[SPOILERS] Barteq and his small, poor and sad little world

[Barteq]

My capitol after growth on last turn. Now buidling a worker (7t total - 6 still left).

Warrior will be finished one turn later, thanks to the overflow. Later will be time for first settler.

Demo is looking very good for a moment:

But not for long, cause everybody will improve shortly.

Scout is still healing - 2t left (next turn will be 1,0/1 - means 0,98 in real) - should or shoudn't I wait .

Tech update:
Azza - animal 15t - on double bonus
Gavagai - animal 16t

[Darkringer]

It's a bit of a shame that the Fur tile couldn't be improved before your Capital started working on them. Still, that will resolve itself shortly.

While you are correct that people will improve, so will you. You'll keep up. I do find it interesting that there's still someone with only 2k Soldier Points. I wonder what's going on over there...

I don't know how health on units effect things when they're only .02 off of being full. It can't be THAT big of a difference, is it? So long as you're a bit careful and don't finish out of a hill/forest, I think you'll be fine. Worst come to worst, you can sit in said hill/forest for a turn of healing to full should another animal decide it wants to say hello. So I say go on and scout after this turn.

I do have one concern here: Where is everyone? I'm aware that this is a Large map (I think...) but I would've thought you would've run into someone's scouting party by now... There must be more distance between everyone than I thought if you're still incognito. This is good though, it means early expansion and the like gains strength as opposed to worrying about defense.

Despite missing out on a few days of play, I don't see anything that I disagree with. Moving the Scout to the West, a good idea as it's unlikely you're going to expand any further East until you expand at least two cities out. So many lakes though! That is cottage land if ever I saw it! Dotmaps and such aside, there's easily 3-4 cities that can be fit in that can fund research for some time to come if you choose to go that rout. Hopefully Bronze Working will show you Copper that will cement where the next potential city site will go. I will laugh of the copper turns out to be one West from the Furs. That would make things insanely easier.

Still planning on Animal Husbandry after Bronze Working?

[Barteq]

It's a bit of a shame that the Fur tile couldn't be improved before your Capital started working on them. Still, that will resolve itself shortly.

Done . It's giving me more than 35% of research growth on this moment .

While you are correct that people will improve, so will you. You'll keep up. nod I do find it interesting that there's still someone with only 2k Soldier Points. I wonder what's going on over there...

Still looking good, but really not for long. I won't work on 2 food resorces, like most of other people will, so I must go down in stats for a moment. But I think, if everything will go as I planned, 'I will be back' where I belongs soon enough (on top of course , at least I hope ) - I'm really afraid, that barbs and animals could have something to say about my plans...
About this 2k in demo, it's really easy - only one 'power' technology (2k), no populatian growths nor warriors - answer is retep - only mining is giving him his 2k (still the same). He is going same path as I - mining -> bronz, but I'm a little suprised, that he's not growth his capitol to 2 (Gavagai and Azza to the same, but they have a good reason for that I suppose - fishing - a work boat comes first and now they building a worker. I'm guessing that he has got one agri resource and one animal, so on in my opinion, he should go for animal husbandry first (as I mention, I went same science path, but I wouldn't do it, if I haven't got these furs) - but it's really hard to tell without seeing anything, so I could be wrong. What's interesting me more, what is he doing now - another worker or a very quick settler (I don't think so, cause it would be to risky strategy - settler without any protection - your scout must do this job than, so you're not exploring anything). I will bet on a worker - quick forrests cutting with 2 workers. There are two more possibilities - he move his capitol at starting turn and he was making his first worker without any production bonus - 15t or he has a poor agriculture food (not irrigated rice or plain wheat) - I will now for sure in a couple of turns.

I don't know how health on units effect things when they're only .02 off of being full. It can't be THAT big of a difference, is it? So long as you're a bit careful and don't finish out of a hill/forest, I think you'll be fine. Worst come to worst, you can sit in said hill/forest for a turn of healing to full should another animal decide it wants to say hello. So I say go on and scout after this turn.

I move my scout before it heal completly, because barbs warriors could appear soon and then this 0,02 health won't matter anymore (I now, that 0,02 is not much, but in even fight with some strong animal it sometimes could make difference). I'm really afraid of losing him now, cause his death could slow my down a little bit in future (I would need additional warrior asap for scouting).

I do have one concern here: Where is everyone? I'm aware that this is a Large map (I think...) but I would've thought you would've run into someone's scouting party by now... There must be more distance between everyone than I thought if you're still incognito. This is good though, it means early expansion and the like gains strength as opposed to worrying about defense.

Despite missing out on a few days of play, I don't see anything that I disagree with. Moving the Scout to the West, a good idea as it's unlikely you're going to expand any further East until you expand at least two cities out. So many lakes though! That is cottage land if ever I saw it! jive Dotmaps and such aside, there's easily 3-4 cities that can be fit in that can fund research for some time to come if you choose to go that rout. Hopefully Bronze Working will show you Copper that will cement where the next potential city site will go. I will laugh of the copper turns out to be one West from the Furs. That would make things insanely easier.

I'm asking myself same question - where is everyone (I don't have even a single contact yet)? I now that really large distances should be really good for my leader, but I wanted to fight a little but too and there won't be any good reason for that . So my main concern in near future could become barbarians, not other players.
I agree, few good locations for 'cottage set cities' already shown up itself. Only these jungle tiles on NE will could make some problem in future.
Scout is moving as planned.
Copper will reveal itself in two turns and we will see (I'm hoping, that it will be located inside my capitol, so there won't be a reason to building additional city unneeded at this moment ).
For now, I'm thinking about this stone, which is really close to my capitol. I rather want be needing piramids (really expensive, financial leader, haven't got any problem with happiness), almost always someone goes for a quick Stonehenge and I want to sacrifice too much for that, but hanging gardens could be quite useful for me and possible to get - I will think about it.

Still planning on Animal Husbandry after Bronze Working?

Yes, almost for sure now.

PS Tech update (I will update full table soon after bronz working will be finish):
Azza - animal 15t - on double bonus
Gavagai - animal 16t
GermanJoJo/Lord Parkin - mine? 17t
zanth/Bacchus - mine 18t

It' getting harder now (soon it will be guessing only) - first warriors starting to appear.

[Barteq]

Bronz working is finished and I see even 3 coppers. In theory, I should be very pleased, but in reality I'm really angry . Two are to far to think about them now and one is in the most irritating place I can think of. What's more, when I was looking at the map yesterday, I pick one spot, where I don't want to have copper. Only one spot, I told myself, it's so unlikely, that I shouldn't even losing my time on thinking about it and guess guys what happend...

I hate this spot so much, cause it's so close, but outside second culture jump of my capital and I really want to have copper really quickly, so it's complicating my placement plans a lot.
I was looking at the map for more than almost an hour and still have to many alternative conceptions (5 still left ). I need to scout this coast on the west before I make any decisions. For now I can only say, that my second city will be founded as planned or on the grass hill near copper (2 tiles west).

Demo:

Going down in food and production as planned and expected, but GNP is looking really nice for a moment (animal will be 5 turns quicker now than on the start).

First worker start chopping a forest. Second will be ready in next turn.

[Haram]

I think all you need to do is to clear your mind, cancel the markers and look at the map again

[Barteq]

Too rich map can give you even more troubles, than a poor one, I think .
I will choose probably from one of these options, but I'm stiil waiting for horses to appear:

Option 1:

First thought.

Option 2:

I like it more than 1 now.

Option 3:

Alternative version of 2.

Option 4:

Most obvious option.

Option 5:

Alternative version of 4.

None of this option assuming to place my first settler as was initialy planned .

North (two new resources - fish and sheep):

Scout will go south, but must me very careful - there's a bear nearby.

East and capitol:

Worker has finished chopping first forest (will go 1E on another one) - 20 hammers went to a settler, of course. Second go on another forest (SE). Warrior was finished this turn and will go on a grass mountain near copper (option 4 - city 2) and will wait there until animal husbandry will be finished.

[Darkringer]

I think all you need to do is to clear your mind, cancel the markers and look at the map again

I concur with that. It's a problem I've had a few times in a Single Player game: Planned out where my first few cities are going, discovers Horses/Bronze nearby, screws up all my plans! It's VERY difficult to change your plans once you've cemented them in stone, so to speak. That's why I haven't really been eager to think about dotmapping or the like, because I figured something like this would happen.

Even so, that is still a native source of Bronze that is easily reachable. While it is a shame that the remaining two Bronze sources are not that close, it might not matter too much considering only one is required for the units. I'll let you decide whether that's a good thing or not, but for the early game at least, I think one is all that's needed.

Let's not forget, however, that you are not Creative. You're not going to pop borders with Culture quite so easily in the early game, and Monuments are not really worthwhile investments to build in that sense. With that thought in mind, I'd be tempted to go with Option 4, or one tile North from where Option 4 indicates the second city. Is it really so bad for that city to share the Capital's Sheep tile? True, it'll make the city weaker in the late-game since it's sharing tiles with the Capital, but it'll also mean one less resource that your Worker(s) actually needs to go after.

But, I must ask... Is that where you actually want to place the second city? Is having Bronze so quickly that much of a dire need? It'll provide good production, I won't deny it, but I wonder if beelining for it is such a good idea. I'll leave that judgement for you, but The Wheel will probably take a bit of priority if so.

I see the animals are coming full and fast now! By the looks of it, it's a good possibility you could be on the south-west area of the map, since I recall you saying there was jungle in the north-east. Typical indication of the middle of the map if memory serves. But still no contact ~25 turns into the game? ... I'm beginning to wonder if everyone is on islands of their own...

I see nothing wrong with what I'm seeing here right now mate. Though I do want to ask if Animal Husbandry will come in before the Settler does. Could help make the second city plant decision better.

[Haram]

Update?

[Asterix]

Hi Barteq, looks like an interesting game and I am curious about Tides of War mod. Would you like me as a ded lurker?

[Asterix]

Barteq indicated he may post an update soon - so stay tuned.