[Spoilers] Slowcheetah Slinks Ahead (Well Hopefully)

[slowcheetah]

[SIZE="4"]Singalingalingdingalingadingdong[/SIZE]


[SIZE="5"]Singalingalingdingalingadingdong[/SIZE]


[SIZE="6"]Singalingalingdingalingadingdong[/SIZE]


[SIZE="7"]SING! SING! SIIING! SING! SING! SING![/SIZE]

[slowcheetah]

Reserved

[slowcheetah]

Ok I'm last in the snakepick and with only one of Fin/Exp/India/Inca the choices have been pretty standard thus far, with Willem, Huyana and India already being taken. I'm going to go slightly differently and pick an Exp leader, this could prove costly, but I'm already playing Fin and Inca in PB7 (I don't really like Inca without expansive anyway).
The other trait I want to play around with was Spiritual, PBEM 28 petered out before I got much of a chance to play with it (I revoted to slavery anarchy free) and as a long term trait I think it's only rival is FIN (or Org on very high cost maps).

Consequently I'm picking Isabella .

Civ wise- I would like to start with Ag/Wheel to allow an early pottery, I would also like to use a civilisation which has an early threatening UU which is good for pillaging. Consequently, Egypt is probably my first choice.

If Egypt is chosen I'll probably go for either the Ottomans (also Ag, Wheel) or possibly the Byzantines and employ a reckless charge towards cataphracts and then recklessly chaarge them around.

[slowcheetah]

Opponent Analyisis:


Azza: Huyana Capac (IND/FIN) of Maya (Myst/Mining, Holkan (Spearman which is immune to first strikes), Ballcourt (Colloseum with +3 happiness)

Azza got unluckily elimminated from PB7 by a SevenMack rush. That's all I know about him as a player. He had first pick and picked a strong leader Huyana should allow him to cherry pick early wonders, particularly if marble and stone are absent. As long as he doesn't get caught up in the 'build every wonder' mindset his chances look good. With a Myst start and IND I think an early 'henge could be on the cards.
Probably less of a challenge for the Pyramids because he'll be running a cottage economy.

BRickastley: Willem(CRE/FIN) of China (Agr/Mining, Cho-Ko-Nu (collateral causing crossbowman), Pavillion (Theatre with +25% culture)

BRick is new to the forums, however he is being Dedlurked by at least Commodore and Mardoc, both veterans here and both good players. Not much to be said about Willem, aside from he's pretty awesome. China have great starting techs, although knowing Commodore's history of cultural attempts maybe the Pavillion is their main priority :neenernee.
I can't see much wonderbuilding going on here, probably just going to attempt to REX.


Catwalk/Sian: Hatty (SPI/CRE) of India (Myst/Mining, Fast Worker, Mausoleum (+2 happiness Jail (an odd concept I grant you))


Had I been before them in the snake pick this would have been the combination I would have chosen. India's fast workers + Creative border pops allows fast landfilling, and those cheap libraries and science specs are a godsend for early research. As the team most likely to run a specialist economy probably the main competition for the pyramids. As for Sian and Catwalk as a team, Catwalk is constantly coming up with ideas (some good, some bad :neenernee). Sian seems more pragmatic to me, and if he can spot Catwalk's gems then I believe they could do very well.


TheMusicMan: Liz (PHI/FIN) of Egypt (Agr/Wheel, War Chariot (Str 5 chariot), Obelisk (Monument with 2 priest slots).

Musicman is new around these forums, and was slightly intimidated by the level of play here. However, assuming he's reading most of the threads and takes some time to plan out his moves I bet he'll be surprised how much he's picked up. His techrate should be soaring way before everyone elses, so the pick of Egypt confuses me slightly. Surely an early UU is less important for someone who will get to classical/medieval technology first? However, maybe he just wanted Egypt for the starting technologies or is planning on playing some kind of priest economy.


Slowcheetah: Izzy (EXP/SPI) of Ottomans (Agr/Wheel, Jannisary (Musketmen with +25% against mellee, mounted and archery units), Hammam (+2 happiness aqueduct)

Finally, we come to me; I think my game pretty much depends on getting land quickly enough to spark my techrate before Sian and Catwalk spark there's. Pyramids or stonehenge could be valuable early games gone, but I'll have to see the map before making any concrete plans. Hopefully this wasn't too dull, it was partially about clarifying my thoughts somewhat.

[slowcheetah]

Turn 1

Opened the save to find my first city founded and a warrior and a scout within (which I forgot to rename).

The land looks unappetising, which pleases me. At least it isn't a Fin riverside resort.

I'll probably write more later, I'm going to try a couple of openings now.

[slowcheetah]

Turn 2

Found irrigated corn by the silver. Current pole position for second city (admittedly this is turn 2, so maybe a tad premature), is at the sign. This loses coastal access but will get the silver, corn in first ring and can use the capitals mines.

I really need to figure out how I'm going to get culture in new cities (hopefully without monuments). The good tiles seem to be pretty spread out.

Demographics
Looks like everyone else is researching something without a prereq (probably fishing), while working the floodplain. That one was so simple that even I could read it:neenernee.
*Crosses fingers and hopes someone doesn't make me look foolish*

[slowcheetah]

Turn 3+4

Found stone! A 'mids build could yet be on the cards.

[slowcheetah]

Uncovered some more Jungle, looks like Iron working and Calender will be important on this map.

Additionally, I would like to know whether there is a channel to the stone closer to me, by the sugar. If I'm looking at using the stone for the pyramids getting a galley from that side would be much more convenient. Do any lurkers know offhand how many tiles a body of water must be before you are able to build galleys on it?

Demographics-

Azza- Still on 32 points. Hasn't researched a technology yet, which is strange because he has neither Agriculture nor fishing. Maybe he's researching BW while building a worker to chop a workboat? Or maybe the capitals aren't mirrored?

BRickAstley- Scorechange to 38 on Turn 4. Seems to have teched fishing while building a worker. Someone is at 21 GNP now, probably the creative civ researching with a pre req. Got him pegged for worker first, fishing->BW research then chopping a workboat.

TheMusicMan- Scorechange to 38 on T4. Going to plump for fishing->mining again while building a worker (at least initially).

SianCat- Scorehange to 38 on T5. Agriculture->BW while building a worker.

[slowcheetah]

I'm not entirely sure what everyone else has been posting about so far, hasn't been too much going on in the world so far.

So far I've built a worker and a workboat, and my warrior has wandered near while my scout wandered far. I have yet to meet anyone else.

Here's my capital:

Once the second worker completes, both workers will start chopping while a warrior builds. Then put the chops into a settler. I'm going to settle the corn silver site, for two reasons.
1) Means I don't have to tech AH and can go earlier to pottery for granaries
2) The silver will help with my techrate/expansion costs.

The fish above could also be a possibility for a second city site, but I haven't scouted it and don't really want to settle in the fog (see PBEM29g second city)

My scouting, I need to figure out how to get people to those islands.

The land below my capital is in the post below if you want that for reference.

[slowcheetah]

I've been doing a little thinking about this game and I've decided (in a shocking and unexpected twist) that I really do want the Pyramids. I can get them between turn 60-63 depending on maintenance costs and whether I can get a religion to activate OR.

The plan revolves around this dotmap (the pics come from a WB a made assuming a mirror map):




City 2 has already been explained, it allows me to skip AH, and has a strong silver tile for research and a copper tile for hammers.

City 3 also allows me to delay AH (although not for very long). The city can work the capitals fish initially before switching to its own as soon as a capital produced workboat arrives.

City 4- Is a godawful wasteland until iron working, however, it will allow me to build a galley so that I can get stone for a pyramids build.

City 5- Fits in well, and pushes me further towards Priority City 2.

City 6- For stone.

The two priority cities are a priority because they are very close to the competition.

My techpath from now is going to go:

Myst > Poly > AH > Sailing > Masonry > Mono > Writing >Maths >Currency

I would have liked to have an earlier writing, but sailing for Galleys and OR for a faster 'mids build are more urgent priorities. I should have libraries up soon enough to allow a relatively fast limp for currency

I already have : Ag, Wheel, Mining, BW, Fishing, Pottery

If I don't get Hinduism than that techpath may change, but I'll cross that bridge if I come to it.

Finally, I believe that the 60's is a reasonable time for the pyramids due to the need to build a galley in a crappy location. I could build them earlier if I moved galley city up to city 3 and research sailing quicker. However, that would mean a vastly reduced expansion speed and in this case I feel the trade off is not worth it.