If your a player get out! Speaking of its going to be weird not reading all the forum posts.
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[Mjmd #51 No Players] Mjmd Rambles - a civ story
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If your a lurker reading this I would please encourage you to think about dedlurking a green. This is the greenest game Realms has seen in a long time, so help out.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...edit#gid=0
I was going to post my goals, thoughts, on the map, thoughts on the point system.
Then SD goes and 1st picks Rome..... I thought there was a descent chance the vets wouldn't do the smart thing and instead do something fun. As its SD, this must be the fun thing. I mean I know his plan is to conquer a bunch of us greens that have no multiplayer war experience and hope to ride that, but Galvagi only got away with that in 44 because he was also Financial AND more importantly his neighbor on the other side was in an early war as well. I mean I'm sure he will have fun still, but whichever green starts next to him won't.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming.
I am the random person who decided to start this base BTS game with very minimal multiplayer experience (played against a friend like 3 times). I've played the single player for hundreds of hours and a pitboss was something I really wanted to do. Goals: 1) have fun 2) learn 3) don't suck too bad  City naming theme will be various games I've played for descent lengths of time. Kind of a get to know you mechanism. Mainly been a PC strategy and city builder. Have also played Magic the Gathering for a while now. Before I kept having kids I was even kind of good at it. I was an RPG grinder when those were a thing. Basically usually could win small tournaments, but not the ones that counted. Feel free to ask random question in the MTG game thread if interested. Probably the only game I know enough about to actually have a valid opinion. Which means if your still reading this its probably entertainment value to see how green I am!
This is pure speculation as the map type was rather vague and Commodore likes creating creative maps, but based on the tiles per player I'm guessing modified donut hollowed middle with land bridges all over the place. This would naturally create "lakes". Some important information given was that this will be about 150 tiles per player. PB44 was just 120 per player, so a little more breathing room, which is in the spirit of a green game. For those doing the math that about 1500 tiles this game vs about 960 in pb44; both on standard size. Which means we probably don't have to worry about large scale naval action (which is probably the worst aspect of base BTS) especially if my bridge theory is correct.
The more I think about the Rome first pick the more it makes sense in a game full of greens. Not a move you could pull off in a regular game, but here?? The issue of course being that GKC and Ramk are also in this game as well as the normal issues. I think this is Ramk's first game at Realms? despite being the IT guro for who knows how long. I have to imagine hes played some over in the German forums. Plus some other people might be able to do stuff who knows it could even be me
I've posted the other games point systems have been used before and again as I'm green, who would trust my analysis anyways on points.
Thoughts on what to pick. I believe it was Commodore who said either take a Financial leader or India. As a shocker all cost a lot of points. Being 7th I figured all 3 good financial leaders would be taken by the time it came to me, but who knows. I actually secretly want DeGaule (Cha/Ind) of India (first pick India and then get DeGaule later) (EDIT: I just saw GKC picked India no surprise I was expecting one of the vets to pick). Being 7th pick I had actually gotten myself excited to play Pericles (Cre/Phi). I still might take him over Ragnar if those are the choices. So pick order is something like India, Elizabeth (highest upside but map dependent as her early game is weak), Hannibal, Pericles. EDITED (Elizabeth instead of Victoria; wrong English queen; I'm operating on a sleep deprived brain give me a break). Actual good leaders I should probably take instead of Pericles in no particular order: Zara (cre, org), Mehmed (exp, Org) Best no point civ in past games has been Mali and I'm close enough in the wheel its possible. My civ pick will be very economic focused as far as starting techs and unique building. So for instance Holy Rome while having an amazing unique building is absolutely slow as all get out if you have a lot of different tech requirement food resources. 1 pt civ I'm looking at is Zulu. I meant to write that all in a much better fashion, but there is a reason rambles is in the thread title.
I should probably explain why I want to be economically focused in case there are other greens reading. No tech trading game means need all the econ. Also, combine size of the map with monarch toroidal maintenance (not horrid but doing test games its very noticeable. I don't usually play torodal maps.) and you need the econ. Also, something to remember is that I'm not the only green! Which means if my economy is doing pretty good I can steal some land from less developed neighbors in settling races. One of the reasons I wouldn't mind a creative civ is just to steal some spots. I absolutely do not want to be involved in a war before knights, so taking land via settling is preferred.
I really was going to try to wait for all the pics to analyze everything, but I don't think Rameses II has ever been picked in a no tech trading game? At least not in the point based ones. Spiritual is one of those traits that looks busted in the hands of a good player and I thought maybe some of the vets would use just to show us how its done. Did not expect literally any green players would pick the trait. I lost my first pick India, but can Elizabeth hold out until 7th pick (mind she wasn't picked at all last time).
To explain why I have Elizabeth high vs no one picking last time it is important to understand her starts are slow. So yes in PB2 when Sulla had her he made it look easy, but having no early game traits is a thing. Important differences in this map vs last base BTS game. 1) more room per player 2) I'm going to gamble that this map ends up a little bit on the lusher side. Last greens game was 40 and Commodore made that map. It was actually kind of barren by Realms standards, but that was in part because I think he wanted to test how the RtR mod was balanced.
I didn't actually think I would have to choose between Elizabeth and Hannibal....... 7th pick 1st financial! Oh boy are the lurkers in for a ride. Or a romp from the vets I guess. Hannibal is better early game thanks to the extra happy, plus hes the better military man. I had a secret goal of staying alive this game for a while. Now I arrogantly think maybe there's half a chance in hell, which Elizabeth has the much higher upside.
SD must just be salivating at a last pick Ragnar.... I'm assuming Ramk is going to snap pick Hannibal. El Grillo and Charriu have been posting a lot. I'm sure they thought there was no way in hell they were getting a financial leader; sure they are excited. Vanrober theoretically should also take a financial leader..... I'm going to go into picks more after all was done, but general theory as I understand it is to take good leaders first and once those are gone take a good civ. If Both hannibal and elizabeth had been gone and I was going to go with Pericles, I actually was going to pick Zulu first, because I didn't think there was a chance in hell someone else would pick Pericles.... and I could grab on the wheel Civ pick is between Mali and Korea preferred. Now in PBEM 74 (so my notes say) they allowed duplicates (slightly different pt system but Mali was still a 0) Mali was chosen by 4/8 players. Surely someone will choose before me.... Analysis to come on that, because the way this snake pick is going that is actually going to happen. Right now kids bed time. |