CRE, SPI, IND, and PHI are unpicked. What to do? Well, SPI didn't change at all and I'm playing it in both my current games, so that is 100% out. CRE didn't change much. PHI would be good to test, and IND could be good to test too: even though it's the same on paper, several related mechanics were changed. (Of course, we can't pick them together.) But also, PRO and AGR could use a second shot. AGR is the one I'm most worried about, and PHI is probably the one that will take the most convincing for people to like, so I'll try that.
This is normal speed, so everything takes forever. Ughhhhhhh. Wonder if I should have resigned my spot when people voted for normal speed.
No horses visible. Going for mining/BW next.
Yuri/Krill spent 6 turns moving. My interpretation of their strategy is: we (Krill) think our starting position is below average, so we will make bizarre moves until conditions improve or the game ends. Bizarre moves include exploring for a slightly better start location with our settler and probably trying to rush someone with War Chariots on a map where literally every other player will be able to claim an equal share of the freed-up land.
I just don't understand how Krill can simultaneously believe that PRO with +50% worker production is broken because it saves a few turns at the start, yet not settling for 6 turns is a reasonable choice to make. Or why he would do this in a test game. This will be a great test of how the mod works in situations where someone goes crazy on t0, yay!
I think that I'm going to dedlurk you. The new Alexander is super interesting.
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.
What is the first turn I report on in a long time?
42.
Hm, that works.
I went worker - warrior - warrior - settler. Size 4 at the end. Revolt to slavery while the first settler moves. Then build a second worker and then whip out settler #2.
Originally I had been planning to put city #2 N of the lake, claiming pig and sheep. But after discovering copper I decided to plant like this instead. If I had planted N of the lake there wouldn't be a good city that can also claim copper. This way, I still get a city that claims pig and shares the FP and is connected to the capital by river for the free commerce. (I couldn't have wheel done in time for city #1.) And I get to quickly claim the sheep and copper anyway - with a road.
Screenshot dump:
So far I've only met dtay. dtay has met someone else. There is a lot of ocean and I basically have at most two land neighbors. So I'm feeling pretty safe. Part of the reason I built the dotmap around getting copper pretty quickly was because I was a bit scared of a yurian rush, but that turns out to not be a concern, I think. Nevertheless it will be good to be able to road it at a moment's notice.
Happiness is going to be a major issue. HR will probably be needed.
Maybe lurkers have a better perspective on this, but I don't think this game is worth continuing with. I've explored all my mainland territory by even the most optimistic measure, and the only happiness resource is wine. Charismatic is going to be the best trait on this map by far. The mod's version of charismatic (and the other traits) is really based on typical happiness resource levels.
