[spoilers]Oh Canada! Victoria has a Commodore, eh?

[Commodore]

Newbies Abroad:

retep (mackoti?, open-master) as Sitting Bull (Pro, Phi) of Khmer (Hunting, Mining)

Definitely viable. Sitting Bull is the new Peter, and the Khmer have their uses although Krill broke the spine of ballista elephants. The real question is how well retep will be using his traits; Pro is a decent growth trait, and in an 18-player game Phi can be the best way to get those hard-fought first-to bonii.

Weaknesses should be obvious, this is hard to use well, as rigid as any Phi combo is, and the Khmer are fairly weak now. Retep will probably do well for a green, but this combo isn't going to be helping.

dtay (smart, fresh) as Alexander (Phi, Agg) of Germany (Hunting, Mining)

Ow. This definitely earns Mr. D'Tay the "Merovech Award For Unkind Introduction to RB MP". While massively, and I mean massively better than in BtS, this combination is definitely weaker than average. Alex can be made to work...Phi is Phi, as ever, and Agg means he'll be running both cheaper and pricklier than the average bear. Germany is equipped with decent techs if he's got sheeps or piggies, and once he makes it to Steel and AssLine he's going to love the discounts.

However, in the end, that's a long, long way away. I'd be skeptical about me reaching it in time; if dtay is as green as he seems, the advantages will never kick in. On the other hand though, he's getting a great color.

WilliamLP (green, NotParkin) as Isabella (Exp, Spi) of the Inca (Mysticism, Agriculture)

This is an interesting roll; I'm not sure exactly how it'll play out, but I think it'll be good. This is definitely a team that wishes for old Expansive; the nerfed terrace is hard to use well without cheap 1-pop whip-ability. Still, when smart pre-chopping can be used it's still nice as the granary is still first build. Quecha are weak now, but they never were the reason for multiplayer Inca use. Isabella is a little slower, but she's still nice, and with grocers and markets will be a midgame powerhouse. The techs are potentially very interesting, if they start with grains they may try an early early religion game.

Weakness of the roll are more weaknesses of the roller, meaning no offense. Isabella is a touchy broad even for a vet, it's going to be downright bumpy for a newbie. Not much use from the UU and a UB that takes effort to utilize means this will be a streaky combo. I predict general success, though...I like the cut of Will's jib.

Azza (reckless, unfortunate) as Joao (Imp, Exp) of the Dutch (Fishing, Agriculture)

Well, if you get beat up by 'em, become them eh? Azza is here rocking an average combination and looking for vengeance. Or death. Cake or death? Joao isn't as fast as he was, but he's still able to expand like fire and with midgame boosts can afford the REX better than ever. Dutch are interesting, almost completely different in their focus; lategame, lategame, lategame. The ability to Moai every city, for Moai cost, is doubtlessly best; Azza is the only one who can get more out of fishing villages even than me. East Indiamen are like carracks, except better in every conceivable way...unholy terrors of the seas.

Azza will be challenged to get there. He's prone to pink dots and getting hit early, and the Dutch are both (a.) not very able to defend against early aggression and (b.) definitely a civ you want to off early. Basically, if he stays out of wars before Astronomy he should be good...and I think that's going to be a problem.

Suttree (bearish, builder) as Huayna Capac (Fin, Ind) of Spain (Mysticism, Fishing)

I find Suttree and William's leader/civ swap amusing here...and while objectively Suttree got the somewhat better leader, he came out with a notably worst civ. Still, Spain needs to do its own odd little thing, and I think Sut can handle them...Spain on a financial coastal tile means that if he wants religion out of the gate he can get it, while he will be a touch screwed if he's starting inland. A solid if unspectacular player, Sut will play things well.

I kind of hate HC, feeling that wonder-chasing clashes with working "all the cottages and coasts" that Fin likes. Still, cheap forges are great and the boost is helpful with National Wonders as well. Spain has issues with awkward tech placement of its UB and UU, but both are very nice if utilized early. Think this 'lill nooblet will do okay.

Fintourist/Old Harry (HAKA PALLE, NEVER SAY DIE) as Montezuma (Agg, Spi) of Babylon (Agriculture, Wheel)

When is a newbie team a contender team? When it's comprised of a hardass Finn who has managed one of the most ruthless decapitation campaigns the seas have ever seen and a dogged builder who managed to shrug off a player the caliber of Serdoa conquering half his empire. That's these guys. Welcome to the Thunderdome, dog-brothers. They're rocking and socking with the full Monty, considerably better than ever, and piloting the rushy Babylon. Expect bowmen, great building, and overall badassitude.

There is definitely weakness here; Monty in RBmod is better with the economy but still not a fast one out of the gate, and Babylon is the weakest of the Agriwheel civs. Still, I am impressed with both players and I will definitely be treating them with respect.

[Commodore]

Also Appearing In This Film:

Mostly Harmless (harmless, mostly) as Qin (Pro, Ind) of Sumer (Agriculture, Wheel)

I note with mild amusement that MH here and the Old Harry Tourists above
could swap UUs and gain synergy with their traits benefiting the units. But fortunately, they can't. MH has a decent-enough leader in Qin here, and Sumer is a good civ, but it's very...decent.

For all that this ain't a poppin' combo, its not very weakness-prone either. The cheap buildings of forge/granary are unbeatable, vulture has weaknesses but nothing terrible, and ziggurats are great. Not a lot of words for this one, honestly. :shrug:

Slowcheetah (aspectratiogah, notbad) as Ramesses (Spi, Ind) of Mongolia (Hunting, Wheel)

Here we have Slowcheetah, a decent player with a not bad leader and a fair, but wildly antisynergistic, civ. Mongols are great warmongers from kesheiks to cavalry. Rammer is a great builder. Slowcheetah, the choice is yours.

Weaknesses should be obvious...but I don't want to be in his neighborhood even still.

[Merovech]

dtay (smurfy, fresh) as Alexander (Phi, Agg) of Germany (Hunting, Mining)

Ow. This definitely earns Mr. D'Tay the "Merovech Award For Unkind Introduction to RB MP".

Made my day. Looks like I know for whom I'm now rooting!

[Rowain]

Thanks for this great summary of your opponents

[BRickAstley]

[Commodore]

Scattered thoughts:
-Tempted by the PH 1E, but that's giving up a FP and crab for nothing I can confirm.
-Ice 3N, 1W of the scout. So we're in the northern hemisphere, near the arctic, where tons of crappy tiny islands tend to spawn.
-Fishing/Mining start techs. Clams, crabs, and forests at the start.
-Flood plain to farm 1S, 2W of the settler, and looks like copper or iron or horse in at least one of the blank two spots in the BFC.
-COASTAL START WOOHOO

[Commodore]

Basic initial plan:
t0: Settle, start WB using fPH, 4hpt, researching Bronze Working. WB due 8t.
t6: swap to grass forest to finish with no excess, 2/22 in food box.
t7: work hooked clams, either grow in 5t on another WB, or start a 12t worker
t100: ???
t342: profit!

[Mardoc]

I always appreciate your leader overview posts.

[Commodore]

The Five Races of the World

Homo Asgardi

Of the four ancient races, the most numerous and active were the Asgardenthal. A people of cold, they were thin but powerful sailors, and left rune stones throughout the northern coasts of the world. In the final ice age before the current epoch they were active, retreating with the glaciers in the world's springtime until none more could be found.

Homo Noxi

Elusive and peaceful, the small Nox were dwellers in woodlands and had few dealings with the other races of the world. Remains of their dwellings are few and far between, and the bones the Nox are light and small. Preferring to remain hidden from the rowdy fifth race, none know when they went extinct.

Homo Furlingas

Known only from glimpses a mentions in the works of the others of the ancients, furlings were known as a race of the world and considered equals. Little to nothing is known about them, not even truly what they looked like.

Homo Ancientean


The eldest of the elder four, the Atlanteans, were a tall and advanced people, who left behind great circles of stone, called Star-Gates, and innumerable legends of fallen glories. Rumors abound of them and have throughout history, but no bodily remains have ever been found; perhaps indeed there were swallowed by the seas.

Homo Sapiens

When the glaciers retreated, the world was left to the youngest of the races of man: Humans. Eighteen major tribes and numberless minor ones settled in the newly green world. They knew no rivals in their subjugation of the Earth, and the Fifth Race soon forgot that any had come before them. All the tribes, save one. Along the cold northern coasts, a tribe settled in a river valley lush with forests, along the Earth River that teemed with salmon. This tribe called themselves the Tau'ri, a word meaning "the youngest", and they remembered the Ancients and their allies, at their settlements erecting circles of stone and reverencing them as gates to an older realm.

This is the story of that tribe.

[Commodore]

So, a bit on the new Imperialistic. It's balanced so that a nerfed 2-pop whip gives the same hammers as the old version. That makes a difference while microing; normally Imp keeps it simple and tries to just use even numbers. Here's how it works in RBmod, though:


So, for this example, normally I'd mine a grass hill first for settler-building, but now the plains hill would be ideal, as the 5 hammers (mine+city tile) are most efficiently utilized.

Not a huge deal, but something to keep in mind.