There's not a lot to be taught, that can't be learnt from reading over this game, RBPB1 and the PBEM.
PBEM: Shows the importance of growth and acting decisively. Dreylins' execution of his war was damned near perfect.
RBPB1: Shows the importance of food over military early on (Incans/Indians v Rome/Zulu/Spain), diplomacy setting up tech trades (India) and how to attack/defend (Shady in particular, but Brokers' attack on Kodii deserves honourable mention).
RBPB2: Shows how to grow and tech at the same time (Spullla), and why not to be greedy (Byz, Zulu). Sullla also illustrates how to plan ahead using excel, which much improves general gameplay.
TBH it would probably be best if in a new game the new players formed teams among themselves; look at how athlete is playing in this game, and compare it to the PBEM; there is a massive improvement in skill. Some more experienced players probably would be up for some system that entailed new and old players playing together, but for some people (and I include myself in this number) I don't think we are suitable to work as part of a pair and forcing them to play as such is a little iffy.
The best crutch that anyone can have in these games is a simulation of the map, where a woldbuildersave is created which exactly matches the starting terrain of the capital, allowing each player individually to play ahead and see what the best way to play the game is. It generaly takes a while at the start of the game to set up a plan, but once it is done it is real easy to keep on playing and alter it as needed.
Do that, and study the diplomacy of the previous games and you've basically learnt everything that has been discovered over the past 8 months on this forum.
I'll probably start up a sign up thread in the new year...
/off topic
PBEM: Shows the importance of growth and acting decisively. Dreylins' execution of his war was damned near perfect.
RBPB1: Shows the importance of food over military early on (Incans/Indians v Rome/Zulu/Spain), diplomacy setting up tech trades (India) and how to attack/defend (Shady in particular, but Brokers' attack on Kodii deserves honourable mention).
RBPB2: Shows how to grow and tech at the same time (Spullla), and why not to be greedy (Byz, Zulu). Sullla also illustrates how to plan ahead using excel, which much improves general gameplay.
TBH it would probably be best if in a new game the new players formed teams among themselves; look at how athlete is playing in this game, and compare it to the PBEM; there is a massive improvement in skill. Some more experienced players probably would be up for some system that entailed new and old players playing together, but for some people (and I include myself in this number) I don't think we are suitable to work as part of a pair and forcing them to play as such is a little iffy.
The best crutch that anyone can have in these games is a simulation of the map, where a woldbuildersave is created which exactly matches the starting terrain of the capital, allowing each player individually to play ahead and see what the best way to play the game is. It generaly takes a while at the start of the game to set up a plan, but once it is done it is real easy to keep on playing and alter it as needed.
Do that, and study the diplomacy of the previous games and you've basically learnt everything that has been discovered over the past 8 months on this forum.
I'll probably start up a sign up thread in the new year...
/off topic