Yeah, the thread title alone is gonna be a shocker--2,500 posts, and I haven't gotten around to Diety level yet?? :crazyeye:

The fault is all mine, I'm just a lazy bastard when it comes to pushing the envelope. Okay, let's get straight to the action.

Starting parameters: Civ3 PTW. Playing as Ottomans (hey, Persians were the obvious first choice, but that woulda been too easy!), standard size map, 7 opponents. Roaming barbarians. All other map parameters (land percentage, land composition, age, humidity and temperature) are random. Adds more sense of exploration to the game, I've been playing random settings for a while now.

The starting position frankly looks pretty good:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image1_Start.JPG

Plenty of grassland, two bonus grass tiles, a cow, a couple of hills. Oh yeah, and it's coastal, too. Hot diggity!

Settler plunks down and sets up shop where he is. After which, I discover....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image2_StartAfterFounding.JPG

....that my starting position is even better than I thought! Two more bonus grass tiles, and furs, all within the fat X. Oh, did I say hot diggity???

Starting sequence: I notice that I forgot to name my capital city--and change its name to something suitable: Basketgrad. :king:

Research Pottery full steam. Build two warriors, then start Pyramids as a pre-build for a Granary. Pottery research finishes, and the Granary goes up three turns later. Research is started on (you're gonna yell at me for this!) Ceremonial Burial. Somebody's gonna call that a bad move. However, I always get good results from temples; they allow one more person to work in the city, and the commerce from that one extra tile always pays for the temple.

During this time, the worker builds roads on the cow and then on the BG just above it, then roads up the eastern fur tile. Then he does a chop, which is applied to my first settler just after the granary finishes. Got some nice timing here. My two warriors don't get to explore much; they're mostly stuck on riot control duty. Basketgrad starts building a temple (and finishes quickly; it's got some fast-producing tiles). Iron Working research is started; it will require 35 turns at 100% research, so I do the 40-turn gag.

Barracks is next in the build order. Arab warriors appear from somewhere to the southeast. Dang. I got found out right from the get-go. It gets worse--over the next few turns, a parade of 8 or 9 Arab warriors goes strolling right past my capital city from southeast to northwest. Fortunately, I'm left unmolested--the warrior train doesn't see my capital city.
WHEW.

It looks like the Arabs sent their entire starting force exploring past me, which leads me to suspect they're on a dead-end piece of land. My plan, therefore, is to place my first two cities to block them into their dead end. Spamopolis is founded on the east end of my chosen choke point.

I build a couple more warriors, then start on another settler. Before I can get that settler built, my exploring warriors spot an Arab settler coming my way. That's the last thing I need. All four of my warriors are able to cut the settler off and give me time to found Costa Lotta to get my blockade together:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image3_block.JPG

There, my problem with the Arabs is solved; my four warriors line up from Spamopolis to Costa Lotta, and the Arabs aren't gonna be sending any trespassing settlers through my territory for the rest of the game.

Iron appears in the hills just northwest of Basketgrad! Looks like I just got me a nice new home in the best part of Hotdiggityville! :D Point Gratha is founded next to it, and a worker heads right over to hook it up. Basketgrad starts churning settlers, building a settler whenever it reaches population 5. A couple of my warriors are now free to start exploring the map; they discover Zulu cities to the north and northeast, and two Persian cities to the northwest. Looks like I'm pretty thoroughly hemmed in.

I've been constantly seeing Arab troops moving around just southeast of me. Nothing but warriors and spearmen. I have four swordsmen and two spearmen at this point; I play a hunch and declare war on the Arabs. My four spearmen move into Arab territory. They kill several warriors, two spearmen, and a couple of archers, and capture two settlers, taking no losses. Four slaves for my work force. The two uninjured swordsmen continue south, killing another spearman and an archer, and delivering a candygram to Damascus:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image4_Southern_Attack.JPG


Right now the scorecard is Ottomans 12, Arabs 0. Just for a kick I say hello to the Arab ambassador, and--yeah, here it comes again--hot diggity! A bit of pointy-stick research pays off BIG TIME!


http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image5_PointyStickResearchSmall.JPG

I have my obnoxious foreign relations advisor executed for....well....being obnoxious. Too bad firing squads haven't been invented yet, had to do it the hard way. I make peace with the Arabs, and make a personal note to declare another unprovoked war on them later to get some more freebies. Meantime, in the diplomacy screen, I notice that all the other civs are working the bottom half of the tech tree--so I go for the top, starting research on Mathematics.

Basketgrad churns out swordsmen every 3-4 turns, popping out a settler every now and then. The territory around my capital is pretty tough, so my next few cities are placed mostly just to establish territory. Up north I found the city of Flipopolis to claim a loose Incense tile--the city is so named because that's what it's likely to do, being right next to the Zulu capital. :mad:

Current situation:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image6_CurrentSituation.JPG

I have contact with the Arabs, Zulus, Persians, and Babylonians (who were wised up to me by somebody else--I haven't seen them on the map yet). The Zulus and Babylonians are the two largest civs at the moment, and they ganged up on Persia a little earlier. Couldn't tell what the results were, though the Zulu score took a brief dip. I'm pretty much completely hemmed in by the Zulus. Fortunately, they don't appear to have hooked up iron yet (though they do have one way up north). My plans for the near future include beating up the Arabs, a big anti-Zulu swordsman swarm, and a few units to camp on that iron and prevent the Zulus from getting any use out of it.

Stay tuned for future updates!

Lookin good. I just started my first emperor game. You should check it out and give me some advice.

Ding ding! Time for round 2.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image7a_Score950BCsmall.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image7b_Power950BCsmall.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image7c_Culture950BCsmall.JPG

Just about the end of last chapter, I'd finished researching Mathematics. I sell it around for Philosophy, Map Making and Horseback Riding, plus some money. Some of the money goes to building embassies with Persia, Babylon, and Zululand. Persia and Babylon are still at war. The Wonders of the World screen reveals Egypt--but nobody seems to have met them yet.

I'm out of room to expand, so I go all swordsmen and plan on busting some skulls. Research on Literature is started. Around 900 BC, two Arab settler/spearman pairs are spotted moving towards Ottoman soil. Time to form the blockade line again? A couple turns later there's a total of four escorted settlers moving through my personal space, and I decide not to block them. Not out of a kind heart, to be sure. Rather, I'm thinking free slaves....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image8a_SettlersBefore.JPG

I demand that the Arabs get out or declare war. Naturally, they declare war.
The four settlers and their escorts disappear instantly.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image8b_SettlersAfter.JPG

Then my troops head southeast. The random number generator starts turning against me when I attack Damascus; two swordsmen die before Damascus is conquered and razed. Medina is spotted to the south, and destroyed three turns later. In exchange for not getting wiped off the map just yet, the Arabs are willing to give up Code of Laws, Polytheism, their world map, 200 gold--and the city of Baghdad. At this point I can't even SEE Baghdad, and have no idea where it is--but what the heck, it can't hurt!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image10_Baghdad.JPG

Argh. :mad:
Baghdad turns out to be on a tiny mostly-mountains island WAY to the southwest. Baghdad will be a one-shield one-commerce city for the rest of the game. It will never be any other use. So I turn its one citizen into a tax collector and set its production to wealth. Hey, 1 commerce and 2 gold per turn is better than nothing.

The world map surrendered by the Arabs reveals a BIG problem. Followed by another big problem.

First, the Zulus have hooked up iron to the north. Suddenly attacking the Zulus doesn't seem such a great idea. Second, there are no horses within easy reach. The closest horses are near Zimbabwe, which means going to war against the Zulus, which as discussed doesn't seem like such a great idea.

So I'm staring at zero Unique Units for the entire game. :cry:

While staring at the map and status screens and considering my options, I suddenly notice the trade window is showing horses in one of my unconnected cities! Where the heck did my empire suddenly get horses from???

It's Baghdad. In possibly my biggest stroke of luck all game--the horses are UNDER Baghdad! HOT DIGGITY ^ 3!!! Baghdad is immediately switched over to building a harbor. This will take 80 turns, but it will probably be longer than that before I reach Knights, and certainly before I reach Medieval Tradition for my unique unit.

Very shortly after peace is declared, yet another Arab settler appears, hoping to reclaim some lost territory. Fat chance, guys. The swordsmen in the area block off the tiny chunk of real estate the Arabs have left. Enjoy the rest of the game, Abu--I hope you're good at OCC!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image9_ArabBlock.JPG

Completion of literature results in a tech that nobody else is willing to buy for more than 100 gold or so. Bummer. I start research on Construction. A few turns later, the Zulus FINISH Construction, so I switch to Currency. A few turns later, the Persians are willing to trade Construction to me in exchange for Literature, my world map, and 400 gold. We shake on the deal. Now all that's left is Currency, and I'm done with the Ancient Age.

My two wars against the Arabs have netted a total of 20 slaves. 18 of these are grouped into 3 stacks of 6 and begin hacking away at the jungles in what used to be Arab territory. A Zulu settler moves into my territory from the other end. I spend a minute thinking how infuriating the AI's are in their persistence with settlers. Then I remember that their persistence gave me 20 free workers. Using two spearmen to form my blockade line from Spamopolis to Costa Lotta cuts off the Zulus from the Arab jungles, so they turn around and go elsewhere. Good riddance. Pretty soon, Shaka, it's gonna be me moving into your territory, and I won't be doing it with settlers, either.

I don't think I'll be able to get back to the game before Friday. Expect some serious violence in the very near future! :hammer:

Hey,

Really enjoying this read!


Blaze Injun

You'll probably have horses unconnected for a longer time; as you need Astronomy to trade over seas. Unless you can trade with an AI that has the Great Lighthouse.

cool story. Suck about the horses

nice story, good luck against those zulus

good write-up! enjoy reading it!
i always wonder why other people's deity games seem to be so easy. yours, for example, has the Arabs starting at the very tip of a jungle and desert peninsula and providing you with so many free slaves... :) but i know it's really the experience... haha
it'll be fun watching you fighting against Zulu.. though i hope they hadn't started the war with Persia previously... :lol:

The Zulus would have been easier earlier in the game, though Impis and swordsmen together can be a serious problem. Now that we're heading for the Middle Ages, it's gonna get interesting. A run straight to gunpowder and musketmen is looking like a really good idea just now.

While the Zulus are huge on score, they're at the back of the pack culture-wise. They're even behind me. And for most of the game, their capital city has been around size 2. They appear to have a large number of small, poorly-producing cities.

Gaah, forgot to post my world map from the end of last session:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image11_WorldMiniMap.JPG

Me (Ottomans) in orange; Arabs are the tiny bit of pink at bottom right; Persians are green, Babylonians in blue, Zulus in black--which doesn't show up very well, they're the huge uncolored-looking chunk in the north, including those two cities smack in between me and Persia.

Baghdad (unexpected source of horses for me!) is that tiny island at the very bottom, below Babylon.

I'll be jumping back into the game later tonight. Stay tuned.....

Looks interesting, I love the captioned pictures :D

The thrilling saga continues!!! <cue dramatic music>

The general situation is depicted below (approximately, had to grab this screenshot from an old save):

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image12a_CurrentSituation.JPG

My city of Goobergrad is just off the bottom right corner, but it's size 2 and not doing much at the moment. Note the roads that one worker is building along the desert and hills on the northeast edge of my empire. You'll find out what that's for in a future post.

In 450 BC (just before the above screenshot), Flipopolis had a cultural expansion that gained me a key map square:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image12b_CultureExpand.JPG

That key square is marked with a green O. If I put an attack force there, I can move it to the square with the red X right after I declare war on the Zulus, allowing me to position for an attack on Hlobane with only one turn of advance warning. Further, the attack will be positioned on a hill before Shaka can react. Further yet, the only road to the southern Zulu cities goes through Hlobane; if I cut that road and head south, I can jump way ahead of Zulu reinforcements and take those southern cities with a minimum of resistance.

So attacking the Zulus is suddenly a much better-looking idea than it used to be.

Frankly, not much is going to happen for a little while. I need to clear out the Arabs, build up my forces, and make some other preparations. Flipopolis starts building walls. Probably gonna need them soon. Point Gratha begins building a couple of galleys from which I can hop across the sea to hit Intombe and Ibabago--err, Ibananago--err, IBABANAGO. Geez!!! :mad:

In 290 BC, the diplomacy screen shows everybody angry with me. FINALLY.

In 250 BC, Baghdad (the distant size 1 city on the island with the horses) grows to size 2 and immediately goes into civil disorder! OOPS! I kick myself because I'd reminded myself earlier to keep Baghdad size 1. That city has no other use except the horses. So I back up the game to 230 BC.

Then I remember that the years go BACKWARDS in the BC years, and I back up to 270 BC. :rolleyes:

230 BC: Babylon and Persia FINALLY have harbors so I can trade with them. The AI is always really slow at getting a harbor up for trading.

The time to deal with the Arabs once and for all has arrived!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image13_ThirdArabWar.JPG

A special fate is in store, ironically, for the swordsman who leads the charge towards the city:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image14_Leader.JPG

I save the game immediately! :) I'm gonna have a very important use for that leader!


Mecca falls with no casualties to my forces. Guess Abu wasn't so good at One City Challenge after all. Weakest link. Byebye!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image14b_Napalm.JPG

Something odd I'd like to mention about the conquest of Mecca: the city had a harbor (visible from the map as the anchor). The first time I conquered the city, the harbor disappeared, causing the citizens to start starving FAST. Curious, I reloaded the saved game from a few moments before, and tried the conquest again--and this time, the harbor remained after I gained control of Mecca. Huh??? (If anyone's got a clue what was going on there, post by all means).

And that's it for the Arabs. I now have only one front to fight on, so those five swordsmen who were so busy in the south can now head north, towards....guess who.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image14c_UhOh.JPG

I'm now up to 10 spearmen and 12 swordsmen, the city walls in Flipopolis are almost done, and workers are building some forts in the hills up there as well. Tomorrow night I'm gonna set up a line of spearmen to keep Zulu intruders out of the hills around Flipopolis, and do some liberating.

For all my efforts, here's how far my palace has come:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image15b_Palace.JPG

The time for serious violence....HASN'T COME YET!! Har har har, I'm such a tease. Tomorrow, definitely.......

<cue Terminator music>

I like the screenshots with the dialog in bubbles. :lol:

me to o

Haven't seen those before.

Something I should have mentioned from the start: Space Race and Diplomacy victories have been turned off for this game.

Ladiiiiies Aaaaaand Gentlemennnnn.....
Welcome to the night's premier event! This is the one you've been waiting for! Two titans prepare to clash for control of the world! It's brains against brawn! Skillz versus strength! The smartass against the dumbass!

In the Orange corner.....weighing in with a score of 471.....he's the Mideast Monument.....the Turkish Terror.....he's....
....The OTTOMANIAC!!!

In the Black corner.....weighing in with a score of 1048.....he's the worlds largest empire.....with the largest military.....the biggest muscles and the biggest lips!! He's....THE ZULU!!!

Let's see how our fighters stack up:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image16a_ScoreSmall.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image16b_PowerSmall.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image16c_CultureSmall.JPG

At first glance, this fight appears to be a mismatch; the Zulu have a clear lead in all categories. However, you've got to remember that the Zulu are controlled by a stupid computerized AI, so we're going to see a very interesting fight.

Now, let's have a brief background on the events leading up to tonight's title fight:


190 BC: Final preparations in place. Currency 2 turns from completion. Looks like the Ottomaniac (me :king: ) is going to be first into the Middle Ages!

170 BC: Persia and Zulus beat me to the Middle Ages by ONE turn. Damn.

150 BC: Middle Ages for me. Feudalism is my free tech. Persia and Babylon both have Monotheism and Engineering already--looks like all three scientific civs in the game got a different free tech when they entered the Middle Ages. Sweet! Persia gives me Monotheism and 21 gpt in exchange for Feudalism. Babylon gives me Engineering in exchange for Feudalism, furs, and 150 gold. Feudalism causes all my cities to suddenly switch from spearmen and swordsmen to pikemen and MI's. Nice, but requires some annoying micro to avoid wasting shields.

130 BC: Another stroke of luck--Persia declares war on the Zulus! HOT DIGGITY! The timing couldn't have been better. On the flip side, the Zulus picked up Feudalism from somebody. That means a more modern military for him. Could be trouble.

Here's how the Persian/Zulu border looks for the moment:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image17_PersiaZuluBorder.JPG

The ruins are from the previous war between the Persians and the Zulu/Babylon alliance. Let's see if this border changes later.....

All is peaceful as I move my troops into position in the north:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image18_NorthFront.JPG

Note the three pikemen guarding the west flank. Forts have been built in the hills, and three workers are finishing up a fort in the mountain tile. Walls are finished in Flipopolis. Meanwhile, to the east, my attack force consists of seven swordsmen, three medieval infantries, and a pikeman.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image19_SouthFront.JPG

In the south, I've finished claiming the land in the old Arab Empire. I only have one swordsman defending the area (against possible surprise landings). Need to get some more units down here soon.

Okay, heading back into the game. Updates coming in a few minutes. ME STOMP

<a lot more than "a few minutes" later....>

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image20_DingDing.JPG
There's the opening bell, and the fight is on!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image22_HlobaneGag.JPG
Both fighters move to the center, and right away the Ottomaniac goes after Hlobane with a ten-pack of offensive units! Zulu jabs from the side with a medieval infantry, but the pikeman blocks the swing--here's the attack--Ottomaniac's first MI attacks Hlobane, and kills a fortified pikeman! Second MI isn't so lucky, he falls to an Impi. Two more MI's in quick succession, one promotes to elite--Hlobane's razed!! Already Zulu is on the mat!!!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image23_NewZimbabweGag.JPG
Zulu is right back up again, but the Ottomaniac strikes low this time, attacking New Zimbabwe in the southeast--two quick jabs with swordsmen, New Zimbabwe changes hands, and Zulu is in trouble very early in the fight!

Once again, Zulu is on his feet immediately, but we don't see a lot of reaction from him yet. Some Impis moving in the northwest--one gets dropped by a medieval infantry from Flipopolis. Two Ottoman swordsmen cross the eastern border to look around--and they discover a Zulu road further east that could be used to cut off reinforcements. The Ottomaniac's plan was to take Hlobane and block those reinforcements, and that plan could be in trouble.....

U're insane. I love it :D

Very nice progression. Way better than most of my games. Almost makes me want to try for a second deity win (yes, I'm that pathetic :D).

Can't wait for the rest of the story.

The action is getting pretty wild. That far east road turned out to be what I was afraid of--lots of Zulu troops came south by that route, rolling right over my three swordsmen, and the fight for Ngome is getting REAL messy. It's a city built on a hill, size 8, and with pikemen defending it. I've had several units promote to elite, and the Zulus go out of their way to make sure those units die before I can get them healed up. The last few turns have not been friendly for elite troops.

Oh, and you're gonna love this one! Near Flipopolis, I committed a serious newbie move--I forget to put troops on that incense tile! A mischievous Impi used his first move to get on the tile, and his second move to pillage it. Shaka makes his other moves, the in-between-turn stuff is done, and my whole civ goes into disorder for lack of incense, before I can do anything to stop it! GAAAAAH! I freaking HATE Impis.

The fighting around Flipopolis and Ngome is still raging. Ngome is going to fall soon--its defenders are now Impis, instead of pikemen--but casualties are heavy on both sides. I used my first leader to rush the Forbidden Palace at Goobergrad down south--it's got three bonus grass tiles, and two other good production cities fairly close to it; it will make a nice second production center. I gained a second leader from the battle for Ngome. I'm thinking of using him for the Sistine Chapel.

Since the AI's love to do the bottom half of the tech tree in the Middle Ages, I'm going for the top--unfortunately, the comps beat me to Theology, so I didn't get a chance to trade anything. I was caught up in the tech race for a while, but I appear to be falling behind again.

Final bit of important news: two galleys' worth of troops sailed west from Basketgrad, and were finally able to pillage Ibabanago; an accompanying settler founded Point Blanke just west of where Ibabanago was:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image27_PointBlanke.JPG

The capture of Ibabanago (before I razed it) conveniently provided some workers to hook up the silk, so I didn't have to ship any workers across. Getting the silk the rest of the way to Basketgrad is gonna take some more work.

No other new screenies for the time being--the areas around Flipopolis and Ngome look pretty much the same as the last screenies I posted. Except messier. More action to follow tomorrow!

awesome, I love these threads.
kick some zulu ass

Great story, BasketCase. :thumbsup:

Before I continue, some interesting things about the way this game is going:

I've done a few things many players agree you're not supposed to do in a deity game: building temples, max research (instead of setting your commerce to max GPT and buying your technologies), building Wonders (I'm still planning to use my latest leader to rush the Sistine Chapel as soon as Theology research is done). In this case, my reasoning is that the Sistine Chapel will allow my cities to grow larger, which means troops are built faster. I say bend the rules around to suit the situation. Or, maybe I haven't played enough deity games to get the lesson hammered into my skull yet. :)

Getting leaders is not something you can rely on for a gameplan; most of the time you have to assume you won't get them, but in my opinion you should be ready to take maximum advantage when you do get one. Granted I could use my second leader to build an army.....

Anyway, back to the action.

Things have quieted down a lot in the northwest. A couple of times Zulu MI's have attacked the forts, and one time one of them actually succeeded--but was badly wounded when he gained control of the fort. The Zulus didn't move in any other troops to back up their gain, and I regained control of the fort next turn. A fort can be your salvation, or it can give the enemy a safe route into your empire.... :eek:

In 260 AD, the Zulus use a CATAPULT (wow, AI using artillery!) to try and pillage my incense tile just west of Flipopolis. The catapult shot fails. I retaliate by killing the catapult's escort and capturing it. It happens to be next to Ulundi; I put two spearmen in the square to guard the catapult and threaten the city. I use the Zulus' own catapult to bomb Ulundi. The shot fails. A little later, a Zulu Knight will show up in the area. Ack.

The Persians lost Sardis to the Zulus again, and also lost Gordium. The Persians are now down three cities in their war with the Zulus. Babylon has recently declared war on the Zulus. Have fun, Shaka--it's EVERYBODY against YOU!

Now for the main event: the Battle of Ngome!
(Note that we just rolled the clock back about 15 turns)

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image26_East.JPG
Note the fortified Ottoman pike at the very top left of the picture; aside from the far east road, that spot is the only other fast route of approach the Zulus have, and they constantly send troops either around it or to attack it. The pikeman there ends up dying and getting replaced twice. Zulu settlers make repeated attempts to grab the open ground where the ruins of Hlobane are. Medieval infantries at that location frequently end up having to switch places with fresh troops from Junkograd (which is barely visible in the bottom left corner of the picture; the barracks there is exactly 3 squares away).

Right after my initial force sacked Hlobane, they headed southeast. A few additional units from my core cities were able to meet up with them on the way over, and my force had two pikes, seven swordsmen, and four MI's when it reached the gates of Ngome.

And then things just went CRAZY.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image28_NgomeGag.JPG

To reiterate, Ngome is size 8 (granting a defense bonus), on a hill, and with pikemen defending it. Plus an easy route for reinforcements. In order to even try to conquer the city, I need to pillage the land around it to starve it down to size 6, while slogging through piles of Zulu units that often kill my units before they can pillage. I also need to block off the reinforcement route. I'm able to kill all Zulu units that try to reach the city, but I never do manage to get a solid blockade in place; it dies before it can get dug in. I have a steady stream of MI's and pikes coming from Basketgrad and Point Gratha (my two biggest production cities), and they die just about as fast as I can build them.

At the same time, occasional Zulu units sneak through the middle, between Ngome and the ruins of Hlobane, and try to attack my core. This is the reason I built those roads through the desert along my border with the Zulus: so that I can counterattack into a tile with a road on it when killing these intruders. Killing a unit on open ground means your winning unit loses a whole turn getting back onto the road, and that was time I didn't want to lose.

The Zulu Impi proves thoroughly infuriating. While I'm trying to improve my roads further, Impis make six-tile moves to try and grab the workers. Whenever one of my MI's gets redlined, it seems clouds of Impis come along to attack it and try and finish it off. And, of course, every now and then one of my MI's gets
:spear: 'ed
by a pansy-ass Impi.

This fight wasn't short, it wasn't easy. It wasn't a retreat-and-try-again kind of deal. It was a brutal war of attrition.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image29_Geez.JPG

Shaka sued for peace twice during the ruckus; I told him to quit being a sissy and FIGHT. Oh, and he wasn't willing to cough up any technology for peace, either.

230 AD: Ngome falls!!! [party]

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image30_NgomeFalls.JPG

A settler is sent right over to claim the liberated wines. I note that the AI founded Ngome right on top of one of the wine tiles. Here's the territory:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image31_NgomeQuestion.JPG

Where would you have put a new city? I considered placing it one tile southwest of Ngome's ruins, so that it could use both the wine tiles (these tiles are 2 food, 2 shields and 2 commerce once roaded and mined). But this spot is crowded in close to my other cities and won't have as many workable tiles. Or, I could plant my new city right where Ngome was, which means giving up some production by placing the city right on top of the wine (cities tend to screw up luxuries and bonus grassland this way). It also means I have to clear out another Zulu city to actually have more workable tiles.

I decided to set up shop on the ruins. What would you have done?

A couple turns after this is when the fun with the catapult happens near Flipopolis.

270 AD: A Zulu galley drops off an archer and an MI way down south near the old Arab capital of Mecca. These two Zulu troopers are right next to TWO completely undefended cities--and out of range of the garrison I had down there!
OOPS
Newbie move again. Gee, maybe peace isn't such a bad thing after all. Before I sue for peace, I look around for any last bits of deviltry I can do. An elite MI atacks Intombe and kills an Impi, but the city has at least one more defender, and my other MI at that spot is too badly wounded. He tries anyway, and, well, guess what, Arlington just got another resident. Bummer.

Near the ruins of Hlobane, the Zulus have a settler that's in position to build a new city the minute I make peace--and I don't have enough troops around to form a blockade. I do have one MI stacked with my pikeman, so I kill the Impi escorting the settler and add two more slaves to my work force. I should be able to blockade the border next turn. I move the rest of my troops out of Zulu territory. Okay, off to the negotiating table.

Shaka gives me Chivalry and 3 GPT in exchange for peace. I've still got one MI near Intombe that I can't evacuate from Zulu territory this turn--Shaka's gonna be mad about that. Can't be helped. I send a galley to get that guy outta there ASAP. Here's hoping Shaka doesn't go right back to war next turn, with two loose units in my territory.

My core cities switch to building aqueducts and cathedrals. A few turns ago, my leader raised the Sistine Chapel in Spamopolis. I began the game with furs, added incense shortly after game start. I just added wines, and will be adding silks as soon as the city of Point Blanke (to the west across a short stretch of sea) finishes a harbor:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image32_PointBlanke.JPG

I'd originally planned to take Intombe and continue the road northeast to Flipopolis to make the connection, but I can't do that right now. Maybe 20 turns from now.....

I make a surprise visit to Ngome and deliver a hearty congratulations to the troops for a hard-fought victory. They've even got wine right there on the site to celebrate with! Phew. Nite everyone, I need some rest after this session.

The latest score/power/culture graphs:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image33_Score.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image33_Power.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image33_Culture.JPG

One other noteworthy item: Gordion, a northern Persian city captured by the Zulus recently, is now under Babylonian control. The people of Gordion have got to be all cross-eyed with confusion right now; in the last century they've had their leaders speaking three different languages!

Wow! Great! What's a game log without some humour and jokes?!? :crazyeye:
But you seem to reload turns a little bit too much... ;)

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/CheatGag.JPG
Yeah yeah, Hammurabi, gimme a minute to get started tonight.

w00t! Great screenies! Funny dialogue! First Deity Game! This has most of the elements of success, keep it up.

Is it just me or does Shaka look like (read: dress like) a moron in Medieval Age?

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Dunce.JPG
Now that you mention it....

My military advisor says I'm average compared to Persia and Babylon, and strong compared to the Zulus. Well, hey, going to war against everybody else on the map is gonna do that to ya, Shaka. Nice going.

I send a galley to start exploring the eastern half of the map. I can research Education in 27 turns if I turn science up to 70%. I'll be losing 2 gpt at that setting, but I've got 140 in my coffers. I do some micromanaging. Flipopolis runs with a 1-food shortage in order to get its courthouse done faster, and some other micro produces a little more commerce--cutting my deficit spending rate to 1gpt, and reducing my research time to 26 turns. I upgrade a few spearmen to pikemen. Basketgrad grows to size 7 and will have its cathedral done in 10 turns.

A stack of 8 slaves is sent to Korbelgrad to build forts in those two hill tiles east of the city.

The Zulus demonstrate their persistence in obtaining land at any cost--blocked at the border by my troops, a settler builds a new city (ironically named Ngome) just inside Zulu territory, near where Hlobane used to be:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image34_NgomeRebuilt.JPG
As you can see, this caused the border to shift as three tiles changed hands--one of those being that favorite hill I was using to block Zulu troops trying to find a way into my empire. My units are forced to back up a square. Next time war breaks out (and it will the minute I get Sipahis!), Ngome #2 is gonna get toasted. Again.

I sit back and ponder the strategic situation. The fairly unsettled territory in the east is fully roaded up, allowing me to defend pretty much that whole area from one location. A stack of MI's planted smack in the middle of that area (with pikeman cover, of course) could guard an area basically 7 tiles wide. However, I'm a little short of pikes in this area. The fortress line near Flipopolis held nicely during the last war, so I see no need to change that. Another couple of pikemen there would be nice. Some spare workers begin irrigating the desert land near Bakkaville; once Railroads are discovered, that land will become productive. Granted I'm planning WAY in advance. :)

I'm catching up to the mighty Zulus on the score and power histographs. Culture is a little laggy. Guess the Ottomans need to go to school more instead of swinging their swords and beating the crap out of people. Too bad the ROTC won't be invented for another 1900 years or so..... :crazyeye:

Point Blanke grows to size 2, and I'm no longer draining my budget. Wahoo.

Those two sneak-raiding units way down south are still running around loose near Mecca. I bring up the negotiating window with Shaka, and I'm half a breath away from clicking on "Remove your forces from my territory or declare WAR!"--and then I think twice, and decide to move my out-of-position garrison within striking range of those two units before making the demand.

What are you all willing to bet on the outcome? Will Shaka allow those two units to be auto-booted, or will he declare....?

tag for later...

Sorry for the delay--what follows happened last Monday, but real-world shenanigans prevented me from getting my update posted. :mad:

When last we left, the Zulus had a couple of intruders in my territory that needed to be removed. After a few turns of tolerating them, I've managed to get a couple of MI's within striking range to deal with them if Shaka refuses to remove them.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image35a_PreWar.JPG
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image35b_PostWar.JPG

RRRRRRRGH. Why am I not surprised..... :mad:

So, in 290 AD, I and the Zulus are goin' at it again. You know, Aldous Huxley once wrote: "you rule with the brains and the buttocks, never with the fists". Shaka is definitely short on brains here--makes you wonder how he's compensating. I mean, he gives up Chivalry in order to get peace, and then he goes right back to war again. Geezus, how did this guy ever get to be a ruler???

My military advisor says I'm strong relative to the Zulus, and average relative to Babylon and Persia. An improvment over last time. This next war should be a cake walk. I concentrate on the east front, moving two stacks of troops towards Ngome and Tugela.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image36_StrategicMap.JPG

Both attacks are in ideal striking positions: attacking from a hill one turn after the war starts:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image36c_OtherGeneralShot.JPG

Tugela gets hit by four MI's covered by a pikeman.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image37_TugelaFalls.JPG

.....and is obliterated the first turn of the war. I only have two MI's attacking Ngome, so Ngome survives for a few more turns. Random Ottoman and Zulu units slug it out in the area for several turns, with Zulu knights appearing in increasing numbers, and with losses about equal to both sides. During which:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image39_Leader.JPG

Wahoo! 3rd leader!

Peace is re-declared in 350 AD, this time with no stray units intruding on either side. Shaka gives up Monarchy and 3 GPT for peace. The Zulus don't have any other techs ahead of me--they appear to be falling into the hopelessly-behind-on-tech death spiral.

While this war was very short and one-sided, there was one significant problem: my core cities were on civilian development instead of cranking out military units. So, while my losses this war were no greater than the last one, my military strength just took a big dip. Total unit count is down by something like a dozen, and the military advisor says I'm once again "weak" compared to the Zulus. Too many more victories like this one, and I'm gonna conquer myself to death. :)

Up in the northwest, Gordium and Sardis (originally Persian and then Zulu cities) are now in Babylonian hands:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image38_NW.JPG

In 370 AD, the Zulus lose Intombe to the Persians. Up north, Zunguin and Tarsus are taken by Babylon. Shaka is getting smacked from all sides.

I have 11 turns to go on Education; Persia and Babylon already have it, and are also up by Invention. My core cities have finally gotten above size 6; I need to get out of Despotism and find a way to get ahead in the tech race again. Hopefully without going to war against anyone except the Zulus. One of my galleys spots a bare hint of a dark brown border way to the east--and then sinks before it can find out who's over there. Oh well, they're called "suicide galleys" for a reason.....

And that should bring everything up to date. Further posts later tonight. Peacetime development for the near future, so don't expect any more violence for a little while.

I decide to take the plunge and get out of Despotism. I draw 6 turns of anarchy, and instead of a despot, I'm a monarch. :king:

I have only four native Ottoman workers; I put them back into my capital city of Basketgrad (with its Cathedral), kicking it straight to size 12 and turning it into a 21-shield powerhouse.

500 AD: My second suicide galley makes it across the eastern sea--and discovers the Carthaginians! A trading chain reaction ensues. I trade Chivalry to Carthage in exchange for Invention, contact with Egypt, and 8 GPT. Egypt, in turn, gives me Gunpowder, contact with Rome, and 19 GPT in exchange for Chivalry and contact with everybody on my home continent. Rome gives me Republic, World Map, and 5 GPT in exchange for Theology and Chivalry. I hesitate before giving two techs away for that, then I decide that Rome will probably use it to beat up Egypt. :)

Then the newly-revealed world map shows that Rome would have to beat up Carthage to even get to Egypt. Oh well, giving the Romans knights so they can beat up Carthage is just as good, seeing as how Carthage is Number One in power at the moment.

I check with all civs on the diplomacy screen for any final trades I can make. Contact with various civs is shopped around some, but no other technology is to be had for now. The various GPT deals allow me to crank research up to 100% and still run a budget surplus. Saltpeter is present just northeast of Junkograd--two tiles away from where Hlobane used to be. I'm now glad I took that city down.

I kick myself for having a revolution to Monarchy right before getting my hands on Republic. :mad:

The Persians and Egyptians are still ahead by Astronomy and Chemistry. I'm finally back up to par in the tech race again--but the fact that I was behind by Invention, Gunpowder, Education, Astronomy and Chemistry shows how far behind you can get without knowing it.

So, the inhabited world is fully mapped, all eight civs have been located, and those who didn't cut the mustard have been dealt with:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image40_WorldMap500AD.JPG

The latest score / power / culture graphs:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image41a_Score.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image41b_Power.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image41c_Culture.JPG

Ottomans in orange; Arabs in pink; Babylon in blue; Persia in green; Zulus in black; Egypt in yellow; Rome in red, and Carthage in yucky brown.

Things are going to be interesting for a long time to come. All seven (surviving) nations are solidly established, and it's anybody's game right now. I'm a contender on the score and power graphs (and nobody cares about culture in diety games.... :) ). I now have the capacity to get all my productive cities to size 12 without using the sliders. While Persia appears to be behind on the graphs, they paradoxically share the tech lead with Egypt, and have a competent military as well.

Future considerations: I'm still pondering whether to switch to Republic. While I know how to fight wars as a Republic or Democracy, this is Diety level, and switching could turn out to be a problem. I'm only a few more techs away from Sipahis, and I have all the resources I need to build them (horses will be connected as soon as I finish the Baghdad harbor and finish Astronomy). Attacking the Persians in order to perform pointy-stick research is now on my mind. If and when I go to war against Shaka again, my primary targets will be Ulundi (to better protect my access to incense), and their capital city simply for the sake of bragging rights. Further territorial gain is likely to yield little more than a bunch of one-shield cities and a few more points on the scorecard for territory and population.

I decide to take the plunge again--this time I only draw 4 turns of anarchy.

540 AD: The Ottoman Republic is born! As a despotism, I was able to churn out 158 science with the slider at 100%. Now, after turning the slider down to actually pay my troops, I'm still at 209. I can now research the currently available technologies in 8 to 11 turns. I love being a Republic. :)

I establish embassies with Egypt, Carthage, and Rome to fill out the foreign relations web in the diplomacy screen. Some of my cities that can grow (without going into disorder) have workers joined to them--Arabic workers only. Adding Zulu workers to cities would cause additional unrest every time I went to war against Shaka. The Zulus are nowhere near Gunpowder right now. The military advisor is asked to draw up a plan to launch a sneak attack on one or two Zulu border cities. I could reach Ulundi or Zimbabwe in one turn.....

It'll be alot easier in republic, good story basketcase!

Great thread BasketCase, intresting and entertaining! :D

Kick that Zulu ass!

Geez, I already did twice! My foot hurts!! How many more ass kickings do you want??? :)

Time for the latest news from Ottomania.

550 AD: Looking over the tech screen, deciding what to research next. Some of the other civs are up Astronomy and Chemistry, so I decide to go for Banking. I start upgrading my pikemen. I reluctantly disband my three swordsmen who promoted leaders and now have those special names. In most of my games I keep them around, but this is Diety, and I can't afford to waste the 3 GPT to keep them. :cry:

Egypt and Rome are at war. Gee, and I think I traded Chivalry to both sides.... :D

Point Gratha finishes its Cathedral, and Arabic workers pump it up to size 12. A 15-shield producer.

Salonika (built where Hlobane was) ends up having to pillage the irrigation off two of its flood plains tiles; it's the only way to prevent the city from either starving or growing to size 7 and going into disorder.

Babylon finally is willing to trade Astronomy to me for Banking and 155 gold. Other civs are unwilling to accept either GPT or luxuries from me in technology trades; they "would never accept such a deal" if any GPT or luxuries are on my side of the bargaining table at all. Guess I must have hosed my rep somewhere. Meanwhile, my foreign advisor is saying civs all over the map have betrayed each other.

The AIs have lately been researching in unexpected directions and constantly beating me in whatever research branch I go for, thereby depriving me of tech trades. I'm falling behind again, and I'm getting really steamed. Just to be a punk, I trade Banking to the Romans for Music Theory and use my leader to rush J.S. Bach's Cathedral. Six other civs were attempting to build it at the time--

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image45_DiplomacyScreen.JPG

J.S. Bach allows me to cut my luxury slider to zero, adding 24 GPT to my budget, and will also help with war weariness later.

Completion of Printing Press breaks the research curse; everybody wants to buy this one! Egypt gives me Chemistry and 4 GPT for it. Nobody else is willing to trade techs to me for Printing Press--but several civs are willing to trade GPT for it.

A newly-built caravel is loaded up with three musketeers (no, really! no joke), and sends them to Baghdad. A big problem in many of my previous games (and once in THIS game) was not covering my bases. Well, this time I'm gonna cover my source of horses against sneak attacks!

I finish Democracy. Curiously, a couple other civs seem to have it also, but haven't shopped it around. Oh well--I do. In exchange for Democracy, Egypt gives me Metallurgy and 18 GPT. Then, in exchange for Democracy, Rome gives me......MILITARY TRADITION.

Yo, folks, do you know what time it is? Check your watch....that's right, it's
Sipahi Time!!!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image46_PalaceTroops2.JPG

Every city I have that produces 10 or more shields per turn sets to work building Sipahis. All these cities have a barracks at this point.

With just 1 more shield per turn, Point Gratha could produce a Sipahi in 6 turns instead of 7. So I send my Zulu slaves to switch two of the city's grass tiles from mining to irrigation, providing 2 surplus food so that a citizen can switch from a water tile to the nearby mountain. Irrigation subtracts 2 shields, the mountain+mine tile adds 3.

Zulu troops move around near the border--including an ARCHER and an IMPI. Shaka--get with the program. Almost the entire Middle Ages, the Zulu negotiating screen has shown an empty bank account and no technology of interest. In most of the Civ3 games I played, when an AI civ starts to do that, it's a sure sign of impending doom. Babylon is showing the same symptoms. Persia is also, but has somehow managed to stay right at the front of the tech race and keep a competent military together, staying in the game despite having lost several cities and being behind on the graphs. The Persians are proving to be very tough customers this game.

I sign a Right of Passage agreement with Babylon so my ship can safely get its cargo of troops to Baghdad without sinking. Meanwhile, Baghdad builds walls to further fortify my source of horses.

780 AD: Basketgrad builds the Ottoman Empire's first Sipahi.

Next newbie mistake: Way down near Mecca, I spot a single grass tile on the coast that DOESN'T HAVE A MINE ON IT. I realize it's been that way the whole game. OOPS. (due to the angle of the coast, the problem was hard to see)

810 AD: Persia and Carthage move into the Industrial Age.

I need Magnetism and Theory of Gravity to get out of the Middle Ages. Egypt has ToG, but not Magnetism--yet. I go full bore research on Magnetism in the hope of beating Cleopatra to it so I can get ToG from her.

Carthage threatens war unless I give him my territory map and 24 gold. Turns out he was just bluffing. Then he declares war on Egypt. Guess he was just itching to beat somebody up.

I NO LONGER HAVE THE LOWEST SCORE!!! I'm now second-last, ahead of Persia. :) (Technically, the Arabs are in last place, but they're dead--they don't count)

Persia signs an MA with Carthage--and declares war on Egypt. Then Rome signs an MA with Persia--and goes to war against Egypt. The chain-reaction-war phase seems to have started.

I finish researching Magnetism fast enough; Egypt trades me Theory of Gravity for Magnetism and 180 gold, and I'm in the Industrial Age. As a Scientific civ, I get a free tech--Nationalism. Nuts. I was hoping for Steam. Nonetheless, I set my research path to go STRAIGHT for Replaceable Parts. Steam Power and Replaceable Parts are always the first two techs I go for in the Industrial Age, and the fact that the one leads to the other simply provides more incentive.

My pikemen-upgraded-to-musketmen are already obsolete. Time to start re-upgrading them to Riflemen.

Persia parks a fairly hefty stack just across the border west of Flipopolis: an army of three Immortals, covered by three Musketmen. I garrison extra musketmen in the forts opposite them. My ship returns from Baghdad, and starts ferrying workers from Point Blanke (the territory there is fully built-out) back to the mainland; in 9 turns I'll have completed Steam Power, and the minute I do, I'm going to have a LOT of railroads to build. Here's hoping I have coal on my land somewhere!


I log off and sleep.


The next night: I'm half-asleep tonight, and spend about an hour just staring at the map with my brain stuck in neutral. Finally I snap out of my haze, take a long pull of Cherry Coke to wake my ass up, and trade Nationalism to Carthage for Free Artistry and 22 GPT. Then I turn around and sell Free Artistry to Persia for 34 GPT.

I switch Junkograd from building Sipahis to building Riflemen. Carthage, Rome and Persia are still at war against Egypt.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image48_LargeMap.JPG

The three Zulu cities on my northern border, Ulundi, Zimbabwe, and Mpondo are my primary targets at the moment. The Persian border is pushing hard on my territory in the west, so Intombe is also being considered. Taking Bactra, further to the west, would relieve the cultural pressure on Point Blanke--that city on the west edge of my mainland empire, and also my source of silk.

930 AD: Zulus declare war on the Persians.

The same year, I finish Steam Power--and I have two sources of coal! WOOT!! Both sources are deep inside my territory, and therefore completely safe--one next to Spamopolis, the other under Goobergrad.

I have 22 slave laborers on hand; I split them into stacks of six, each of which can railroad a Plains tile in one turn or a hill in two turns. First I railroad the tiles around Basketgrad until its up to 25 shields per turn, so it can build a Sipahi in four turns; then I build a rail line north and east to hook up my key defensive points to the rail network:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image49_RailroadNet.JPG

Now four or five Sipahis stationed on the rails can defend against an incursion anywhere along the border.

Next newbie mistake: Korbelgrad grows too big and goes into civil disorder. DOH! I turn a citizen into an entertainer.

Carthage and Egypt make peace. World map shows Egypt has lost a couple of cities to the Romans. Egypt used to be the Man--errr, I mean, Woman--but not any more. Their slice of the score and power graphs is no longer what it was.

1030 AD: With 22 Sipahis at the ready, a good railway net in place to move them around, and the Zulus already under pressure from Persia--it's time to administer a smackdown that will make the last two look like Blackjack games. I gather my entire force of MI's (units that are almost obsolete and upgrade into trash--might as well use them), twelve of them, and position them opposite Ulundi.

The declaration of war is made, and immediately the Ottoman Empire's elite forces head straight for the Zulu capital. The first attack has predictable results:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image49_GoldenAge.JPG

One after another, Ottoman forces hammer Zimbabwe. Several are injured, but only one dies--and Shaka's capital city is sacked the first turn of the war.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image50_SACK.JPG...http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image51_SACKED.JPG

Before declaring war, I extended the east end of my rail line right to the point on the border that was closest to Mpondo. This allows the Ottoman Medieval Panzers to also hit Mpondo on the opening bell, with the same result. Mpondo is conquered and torched. I have eleven more Sipahis that haven't moved yet; a couple of them make hit-and-run attacks on stray Zulu units and workers, and the rest, having nothing else to do, are sent to attack Ulundi even though my medieval infantries can attack the city next turn.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image53_INCOMING.JPG

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image54_FOOM.JPG

Ya gotta love those 8 attack points and those 3 moves per turn. If you're not a Zulu, anyway..... :D

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image52_PostAssault.JPG

Wounded Sipahis return to the barracks at Flipopolis for medical attention. Captured catapults are moved to the southern end of the empire and disbanded in order to help speed up production down there.

In-between-turns action results in a couple of Sipahis, deep in Zulu territory, getting killed by archers and knights.

My turn again. The above Zulu units that killed a couple of my Sipahis are exterminated. Eight other full-health Sipahis move into the tile; they will hit Bapedi next turn. My pile of medieval infantries moves into position just east of Amatikulu. In between turns, a pile of Persian units moves into position to strike the city from the west. Suffice it to say that Amatikulu is TOAST.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image55_Amatikulu.JPG

Next turn.

My MI's attack Amatikulu. Casualties are very heavy; it's MI's against fortified musketmen in a size 12 city. Eight MI's are killed before the city falls. Four MI's are left; not enough to really make a dent in anything else I'm likely to face. These last four MI's are sent down south to be sacked for speeding up production. Hell of a way to get retired from military service....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image56_DoomedMI.JPG

Further troop movements: Bapedi is hit by that stack of nine deep-operative Sipahis. The city drops like a brick.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image57_Bapedi.JPG

At this point, the Zulus are out of the game--the best-producing core around where the capital was has been obliterated. No mercy for the pansy-assed: three Ottoman units move through the ruins of Mpondo, into the peninsula in the northeast corner of the continent, pillage the roads, and cut the crumbling Zulu empire in two:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image58_Pillage.JPG

Phew! Lotta action tonight. Time to hit the showers. Once again, real world will probably prevent me from getting back to the game until Friday. I take comfort in the fact that the other civs on the map are FREAKED right now....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image59_Scared.JPG

Holy hell.....can anyone say "ownage?"

You won't be disappointed, T. More ownage follows!

It's 1060 AD. Fourth turn of the Third Zulu War. The Zulu empire has been chopped in two by a blockade on the isthmus west of New Bapedi, cutting off the western half of the empire from reinforcements. The western half will be my target for tonight. Flipopolis and Korbelgrad, with their huge food surpluses, will be my settler pumps with which to claim the newly liberated territory.

The following images show what's what. Flipopolis, my key military center for most of the war, is boxed in red as a reference point.

Here's the west half of the Zulu empire.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image60_West.JPG

....and the east half.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image60_East.JPG

During tonight's engagement, the Persians move several units--five or six cavalry, a few riflemen, and their army of Immortals--through my territory in search of Zulus to destroy. Tough luck, guys. I do the conquering around here. :king:

I sort my full-health offensive units--rail lines are very nice for moving units into separate stacks to organize your forces. I have four veteran Sipahis and two elites that are ready for action; four more full-health veterans are up north, where Old Bapedi used to be before it was turned into a parking lot.

1070 AD: The two elites and four of the veterans are able to attack Umfolozi (way up top and a little west) this turn. The city has five spice tiles next to it. Its second defender is an Impi--which manages to red-line one of my elite Sipahis! Though it's close, Umfolozi is destroyed without losses, and the Ottomans take control of the world's spice trade (the sixth spice tile is in the east near Umtata).

Further west, Zunguim is destroyed. Again without loss, though my first two attackers are red-lined. Once Zunguim is toasted, the newly-liberated roads nearby allow my other Sipahis in the area (with that awesome 3 moves per turn!) to move further west and destroy New Hlobane.

Three cities flattened in one turn. BOOYAH!

In the east, I have less luck; my troops take losses attacking New Intombe.

1080: War weariness starts showing up. GRRRR. In the east, a mean-spirited Zulu cavalry sneaks around my fortified riflemen and kills a red-lined veteran Sipahi! BASTARD!!!

The last of my MI's are disbanded.

A settler founds the city of Denizli to hook up the spices. This solves my empire's war weariness problem for now. Some of my cities will soon need marketplaces and/or cathedrals to keep the citizens in line. With war weariness cropping up after only six turns, I'm beginning to consider a Communist government (or, being a staunch anti-Communist, perhaps Monarchy) for the remainder of the game.

1090: The Persian attack on Isandhlwana last turn left an Impi visible defending the city. I have only a Rifleman next to it. Hmmm.....a strength 4 attacker against a fortified Impi....I take the risk and have the Rifleman attack the city. FOOM! Isandhlwana is toasted. The Persians are probably pissed right now, seeing as how their cavalry did most of the work and killed off that city's tougher defenders.

The results of this cruel and vicious campaign of destruction are shown below. A blockade line, marked in Ottoman orange, has been established to keep mischievous Persian settlers out.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image61_WesternCampaign.JPG

The Ottoman reign of terror continues.....can anything stop it!?!?

1100 AD: The Persians beat me to Isipezi and capture the city instead of razing it. Nuts.

In between turns, the Zulus take a few swings at me; my attack forces poised next to two cities are hit by Zulu cavalry in those cities. Two Sipahis are killed.

1110 AD: Three of the Zulus' last four cities fall. It's down to their last bastion, New Bapedi. Only two Sipahis are able to attack it this turn; both are repelled. One is killed.

1120: The hills west of New Bapedi prevent me from getting at the last Zulu city this turn. DAMN.

1130 AD: I trade Electricity to Rome for Communism and 81 GPT; Electricity to Carthage for Industrialization; Electricity to Egypt for Medicine (hey, Cleopatra is going to get destroyed by her neighbors anyway, and I already traded Electricity to both of those neighbors--might as well profit by Egypt as well); and Electricity to Persia for 2000 gold. I could have gotten about 200 more gold from Persia by going GPT, but I expect to be at war with them fairly soon, so I take straight cash up front.

A Carthaginian caravel drops off three cavalry near New Bapedi in the hopes of getting some spoils off the Zulus. Won't happen, Hannibal. Go fight Rome or something.

And so it comes down to this. The Last Stand of the Zulus.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image62_LastStand.JPG

My elite units attack first, in the hope of popping a leader. First up is an elite Sipahi against a slightly wounded veteran musketman. The musketman dies.

Next up: an elite Sipahi vs. a regular pikeman at full health. The Sipahi is redlined and runs away. No leader for me today.

Round three: a veteran Sipahi kills the wounded pikeman.

And finally, one more veteran Sipahi kills the last of the Zulu Impis.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image63_ZulusGone.JPG

The score / power / culture graphs:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image64a_Score.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image64b_Power.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image64c_Culture.JPG

And a world map that now looks a lot nicer. :king:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image65_WorldMap.JPG

Final notes for the night: Persia and Carthage are still at war against Egypt--and my work force is now up to 78 slave laborers!

Im really enjoying reading this , keep it up and kick some Zulu's $SS

Um, Zululand is dead.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image66_JokePane.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image67_JokePane2.JPG

w00t! Very nicely done, basketcase.

I'm going to be a while getting back into the game tonight. Right now I'm just staring at the map and considering my next step. Persia will eventually have to be stomped, but right now doesn't look like a good time to do it. The question is whether to hammer on Persia with a bunch of Sipahis (which will be really painful against Persian riflemen, and suicidal once Persia gets Replaceable Parts), build a bunch of Infantry and send them into his empire to pillage stuff, or start building big stacks of artillery.

Sorry, guys, but war with Persia isn't going to happen in the near future. First off, their army is comparable in size and technology to mine. Second, the Persians have an MPP with Babylon--who has an MPP with Rome. As a Republic government, that's a kind of chain reaction I really don't need. Especially when one of the civs in that chain reaction is across the ocean; getting such a civ to make peace when you have no navy and can't get your troops across the pond to FORCE a peace settlement....that would be very costly. Before I consider getting myself into that sort of mess, I need to think about switching to a non-war-weary government and building up a military that can beat up two or three enemies at once.

Current events:

The pillaging of the Zulu empire allowed a barbarian camp to spring up on the eastern peninsula. One of my Sipahis in the area clears it out. Also in that area, I use four Sipahis to pin those Carthaginian cavalry that landed there.

The desert in the middle of my empire is fully railroaded; with irrigation, each desert tile now produces 2 food, allowing nearby cities to start growing again.

My pile of slave laborers is much larger than I will ever need, so I join some Zulu workers to a few of my core production cities to bring them to size 12. For the most part, this won't add shields, but it does add a good deal of commerce (most of the joined workers end up working sea tiles).

1180 AD: Persia and Rome are up by Corporation and down by Replaceable Parts. Nobody else seems to have that second one yet.

1190 AD: Corporation finishes. 8 turns until I find out who's got the oil. Salonika starts building a Palace as a Wall Street pre-build.

Persian and Babylonian ships are sighted heading for the eastern peninsula that was vacated by the Zulus. Looks like people are trying to swipe my territory (which IS mine even though I haven't actually claimed it yet). Blockade time. My Sipahis, who were mostly sitting fortified at Junkograd ever since the Third Zulu War ended, are moved east to occupy every coastal tile on the peninsula and prevent landings. All other Zulu territory has been claimed by placeholder cities with rushed libraries; culture expansions have covered everything except the mountains in the central north section of the old Zulu Empire. The only problem now is that one city the Persians captured smack in the middle of those mountains.

Virus scanner kicks in and ganks up my PC. Oh well, time for a break. I grab a soda and run off to make some more trouble in OT. :)

Catch ya later!

New and further-improved palace.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image69_Palace.JPG

Current world map now has a lot more orange on it. Looks MUCH better! :king:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image69b_WorldMap.JPG

The northwest half of my empire's border with Persia:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image73_West.JPG

A little south to show the rest of the border:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image76_Flipopolis.JPG

The center north section, with that annoying captured Persian hole-in-the-wall city:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image72_CenterNorth.JPG

And the eastern peninsula, complete with pinned Carthaginian intruders:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image71_East.JPG

Egypt wants to sign an ROP/MPP agreement. No thanks, I don't need to be going to war against Persia AND Carthage just now. Rome and Babylon declare war on Egypt. Now everybody in the game is at war with Egypt, except me. Lisht, a tiny city on the very tippy north end of Egypt, is already in Persian hands. Farewell, Cleo. Looks like you're the next one getting voted off the island. I offer her free Wines in the hope of easing her passing. :cry:

The beginning of the end for Egypt:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image70_Egypt.JPG

1230 AD: My Golden Age finally ends. Yes, it took that long and that many posts for me to play 20 measly turns. :)

I pass up Babylon on the scorecard to take fifth place.

1260 AD: Rome demands Replaceable Parts. I know Caesar is bluffing--well, actually I don't, so I guess I'll have to make sure. Yep, he was bluffing.

Egypt loses Heliopolis to Rome.

Babylon gives me Sanitation for Industrialization (which everyone else already has) and Spices.

1265 AD: I finish Refining--and I HAVE OIL! Turns out it's under Bakkaville, right near my capital city. There's a second source just inside my border with Persia--that one's not connected yet.

I set my research path to Steel and Combustion--next step is to get busy on a modern navy.

A little advance planning: I stick a settler and two Infantry units aboard a caravel and set it on a course for Egypt. The plan there is to lurk in the area while Egypt is torn apart, and see if a spot opens up for me to sneak in a city. This will be important later.

I take a calculated risk--and gift Replaceable Parts to Egypt in the hope that it will help Cleopatra slow her enemies down. Everybody now has Replaceable Parts--except Babylon. However, Babylon doesn't have Electricity yet, so there's no immediate risk Babylon will extort Replaceable Parts out of Egypt. Babylon appears to be hopelessly behind, anyway. Then I gift rubber to Egypt so Cleo can build Infantry.

1280 AD: Egypt loses Giza.

1290 AD: Persia and Egypt make peace. Carthage, however, keeps pounding, and takes Memphis. Cleo only has four cities left.

1295 AD: Persia declares war on Egypt again. There's a peace treaty that didn't last! Hieraconpolis falls to Rome. Rome now holds most of northern Egypt, Carthage has most of the south. My ship with settler and Infantry aboard is amid a horde of Roman and Carthaginian ships unloading cavalry on Egypt and bombing its coastlines. Things are so thick it's going to be hard to find a place to land. The good news is, I can see Egyptian Infantry units from offshore, so my gifts to Egypt weren't wasted. Hopefully Cleo made her enemies bleed.

I make an ROP with Egypt so I can use her roads, and land my two Infantries and my settler.

1305 AD: I've got a front row seat for the fighting in Egypt. Egyptian infantry units at Thebes repel a brutal Roman and Carthaginian cavalry assault, taking no losses. Avaris isn't so lucky; it falls to Rome.

I finish building the last Stock Exchange I need, and Wall Street becomes available for construction. I go to Salonika and switch the pre-build from Palace to Wall Street....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image74_WallStreetRush.JPG

:eek: Howzzat for good timing??? Hot DIGGITY!! [party]


1310 AD: Rome and Carthage mount another offensive. Thebes starts losing infantry--the invaders are taking heavy losses, but the final outcome is certain. Among the invading forces, Medieval Infantry units are visible--and Persia even has an army of Immortals moving to attack Byblos! Somebody wake the AI's up and inform them what year it is!!!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image75_EgyptLastStand.JPG

Egypt isn't ready to give up yet. Thebes has a cavalry unit hiding in it; that unit makes a surprise counterattack and kills a Roman cavalry.

Persia no longer has an MPP with Babylon--but does have an MPP with Rome. Maybe Persia and Rome will have parted ways by the time I'm ready to go to war against Persia.

1315 AD: Persia's army of Immortals attacks Byblos, gets turned around and bent over, and gets its ass kicked big time. Army dies. Thebes continues its heroic stand. Egypt lives to fight another day.

1320 AD: Thebes finally falls to the Romans. The city's cultural border shrinks accordingly, giving me a nice hill to found a city on:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image77_Suicide.JPG

1325 AD: Cleopatra receives no mercy of any kind. The last Egyptian city, Byblos, is pounded from all sides. Ships bombard the shores and unload troops all around the city. Cavalry, medieval infantry, pikemen, and an army move in from shipboard and from the east. Two tiles within the city radius are pillaged. Still, the defenders hold out.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image78_BadJoke.JPG

Stay tuned for the fall of Egypt....and the next chapter of this world's unfolding history!

1330 AD: The Roman siege on Byblos continues.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image79_Byblos.JPG

Cavalry units attack the last Egyptian city one after another; several are red-lined and retreat. Two are killed. Finally, Rome plays its trump card: an army loaded with a cavalry and three medieval infantries. The army is dropped from nearly full-health to four points--but, in the end.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image80_Cleopatra.JPG

No problem, Cleo. You fought well. See ya next game!


All other civs are up by Scientific Method and Espionage. I'm up on everybody by Steel; Babylon is also missing Refining and Replaceable Parts.

Carthage is willing to pay for Steel with Scientific Method, 2010 gold up front, and 91 GPT. Tempting. Rome is willing to give Scientific Method, Espionage, and 660 gold for Steel. I don't agree to either just yet.

An alternative: Babylon is willing to give Scientific Method and Espionage for Replaceable Parts (which everyone else already has) and some gold. I can get two techs without giving Steel to the other civs, if I forego 91 GPT. Nobody else except Carthage has much of any value to purchase Steel with. So, after considering my options, I trade with Babylon.

I open the negotiating window with Carthage, and pay the AI's back for a stunt they have always been pulling on me in previous games: constantly cranking up the price I gotta pay for luxuries. Carthage ponies up 32 GPT for wines. Revenge is kinda fun.....

Persia renews its MPP with Rome. HANG it all!!! :mad:

Goobergrad begins building the Intelligence Agency. Rome and Carthage, the two biggest contenders in the game, are both Republics. Easy prey for spies. An alternative approach to research might be worth my while.....

I'm now third in score.

Edit: Didn't get much done tonight, so I figured I'd just tack this in as an edit. Played several turns, but not much happened.

Persia completes the Theory of Evolution.

Combustion research completes, and there's more bidding for this one from the other civs. Persia is willing to fork over Atomic Theory and 112 GPT for it. Rome will trade Atomic Theory for it, but won't pay so much as 1 GPT. Guess I hosed my rep with them somehow. Carthage is willing to pay 55 GPT for Combustion. If I trade with Persia for Atomic Theory, Rome will have nothing to offer; I can probably get more total GPT by trading with Rome first.

Plus, my Intelligence Agency is done, and I was able to sneak a spy into Persepolis. :) The military screen shows Persia has about as many cavalry as I have Sipahis--and twice as much infantry. No worry there--I've got a nice stack of artillery building up at Junkograd.

I built a library in Suicidograd (that city I plunked down in between Roman and Carthaginian conquests in Egypt to hopefully prevent flippage. Now building walls.

Wow. You hopped pretty quickly to the top part of the pile. Good job, impatiently awaiting more. :)

Well, I can throw in this tidbit until I get back into the game tonight:

A couple turns ago, pollution hit Costa Lotta. I sent a stack of slaves to immediately clean it up so I could switch the city's workers back to the correct tiles right away. Nevertheless, next turn I notice Costa Lotta's production is short four shields.

I'd had Costa Lotta's workers arranged so it was producing 40 shields (after corruption) each turn--just right to build an artillery every 2 turns. I fixed the polluted tile right away, so I'm confused where those four shields vanished to.

Then I realize what happened: the computer did the pollution rolls, applied pollution on that one tile, then added up production before handing control back to me.

Hey, ya learn new things all the time. :)

The above is especially important for food--a city that's reached its maximum population and has no food stores can suffer immediate starvation if one of its food tiles is hit by pollution! Hence--once you've got a city at the population you want, be sure to let it fill its food box most of the way before you stop its growth.

I've been experiencing this phenomenon of crappiness for some time, but I never thought of that....well, you know what they say, the answer's always right under your nose. :D

It might be that Rome just doesn't have any GPT to pay. (Actually, I've found the AI more likely to pay GPT when your rep is trashed, they just won't take it.)

wow its only 1330 and your modern? or is it industrial i cant tell anymore...

i ususally get to industrial around 1500-1600 **lucky**

Everyone's late Industrial at the moment. Four or five more techs and people are going to be hitting the Modern Ages.

This is actually normal for higher difficulty levels--at these levels, the AI players all get a research bonus, so the techs are going to come in faster.

Okay, I hate espionage now.

From last night up till now, the question of whether I should try to steal Electronics from Persia has just been TORTURING me endlessly. I've only got enough gold on hand to do an immediate, and I just KNOW I'm gonna get a fail, and Persia is already furious with me.....BUT I WANT ELECTRONICS!!!! :cry:

Here's another interesting note:

The city of Bolu, founded by myself after bulldozing the Zulu capital out of the area, grew quickly to size 11. At that point, its production was around 38 shields per turn--35 of which were lost to corruption.

With the simple addition of a courthouse, and without WLTKD, that courthouse kicked the city from 3 shields a turn to 13. HUGE. I didn't know courthouses were that effective!

Oh, something else I forgot--when I finished researching Combustion, I went ahead and shopped it around. Traded it to Rome for Atomic Theory, then traded it to Persia and Carthage for a piles of GPT, 250 or so. After getting Atomic Theory from Rome, Electronics became visible in Persia's list of technologies for trade--but Xerxes was a punk and wouldn't part with it under any circumstances.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image82_StoleElectronics.JPG

Sweeeeet!

Patience probably paid off here--I turned science down a bit to accumulate gold until I could do a careful Steal instead of an immediate. If I remember from the FAQ's, Immediate steals have something like a 50/50 success rate. :eek:

I could have researched Electronics in 8 turns, or by turning science down to zero I could crank my GPT up by 810 more, so my opportunity cost for Electronics was about 6500 gold. The careful steal cost about 2000.

I finish researching Mass Production--nothing worthwhile can be gained from trading it. Goobergrad has exactly 50 shields, just right for producing battleships, and, well, Goobergrad starts producing battleships. :) I have only a few cities that can really benefit from commercial docks; those cities get started building them.

I'm quickly catching up to Persia in forces; I now have 40 infantry and 25 artillery. I'm producing military units in twos and threes each turn, while Persia is only building one infantry every couple of turns or so. However, Persia's culture is a real problem. While their total is roughly the same as mine, their local culture along the border is steadily encroaching on territory that is mine by right. One tile at the very north end of the border changes to Persia; I'm forced to back up a square--and give up a fort I built there. Hamadan's culture is really driving a wedge into my territory and threatening my garrison at Bingol (Bingol and Hamadan are both a few tiles northwest of Flipopolis.

Suddenly, out of the blue, I hit on an idea I should have tried a long time ago.

Persia keeps signing MPP's with its neighbors, making war against Persia a very bad idea. No other civ in the game has been willing to accept a military alliance with me against anybody--I'd always assumed this was because I had a bad rep. However, quite by accident I click "Mutual Protection Pact" while negotiating with Rome, and my advisor says this offer IS acceptable to Rome! Evidently the AI civs simply have a thing about not declaring out-and-out war against people.

And so a solution presents itself: make an MPP with Rome, provoke Persia into declaring war, and then make sure Persia strikes MY territory first. Thereby eliminating Rome's MPP with Persia and making Rome an ally instead.

Persia's completion of the Hoover Dam makes the prospect even more inviting. Hoover Dam is at Arbela, which is not very far from my border at all.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image83_Arbela.JPG

In the meantime: having finished Mass Production, and having stolen Electronics, I'm ready to research Motorized Transportation, and get TANKS!!

Right?

:D

Nnnnnope. Here's an oddball move: instead, I begin researching FLIGHT.

If you figure out what I'm up to.....SHHHHH. Don't spoil it. You're gonna love it if it works.....

Another bit of suspense: I haven't disbanded any of my Sipahis. I'm keeping them all. Doesn't make any sense, does it?? Sipahis don't upgrade into anything. They're obsolete. Right? Wrong. You're gonna like what I've got in mind for them.....

....and, no sooner do I post the above than I notice in the diplomacy screen that Persia has TERMINATED its MPP with Rome.

Ya know that thing about the TV set working perfectly when the repairman finally arrives??? :rolleyes: :mad:

I finish researching Flight. Okay, NOW it's time to go for tanks. :)

Suicidograd (that city way in the east, in the middle of Carthaginian and Roman territory) begins building an airport. The light bulbs are probably now lighting up in the audience. :D Meanwhile, back home....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image85_Airfields.JPG

....I sack some workers to build a nice forest of airfields. Even more light bulbs are going on at this point..... (sssshhhhhh, it's a surprise)


Okay, so now nobody has MPP's with anybody else. I've got enough infantry to mount a strong defense against Persia; I've got a nicely-built border--forts every other square, with barrackses (???) in key cities nearby. Plus a stack of thirty artillery. I seem to be the first on the map with destroyers and battleships.

First thing to do is set out the bait. For the last several turns, I've had my border with Persia completely walled up with units so the Persian troops in that annoying hole-in-the-wall northern city wouldn't go stomping around my territory. So I take the barricade away.

Next turn--Persia doesn't take the bait. :confused:

Turn after that. Persia moves three infantry from that northern city into my territory. Took him long enough to figure it out. Alrighty, time to bring up the negotiating window and get Xerxes to declare on me.

The "Get out or declare war" option isn't available. :mad:

Geez, what's a guy gotta do to start a war around here!?!?!? For a minute I consider doing an immediate tech steal--I either get Flight or I get to beat up the Persians.

Oh well, maybe I can still get a declaration.....

Me: "Get out of my territory!"

Xerxes: "Okay, okay. Sorry about that, we're pathetic losers, we apologize!!!"

:wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash:

I love it when a plan comes together. Well, the plan is not coming together here.

Next turn: Persia's intruding units move further into my space, instead of going home. Good. Negotiating time again. This time, the "Get out or DECLARE WAR!!!" option is up.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image84_PersiaWar.JPG

FINALLY. Sheesh.


Get out the popcorn, folks!! It's time to RUMBLE!!!

1455 AD: Persia has declared war on me after I made my justified demand that he move his devastating THREE infantry from my sovereign territory. But then, hey, the Arabs and Zulus got spanked for a lot less....

The minute I declared war, my GPT dropped from +140 to -34. OOPS! Forgot Persia was paying me in GPT for Combustion. Oh well, the contract only had five turns left anyway.

The theater of battle. Northwest section of the border:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image86_Northwest.JPG

And the southeast half, near Flipopolis:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image87_Center.JPG


Step 1 is to gather up all my Sipahis behind the front line. I stick them all in a pile on the railroad. I've got 19 of them. Now, here's why I kept them around:

I grab two Sipahis and move them both across the border onto a flat ground tile with a Persian railroad on it. That takes one move point. Then both Sipahis pillage the square; it takes two pillages to eliminate the railroad and then the road. Then the two Sipahis use their last move point to retreat into an Ottoman fort on my side of the border.

So basically, my Sipahis leap into enemy territory, cut nearly all the roads on the Persian side, and retreat to safety before Persia can even blink. :lol:

Once my Sipahis have done this to all the tiles they can reach, my artillery stack moves around and bombs the other tiles on the border, including the hill tiles. End result:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image88_BorderChop.JPG

Persia's offensive units will now have to use almost their entire move just getting into my territory, they won't be able to get deeper in than one square, and they will be subject to immediate counterattack when it's my turn. Persian tanks will be cannon fodder at the border once they start showing up.

Next thing to do is clear out that Persian pimple on the pristine prairies of my parish. Persia has three cavalry camped on the border. They're bombed to redline by artillery, and then killed. Next, the city's defenders are shelled to redline--that takes a lot of work--and four Sipahis are able to attack and destroy the city immediately. Acheron (named after the mythological river to Hell) is founded in its place.

The three Persian infantry still in that area are three tiles away from the nearest Ottoman city; they're ignored for now.

Next target: Hamadan. I need to get rid of that big Persian spike through the heart of Ottoman territory. I move my artillery there and start shelling the city, but don't hit much.

All right, time to get my troops dug in and see if Xerxes has any stones.

In between turns, I discover Persia actually does have a LOT of stones. At least, troops that are about as smart as stones. His main thrust is directed a Flipopolis:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image91_PersianOffensive.JPG

The Persian counterattack consists of fifteen infantry divisions and eighteen cavalry divisions--four of those in an Army. These units don't attack anything. The cavalry units simply rush past the forts to position for an attack on Flipopolis next turn. Only fourteen cavalry (including the army) get that far; the other four are left one tile short. None of these Persian scum are going to reach the gates of the city.

A second Persian army appears out of thin air and attacks Point Blanke. The city has four fortified Ottoman infantry defending it; one is killed. The Persian army attacks again--and dies. Tough luck, fellas.

Then Persia delivers a genuine surprise--their third army (my spy reported three) appears at, of all places, SUICIDOGRAD! Well, that was sure unexpected.

Unfortunately--for the Persians--Suicidograd is built on a hill, has city walls, and has two fortified infantry defending it. The Persian army is dropped to one hit point, and retreats without having inflicted so much as a scratch on the defending troops. No other Persian units attack Suicidograd this turn.

So, the first turn of the war was one of unanswered success for the Turks.


1470 AD: Persia finishes its turn, and the ball is back in my court. First thing I do is un-fortify one infantry at Suicidograd and use him to kill that Persian army. Risk is minimal. When Egypt was getting beat up, that army was the only Persian unit I spotted. I'm confident Suicidograd is safe. Just in case, I'll be airlifting some more infantry over next turn.

I sort my troops by rank (vet or elite) and health:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image90_Troops.JPG

My artillery stack positions itself in Flipopolis and has a field day on the Persian cavalry--it's impossible to pull the trigger without hitting something. Nevertheless, amazingly, one gunner does manage to miss. He is demoted and assigned KP next turn. If he can't hit forty square miles' worth of enemy troops, maybe he should practice his aim on dinner plates with a ladle.

All 18 Persian cavalry are dropped to yellow or red health; the army is knocked down to two points. My elite Sipahis get exercised first. None pop any leaders. My veterans attack next. One is killed. When the smoke clears, the score for the day is Persians 1, Ottomans 18. Intel reports show Persia has exactly four cavalry divisions left.

The Persians evacuate their wounded troops near Flipopolis, moving them towards Hamadan and bringing in fresh troops from the south. It looks like a damn military parade: troops move in, get hammered by artillery, and continue past to Hamadan for medical attention. Unfortunately, the troops on that last step get obliterated by Ottoman cavalry before they can reach Hamadan. Come and get it! Step right up!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image92_PersianParade.JPG

The Persian navy appears in the northeast, shelling the roads around the completely unimportant town of Sivas. All their shots miss.

1475 AD: The Persian Parade at Flipopolis is repeated: fresh troops get shelled, wounded troops at front of parade get killed. Up northeast at Sivas, the Ottoman navy tastes blood for the first time; the battleships Oppressor, Imperator, and Dominion plunge full-steam into battle, and their massive guns sink the smaller Persian ironclads without effort.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image93_Peninsula.JPG


1480 AD: The ongoing shelling of Hamadan has levelled most of the city, and its defenders are finally reduced to red-line. Ottoman cavalry hit the city from the north and finish the job. The map changes dramatically.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image94_HamadanToasted.JPG


My second target will be Sardis; this will require some extra planning. Here's the situation:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image95_SardisOffensive.JPG

As it stands, my troops will need two turns to reach Sardis. That means one turn during which the attacking troops will get pounded on the way to their target. The key tile I need to control is circled in green. The three Persian infantry in the area are cleared out the easy way; then workers are sent to rebuild the railroad on that tile, covered by infantry. During their work, Persian marines attempt to attack the workers. Three Ottoman infantry units are killed holding off the attack.

Once the road is back up, my artillery brigades take firing positions on the green circle. The radar tower northeast of the city needs to be dropped first. Two atillery shots and an elite Sipahi take care of that. Then, the other 41 artillery hit Sardis with everything they've got.

It's not enough; some of the city's defenders still have two hit points. This is going to need the best of the Turkish military. Seven elite Sipahi divisions attack. One is red-lined and retreats--and two others are killed. The other four elites each kill a defender, but there's still one left. Two veterans are needed to finish that one off, and Sardis is bulldozed. A Persian battleship caught in port at the time is captured and scuttled.

At Sivas, the damaged but still seaworthy Ottoman warships continue their savage assault on the inferior Persian navy, sinking three more ships. The battleship Dominion is red-lined, but finishes off its target and docks in Sivas for repairs. The Imperator and the Oppressor both promote.

It's a day of smashing victories for the Ottoman Empire!! The long march to victory continues. Oh, and one more thing--I'm now building tanks......

Great Work BasketCase!!!! But watch out for more armys near suicideograd.
if you study your posts as intently as most of us do, you will see a Persian Leader sitting near suicideograd all by himself in the 1310AD picture post. The first Army didn't do Persia much good though, did it.... :p

Keep up the great posts.

Great job. Keep it up! :goodjob:

A city you left undefended thinking no one could reach it, however it is very vulnerable to cavalry.

Only a brief update tonight--got into the game VERY late. Oh, and things are suddenly not quite so rosy as they were. The graphs look great:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image96a_Score.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image96b_Power.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image96c_Culture.JPG

So does the scorecard:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image97_ScoreText.JPG

Moved up to Number Two! [party]

None of the above is the problem. Read on.....


It's 1490 AD. The offensive against the Persians continues. With the immediate threats to my border cleared out, it's time to inflict some real damage. My ultimate goal is Arbela (the city with the Hoover Dam in it). My first target en route to that goal will be Tarsus:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image_98_TarsusOffensive.JPG

My approach will be from the east, as outlined by the green arrow; I'll need to railroad the tile marked with a green circle, then my tanks can hit Tarsus with no warning, without having to attack the city from across the river. My artillery moves into position north of the city, on the red circle. The city is just outside my sight range at the moment, so I send a spotter.....

.....and this is where things go downhill.

The spotter reports MECHANIZED INFANTRY in the city. BIG problem! It gets worse--my agents in Persepolis report Persia has nine of them. Evidently they acquired Computers last turn and immediately upgraded a hefty chunk of their infantry force. Life just got a good deal more difficult.

My artillery fire on the city, hitting a lot of buildings and killing a lot of people--but only doing minor damage to the four MI's in the city. None of them are red-lined. Persia makes a determined attack on my worker stack on that key tile (the green circle), with several marines and three tanks. The defenders take heavy casualties, but hold the tile.

1495 AD: ONE turn later, the Persians' force of MI's jumps from 9 to 52. The strategic situation just flip-flopped. Modern infantry can challenge FORTIFIED Industrial-age infantry, and with Persian tanks backing them up, my border is no longer impregnable. So much for inflicting "some real damage" on the Persians--time to get out while I'm ahead!

Persia is willing to cough up 75 GPT in exchange for a peace treaty. I need 7 more turns to get into the Modern Age (and get a free tech). First step after that will be getting MI's of my own. After that, modern armor.

So, this one's guaranteed to go all the way to the end of the Modern Ages. We're talkin' modern warfare with nukes and the whole enchilada. I'm not sure I'm lookin' forward to this..... :D

Wow...that really sucks copious amounts of arse. How the hell did they get from 9 to 52 in a SINGLE TURN? I only count 11 cities on the minimap, so...is that even possible?

Good luck with the MA fight, though. Can't wait till everybody has nukes...


EDIT: Dumbass is me. :crazyeye: Didn't really think about upgrading...heheh.

That up-freaking-gigantic-grade sure surprised the hell outta me. If I hadn't checked in with my spy when I did, I might have been in for a serious guy-in-federal-prison-who-just-dropped-the-soap pounding.....

In previous games, I have fought several successful military campaigns from where the Persians are--using defensive units on the offense. Infantry can beat up riflemen, MI's can beat up infantry. And then, once the beatdown has been administered, the successful unit has the defense to actually hold onto the tile. And I do know the AI's are willing to use defensive units on the attack--that Roman huge-map game I played a while back (where the Persians attacked me using a single stack of EIGHTY-FIVE Infantry units!!!) still haunts my mind!

I'm confident I am still destined for world domination once I get MA's and MI's. Nukes are the only wild card. I've never had a game where nukes had real game-altering effect; all of them ended (usually by Spaceship victory) before anybody really got a chance to barbecue anybody else with them. The fact that Spaceship victory (and UN victory) is turned off in this game....well, that makes it a whole different deal.

it seems nukes have to be used, if not for persia, for carthage to prevent them from lauching the space shuttle or anyone to hold a UN vote...

You have 7 turns until the Industrial Age? Buh?

what a great read ...wd

p.s my first post!! :king:

@ionimplant: I turned both of those victory methods off. They make it too easy to just go "snap" and end the game like that.

@ChunkyKong: Huh?? I didn't type that!! Go back and read the post again, you must have misread it..... :) (Translation: I made a typo and edited it out. 7 turns left till I reach the MODERN Age)

@terencearam: welcome to CFC!! [party]

that is very cool man!

<sings> A tisket, a tasket / First on the scorecard is Basket!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image99_ScoreText.JPG


1510 AD: Persia declares war!!! :eek:

.....against Babylon. :whew:

HEY, there's no "whew" smiley???

I trade Motorized Transportation to Babylon for Amphibious War, as much to make Persia bleed as to get another tech, even if it's one I've never used in any of my games. :D

Looks like the world order is disintegrating as the surviving powers begin to declare war on each other. I wonder how much longer it will be until Rome and Carthage start taking pot shots at each other. Or at me.

1525 AD: I finally make it into the Modern Age. My free tech (being a Scientific civ) is Rocketry. Four sources of aluminum pop up in the Trade Advisor window. Everyone else in the Modern Age seems to have Rocketry already; no tech trades are available. Persia and Carthage both have Computers, but neither is willing to sell. I only have enough money to attempt an Immediate tech steal at the moment.

Right now I'm still in that first Modern Age turn, and trying to decide between Computers or going straight for modern tanks. I have a strong offensive mindset, but with Industrial Infantry as my main defensive unit, my border really is not defensible right now. I'm cranking out tanks a lot faster than Persia is, however. Carthage and Rome, for some odd reason, have built NO tanks at all even though they've long since passed Motorized Transportation and have had plenty of time to be building them. Rome still has Medieval Infantry in its military forces. :rolleyes:

I probably won't get much more done tonight. As you may have noticed, I've been very slow this weekend. Low biorhythms, I think--I've been just completely bummed out the last few days.

Edit: The lack of a "whew" smilie is really tempting me to set my research path in that direction.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image100_ModernSmilies.JPG

@terencearam: welcome to CFC!! [party]

Thnx much appreciated, I guess you`ll see me around the stories forum more than anywhere else `cause of the great reads!
I havent ever done a story but am considering it ...ive also been reading your story T-money another fine read.

yeah welcome.

Good job Basketcase, I've enjoyed reading this :D

Kill them Persians! :ar15:

p. s. : This is my first post!

Quick, before someone else says it:

Welcome to CFC! [party]

lol! Thanks for the welcome. :D

Alrighty, last week's blue funk is over with. Some fun action coming up tonight!

1550 AD: The Persians obliterate the Babylonian city of Sardis up north. This city was originally a Persian city that was captured several times by the Zulus and Persians over the last 5500 years, and most recently snagged by Babylon. Ironic that its own founders destroyed it.

The Babylonian Empire as it is now:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image101_BabylonBefore.JPG


1555 AD: I now have 35 tank divisions; that, combined with my artillery, should be enough to repel Persia if they try any funny business. I have enough money to attempt a Careful tech steal. A few mouse clicks later, and I suddenly have Computers! I turn research down a notch in order to get my GPT up from around +25 to +130. Enough to upgrade three Infantry a turn.

1570 AD: Babylon loses Uruk to Persia. Rome and Carthage are sending token fleets (mostly wooden ships and Ironclads) to help demolish Babylon. Bummer. Hammurabi seems to take no offense at the fact that Persian ships are shelling Babylonian cities from inside my territory. Babylon buys Radio from me for 400 gold and 25 GPT. Not great, but everybody else has Radio, and Babylon is about to get whacked anyway. Babylon's free tech in the Modern Age is one the rest of us already have. Babylon is willing to buy Computers for 158 GPT, but Rome doesn't have Computers yet, and would get it for free off Babylon once Babylon has been pounded enough. No more tech trading for now.

1585 AD: Babylon loses Akkad.

1595 AD: 13 turns until the Ottoman Empire starts terrorizing the map with modern tanks.

1600 AD: My agents catch Persia attempting to insert an agent! Nice try, Xerxes--you're gonna pay for that one.

1605 AD: I trade Ecology to Rome for Fission, Advanced Flight, and 85 GPT. Greenpeace gets mad at me for profiting off the environment. I have four sources of uranium in my territory.

Time for some payback to the Persians for their petty pilfering and pernicious perusal of my professors' ponderings (hey, YOU try coming up with a P word for "science". :) )

There was a peace treaty with 18 turns left on it (I made the mistake of renewing), so my reputation is probably toast. Well, tough. The Ottoman Empire declares war on Persia.

The war plan is the same as last time. Destroy Tarsus, then take Arbela and snag the Hoover Dam for some free hydroelectric power. With Persia campaigning successfully against Babylon, I expect reduced resistance. Plus I have lots of artillery and LOTS of tanks with which to repel the feared Persian mech infantry brigades. However, this time there are three radar towers just inside Persian territory, in positions to support attacks against key Ottoman strongpoints. Those towers need to come down. Some artillery and four tanks (one of which gets toasted) take care of that.

I start shelling Tarsus, and have better luck this time. Two of the four defenders are red-lined, the others are reduced to 2 hit points. I lose five tanks taking the city, and Tarsus is wiped off the map.

Arbela is now four tiles to the west; I can reach that in two turns. Two tiles in front of Arbela, on a hill, is another radar tower. A tank advances, finds that tower guarded only by a guerilla, and brings the tower down.

The very hill where the radar tower was? That would be a great staging point from which to attack Arbela. It's within reach this turn, and from there I can hit Arbela next turn. One Ottoman MI moves onto the tile; 30 artillery divisions move onto the hills just short of that spot, accompanied by six more MI's and 19 armored divisions.

My defensive position is precarious; I'm short on MI's and am scraping the bottom of the barrel in order to cover all my key points.

Persia's turn now. Two armies loaded with a mix of tanks and MI show up near Point Blanke. A bomber attacks the silk square near the city, and misses. Then the Persian armies attack. The city is defended by six standard Infantry; three are killed. That city is going to be lost if I don't do something.

1610 AD: One of my favorite emergency defensive moves: in order to bolster Point Blanke's defenses, I load my transport (which is four tiles away) with five MI's and three tanks, then move the transport into the city of Point Blanke. The MI's are now able to defend the city, even though they're technically still aboard the transport. Somebody alert me if this is considered an exploit. :)

I switch Point Gratha and BasketGrad to building MI's, and micro their laborers a bit to speed production a little. These two cities can build an MI in 2 and 3 turns, respectively.

Four Persian MI's and three tanks move into Ottoman territory via that Flipopolis parade route that was made famous last war. This is going to be a problem--because all my artillery are moving towards Arbela! Oops.

Persia attacks Point Blanke again. This time the defenders are Ottoman MI's--unfortified, but 18 defense unfortified in a size 12 city is still tough to crack. During the battle, one defending MI is killed--and another promotes. TWICE. First going from vet to elite, and then spawning a leader!!!

NICE WORK, troops! That mighty MI unit is christened BasketCase's Mechanized Aces.

1615 AD: Center on Flipopolis. No artillery on hand, so I'm gonna have to take these guys on fair and square. It's tanks against MI's, 16 attack vs. 18 defense. Since I've got a leader, I exercise my veteran tanks only. Losses are even; four Ottoman tanks killed. Once the Persian MI's are down, the tanks make easy targets. Two of my tanks promote to elite.

My great big sixty-plus attack stack moves into position to attack Arbela. The city WILL be taken next turn. Promise.

The battleship Avenger, parolling near Point Blanke, sinks a Persian battleship and returns to port for repairs.

My transport loads up my new leader in Point Blanke and evacuates him to the mainland. Next turn he will be used to create an army. I won't be filling that army with tanks for 9 more turns (I'm going to wait till I can fill that army with MODERN tanks), but turning him into an army now will allow me to continue fishing for leaders.

Persia's turn: A single tank attacks my troops en route to Arbela. It dies. My defending MI isn't even scratched. Xerxes is a doofus.

Persia attacks Point Blanke once more, using both tanks and a couple of MI's on the offensive. All of my MI's are wounded; one promotes and then is killed. The last couple of fights leave standard Infantry defending, because all the MI's are injured. One Infantry dies.

A Persian transport, escorted by a battleship, sneaks across from Intombe and drops off two tanks right next to my capital city. Come ON, I've seen more offensive stuff on Hollywood Squares. Another Persian battleship and transport are seen three tiles to the south.


1620 AD: I'm now glad I moved a few tanks to Point Blanke; the Persians left two redlined units next to the city, and I get to kill both for free. :)

My naval force at Point Blanke goes into action. The battleship Avenger is still damaged, so it's out of the action for now. Another Ottoman battleship based there sinks the Persian battleship up north; two destroyers sink the southern one. Then a third destroyer attacks the Persian transport that tried to sneak-attack my capital city....
:spear:

Getting tank-vs-spearman'ed by a transport is bad enough. The transport PROMOTES after sinking my destroyer!!! Guys? Have you ever seen an ELITE TRANSPORT?? Trust me. Such a thing is a total embarrassment.

Another destroyer erases the embarrassment (still, that incident is really gonna STING for a while!), and a fifth destroyer sinks the other transport to the south.


All right, folks, time for the MAIN EVENT!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image102_ArbelaOffensive.JPG

I lied about taking Arbela this turn. :D The city is defended by two tank armies and at least four MI's, and it's size 24, AND it's on a hill. Sorry folks, it is simply not gonna happen. Shelling by Ottoman artillery units kills 3 Persian citizens, destroying most of the buildings (including the barracks--destroying that is a necessity) and modestly denting the defending troops.

After the shelling, air recon reveals a radar tower just behind the city.

In 1625 AD, I move my entire offensive force up a tile, so I can shell the square with the radar tower and then take it down next turn with a couple of tanks. Taking Arbela itself will require a LOT more work. Expect a few more turns of pounding by artillery before I even think about sending in the tanks.

Oh yeah, and this happened:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image103_Manhattan.JPG

YIKES. Things are about to get a lot more interesting. :nuke:

Meantime, Babylon is shrinking fast:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image104_BaylonAfter.JPG

Carthage has made peace with Babylon, but that's not going to help much.

lol, it suckes to get :spear: by a transport!

I eagerly await the destruction of Persia...

Some peculiar things I noticed last night:

#1: One of my tanks was duelling a Persian tank. During the battle, I hit the Windows key in order to get at the Windows taskbar and add some notes to the Notepad file I use to scribble down what happens over the course of the game (Civ3 does NOT cooperate well with Windows XP, and tries very hard to hang onto the CPU and desktop). When I returned to the game, I noticed that both tanks were damaged but still alive--and they were no longer shooting at each other. Windowing out apparently caused them to just plain stop shooting.

#2: Shelling Arbela on a previous turn. Doing this one artillery unit at a time is really tedious. I was in this grind where I had the mouse cursor on the city. Hit B key on keyboard, click mouse. Boom. B, click. Boom. B, click. Etc etc etc. During one shot, I hit B too soon, the game mis-registered the mouse click as a plain click on a different part of the map. Then, the next time I hit the B key, my next artillery unit gladly took a shot at a square that was WAY out of its range! Better yet, the shot was a hit! There's some kind of bug here that allows artillery to hit stuff four squares away if you time it right.


1625 AD: I really need to have more artillery at home, so I switch three cities to building more. I turn research down to 60% to bring in more gold; pretty soon I'm going to have a lot of tanks to upgrade, and I want to be able to make use of them quickly.

The two Persian armies in Arbela attack my assault force. Both are at about 50% health. The first army is destroyed and inflicts no losses, though my defending elite MI is red-lined. The second army kills a veteran MI. Another Persian tank does the parade thing at Flipopolis. Gotta love how they attack one at a time.


1630 AD: Next round at Arbela. All artillery units, fire at will! This salvo destroys a few more buildings, mildly damages the defenders again, and drops the city to 13 citizens. This is gonna be a long siege.

War weariness is starting to set in. Nothing much else happens.

The Persians kill the Ottoman tank that destroyed the radar tower behind Arbela. Then a Persian MI sneaks into my territory and starts pillaging a tile in my territory that has SALTPETER on it. HELLOOOOO Persians!! Saltpeter is obsolete!!!


1635 AD: Arbela is reduced to a size 1 city. At this point, I have better luck hitting the defenders, but I don't manage to do more than one point of damage to any of them. There are at least five MI's in the city.


1640 AD: My artillery this turn produces thoroughly dismal results. Despite having nothing else to hit, they are unable to peg Arbela's defenders with any reliability. I find myself in the same predicament the Germans ran into while besieging Stalingrad during World War II: heavy shelling simply created more rubble for the defenders to hide in. The Persian army is now down to 30% health, but the MI's in the city are only lightly wounded; one has taken 2 damage, the rest only one damage. With no barracks in the city, Arbela's defenders are still healing up as fast as I damage them.

All right then. If that's the best I can get, then it's time to send in the tanks.

The ensuing battle is the bloodiest in Ottoman history. Attacking tanks get destroyed one after another. Little by little, however, the defenders are bled dry. Ten Ottoman tanks are destroyed, and finally, Arbela is in Ottoman hands!

Boy, did I ever have to earn that one.

Two Persian MI's pillage an oil tile up north (big deal--I've got another near my capital city, and the Persians are NEVER going to get anywhere near that one!). Arbela is hit from two directions by tanks and MI, but my troops are dug in and hold the position.

My cities now all have free hydro plants in them--and those that built coal power plants still have those, too. Hmmm....evidently the code for capturing Hoover Dam has a few bugs in it. At this point I save the game and experiment a little. Selling off a coal plant right now (on the same turn I captured Hoover Dam) causes the city's shield production to drop; evidently the hydro plants aren't "really" there yet. Next turn, selling off a coal plant has the results it should; the hydro plant takes over for the city, and shield production doesn't change. Odd.

At the moment, however, my grip on Arbela is tenuous (and there's the risk of a flip), so I keep the coal plants for the time being. I might sell them this turn, but I'm not sure yet.

Next on my hit list is Intombe. This city has been a thorn in my side the entire game, and I really need to get rid of it. There are three radar towers around the city:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Intombe.JPG


Further updates later tonite. Stay tuned!

1645 AD: Ottoman forces close in on Intombe from three directions. Each prong of the offensive is aimed at one of the radar towers around the city (marked in red circles; the pic below was actually taken in 1650, after the west tower had already been dropped--that's me being disorganized with my screenshots):

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image105_IntombeOffensive.JPG

The Persians make another attempt to retake Arbela. I have two full-health MI's fortified in the city. Two tanks and an MI attack the first and kill it. Then they keep coming. Two more Persian tanks attack and die, but each inflicts damage. Then a Persian MI attacks, and dies, but RED-LINES Arbela's last defender!

And THEN a Persian TANK attacks from the opposite direction. Things aren't lookin' good for the Turks here! But once again, the Ottomans' fighting spirit proves indomitable; the badly-wounded troops hold the city!


1650 AD: First off, I reinforce Arbela. Then I end up policing my territory yet again; a stray Persian MI is making trouble in the northwest corner of my empire. A tank takes care of that--with an unexpected bonus!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image106_LeaderGag1.JPG

Hmmm.....seems this tank has an attitude problem. I give him a brief reminder who's the boss:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image107_LeaderGag2.JPG

Glad to see we've got that settled. :king:


Civil disorder is becoming a serious threat. I'm going to have to conquer Intombe fast, and that's going to be the end of this war. I'm now seriously considering switching to Monarchy or Communism. Note to self: make sure the other guy starts the war next time.

An artillery barrage and a tank take down the radar tower west of Intombe. The southern tower is shelled from Point Blanke; there are five artillery there, but the ships based in Point Blanke are needed to assist in the shelling and red-line the MI guarding the tower. An Ottoman MI finishes the job. The east tower is shelled from across the sea, just north of Point Gratha. That one is fortified on a mountain, and proves very tough to dislodge.

Once all three towers are down, 33 artillery shots land on Intombe. I count five defenders in the city, and all of them take damage. I have ten tanks within striking range of a size 12 city on desert. Doesn't sound too bad.

All ten tanks end up seeing some action. Six are destroyed. A red-lined MI is still defending the city, and I don't have any more tanks within reach this turn! Failed offensive, right?

Wrong. An Ottoman MI goes to the attack, and kills that last Persian defender.

Then I discover he's not the last defender. There's another red-lined MI defending the city.

Okay, okay, fine. I get out another MI and kill that last Persian MI.

Turns out he's not the last one, either! Now there's a red-lined Persian tank.

C'mon, gimme the damn city already!!!

Yet another MI goes to the attack, and FINALLY Intombe is conquered! (This one isn't razed.)


And that's it for the latest war against Persia. War weariness is seriously straining my research and budget. New Zimbabwe is actually starving--entertainers were the only way to keep the city from doing the disorder thing.

After peace is declared, I end up having to go through every single city in a rather large empire, and setting all the laborers back to where they were before civil disorder forced me to start rearranging everything. :mad:

The big question now is: Monarcy or Communism? I've got several highly specialized high-production cities in my home territory, and Communism will seriously stunt those until I can get my other cities built up. I haven't played a Communist regime in Civ. Ever. Not in Civ1, either. Mostly due to the fact that I'm a paranoid conservative wing nut who really doesn't like Communism. :D

Then I remind myself (again) that I've been pillaging whole cities and enslaving massive numbers of people. Ethics really should not be a problem for me at this point. :)

The tech race is pretty even. Persia, Rome, and Carthage are all ahead of me by Nuclear Power; I'm ahead of Persia by Ecology. Other than that, everyone is neck-to-neck. I really don't want to trade Ecology to Persia; that would put them a lot closer to modern armor. Of course, Persia is no longer much of a threat to me at this point.

Okay, back to peace-time empire-building. Catch ya later, all!

One final treat for the night.

Watch closely. Blink, and you'll miss it.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image108_Tanks1.JPG



http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image109_Tanks2.JPG

33 veteran Industrial Age tanks just became modern war machines. Yes, in one turn. Was freaking expensive to do it..... :eek:

I had 10 elite tanks also (one of which is the GoingPlaces brigade). Sadly, upgrading the elites turns them into veterans again. Oh well. Guess I'll just have to turn them back into elites again, using Persia for target practice.....

Another note: upgrading a Named Elite unit (i.e. one that spawned a leader) doesn't erase its name. So the GoingPlaces brigade is stuck with its cheesy name..... :D

If "Show advancded unit buttons" is on, then you can rem=nme any unit whenever you want.

Sorry about typing mistakes, I have an eye infection and can't see for the momonet,

I bet hat was annoyin bein promoted to modern war machines and then findin out they were put down to veterans still at least it will give you more of an incentive (sp) to rid the world of Persia..Gl as well

GO BASKETCASE :goodjob:

EDIT: first post :)

Welcome to CFC [party]

I just love saying that.

Basket, I thing you can only rename units whenever you want to in Conquests. Or am I wrong?

I know that you can rename units in [ptw] , not sure 'bout [civ3] or [c3c].

@Basketcase
why aren't you irregating the grassland on the peninsula?

Anyway great story

Definately can rename units in conquests, don't know about vanilla.

okay what happend here???

Welcome to CFC [party]

I just love saying that.

Basket, I thing you can only rename units whenever you want to in Conquests. Or am I wrong?
You can rename a unit in PTW by selecting it and then hitting SHIFT-N. Turns out you can rename leader-spawn units too. You know something? I always thought names selected from leader spawns were permanent? I didn't know you could change those until just now. :)

Si, you can rename any unit in PTW OR Conquests by pressing Shift+N.

Nice work BasketCase. Keep it up.

BEFORE

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image110_PersiaBefore.JPG


AFTER

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image111_PersiaAfter.JPG

Short version: those 42 shiny new modern-age tanks were just begging to go blow something up. Okay, okay--despite having just made peace only four turns ago, and with war weariness still prevalent in my cities, I trash my reputation further and declare war on Persia again.

The theater of battle is shown below:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image112_StrategicView.JPG

First target will be Gordium, up north. I load my Army with 3 MA's, then send it around Gordium to destroy the radar tower behind the city. Army kills Persian infantry guarding the tower. Easy win. Victorious army. Heroic Epic and Military Academy enabled for construction:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image113_Gordium1.JPG

Then Gordium is conquered:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image114_Gordium2.JPG

Unfortunately, my war plan requires me to capture the city rather than bulldoze it. :cry: The capture of Gordium changes the cultural borders, so my tanks can now take the railroads to the new border; from there, Sidon is 3 squares away--and so Sidon is taken the same turn. A radar tower just south of Sidon is covering Persepolis. Since Persepolis will also be getting hit this turn, an Ottoman tank removes that tower.

Then, down south, there's a third radar tower between Persepolis and Bactra. It's within 3 squares of the border, so I send another tank to eliminate that one:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image115_RadarTowers.JPG

Then I send more tanks to conquer Bactra:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image116_BactraTaken.JPG

Same deal again. City captured instead of razed. Cultural border changes. Now my tanks can hit Persepolis this turn!

This kind of chain reaction conquest is usually only possible with cavalry, Panzers, or Modern Armor, and then only if the map is liberally salted with railroads. Capturing one city brings its local railroads under your control, railroads allow you to move troops to the new front without using movement points, then another target comes within reach. The first time I discovered this trick was in a huge-map game as the Romans--my tanks conquered twenty cities in a single turn!!! :eek:

I have 19 tanks available with which to hit Persepolis. My artillery barely even makes a dent in the city. My tanks kill several Persian defenders, but the Persian capital holds the line.

Next turn, every single tank I have is damaged, so they all retreat to Flipopolis for repairs. Since almost all of them are on captured railroads at the start of the turn, they reach Flipopolis without using any movement points; they'll be fully repaired for combat next turn.

In the interim, Persia gets a little revenge. Turns out there was a one-tile-wide gap in my cultural border, creating a path using only Persian and international railroads that went right up to within 2 tiles of Edrine. A Persian tank sneaks right in and steamrolls the city:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image117_OOPSIE.JPG

OOPS!!!

Another one of those mistakes that makes you feel like a complete n00b. Fortunately, Edrine had just been built recently to establish cultural territory. No harm--except to my pride. :mad:

Next turn, my tanks are all repaired, and Persia is punished for its unprovoked attack on Edrine! I take out my anger on Persepolis. Faced with 30 full-health tanks, Persepolis doesn't have a chance. After that, Tyre is taken in the west, and the cultural shift brings Pasargadae within reach. Pasargadae is conquered as well.

Six cities in four turns. Last war, Industrial Age tanks took that long to conquer ONE city. 20 Ottoman tanks were lost during this campaign. The Persians are down to four cities, 20 MI's, and one Industrial Age tank. For all practical purposes, they're out of the game.

:salute: to Xerxes for offering a stiff challenge. He was a worthy opponent. Certainly more so than the Zulus. :D

1750 AD

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image_119a_Score.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image_119b_Power.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image_119c_Culture.JPG

Point Gratha, Costa Lotta, and Goobergrad are my current main producers at 61 shields a turn. Just right for cranking out MA's. Basketgrad and Locograd are 40-shield producers. Strange that my capital city is a second-string city all of a sudden. (Actually, these five cities have been this way ever since I starte building modern tanks)

Persia gets stingy on tech trading; Xerxes wants Ecology AND Space Flight in exchange for Nuclear Power. Everybody else already has Ecology and Space Flight, so I go ahead and pony up. Xerxes is no longer a threat anyway.

Flipopolis has built a hospital and is now a 60-shield powerhouse (after corruption). Not bad. In the beginning, this city was just a placeholder for a luxury. I build a nuclear power plant in Flipopolis, getting it up to 80 shields a turn. None of my other main cities can build nuclear plants (no fresh water within city radii).

I'm starting to seriously fall behind in technology again--but the game has reached the point where this is basically no longer a concern. I have MA's, MI's, and am a few turns away from Satellite technology and ICBM's. The only other thing I need is SDI defense. Manufacturing plants would be nice, but those aren't essential. I try an Immediate tech steal on Carthage. Spy fails, but escapes detection.

Babylon finally receives a peace offer from Rome. Babylon is now a shattered fragment of its former insignificance (Babylon never did much this game):

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image118_Babylon1750.JPG

And so, the final act of this world's six-thousand year drama is about to begin. Rome and Carthage both have huge forces of MI's (more than a hundred MI's each), but very little armor, little air power, and naval forces that pale compared to mine. My biggest advantage over them, however, is yet to be revealed.....

New to the forums, loving this story - always good to see the Persians getting a good seeing to :D , good luck against the Romans

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image120_WorldMap.JPG

After much consideration, I finally take the plunge and have another revolt. I get 6 turns of anarchy--and then I do something I've never done since I first played Civ1: I institute a Communist government.

Up to this point, my empire only had six major production centers: Flipopolis, Goobergrad, Point Gratha, Costa Lotta, Basketgrad, and Locograd. While these six cities could produce a tank in 2 or 3 turns each, I have to potential to have a whole lot of major production centers elsewhere. Also, going Communist and having production centers everywhere means my production won't be harmed as badly if I get nuked. Carthage does have nuclear weapons at this point (3 tacticals and 3 ICBM's are showing in the Military Advisor window), and at diety level I'm pretty sure the computer will be more willing to use them.

The minute I start the revolution, several cities are in danger of starving as the despotism/anarchy production penalty sets in. I micro those cities as best I can, except in three minor cities where starvation is totally impossible to avoid. Oops. Sorry about that, folks.

That's not the real bad news, however.

After the revolution ends, I begin to get an idea of what I'm in for. I end up having to go through EVERY single city on the map and redo just about everything. Laborers need to be moved, cities need to get growing, more land needs to be roaded, irrigated, and mined--as a Republic, these outlying areas could be ignored with no impact. But now they are only "outlying" areas by sense of physical distance. Everybody is a potential producer. The city of Riza, way up on the northeast peninsula, can build the Iron Works (I stuck that city there for that reason, but a courthouse wasn't sufficient to make Riza productive with an Iron Works, so I skipped it). Riza now has a lot more potential.

Coastal cities need harbors so they can get growing. Many of them will be able to make good use of factories. Several will be able to build nuclear power plants. Production at my six (former) best-producing cities has been only modestly reduced, and my reduction in research and GPT is actually very minor. Unit maintenance costs have suddenly dropped to zero (I can still support about 20 more units without paying a nickel of maintenance).

But....the amount of work I'm going to have to do to maintain the Empire will be colossal!

Some of my fully-developed cities start building ICBM's. I figure one missile each in my core cities will be a decent deterrent for now.

Miniaturization will take 17 turns to finish, if I want to have a decent budget surplus. Time for a change of venue. Espionage will be a lot faster, my spies are more reliable under my new government, and if one of my spies screws up....well, such a declaration would occur during my turn, letting me get the first shot in.

Rome has declared war on Babylon again. Also, Persia signed another MPP with Rome. What is WITH those two??

Expect a very slow update rate in this thread for a bit, until I get my cities set up with this new government. The good news is that I've had a lot of practice at managing large numbers of big cities.

:king:

Farewell, Babylon.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image121_ByeBabs.JPG

I think I've finally got the game moving again. Getting a handle on what needs to be done where. I gained Miniaturization from Carthage with an Immediate steal. Also, I used my leader to rush the Iron Works up at Riza and jump-start that city. Gonna turn that one into a major producer.

A little later in the evening:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image122_BabsGone.JPG

No tears for Babylon; they were a bit player all game.

A massive infrastructure buildup has caused me to fall behind militarily. Rome and Carthage are ahead on MI's, catching up on tanks and pulling ahead in naval power. However, I've now got more than a dozen cities producing 40+ shields a turn, and my spies are doing tech steals every 3-4 turns. After failing 3 times in a row (but not getting caught by Carthaginian agents) my spies snag Robotics. I'm caught up in tech again. Integrated Defense is the only important one left that I need. Carthage doesn't have it yet. They're not likely to be around long enough to make any use of it.

I'm turning out to be a sloppy Communist player. I've had cities fall into disorder now and then--and I've been forgetting that Communism CAN use military police. I'm not micromanaging well (gimme a break, I've got a whole lot of cities to deal with! :) ), but the large number of big-production cities is more than making up for this. Guess I had to cut my socialist teeth sometime! :D

I'm hungry for more, this is a great game.

Basketcase- are you still here? like Own said im hungry. (even though i just ate dinner ;))

Yep, still here. It's just that I pretty much only have time to play the game during the weekends.

This one's drawing to a close, however, and I'm frankly ready to be done with it. Once my nation becomes this big, and the conclusion of the game is foregone, it's no longer as much fun. The first half of this six-thousand-year trip, however, was AWESOME. A thoroughly enjoyable challenge.

Wow! Is this the only way to play deity though? I've never seen anyone be entirely peaceful. :(

you say that like it's a bad thing.

At Diety level, the computer gets a head start on getting land. When your opponents have a 40% bonus to production and research, AND more cities than you, you're toast.

So no Trib--Always Peace isn't likely to work well. But hey, peace is for the meek. :)

Great story! Hope to see the finale soon!

I just signed up about 3 days ago and i was reading this thread. took me 3 days to read it :crazyeye: but it was great. it inspired me to try my first emperor game that im doing well on (i hate thoses stupid persians) persians ruled but then the turkish terror shows up and kicks thier asses . ottoman rule. well anyway a great read!

Okay....after a very busy couple of weeks, I've finally got the time to get back into this game.

It's down to the big dogs now. Babylon is gone and Persia only has five cities left. It's just me, Rome and Carthage. So pull up a chair and grab your popcorn!!!

IT ENDS TONIGHT.

In 1810 AD, Persia declared war on Rome. Now, this is not such a smart decision to begin with: declaring war on a major world power. It's also not too bright to declare war on somebody who has an MPP with another major power--say, Carthage. So now Persia, with its five remaining cities, is at war with two empires several times its size. What the hell is wrong with Xerxes??? Somebody didn't see "suicidally insane" on his resume' when they chose him to lead a civ.

But then, in the "Your Nemesis" thread in Civ 3 General Discussion, it seems EVERYBODY hates the Persians. Guess it's only fitting they return the favor. :)


Current situation:

It's 1824 AD. My spy in Carthage got caught and executed a few turns back, but I managed to replace him. I have 61 MI's, 60 MA's, five ICBM's and five tactical nukes--four of which are loaded on ballistic missile subs parked near Carthaginian coastline. Rome has 148 MI's, 30 MA's, and a few obsolete tanks. Carthage has 155 MI's, 63 MA's, and 22 radar artillery units. Rome and Carthage both have a nuclear force about the same size as mine. Carthage acquired Strategic Defense a couple turns ago, and will be able to finish its SDI system a few turns after it gets nuked off the map.

At least four Carthaginian nuclear subs have been spotted off my southern and eastern coasts. I'm assuming each one is carrying a nuke. My own subs are shadowing them, accompanied by battleships and destroyers to eliminate them the minute war breaks out. Additionally, I've got my trump card ready:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image125_Airfields.JPG

I extended my airfield farm further, and I now make use of it. The rule with airfields is that each can only airlift (i.e. send) one unit per turn--but an airfield can receive any number of units per turn. With 19 airfields at home and one airfield in Suicidograd--smack in the middle of enemy territory--I can put a gigantic strike force on Hannibal's doorstep with very little warning.

The strategic initiative now lies entirely with me; I can attack in large numbers at will. This war is already over. (For the record, this isn't the first time I've pulled an airfield rape. I got addicted to this a while back, and it's a favorite strategy of mine....)

I now have 16 MI's, 38 MA's, and some jet fighters in Suicidograd; the city is size 9 and has a Civil Defense in it. Plus, in a few turns, Suicidograd is going to have a nice big buffer of Ottoman territory around it; Suicidograd will not be taken.

Well, maybe it will get :nuke: 'ed.....

The big variable in the strategic equation is the MPP currently in force between Carthage and Rome. I'm gonna be fighting both of these guys at once. Guess they saw that the hammer was poised to drop.....

I'm going to leave Persia alone for the time being. With Persia and Rome at war, Persia is serving as a buffer between me and Rome on my home continent when Rome declares war on me.

I now have 17 cities producing 40 or more shields a turn. The tech tree is done, except for Stealth and Genetics, which I don't need. I'd say "no more Mr. Nice Guy" at this point, but I was never really a nice guy to begin with in this game.

All right. I've blabbed enough. Off to the game!

Yeah, I'm loving this story too BasketCase - particularly your screenshot-cartoons! :D Are you going to finish off this game, or leave it at this point? (By the way, you didn't disable cultural victory... is anyone close to that? Otherwise, your best bet is domination, and that could take quite a while...)

1826 AD

The unthinkable....becomes real.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image126_NORAD1.JPG

Carthage, Leptis Magna, Leptis Minor, Hadrumetum, and Theveste are flattened by theronuclear detonations. There is no advance warning, and no declaration of war.

The missiles were launched from the ocean, and Carthaginian subs observe Ottoman ballistic missile subs off the west coast of the continent. The conclusion is obvious. Rome immediately condemns the Ottoman government and declares war.


http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image128b_NORAD2.JPG

Almost the moment that declaration is made, ballistic missile launches from the Ottoman homeland are detected. Twenty minutes later, the six largest Roman cities, including the capital, are incinerated.

From their secret base in Suicidograd, on the Roman/Carthiginian continent, Ottoman heavy tanks lash out in every direction. Key radar towers near Thebes are destroyed. To the east, Alexandria is taken by a coordinated strike from three Ottoman armies. In the northeast, Memphis is wiped off the map. Other Ottoman tanks make forays to the south.

Meanwhile, off the south coast of the Ottoman homeland, the Ottoman battleships Pillager, Avenger, Invincible, and Immortal track and sink Carthage's entire ballistic missile submarine force. That, and the loss of missile silos in Alexandria and Memphis, cut Carthage's nuclear strength by two-thirds.

Okay, the following pic looks kind of deceptive--the missiles are going from right to left. But if you've seen the movie Wargames, your first impression will probably be the opposite:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image129_NORAD3.JPG

The nuclear nightmare spreads as Rome and Carthage launch a retaliatory strike. Unfortunately, with most of their communications net destroyed by the initial Ottoman strike, most of the missiles are all launched at the same target: the strategically unimportant city of Smackograd on the east coast.

Okay, exiting story mode for a moment: I have no idea what the heck the AI's think they're doing here. Carthage has four nukes left after my attack. Instead of nuking my capital, he nukes Smackograd. Three times. Then he drops his last nuke on the tiny size-3 city of Yozgat on the northeast peninsula. Both cities have aluminum (Smackograd's source is in the same tile as the city) but there's no reason to nuke a city three times.

Then it gets better. Rome gets its turn--and Smackograd is hit THREE MORE TIMES! Rome's fourth nuke hits--is anyone surprised?--Yozgat, which Carthage already hit. Rome's last nuke is launched with a little more sense; that one lands on Urfa, a fairly hefty producer with uranium under it. Seems like a complete waste of megatonnage to me--but seeing as how Smackograd went from size 16 to size 1 in a single turn, ya gotta give the AI's credit for a thorough job.....


Now, the bad guys have more success with their conventional forces. Carthage retakes Alexandria without too much work (knew I shoulda razed it), and then sends several tanks around from the east to hit Suicidograd. A few of my MI's there are dented. None are killed. Rome then follows up with an even bigger attack on Suicidograd, and fares no better. Rome and Carthage send other tanks to attack stray Ottoman units. A hasty defensive line I put up in front of Alexandria is toasted. Some of my tanks that were retreating for repairs are destroyed, including one of my armies. Then Rome attacks my second, mildly-damaged Army with (get this) an army loaded with CAVALRY and MEDIEVAL INFANTRY. To their credit, one of the medieval infantries actually scores a hit....

The Ottoman battleship Invincible is sunk by Carthaginian ships. Guess that name was a bad omen. Then the Immortal is sunk--by Carthaginian IRONCLADS.

You know, I am really not having a lot of luck at ocean warfare here. This is the second time this game I got :spear:'ed on the high seas. Plus I seem to have cursed a couple of my ships with inauspicious names--the Invincible and the Immortal, well, turned out to be neither....


But wait, there's more! Before the war, I was trading with Rome for dyes and ivory (bet you can already guess where this is going). Then during their turn, Rome bombed Intombe and disconnected the silks there. I didn't plan for this before opening the world's nuclear age, and the loss of three luxuries caused almost my ENTIRE empire to plunge into civil disorder!!! We're talking riots on half the entire map here..... :crazyeye:

Rome still has five tactical nukes left; I haven't been able to spot his ballistic subs yet, but will be keeping an eye out along their most likely routes of approach.

Thirteen Roman battleships which had been shelling Persian cities depart that area, presumably to attack me:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image130_RomanFleet.JPG

All thirteen are hit by a tactical nuke launched from Point Blanke. :)

I am surprised by the results--only nine of those battleships are destroyed. The other four each take two hits of damage. Having never fought a nuclear war in this game before, I didn't know this could happen.


Current situation: The Romans and Carthaginians have had their entire production cores microwaved. Meanwhile, I only lost one major producer. If either of them had tossed a nuke at Suicidograd, they would have been able to pulverize almost my entire military with a single swift stroke. Clearly the AI code for nuke targetting ain't up to snuff.

On the plus side, there's somebody besides me who is really enjoying the way the game is going:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image131_CleoHappy.JPG

Keep watching, Cleo--I haven't even started with these two posers yet.

AWESOME!!! :D Nukes are fun, aren't they? :mischief: :)

That really is weird with the AI's wasting six of their nukes on a single city, though! :confused: I wonder if they'll make the same blunder next turn? :crazyeye: :lol:

You should build a super secret nuke facility on Baghdad Island!

Strange how the AI only the same targets. How is Smackograd doing be smacked by the nukes?

You should build a super secret nuke facility on Baghdad Island!

I so agree :)

Edit :

By the way, what program are you using for your screenshots?

Wait, did you nuke Thebes or Theveste?

Oopsie. :)

Thebes is the Roman city just northwest of Suicidograd on the east continent. That one hasn't been nuked. Yet.

And what's this about building nuke facilities in Baghdad??? Geez, you guyz are twisted. :)

the single easiest way to improve AI is to program it so that it will nuke human player's capitol if it is over size 6 in a nuke war... :)

I'm fairly sure that the AI nuked sensibly in vanilla civ3... didn't they? :confused: I don't know, as I never got nuked much by the AI's... was always dominating them by that stage. :evil:

And about Baghdad... funny, but not sensible! :lol: (It'd be what, a few shields max? 100 turns per ICBM... yeah! :crazyeye: :lol: )

Then just buy it.

Oh wait, you'd have to pop-rush in communism...
Time to use your slave workers for a good cause!

Some (not me) consider that an exploit, though. Illegal in GOTM, and they're not very strict.

The city would have to be 30 pop for that... :eek: ...unless you part-rushed of course. But really, what's the point? All those workers wasted whereas you can just build ICBM's in high-production cities!

By the way, do ICBM's stored in cities get destroyed when the city is hit by a nuke?

It takes 40 pop to rush a nuke w/o any shields already, so it'd need to be pop 41.

Oh, right... or 21 pop if you wait a turn, correct?

Not sure about that one. Depends on how many shields you make.

Oh, I mean that with one shield or more, it'll take no more than 21 pop. ;)

NOOOOOO! YOU NUKED ROME! HOW YOU DARE!!!!!!!!!
:D
It seems to me that the Conquests AS are even dumber that the Vanilla AS (regarding nukes, of course). In my early times, i was at war with India. The only way to stop an incoming SoD was to weaken it with a tactical nuke. I did it. In the interturn, India launched 7 ICBM (all their arsenal) against my biggest core cities, and the capital was the 1st to be hit. Conquests seems incapable to do even an effective retaliatory attack... :rolleyes:

What about PTW? Was that still okay with regard to nukes? Or did it have the same problem as in Conquests?

Okay, right now I'm seriously hating the real world for interfering with what's really important (i.e. Off Topic, Draw Your Own Story, and this thread, all of which have been delayed repeatedly).

Back to the action. Hopefully for real this time!


When last I left three weeks ago, I'd just nuked half the Roman navy with a tactical warhead near Point Blanke. I spend the rest of my turn hitting enemy targets in the open near Suicidograd. Defensive war seems to have been working a lot better than offensive. Before ending my turn, I turn up the luxury slider to try and fix the massive civil disorder problem I ran into.

Computer's turn. I get hit with another Roman ICBM. Guess what the target was. (Starts with an S). Yep. Smackograd AGAIN. Rome and Carthage send several more tanks to attack Suicidograd, and the results are the same again: several of my MI's take damage, none die, and the barracks will heal all of them up for battle next turn. Then the computer sends several MI's to pillage flood plain tiles around the city. Okay, that's a problem. The city will starve down to size 6 before too long.

I have a radar tower on a hill next to the city, guarded by a fortified MI; the computer has been ignoring it. It's a mountain tile with a fortified MI there. Might be the reason why.

In between turns, I learn something new: order is restored in Flipopolis--and then the city immediately builds an ICBM. Cool. Civil disorder comes before production.

My turn. Flipopolis fires its new ICBM at Hippo, southeast of Suicidograd. The city is just within reach of my tanks. One tank goes out to take a look, finds it undefended, and finishes the destruction the nuke started.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image132_CleoHappy.JPG

Then I learn something else: artillery units can't be airlifted! This is after I upgraded a bunch of artillery units to radar artillery, too. :mad:

I realize that Suicidograd doesn't have to starve; pillaged flood plain is still flood plain. I put the citizens back to work. Next turn, the issue will become moot anyway.

1830 AD: Next attack on Suicidograd. Carthage sends some tanks to die attacking the city, then the AI finally does something sensible--and devastating. Suicidograd gets nuked!!! The city's barracks, Civil Defense, and Airport remain intact, but it's now down to size 5 and the radar tower next to it is toast. My position has been seriously compromised. My base in enemy territory is no longer secure--and I also lost 10-15 tanks and four MI's that were in the city.

Roman attacks kill a few more of my units in that area.

1832 AD: I send three tanks from Suicidograd towards Leptis Magna, on a suicide mission to reach the uranium source two tiles away from the city and pillage it:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image134_UraniumPillage.JPG

Every uranium source the Romans and Carthaginians have is at least two tiles away from a city, making it impossible for me to nuke their cities and their access to uranium at the same time. Which is why I didn't bother to nuke the AI's sources, if anyone's wondering. Fortunately, Carthage just has the one source. Rome has four.

I don't have much else to do this turn. I begin planning a pre-build for SDI. I need to put up five air defense batteries and find a pre-build that will finish just after Integrated Defense research finishes (in 9 turns).

Oh, hey--Cleo, get out the marshmallows! I fire Bingol's newly-completed ICBM at the Carthaginian city of Nora, south of their capital city; Nora is reasonably close to the capital, has a fairly large population, and has LOTS of nearby mountains, so it's a prime industrial center. Errrr...it WAS a prime indusrial center. It's a toaster oven now. :nuke:

I sink a Carthaginian battleship and transport that tried to sneak some ground troops in near my capital city. Too bad they ended their last turn one tile short and got sunk before they could drop the troops off! I sink a couple of enemy ships south of Mecca. My workers at home get Smackograd and Urfa roaded back up, and start cleaning up the pollution from the nukes that landed on those two cities.

Computer's turn. A few more tanks attack Suicidograd. Smackograd gets NUKED AGAIN! That city has now been hit EIGHT TIMES. Or was it nine??? I've lost count at this point. The last two nukes each cost me a worker who had just reconnected the road to Smackograd and hadn't had a chance to move away. The only thing I can figure is that Smackograd is on top of an aluminum source and the computer is trying to keep it disconnected. Possibly the computer only knows about two of my sources, since I haven't traded my territory map around recently. Anyway, I intend to keep hooking Smackograd back up again no matter what. I've certainly got enough workers!

Later in the computer's turn, I get a whole new surprise:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image133_RomeCarthageWar.JPG

Well, this is definitely a welcome break. As it stands now, Rome is likely to win this one, since their industrial core seems to be in better shape than that of Carthage after I dropped my entire nuclear arsenal on both countries. However, Rome is further away from getting its SDI network up, giving me some time to barbecue more of their cities.

1834 AD: I declare war on Persia. It's everybody against everybody else now. I no longer have any intention of giving anybody peace for any price. It's time to stop screwing around and win the game.

Nice work! :D Jeez, that was a REALLY stupid move for Carthage to declare war on the Romans at this point - when they most need to be allies, they stab each other in the back! :crazyeye: A truly AI-type move. :lol:

Keep it coming :) I love this story!

Nice work! :D Jeez, that was a REALLY stupid move for Carthage to declare war on the Romans at this point - when they most need to be allies, they stab each other in the back! :crazyeye: A truly AI-type move. :lol:
You said it Parkin, they should have made a Military Alliance against BasketCase. :mischief: :rolleyes: ;)

So...BasketCase, anything else on the story?

You said it Parkin, they should have made a Military Alliance against BasketCase. :mischief: :rolleyes: ;)
Actually, they did have one of these when I declared war on Carthage. That's why I ended up going to war against both Rome and Carthage at the same time.

Turned out to be a fickel friendship between those two, didn't it?

Actually, they did have one of these when I declared war on Carthage. That's why I ended up going to war against both Rome and Carthage at the same time.

Turned out to be a fickel friendship between those two, didn't it?

Yep, team up then backstab each other in the back. :ninja: :suicide:

What, so they had a mutual protection pact with each other then declared war a few turns later? :crazyeye: :lol:

I've said this a million times: delayed again, finally got back to the game.

Errrr.....said that a million and one times. :D


1836 AD: My forces conquer the Persian city of Samaria, and are on the doorstep of Susa. I destroy some loose Carthaginian units in the area. I successfully pillage Carthage's one source of uranium. I and the Romans now control all sources of uranium, and with Carthage at war against Rome, that means no more nukes for Carthage.

NO NUKES LAND ON SMACKOGRAD THIS TURN. YAAAAAAY!!! [party]

A Roman transport sneaks past my navy and lands troops next to my capital city. Yawn. Blink and you won't see them disappear.

1838 AD: You blinked.

The battleship and transport that dropped that invasion are sunk. My ships engage two more battleships just south of Point Blanke--both Roman battleships are sunk, but they take the mighty Ottoman warship Plunderer with them. I build 2 tactical nukes and 2 ICBM's this turn. The ICBM's are dropped on Utica and Byzantium.

I capture the Persian city of Susa. My suicide tanks on the east continent, having pillaged the uranium, start moving south and pillaging at random. Nobody has been attacking them. Guess the Romans and Carties are too busy slapping each other around.

I start my SAM Missile Battery builds, and settle on Locograd as the site for building SDI. I need six more turns to finish the research.

With my offensive on the eastern continent pretty thoroughly discombobulated, I focus on my home continent. Two Persian city conquests later, the diplomacy screen is down to a nice simple triangle:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image135_PersiansDead.JPG

....with me at the top where I belong. :king:

Well fought, Xerxes. You had it rough all game, and you were still right up at the front of the pack.

My spies report that the armored batallions of Rome and Carthage have all but collapsed. Rome has only 9 divisions of MA's left--and Carthage's tanks are Industrial Age models. Carthage has 75 MI's left, and Rome has more than a hundred. The nukes have stopped falling on my cities, Goobergrad just finished the SDI network, and the offensive to take the rest of the western continent proceeds apace.

Suicidograd in the east somehow lost its Airport (the airport survived the nuclear attack on the city--neares I can figure is that enemy artillery hit the city without my seeing it). The city is in ruins, so building a new airport in the city isn't an option. However, building a worker is.

I build a worker, and have him set up a new airfield in the hills just to the west of the city. Not as easily defensible, but the computer is no longer in a position to mount as serious an offense. Hopefully this will allow me to start getting tanks over to the eastern continent.

It's now 1860 AD.

There are civs you still haven't met :crazyeye: ?

You dink. They arnen't civs he hasn't met, there just the defeated civs. Great story!!!! :goodjob:

There are civs you still haven't met :crazyeye: ?

LOL , That would be funny. :lol: :lol: :lol:

The whole map seen:

"Sir, we've, uh, discovered, uh, five new civilizations full of...seapeople."

"WTF!?"

Ok, enough attention towards my stupidity.

Naah, that was just a blip. REAL stupidity was when I left that path to an undefended city smack in the middle of my empire, and a lone Persian tank took the railroads across half the continent and snagged it. :)

Yeah. :lol:

Good to see the AI are crumbling to pieces. It should be all downhill from now on. :D :)

Naah, that was just a blip. REAL stupidity was when I left that path to an undefended city smack in the middle of my empire, and a lone Persian tank took the railroads across half the continent and snagged it.

You mean the one that took Edrine because of a tiny little hole? :p

The very same. That one still stings, too..... :cry:

groovy baby :D
im hooked

It's 1860, and my troops are sweeping away the garbage on my home continent.

I've been conquering cities on the west continent instead of destroying them, in direct violation of standard Ottoman policy--but then, I rule the Ottomans, and I'm the one who makes the policies in the first place, so this is only a big deal for my executives who end up having to do all the paperwork.

The last few Roman cities on the continent were only defended by one or two Roman MI's each, and the landscape around them was almost completely undeveloped, likely the result of rampant pillaging as Rome, Carthage, Persia, and Babylon fought over the area. Once the housekeeping is done, my half of the world map looks MUCH nicer. Oh--uhh....it hasn't been cleaned up yet. What I mean is, it's now orange. :D

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image170_WorldMap1872.JPG


The scorecards are also becoming more and more orange:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image171_Score.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image172_Power.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image173_Culture.JPG


With the western half of the planet solidly under my control, there's only one thing left to do. And with the help of my nice big airfield farm, my troops can start doing it at a rate of up to 18 per turn. I've been dilly-dallying enough. It's time to quit being a chicken and win this thing, casualties be damned.

The task isn't going to be very difficult, either--because the eastern continent is in a thoroughly sorry state.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image174_EastWasteland.JPG

Everything that's of any value to anybody has been hit by a nuclear bomb. The Roman territory in the north is so far from their capital city that it's probably all one-shield production cities, so I haven't used nukes on those.

During the conquest of my home continent, Suicidograd built a couple more workers to start cleaning up the radioactive mess around the city and getting some roads rebuilt. Somebody explain to me why workers can't be airlifted in PTW??? :mad:

My battle plan for the east continent is to first take the Roman peninsula west of Suicidograd. This should get rid of some Roman ships that have been screwing around off my coasts. Within a couple of turns I've airlifted three nice big stacks of tanks and MI's into the area, six or seven tanks per stack, and they fan out in three directions:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image175_NorthwestBattlePlan.JPG


Thebes is where most of the action occurs first; the city puts up a pretty good fight, but falls quickly. This city has Magellan's Voyage in it--can't raze this one! My units elsewhere are mostly pillaging and taking potshots at stray enemy units. Rome and Carthage are reduced to counterattacking with MI's, Industrial Age tanks, and guerillas, and they take heavy losses attacking my more modern hardware. My vast military-industrial complex is replacing my losses as fast as I'm taking them.

A couple turns after Thebes falls, Byblos and Hieraconpolis are destroyed. Thebes was a special case; that city got off easy. No mercy will be given anywhere else. Well, unless I find another really nice wonder. :) Next turn, my troops in the south reach Elephantine, and find it defended by an Industrial Age infantry. A conscript, at that. The city falls the minute my tanks can get at it. Two turns later, just to the south, Rusicade is destroyed.

Twice during this time, in the in-between-turns processing, I hear the ominous thunder of Roman nuclear missile engines coming my way. The result both times is:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image176_NoNukes.JPG


Whew!

I only get a split-second to see the target areas before the game cuts to the result screen, but it looks like Yozgat is the target each time. It must be the aluminum; Rome wants to disconnect it, and since there's a city nearby, Rome might as well hit that. Well, my SDI system has better aim than the Romans do.

Five enemy cities checked off on my list of Things To Destroy. Lots more to go. Be warned, things are gonna get real ugly from here on in. Not for me, of course.

My troops attack Heliopolis. During the exchange:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image180_OhPlease.JPG

Yay! Haven't gotten one of these in a while! This guy will be handy for creating an Army in the battle area. For some reason, the option to turn him into an Army isn't available yet. Maybe I need to be in a city to do that. So my new hero heads for Thebes.

The unit that spawned the hero causes a problem right away. Note how the text spills over.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image181_TextSpillover.JPG

One of my subs totes a nuke into the area and starts looking for something to shoot it at:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image182_LaunchMe.JPG


Meanwhile, a newly-completed ICBM at Locograd gives the ready signal. There's not much worth hitting, but I notice that Pompeii is tucked in right next to Rome--and I seem to have completely glossed over it.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image182b_Pompeii.JPG


That oversight is rectified, and Pompeii gets pretty much the same fate the real-life Pompeii did--only much faster, much MUCH hotter, and almost infinitely more likely to kill you when it hits you.... :)

Avaris is destroyed, and that peninsula in the northwest corner of the continent is liberated:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image183_WestLiberated.JPG

Well, okay, not so much liberated as completely bulldozed.....

Time to work my way around. Giza gets it next:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image184_North.JPG

The destruction of Giza and the change in territory borders would allow me to immediately hit Lisht, further north--except I only have two tanks that can. Not enough. Stacks of four or five have been needed to be sure of taking most of these cities.

Edit: Oh, something I forgot. See that damaged Roman MI in the lower left corner of the last picture? Last turn, the city I destroyed just east of that spot produced three slave workers for me; they were building a road where the Roman MI is now. I had a fortified MI of my own guarding the workers. Roman MI comes along, attacks, and beats the odds!!! :mad:

Then the bastard immediately disbands all three workers. I tell ya, the AI is an absolute maniac about workers.....

My next pile of airlifted troops moves east from Suicidograd, positioning to get rid of a city that has been a thorn in my side ever since I set foot on this continent:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image185_Alexandria.JPG

Big city, heavily-defended, impossible to crack all game. Then I ask myself why I should worry. Got a headache? Nupe it.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image185b_Nuke.JPG

My first use of nuplear weapons, I guess..... :crazyeye:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image185c_AlexandriaNuked.JPG

Now, that's more like it. One tank destroys the city. Next please!

nice!! :) enjoy reading it!
but probably from now on there won't be enough suspense. :p

Okay, lemme get something across here.

When the Undertaker is slamming some shorter guy around the ring and off the ropes--somebody who really belongs in a lower weight class--do we care???

No.

We watch just for the joy of seeing the Dead Man beat the crap outta somebody and piledrive him so hard his head punches a hole through the mat. :)

Now that that's outta the way--if it's suspense you want, I guess I'm just going to have to start up another Diety game after this one, aren't I?? I do happen to have this nice 4000BC game save from another thread where somebody challenged CFC to roll up some always-war-OCC diety games and see who could survive the longest. Though I've already seen a little ways ahead and know the basic layout, it was a fun layout, and I'm tempted to thread that one up after this game is done.

Hey, everyone. New to the site. This is my first post...

Basketcase, great series. Definitely post the next one. And I am never bored by someone beating the crap out of the computer. :)

Welcome aboard, Toshi.

My next thread might not be as fun--eventually I'm gonna run out of ideas for jokes and gags. :)

1892 AD.

Upcoming on my list of things to do: amphibious invasion of Sulcis Island, in the ocean south of my homeland.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/SulcisInvasion.JPG

I've loaded my transport with an MI, two tanks, and two marine divisions. Note the computer's mistake: failing to put a fortified unit on the radar tower. Usually the computer is very smart about fortifying its towers.

I discover that standard combat units can't unload onto that mountain with the radar tower, even though the tile doesn't actually have any units in it. A Marine unit is needed to do that. I just learned something new. :)

A Carthaginian destroyer and transport near Sulcis are sunk by my border patrol ships. Checking with the military advisor afterwards reveals that no units were aboard the transport. Nuts.

Next thing to do: another attempt on the capital city of Carthage. And Leptis Magna as well, since I'm in the area.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/CarthageAttempt2.JPG

Both cities get smacked with a nuke. Both cities are reduced to a single, wounded defender. Carthage still destroys one of my tanks, but in the end....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Internet.JPG

Aww, NUTS. I love the Internet. I wanna keep this one. But at the same time, I really, REALLY want to burn Hammurabi's capital city to the ground.

:confused:

Oh well, can't have everything. I get out the marshmallows and enjoy the fire. Let history show that I destroyed the Internet..... :eek:

Leptis Magna falls next. The Manhattan Project was located there, but it ceases to exist as I continue my wanton plundering of the world's cultural treasures.

Moving to the northeast corner of the continent:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Northeast.JPG

My three tank divisions hit Pi Ramesses first. All are destroyed, but the city is reduced to a single defender. The Army is then brought up to finish the job, and the city is destroyed.

In the northwest, I move up more tanks in preparation for my attack on Lisht. I don't want to attack this turn, but a wrong keypress causes one of my tanks to attack and get itself killed. Oops. :rolleyes:

According to my military advisor, the Carthaginians are rapidly running out of MI's. White dots are disappearing off the map with increasing speed. My inevitable victory draws closer.....

Further updates to follow.

In 1902, the last Roman cities in the north are wiped out. The only blemish is a Carthaginian city on the island to the west of Suicidograd; I'm preparing a mixed force of Marines and MA's at Thebes to take care of that.

The battleship Avenger engages and sinks the last of the Roman battleships way down south near Pompeii. Next turn the Avenger gets attacked and red-lined by two bombers, and runs for the open sea. She makes it safely to port in Baghdad a few turns later. I have five nuclear-armed subs, three battleships, two destroyers, and a carrier operating in Roman waters.

A mis-click while moving my subs bumps one of them against the shore, and brings up a window asking if I wish to unload the nuke from the sub--into enemy territory. Curious, I save the game and then go ahead and unload the nuke to see what happens. Nothing special. The nuke moves onto the shore, and doesn't get destroyed or anything. Seems the game treats them just like normal artillery or cruise missiles.

I make another attack on the isle of Sulcis, with more tanks and some artillery--and notice that Sulcis became the new capital after Carthage got sacked. Awful far to move the capital. No matter. Sulcis is destroyed.

In the east, I send a worker up north to where Lisht was, and have him build a colony on the diamonds there. The airfield near Suicidograd doesn't count as a trade link, so Thebes starts building a harbor to provide diamonds to the motherland. The lack of a trade link also forced me to find and hook up some coal and iron on the east continent so I can build railroads for my troops.

Now--who can tell me what's wrong with this picture:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image200_Geez.JPG

Well, okay, maybe Carthage ran out of steel.....

Next turn, I get another surprise. A tribe of BARBARIANS pops up and wipes out the colony I built on the diamonds!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image201_Barbs.JPG

It gets better. I search around, and their camp is nowhere nearby. Turns out it's half a dozen tiles to the southwest, and I realize the barbs must have used the rails. Who taught Stone Age barbarians how to use railroads????? I tell ya, things are getting really wierd here.....

More frustration later in the turn. One of my tanks, deep in enemy territory, spawns a leader. So there he is, stuck half a dozen tiles in, guarded only by one heavily damaged tank, with no way to get him out.

Then, a little later:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image202_PeaceTreaty.JPG

Nuts.

Oh well. Speed bumps on the road.


1906 AD

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image199_NorthPurged.JPG

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image203_FinalWar1906.JPG

1912 AD

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image204_RomeSacked.JPG


http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image205_FinalWar1916.JPG

1918 AD

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image206_FinalWar1918Cadiz.JPG

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image207_FinalWar1918CadizVictory.JPG

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image208_FinalWar1918West.JPG

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image209_FinalWar1918East.JPG

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image209b_DiplomacyGag.JPG


The last Roman cities are swept from the map, first in the west, then in the east:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image211_FinalWar1920SouthEast.JPG


Before being wiped out, the Carthaginians are subjected to one last, completely gratuitous insult. :D

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image212_FinalWar1920InsultToInjury.JPG


The final nuke of the game leaves the city with nothing but a single jet plane. And with that, it's all over.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image214_VICTORY.JPG

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image215_WinBanner.JPG

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/WhoDaOttoman.JPG http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/CleoGag.JPG


Back in a sec for the post-game. Gotta go grab a beer! :beer:

YEAH!!!
YOU WON!!
Congrats! (now move on to Sid!)

Got BasketCase!!! [party] [party] [party]

Its Sid Time :evil:

Geez, you guys, gimme a break! It's been all of 12 hours since I finished the game. I'm still drunk, too..... :D

Other thing is, I don't have C3C installed. Kinda hard to play Sid level that way. :)

Okay, post-game time. To begin, I need to get the bragging part over with:

The scorecards.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image217a_Score.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image217b_Power.JPGhttp://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image217c_Culture.JPG

The Presidential Mansion.....

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image219_EndingPalace.JPG


.....and something entirely new:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads10/Image218_Magnificent.JPG

This game is the first time I topped out on the scale! :cool: (too many regent games)


Personal notes: this game was a LOT of fun. Nice layout (except maybe for the Arabs), long run where most of the civs got well-established. Doing live updates while the game was running added some extra adrenaline, because my reputation was on the line. :) Well, that, and I enjoyed making the joke panes and just generally being a clown. :crazyeye:

I feel like I got a fair number of lucky breaks this game. Remember that train of Arab warriors right at the start? I would have been out instantly (and this thread would have been SHORT and EMBARRASSING) if that had landed on me. Even bigger was the horses under Baghdad. Without that lucky break, getting Sipahis would have been next door to impossible; by that point in the game, medieval infantries (the only other strong offense I had access to) were already becoming useless. I would have had to take Zimbabwe in order to get horses, and that would have been brutally difficult with medieval infantry.

The airport rape on the east continent was the game-winner. I got hooked on that trick in a previous game, and I'm still hooked. :)

Communism is great. That is, INSIDE the game. Communism sucks in the real world (you can tell I've got some bias there!), but Communism worked really well for me this game. The trick to Communism is to stop ignoring your fringe cities, and start building them out BEFORE you actually get the sickle and hammer research done. That last part I didn't really do, but once I was built-out, I was set for life--producing big, and also nuclear-proof. Getting my capital nuked was no longer a worry because I had fifteen other cities producing just as well (actually better--in the endgame, my capital was only doing 40 shields).


Stuff I did wrong and got away with:

#1: Temples. Conventional wisdom is, don't build these at Diety level.

#2: Wonder addiction. That first leader might have been better-used for building an army and beating down the Zulus sooner.

#3: Something seriously buggy about nuclear war. The AI just plain did World War III completely wrong. I can see the AI using nukes to disconnect my aluminum, but one warhead will do that. Hitting Smackograd six times in a row was completely stupid. Nuking Suicidograd while my two-thirds of my offensive force was in it is about the only nuclear move the computer did right.

#4: Ran short on air and sea power in the late game. I've always had a problem with skimping on military in order to get one more library or marketplace or whatever built first. This time around, I made it a point to stop that, and get big military out early. But in the endgame, I only had enough air defense to cover one or two essential points. I did have a fairly strong navy about the start of the Modern Age, but that evaporated quickly.

The big thing I did NOT get away with:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads9/Image117_OOPSIE.JPG


I'm still smarting from that one! :mad:


All righty. Hope y'all enjoyed the thread. Thank you for coming. :)

Got a couple of ideas for my next game. Maybe that Roman diety start I've got on my hard drive. Only problem with that is, I've already seen much of the map. Another idea that just occurred to me is a diety game modded up for a tiny map with 16 civs on it.....played one of those at Regent level a while back, and that was ROWDY!

:hatsoff:
great game.
tiny 16 civs.... Hmmmm.....

Oh, hey--something I forgot. The 4000 BC SAV file for this game is attached for y'all to have fun with. :)

Aw the computer lost! Too bad! :lol:

Congrats, Basketcase. Looking forward to the next one. I would be curious to see how that Roman game would play out.... :cool:

Actually, this should be called your First DEMI-GOD Game. Diety in PTW is the same as Demi-god in C3C. Good Luck with your first C3C Diety Game. ;)

Loved the screenshot cartoons.

Mighty good job.

Mother Nature might disagree though.

Good job! You have done quite well, considering it's your first Diety game. Now let's see how you handle Deity level :lol: I'm temped to load your 4000BC save and see if it could be won in the middle ages... but time is never enough, we'll see.

About your remarks:

#1: temples are not that bad. In the uncorrupted cities, the +1 content pop often turns into +2 gold and +some shields. In distant cities, they let your city reach rank 2 and often be safe from foreign cultural pressure. And overall they produce some culture points useful to lower the flip risk.

#2: certain wonders may be quite useful. Sistine is worth rushing, if you intend building some cathedral they will provide 6 content people, more than enough to offset the manteinance. Hanging Gardens and Bach's are useful too: more content citizens everywhere. The Great Library is certainly worth rushing, since it allow to play the zero research gambit for a long time, without spending a cent on techs. And having a leader to rush the Forbidden Palace at the right time is a great advantage. In a few words, it's not said. It depend on the specific case you're on. Of course a pair of armies are not a bad thing.

----------

@madviking: i could be wrong but... as far as i know, PTW Deity and C3C Deity should be the same difficulty, with Demigod being an intermediate level between Emperor and Deity.

Tricky- in the HOF they pair PTW Diety and C3C Demi-god together

Yeah, but it's done because the score multiplier is the same 6x for C3C Demigod and PTW Deity. In C3C the multiplier for Deity is 7x, but from what i've heard long, long ago the difficulty is the same. Of course i cannot swear on it, since it's something i read over a year ago, but you could check easily in the editor (i cannot - no C3C for me).

BasketCase,

I normally lurk around these threads but when something consistently makes you laugh out loud I feel compelled to respond.

Good game and great job with the humor.

can't wait for your next one....

Diety Game #2 is up. That Rome game I've got saved up can wait a bit. Gonna try a Crowded House game first: I made a modded scenario that allows 16 starting civs on a Tiny map.

Here's the link:Crowded House Game #1 (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?p=2897553#post2897553)

The game hasn't actually started yet....I ran into a bit of a problem. You'll see it when you check out the new thread. :)

Very enjoyable and funny thread Basketcase. I love your bubbled dialogue pics. :goodjob:

Congradulations! I had a great time reading it. Now I'm gonna go start reading the second one!

Reading this thread was like looking into the face of God and hearing him say "you are my most wondrous creation"

Seriously though, great story, I'll definitely read more if you post more. :)

I'm aware you finished a while ago, but I haven't gotten around to saying

CONGRATU-MA-FRICKINLATIONS. It feels so good when you beat a level you've never beaten before, doesn't it :) ?

Booyah! 10 chars. :)

it really is a good game. congratulations!

Awesome. I read your crowded game before this. Love 'em both.

Nice! :D Finally got around to reading the end of this one. Great work! :) I'll start on the next one soon...

Great, great game mate! I really enjoyed reading! Keep up the great work!

Truly a great tale. It took away four of my job hours, but it worth it.

rlly interesting to read, well dun!!!!!

Don't bump old threads, even though this is a great game.

Wow, excellent story :goodjob: ! I'm at the end of page two and eagerly look forward to the rest. Great humor, too.

Edit: Finished the story. Excellent. :goodjob:

Don't bump old threads. :p

Don't bump old threads. :pYou know, I'm not actually sure which is more irritating... relative newcomers bumping old threads, or the inevitable more seasoned members who constantly chide after them "don't bump old threads". ;) :p

Really, what harm does it do, as long as they've got something useful to say. :)

If it was an NES forum, or Off-Topic forum. :p