[SPOILERS]PB83: Krill was here first: Washington of Native America

[Krill]

7 players. A new map script. No testing, no planning.

What could go right?

[Krill]

Washington [EXP/CHM] of Native America.

I appreciate the irony of that roll, but I'm looking forward to playing with trackers and totem poles. Unfortunately, I have an excellent start so no real excuses for a bad early game here. Lots of food, lots of land, lots of forests, a metal happy, wine and dyes. No horse though. Need to think.

[Krill]

Pindicator is Hannibal (FIN/CHA) of Portugal (Feitoria / Carrack)
Cornflakes is Kublai Khan (AGG/CRE) of Mongolia (Ger / Keshik)
Commodore is Catherine (CRE/IMP) of Persia (Satrap Court / Immortal)
Krill is Washington (EXP/CHA) of Native America (Totem Pole / Tracker)
Thoth is Justinian (SPI/IMP) of Maya (Ball Court / Holkan)
Yuris is Shaka (AGG/EXP) of Ottomans (Hammam / Janissary)
Dreylin is Lincoln (PHI/CHA) of Carthage (Cothon / Numidian Cavalry)

One Fin leader, One Phi, One SPI. Two Agg, Exp, Imp and Cre, plus three Cha. Feels like my kind of game: Less build offs, more brawling.

[Krill]

I generated some maps using the settings we're playing on. I'll go on record: I think Totestra is a better map script, and the reason PB80 got to the end game was because Totestra is a bigger map.

I expect this game, because the map is far tighter, to not go as far. In fact, I'm concerned that some players might be so close that the correct gambit could be to chariot rush. That supposes that a horse is visible (highly likely with balanced resources) and chariots could be on the board as early as T4. Add in a peninsula start with only one direction for expansion and a defence could be needed by T10 (I note the posts in the tech thread noting that advanced start areas were touching).

Looking at my start, I don't see copper or horse. This suggests I have one of two options: go city/settler, and hold the settler to grab a resource tile. This is weak. The alternative is "go big or go home": farmers gambit, I've got two double food city locations that pick up the gold, and three huts I can pop with a tracker in 5 turns: Get another tracker, and I can burn it for the totem pole so both fat crosses could be workable. I'm probably going to be in a tech hole again: IW first almost certainly means HBR second.

I can't see an option except going IW first. I can get there in about 20 turns, maybe a bit less if I can figure out how to hook the gold. I can gamble on iron being on the tile 2W1N of the starting red ring (the lack of a single forest is a glaring pointer). But most grassland tiles wouldn't be that bad and reachable. Plus I have a jungle to expand into, so it's not the worst choice, but Maths would have been preferable. I can probably get out a settler to match T20 (chops plus whip), but would struggle to get it out any sooner. I'm probably going to be in a tech hole again: IW first almost certainly means HBR second.

Which brings me to the starting choice for this start:

Capital 2N2W of the starting red circle claiming second ring double corn and banana. Second city on the plains hill forest, claiming first ring cow and second ring corn and gold. Archer in the capital, tracker and four workers in the second city.

I'll get the cow hooked T0, then chop the granary (eot4) whilst the workers gradually move to improve the capital (size 2 granary with 2 chops and both corns hooked around T10?). If I get lucky with a free tracker than I'll rejig the micro the improve the gold. If I don't, tracker after granary into totem pole burn gives border pop around T20. If I need to use all four workers to chop out a settler and road to claim copper and/or horse I can do that from the capital location.

[Magic Science]

Dedlurker/sub reporting for duty.
No comments about anything at the moment.
Good luck.

[Krill]

Dedlurker/sub reporting for duty.
No comments about anything at the moment.
Good luck.

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