castledoom.com

[JuntaJoe]

Why?

Contests are about winning, not aesthetics.

How about a description on how you did it and a pic of the island?

[Brf]

I will get a picture once I get home. I saved it just before the end.

I built a second Construction office first, halfway between the palace and the two middle farms, which I switched to coffee.

I got the gold up and running... I dont know what Estio was talking about with the Goldmine being positioned properly. I just put it there at the top of the hill next to the deposit, with the dark-green gold indicator around it. The gold-mine's dock is in the back, so the minors were practically running back and forth with the gold in a little straight line.

I built a papaya, tenement, and pub next to the embassee. I didnt build an immigration office this game.... I also forgot to turn on Russian Aid.

The gold started cashing in, so I built an apartment for the diplomats, the soldiers, and the two doctors. I also built a clinic, two fishing piers, and two more coffees just downhill from the goldmine.

I started thinking about services now. The clinic was a must... but I figured could do without schools if I kept liberty high enough. Education is not one of the "needs" that causes happiness, unlike religion.... Now I built the church and bought all four priests.

Coffee started pouring in. This game I built no cannery. The value-added is too low to make up for the extra cost of hiring or educating the workers on this map.

I decided against adding the second dock at the far end of the island.... Instead I built the one at the top that you can see in the picture.... along with its own construction office, teamster, and three additional coffees.

Elections....
First election I raised pay from 5/10 to 6/11 and that was enough.
Second election I raised pay to 7/12 and threw in a tax-cut.
The other elections, I just put in $1 raises if I needed it... The very last election I did nothing and would have won anyway had the game not ended.

Services:

I kept building tenements, to keep them out of shacks. I raised the rents to 30 and dropped back to two twice in the game, to make sure the dock-workers lived close to work.

I kept the church and clinic full by hiring new workers as needed.

I built a school in the late 70s, but kept the slots blocked. This shut them up about there being no school.

The Capitalists were moaning about the island running off coffee alone, so I built a bank with blocked slots. When they moaned about the elite living in poor housing, I built a blue-house next to the bank and hired one banker. For good measure, I also built blue-houses for the two doctors.

[estio]

what I meant on the gold mine you explained yourself - the dock is on the back. That means you built it on the opposite side of what I've done for the most $$$. I think on your side my best was around 110 to 120 in gold. On the otherside - where the dock is right by the mining area, I was in the high 100,000's (If I remember correctly.)

It takes longer to build but it is more efficient.

I didn't get any play time last night so maybe tonight...

[JuntaJoe]

I always set my gold mines so that the front of the mine faces the deposit. I never place the mine right on top of the deposit as then the miners can't dig on the sweet spot.

Sounds like you decided to switch to my tactics, if not my layout.

A low tech island pouring out the raw product. Everything else is just the minimum to get by on the elections.

[Brf]

Actually, I had the dock next to the gold deposit.... The miners only had to pick up the gold, take a few steps, and then drop the gold.... From what I saw when the builders were putting up the mine, there is a huge flat spot in the front of the mine that has no building on it, but counts as part of the mine. I wonder if you put that empty spot on top of the gold, if they then cannot mine it?

Here is a picture of my whole island, and a closeup of the mine (with palace for reference) . In the rotation, you can see the pit they have dug by now and the "OK" squares which are not being mined because they are covered by the small border behind the mine. The border in the front of the mine is much larger, and shows in the first picture as the flat area in front.

[JuntaJoe]

Well, you certainly got more gold out of the mine than I did.

It seems like an interesting island to test placement theories on mines.

I always put the deposit right in front of the mine, whereas yours sits a little on top of it.


Regardless, you certainly blew away my old score and unless someone trumps you before Friday then you get the win and the ribbon.

And the privilege of starting the thread for your tiny island scenario that I'm sooooo gonna win. :wink:

[Brf]

JuntaJoe wrote: unless someone trumps you before Friday then you get the win and the ribbon.

And the privilege of starting the thread for your tiny island scenario that I'm sooooo gonna win. :wink:

Before Friday? Do you mean today? or are you stretching it all the way until the 18th?


As for your winning String of Pearls... I say "Ha!". You will be lucky to even finish without getting the rowboat. 8)

[JuntaJoe]

Yeah, I mean today.

We'll let estio take a last stab tonight and wrap it up.

I'll make the contest closing statement tomorrow and you can toss up the next scenario thread whenever you feel ready. Be sure to post the closing date on that one for April 30.

[estio]

Oh... I didn't know we were still competing. I thought it was just comparing notes. Now I have to stay up all night playing tropico. Bummer. :wink:

I'll have one last go at it I guess.

[JuntaJoe]

Best of luck, mister.

Brf really slammed my score by 30%+

Of course, I only ran my island once. :wink:

But like my game, sometimes you get luck running with your strategy.

The right buildings at the right time and all the peons doing their jobs and not slacking.

And it looks like Brf got that.

It will be hard to top Brf's last game without cheating. I expect that Brf would have the same trouble topping his own score.


I'm rather surprised this island turned out so well.

My original intent was to get an island that got us using our skills again after a long break.

And then I couldn't find my notes.

So I rolled the dice on a pregenerated island.

And the machine gave us a real challenge. Close elections, layout issues, and compromises all over the place. You can't be scared to totally change your strategies if they don't work. That's what a contest is all about.


I'm a little sad that more didn't join in the game. It was a challenge for sure. I hope that as others join our contests that they run this one first to get them back into playing form.

If I ever get off my ass and start the scenario library then this one surely gets in there.

Btw, can anyone tell me how to convert the save game style into a proper scenario map?

[estio]

Crud! I fell asleep at the keyboard again last night. :oops:

Wifey is getting kinda teed at me for my non bedroom sleeping habits as of late.

I keep telling her if she would just leave me alone when I get home, I wouldn't have to stay up all night. But noooooo! The preggo wants attention. :roll:

Games or wife.... tough choice. :D

I'll think about it tonight when I get home and want to finish the game I snoozed to last night.

[JuntaJoe]

Give it your best shot, estio.

But I have give the win to Brf anyway.

He gets the ribbon.


But hey, bragging rights count, right? :wink:

And we can tag team him on his island next month. :lol:

[estio]

No bragging rights for me. :(

I finished my "bare" game and pulled in a score of 3337.

I may have to keep trying until I beat Brf's Winning score.