn typo'd his signature or they also chose Bismarck of Mali in PBEM19. What is their fascination with this pairing?
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Jkaen is a Peter, Peter Roman Eater ===
Jkaen is the only one whose thread(s) I've managed to read so far, which lets me get into how he is as a player a bit better. But first, his choices.
Peter is an excellent choice as always, with the Expansive start with a Philosophical quick Scientist or other GP. Holy Rome seems like a bit of an odder choice, as while the Landskhnect is a decent UU and the Rathaus is a great UB their starting traits are absolutely terrible even with Scout replacement. He's going to have to tech for any non-Deer food resource and twice for his AH resources!
And while the Landy is good, you have to think he chose Holy Rome for the Rathaus. So, why not the Zulu? They get better starting techs and an Ikhanda + Courthouse is only 5% less than a Rathaus. I can only assume they either valued not having to build an Ikhanda in addition to a Courthouse everywhere well or they are going to go on a gamble with Stonehenge. If they wanted Stonehenge though, the Mayans or Koreans make a better choice. The Koreans' Seowon even goes well with their Philosophical.
I read Jkaen's thread in PBEM15, where he chose Hannibal of Zululand. An odd but decent choice. From what I've seen of the game, he is a player with no special talent for micromanaging or game theory, does not deep-think too hard and does not have a C&D department, but he also has no glaring weaknesses aside from possibly a tendancy for waffling. He seems to be good enough at diplomacy as well, which will be good this map.
Overall, I think this team will be a decent rival. I see these guys trying for an early Stonehenge and possibly competting with Bismarck before REXing a ton and going for Rathauses. Rathausi. Whatever. The idea that they would go for an early Scientist or a double Scientist gameplan can't be underestimate, either.
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Cothon And Get Some ===
I require my bad puns, dammit! That wasn't even a pun, that was TERRIBLE!
Since I didn't say in the title, this is the SleepingMoogle/Elimmist/Nicolae team. I've watched Moogle from Pitboss4, seen Nicolae around a decent amount and know nothing about Elimmist.
As for their actual choices, I think they got the best civ/leader combo of my opponents. Expansive combos with Cothon and doesn't leave a glaring starting tech weakness, they have an excellent shot at the Great Lighthouse which will be presumably awesome on this map and which their Cothon combos with and Spiritual either allows big saving later on or at the least small yet important savings early on.
Even Numidian Cavalry can be annoying. Harder to take cities with, but harder to meet on the field I think. I can't think of a criticism to levy against them at the moment as it is a fine combination, which puts them in great straits.
In terms of gameplan, I anticipate they will build The Great Lighthouse, as their techs lend to it and it is an absurdly powerful wonder. If they get it, they'll probably cruise into my #1 competition easily with a Cothon boost, TGL's already awesomeness and Expansive. I'll have to watch out for them and Spiritual tricks later on and they're the most likely to go on a Drafting conquest war other than myself.
SleepingMoogle has been an iffy player at times. He won PBEM7, has been largely irrelevent in Pitboss 4 and was in another PBEM that I have not read about. Have not read games Nicolae have been in, but I get the impression he is good. Am completely in the dark on Eli, can somebody at least give me some games he was in/is in? Either way, most dangerous team I feel.
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Pericles' Ottomania ===
Ah yes. This is me.
I figured I should give a bit of a long discussion on myself and/or my own choices as well.
Pericles is a good leader with all the FIN guys down and Sury gone too. Creative is a good trait with useful cheap buildings and a great effect, and it got even better this game as I am the ONLY Creative guy. Thought that might happen with only 4 people, did not expect it though.
Ottomans are a solid choice, as they have a decent UU, good starting techs and a great UB. The Janissary requires quick and alclaric(I know I spelled that wrong, augh!) mobilization to use effectively along with a Draft, which could be troublesome, but it still gives me a war window. Hammam is an excellent building that basically raises my potential pop size by 2 and I'll most likely be getting it early.
Wheel/Agri is not a bad, but not great starting tech choice. I'm only one tech from Chariots and Pottery, which is nice, but with the potential water on this map the lack of Fishing could be bad and I do not quite like how slow I am to BW. Still, is not a bad tech start.
In terms of game experience, I am dead last. I've never played a PBEM/Pitboss at all, let alone on RB. While this means my opponent's cannot get a read on me, it also means I simply do not have the know-how to be quite as good as everyone else. Hopefully these games will be a learning experience, eh?
I don't consider myself as great at knowing all the nuances of the game though, so I'd rate myself pretty low on the list of people at the helm to worry about, though. I don't have a C&D department, though I might try my hand at it with reference to the Civ IV article on it. My combo has only a bit of synergy, but at the least is two good things combined. I really wonder what my opponents think of me and my choices, given that they do not know me.
In terms of gameplan, I'm looking at an early Mathematics via a Scientist bulb, an early Philo via a scientist bulb and an Academy in line with everyone else, but I don't want to commit to anything yet. I think I'll get the Gardens though, since I have plenty of reason to build Hammams and the Gardens are strong.
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Rankings ===
Right now, I would say Team Carthage is the most dangerous. They have the best team IMHO combined with the best synergy between leader/civ, combined with the best chance at the Lighthouse.
I would put tenatively the Lewwyn and Jkaen team tied, as I think the Lewwyn team seems to have better people at the helm but a worse combo, and I would put myself last at the moment due to inexperience, though I think my civ/leader combo is first/second in this game.
Now then, Lurkers, report in!
...Lurkers?
...I guess I'll have to use my non-existant charm and charisma to win over some of the masses, eh?
Oh, also, question: Is it already that I'm using Forum Tools -> Mark This Forum Read to make sure that I don't accidently click on them and don't think there's posts in the tech thread and stuff when it's just unseen posts in the other Spoiler threads?
