[SPOILER] Dark Savant's thread: Competition for limited resources remains a constant

[JR4]

It looks like the game is about to start and if you are right about bordering exactly two civs then it goes without saying that the neighbour lottery will matter a lot. I mean, bordering two new players compared to bordering Old Harry and Krill for example - that`s a massive difference. Actually, I`d say that Old Harry and Gavagai are the worst neighbours for different reasons. Old Harry is just so ruthless and could turn from "let`s be friends mode" to "I`m going to take out your core in three turns mode" quickly. Gavagai is totally unpredictable and very aggressive (well, you knew that already!) so that better be someone else`s problem. Superdeath`s combo does look rather frightening I must say but it should be possible to outplay him long term. I`m quite confident that he`d look to attack someone else with Skirmishers running around (but, yes, he could consider a crazy early rush which will be hard to stop).

[Dark Savant]

It looks like the game is about to start and if you are right about bordering exactly two civs then it goes without saying that the neighbour lottery will matter a lot. I mean, bordering two new players compared to bordering Old Harry and Krill for example - that`s a massive difference. Actually, I`d say that Old Harry and Gavagai are the worst neighbours for different reasons. Old Harry is just so ruthless and could turn from "let`s be friends mode" to "I`m going to take out your core in three turns mode" quickly. Gavagai is totally unpredictable and very aggressive (well, you knew that already!) so that better be someone else`s problem. Superdeath`s combo does look rather frightening I must say but it should be possible to outplay him long term. I`m quite confident that he`d look to attack someone else with Skirmishers running around (but, yes, he could consider a crazy early rush which will be hard to stop).

The next most likely is just one land neighbor, usually at the end of a long stringy landmass.

It's also not that unlikely that any land neighbor is 18+ tiles away, giving us plenty of space.  Even if it's less than that, scouts will likely end up poking into multiple dead ends before they find the narrow passage to a neighbor.

Attacks via galley are significantly stronger, though, as anyone can get circumnavigation (assuming that's available), and +1 movement on boats is significantly easier to promote to.  A lot of safe backline cities won't be later on, even well before galleons.

[Cornflakes]

A History of Civilization: Not Settling In Place

I'm curious about your thoughts on not settling in place in Civ 6?

[Dark Savant]

A History of Civilization: Not Settling In Place

I'm curious about your thoughts on not settling in place in Civ 6?

I haven't played it!

I got all set up to play it, then got distracted by real life and other games.

Too many games, not enough time to play them.  

[Dark Savant]

Today I proved that a recently discovered bug has actually existed for a long time.

At least this one isn't my fault.  

My code does get widely distributed enough that if I make a mistake, a Reddit thread devoted to my mistake may appear.  (Yes, that's happened.)

[taotao]

A couple of semi-random thoughts/ramblings regarding the start.

The capital is fairly weak.
Initially it's decent enough: 2h plant, 1 6fh and 1 5fh (without lighthouse) resource plus several forests makes an ok starter, but long-term this won't carry your empire. I guess Moai is possible as industrious, but I generally want more seafood or lighthouse lake tiles for that wonder.
Going 1N would make the cap a good future NE, but I don't believe the benefits are enough to warrant the much slower start.

That northern fish got me thinking though. If close land isn't all that great you might well settle your second city 1E and 3 or 4N. If you could squeeze out a second wb right after the settler you'd get a really fast developing second city and there's also the possibility of a quick Stonehenge in your second city* (workers can to some extent chop instead of improve food). Is it worth it to replace your first warrior with hammers into a wb? The downside is of course that you won't have a warrior and would need the scout to cover workers/the settler. As everyone now starts with a scout and yours is likely to survive until this point I believe that would still be ok, but I'll admit to there being unknowns in this game (such as beardbeard) which we simply don't know how aggressive they'll be. 

With respect to leader/civ choice and wonderchasing I should also voice a small concern that I'm afraid you'll end up chasing too many rabbits. Especially regarding tech. Generally you'll always want a fairly early currency (even more so with cheap markets?). Then you'd want an early metal casting for your industrious mints. Unless you find decent happiness resources nearby (happens quite often on regular B&S) you might need early monarchy. For SH you need early mysticism. For GLH early masonry and sailing. Oracle needs much of the religious line. Archery for your skirms.
Point being here you might become tech restrained regarding expansion / crash your economy ((or neglect expanding in favour of wonder chopping)). In that sense it's good that both GLH are Oracle are economic wonders, but they're definitely risks. Perhaps not if you lose them on the last turn (failgold could still be ok), but more that you've researched unnecessary techs? 

IF you build SH and IF you get Oracle, is it worth it to take Code of Laws just for the shrine? 
That means no early MC and no Mids, but the economy can be recovered when the shrine comes online and expensive courthouses become ok builds...

Is sight of a "settleable" island the trigger for choosing GLH as a target? (the capital will eventually want a regular lighthouse (=sailing), but with other priorities I'd doubt it coming very early unless there are other benefits to be had) 


*I'd prefer SH in 2nd or 3rd city as the culture will be much more useful over there

[Dark Savant]

Yeah, Stonehenge in a coastal city pumps out a lot of culture into nothing.

And Mysticism for it may have to come early, anyway.  Researching it isn't the huge bother it can be in normal Beyond the Sword.

I don't think chasing Stonehenge and one of the Oracle or the Great Lighthouse is out of the question.  It's both of the latter two that's out.

Anyway, I logged in and had a couple technical hiccups.

Turn 0 (4000 BC) - Part 1

I moved the scout.  How likely is it that I'll see good reason to move?



Well huh, there is gold there.  

Should I move the settler?  1N of the original plant site is a far stronger capital.

It does pretty much commit us to work boat first, but that's not a huge deal itself.  I do wonder if it might orphan unseen food out of range of the scout, but that fish already looks to be in an awkward position if I don't move.

I'm inclined to move the settler, but I have a bit of time to think about this since a few other people have yet to move.

I think I have to move within about an hour, because I might hold up the game if I don't (I'm leaving for work about then).

[JR4]

Wow, a riverside Gold? Moving north looks tempting indeed as that Gold would give a lot of early commerce, not to speak of the long term benefits of having a strong Bureaucracy capital.

[Dark Savant]

Wow, a riverside Gold? Moving north looks tempting indeed as that Gold would give a lot of early commerce, not to speak of the long term benefits of having a strong commerce capital.

Yeah, I see much better reasons for moving than not moving.

It's much stronger for production in the long run, even, since I gain minable hills, plural.

I lose ... four ocean tiles. 

I'm not sure how the early-game micro will work out (I'll barely have time to plan this before I leave for vacation on Sunday), but I think I have to do it.

[Dark Savant]

Turn 0 (4000 BC) - Part 2

I don't see good enough reasons not to move the settler.  It goes for a walk.    

It's a good thing that forested plains hill is right there; it means that with RtR-Expansive we can produce a work boat in 6 turns.  (A worker would take 12.)

C&D

Elkad now has Fishing and not Hunting.

The 11 other players who have already ended turn all settled in placeedit: planted this turn.

This map is ~69% water, so circumnavigation is in play.

A population point is worth 1.653 score points.