[SPOILER] Shaka of Inca - gingereagle1969 & Sandover

[Sandover]

It's obviously going to depend a lot on the map but Pottery that early generally isn't a good idea even for the Incas. The capital is going to reach the happy cap without trouble anyway, and doesn't need the extra culture. Improving food resources and enabling forest chops almost always takes priority over researching Pottery. Archery is pretty much a bypassable tech for long into the game so long as there's at least one strategic resource available. Also, barracks before settler is among the worst things you can do. It slows down growth by a huge amount for minimal gain, even as aggressive.

What is known about the map settings?

[gingereagle1969]

to keep interest in this thread:

[gingereagle1969]

It's obviously going to depend a lot on the map but Pottery that early generally isn't a good idea even for the Incas. The capital is going to reach the happy cap without trouble anyway, and doesn't need the extra culture. Improving food resources and enabling forest chops almost always takes priority over researching Pottery. Archery is pretty much a bypassable tech for long into the game so long as there's at least one strategic resource available. Also, barracks before settler is among the worst things you can do. It slows down growth by a huge amount for minimal gain, even as aggressive.

OK .. I hear what you're saying .. how's this?

tech:
1: hunting
2: mining
3: bronze working
4: animal husbandry
5: wheel
6: horse-back riding
7: pottery - needed if starting to expand, plus surely we'll need cottages
8: fishing .. could go to 2: if needed
9: archery? please? if not, what else?

build:
1: Worker
2: Quechua
3: Scout
4: Worker
5: Settler
6: Barracks now?
7: Quechua (this time promoted)
8: 2nd Settler maybe

What is known about the map settings?

only this:

a) Difficulty?
Prince

b) All civs contactable before astronomy?
Mapmakers discretion but preferred.

e) Map type or mapmakers discretion? Anything in particular?
Mapmakers discretion, but preferably not tiny islands.

f) Barbarians?
We have 3 votes each way so i guess we can leave it up to the mapmaker!

[Sandover]

Horseback Riding and Archery are very situational. I'd suggest just leaving them be until there's a need for them and focus on expansion and economy meanwhile. Prince barbarians are a joke anyway, and techs like Writing and Mathematics do more for your civ.

Screw the barracks all together imo. On prince you're gonna want to expand, expand and expand. Barracks doesn't help you do that. Otherwise your build order looks solid.

[gingereagle1969]

Horseback Riding and Archery are very situational. I'd suggest just leaving them be until there's a need for them and focus on expansion and economy meanwhile. Prince barbarians are a joke anyway, and techs like Writing and Mathematics do more for your civ.

Screw the barracks all together imo. On prince you're gonna want to expand, expand and expand. Barracks doesn't help you do that. Otherwise your build order looks solid.

re-jig

tech:
1: Hunting
2: Mining
3: Bronze Working
4: Animal Husbandry
5: Wheel
6: Pottery
7: Fishing (if not needed earlier)
8: Writing
9: Mathematics

build:
1: Worker
2: Quechua
3: Scout
4: Worker
5: Settler
6: Quechua
7: Worker
8: 2nd Settler
9: Quechua

[gingereagle1969]

to relieve the boredom whilst waiting for the map .. here's an animated one (a close-up is available for later use)

[Ruff_Hi]

start ...

[gingereagle1969]

looks an awesome start .. will have to consider Calendar for an early-ish tech now & there's 3, 4, even 5 quick expansions .. excellent

[gingereagle1969]

OK, my first PBEM screen-shot:



Well, WakaWakaShaka is up & running, no point in moving the settler as good resources nearby, I've marked what the first pop will nab! As I can see a lot of the surrounding area, I see little need to go exploring with my only military unit [note to self: rename him next turn] so I've set him to defend .. I'll let the scouts go exploring once they are built, yes, as per the plan, I'm researching Hunting! As I'm already defending the city, I'll skip the Quechua in the list & build a Scout after the Worker, should have researched Mining [and started Bronze Working] by this point .. mmmm, there's GOLD in them there hills!!!!! May skip the 2nd Worker that's planned to go for a 2nd city early [see Ruff's post with my starting area, 1 square south of the Stone to the South-West looks pretty good .. I miss the Pigs in favour of the Cows, but I'll nab them by dove-tailing a city 1 South-West of the more Northern Cows ] .. dilemma!!!!

Ooh, looking at my tech schedule .. I'll drop Fishing [it's not going to be needed for a long time] and tech through Writing -> Mathematics -> Calendar after Bronze Working before going back to Animal Husbandry, Wheel -> Pottery, etc

[Sandover]

You should enable chops as soon as possible, and build plenty of workers. This start is all about deforesting.