Pre-thinking

All the information about the setup and the rules of Epic1 could be found there: http://realmsbeyond.net/civ/civ4-epic1.html.

The opening

Before deciding if settling Paris on the spot is the best idea, I decide to move the warrior 1 square north on the hill. With a better view, I discover goodies behind the hills with some wheat and real sea (compared to the lakes around the starting position). I move the settler on the same hill to found the city there to be able to get all the following advantages:

· Get the all 4 bonus (cow, stone, silk & corn).

· Being able to start working the (unimproved) silk which is the best tile around for now.

· Get the best possible production (2 hammers) from city square.

· Be able (much later) to turn the lakes into 3 food tiles.

Not founding next to the lake has some drawbacks, mainly the loose of 2 health, but with this difficulty level it should be under control. Also, not starting with the fishing technology did help moving away and not trying to get an early religion tech with the help of working the lake.

Paris is founded in 3960BC and I realise that something is not 'normal' with growth, cost, etc.

I guess this is the impact of the ‘Epic speed’ (which was not openly advertised but while reading the info thread I suspected that this game was on Epic speed, which I had never tried...)

With some Stone around, I would like to transform Paris into a Wonder city, but these are plans for probably a little bit latter.

The research is set on Animal Husbandry (to get the cow), and the production of ‘exploring’ warrior started (the initial idea was warriorx2 until growth, then a worker for improvement)

In 3840BC, the expansion of Paris borders gives maps from a (western) village and right after we get contact with the Mongolian Empire.

The first warrior is produced and sent exploring as well, while the third one will stay in Paris for defence.

In 3560BC, one of exploring warrior meets the Aztecs. That is 2 aggressive civilisations just right next to us, sheer luck, I don't think so, better be careful and pay attention to those 2.

After, the 2^nd warrior, Paris starts a barracks just for 2t until it grows to size 2 and then builds a worker. Animal Husbandry is discovered and research is set to Pottery (for granary).

Worker is finished at the same time as Pottery is discovered, growing is now the game, as this ‘epic’ growth is really slow, so a granary is ordered and the worker goes to capture a few cows. Research is then set to Mysticism then later to Masonry, with the idea to try to get Stonehenge as we have not a lot of things to build right now waiting while waiting to grow.

During all that time, our warriors were having some fights with wild animals, but in forest, they are promoting nicely (both up to Woodsman II in the end), and went to discover Karakorum (in 3400BC) and Tenochtitlan (in 2600BC).

In 2080 Paris reaches size 3 and the production is changed to settler to try to seal the west part of our lands (granary is put on hold with only 3t before completion).

On the religion side, Hinduism has just been founded (2120BC, which is very late) in ‘a distant land’, while Buddhism was founded very early (3520BC) and had convinced me that I had no good chance to get an early religion.

Paris’ first settler is done in 1750BC and founds Orleans in 1650BC (not in the best place around, but not bad anyway) and with just 1 border expansion it will seal the entire west and prevent anyone to steal our land and bonus (well except barbarians that is…). As you could see it the screenshot, we had met with Washington, a more ‘civilised’ AI and start researching mining to be able to cut tree and get something else than warriors.

In 1550BC, I start researching Bronze working, while a Mongol (settler-archer) pair is approaching but finally decide to try to steal our pig... rather than to cross the gap before it closes. The first barbarians are also spotted (still warriors).

In 1425BC Paris has finished its barracks and grows to size 5, I decide to spend the 5t it takes to build Stonehenge with focus on maximum production. Paris gets the Wonder in 1300BC and goes back to another warrior.

As Bronze is discovered (1075BC), I realised that there is no copper around, well except just next to the Mongolian city just at our door. Since I want more than warrior and both Iron and Horse are quite long to research, I start hunting for archery.

I lose my first unit, a warrior with woodman II, attacked by 2 archers in jungle while trying to see how strongly the barbarian cities were defended.

Paris finished its second settlers in 880BC and it goes to found Lyons on the south coast next to fish and cow. After discovering Archery, I start Fishing for Lyons. We had also met 2 others AI, the quite pacifist Gandhi and the less pacifist Alexander.

Paris starts building a few archers for defence, exploration and barbarians checking in the west and north because as Herodotus is saying “we are pathetic” even compared to “Gandhi the Great” (on the military point) and more important compared to our neighbour “Genghis Khan the Glorious” (who has axemen), just have to convince him to go after “Montezuma the Puny” (who is also lacking copper).

While this is a situation I am quite often in (being last on military) in the opening, even on slightly higher level, having no copper (and knowing neither Iron nor Horse) and being next to 2 aggressive AIs, is more worrying as I have no way of slowing any offensive (no defensive buffer) and no way of building any counteroffensive (no resource or tech to build anything that could deal with axemen).

Next page is here.