Chevalier Takes the Reins

[Alhambram]

Alhambram: Inca, Persia, Korea, Australia

Hmmm...still don't know what to pick. Persia is out gates since I already played with them. Other three remains, I probably do some testgames this weekend to see whether one of three civs do match my playing style, if not then reroll.

[Alhambram]

After some testgames this weekend, my judgement:

Inca: good civ for science and religion and maybe military suprise with UU combined with early tunnels. But Inca is bit too map dependent, it needs many mountains to make things work.

Korea: best sciencemonger from my set of choices, very strong science generation. However district rules for Seowon can make things akward. UU is strong but can't attack same turn when it moves.
Seowon can give mines extra science and farms extra food for more growth. I don't think that Korea suits me, too strongly generated towards science, I rather have bit more balanced civ.

Australia: Also strong science civ, albeit little less than Korea, but it makes up with bonuses towards theater, commercial and holy sites too. So I can open in any way possible, go for science from start or attempt to get religion.
Also I can found along coast if there is strong spot without fresh water, giving me much needed flexibility. UU is bit late, but with 7 players, it is possible that this PBEM ventures into early modern age with replaceable parts which unlocks powerful Digger UU.
Culure bombs for pastures is nice, less gold needed to purchase tiles, it also gives room for outback station. Outback station is bit meh but can be useful at certain situations.

Yeah...I pick Australia for this PBEM. Australia Locked.

[Alhambram]

Let's watch Australia closer:

   

Citadel of Civiliization: 100% if someone declares war upon me or if I liberated a city. Declaring war upon me is straightforward, I can attempt to provoke other players by lowering my defenses while most of units in all cities are just 1 turn before finishing.
Upon DoW, finish all units in cities and enjoy remaining 9 turns of bonus boost. But this is risky because I need to move units towards enemies from city and lowered defense from start probably means loss of one or two front cities.
Other way to provoke them is by culture bombing horse tile. But generally other players want avoid DoW upon me unless they are absolute sure that they can eliminate me. So I need to keep up my military strength on par with others to make myself as spikey as possible.

Liberating cities only counts if I do liberate cities for other players or city states, so not liberating my former cities, so I shouldn't let my cities captured in first place. I might need to write down a list of conquered cities to know when I can make use of 100% bonus.
City states do announce themself be defeated, so I can look up at score for who did increase in empire score and write it upon my to do list. Same for who did lose cities, I can check decreasing empire scores.

Land Down Under: This power is core of Australia's gameplay, it is actually three powers.
1: +3 housing for coastal cities. This can be used in two ways: firstly a coastal city with river/lakes got instant 8 housing, I can skip granary for long time and spend production for other stuff.
Secondly use is settling coastal cities upon sites without freshwater, it gives instant 6 housing, this is actually more then standard housing of 5 when doing normal inland settling next river or lake.
It opens up possiblity to settle early coastal cities if it got good yields around, and with aquaduct cities without freshwater get 3 housing extra making total of 9 housing and with granary 11 housing.
Australia can create tall cities easily, the biggest roadblock is going be amenties here, I need to collect enough luxuries or other amenties boosting stuff of policies to keep cities happy.
Also I need to pay attention if possible not settle upon tiles with breathtaking appeal, instead save that tiles for districts.

2: Pastures trigger a culturebomb. A simple and straightforward power, this way I can save up gold in some situations, not always though. Also this causes tile picker pick other 2nd ring tiles faster.
Finally I can optionally steal tiles of other players, though other players might resort cash rush pastureable tiles to prevent culture bomb. I need to be bit nasty here while watching out for diplomatic consquences.
Australia got light starting bias to start closer horse/sheep/cow tiles, also bit more amount which makes God of Open Sky often good choice for Australia. With manmade map, this might be not the case.

3: This is the reason why players generally picks up Australia as civ to play with. Campuses, Theater Squares, Commerical Hubs and Holy Sites get extra adjaceny bonus based upon appeal, 1 for charming and 3 for breathtaking appeal.
Before looking at consquences for those districts, I attempt to lay out basics of appeal here. This is also meant for me to look up while playing Australia in PBEM upcoming months.


Appeal of a tile is based upon tiles adjacent that tile. Some feature or terrain types gives positive or negative points, same with districts and improvement.

+2: Natural Wonders (Uluru is +4), old woods (unchopped woods from before conservation civic), city parks (max out Governor Liang promotion tree), Eiffeltower wonder (empirewide!) and Charles Correa (information age GE and only tiles of 1 city).

+1: Coast, mountain, oasis, woods, entertainment complex, theater district, holy site, water park, any wonder and Alvar Aalto (Modern age GE, only tiles of 1 city).
river or lake do give +1 appeal but unlike above other features multiple rivers along tile, river+lake or 2 lakes don't stack.

-1: Floodplains, marsh, rainforests, pillaged improvements, mine, quarry, oil well, offshore oil rig, airstrip, aerodome, encampment, industrial zone and spaceport.

EDIT: Also add results of numbers:

+4 or more = Breathtaking tile 
+2 and +3 = Charming tile
-1 till +1 = Average tile
-3 till -2 = Uninviting tile
-4 or lower = Disgusting tile

Breathtaking tile = +3 adjaceny bonus for campuses, theater squares, commerical hubs and holy sites.
Charming tile =  +1 adjaceny bonus for campuses, theater squares, commerical hubs and holy sites.
Average or lower tile = no changes in adjaceny bonuses.

Summed up, +2 is only achieveable early by building district next natural wonder. Some things about this: building district upon tiles next natural wonder means losing potenial good tile yields.
I hope that I encounter type natural wonders that lacks yield bonuses next natural wonder or natural wonders that occupies 4 tiles which I can't build anything upon it. Pamukkale would be ungodly combination with Australia.
All other potential +2 appeal yields comes late, I can rush through Liang's promotion but it sacrifices promotions for Pingala for example and some tiles since I need build city parks upon them.

+1 is where I shall spend most of my time upon. Notice that theater square and holy site gives themselves +1 to tiles next them. Having theater districts and holy sites next each other isn't bad idea.
Entertainment complex don't get yields itself, however I might build one next theater district for Colosseum wonder. Note that wonders gives 1 appeal for tiles next them, so surround theater district with wonders and high yields are certain.
Mountain is obivious choice for campuses and holy sites, also optional for holy site is to place it middle in woods. If I get strong early faith generation, I might go for religion and after that classical golden age with monumentality dedication and spam settlers/workers.
Coast offers high yields for commerical hubs if I build it next harbor. Campuses are also interesting to build along coast, especially with reefs also giving 2+ adjaceny bonus. Strong commerical hub yields combined with adjacent harbors means I can pick Free Injuiry golden age dedication.
Woods giving appeal bonus means I need to be careful whether I want chop or not, probably better idea to build lumbermills there.

-1 is areas that I should avoid. Thankfully rainforests and marshes are removeable. I can plan ahead with districts even if appeal lens don't show favorable tiles due rainforests or marshes.
Floodplains is going be biggest pain for me, they can't be changed. Though ones next coast might be flooded and chnaged into coast by climate warming and appeal is going change from -1 to +1.
I should repair pillaged improvements as soon as possible. And finally pay attention for where I do place improvements or districts that lower the appeals.

Australia can potentially produce strong yields for science, culture, gold and faith, tall cities due housing bonus along coasts potentially means I can build more districts quickly.

Digger: replacement UU for infantry that got strength of 72 (bit stronger then default 70 strength of infantry). +5 strength outside my borders and +10 along coast. Stacked up it is basically infantry army with 87 strength.
Another advantage of Digger is lack of need for oil to produce and maintain the unit. Infantry needs 1 oil to build and 1 oil per turn  to maintain since G+S.
Oil needs Steel tech which goes to bottom of tech tree while replaceable parts tech is at upper tech tree. I can basically ignore bottom of tech tree and beeline for replaceable parts for Diggers.

Outback Station: It is unlocked by guilds, gives merely 11 when improved. It is sort of between farms and mines. +1 for every adjacent pasture, 1 for every adjacent pasture after steam power, also unlocked by steam power 1 for every 2 adjacent outback stations, finally 1 for every 2 adjacent outback stations with rapid development.
Summed up it don't look impressive and extra food and productions comes quite late. Outback stations can only be built upon flat grasslands, plains, desert and desert hills.
Ultimately the purpose of outback station is that it is sort of flatland mine without appeal penalty, so I can place them next districts safely.
They can be surprisingly strong at desert tiles in combination with Petra wonder.
I think that I won't use them much in PBEM, maybe if this ventures in late age, I might build more of them.

[Woden]

Confirm: Australia

[Alhambram]

Confirm: Australia

Yes, confirmed!

[Woden]

Here is your start...
   

[Alhambram]

Hmmm, I am not sure whether to settle upon spot or move 1 tile NW to settle upon plains hill.
I think that I am going move warrior 1W before deciding where to settle, spot NW of wheat tile might be strong spot similar as Eger in my Hungarian PBEM 16 game.

For now I am 50% sure to settle upon spot, start working rice tile till size 2, then go production heavy. However I need to buy 13 tile since tile picker shall choose cow, crab and whale tiles over strong production tiles.
I can go for builder from start and culture bomb cow tile to trigger faster tile picker for production heavy tiles.

Moving 1NW means I only needs to buy rice tile (or not if tile picker choose it first). More production heavy start.

As Australia I get 3 extra housing when settling at coastal tiles, but here production is less good comparded with settle in spot or moving NW, also misses out deer tile in 1st ring, altough 1st choice for tile picker. I choose strong early production capital over possible very tall capital at turn 150 or something.
It also occupies a potential strong spot for commerical hub. Also we are playing with 7 players, which means that game might be reach late game stages and navy is going be important. In that case it is better to have capital not coastal to prevent sniping.

Commerical hub can get breaktaking appeal 1E of settler (4), however I need harvest marsh from rice tile and not build quarry upon stone (harvest it) to remove double -1 which results in charming appeal (2).
Commerical hub get 4 appeals by having 2 coast tiles next it, a forest tile next it and finally along river. Then harvest crab and plant harbor there for total of 8 adjaceny bonus for that commerical district.

Other district that I possibly can use here is holy site: chop forest SW of deer resource and toss down holy site there for total of 5 adjaceny bonus as long I don't chop surrounding forests.
I can use double faith policy card to farm many faith for monumentality dedication, with it I can faith spam settlers and builders.

Theater square is still pending, depending where I do plan holy sites and wonders.

Campus is not good here, no mountains, reefs or geothermal fissures for huge bonuses. Maybe 2nd or 3rd city settle next such spot.

I shall make decision about settling city when I move warrior 1W.

[Alhambram]

Turn 1:

Moved warror 1W and it reveals nothing much except that river ends there.
   
If I move settler 1 NW, then it locks out any fresh water spot for 2nd city along river. So settle in spot then and start warrior in city.

I lay out potential districts:
   
That Campus spot is depending whether reefs are next it, otherwise long term plan.

Or I might attempt for early GS since:
   
Hypatia is one to claim as first GS.

TheArchduke who played before me, didn't settle on spot. His empire score is still 0, probably settling upon plains hill.

[Alhambram]

Preview of my opponents: this is a tough field with 7 of 5 players got at least a win under their belt in RB PBEM's of civ 6, TheArcduke and I got 2 wins, while TheBlackSword, Pindicator and Suboptimal won once. Cornflakes has civ experience while Kaiser only once partipacted which didn't go well for him. Everyone is probably hoping to have Kaiser as neighbor.

TheArchduke: Russia
Most regular guy at RB PBEM's, argessive play style, attacking city states or weak neighbor to snowball is his trademark, with varying success.
I am very familiar with Russia, I won with Russia in PBEM 2. Lavra means certain 1st religion unless China's Stonehenge is involved, it also is source of culture with GWAM generation.
Tundra gives Russia extra production and faith which is useful. Grand Embassy is least useful, but I did put it at very good use in PBEM 2 against advanced Woden.
Main reason to choose for Russia is of course its UU: Cossacks. Pair it with GG and opponent who isn't ahead in tech shall suffer nightmares from it.

How to counter Russia? Tech away from Russia is best play, having more advanced units then Cossacks minimizes the damage that Cossacks can inflict. On top of that my Australian Diggers is one of few units that Cossacks are going have problem fighting against it.
+5 strength of Diggers fighting outside my borders, neutralizes 5+ strength of Cossacks finghting in their borders. Along coast Diggers gains +10 strength. G+S made harder for opponets of Russia to combat Cossacks by forcing infantry resource maintaining costs in form of oil.
To unlock oil, you need research Steel which is another way from tech tree which leads to Replaceable parts for infantry. Australian Diggers don't need oil and I can ignore Steel.
At other side, battering ram and Cossack combo which I do use to good extent in PBEM 2 don't work here, since G+S changed rules: battering ram don't give bonuses for medevial walls or above.
Also use of support units are limited to melee and anti-cavalry units, same for Siege Tower to deal with Medieval walls.
That is at least one worry less, TheArchduke needs take bombards along Cossacks to crush Renassiance walls or urban defense. Or just crush walls with Cossacks alone, but if city defense is high (for example if I did get Digger online), then even Cossacks have diffculty to capture cities.


TheBlackSword: Cree
I played against him once and got trashed by him. He has many exprience playing civ 4 and at PBEM 13 he shows that he is good at empire building and meta gaming, making himself spiky for my Roman Legions.
Cree at other side is bit underwhelming choice. It do get good economic bonuses, allowing cities grow quick early with trade routes and its UB. Okihtcitaw, Cree's UU is just stronger scout replacement with free promotion.
However don't underestimate it, because it get free promotion and it can go for following 2 promotions: guerrllia to allow attack after moving and then 3rd promotion ambush which grants Okihtcitaw 20 strength!  
Suddenly it becomes a 3 moving, 40 strength unit, same strength as Legion with one more movement point.

But it has several weakness, firstly no special promotions to deal with other units for example battlecry, but at other side there isn't bonuses against scout type either. Oligrachy and GG don't stack with scout type.
Finally the big weakness is amount XP needed to reach Ambush: 90. Finding natural wonder is worth 10XP, double if survey policy is on. Then what? In single player with huts on, they are worth 5XP (10XP with survey).
Only option left is to find city state and attack it units to train. Using Guerrilla to move outside danger zone to heal up and keep farming XP.
But by the point that Cree player amassed enough Ambush powered Okihtcitaw, most players should have swords or horses already, making them less dangerous threat. They can used as annoying distraction or pillaging force but nothing more.

Aside insane early rush with Ambush powered UU, only way to win with Cree is outbuild your opponents using early economic bonuses, TheBlackSword might make this work.


Kaiser: Greece/Gorgo

Played once in PBEM where he did plant his 2nd city too agressievely forward, in civ 4 with whips it can be defended, but in civ 6 there isn't whips and Kaiser learned that by the hard way.
Now he is back, but undoubtely many players here are hoping that they ends up Kaiser's neighbor. But maybe Kaiser manage to suprise us all and crush prejudce that I (and probably others) have about him.

Gorgo's Greece is reliable choice for multiplayer PBEM's. It is good choice, just only nobody managed to win with it. Main cause of it is probably a lack of good UU to turn things around.
Hoplite is spearman replacement, which mean it suffers penalty against melee units which most players like to use. 2 Hoplites next each other eliminate -10 penalty and first promotion Thrust gives Hoplite another +10 against melee units, defeating warriors and equal with swordsmen.
With rules dictating that battering ram is only useable with melee and anti-cavalry units, Hoplite might be suprising effective with taking cities, I think that I did read somewhere that anti-cavalry units do get better damage against cities then melee.
Maybe Kaiser can suprise us with Hoplite use, but I don't see that happening.

Fortunately other powers are far more useful, extra wild card for flexibility. Unqiue distirct has become better comparded with PBEM 2, with Arcopolises also giving 2 envoys every time it is completed.
This gives Greece edge in city states competition, only civ that can beat in terms of envoys Greece is Hungary. Gorgo's culture farming by killing units make her far more suitable for multiplayer then Pericles who power cam be neutralized by razing city states.


Suboptimal: Nubia

Suboptimal has played some PBEM's, won one PBEM which only inexperienced players did particpate. I don't mean this as disrespect because Suboptimal did preform well in other PBEM's after this.
Nubia is strong choice, good bonuses for district build which gives Nubian player all options to play with. Bonuses for mines and UU is dangerous one for rushing.
In short every power of Nubia is good and there isn't any useless ones among them.

I did experience in duel with TheArchduke that Nubia is hard civ to attempt outgrow it. And it got production bonuses for ranged units for defense. Pitati archer can be used for rush or harassing opponents to slow down them while Nubia outbuild them.
To combat them, in first place get horses to able to catch them (horsemen 1st promotion include bonus against ranged units) and walls to deter any ideas for Nubian player.
Then if possible not allow them grow in peace, harass, threaten and bully Nubian player sometimes to force them build at other things than districts or economy.
It is tough civ to deal with and I hope that I am not next it.


Pindicator: Khmer

I played against him once, in PBEM 5 where he did suprise me by going for religion with America, 5+ home bonus and defender of faith (+10 back then), made it unconquerable wall to take.
After it he palyed some PBEM's, mostly moderate succes with empire building, only to be outgrown by someone else who did conquer to walk away with game.

Khmer strikes me as bit so,so choice. It is a civ that can go very tall, same as Inca which Pindicator did play previously. Unlike Inca which do emphasize science, Khmer rather go for religious play.
Probably Pindicator is planning to put holy sites along rivers and stack it with river goddess pantheon to get early high food, amenties and housing cities and then snowball along.
This works if Pindicator manages to find a lot river spots with a lot production which can converted in more fast districts or buildings. Bit map dependent which can be risky.

Its UU can be powerful, but no units to upgrade into Domrey's with and also no boosting policy cards for siege units. You need to bend entire empire into massbuilding them if you want wreck havoc with them.
Khmer's religious gameplay makes them main competition for Russia who to get first Great Prophet.
With 2 clear players going for religion, it is maybe better idea for me to not bend my civilzation to claim GP, my main goal for tossing down holy sites is farm faith for quick settlers and builders with Monumentality dedication, religion is for me just a bonus.



Cornflakes: Rome

Cornflakes, he never won PBEM, but he strikes me as player who can build well. Warfare seems to be his less good part, bashing his head into steadfast defense of TheArchduke in PBEM 16.
Neverthless he got good civ in form of Rome. Rome won twice, one with Sullla and then later with Rho21. Free monument is very powerful, same for Legions and Bath which gives Rome early housing and amenities.
I think that Rome requires little explantion since it is played much by people in PBEM's.
The trick of Rome is to use monuments to get early GG and strike in classical age with Legions and then maintain difference with baths in medieval age and later, never allowing others to catch up with you.
If Rome don't manages conquer well with Legions, then it is pretty over for Rome.

This is another civ that I don't want be neighbor of together with Nubia, high rushing potential and I would waste production into defense instead economic developments.


Summed up, I hope that I don't start next Nubia or Rome. Also I don't need to bend my civilization in attempt to go for religion.

[Alhambram]

Turn 2:

Warrior moved 2 tiles and oh, hello barbs...
   
Barb Camp should be within 3 tiles of barb scout south or west. Probably the best to deal with camp asap before it opens can of barb trouble.

And it seems that settle in spot is correct decision, warrior revealed two bananas and more wheats for 2nd spot. 2nd spot is going be powerful high food and high production city.
At appeal screenshot of turn 1, it reveals that spot warrior did stand upon at turn 1, is also breathtaking appeal tile, same as tile NW of deer tile.
I can place 2nd city holy site NW of deer and 2nd city commerical hub 1W of deer. Note that by chopping forest SW of deer for holy site do decrease 1W of deer appeal, but adjacent holy site gives itself appeal for commerical hub, so no damage done here.

Scoretracking reveals that 4 players (Alhambram, Suboptimal, Cornflakes and Kaiser) settled in spot while other three did move their settler (TheArchduke, TheBlackSword and Pindicator).
Some of players got score of 8, probably settle close floodplains or foolishly close volcano since disaster rate is turned on at level 4.