So i just downloaded the new stuff and loaded up a new deity game on the checkerboard map. I picked English for the extra naval support and attack and qukckly discovered each island supports around 3 or four cities and there are lots of good resources - at this point i wished i had picked Japanese or Indian. But there was no turning back now and i pressed on and began pumping out galleys and settlers until i had around 5 or six islands with at least two cities on them. I had a massive lead in cities but was way down on tech to the Greeks (no idea how they got so far ahead - weird how that happens sometimes). After a while i caught up (with the help of the great wall from angkor wat) and got the free galley from navigation and started searching the leftover unexplored areas of the map for atlantis. For the first game ever...NO ATLANTIS! That one hurt a bit as i had wasted some time looking for it.
But i wasn't worried as the Germans were going for a culture vic, and i had a lead in economy and science. The Russians were no where and the indians had like 3 cities so i figured i was home. Then the Great Wall expired. The Germans landed knights right next to my gold city and all i had was archers. I realised by the time i got rifleman in my cities (i already had gunpowder) it would be too late - the Germans were right next to my capital. So i conceded defeat and retired to shut down and think about what happened.
Here's what i have learnt.
1. Exploration isn't great. I only ended up with lots of caravans that i sold for gold. It is better to keep galleys close to home and use them to ferry settlers.
2. there are very few mountain ranges so production is tough to get - i couldn't find any city to get a quick leonardo's workshop.
3. Whales are everywhere and deserts pretty sparse - Spain anyone?
4. I'm thinking it would be better to stick to maybe 3 or 4 key islands with 3 to 4 cities on each otherwise it is too hard to move troops around. That 2 square movement for galeys hurts.
5. East India Trading Company is essential and awesome.
6. Dont get crazy with galleys. They lose effectiveness early and are easily picked off. I wasted a lot of production on galleys (i ended up with like 15) and then galleons kicked in and they were all useless.
7. Don't rely on Atlantis to bump you back into the tech race as there isn't one. I'm guessing it is because there aren't many ocean areas. That is assuming this wasn't a one off.
Civs that would be great for this:
Japan (extra food from sea)
Spain (harbours and whales and galleons)
English (sea attack)
Romans (expansion, wonders)
Chinese (expansion)
Indians (whales)
Greeks (extra food from sea)
Mongols (a lot of barbarians around and the islands are all high grassland so they will make for good city sites)
Civs that will struggle
Zulu (warrior advantages useless)
Egyptian (desert bonuses not useful)
Arabs (tough to attack early so fundamentalism weak)
Russia (area map useless cos all sea and map predictable anyway, plains advantage good though)
Average Civs - no great pros or cons
French
Aztecs
Americans
Germany (veterancy ok but productions bonuses weak)
That's all i can think of right now. Feel free to add your own experiences and lessons learned.
(If people think it is worthwhile i might try and expand on this and turn it into a full strategy for the new maps - depends on whether it will be useful.)
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Originally Posted by NominalAeon
