SPOILER *** Texas Pitboss *** SPOILER

[akots]

This is spoiler for mauer's PB game. Large map, many players, archipelago, I'm playing as Augustus of Rome (Industrious and Imperialistic). Level is Noble and tech trading is off.

Here is a not so bad start. There is not so much food there apart from clams (4 food) and cows on plains (3 food) but otherwise, there is 3 gems and ivory and some forest and hills, so should be no problem settling land with imperialistic trait. I just hope I'm alone on this piece of land and can grow some muscle before engaging into action.




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[akots]

Opening plan is to research Bronze, whip boat, then grow some population while building a unit, whip worker then, and chop some forest to build another worker and spread out a bit meanwhile researching low level techs like hunting, A-Husbandry, Wheel, Masonry etc. I think I can try to get Great Wall in the capital if there is stone or may be some other wonder.

[akots]

Bronze researched, switched to slavery and rushed a workboat. Then, building a worker and chopping another is a top priority. The island is actually quite nice, there are plentiful resources including a couple of super-city spots and also I have copper which basically guarantees survival for the time being. Once the scout will explore the other part to the west, I'll post some sort of a dotmap. The warrior explored to the north and is returning to the capital just in case something shows up. I hate to be caught with the pants down. However, it seems, I'm alone on the island.

After the boat builds net on clams, the city will be allowed to grow to at least size 2 while working clams and cow (2 food, hammer, and coin) and building another workboat for possible circumnavigation and exploration. Then, the worker will be started and will be part-rushed. He then will chop another worker, some basic protection (2 warriors and may be an axe, and 2-3 settlers to fill in the place as rapidly as possible.

Regarding research, I'm still undecided whether to try to grab some wonder. Colossus looks very mighty on this map so Oracle actually will be quite attractive. But IMHO, it might be extremely hard to get and I don't think that it is worth growth retardation. We'll grab there techs later on their own from the cottages.

[akots]

On the far west after long ride by scout, I've stumbled upon some borders which is apparently Casey sitting there. He is so far away, that it might be worth to have peace with him. I'm not sure what civ he is playing though, need to check that out. I can probably kill him off with praetorians but then this slows the growth and I want these 6 cities ring be erected rapidly. We'll see how the diplomacy goes there. The island is huge and although quite narrow and with a few rivers, there are numerous very reasonable city placements around with a bunch of nice resources.

[akots]

Well, actually, it was Matrix aka Hannibal. I offered him some peace for now, he is too far away at the moment to be of any real danger or interest. His lands also do not seem to be very fertile there in the west.

[akots]

A short update. It is 1440BC and this game is very slow. I mean of course not the turnplaying but development. And map is really of epic size. The maps in Civ4 are extremely big. Well, in any case, I'm playing Rome and after discovering Iron Working, I've found that there is no iron in the area. I do have copper though but no iron or horses and this is quite frustrating.

The cities grow quite slowly because I don't have too much food but the capital can work the gems which makes it a decent scientific center.

Here is the 2 pathetic cities I have.




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And one can notice that iron is right in the vicinity of Matrix's capital. We've made peace until 500BC but I don't think I have a chance of waging a good victorious war against him at that time. And he has more food near his capital and with the lack of iron and horses, I'm not sure what this game is all about.




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Well, in any case, I still have one more card to play out to see where it lands. I'm doing circumnavigation with a workboat which I have built very early on. It seems, I'm halfway through.

Surprisingly, others are doing even better both in terms of GNP and in terms of settling as well. I've so far met Bodean (mauer's friend) who is to the south-east playing as Stalin and Mauer is further to the south-east playing somebody German.

Apparently, no wonders were built and most of the players are just struggling with the map which is not bad at all, just develops way too slow.

Well, Rome without iron and Preatorians, Industrious leader without wonders and Imperialistic without any shields around the capital and inability to speed up settling of the land speaks for itself. But harsh conditions are supposed to make people stronger, isn't it? Alas, it is not known to work in Civ4 that way.

[akots]

Heroic Roman sailors have finished the circumnavigation at 800BC, so my ships receive +1 movement bonus! It is not huge considering there are vikings and Hannibal on the map, but at least this puts me on more or less even ground with them.

Research is set to calendar to grow some cities and pop-rush some units to see whether Matrix can be taken out soon. Out treaty expires at 500BC and so far, he is quite behind in power and science researching Code of Laws for some reason. He also did not hook up the iron and I'm not sure whether he has copper. So, I'm building a few axemen and might be will attack him pretty soon. I plan also on researching Metal Casting because of industrious trait and cheap forges and triremes to defend the coastline. Not sure if Colossus makes sense. Probably it does and will bring an extra coin from the coastal tiles but I was thinking on trying to break through towards Astronomy with the help of a couple of Great Scientists bypassing Civil Service for now.

Pyramids and Stone were already built which leaves only Oracle, Colossus, and Artemis as more or less early valuable wonders. Well, TBH, Parthenon might be quite good on this map considering the slow science rate and apparent rate of Great People farm on my area. matrix does have the GP farm in his capital and might be this is because he's researching Code of Laws to switch to Caste system. If he does, and manages to get ahead in science, I can be in trouble, so it seems that the war between us is essentially inevitable sooner or later and better sooner.

So, I'm thinking that after Calendar it might be worth going not to Metal Casting but to Construction instead. Not sure what I will do, we'll see where his power graph goes.

[akots]

Ok, I've chopped the Oracle but somebody else (I strongly suspect it was RobiD) got it on the same turn and random determined that he is the lucky one, alas. By spending 3 forests, I gained only 58 gold and about 35 hammers for the library. This is quite pathetic since Augustus is Industrious but I cannot get a single wonder in this game being either late in techs or just plain beaten. Well, I guess one cannot get everything, and circumnavigation (early second workboat) probably delayed the start quite strongly so that no wonders for me here. Research is set at 100% to Calendar and then either to Currency or Metal Casting for forges.

[akots]

Now, this sucks. I've been beaten to Great Lighthouse by one turn by somebody. Should bring some cash in though. Also, at 500BC, I've declared to Matrix moving into his lands with a stack of 3 axemen and a spear. his city is defended with 4 CG1 archers, so I plan on bypassing it to pillage. Cats should be a few turns away and then, I can take it with reinforcements. Matrix has not switched to slavery and has not connected iron or horses which he has within reach. So this war might be not that bloody, just kill a bunch of archers with cats and axemen.

[killercane]

Why dont you make some warriors, save up some cash, and upgrade them to praets by settling on the iron and then attacking? Or has he settled that iron yet?