Starting Location Study

[jpk]

In the last game I played and the current game I wanted to see if a really good starting location made a difference. I custom editied a map so that I could plant a capital in a four whale location in 4000 BC. There was a huge river system so that the second city could be planted in another four special city in just a few moves. The locations for the next few cities were nearly as good. Furthermore, because I remembered the map I didn't have to waste time finding these great locations and I could get to them all via rivers. When I cheat I don't fool around!

In any event my technological advantage over the AI civilization was not significantly different from what it is in a normal game. During the first game I played to about 1 AD and in the current game it is about 1000 AD.

This suggests to me that a player gets "docked" for having good locations for cities. Any comments are welcome.

[SCG]

well, its been pointed out that the AI is programmed to try and keep pace with whatever you do techwise, so the AI is playing differently than when you were discovering more slowly, making it rather difficult to compare that way. If your tech is more advanced in the second game, then the starting knowledge did in fact help you.

And as a side note, sometimes when I go back and play an old, early saved game again, I find that sometimes _I_ play a lot differently, like not exploring places until later because the AI wasn't there the first time, only to find that they are well established there in the new game when I finally show up. There are a lot of factors that go into a game as it is played and it is very hard to duplicate much of them. Read some of the OCC logs to learn more about tech differentials - it can be quite informing

Edit: woowoo, my fellow settlers in my tribe elected me as chieftan Guess it pays to be outspoken
[This message has been edited by SCG (edited June 14, 2000).]

[tobyr]

I would think that if you can quickly found a first city with good natural production, you can seize an early advantage in exploring with the first military units you create. If you are near other civs, this may lead to quick, early military victories, or to finding huts before the AI finds them.

If you do not explore rapidly, or are not near other civs to begin with, you will not benefit in this way.

It sounds like the 4-whale test did not involve early contact with other civs. If so, I suggest you plant other civs and huts nearby and see it still makes little difference.

- toby


------------------
toby robison
criticalpaths@mindspring.com