COTM 10 Spoiler 1: Entering middle ages

I didn't really follow your last showdown, I guess. I was just tired of people saying that high score and fastest finish are always achievable in one game, it is just that the best go for domination and conquest. That is true, of course, to a degree, but it was especially annoying when diplo or spaceship victories that had been milked until the UN vote or launch were pointed to as evidence that the two main goals in a GOTM game coincide.

I guess I should have been able to tell from your QSC notes that you were not playing for score.

bed_head7 said:

CKS, do you have any comparison between your 20k city and SirPleb's? I am curious whether you are beating him in terms of fastest finish.

Click to expand...

I wish. Building in the same spot does not confer great management skills, unfortunately. The only reason I have a good selection of ancient age wonders is because I stayed in the ancient age for a really long time. I finished a little after 1900, I think, so I was a lot slower.

I'd compare them this way: Despite being built in the same spot, SirPleb's 20K city is good and my 20K city is mediocre-to-poor. The city takes after its player more than its location.

Open, Barbs are fixed.

My QSC score is a mere 2,574 according to the submission. This doesn't match the MapStat value of 4,688.
I have 5 cities, all 1st and 2nd tier techs, code of laws and horseback riding.
The military is 2 workers, 3 free workers, 5 warriors, 2 archers, 5 spearmen, 1 horseman, and 1 curragh.

Ancient Age:
I learn our expansionist trait will have limited value as the first civ met is expansionist Russia. I meet China finding the "Wall Guard" units. The wall is a royal pain as I can't explore the other side of the world until a war or a galley to drop a unit off.

The barbs have really been a pain killing my worker from a hut, some scouts, and even military. I did avoid being sacked.

I successfully pull of the Republic Gambit. I get lucky and the anarchy period is only 2 turns. The only problem is the economy is now killed with unit support.

Productivity is going to difficult on the map with so much junk terrain.

The ancient age ended around 390 BC.

barbs are roaming!

Scout went North - West; I saw several BG's and a Lake, along with lots of River, so Karakorum founded NW W of initial spot. Scout started heading East; built another which headed South. Popped a Warrior from a Hut, so with 4 units (2 scouts, Warrior and Worker) being supported, switched from 3rd scout to Granary. Completed in 2850 BC.

Settler was next and Ta-Tu was founded in 2510 BC just SE of Karakorum; this way it could share a BG and use the 2 plains spaces. OK for initial builds, but no long term prospects. Settlers followed at roughly 10 turn intervals.

Anyway, wanted to achieve Republic slingshot. With 3 civs knowing Alphabet, decided to research Wheel first, looking for eventual contact and trade for Alphabet. Huts gave me Ceremonial Burial. Contact with Russia first (3200 BC, no trade), then China in 2950 BC (nice Great Wall effect!). I could trade for Masonry from China, which then got traded to Russia for Bronzeworking. Learned Wheel in 2900 BC, started on Alphabet. Finally, contacted Korea in 2750 BC, and traded for Alpha. I was on the right path. Writing first in 1900's BC, then CoL, finally Philosophy in 1200 BC, with Free Republic. 6 turns of Anarchy (yuck!)

Huts gave me maps, Warrior, 25 Gold, Worker, Ceremonial Burial, and much later, maps. At 1000 BC I had 7 towns, 16 citizens, 1 Settler, 6 Workers, 4 Scouts (excess shields from Karakorum), 7 Warriors, 1 Horseman and 1 Curragh. 4 more turns for Math, and missing Poly, Curr, Constr, Lit, MapMaking and Monarchy. Kazan is in the Floodplains site; Hovd is South on the Gold Hills (possible FP site with good production, but getting squeezed by Russia); and I made sure to found a city on the East Coast near the BG's to get the 1 Curragh out and see what's behind China's wall. Here's a zoomed out snapshot of the empire and surroundings:



Learned Math, and made sure I traded it to all known civs, getting Map-making and all loose change. Russia demanded Philosophy from me, which I gave up. With 3 turns left on Literature, heard that China was building Great Library, so I traded Philosophy to Mao for Literature and started on Currency. Russia already knew Polytheism, so it was a question of when Construction would show up. Korea demanded Literature, but I refused and he backed down. I slowed down Currency as I got close to learning it. Finally Construction showed up in 450 BC (China learned it and trade to Russia for Poly); I increased Research to finish Currency in 1 turn, and in 430 BC, traded for Construction from Russia then Poly from China. Russia got Mono. I gifted Korea to MidAges; Wang got Feudalism. I could trade Republic and 68 Gold to Catherine for Monotheism, but no trade could get Feudalism away from Korea.

Right now I'm planning a Research game; there are lots of Rivers available to increase Commerce and I'll probably plant a bunch of fish villages to get commerce from the Sea. Should be mostly peaceful, but I think I'll need at least one round of war with Russia to establish my Southern borders. I can get 3 or 4 really good cities with this area, which is all you really need to build a Spaceship; if I have time it'll be 'Mongols in Spaaaace!', but Diplo as a fall back if time runs out on me. Should be fun!

By moving the scout N,W and worker SW I found a good spot for Karakorum just one tile W of the start. I chose this location for my 20K city. I will be off to a slow start due to no bonus food but I hope to make that up by going for an early pyramids, founding later cities on more fertile land and joining
workers to Karakorum. Karakorum has potential as a good shield generating city with 3BG and 11 hills available. There is just enough food to allow all the hills to be worked so my settler will roam no more. As an added bonus city defence benefits from being sited on a hilltop.

After founding, I built just one scout, no military and went straight for the Pyramids and beat the AI to it. With this gamble won, I then built some desperately needed military before three more culture builds.

Karakorum builds: scout, pyramids (granary prebuild), warrior, warrior (killed by barbs), settler, archer, temple, library, GL

To improve the tiles around Karakorum I bought 9 slaves from Russia and Korea. This was important as the start did not have much food and with only one city I avoided support costs. It also slowed their expansion and I was happy to give them the techs as they were backward and would have gotten them soon enough from the tech leaders China and Japan.

Here is a screenshot of my empire in 30AD as I enterred the Middle Ages

Ta-tu was not founded until 1150BC. With the other two cities following in 330BC and 210BC, I had established the Chinese frontier. The Russian
frontier is defined by desert. In the north is a mass of tundra which I am happy for the AI to settle except for the luxuries which I want. The next priority is to claim the horses and incense, I will delay settling the grassland W of Karakorum until the barbs are expended. This should not take too long as I am finding the barb horsemen are not as mobile as usual due to all the hills and mountains around my cities which makes them much easier to deal
with. This lack of barb mobility and my slave built road network is allowing me to hold them back with a very very small army. My other cities are building up the military now which is needed to deal with the barbs. I don't have iron but am not in any hurry for it as I don't intend to go to war for a while, I can do without it until Steam Power.

Over the next few centuries after that I plan to grab and hookup the spices, furs and gems. Science is now at 0% so I will save up money for short rushing of Cathedral, Colliseum and Marketplace in Karakorum. This will allow more workers to be joined in to increase the city from size 9 to 12.

When I do need iron I can capture Russia's Iron city which is in the desert border.

SUMMARY

20K
3950BC Palace
1425BC The Pyramids
1000BC Temple
750BC Library
70BC The Great Library

Exploration
3650BC Russia
3400BC Korea
3100BC China
10AD Japan
Huts: sci, map, sci, map

Technology
3950BC Pottery (start)
3950BC Warrior Code (start)
3400BC Bronze Working (hut)
3100BC Ceremonial Burial (trade)
2900BC Masonry (research)
2900BC Alphabet (trade)
2310BC Mysticism (research)
2310BC Iron Working (trade)
1525BC The Wheel (trade)
1400BC Writing (research)
1275BC Mathematics (trade)
1275BC Horseback Riding (trade)
925BC Literature (hut)
750BC Code of Laws (trade & research)
670BC Philosphy (trade & research)
90BC The Republic (research)
30BC Map Making (The Great Library)
30BC Polytheism (The Great Library)
30BC Construction (The Great Library)
30AD Currency (The Great Library)
30AD Monarchy (The Great Library)

General
1 settler
1 worker
1 warrior
1 archer
2 spearmen
9 slaves (trade)
4 Cities

Cotm 10 Mongols Open Game.

QSC (forgot to submit, condensed version):
4000 wo1 W. sc1 E. Settler W.

3950 wo1 SW. sc1 E-E, spot gems. Settler W.

3900 Karakorum founded. wo1 mine BG. sc1 S-E.
Research Wheel in 27 turns (0.10.0). Start Scout.

3700 sc1 W, pop a worker!

3550 wo2 W, spot hut W-W. sc1 S-S. sc2 S-SE, spot incense.
meet russians. Won't trade BW for WC.

3200 Karakorum built barracks. Now Settler.
wo2 W (build road to incense-site). sc3 N, pop Ceremonial Burial.

3100 meet koreans. They want Pot, WC, CB for Alphabet.
We need money. Trade CB to russia for Bronze Working, 35g.
Korea doesn't want to trade, they know russia... (I should have known, BW was cheaper then before)
Trade WC to Korea for The Wheel, 29g. Horses right by incense!! Research HBR in 23 (0.10.0)

2900 Although govenor should optimize shields, Karakorum took not forrest but BG on growth, settler one shield short to complete. By now I guess the governor wanted to stay whit 2 food surplus...

2710 sc3 NW, pop Masonry.

2270 researched Horseback Riding. Now IW in 16 (1.9.0)

2110 trade Iron Working, 25g from Korea for Mas, CB. Only iron is near russia to the west. Now researching alphabet at min (9.1.0)

1325
IBT Russians boot our troops, we declare. russian archer kills sc2.

1300 horseman kills spear, captures Moscow!!
Trade HBR to Korea for Alphabet. Now writing in 15 (1.8.1)

1250
IBT Moscow flips to Russia with 3 horses (2 Elite) inside!!!

1025
IBT China demands 39g, declares.

QSC Data:
Cities 6, pop 9. 4 barracks. 5 spearmen, 3 worker, 1 horse.
This game is a disaster.


975 researched Writing, establish embassy in Korea. Sign in against russia for 48g.

510 Korea gives me a worker + 80g for joining them against Russia

470 Dalanzadgad founded on flood plains near wheet. Moscow captured with swordmen. Keep it this time!

450 Researched Philosophie, get Literature for free.

IBT Korea allied with China against us.

430 Make peace with China for Philosophy.

410 Sign in China against Korea for Literature.

370 capture St. Petersburg. Make peace with Russia for 2 Towns, Polytheism.

270 researched Code of Laws.

70 capture Seoul (7).

30 destroy Japanese City near fur.

30 AD founded Mandalgovi near Gems.

70 AD destroy Korean city. Make peace for three cities (all size 1) and 9g.

110 Make peace with Japan for city Matsuyama (1), 16g.

130 Researched Republik. Anarchy for 7 turns

250 Declare on Russia. Kill archer and get a leader!!

IBT about 40 Barbarians rise at once... that's a severe threat.

260 Mongols form a Republic! Rush forbidden Palace in Wonsan.

270 another Leader! Russia down to one city.

IBT several horse-barbs plunder my unprotected towns... some nearly kill a chinese elite AC...

280 leader builds army.

350 Eliminated Russia. Next is Korea. But against China I will need some help... China's in MA already...

450 Researched Currency - enterMiddle Ages.

After my slow start this one will suck. At times after Mosdow flipped) I was really concerned to lose this one...

Open

After scouting east and west with the scout and worker respectively, I plump for the hill on the west to be the site for Karakorum. Geting the Philosophy slingshot should be a doddle on Monarch, so I set about researching Alphabet. My first two builds are scouts, and their intrepid exploration leads me to meet Russia in 3550BC, and China in 3100BC. One of my scouts pops Burial in 3200BC, and Alphabet is learned in 2750BC, which is promptly traded for Bronze Working and Masonry. We meet Korea in 2590BC and trade for the Wheel.

In this game I decided to adopt a tighter spacing for the core for ease of defence, since all these mountains and hills were going to be a nuisance until Keshiks turn up. And it paid off. The barbarians were an absolute nightmare, and i lost a lot of units trying to protect my worker force. Tatu was settled in 2350BC to the west of Karakorum, and Kazan in 1990BC to the west of Tatu, on the coast. 1910BC sees us learn Writing, and in 1700BC we trade for Iron Working. Hmm, closest source of iron is on Russian borders. My intelligence tells me they do not have horses yet, so I plan an assault on Russia. Almarikh is settled in 1625BC, and Tabriz is settled in 1450BC near the horses, just as Code of Laws is researched.

Then, something happens I did not want to happen. In 1425BC China turns up with a couple of archers and a warrior at the doorstep of my eastern city. Mao demands Writing, and I cannot bring myself to give it to him. He does not declare straight away, but waits until next turn. I guess all the extra starting wall guards gave China a bit of a ego-boost, and he felt like picking on someone. I decide to establish an embassy with Korea just in case I need a friend. I manage to repel the attackers, but these hills are already becoming difficult to defend.

Ulaanbatar is settled in 1300BC, and next turn the Republic slingshot is complete. We get granted a 5 turn anarchy. I settle a peace treaty with China in 1200BC since I can't afford to have them annoying my eastern border whilst I am concentrating on my early development, my barbarian problems, and my plan for Russia. A supply of horses is acquired in 1050BC and we immediately begin our horse preparation with some chariot prebuilds. Interestingly, next turn, Russia declares on the Koreans, making Russia an even more tempting target. We trade for Maths and HBR and start producing horsies.

QSC Stats:

7 cities, 16 pop, 1 settler ready to settle, 2 settlers in production.
135g, -3gpt, Lit in 5 turns.
Missin techs from AA: Lit, Poly, Mon, Cur, Construc.
3 contacts.
1 settler, 3 workers, 3 archers, 8 warriors.
3 granary, 2 barracks.

During the Russian/Korean war we sit back, founding a few more cities and learning the art of literature. In 610BC, the warring nations sign a treaty, so i begin to amass my horsies to the southwest. Construction is learnt in 590BC. This makes Catherine too jealous, since in 530BC she demands we give her the secrets. Of course, I decline, and she declares. The Koreans only need the gift of Philosophy to consider redeclaring on Russia. Hopefully this will weaken Korea. Korea seem like the next logical target. We learn Polytheism, and in 410BC, trade this for Mapmaking and Currency. The Mongols enter the Middle Ages! However, this causes a barbarian uprising to the northwest of the continent. The beginning of the Middle Ages are not going to be pretty for Mongolia...

wrong thread