[SPOILERS] Smackdown Game Thread

[Ichabod]

I think Sumeria scout is well positioned to reveal the tiles between the capitals, since exploring the jungle can wait (we won't be settling it anytime soon, I believe).

How long is our current plan regarding techs? It's AH, pottery and...? BW next?

I think Sailing should be a target and an island city early would be nice (maybe sharing the seafood with capital in that nearby island, that also gets a clam) and we benefit from the early lighthouses. Do we get 2 commerce TRs in both civs cities with a single island city? That could pottentially be pretty nice, though maybe it'll only start being useful as a 3rd, 4th city.

A quick academy will be wonderful for us to get to currency and IW/calendar quick. It's already seeing as an enormous boost.

[Ichabod]

By the way, is there anything more specific you guys want me to help with? I don't think I can improve the micro plans much, nor do I trust my C&D (yeah, I know, that's pretty much the whole game right now ), but if there's another thing you want help with, just say a word.

[Ichabod]

It's our turn, by the way.

Pics:

Cows, FP, big river connecting everything means very good place for second city!

East is looking more dry and yucky, unfortunately. Apparently, we'll need to give a lot of the big river to Lizzie, if we want to take fast profits from financial.

Micro magic happening. This city will be size 5 in no time.

[Ichabod]

Question: we have writing selected as the tech after BW. I wonder if Sailing after BW isn't better. Sailing could get us instant TRs and the possibility of building a galley or Lghthouse as growing fuel for Mehmed. The instant TRs are the main benefit, though.

The reasoning is: I don't see we starting a Library so early, so writing will be a dead weight until we are ready to do it. Of course, we'd go writing soon after sailing, most likely: the idea is not dealying the library, it's just getting writing only when we actually need it (considering there's a tech that can give us a benefit early).

Do you plan to get the Great Scientist in the capital or in a second city? The capital has a lot of awesome tiles and, unfortunately, they are all difficult to share with a second city. That means the capital has to work these tiles ll the time, if we don't want to waste good tiles. So, we could get the capital to size 6 with the gems (I'm guessing we can have 6 happiness at this difficulty in the capital, with a happy resource) and work 4 resources + 2 scientists. This would slow down settler/worker builds and whip cycles, though.

Problem with getting in a second city is that it'll probably be later and we still haven't find a proper place to do it.

I know it's too early to decide this, but these are the only things I can think of for us to discuss.

[Ichabod]

East founds some resources. Too far for a second city, though, in my opinion.

Jungle to the south of Lizzie.

[SevenSpirits]

Thanks for posting those pics, Ichabod.

Question: we have writing selected as the tech after BW. I wonder if Sailing after BW isn't better. Sailing could get us instant TRs and the possibility of building a galley or Lghthouse as growing fuel for Mehmed. The instant TRs are the main benefit, though.

Well, I was inititally thinking sailing before writing, but playing it out, the roman capital finishes its granary just a couple turns after BW finishes. After that its best choice is definitely to grow... and it's really hammer-heavy. Basically it pumps out more warriors than we really need, even if we tech writing next and switch to a library ASAP. So it's actually useful to get writing immediately - in fact it would be beneficial to get it earlier!

Then when the library is finished, it's worth quite a bit right away due to the palace, gems, sheep, and 2 cottages.

Do you plan to get the Great Scientist in the capital or in a second city? The capital has a lot of awesome tiles and, unfortunately, they are all difficult to share with a second city. That means the capital has to work these tiles ll the time, if we don't want to waste good tiles. So, we could get the capital to size 6 with the gems (I'm guessing we can have 6 happiness at this difficulty in the capital, with a happy resource) and work 4 resources + 2 scientists. This would slow down settler/worker builds and whip cycles, though.

Problem with getting in a second city is that it'll probably be later and we still haven't find a proper place to do it.

Almost certainly the capital. Like you say it's just going to be really annoying to do it in the second city. Ideally the second city shares 1 or 2 tiles from the capital, so it's not such a drag. But even without this we only have to work scientists for 6 turns, so it's not terrible. IMO the priority is to get the great scientist out after the first settler.

[SevenSpirits]

[Ichabod]

Hello, beautiful wheat! Beautiful riverside wheat!

I'm seeing the second city on the plains hill 1NE. No way to place that city in a way to share the capital cows and sharing the gems isn't worth a second ring wheat. The only question is if the gold is worth changing the placement for. In pure growth terms, I'd say "no". But considering we want "almost as fast as possible" currency, second city gold might be worth it.

I agree with the take on writing first and the GSci at capital, it makes sense. I didn't realize the GSci would take only 6 turns. That's really fast! We could think of startint to accumulate gold after Sailing to use with the Academy boost, I guess. There isn't any other tech we desperately need after AH, Pottery, BW, Writing and Sailing, if we are not rushing for a wonder (unlikely, considering other teams picks, I'd say). TGLh is the only Wonder I can think off that we might want and have a possibility of getting.

Question: Is TGLh bonus team wide?

Suggestion: I think Mehmed scout should unfog west of Tortilla Soup. maybe a city sharing cows and gems can be worth with anotehr second ring resource there, so might as well check. later, teh scout can keep going west to explore the east of Uruk.

[novice]

The "per city" wonders are usually team wide.

[Ichabod]

Well, from what I can gather, we have a good chance of beating the other teams to TGLh. Team HHH probably has Bismarck in the coastal spot, being our main competition (fishing, mining, myst start, industrious...). The other IND leader is HC, who probably got the river start (SPI/PHI Gandhi would go in coast for GP farm), getting out of the competition. Joao/Darius can't beat us.

Fortunately, I'd say HHH has the worst Micro in all the teams (no offense intended, just my opinion). besides, they are likely to go for the religious line and wonders (if they get a religion as first tech, we have to celebrate). besides, between the ORG Lighthouse discount and the Wonder discount from IND, there's not that big of a difference between hammers needed for TGLh (I'd say 30 hammers or so).

I think TGLh can be a great boost. I can already see a lot of coastal cities possible in the map and what seem to be islands. With Lizzie we can avoid getting a Great Merchant from Uruk if we don't want one, which is always a plus. I think TGLh can put us well on our way to Currency and IW/Calendar, that seem so needed, so fast.

Question: Is 2 commerce the max a team TR can achieve? Maybe growing a island city a lot would make them worth more.