[SPOILERS] I had first pick and all I got was this stupid combo

[Bobchillingworth]

Whee let's go!

[Bobchillingworth]

Alright, so I am playing as Louis (Ind / Cre) of Maya.


Below is a running commentary / morality play with accompanying illustration detailing the thought process which led to my pick:

Commodore: Here is your start:




Bob: Oh, that's a lot of food and some nice commerce potential. Shame Financial got banned. Map description is "small" and "some water-ness", which suggests to me that TGL, Colossus & Pyramids will all be fairly powerful. And hey, I have first pick! I'll want to go for an Industrious civ for certain, since there's a possibility that will discourage the other four players from taking it & competing with me for wonders.

But what to pair it with? People who know these things are always going on about how Roosevelt is the best leader for the Big Lighthouse, but with a small map and monarch difficulty Org will probably be wasted. Actually Commodore's map description sounds almost tailored to steer players away from Rosie. Stalin is out since Ind says "Build!" but Agg screams "KILL!". And I certainly don't want Bismark because I'm a complete idiot and actually cannot justify this at all, even in my post-pick spoiler thread rationalizations. De Gaulle sounds interesting, but there's a whole bunch of UB which basically provide half the Charismatic trait... and Creative gets some of them half price. Plus Creative culture will be handy if this map really is a crowded mess. And I can't even remember what the rest of the traits are! I pick Louis, the most rockstar-looking motherfucker in Civ IV!


[11 PM EST, after most of the players have made their first pick]


Bob: Ellimist! I picked Louis for this BtS game I joined! Help me decide on a Civ!

Ellimist: Why didn't you go with Bismark?

Bob: Fuck

Ellimist: Don't worry, I'm sure Louis is a fine leader, even though I think Creative is massively over-rated as a trait and Bismark would have been much more effective at convincing your opposition to stay away from Ind leaders.

Bob:

Bob: Regrettable life decisions besides, I'm torn between the following civs: China, Mali or Maya.

Ellimist: Take China, you moron.

Thestick: I claim Isabella of China.

Bob: Okay, so I guess I'm going with Maya! Half-price Ball Courts!

Ellimist: Mali has better starting techs, a better UU, and the UB is solid as well.


[The Next Day]

Bob: Oh look, Jowy took an Ind leader. At least it isn't Bismark. Maya plz!

[Bobchillingworth]

Opponents Analysis


Thestick - Isabella of China

I know almost nothing about Thestick as a player. I'm sure I've lurked some of his games since I recognize the name, but I'm drawing a blank. I'm assuming that like everyone else in this game he's reasonably skilled but nowhere near the top of RB's BtS talent. His combo is one that Gaspar is always raving about, which I think was first used in that PBEM whose map was ineptly butchered after the baying of some hapless players, which I am totally not still bitter about. Anyway, Ellimist assures me that his starting techs are really good, as are his traits and UU, so I guess I'm fucked. Better than me.


Sian - Washington of France (not the right civ color I know, but visibility takes precedence for those of us with moss-green color schemes)

I know even less about Sian than I do Thestick. Actually I'm finding it really difficult to tell the two of them apart. To be honest this civ / leader pairing baffles me. I guess I can sort of understand Washington- with Sury banned, he was probably the best Expansive leader left if you're allergic to Germans or something. But France? Even with my completely atrophied BtS skills (which were never particularly hot to begin with) it seems like a terrible first pick to me. Insignificant UB and an admittedly strong UU which doesn't arrive until the game is half-way over? He couldn't have possibility wanted France for the starting techs, not when China was still an option. And if he just wants to base a game around Musketeers and Expansive, why not select Shaka? Still probably better than me.


Jowy - De Gaulle of Egypt

Jowy has a reputation as being a bit of a hot-head who started off as a pretty weak player but has steadily improved since PB 2 (which you'd, like, hope so, since the game was four years ago). Okay, so first off, fuck this guy for picking an Industrious leader I am not sure why he avoided Bismark as well. Perhaps there is some sort of sinister mummy's curse involved, and if you pair Bismark with Egypt BtS will bug out and murder your brain Snow Crash-style. Actually, this seems like a pretty flexible combination to me. Charismatic War Chariots are always nice to have and can keep people off their games while he pursues early wonders. Cheap Stonehenge + Obelisks means a promising prophet-based economy. Cheap Forges and extra happiness will be useful throughout the game. Main issue is probably an abundance of competing priorities in the early-to-mid game unless he has a focused game plan and can stick with it. Very likely better than me.


Mardoc - Mehmed of Sumeria

I know Mardoc well from FFH- he's probably the closest FFH player to me in terms of playing style and talent, or at least was until I stopped playing FFH over a year ago. I'm sure he's much better now. In terms of Civ though I've got nothing. I know he has lurked a number of BtS games, but I couldn't name a single game he has actually played in, although I'm sure there have been at least a couple. He's human like anyone else; if we prick him does he not bleed, and if it bleeds we can kill it. Or something. Yet another Expansive leader, this time paired with Organized. Ellimist predicted Mardoc would go for the Vikings, which made sense; instead he selected Sumeria, which seems to me to be complete overkill. We're playing on a small map on Monarch with cylindrical world wrap; just how many distant cities do you expect to settle? Sumeria might also be in part a reaction to the threat of War Chariots, although WC will still eat them in the field so whatever. Regardless, obviously a builder pick. In all likelihood better than me.


Bobchillingworth - Louis of the Maya

Rate myself, don't mind if I do. I will admit I have an occasional habit of exaggerating my weakness prior to getting into a game, but in this case I honestly do think I'm the weakest player here. I literally have not launched BtS for over a year now- not since whenever my Duel League match against Dazed concluded. After I decided to take a break from RB I was pretty burnt out on the 4X genre in general and Civ especially; when I started playing 4X games again, it was Endless Space and later Warlock: Master of the Arcane (which, while a totally awesome game, is much less complex than Civ). Not to say that I'm not In This To Win This, I'm just not brimming with self-confidence despite being a child of the 90's.

Concerning my combination, I have already explained my thought process in the preceding post. I think I've actually got a pretty strong pairing- a cheap +3 happiness UB, good builder traits, UU which might come in handy if I'm on the wrong end of a WC rush and am having issues getting / keeping copper connected. Discounts all around, really. Starting traits are kind of a mess; Mining is great, Myst sucks. I'm guaranteed to found a religion if I go faith first, but that seems like a sort of terrible idea if I want to build one of the strong early wonders and/or win, which I do. Maybe if this wasn't a small map with only five players. I'm probably just going to play it by ear in terms of opening- research Agriculture, worker first, and see if scouting confirms that making a dedicated push for the Big Lighthouse makes sense, or if I want to try for the Pyramids or something instead. Likelihood that I can get both without completely crippling myself seems very low. Stonehenge is all Jowy's. Oracle might be too far out of my way as well, we'll see.

Finally a player who isn't better than me!

[NobleHelium]

Good stuff, Bob.

[TheHumanHydra]

+1

[BRickAstley]

Glad to see you back around in a PBEM Bob.

Farscape theme perhaps?

[Merovech]

EXP China just starts so amazingly well. I've been souring on Spiritual as a trait lately, though

[Bobchillingworth]

Glad to see you back around in a PBEM Bob.

Farscape theme perhaps?

Glad to be back!


Yeah, Farscape theme is what I had in mind. It's nice to see someone recognizes my avatar- such an undeservedly obscure gem of science fiction! No roleplay though.


Thanks everyone for the nice comments! Except Merovech, who is only making me feel worse

[Commodore]

This thread:

[BRickAstley]

Yeah, Farscape theme is what I had in mind. It's nice to see someone recognizes my avatar- such an undeservedly obscure gem of science fiction! No roleplay though.

I cannot tell a lie: Tineye told me the origin, not my own knowledge. I know nothing of Farscape myself.