08-03-2003 04:03									#1
	Scouting: South or West? Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

Where do you think we should put our priority in scouting, south or west?

Please explain why you chose one or the other as well.

	08-03-2003 04:19									#2
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This issue needs to be connected with the order we pop the huts in, because as long as we don't get barbs from the furst hut, the location of the second hut we pop will be our starting point for further scouting. So we're not just choosing a direction; we're also choosing a starting point. And assuming we pop both huts with the warrior currently on the scene (which seems to be the preferred option), we'll have seen the area immediately surrounding both huts by the time we resume normal scouting operations.

Nathan

	08-03-2003 04:27									#3
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[Note: I tracked down a thread indicating we're playing on a "continents" setting, in case anyone else hasn't heard.]

South has the advantage of probably finding our nearest neighbor earlier. West has the advantage of learning more about the shape of our continent more quickly, which could be especially useful if our continent is L-shaped or something along those lines. If the continent is in fact wide enough for two civs farther south, west would also give us contact with two neighbors relatively early. But if we go west, we'll probably need to send another warriour south to make contact with our presumed southern neighbor fairly early. (Then again, we need to explore more along our east coast anyhow.)

Nathan

	08-03-2003 04:29									#4
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By the way, I'm not voting just yet because I do see good arguments either way. (I'd rather leave some time for other people's thoughts on the matter to persuade me.)

	08-03-2003 04:42									#5
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The scouting issue and the hut-popping-order issue are one in the same, as you mentioned.

I prefer south, personally, because that's where I bet the most important information lies. Finding another team (or lack thereof) ASAP is a scouting priority, and heading directly down the continent to look for any possible teams would be the best way to do that. Finding the shape of our continent is really a job once the Warrior scouts have already made their important rounds, and are coming back north and need something to do. Whatever lies south of the jungle won't be tangibly useful to us for quite some time, until we manage to become the masters of the jungle. Getting contact with another team is a tangible result. Finding that our continent pans out to the west quite a ways (or doesn't), isn't yet pivotal information. If the continent doesn't expand wider, then we end up on the coast and have to back-track to the east to find other team(s). The way I see it, the ending goal for any scouting trip will be in the south-central part of this continent, and the shortest path between two points is always a straight line...

Well, unless you have to cross water.

	08-03-2003 04:48									#6
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I think it is better to go west. If we have a civ to our south, they will have just as much difficulty going through the jungle as we do, so there won't be much in the way of trade until we both build harbours (unless we both want a slog through the jungle building the roads). Even if they want to invade us, they will have to send their army one square at the time, even for horsemen or knights. So we are safe from them for a long while.

But if we have a civilization to our west, then roads will be easier to build if we want to trade with them, and war will be easier to conduct (at least with horsemen).

Also, of the two directions, the west is easier to expand to. So it is vitally important to find out if there is anyone to the west who will prevent our expansion.

	08-03-2003 04:51									#7
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The jungle lies to our south either way. Finding other teams is vital in the early game for two reasons, neither of which you've mentioned: Tech trading and establishing solid contact.

Tech trading is the biggest issue in the PTW DG. Countries that are incredibly friendly with each other can become bitter enemies over tech issues. The earlier we find other teams, the more we can trade with them. With the shape of the continent as we know it, we know that if there is another civ to the south of us, the closest way to get to them will be directly south.

Establishing contact means border agreements, alliances, trading of other information (who might lie to the east or west of that team we find?), which is also vital early on.

I feel that this is probably the one area where Aeson and I will actually agree upon here: finding other teams ASAP is our biggest scouting priority.

	08-03-2003 04:56									#8
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I like South because there seems to be more jungle in that direction and I think that we're more likely to find another Civ in that direction because of it. I'm always seeing Civ's seperated by jungle.

	08-03-2003 05:10									#9
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Go South. I think we will gain more useful info about our landmass that way and like bigree said, we aer more likely to meet another civ that way. Besides it doesnt seem like there is much land due west of us and north of the jungle anyways and just going west through jungle I find to be pointless.

	08-03-2003 14:16									#10
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both

but I say south first. to see how big that jungle can possibly be

	08-03-2003 22:01									#11
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South - duh

Our nothern warrior is very close to the northeastern edge of our landmass and will be traveling to the western edge soon anyway. (Possible exception if the northern most goody hut yeilds a settler.)

	09-03-2003 06:38									#12
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hi ,

south and west should be done at the same time , ....

have a nice day