I don't think the the moneyball analogy really holds, since direct competition for these differently valued resources does not exist for Great People in Civ4 the way it does in baseball.
Also, it is worth noting that Beane's Moneyball A's never won the WS.
That being said, I wish you luck and that you can use PHI to a winning extent.
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
The Moneyball analogy isn't a reference to Great People, it's a reference to picking between different traits. In baseball, teams compete for players. When we do a snake pick for Civ4, we're competing for the best leaders. When 11 out of 12 teams all choose not to pick Philosophical trait, that creates an opportunity to pick up some extra value, like how baseball teams weren't valuing on base percentage back in the day. That's my whole point there.
There wasn't much from this turn. The scout moved E-NE and uncovered a whales resource. Next turn we'll probably go NE-SE and circle around that small lake at the edge of the screen. No barbs spotted yet.
Three other teams finished their first tech research this turn. They each picked up either Hunting or Mining, and I have no idea which one it was. It probably doesn't matter at this point. I will pay more attention when we meet a neighbor and try to figure out what they are doing. I don't care that much about some team on the other side of the world in 3000BC.
The scout found a grassland wheat tile, something that doesn't occur naturally in Civ4. It's basically identical to a dry corn tile, 5 food and 0 production when it gets farmed. We have all three grain resources nearby (corn, wheat, rice) which means that health shouldn't be an issue.
There were no score changes on this turn.
Nothing too interesting found from moving the scout this turn. The most important information is probably the extent of that southern sea. It keeps on going with no end in sight. With water so close to the west and south, we should try to expand in the other directions first, that's where neighbors are most likely to appear. I will move the scout over to that peak and then start turning north. The two scout guys have done a very good job of defogging terrain, hopefully we will have everything within about 6-7 tiles of the capital revealed over the next dozen turns.
Noblehelium and Gavagai both finished a tech this turn, almost certainly Agriculture for both. It makes me wonder what Goreripper is researched, he started with Fishing/Hunting and still doesn't have a new tech yet. Not Agriculture, I guess? Retep grew his capital to size 2 this turn. He is obviously on a coastal start and going work boat first. Remaining teams are probably going for either Bronze Working or Animal Husbandry, the expensive early techs.
Feel free to make suggestions, there's not much going on at the moment.
"Great reports Mikendy and your therad is first thing which i read when i open RB." - mackoti
I know what the analogy was, I just meant that PHI facilitates something for which you are not competing with others.
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
Not competing with others? PHI trait boosts teching rate just like FIN trait, and there are lots of first-to-research bonuses in the Civ4 tech tree. It definitely helps you compete with other players. We call it the Liberalism race for a reason.
The game moved at a very fast pace this weekend. I think that everyone has gotten into the turn rhythm now and that lets us go faster. (At least until wars break out between players.) On this turn, the scout moved north and found a plains cow tile. Together with the sheep and oasis tiles, that looks like a decent city in the future. I decided that I wouldn't send the scout further away than those peaks in the southeast. The most important goal at the moment is scouting a full circle around the capital to find a strong second city. Anything beyond this point is too far away for a second city. We will send this scout or a warrior out on a deep scouting mission after Turn 30 to go find neighbors.
Goreripper was the only score increase this turn, he almost certainly researched Agriculture.
Moved scout NE-NW onto the forest, still no barbarians spotted thus far. Next turn will go NE-NE into the plains hill forest. We have been very lucky with the scout so far, no barbarians and two tiles uncovered on literally every turn. Knock on wood to continue.
Worker finished in the capital and started farming the corn. Calais is working the clams resource until the farm is done. Work boat is the build, this is why we researched Fishing as first tech. The basic idea is grow to size 2 and then work the corn and ivory tiles to finish the work boat. This plan should put our civ in good shape as long as we don't die to an enemy warrior. Putting 30 hammers into a work boat instead of two warriors leaving our civ very thin on military.
These are the Demographics working the clams tile. GNP is much better with the extra commerce.
Two teams have techs on this turn, Bantams and 2metraninja. On of them is probably Animal Husbandry, I think from Bantams. I have no idea what 2metraninja researched, some Ancient tech.
Well, you could say that about any trait, then. I think that I understand you more clearly now, though, and I think that I agree with the statement "If the people before me in the draft undervalue PHI, then I might, by picking PHI, get a better leader than my pick location would otherwise suggest." For example, Pericles is obviously better in most situations than Wang Kon, but it is feasible that someone would pick Wang Kon over Pericles. This wouldn't be cause to pick a PHI leader just because others are undervauling it, though, as Willem is obviously better than Pericles, etc.
Merovech's Mapmaking Guidelines:
0. Player Requests: The player's requests take precedence, even if they contradict the following guidelines.
1. Balance: The map must be balanced, both in regards to land quality and availability and in regards to special civilization features. A map may be wonderfully unique and surprising, but, if it is unbalanced, the game will suffer and the player's enjoyment will not be as high as it could be.
2. Identity and Enjoyment: The map should be interesting to play at all levels, from city placement and management to the border-created interactions between civilizations, and should include varied terrain. Flavor should enhance the inherent pleasure resulting from the underlying tile arrangements. The map should not be exceedingly lush, but it is better to err on the lush side than on the poor side when placing terrain.
3. Feel (Avoiding Gimmicks): The map should not be overwhelmed or dominated by the mapmaker's flavor. Embellishment of the map through the use of special improvements, barbarian units, and abnormal terrain can enhance the identity and enjoyment of the map, but should take a backseat to the more normal aspects of the map. The game should usually not revolve around the flavor, but merely be accented by it.
4. Realism: Where possible, the terrain of the map should be realistic. Jungles on desert tiles, or even next to desert tiles, should therefore have a very specific reason for existing. Rivers should run downhill or across level ground into bodies of water. Irrigated terrain should have a higher grassland to plains ratio than dry terrain. Mountain chains should cast rain shadows. Islands, mountains, and peninsulas should follow logical plate tectonics.
There is a dry corn over here, and another body of water to the northeast with crabs. I wonder what this map looks like. We are not isolated because Serdoa posted that no one would be alone on an island before the game began. There seems to be a lot of water though, this must be some kind of unusual setup. The scout will move NE-NW onto the forest next turn, and then NW-SW onto the hill from there.
Scouting has gone extremely well so far. We have a great view of surrounding area everywhere except to the north, and that is where the scout will be going next. Mining tech finishes next turn, on to Bronze Working from there. Worker is in the middle of farming the corn.
The best spot that I can see right now for the first settler is the tile north of the rice. It is not perfect, and I would like to be able to share a food resource with the capital, but that would force the rice into the second ring which doesn't seem too good. The spot north of the rice (four south of the capital) can connect the food resource right away, and would get a trade route immediately. It is also on the water and we could build some work boats to search out more neighbors on the sea. It looks like a good location to work grassland river cottages, whip a library later, and pop out the first Great Scientist for an Academy. Finally, I also like that it is a very safe location, which is good because it is scheduled to be planted when we have 1 warrior for 2 cities. That's also the biggest tradeoff, since it would claim land that doesn't look to be contested and that could be a mistake.
Yuri or anyone reading, feel free to weigh in. So far I do not see a better location to put the first settler. Obviously we still have to explore the north, and Bronze Working will finish before the first settler is done, which could change everything. For now though, I like that spot above the rice best.
I really think we should explore north and see copper locations first. I don't like the rice spot - the weakest food resource and no production. Plus as you rightly say, claiming a land which is already ours. It is a spot to be settled eventually, but I wouldn't have it in consideration for the 2nd city
Spots I would consider:
* 2E of the western sheep. Good overlap with the capital + 2 hills for production. In general, I think having production in the 2nd city is very important, and would always look for that
* 1S or 1SE of the eastern sheep. The former shares clams with the capital, the latter has oasis in the 1st ring, and a plains cow in the 2nd ring
With the map being so production-poor, I think settling the only hills in sight is the best option. But we definitely need more scouting first. North should be our expansion direction to maximise land grabbing, and we know nothing about it so far
Thanks for the thoughts, even if I'm not sure that I completely agree. The locations by the eastern sheep are pretty weak in my opinion. Hill sheep is only 4 food 1 production, and a city over there won't be able to work much in the way of grassland river cottages. We want at least 3-4 of those tiles in play for the second city to make use of FIN trait. A city over there is also kind of awkwardly location in relation to the capital, there's not much potential for sharing tiles or building up cottages for the capital to work later. It's not a preferred location of mine. (Plains cow in the second ring is barely worth discussing.)
I like the spot two east of the other sheep a lot better. That is a much stronger location, sharing the corn resource and lots of grassland river cottages to work. I am concerned that it is basically useless without a border expansion though. It pretty much has to steal the corn from the capital to do anything because we won't get the sheep in borders for a very long time. (We would need to build a monument and then wait 10 turns after that for borders to pop. That would probably be around Turn 50-55 which is a long time.) One reason why I like the southern rice spot is because it gets going very quickly: farm the rice and then it's pretty much set aside from throwing down cottages. Plus it doesn't have to weaken the capital, as it supplies its own food.
In any case, it is a reasonably close choice and a good discussion to be having. I wouldn't really place any value on hill tiles though. We will not be working hill tiles at all in the early work. The cities will be working food resources along with FIN grassland river cottages, and then we use the whip to produce whatever it is we're building.
Best of all would be finding a food resource along the northern river! Hopefully.
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