[spoiler] Which Color for my Theme?

[Ruff_Hi]

I typically create a separate customassets and screenshot and then use my 'quick customasset changer' to flip between them.

The big questions for this game ... before I get into the other big questions ... is which font, which color, how much transparency to use? I also need to think about game concept ... is this a themed game like my banana man game ... or just straight Civ4?

[Ruff_Hi]

Turn 0

[Ruff_Hi]

Here is a screenshot of the map ... the only change is that the stone is not on a hill.

The settler starts on the aluminium hill. Notice that it not in the center of the map. I'll have to see how the rotation works. The red box is the extent of the map and is just mirrored four times.

[Ruff_Hi]

Here are some interesting screenshots ...

Strategic Resources (settler on the Aluminium) ...

Luxury Resources ...

Food Resources ...

Starting Positions ...

Natural Boundaries ...

Interesting Option ...

[Ruff_Hi]

I don't see this as being a very long game. It will either be settled by someone super expanding and snowballing to a commanding lead or by some aggressive moves with early units (axes and cats). If it goes the second route, will there be time for the 5th city? Also, looking at the map, hammers might be hard to come by.

Anyone got any thoughts to share on that?

[Ruff_Hi]

Re traits ...

• CRE is always going to be strong on this map
  
• SPI might even get a look in with it being a 'quick' game
  • that said, if the game is over quickly (see post above) then SPI is less important
    
• FIN / ORG - commerce is the critical component in these games
  • what sort of upkeep should I expect from this map?
    
  • I'll run a sim later today and test it
    
• Others - happiness might be an issue but that will go away once we get into Hed Rule and start building units
  

Starting Techs - Agric, Mining and Wheel for me. Fishing would be nice but is cheap. I have settled on China (Mining, Agric, Cho-Ko-Nu, Pavilion) as my civilization ... mainly as it has nice starting techs and a very strong and not too distant UU.

I might do something off the wall and go Gilgamesh for Protective Cho-Ko-Nu.

[Ruff_Hi]

I just spent some time with this map and game settings. Are we crazy? If you put together an empire (ha!) like this ...



... then your expenses are 39 gold per turn. That is 31 (20 from distance, 11 from number of cities) in city maintenance and 8 in Civic Upkeep. If you select Organized then the Civic Upkeep drops to 3 (it was 1, 1, 2, 2, 2 for 8 and 0, 0, 1, 1, 1 for 3 with the 50% savings). Org doesn't seem to pull much weight - slightly more if you add in the cheaper courthouses.

Financial will help with the incoming cash.

I certainly can't waste a trait on Protective - even if it would be fun playing with that set up. The question I have now is ... can I afford to waste a trait on Creative? Will I be better served to use two traits to combat the maintenance costs?

Is there a 3rd option?

[SevenSpirits]

Just a note, higher pop increases maintenance too and you're not going to have just cities with 1 pop. I think with realistic pop numbers for that level of expansion you'd see a much bigger effect from ORG.

[Ruff_Hi]

Thanks Seven ... that is a good point.

My 3rd option was running a Specialist Economy. That really needs Representation, which means the Mids and stone is a fair way away. My thinking here was Creative (border pops and cheap libraries) and Philosophical for upping my GP production ... but that selection really needs the Mids. That is too many eggs in one basket.

So ... Elizabeth it is ... Financial (which gives me options) and Philosophical for running a Specialist Economy. It should provide me with some flexibility.

[Ruff_Hi]

Game Started!

We also have a WB version of the game so that we can sim until our eyes drop out. I have started a new custom asset folder for my sim and deleted Blue Marble so that I can tell the difference between the real game and my sim (Edit: Actually - I am going to load up my RB BUG mod into the sim so that I can use some of the BUG features like 'Strategic Layer' and 'Field of View')

Settled in place, wheel tech selected (heading to pottery for early cottages), started a worker. Archers fortified (what else do you do with them?) and warrior sent out to find the others (see projected route below).