Post by cv431410 on Oct 3, 2007 12:59:15 GMT -5
TBG Strategy 1
1. Scouting 1
2. Optimal Starting Position 1
2.1 OK Starting Position 3
3. Other Starting Position 3
3.1 Case Study 1 3
TBG Strategy
This thread is for TBG strategy only. No tactics discussion please.
If you want to add a section to this article, please do, I will credit the section to you.
This article assumes
(1) There is a team captain.
(2) Teams are equally matched.
1. Scouting
Before your scout dies, you will need answer these questions:
Where is the capital of each of the opponents?
If I were he, where do I place the cities?
Does he or she have metal/horse?
Do we have an optimal start? Do they have an optimal start?
This is very important for the later discussion.
It is important to keep track of where your opponents are; this in turn will determines the entire game strategy. Without this important information, it is very hard to make a strategic decision because half of the equation is missing.
A new player’s city placement may be unpredictable. An experienced player city placement is quit predictable. See section 2 and 3 below.
2. Optimal Starting Position
The optimal starting position is all teammates are equally spaced:
00100002000030000400
Where, 1, 2, 3, and 4 are players.
The optimal start allows quick expansion. Each player, in turn will build 4, 5, 6 cities following a very standard pattern:
(1) Zigzag Placement, 4 to 5 cities
x000
0000
000x
0000
x000
0000
0000
000x
0000
x000
(2) Triangle-line Placement
0x00
0000
0000
x00x
0000
0000
x00x
0000
(3) Double-triangle placement, 6 cities
0x00
0000
0000
x00x
0000
0000
x00x
0000
0000
00x0
Comments:
(1) Point defense for all teammates;
(2) Easy support for all teammates, with double line road, one line links all front cities and one line links all middle city, the teammates are easily defendable.
(3) Easy point win, due to the fact that 50% of games come down to points, this starting position is the best for point win; because every inch of land is utilized at the earliest convenience.
(4) Coordinated attack, when players are equally match. 1 vs. 1 is suicidal. The reason is cats and best-defender-best-attacker arrangement. In the first round of attack, the attacker will be met with the best defender, i.e. the attacker will likely to die; assuming cats are used on both sides or no cats are used on both sides. In the second round, the defender will be met with the best attacker, i.e. the defender will likely to die. It is a number’s game; therefore, 2 vs.1 is better; 3 vs. 1 is preferred.
Hint to Captain: never assume that players can make city placements that is optimal to your team. If you want overall optimal city placement for a point game, you have to manage it. This can change a single column zigzag city placement to a double column city array; therefore increasing one additional city per player in a very good location.
2.1 OK Starting Position
There are cases that are not optimal, but the experience players can make it optimal:
00100020000003000400
In this case, player 2 and 3 should expand toward the empty space and the overall placement is close to the optimal placement in the last section:
00100000200300000400
00100002000030000400
00100020000003000400
This is still OK.
2.2 Global Adjustment of Starting Position
This is straightly captain's job.
There are cases that are not optimal, but can be made to optimal in a single turn. This can be also very dangerous because of loosing 6F tiles. But when all conditions are right, the advantage of optimal starting position is huge :
00100020000003000400
One turn later
00100002000030000400
3. Other Starting Position
Life is not fair, optimal start might be rare.
Non-optimal starting position has many disadvantages. For example:
(1) When teams are equally matched, the optimal starting team will win point match. That is determined from turn 1.
(2) Some player has no place to expand;
(3) Point defense for players are not possible, i.e. very long defense line
(4) Large sections of land are open for chariots rush directly into rare cities;
(5) …
This is why section 1, scouting, is very important. If you have lost a point-race from turn 1, you should know it and act accordingly.
3.1 Case Study 1
This is a sh*t start:
00000000000000000000
00100200300000000000
00000000000000000000
00000400000000000000
Why?
(1) Player 1 and 3 will have long front line to defend;
(2) Player 2 is circled in;
(3) Player 4 does not have much food initially because of back area;
(4) Player 4 will have high city maintenance cost;
Even players do their best, this is just about as good as it gets:
10000200003000040000
11100200333330040011
10000200000300040000
10000444444444440000
If the scouting reveals that your opponent has an optimal start; will you win the point race?
Not if the two teams are equally matched.
So, the game strategy is very clear: no point race, your team has to rush someone out via 3 vs.1. Assuming the following pattern:
00000000000000000000
00000000000000000000
00500006000070000800
00000000000000000000
00000000000000000000
00100200300000000000
00000000000000000000
00000400000000000000
This pattern is very bad for point game, but very good for rushing. That is your advantage. Player 1, 2, 3 must rush out either player 5 or 6. Now the team captain must answer these questions:
Where is the capital of each of the opponents?
If I were he, where do I place the cities?
Does he or she have metal/horse?
Which in turn decides an archer rush, chariot rush and sword rush.
00000000000000000000
00000000000000000000
00500006000070000800
00000**0000000000000
000*0*0*000000000000
00100200300000000000
00000000000000000000
00000400000000000000
On the other side, the team captain can make player 8 can rush several players:
00000000000000000000
00000000000000000000
00500006000070000800
00000000000000000*00
0000000000000000*000
001002003000000*0000
00000000000000*00000
000004000****0000000
To be continued.
1. Scouting 1
2. Optimal Starting Position 1
2.1 OK Starting Position 3
3. Other Starting Position 3
3.1 Case Study 1 3
TBG Strategy
This thread is for TBG strategy only. No tactics discussion please.
If you want to add a section to this article, please do, I will credit the section to you.
This article assumes
(1) There is a team captain.
(2) Teams are equally matched.
1. Scouting
Before your scout dies, you will need answer these questions:
Where is the capital of each of the opponents?
If I were he, where do I place the cities?
Does he or she have metal/horse?
Do we have an optimal start? Do they have an optimal start?
This is very important for the later discussion.
It is important to keep track of where your opponents are; this in turn will determines the entire game strategy. Without this important information, it is very hard to make a strategic decision because half of the equation is missing.
A new player’s city placement may be unpredictable. An experienced player city placement is quit predictable. See section 2 and 3 below.
2. Optimal Starting Position
The optimal starting position is all teammates are equally spaced:
00100002000030000400
Where, 1, 2, 3, and 4 are players.
The optimal start allows quick expansion. Each player, in turn will build 4, 5, 6 cities following a very standard pattern:
(1) Zigzag Placement, 4 to 5 cities
x000
0000
000x
0000
x000
0000
0000
000x
0000
x000
(2) Triangle-line Placement
0x00
0000
0000
x00x
0000
0000
x00x
0000
(3) Double-triangle placement, 6 cities
0x00
0000
0000
x00x
0000
0000
x00x
0000
0000
00x0
Comments:
(1) Point defense for all teammates;
(2) Easy support for all teammates, with double line road, one line links all front cities and one line links all middle city, the teammates are easily defendable.
(3) Easy point win, due to the fact that 50% of games come down to points, this starting position is the best for point win; because every inch of land is utilized at the earliest convenience.
(4) Coordinated attack, when players are equally match. 1 vs. 1 is suicidal. The reason is cats and best-defender-best-attacker arrangement. In the first round of attack, the attacker will be met with the best defender, i.e. the attacker will likely to die; assuming cats are used on both sides or no cats are used on both sides. In the second round, the defender will be met with the best attacker, i.e. the defender will likely to die. It is a number’s game; therefore, 2 vs.1 is better; 3 vs. 1 is preferred.
Hint to Captain: never assume that players can make city placements that is optimal to your team. If you want overall optimal city placement for a point game, you have to manage it. This can change a single column zigzag city placement to a double column city array; therefore increasing one additional city per player in a very good location.
2.1 OK Starting Position
There are cases that are not optimal, but the experience players can make it optimal:
00100020000003000400
In this case, player 2 and 3 should expand toward the empty space and the overall placement is close to the optimal placement in the last section:
00100000200300000400
00100002000030000400
00100020000003000400
This is still OK.
2.2 Global Adjustment of Starting Position
This is straightly captain's job.
There are cases that are not optimal, but can be made to optimal in a single turn. This can be also very dangerous because of loosing 6F tiles. But when all conditions are right, the advantage of optimal starting position is huge :
00100020000003000400
One turn later
00100002000030000400
3. Other Starting Position
Life is not fair, optimal start might be rare.
Non-optimal starting position has many disadvantages. For example:
(1) When teams are equally matched, the optimal starting team will win point match. That is determined from turn 1.
(2) Some player has no place to expand;
(3) Point defense for players are not possible, i.e. very long defense line
(4) Large sections of land are open for chariots rush directly into rare cities;
(5) …
This is why section 1, scouting, is very important. If you have lost a point-race from turn 1, you should know it and act accordingly.
3.1 Case Study 1
This is a sh*t start:
00000000000000000000
00100200300000000000
00000000000000000000
00000400000000000000
Why?
(1) Player 1 and 3 will have long front line to defend;
(2) Player 2 is circled in;
(3) Player 4 does not have much food initially because of back area;
(4) Player 4 will have high city maintenance cost;
Even players do their best, this is just about as good as it gets:
10000200003000040000
11100200333330040011
10000200000300040000
10000444444444440000
If the scouting reveals that your opponent has an optimal start; will you win the point race?
Not if the two teams are equally matched.
So, the game strategy is very clear: no point race, your team has to rush someone out via 3 vs.1. Assuming the following pattern:
00000000000000000000
00000000000000000000
00500006000070000800
00000000000000000000
00000000000000000000
00100200300000000000
00000000000000000000
00000400000000000000
This pattern is very bad for point game, but very good for rushing. That is your advantage. Player 1, 2, 3 must rush out either player 5 or 6. Now the team captain must answer these questions:
Where is the capital of each of the opponents?
If I were he, where do I place the cities?
Does he or she have metal/horse?
Which in turn decides an archer rush, chariot rush and sword rush.
00000000000000000000
00000000000000000000
00500006000070000800
00000**0000000000000
000*0*0*000000000000
00100200300000000000
00000000000000000000
00000400000000000000
On the other side, the team captain can make player 8 can rush several players:
00000000000000000000
00000000000000000000
00500006000070000800
00000000000000000*00
0000000000000000*000
001002003000000*0000
00000000000000*00000
000004000****0000000
To be continued.