[spoilers] Pindicator Steals the Mapmakers Naming Theme

[Tarkeel]

Pindicator, here is your starting area. The fog might be truthful, or it might lie.

[pindicator]

Just to be sure, both settlers are on the same tile?

[Tarkeel]

The settlers are under the archers.

[pindicator]

Oh, so archer+settler (selected unit) on the plains hill, and other archer+settler between the ivory & copper?

[Tarkeel]

Indeed, and worker in-between.

[pindicator]

Shoot, you are really tempting me with an early bureau-cap on this one.

[pindicator]

I'm starting to think SPI is mandatory. Get into Serfdom to improve the initial tiles faster. Then slavery to whip initial settlers and workers - you already have the granary. Sprinkle in some caste for the initial great person and perhaps a quick border pop in your cities. SPI/FIN is a dream combo. I won't get that picking 3rd.

[Tarkeel]

I'm curious, what made you pick Spain?

[pindicator]

I like that the window for their UU and UB is close by. I think citadels will be very useful buildings for many different things, granting xp to navy and siege and getting extra trade routes. I like that I'll have bonus' over a variety of situations: PRO for longbow and gunpowder, Citadel for navy and siege, Conquistadors for mounted, and that allows me to play with flexibility- something I'm appreciating more over the all-in approach I used to go for.

I did have a short list of civs that I was also considering:

India- fastest start
Mongolia- if the map allows, don't wait for knights and just keshik-rush. Ger is a great UB for warfare later on if that fails.
France- I'm really thinking highly about getting into nationalism and drafting asap, and drafting muskateers seems like a great plan. See also Ottomans & Ethiopia.
HRE - wasn't sure how well landschneckts would hold up vs berserkers, but with so many people wanting to play aggressive I thought about defensive economic pairings a lot
Netherlands- how much water will there be? A faster galleon was tempting

[pindicator]

Also I may regret not picking Mansa. Can't believe nobody did