[SPOILERS] Mardoc gets back on the horse

[Mardoc]

Carthage! That's unexpected. I guess Cothons might be handy on a water-heavy map, but Fishing/Mining is quite the heavy price to pay for that. Unless getting to AH in time for the sheep from nothing is actually possible...yet another reason to sim.

As far as I can understand from reading your thread, the map will have a lot of water. Is that correct? With no FIN, I'd value ORG a lot in such a condition. It's free hammers (on a building you'll want everywhere) and commerce, hard to beat.

EXP is probably the best of the other traits avaiable, but even if you can't get EXP/ORG, I think I'd go for ORG.

Ooh, I knew I was forgetting one of the powerhouse traits. My only hesitation is that it doesn't push me out of my comfort zone like Phi or Ind might. But then, maybe having no clear plan *is* out of my comfort zone in itself...

I guess I can always try someone like Roosevelt or Frederick if Mehmed falls. Or Zara, to go for something completely different. I'd have to give up on the idea of basing my game around a wonder, but that's probably safer anyway.

It seems like a hard start, since you need AH and you always want BW and pottery. At least you have unforested hills, if you want to skip BW for a bit. I'd try some sims to see what works, because I don't think going by gut is advisable (as it seems there's no obvious right path).

It's funny, yes. So many options that it's not clear the best route. Commodore could have made it obvious if he'd given us corn/fish, but instead there's going to have to be thinking .

Ah, if you don't start with hunting, I'd probably not tech it before AH.

Agreed. I mostly only mentioned it because Hunting is cheap and hence not as many free beakers. But since we want AH, that gives us some of the beakers back. Still, I don't think Impi or Immortal is the right fit for a naval map, so I'm not too tempted.

I'm commenting in retep style, it seems.

Glad to have your thoughts!

[Qgqqqqq]

Every time your thread updates, I think you've started a game as Hippus

[Mardoc]

Nah, if I'm talked into FFH again, I'll be playing one of the exotics, preferably one that's been changed a lot by EitB.

[Mardoc]

Any idea on how big this map is? Early hunting is valuable on tight maps but a liability on spacious maps, IMHO...

... starting island,.... I've been working on a cylindrical setup where every player is isolated. I'm looking at something certainly smaller than the *vast* recent spate of Pitbeese, but slightly larger than the 10 cities per player average as well.

I'm curious why you say Hunting depends on map size, though. For spears? A chariot rush is the least of my worries on this map. It's more the ability to use the deer and any other resources around, that it'd be worth considering. Well, and if it were a bigger game, with less likelihood of getting the civ I want. Realistically, it's going to be Wheel or Mining, because as Ichabod says, I need AH, Pottery, and Bronze most urgently, and the rest can afford a delay.

[flugauto]

Miguelito has picked Carthage. Has he a fishing start? Or is it only to have Cothon? Anyway, he has to take an expansive leader now, but he, most likely, will not have Mehmed, will not have ORG.

[Mardoc]

Commodore says all our starts are identical. So Miguelito ought not have any fish visible. Either it's Cothons/Numidians, or it's a rush to get to the mainland, or it's something I haven't thought of.

Edit: But yeah, he won't have Mehmed. I think Mehmed is my first choice if he's still available.

[flugauto]

Do you want to irrigate the corn?

[Mardoc]

Good question. Yes, of course...but probably not as much as I want to have a riverside town to run through Bureaucracy. If I can irrigate it from the far side, that'll be worthwhile, but I don't think it's worth giving up early commerce in exchange for late food.

[flugauto]

The SIP BFC food:
-5 from 5 plains
-2 from 2 ghills
-1 from phill with winery
>>-8 food

+3 dry corn
+2 plain sheep
+1 lake with lighthouse
+1 fp
>>+7 food

[flugauto]

Alhazard has chosen Exp/Org, that sounds like Mehmed.