[SPOILERS] The Rise and Fall of Whositania (all glory to Whositania!)

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I just realized that I have the combo that can support the largest empire most efficiently. I suppose it was obvious, it just didn't click for me.

Aggressive: Free C1 promo for melee and gunpowder units. -25% city maintenance [Not shown in trait description. Bonus not shown in interface. Bonus is multiplicative with other maintenance modifiers. Final displayed city maintenance value is correct and includes this bonus.] +100% production of Barracks, Stable, Drydock.
Organized: Civic upkeep reduced 50 percent. Double production speed of Lighthouse, Factory, and Courthouse.

So there is the automatic 50% savings on civics, which will kick in later in the game. Then there is the -25% reduction in city maintenance, which can be combined with Organized cheap Courthouses for another -50%, which ought to total -75%, yeah? Assuming it's additive like most such bonuses. Wait, does that mean if I was the HRE, my cities would cost nothing? (Trait bonus 25 + Rathaus 75)

Anyway, this all assumes I am able to grab enough territory to make this relevant, but I will do my best!

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Ha ha ha, if I read the description I just pasted, I'd see that the bonus is multiplicative, not additive. It's a pain that it's not visible, but whatever. So, if I was HRE I'd end up with about 93% discount on my maintenance. Alas. But I think the Vikings are still a better, more interesting Civ. So, in this game, I should be getting a 62.5% discount when Courthouses are built.

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I wanted to make a lame joke "I won't trade civilizations, but I will trade sheep for wheat!" but it was too lame for the public so I said it here.

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Nevermind! Ceiliazul, you made me do it!

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Alright, I got to log in. Here's the start:

Wheat is dry, and it looks like that water leads to a sea or ocean (it's not fresh). Could be a giant lake, though.

I decided to scout to the south:

I will probably settle in place, though I want a little time to think because there are no do overs! That wet corn is tempting, buuut I'd be giving up coastal fish and at least one other food resource. I think that if the rest of the land in that direction is decent, it would be a good second city site, though. In that direction, the 2nd city couldn't share food with the capital, unless I settled... in an odd spot that wouldn't get either food source in 1st ring. Ha ha ha ha. Anyway, no sense stressing about that yet... right???

I start with Fishing and Hunting, so I can build a Worker immediately to improve the sheepies. I might as well tech Agri first, as well, since I have some grains nearby. Orrrr.... I could ignore that and start with Mining > Bronze Working. Hm. The hill I will settle on is grassland, so it's a 15 turn worker. Didn't check tech times yet because I didn't actually settle. Wish I had a ded lurker or partner now. Oh well.

I can't see a good reason not to SIP, though. I would have liked a few more grassland tiles in the BFC, but I think for the Vikings this may be a decent start. I wonder if everyone got 1 of each food type? I want to workboat those fish, but do I want to do that before getting a Warrior? I might do some quick head calculations to see what going WB first would do. Working the forest plains hills. I'll get back to you all. I should probably settle. I'll plug in Agri as starting tech for now.

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Oh yeah, password: Imonaboat

Because I couldn't think of anything and old memes are funny?

[Whosit]

Behold, Willow Lake, capital of Whositania (all glory to Whositania!):

I'm gonna have to turn around to grab that hut, though. A bit annoying.... Will have to decide where to scout after that. Trying to decide whether to go Worker first or Work Boat into Worker. If I do Work Boat > Worker I think I will finish both in 18 turns (assuming overflow from WB > Wrkr), which seems pretty good and I end up with improved Fish. Worker First will most likely end up with a total of 23 turns, maybe longer because the Worker will be improving the Sheep and I'd want to work that when it finishing, reducing hammer input. Workboat first also means I'll be working a couple commerce faster while I build the worker and growing, so techs faster! It seems best.

I'd throw a Sandbox together, but I realized that I don't think I can create a map large enough to accurately test this in. Well, I could test the straight up timing of the builds, but... I told myself I wouldn't do any Sandboxing. I'll just do some hand calculations and go by my gut.

I'm debating on tech path now. What I think I want is to have the Wheel teched before the Worker is produced. Because those food resources are a tile away, I can get a slight bit of worker efficiency by having the opportunity to partially lay down roads and finish them on the return trip. I don't know if that kind of efficiency really matters... but it's handy as long as I don't screw up my tech path. I will also need Agri teched by the time the Worker would reach the Wheat. I think it's a 7 turn trip.

1 turn to move out and 1t road.
4 turns to produce Pasture (I hope I remember my Normal speeds).
1 turn to finish road.
1 turn to move towards wheat (maybe 1t road? I think movement allows).
And on the next turn start farm, so 7 turns. In other words, 25 turns from now. Might Have to do Wheel/Agri then Mining > BW but gonna calculate what happens....

Also, based on looking at some other recent PB games, I think I want to have Settler 1 out by late 20s, or very early 30s. More posts in a bit.

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1st Warrior might not be ready for... 10 turns after the Worker? Assuming I focus on growth. I hope no one walks a Warrior into Willow Lake, or that will be the end of Whositania (all glory to Whositania!).

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OK, I caved and made a basic sandbox. Huge map on Monarch, seems to give correct tech costs. I did a couple different tech openings for Workboat > Worker build. Slightly worried about getting a late Warrior (doesn't pop until around EoT 24), but I'm not sure it can be helped unless I want to weaken my opening. Here are my messy notes:

Sandboxin'
Attempt 1: WB>Worker, Mining, Agri, BW. Settler out EoT 34. Size 3 cap. 1 Warrior. 3 food improvements, 1 forest chop. Wheel in 6t.

Attempt 2: WB > Worker, Wheel, Agri, Mining, BW. Settler out EoT 35. Size 3 cap. 1 Warrior. 3 food improvements, 4 roads. BW in 5 turns.

Attempt 3: Worker > Workboat. Yeah, this probably sucks balls.

As you can see, I tried going Worker first, and I think that would be sub optimal, primarily because I don't think I can find a build and tech path that doesn't leave the Worker without anything to do for a long, long time.

Version 1 seems like the best bet, though. Settler out a turn earlier with a chop (still kind of a late Settler, but I think that's due to having to hook up a seafood resource), and while having roads in V2 is nice, I guess, I'd rather have access to Slavery and chops earlier. Either way, the empire of Whositania (all glory to Whositania!) will be defended by a single Warrior.

Ah, I might not have to worry so much... everyone starts with scouts, ha ha! Assuming everyone goes Worker first, and even accounting for expansive (12 turns), the earliest a Warrior could probably get out is... Well, maybe in 13 turns, but that is only if an Expansive leader settles on a tile that gives their city 2H, and also has a 3H tile in first ring. Maybe ~20 is a more reasonable estimate. I suppose someone might go Warrior first to try and jump someone who went Worker first... this is supposed to be "sorta cramped," right? Well, even in such a case, getting a Warrior mid 20s should be safe for me. Warrior first....

I could go Warrior first, but that would essentially delay my everything by 4 turns (I'd build it with forest plains hill). Anyway, this worry assumes someone goes Warrior first to attack someone and that this person happens to be next to me. Also to metagame, most people here don't go Warrior first. I mean, I guess *I* could be the guy to go Warrior first to try and snipe someone who didn't, but again that relies on finding someone quickly so my Warrior goes in the right direction and blah. Would eliminating someone early in such a massive game even be that advantageous? Sure, I might get room for a few extra cities, but I'll also be opening that space for probably 3-5 rivals and I might gain nothing and just fall behind because I built a Warrior first.

Sigh.

Over thinking things. I'll just build Work Boat > Worker > Warrior and pray that no one surprises me with a Warrior rush.

[Whosit]

Correction: Warrior is finished EoT 26 with my current plans.