Sorry about the double post, but I thought this warranted a post of its own.
General Observations: -Bountiful and Poult might be crazy strong, as they can build cities and not worry about crippling their growth.
-The first season most can only improve and grow food. I would have suggested starting on a desert next to a river, but it seems none exist. Good job on foreseeing that.
-Farming is actually important now. This might be really, really cool.
-The dichotomy this time is between expansion and improvement. Will most likely lead to heavily fortified core territories, which I like.
-What's up with the builders getting a free improve in the fall? I assume it's an oversight and should be spring?
-Swine ability now stronk
Openers: -I think I did the same thing the last time, but I wanna test out all the possible openers. They are made with the thought that population matters most in the early-game. Actions are divided and counted in terms of expand and improve, since those are what matter in the beginning. Free denotes that you aren't forced to use them.
Standard - Every combination that doesn't affect growth or the first year
Spring 1:
0: Embark plain
1: Grow
1: Free Improve
Summer 1:
2: Free Expand
Fall 1:
1: (Free) Expand
1: Harvest
Winter 1:
3: Free Improve
-The standard opener includes damn near everyone. Interestingly even standard bountiful, as they can't expand before summer, nor during it if they were to forage, so they have to farm like everyone else.
-The standard opener allows for a maximum 2 cities, a maximum of 3 tiles and 4 improve actions to make on those, and a start of 3 pop for the next year. The spring improve might not count for much though, as the first tile must be a plain, and cannot be made into a city. You could extend a river to irrigate a nearby desert though, but that would require additional actions to take it later.
-Standard builder(assuming free spring improve) can use the spring to turn a desert into a field, by channeling a river, irrigating and growing.
-Standard letterbeast can use the spring improve to expand
-Standard spider can replace any free expand with improve
Standard HumanSpring 1:
0: Embark Plain/Desert
1: Grow
2: Free Improve (Not free with desert start)
Summer 1:
3: Free Expand
Fall 1:
1: (Free) Expand
1: Free Expand
1: Harvest
Winter 1:
4: Free Improve
-Not particularly more powerful than standard start, but way more expansion and improvement. It might be the early push to make humans dominate.
Bountiful HumanSpring 1:
0: Embark Forest
3: Free Improve
Summer 1:
2: Forage
1: Expand
Fall 1:
4: Free Expand
Winter 1:
4: Free Improve
-Only marginally better than standard human start.
Bountiful Letterbeast Spring 1:
0: Embark Forest
1: Expand Plain
1: Grow
Summer 1:
2: Forage
Fall 1:
1: Expand
1: Harvest
1: Free Expand
Winter 1:
4: Free Improve
-Parity with human population
-If willing to sacrifice 3 improvement and 3 expansion actions for species ability, then superior to Bountiful Humans.
Standard SwineSpring 1:
0: Embark Plains
1: Grow
1: Free Improve
Summer 1:
1: Expand
1: Free Expand
Fall 1:
1: (Free) Expand
1: Harvest
Winter 1:
4: Free Improve
-Parity with human population
-If willing to sacrifice 2 improvement and 3 expansion actions for species ability (and another heresy), then superior to Bountiful Humans.
-Strong start with a strong species ability, IMO better than Letterbeast
These are all the non-standard starters I found. Others can shuffle their actions around a bit, but cannot gain additional population, nor any huge gains in actions. Overall I like the balance, with no particularly superior starters.
I will have to think some more to come to a decision on what combination to pick. I am considering Vile Mabbling Monks for some crazy bonkers enslaving and sacrificing. I kinda want to do something crazy with apostates though. Last game was fun, but I'm not going to just start growing another forest this time.
EDIT:
Apostate (Co-Opt, Enslave) Mabbling Monks
Crazy cult built around enslaving other species and using their strengths, oh yes.
Gentlemen, I AM THE BIG BAD OF THIS LITTLE STORY HERE(I am assuming that the Mabbling Monk thing would count for all the Enslave actions on a turn? Otherwise it would just be an extra action each season)