[SPOILER] - Suboptimal finds trees, still seeks forest

[suboptimal]

Mashed grows to size three then works max cogs to get the settler out quicker?

I have contemplated this myself, as that has been my tendency in past games, and I think there's minimal "cost" for doing so.  I've run micro out to EoT40 to do some comparisons. 

Assuming the following:

Capital builds: builder -> warrior -> archer -> archer -> warrior
City #2 builds: Archer x 3
City #2 buys 2nd ring bananas on founding and works bananas first.

The high configuration at the capital "costs" roughly 5 and 0.5.  The capital ultimately reaches size 5 EoT36 instead of EoT34.  City #2 gets done EoT37, simultaneous with the warrior build at the capital.  The capital completes its build queue EoT37 regardless of going high or high .   In either case there's quite a bit of micro shenanigans during the archer builds.  The cost is from a couple of turns less working turtles and the fact that not going max allows the capital to remain at size 3 when the settler is done.  

I'm also looking ahead to district builds and thinking we're putting an Encampment 2E of the capital to get the State Workforce eureka.  The question then becomes where the government plaza goes - I'm thinking flat desert W of the desert hill at City #2.  I also think we don't wait to get that up and Ancestral Hall completed before the capital cranks out another settler.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Man, West Nubia (does that mean the other body of water is the EAST Nubian lake? Hmmm...EDIT: Are the two plains tiles freshwater or coastal? That would answer that question. I'd bet coastal, since I think lakes tend to be small) is a very fertile valley outside that desert! If we find a neighbor in this direction, I think it makes sense to settle this way to give our archer horde a base to advance.

Micro for going max production looks good to me. And agreed on settler before AH. Waiting too long to crank out settlers is a sucker's move (see PBEM8, where Japper waited until the Hall was finished to build practically ANY settlers).

Hell, while I agree with an early Encampment, I don't think we'll need a gubmint plaza until hopefully after our first neighbor is dead and absorbed. THAT is what will give us our infrastructure base to build on. If we can have time to build with twice the land of everyone else, we should be able to eventually finish off our continent and force a concession from there - regardless of if we had early Plazas or Campuses (Campi?) or shiny wonders like the 'Mids or Stonehenge. I'm thinking going whole ham.

[suboptimal]

The plains tiles along the coast are not fresh water. Given the shape of the cliff on the northern shore of the lake I guess that the lake may be a 2x2 diamond. We'll find out next turn as I'll move to the jungle hill to the SW.

Regarding AH, I waited for that in PBEM 15, IIRC. Definitely a Bad Idea.

As far as absorbing a neighbor, in all likelihood they'll be able to just get swords and/or walls out before we arrive at their gates, unless we steamroll a city-state that's between us and them. However, an archer horde should be able to kill/contain any military (and pillage improvements) while waiting for warriors/swords and a battering ram. Of course, we could always use spearmen to take cities as well if there's no iron/horses easily available.

[suboptimal]

Turn 8

The barbarian scout is now showing an exclamation mark over it. I’ve got two options here – attack with the slinger or move east. I move east, revealing a little more land:




That plains hill to the NE of the mountain is not fresh water or coastal. The slinger will move E again next turn. In the south the warrior continues to seek out the steamy depths of jungle and heads southwest.




Yeah, we need to put a third city down here, likely on that jungle hill to the SW, which is where I’ll move next. The lake is a 2x2 diamond, so I’ll head around that. Worse comes to worse in the pantheon race we could grab the Religious Idols pantheon (+2 to mines over bonus & luxury resources).

In international news Cornflakes has completed Code of Laws and The Black Sword has earned four era points. He’s probably found a city-state that’s founded on top of a natural wonder.

[suboptimal]

We got a second turn in today...

Turn 9

Barbarian scout has disappeared again. Slinger moves east, finds some open ground and more forest.




According to settervision the deer tile and the tile NE of it are near a volcano; neither are coastal or fresh water spots. Looks like there’s more land out in this direction. I’ll continue east and then decide if I keep going that way or turn north.

Warrior moves SW, sees quite a bit:




Nothing on settlervision here. I think I see the edge of a land tile on the far side of the coast tile that the river ends in, but can’t be certain.

Internationally Kaiser has earned 2 era points and completed Code of Laws. Cornflakes gained a population

Next turn we get to see if there are any horses around and switch the capital to a high production configuration.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Yeah, third city down there seem good. Salt will be 2/2/3, kind of mediocre, with 3/1 cows, but the bananas will be good. It's definitely better tahn the terrain to the east, which, while decent (if there's a volcano out there; could be our science hub down the road) needs a lot of TLC to get cities up and running there.

Are you thinking of going west or south with the warrior?

[Banzailizard]

I vote west with the warrior. The third city spot is nice but not great (pending some horses or iron showing up). If there is a better spot west of the lake near the dessert it might be worth it to try and get a Nubian pyramid down (though I suspect there will be too much desert for it to be worthwhile). Also there is a barb camp out there somewhere, better to find where it is now.

[suboptimal]

That southeast corner of the West Nubian Lake is reasonable - don't forget that it can share the lakeside bananas and the jungle hills SE of there with City #2 for early growth. One downside is that the lake's geometry and proximity to City #2 only allows one city to be founded along it. The area east of the capital might be our coastal location if there's a mountain close enough to the coast for an Aqueduct.

Regarding the warrior, my current plan is to head west next turn and then do a wide circle of the lake. That should get the warrior in the neighborhood to escort the settler and gets that area defogged a bit. My concern is that if there's a barbarian camp over here it may be in the process of spawning when we find it, which could make things a bit tricky.

Banzailizard, a desert city as a fourth or fifth plant isn't necessarily a bad thing - if there's enough choppables close to the desert then Petra becomes an option.

[suboptimal]

Turn 10

Animal Husbandry complete. Where are the horses?




That’s the only one, and it’s in a good spot. Instead of a farm that will be pastured for 32. Nice. That also changes up the micro a bit and might let us squeeze out some more or from the capital. Hopefully there is no barbarian camp around. On the other hand, if there are then our archers will get some XP en route to their first target…speaking of which, start Archery. Mashed stops working the rice and starts working the GFH, PFH and deer tiles. Settler completion time down to 6 turns from 9 turns.

Slinger moves east, revealing the volcano (Bayuda Volcanic Field) along with open ground to the east:




None of it is coastal, none of it within the city radius of someone else. In the south the warrior moves west:




There’s the camp. That water to the west of the isthmus is not fresh water. Nothing on settlervision here, either. I’m going to move NW and go past the camp, circling back for the kill once Code of Laws completes.

Internationally Kaiser and Alhambram have finished techs.

[Chevalier Mal Fet]

Do we really want to circle back, or keep pushing the warrior? If we expand this way, I feel like scouting more deeply and further is important, and the settler can be escorted with the slinger, since the east is a long-term prospect anyway.