Epic2 – Eastern Gem Dealers

Pregame Analysis:

So, here we go with my first Epic, a wheeler-dealer game with Gems as the central theme.

Before opening the save I've been told that we're Asoka - which means Spiritual & Organised - of the Indians - Fast Workers - playing a Monarch Archipelago. I haven't played Spiritual for a while, so the lack of Anarchy will be a nice change and it seems like the Organised trait will be useful for this game for both it's cheap buildings and to promote expansion across the map.

From the start it appears that growth will not be too much of a problem w/Gold&Gems so close, and health from Cows&Fish. Not founding a religion will be interesting, especially as we have to change religions if asked. If we're to make use of religious civics, it will be important to spread around any religion which arrives on our shores, however maintaining good relations will other Civs will probably necessitate having no state for long periods.

Initial research will, of course, be driven by the surrounding resources; Cows will drive an early push for AH - probably via Hunting for speed as no Farmable resources are visible - and fishing/Sailing will be important for exploration & expansion. Not forgetting the all-important Iron Working which will give access to the Gems. A Worker build off the bat seems the logical start also.

On to the game…

Opening the save reveals that Dehli has been founded 1tile South of the starting position gaining us access to the Gems and the previously fogged Clams to the West, while revealing more Fish to the NE but out of reach. I’m not unhappy to be pre-founded as it gets past all that “well should I put the Capital here, or here, or here” indecision I always go through at the beginning of a game! I send the Warrior on a quick tour of all the nooks and crannies of the island revealing another Clam to the North and suggesting that a second city on the top corner to work the stone tile might be worthwhile.

When Dehli’s borders expand I spot Tundra tile to the NE, thus placing our Civ North of the Equator. This means that any additional Gems sources are likely to be to the South, and I will focus my initial exploration in that direction.

Since it’s Monday night at time of writing, I know that there’s a discussion going on about starting builds & research, so here’s mine:

Fast Worker -> Warrior(placeholder) -> Workboat(ExplorerDude) -> Workboat(Clams) -> Warrior -> Stonehenge(1t) -> Settler(completes in 2110BC) -> Galley -> Warrior -> Settler

Hunting -> AH -> Fishing -> BW -> Sailing -> Wheel -> Masonry -> IW

So I think a fairly average starting route, however I will add a small tweak that I’ll offer up for consideration: Worker due in 23t, AH due in 36t so I micromanage with judicious use of the Gold tile to time them on the same turn (3190BC) so the Worker can start immediate pasturisation. Weed or no:-You Decide!

As the Worker starts with the Cows, I set Dehli to max growth with a Warrior in the queue waiting for Fishing. Fishing turns to BW for Slavery (vital on this map type), Copper (Colossus), & chopping – though I’m not much of a chopper TBH – while Dehli starts on a Workboat. By the time the first WB finishes, Dehli is working the Cows & Gold so won’t grow before popping a second out so I christen him ExplorerDude and send him off to the SE.

Second WB completes and I stick in a turn of Stonehenge to let Dehli grow to 3 before starting on the first Settler. BW has come in (w/ no Copper in sight) and I decide to chop a forest to speed him up. Research then goes Sailing, Wheel, Masonry to get the Stone online & connected, followed by IW for the Gems & hoping to find metal.

Bombay was founded in 2050BC and starts on a Workboat for itself – due in 13t at zero growth. I’ve read a couple of reports talking about how much of a powerhouse they created out of Dehli, well I decided very early to split the production between the capital and Bombay; the forest S of the Stone stayed with Bombay, as did the Plains (especially once it’s resource was revealed) and the Plains hill switched cities several times. Maybe that’s not the best way, but I think that in the late game having two middling cities may have been better than just one good one. <Shrug>

And now for some pictures….

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