TheArchduke tries his best not to be overrun again as Pericles

[Bacchus]

I think it's a perfectly legitimate style choice, especially at this very early level of gameplay. It's not like anyone has a true idea of what optimal play looks like, so that you can lose on T0 before seeing the map.

Given how district-focussed our game will be, we need a good understanding of great people mechanics -- how many are there, how do costs scale, how to projects work, etc. I would say that leveraging the quick (~T45 T55) Encampment to get a great general is absolutely integral to us surviving into the mid-game.

Are there barbs in the game?

Will affect the balance of scouts/slingers/warriors we'd like to build. Also, nothing upgrades into Samurai, because Civ6  This makes it absolutely essential to emphasize science if we want to make offensive use of Samurai, can't effectively pre-build them by saving gold as Sulla did with Legions. It also actually makes Samurai a really shit unique, Civ6 is all about building your army up in the ancient era and then only adding to it.

EDIT: Oh dear, Military Tactics which unlocks Samurai is also a dead-end tech, and has a Eureka that is not really fulfillable (well, this one I was aware of anyway). What an awful piece of design. Maybe we won't build Samurai, after all. Stirrups is just a better overall research target.

[TheArchduke]

Yeah, Samurais is an esthetic SP choice. Right now upgradeable units are the only interesting ones.

Hoplites are bit of an issue as well. They are useful, especially in pairs or threes, but they are a dead end upgrade wise, as the anti cavalry units are very underwhelming.

EDIT:

Still I am 55%-45% on Japan-Greece right now.

Also, Bacchus, as you suddenly wrote we, are you a dedicated lurker to my poor, second rate thread still shamed by PBEM 1?:D

[Bacchus]

Yep. I wouldn't say anything is poor or second-rate, albeit if you ever have the time I would love to hear the rationale behind the mountain and desert tile purchases in PBEM 1 Anyway, I wanted to join exactly to give others a chance to have some fun at my expense, only fair.

[TheArchduke]

Yep. I wouldn't say anything is poor or second-rate, albeit if you ever have the time I would love to hear the rationale behind the mountain and desert tile purchases in PBEM 1 Anyway, I wanted to join exactly to give others a chance to have some fun at my expense, only fair.

Well, poor you. In any case, I will try to give this my best shot and especially given the choice if I play quickly without a report or play 1-2 hours later with a report, do the latter.

I think I can still change my selection today and the hoplites are good unit to stop early aggression and defend, and the wildcard policy is juicy.

But Japan is a guaranteed 1st GG which boosts classic units and is therefore way more versatile. Also Encampment are good for production (trade routes (commerce, industrial, harbour and encampments) and buildings.)

[Bacchus]

I'm not poor at all, it's more fun to puzzle out a situation from the inside! And I did think that last game was in part depressing for you to play as you didn't have anyone to discuss the game in substance with. Hopefully my company is better than no company.

I think Greece would actually beat everyone to the first GG if it chooses to do so via the Strategos policy card.

[TheArchduke]

Hmm... Point taken.

On reconsideration, we are going to go with Pericles.

[Anastenazontas]

Ah shucks! I really hopped you would go with Japan. I understand the rationale for Pericles, though.
It is harder to use Japan to a full extent, but I believe that the combat bonus when next to the coast will be usefull against barbs in the early game and against invasions latter on. Trying to build near the coasts (2 hex inland) and then packing your cities tight can be very usefull, and encampments + walls might be very needed in a MP game. Dunno...

[Bacchus]

So I've been looking into hoplites and...

Promotion -- Square
Double Combat Strength when occupying the same hex as a support unit.

What the hell Firaxis? Is this why anti-cav units are so shit in the first place, because you wanted to load them with a broken to hell promotion?

Two hoplites, two rams, 70 strength a piece?



Edit:

OK, the truth is even sillier. Posted above is the direct wording from the game. Want to know what this promotion actually does? With that promotion, and if there is a support unit in the hex, instead of receiving a regular +2 defensive bonus from each adjacent friendly unit, the promoted unit will receive a +4 bonus. Civ6!

Even funnier is that first-level promotions for anti-cav give as much as +10 strength, even if circumstantially (when fighting melee units). Here is a second-level promotion that will realistically at best give you +4 strength in far, far more limited circumstances.

[Sullla]

The wording of that promotion is admittedly terrible, but the ability itself is not. In PBEM1, teh and I are routinely running into situations where units are getting the support bonus from 2, 3, or even 4 adjacent units. Here's a (spoilered) screenshot demonstrating that:

PBEM1 Spoiler:

Yes, this is very situational and all that, but getting +16 strength from standing next to four adjacent units isn't trivial.

[Bacchus]

It's only an increment +8 even with 4 units, the other +8 of the +16 you get even without the promo. If at least tripled that support bonus, that would be something to talk about.