[Mjmd #56 no players] One ring to find them

[Miguelito]

Nah, I'll give Amica a break from me
I think you mentioned elsewhere how you hate posting into the hollow, so I'm up forfilling that void and giving some feedback.

Theme wise, something related to imperial India? Sundowners? Or warm Commodore's heart with a Kipling theme (he's not making the map, so it doesn't count as bribery)

Ok we can also wait first and see if the pick goes through.

[Mjmd]

Maybe I'm the next weakest and don't even know it. Very possible. If anyone else is thinking of being a ded lurker, I would highly suggest Amica. They post way more than me, in better quality, and are way more enthusiastic.

I do like Kipling actually (what made you think of India / Kipling ?). I could do chapter names / story names. I didn't even know Commodore liked Kipling and not sure I would do it justice, but I do like the idea.

You could also play Miguelito! There is an opening......

[Miguelito]

Nope, definitely not the next weakest. Oh and I'm sufficiently obsessed with 54, no need for another game right now

And Kipling... well for starters he was born there . And he wrote the Jungle Book (also a possible theme)! And poems glorifying colonialism I've heard, but most of my Kipling verses I've read in Commodore threads, so can't claim I'm an expert.

[superdeath]

[Mjmd]

Not the best start, but I've seen worse. Fish being 2 away is meh and rice is dry. Nothing on the river, but heh at least I get a river. Also, needing all the food techs...... Definitely makes mining / mysticism starts awkward. Jungle beaver is an interesting touch I kind of like honestly as a map making flare. Also, all the forested hills! Makes India less attractive. Inca would pick up irrigation on that rice, which is probably worth 80+ food until irrigation.

I'm assuming that is a nice sized island to expand to.

What did we end up with for tiles / player? Not that it matters a ton to my preferred picks.

[superdeath]

What did we end up with for tiles / player? Not that it matters a ton to my preferred picks.

This should be fairly accurate

[Mjmd]

Between it being tighter than I expected and the anti India start, lets hope I somehow snag Victoria 8th pick.......

[Miguelito]

Good point with Inca, I see Charriu also made the terrace cheap... start with Fishing and the WB, tech pottery ion double prereq before AH, get an early whipping powerhouse (would like CHA for that)? Hannibal, again?
Fishing -> mining -> BW -> wheel -> pottery by turn 30-35 maybe? Inca techs are still pretty bad of course, after Charriu took away the mystic coin.

Some alternative civs, just buy starting technologies: China, Rome, Carthage? Do you like one of those?

[Mjmd]

I mean since SD isn't playing someone has to pick Aggressive Rome right? Do Imp/Agr. I would still prefer Victoria, but if not maybe Rome and wheel whoever Imp/Agr is. See how far I can drive an economy into the ground.

This is about the same tiles as PB54. I believe PB54 was about 101/player and this is at 103/player. Without being too spoiler, have you found it to be a tight map? I'm kind of willing to make Rome my backup pick. Especially if everyone has somewhat large islands means mainland will be tighter.

[Miguelito]

I am under the impression that praetorians could have had a meaningful impact in PB54, yes
Imp/Agg is Genghis I think?
I mean, it doesn't sound like necessarily a game winning pick, but surely something to have fun with. The downside is that everybody knows what you're up to, but if you can expand well enough with IMP it might not matter. Maybe Agg isn't strictly necessary though? Emperor Augustus of Rome?