[PB27-SPOILERS] Yup, it's HAK here...no idea what I might do this time...

[HitAnyKey]

So logged into the game tonight to test the connection for Xenu. So I have the official starting screenshot:



EDIT: So for the reply this morning, I settled the city and moved the scout.
Settling it opened up a good amount of the map. And I see a Hut to the NW, so that's obviously where my scout will go first.

[HitAnyKey]

So, really mapmakers? You gave me gold nearby, but let it be hidden beneath some jungles? That's cruel.

When the scout gets to that hill with the hut, I'm going to hope that there is another food in the first ring around that tile. As that's where I would love to settle a second city. May do so regardless, but I know that will be a good spot by being on a hillt, on a coast, and on a river. It's just a nice spot.
And if I go with my current risky plan of racing for Oracle, by the time I get a settler there (or at least not long after) the borders of Corison would likely be expanded to that wet Rice anyway. So the new city would be able to work the tile without having it's own borders need to expand.

Mindy's comment above about doing a Holkan rush is tempting, and is kind of what this civ probably does best. Especially with my leader having the AGG trait. But I really don't think I'll have a neighbor close by enough that rushing their capital would pay off. This game has less players than PB18, and even in that one the early rush on Jowy did not pay off because even then it was a pretty far distance away. I expect that the capitals in this game will be even further apart.

I'm not 100% locked on doing the Warrior first, but of the few SIMs I ran I did like the getting to Size 2 quickly. And if I do actually keep my plan of going Meditation first, then the worker needs to wait until I finish that and then start Hunting anyway. So basically if I do Meditation first, Warrior/Growth seems my best option. If I change the plan, then Worker first will likely be the way to go.
I have most of the weekend to decide, though I'll be busy for most of it going to the PA Ren Faire with my wife & friends. So we'll see how things go on if I can get any SIMs done later today or not.

[MindyMcCready]

OMG,...how can you pass up pigs?

Should I call you Grimace?

[HitAnyKey]

So I took a screenshot of the Demos before the first turn rolled, after everyone had played. This is what they were:

Scout moved to the Hut and got me a measely 39 gold. Oh well. I rarely luck out to get a tech....we'll see soon how many other people actually get techs instead of me.


But the spot the scout is on is almost definitely going to be where the first city is going to get planted. Wet Rice, Pigs, Whales, Grass Gold, 2 Flood Plains, and it being on a hill and on a river and a coast....that's a happy spot.

[HitAnyKey]

I think my plan for scout movements in general will be.....if I can move 2 spaces and end on a hill (to give extended visibility) that is the direction I will go. So next move will likely be NE-E. And then wrap around the north of that Peak after that.

[GermanJoey]

First-row techs, the only thing you can pop from a hut now, are just 38 hammers beakers in this game, so 39 gold might actually be better!

[HitAnyKey]

What do you mean by first row techs being 38 hammers? Do you mean 38 gold? After all, hammers don't get you techs.
And I guess I never thought about it in those terms, as I hadn't actually thought to calculate how much gold it takes to get a first row tech. Other than that it gets me a first rung tech sooner. The gold helps get a later tech sooner, since after I settle my second city I can run 100% research a bit longer before I have to switch to binary.

On other topics, I just finished another SIM and shaved another couple turns off the Oracle. Currently looks like I can complete it on T39. Going this route does not get me my first settler until T44 and my first Holkan until T49 (that includes switching to Slavery and swapping into the Religion if I get it while the settler is moving). This could be very risky, but I like it if I can pull it off.
If I actually win the coin flip to get the religion, then on T60 I get the Great Prophet for the Shrine. I'll have the 2nd city at Size 3 and on T61 the capital would hit Size 7. At which point I can pump out any military I need. So this only works if I don't have anyone rushing me with military.
And my scout would need to be keeping watch on that 2nd city site to make sure there are no barb animals in the area, because the settler would need to go there before the first Holkan is finished.

[GermanJoey]

I meant 38 beakers, sorry.

[MindyMcCready]

That's really early for an Oracle build. What's your tech path to get there?

I guess I'm wondering at what point you'll develop those food resources and cottages?

[HitAnyKey]

My current sim has the tech path going Meditation - Fishing - Hunting - Priesthood - Wheel - BW - Pottery. Pottery finishing on T39 with the Oracle, allowing the MC grab. After that tentative plan is Agri (to farm that Rice for the 2nd city) - AH - Writing(or IW)
Fish get netted on T12, Pig Pasture done T22, Mine 2S of the city done T27. That Forest Hill NE of the city gets it's Mine/Chop done T39 (the chop goes into the settler which completes T44).
I know it's very risky to get out that second city so late, but I feel like trying it.
The first Holkan would come out a turn earlier if I don't swap religion (especially if I lose the coin flip and don't found it). The religion swap could always wait until a 2nd settler is en route to a 3rd city location.

Basically if I'm going to chase the Oracle, I want to get it as early as possible. I haven't had time to check other threads to see how early other people tend to get it out when they rush for it, so I don't know if this is that much earlier than those or if someone else rushing for it could do it this early if I don't get it this early. Also, there are two IND civs and don't want to take the chance of them pushing for it. Though one of them is Gavagai and he still hasn't even settled his capital yet.
Also, with my being PHI as one of my traits I want to start earning those bonus'd GPPs as soon as possible.