http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/images/greatgeneral.jpgWhile the general Hall of Fame is an ongoing competition, we are running a series of ten games called the Hall of Fame Challenge Series. Standard Hall of Fame rules (*) still apply, but any games meeting the settings of one of the games will be counted towards the Challenge.

(*) Please read the >> HOF rules << (http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/rules.php)BEFORE playing!

Settings:

Victory Condition: Culture (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
Difficulty: Prince
Starting Era: Ancient
Map Size: Standard
Map Type: Any
Speed: Epic
Required: Always War
Civ: Any
Opponents: Must include Babylon (Hammurabi), China (Qin Shi Huang), Greece (Alexander), Mali (Mansa Musa), Mongolia (Kublai Khan), Persia (Darius)
Version: 3.19.003
Date: 6th June to 6th October 2011
The earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

Ehmm

Isn't 1.74.001 Vanilla?

Hammurabi and Darius don't exist there :scan:.
So, we change this one to BtS or some other opponents?

My mistake, should be 3.19.003, changed thanks.

yikes. AW and cultural? yikes.

Sounds like you should just crush the AI and then coast to culture. I wonder if this will be easier on a small map @ marathon speed. Just play Cyrus with immortals to kill all but one AI...

Denniz/Ozbenno
Please declare a map or game speed to make this game a challenge! Shyuhe has nailed it for the current settings.

I think the Challenge IV Always War game missed its mark and was too easy. If these settings are used for this one, it will again be too easy.

Apologies on the missing settings, they were there originally. :confused:

Standard map and epic speed it is.

This has to be an arch map, no? Easier to defend against guys who have to take boats..

On prince?

The extra hassle of boats and potentially less cottages should outweigh any concerns over defence.

Ramesses on a contiguous land mass, I think. Highlands might be perfect, except it's too damn big. I'd probably try Inland Sea first.

Haven't been around here in a while. Is Inca allowed now?

Haven't been around here in a while. Is Inca allowed now?

Inca is really only not allowed for normal gauntlets and EQM games, for these we will allow people to play them if they want. On Prince, the AI don't start with Archery so quechas not as powerful, Egypt, Rome, Sumeria and Persia might be better choices for this game.

Call me anal! But I fancy having a go and not wiping out the AI with immortals first off. Play much more defensively. Should be much more fun!

Guess I wont be challenging for the top spots then. I'll be wanting a leader with a protective trait then. Any ideas for best leaders for these sets of events? Gilgamesh would have be quite a useful set of traits, combining it with creative. Not that I think I would have that much need for cheap and early courthouses. The vulture could be quite a nice unit to have.

Actually I do remember playing a BOTM in this way. Was it Gandhi? I only went and got wiped out by an AI stack, prob by playing too defensively. Prob shouldn't have given up at that point.

Had a fun time finishing this in 1720AD, which I was quite happy with.

Thought a bit about the settings for this. Decided upon leader first. I was planning to go with Darius until I remembered he was an opponent :rolleyes:. Wasn't happy with Cyrus for the cultured aspects of this game so decided upon Egypt as next best civ. Then took ages to decide between Ramesses and Hatty. Industrious vs Creative. Wasn't sure on the wonder ability, especially in the early game but decided that Industrious was still a better option.

Then took ages to decide upon map type. Wanted enough AI nearby to be able to take them down but not too many that I would be too defensively minded. So settled upon Continents (was thinking three hemispheres but backed out).

I ended up with 4 AI on my continent (rerolled and played a few maps until I had horses in my BFC). Darius was 6 tiles away and Qin not too much further. Was able to take down Darius pretty easily with 4 War Chariots but Qin's protective archers on a hill were too hard so moved on to Hamurrabi, who had built Great Wall and was lightly defended. Mansu's skirmishers were equally hard so went back to Qin and took 2 cities and razed another. Razed Mansu's outlining cities and took one but capital was a bit too hard. Reasearched Alphabet and Construction and between spies/catapults/swords and war chariots was able to clear the continent. Managed to steal Archery turn before Mansu died :goodjob:

I had all 7 religions (3 founded by my victims) and 12 cities so was able to coast towards victory. Built quite a few wonders but managed the crucial ones Parthenon and Sistine quite early. Had no luck with Great People at all, ended up with more Engineers (3), Priests (4) and Scientists (4) than Artists (2) and also had one Merchant.

Had a lot of fun in this, I'm not a natural warmonger so the early game kept me on my toes.

Next....

So, one allowed to play inca or not?

Ramesses on a contiguous land mass, I think. Highlands might be perfect, except it's too damn big. I'd probably try Inland Sea first.

Haven't been around here in a while. Is Inca allowed now?



Inca is really only not allowed for normal gauntlets and EQM games, for these we will allow people to play them if they want. On Prince, the AI don't start with Archery so quechas not as powerful, Egypt, Rome, Sumeria and Persia might be better choices for this game.



So, one allowed to play inca or not?


Apparently, the Inca Empire is allowed in Challenge Series V where the is specified as Any or Inca (obviously). Was the Inca Empire permitted in prior Challenge Series?

I believe that allowing the Inca Empire is a huge mistake as it for the HOF Tables where it has always been permitted.

In Challenge Series V Game 10, the majority of the players felt that there was no point in playing the Inca Empire, so the HOF staff graciously changed the Civ from Any to Ramesses II.

It should be trivial to win playing the Inca Empire. Just build a few cities, build Barracks in each and spam Quechuas. Attack the each AI Civ that starts building Archers. Use two, nearby former Capital cites as the second and third cultural cities. Build cottages and Terraces. Spam Great Wonders with Inca's Industrious trait.

Sun Tzu Wu

I'm considering doing Pericles on a 3 Cont Hemisphere map, thou Ramesses and Hatty were considered too :)

I've actually reconsidered and 4 Cont Hemisphere with an added AI seems to good if i can take out the AI i share my cont with quickly, hping i can get a game I'm happy to submit over next few days :)

Not played well so far in my games, I may try Ramesses as Industrial is strong for culture at the lower levels :)

Well I messed up a great start with Ramesses on 4 Cont Hemi by going after too many wonders and delaying Lib. From reading other Prince Culture Major/Minor/Challange games it seems the hammer approach should be best (wonders after the culture doubles are often worth between 3-4 towns), I just need to learn to get the most important ones and leave off the less important ones.

After I messed up my first attempt (1660 AD) by choosing Hannibal instead of Hammurabi as one opponent I tried a second time and finished 1585 AD

My basic idea: Use continents with high sea level. There I only need to clear my own continent. With 1 or two opponents it just needs warriors. By the time the AI researches Astronomy and prepares an invasion I should be finished.

This time I decided to use Gandhi (I am still not sure whether financial and philosophical or spiritual and philosophical is best)

This attempt started great: Eliminated Hammurabi and and Darius with a few warriors. Babylon and Persepolis were really nice cities but just before I eliminated Darius, Kublai Khan showed up and when I got my warriors there he already had an archer.
I was about to finish BW, but had no bronze in my cities. I researched IW while 4 warriors choked Kublai Khan and after rushing 6 swordsmen I had a very big continent for myself.
Until almost the end my whole military consisted of 3 swordsmen (the survivors of the Mongol war) and 6 warriors.
About 20 turns before the end Alex showed up with a caravel, but checking the techs he never researched astronomy (no other civ even sent a caravel over).

I absolutely enjoyed playing this challenge

Assuming you don't just kill everyone, AI tech slowly in AW. Hill longbows on choke sites with drill IV CG III can kill 20+ units pre cuirasser alone. Get a few GG attached on guys like that, get rifles, and you'd survive anything this difficulty can throw for almost the entire possible game...time enough for culture.

Unfortunately, I don't think that approach will win. The suggestion to mow down the AI with immortals or war chariots, choking the final one, is probably the winning ticket.

Man, this game will grow hair in strange places.

I was surprised at how well the AI seemed to be teching. I figured I would get culture long before they attempted intercontinental warfare or even be able to. But no, they were teching Physics. I basically had a few warriors in cities when Kublai took two of my coastal cities - luckily he did not aim for my GP farm about to go L. This set me back several turns as I had to switch to US and rush buy some maces to defend and take one of the cities back before he headed to my L cities. I'm sure I would have finished pre-1600 otherwise.

Finished instead in 1635AD a turn after Kublai dropped off a bunch of Knights/trebs/etc next to a coastal city and within 1 turn of London which I bombed that turn to reach L status. Whew!!! much sweating :lol:

I don't think I'm going to try that type of game again

I managed a win. Like other games in the series, it will be casted on youtube following the conclusion of game 4.

Settings: Use hemispheres with required enemies only 5 continents. You have a 50% iso shot roughly with high sea levels. HOWEVER, you have a decent chance to kill someone outright with a warrior rush if they spawn near you, which has good synergy with opening religion first (with no civs starting w/ mysticism, something I believe was intended, you are guaranteed early religion if you go for it, and warrior rushing for a 2nd capitol on a land mass with only 1 other opponent then seems very strong).

I mis-microed and had bad land, so I finished late 1700's. I think 1500's or faster is doable with my strategy though, if you play well and roll good land + 1 neighbor.

Edit: Continent spam also splits the AI, crushing its opportunities to tech trade and drastically murdering global tech pace. You'll get more time. I'm convinced its the easiest way to win this challenge and the complete lack of need to defend yourself might make it the fastest, too.

1520ad, assuming its accepted.

I have had a few attempts at this one, and invariably I have been invaded in the end game, usually in the 1700's. This time I got a magical land!, that had everything, except marble. Oh well, can't have everything.

Captured Persopolis and a worker in about 3500bc with a 3 warrior rush. Had lush green lands with an abundance of food and forests. The 3 LC's were all cottage cities, and my other 6 cities were all decent GP farms.

Went for Poly straight after Agriculture, but I missed Hindu. I eventually got Confused, Tao & Christanity, which actually worked extremely well. Confused & Tao Cathedrals needed Copper, Christianity needed Stone, and I had both. :)

Pyramids were essential, even though they were not utilised until ~1000ad. Once I Lib'ed Nationalism, I flicked the switch to Caste/Pacifism/FS and my tech rate really picked up! AFter PP, I finally teched a whole bunch of things that I had ignored, and eventually got Banking.

Other than Darius, I only ever met Qin & Mansa. Qin was researching Astro when I won.

Gandhi, Hemispheres with 4 continents, medium sea level.

edit: Actually, if this is accepted, then it will claim the current #1 spot on the HoF for Prince/Standard/Epic/Culture, replacing a game that has been #1 for 4 years. Not bad for an always war game with no tech trading at all. :cowboy:

1726 Lizzie game, never realised how much i play Spi for culture until now :) Great Date neilmeister, i may play again as Gandhi but doubt it.

I submitted a 1590AD game which should be enough for 3rd place.

Gandhi on a hemispheres map with 4 continents, as it gives just one AI opponent on the same landmass. I've been trying continents maps also, but the warrior rush phase was always to long. Also, the decision of keeping or not 2 or 3 AI capitals depends only on mining resource availability. Hemispheres lacks resources, so health was a problem, same as finding a decent GAfarm site. I saw corn, two gold, marble and cows in the BFC. Started building two warriors while researching Polytheism. Took Persepolis with my 3 warriors at 3125BC (I think) with a worker in it.
Founded Hinduism, Judaism, Confucianism, Christianity and Taoism. Judaism and BW probably were most likely the reason I lost the CS slingshot opportunity. I think the Oracle was gone at the time I was about to start Math.

Persepolis built the Pyramids, later the Hagia Sophia and University of Sankore. I was dumb enough not to make it legendary, as it was making tons of culture points at the time I was finishing (whipping) the cathedrals in the cottage spammed city. Biggest mistake. Cottages took ages to develop, the site lacked hammers, so I had to whip everything (not working the cottages). It was a fabulous riverside grassland site, but (you may guess) all that beautifull land was under jungles :hammer2:. I had to bomb 8 artists there. Persepolis was coastal with no seafood, so I thought it's not a good candidate :hammer2:.
The 2nd legendary had two gold and two floodplains in the BFC, so it helped a lot with research in the beginning. I built the Hangng gardens and AP there.
I decided to build only GA points generating wonders in the capitol: Parthenon, Sistine, MoM, Statue of Zeus, and the Taj Mahal. Delhi gave me 3 GArtists.

So, I got 2 engeneers thanks to the Mids. One burned for the AP, and the other one to double the Taj mahal GA. GArtists were bombed 8/4/1.

If I succeeded the SC sling instead of chasing Judaism, and decided to make persepolis (hammers) legendary, probably would had a better date.

The maestro of cultural victory condition Jesusin stated that hammers are the key at this difficulty level. I had that thought in my head during the game, but probably thought I was smarter :crazyeye:.

WW....just wow. Your game with gandhi is simply powerful. I see you are improving rapidly. Nonetheless, I wonder Lib date and how early you got the Mids.

Dammit, beaten again. Well played AAA.