Pre-Game Word Salad
Gathering Storm rules. Completely random map. Disasters are maxed. Pindicator, Woden, Archduke and CFCJesterFool are the opposition. This will be an interesting ride. What’s my pre-game take?
The Opposition
Overall a highly competent bunch, Archduke remains the favorite. CFCJesterFool is the question mark – in PBEMs 4 & 5 he seemed to be a largely ineffective, more an agent of chaos than any sort of strategic obstacle. We’ll find out if he’s changed his game or if he continues to fit right in with the theme.
Disasters
I intend on trying to settle near, but not on, tiles affected by volcanoes and floodplains. My thinking here is that with max disasters I’ll probably see some extra yields and that will save builder actions (no need to improve tiles with boosted yields). In a few test starts I ran this past week (before civ picks were provided) I usually got two floods that boosted yields significantly. In fact, I’m kind of bummed that I don’t have Egypt in my list as they never suffer flood damage to their infrastructure.
Resources
I’ll be curious to see how other players manage resources and resource-requiring units. I don’t know that the mechanics will allow the typical beelines and rushes in other games given the resource requirements and caps. It seems that unless you have multiple resource copies or choose to make a significant investment in Encampment buildings to boost your stockpile then one’s ability to get out large numbers of resource-requiring units is hampered. Those with some of the lower-resource or no-resource cost melee and cavalry will be at an advantage. My own thinking, particularly if I lack a low/no-cost unique unit, will be to put out small numbers of resource units and large numbers of ranged and anti-cavalry units as these generally require no resources.
World Congress
I think the main question mark here is the accumulation of Diplomatic Favor. The game engine is still going to be tracking grievances between players and even though they won’t affect trading (whatever trading occurs) a significant accumulation could reduce diplomatic favor and, in turn, one’s ability to vote in the World Congress.
City-States
If Nazca, Cahokia, or Rapa Nuiare in the game they are priorities for suzerainty as they have useful improvements. The usual suspects from prior “flavors” of the game likewise apply. Suzerainty of city-states with strategic resources could also be important as it provides faster accumulation and thus faster builds/upgrades.
Governors
Even with the changes to governors Magnus remains a strong candidate. The first? Maybe, maybe not. With the changes in Gathering Storm Pingala with a promotion (+15% & in a city and then the first promotion gives either +1 or +1) or Reyna with two promotions (Forestry Management gives +2 to all unimproved features and +1 Appeal to tiles adjacent to them) might work well, especially in a large city where the second promotion gives +2 per citizen.
Game Flow
If we wind up with a decent number of mountains and choke points I sense a largely defensive battle. With fractal maps there’s also a chance that someone will wind up on their own land mass, in which case they’d be in position to build infrastructure early.
Gathering Storm rules. Completely random map. Disasters are maxed. Pindicator, Woden, Archduke and CFCJesterFool are the opposition. This will be an interesting ride. What’s my pre-game take?
The Opposition
Overall a highly competent bunch, Archduke remains the favorite. CFCJesterFool is the question mark – in PBEMs 4 & 5 he seemed to be a largely ineffective, more an agent of chaos than any sort of strategic obstacle. We’ll find out if he’s changed his game or if he continues to fit right in with the theme.
Disasters
I intend on trying to settle near, but not on, tiles affected by volcanoes and floodplains. My thinking here is that with max disasters I’ll probably see some extra yields and that will save builder actions (no need to improve tiles with boosted yields). In a few test starts I ran this past week (before civ picks were provided) I usually got two floods that boosted yields significantly. In fact, I’m kind of bummed that I don’t have Egypt in my list as they never suffer flood damage to their infrastructure.
Resources
I’ll be curious to see how other players manage resources and resource-requiring units. I don’t know that the mechanics will allow the typical beelines and rushes in other games given the resource requirements and caps. It seems that unless you have multiple resource copies or choose to make a significant investment in Encampment buildings to boost your stockpile then one’s ability to get out large numbers of resource-requiring units is hampered. Those with some of the lower-resource or no-resource cost melee and cavalry will be at an advantage. My own thinking, particularly if I lack a low/no-cost unique unit, will be to put out small numbers of resource units and large numbers of ranged and anti-cavalry units as these generally require no resources.
World Congress
I think the main question mark here is the accumulation of Diplomatic Favor. The game engine is still going to be tracking grievances between players and even though they won’t affect trading (whatever trading occurs) a significant accumulation could reduce diplomatic favor and, in turn, one’s ability to vote in the World Congress.
City-States
If Nazca, Cahokia, or Rapa Nuiare in the game they are priorities for suzerainty as they have useful improvements. The usual suspects from prior “flavors” of the game likewise apply. Suzerainty of city-states with strategic resources could also be important as it provides faster accumulation and thus faster builds/upgrades.
Governors
Even with the changes to governors Magnus remains a strong candidate. The first? Maybe, maybe not. With the changes in Gathering Storm Pingala with a promotion (+15% & in a city and then the first promotion gives either +1 or +1) or Reyna with two promotions (Forestry Management gives +2 to all unimproved features and +1 Appeal to tiles adjacent to them) might work well, especially in a large city where the second promotion gives +2 per citizen.
Game Flow
If we wind up with a decent number of mountains and choke points I sense a largely defensive battle. With fractal maps there’s also a chance that someone will wind up on their own land mass, in which case they’d be in position to build infrastructure early.
Sending units to their death since 2017.
Don't do what I did: PBEM 3 - Arabia , PBEM 6 - Australia This worked well enough: PBEM 10 - Aztecs Gamus Interruptus: PBEM 14 - Indonesia
Gathering Storm Meanderings: PBEM 15 - Gorgo You Say Pítati, I Say Potato: PBEM 17 - Nubia The Last of the Summer Wine: PBEM 18 - Eleanor/England
Rhymin' Simon: PBEM 20 - Indonesia (Team w/ China)
Don't do what I did: PBEM 3 - Arabia , PBEM 6 - Australia This worked well enough: PBEM 10 - Aztecs Gamus Interruptus: PBEM 14 - Indonesia
Gathering Storm Meanderings: PBEM 15 - Gorgo You Say Pítati, I Say Potato: PBEM 17 - Nubia The Last of the Summer Wine: PBEM 18 - Eleanor/England
Rhymin' Simon: PBEM 20 - Indonesia (Team w/ China)