4000BC-1AD
I settle on the spot, because it looks like a great one. I’m
somewhat nervous about making a grab for a religion as the starting move, due
to the sheer number of civs in play here. But it seems fairly crucial for the
cultural strategy, so I start research on Mysticism and aim for Hinduism. I start
production on a worker first to make use of that corn.
I quickly meet Isabella (bad news for my hopes for getting a
religion quickly) in 3970, Greece
in 3700, Peter and Saladin in 3550.
Wow, crowded in here. Japan
in 3370, and Caesar in 3340! Fun crowd we’ve surrounded by. This is also the
turn my worker finally finishes. Meanwhile, my exploring warrior ends his turn
by a bear, with predictable results.
As you can see, I’m getting near to Hinduism. I got a little
nervous when Buddhism was FIDL in 3560 to Isabella, but it seems that no one
else got the memo that this was a culture only game, because I get to it in
3130. Research starts on Animal Husbandry, because I want to Husband that cow
over there. Hmm, I ought rephrase that…
I produce a warrior and a half while Washington grows fat off of that corn, and
switch to a settler after it grows to size three. While my warrior is off
exploring the jungle-y north, the enemy is sighted to the south. Never have I
fully realized how right Steven Colbert is.
After animal husbandry comes in (hey, horses to the
northeast), I switch to mining, because my worker is becoming mighty bored. I
had him pre-farming sites along the river pre-AH since there was nothing else
to do. Oh, and I met Mongolia
on 2770. I hope he’s far away….
The Settler founds New
York in 2200. I had to deliberate for awhile on where
to put this city – part of me wanted to make use of the flood plains to the
south, but the site near the horses seemed more advantageous. It would have
immediate trade access with Washington,
and more land down the road. Besides, I was going to pump out another settler
soon…I’m nervous I picked a bad spot though, because I have done very little
scouting thus far.
Washington
starts on that second settler once it hits size 4 (I spent the interim time
working on a warrior and then a few turns on the Parthenon). Aaand we have our
first war in 2020, when Isabella declares on the Aztecs! The Incans show up in
1870. I research Bronze Working after Mining (all I got from the two huts I got
to was some gold). That finishes in 1810, and I’m delighted to see that we have
copper near Washington!
Wanting to fill in my other tech holes, Writing and then Alphabet are next on
the agenda.
More early diplomacy fun happens, as I encounter Egypt in 1780, and then get my first chance to
disappoint an AI as Montezuma asks for my help against Spain. I have
been making warriors in New York ever since its founding, but that still puts
my army in the “pitiful” stage (New York is already sick from the jungles! I
need Iron Working badly), so I decline.
Washington
finishes up that Settler, and starts working on the Parthenon (there might have
been another warrior in there somewhere, I forget). While the Settler heads for
the flood plains spot to the south before Saladin can get to it, he has to take
a detour and wait for some military backup when some barb warriors show up!
Fortunately he doesn’t have to wait too long thanks to one
of Hatty’s warriors, and Boston
is founded in 1600 here:
Meanwhile, Isabella had come to us in 1630 to ask for help
against Montezuma…I agonize over this decision for awhile. Decline and I am in
the stupid “piss off all sides” trap. On the other hand, my failure to scout
very well (I’m paranoid) means that I don’t know where everyone is, so it is
hard for me to make this strategic decision. If I had known that Montezuma was
further north than Isabella, I probably would have accepted to get her on my
side. As it is I decline.
Hinduism FINALLY spreads to New York, which is now working on a Settler
of its own after producing a few warriors. I had held off on switching
religions until it was necessary, but I do so now so that Washington can continue to grow while
working on the wonder. This is a pretty powerful city:
Germany
makes contact on 1480, and I discover writing the next turn. Meanwhile my
workers chop a couple of forests to speed the Parthenon along. I saw a forum
post somewhere where the switch to balance chopping a little by delaying half
of the benefit until Mathematics was described as a “clumsy” one…but I actually
think that is fairly logical. I have an infinitely easier time accepting that
knowing math makes people more efficient at clear-cutting (long division: the
Spotted Owl’s archnemesis) than I do believing that cutting down a forest makes
the Parthenon appear faster. My musings are interrupted by Livy’s greatest work
ever (his greatest work is just a list? That kind of blows): which shows that
I’m only 3rd in culture!! In a culture game! This blow to my pride
shall only aid my efforts to sell people Big Macs and find poor countries to
make Nike shoes for me. My culture shall spread!!!!
Pyramids fall (I never made a push for them)..and before Stonehenge! Don’t recall seeing that before. Montezuma
switches to Police State the next turn (yikes), so he’s the culprit. Fortunately
I get a wonder of my own in 850 with the Parthenon:
A settler that New
York produced went south to the rice spot and settled
(on a hill, to give me at least one easily defendable spot).
Given the food heavy presence in Washington and Boston’s
many flood plains, I start to make good use of the whip to get libraries out in
both, and then a 3rd worker (New York was building the 2nd).
My lack of a good army is really starting to worry me though, especially when a
ton of barbs come out of the fog near New
York. Thanks to a nearby German warrior, and also to
a bit of luck, I get by unscathed.
FINALLY I get the Alphabet in 730, and I do some massive wheeling
and dealing. Writing nets me The Wheel and Hunting from Saladin, and Masonry
from the Incans. Peter gives me Meditation for Polytheism. Meanwhile, I’m still
struggling to deal with barbs and whatnot; not enough military to stop
pillaging. Fortunately Alex steps in and defends my horses for me!!
He further extends his usefulness by giving me Iron Working
for Meditation and Polytheism. And the Incans give me archery for meditation
(Leonard Nemoy reminds us all that boomerangs are stupid). Meanwhile, here’s a
look at how much this Boston
spot was driving my early-game economy.
Below is a snapshot of my first four cities.
Frankly I hadn’t done a ton of long-term planning as far as
what city would serve as which, but looking at Philadelphia I decide to make it one of my
three tourist locations. Given that this game would be much more about
production power than commerce to drive culture, Philadelphia seems like a strong location. As
far as the 3rd spot, I settle on Boston
over New York, largely because the jungle
surroundings will cap New York’s
productivity for some time, and I envisioned using it as a science city. This
decision might in hindsight have been bad one, since New York’s location gets pretty productive
as time goes on. But I couldn’t have mined and defended those jungle hills
early on, and I wanted to get my culture cities up and running. And in further
hindsight, given all of the pillaging that was to plague New York for some period of time….maybe I
made the right call. Meanwhile, here’s a shot from a few turns later – this
shows me researching Code of Laws (having just gotten Monotheism). It also
shows Corinth
to the West, trying (unsuccessfully) to take that iron. It is absurd that this
city got hammered by Washington’s
immense culture for such a long time, but never flips to me (at least, not of
its own accord…. )
I finish the Oracle, which tells me that I am the wisest man
in Athens
because I know that I know nothing. Wait a minute…that was Socrates! (Sorry,
had to work in a bad philosophy joke). Fortunately, this Oracle is useful and
gives me Metal Casting.
Code of Laws is discovered on 295, which makes Philly the Confucian Holy City!
I’m feeling pretty prosperous across the board here. Got my second religion,
score is high, my tech lead is fairly dominant…however, the Incans soon join
the Mongols and the Egyptians in Judaism. Quite a religious bloc forming…while
I haven’t managed to spread Hinduism anywhere! (Part of this problem was that I
wanted to get Boston
converted to Hinduism, but I had three attempts to spread it fail. I only had
one other religion there! It was an awful run of luck that significantly slowed
my other-civ Hinduism spread). This is another casualty of my not having much
of an idea where anything is. I can’t blame all my scouting woes on losing my
first warrior to a bear early on – I was just being plain lazy! But I quickly
forget about this concern when Homer pops up in Washington in 250 BC!
I immediately send him off to join Boston. Hooray for culture! Why are great
people immortal if you have them settle down, but die immediately if they do
anything else? Is the stress of rushing wonders/researching things/brokering
big trades so high that they immediate get hooked on meds and soon overdose? If
one’s longevity is inversely proportionate to their productivity, then I shall
look forward to a life-span measured in the millennia. My civ, however, will
have a much shorter life-span if I continue on as I am with regards to unit
building…I’m not even on the most powerful list!
A few bits of good news emerge on the religion front:
Confucianism spreads to Peter naturally, and he switches to that…while I take
advantage of Saladin’s open borders to get Hinduism in Mecca, which he switches to. Back in pagan
news, I finish Literature research in 100BC, and start on Civil Service. My
cities are primarily pumping out libraries and axemen (someone’s gotta chop
down the trees to make those books), and I add another to the flock with Atlanta.
go on to Act 2
