I was playing Portugal and my human opponent was playing America on a Regent game. She got off to a good start, with nobody near her and resources galore. I, however, was SOL ("Shoot" outta luck). I was in the upper-left hand corner of the map. I settled and expanded quickly. Shock of my life, though, was that I was on an ISLAND. Not just any island, the only island in the game that had nothing: No Strategic or Luxury Resources, and a scant few Bonus Resources. It even had three volcanoes like the Three Sisters Conquest. About 1/4 of the land is Tundra with Hills. Not very favorable at all. If it wasn't an MP game, I'd swear at the terrain generator and restart. As it was, I only did the first thing.
I did have a little luck: My island was near London, no less, and I saw the borders across the water. Needless to say, I soon tried to colonize the continent above and below the English. The Southern Settler was killed by Barbs as soon as he landed (D@mn galleys, only hold two units). The second one was successful, and I established another city to the East of the first one. Then, after they were well defended, I loaded about 10 Archers and 4 Spearmen onto Galleys and assaulted London. It fell, and I took York. By then, my losses were enough that I had to sign a Peace Treaty to end it. I then saw what looked like a continent south of where I started. I sent Settlers there.
It turned out to be no more than an island, with few Grasses but some Forests, a few Hills and Mountains, and even Desert. (Keep in mind this is near the top of the world.) Annoyed, I saw French borders across the water, and I laugh at the ridiculous pattern, here. I gather my forces for 30 turns, and attack with Archers and Spearmen, because I saw on the Diplomacy window that they have two things I lack and need: IRON AND HORSES.
I took the Horses city no problem, because I snuck up on them and move quickly. Appalled, Joan d' Arc sent up... Spearmen. I knew the danger, though: If they pillage the roads to my recently aquired Horses, the city will be gone.
I rush a Horseman, and attack. He's gone. Then, about 12 Angry Swordsman rush me. (Anyone who is familiar with the play, "Twelve Angry Men", will think this is hilarious.) I picked them off by standing on Mountains, and letting the French kill themselves, while I counter-strike. Then, I go for the capital, which is about 6 squares away from the Horses city. I whack Paris with a long, bloody war, and the Iron (and 5 resistors) is mine.
Building the Knights Templar right about now, I get some Crusaders down there and whack almost all of the rest of France as I know it. As I take Lyons, I notice America. She has been busy; she's nearly into the Industrial Age. I have gunpowder, and give it to her in exchange for two major MA advances. Guess why I gave her gunpowder? Anyone? That's right: Along with all the other problems I have, NONE OF MY CITIES HAVE SALTPETER ANYWHERE.
I find out that the last French city is about 40 squares away by ship (They didn't restart) so I send Carracks to kill them off. Who takes the last city, but our friends the Germans!
Of course, I have to kill Germany for that. Not a hard assignment, as my human friend has nearly culture-flipped Berlin, let alone the rest of Bismarks empire. So, I kill as many Germans as I can, getting a GL and, therefore, an army along the way. The last city fell... TO AMERICA!
IT WAS CULTURE-FLIPPED!! So, I got into a "bloody" culture war with America, forcing a standoff. If it was AI cities, they'd be mine.
Spain makes a ridiculous demand, so I refuse, and they declare war on me. Now, Germany was Spain's neighbor, so all of my forces were already in good positions. You'd think even the AI would be smarter... Half of Spain got whacked before the signed a Peace Treaty, even giving me two cities as part of the deal.
I was getting way too far behind in points. All my problems were catching up to me. My Conquests earned me 456 points, but America, who had everything, got up to 768. Finally, I found Saltpeter, in the radius of a city given to me via Peace with Spain. Sadly, my wars depleted my treasury by the thousands, so upgrading was out of the question. So, I set my sights on another supercontinent, one that was nearly empty...
This continent had two civs: Scandinavia and the Dutch. They were in the early MA, so I settled cities along the coasts using Carracks. A few Settlers were killed off by Barbarians, but I cleared them out, taking the Southern half of the new continent. the Vikings were not happy, and sent "gifts" to me that flew from bows. In other words, they attacked. I didn't have state-of-the-art forces there, even for my empire, but the Viking fell to me, this time to the last city. The Dutch soon followed, just because I got bored with my men.
Finally, I found a third, uninhabited, continent, thought small, and settled there. Hordes of Barbarians slowed me down, but they are only Barbarians after all. Just as America was about to win a Cultural Victory, just like the last game I played with her, I barely got the 66th percent of the worlds territory. I barely won by Domination. She was well into the Industrial Age, I was still in Middle Ages, but I won. Man, did that feel good. Coming from behind, with nothing to work with but what I could build with Iron... amazing.
I did have a little luck: My island was near London, no less, and I saw the borders across the water. Needless to say, I soon tried to colonize the continent above and below the English. The Southern Settler was killed by Barbs as soon as he landed (D@mn galleys, only hold two units). The second one was successful, and I established another city to the East of the first one. Then, after they were well defended, I loaded about 10 Archers and 4 Spearmen onto Galleys and assaulted London. It fell, and I took York. By then, my losses were enough that I had to sign a Peace Treaty to end it. I then saw what looked like a continent south of where I started. I sent Settlers there.
It turned out to be no more than an island, with few Grasses but some Forests, a few Hills and Mountains, and even Desert. (Keep in mind this is near the top of the world.) Annoyed, I saw French borders across the water, and I laugh at the ridiculous pattern, here. I gather my forces for 30 turns, and attack with Archers and Spearmen, because I saw on the Diplomacy window that they have two things I lack and need: IRON AND HORSES.
I took the Horses city no problem, because I snuck up on them and move quickly. Appalled, Joan d' Arc sent up... Spearmen. I knew the danger, though: If they pillage the roads to my recently aquired Horses, the city will be gone. I rush a Horseman, and attack. He's gone. Then, about 12 Angry Swordsman rush me. (Anyone who is familiar with the play, "Twelve Angry Men", will think this is hilarious.) I picked them off by standing on Mountains, and letting the French kill themselves, while I counter-strike. Then, I go for the capital, which is about 6 squares away from the Horses city. I whack Paris with a long, bloody war, and the Iron (and 5 resistors) is mine.
Building the Knights Templar right about now, I get some Crusaders down there and whack almost all of the rest of France as I know it. As I take Lyons, I notice America. She has been busy; she's nearly into the Industrial Age. I have gunpowder, and give it to her in exchange for two major MA advances. Guess why I gave her gunpowder? Anyone? That's right: Along with all the other problems I have, NONE OF MY CITIES HAVE SALTPETER ANYWHERE.
I find out that the last French city is about 40 squares away by ship (They didn't restart) so I send Carracks to kill them off. Who takes the last city, but our friends the Germans!Of course, I have to kill Germany for that. Not a hard assignment, as my human friend has nearly culture-flipped Berlin, let alone the rest of Bismarks empire. So, I kill as many Germans as I can, getting a GL and, therefore, an army along the way. The last city fell... TO AMERICA!
IT WAS CULTURE-FLIPPED!! So, I got into a "bloody" culture war with America, forcing a standoff. If it was AI cities, they'd be mine.Spain makes a ridiculous demand, so I refuse, and they declare war on me. Now, Germany was Spain's neighbor, so all of my forces were already in good positions. You'd think even the AI would be smarter... Half of Spain got whacked before the signed a Peace Treaty, even giving me two cities as part of the deal.
I was getting way too far behind in points. All my problems were catching up to me. My Conquests earned me 456 points, but America, who had everything, got up to 768. Finally, I found Saltpeter, in the radius of a city given to me via Peace with Spain. Sadly, my wars depleted my treasury by the thousands, so upgrading was out of the question. So, I set my sights on another supercontinent, one that was nearly empty...
This continent had two civs: Scandinavia and the Dutch. They were in the early MA, so I settled cities along the coasts using Carracks. A few Settlers were killed off by Barbarians, but I cleared them out, taking the Southern half of the new continent. the Vikings were not happy, and sent "gifts" to me that flew from bows. In other words, they attacked. I didn't have state-of-the-art forces there, even for my empire, but the Viking fell to me, this time to the last city. The Dutch soon followed, just because I got bored with my men.
Finally, I found a third, uninhabited, continent, thought small, and settled there. Hordes of Barbarians slowed me down, but they are only Barbarians after all. Just as America was about to win a Cultural Victory, just like the last game I played with her, I barely got the 66th percent of the worlds territory. I barely won by Domination. She was well into the Industrial Age, I was still in Middle Ages, but I won. Man, did that feel good. Coming from behind, with nothing to work with but what I could build with Iron... amazing.
