News: GOTM 41 Pregame. Starts April 1, 2009

GOTM 41: Egypt

[img=right]http://gotm.civfanatics.net/civ4games/images/gotm41civ.jpg[/img]

This month you will lead Egypt to victory (hopefully).
It's a Monarch game on a Lakes map at Quick speed.

Game settings:

Civilization: Egypt (Leader: Hatshepsut; Traits: Creative, Spiritual)
Rivals: 8 AIs
Difficulty: Monarch
Map: Lakes
Mapsize: Standard
Climate: Temperate
Sea Level: Low
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Quick
Options: Standard
Victory Conditions: all enabled

Hatshepsut:

Hatshepsut is Creative and Spiritual ; starting with The Wheel and Agriculture. As you are Creative, you get 2 free culture per turn and you also get double speed Theatre and Colosseum. As a Spiritual leader you get no Anarchy and double speed Temple.

Unique unit: War Chariot(replaces Chariot)

It has strength 5 instead of 4, and it has immunity against first strikes.

Starting screenshot

This is the start of the game (click for a bigger image):




Adventurer Class bonuses:

1. Worker: You have a Worker in the same tile as the Settler.
2. Warrior: You have a second Warrior in the same tile as the Warrior.

Challenger Class Equalisers:

1. Warrior? No!: Your Warrior has disappeared.
2. Agriculture? No!: You start without the knowledge of Agriculture.

To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open on 1 April 2009. From that date, you'll be able to get your chosen starting save here.
Submit the save after your victory (or defeat) here, by 1 May 2009.

Software Versions

Windows: This game MUST be played in Civilization 4 (NOT Warlords or BTS), patched to version 1.74, and with the HOF mod version 1.74.003 installed. You can download the HOF mod here. Players using Windows Vista are encouraged to read the notes on Vista fixes here.

Macintosh: This game MUST be played in Civilization 4 (NOT Warlords), patched to version 1.74, and with the Mac HOF mod version 1.74.002 installed. You can download the HOF mod here.

While playing...

Remember - for your entry to be accepted, it MUST be your first attempt to play this game, and you MUST NOT replay any turns. If you make a mistake while playing, you have to live with it, learn from it, and carry on the game without replaying.

We will open 'spoiler' threads during the month for players to discuss what happens in their games. Do not discuss any details of the game outside those threads while it is in progress. Please use the Saves Available thread or Private Messages for any technical queries, eg. if you have trouble opening the game. Do NOT post in the Pre-game Discussion thread or in the Saves Available thread once you have successfully opened the starting save.

As this is the first time a XOTM is played at Quick speed, I would like to add a few words for those who are not used to it. Everything I say here is my personal opinion, I hope it helps:


If you have never played a Quick Speed game before, by all means, play a test game! You'll find out it feels quite different.

- Pay attention to detail: losing 2 hammers on Quick Speed is as bad as losing 9 hammers on Marathon Speed. Delaying settling for 2 turns on Quick Speed is as bad as delaying settling for 9 turns on Marathon Speed.

- Units are slow: They will take 4.5 times longer to get anywhere, when compared to Marathon speed. This is particularly important when leveraging a tech advantage through war. Be quick to prepare for war. Be quick to execute the war.

- Subjective difficulty feeling: If you only play Epic Speed, please consider this game to be an Emperor difficulty game. If you only play Marathon Speed, please consider you are playing an Immortal Difficulty game.

- Other than that, the game plays basically the same as other Speed games. If you are used to have 6 cities by 1AD, then you should try to have 6 cities by 1AD. If you always get Liberalism around 1000AD, you will get Liberalism around 1000AD...

So will there really be a game on that date, or will you be fooling us?

I think I'll probably move the warrior 1 NE, and then move the settler either 1S or 1SE and then to the spot 1E of it's current location to settle on turn 2.
First research will likely be mining unless I reveal pigs with my exploration. I will probably go Hunting followed by AH next in an effort to find those nice horsies, which will no doubt be on the green grass to the left of the ivory that is no longer in my FC due to moving.

8 AI's will be interesting so I might be keen to grab city spots early, and then try to settle by war chariot if possible.

chopster said:

So will there really be a game on that date, or will you be fooling us?

Click to expand...

Rest assured. Here in Spain the fools day is "el día de los inocentes", 28th of December.

Excellent map!

Let it be known to everyone that I will pick the contender save this time, and that I will attempt fastest domination victory to complete my Eptathlete, and that anyone who beats my domination date will automatically be banned from GOTM42. Yes, that includes you too, Gosha, who always beats the crap of my dates . Erkon-the-map-maker has spoken.

Just kidding of course! Promise . Now, how much to research? AH - check. Mining - for gold/gems mines - check. BW for slavery & chopping - check. Pottery for cottage and granary - hmm, perhaps. Writing for library and open borders - Ha! Who needs those stinkeen eggheads? Open Borders? I don't need a silly piece of paper for that.

Strategy - Kill'em! Kill'em All!!!

With that challenge, how could I not try for fastest domination? Not that I think I will beat Erkon, but maybe I'll get lucky.

At any rate a Quick game sounds just up my alley - thanks jesusin!

Erkon said:

Let it be known to everyone that I will pick the contender save this time, and that I will attempt fastest domination victory to complete my Eptathlete, and that anyone who beats my domination date will automatically be banned from GOTM42. Yes, that includes you too, Gosha, who always beats the crap of my dates . Erkon-the-map-maker has spoken.

Click to expand...

I might have a go at that

If you guys needs a real challenge, try beating a 1635AD Conquest or Domination. Hasn't been done in HoF at Monarch difficulty level or above. (standard size, quick speed). Good luck!

Now, how much to research? AH - check. Mining - for gold/gems mines - check. BW for slavery & chopping - check. Pottery for cottage and granary - hmm, perhaps. Writing for library and open borders - Ha! Who needs those stinkeen eggheads?

Click to expand...

If you face Longbows behind 60% culture in 650BC like in my last game at this size/difficulty/speed... you might wish you had some eggheads.

- Subjective difficulty feeling: If you only play Epic Speed, please consider this game to be an Emperor difficulty game. If you only play Marathon Speed, please consider you are playing an Immortal Difficulty game.

Click to expand...

And if you almost only play on Quick speed, consider this a Monarch level game.

- Units are slow: They will take 4.5 times longer to get anywhere, when compared to Marathon speed. This is particularly important when leveraging a tech advantage through war. Be quick to prepare for war. Be quick to execute the war.

Click to expand...

Clarification: units move the same speed (in turns) as they do on marathon. However, the tech rates and unit build rates (in turns) are several orders of magnitude faster, both yours and the AI. Therefore, in the typical 2-4 turns it takes to cross the cultural borders after a DOW, expect the target city to have produced (not whipped) 8 more units and the target civ to have teched 5 more military techs. (April Fool's! But actually I only exagerate a little). For fun... try crossing a Lakes map with war chariots... no fighting, just movement... just for fun see if you can reach the other side before AI have... Pikemen.

OTOH, Quick speed improves Spiritual and Creative traits relative to other traits. Which is good since otherwise these two traits can be quite lame. But on Quick, I'm usually glad to have one or the other. A turn of anarchy is like an eternity in Quick speed, same for building monument/library and waiting for border pops. Hatty should be one of the easier leaders to win with in these settings, not least because of a 2-movement UU.

Personally, I'm going for one of the peaceful VC's. (Too bad Religious VC is disabled in Vanilla) In place with what... 5 floodplains, fresh water, sheep, ivory? How can you go wrong???

Erkon said:

Now, how much to research? AH - check. Mining - for gold/gems mines - check. BW for slavery & chopping - check. Pottery for cottage and granary - hmm, perhaps. Writing for library and open borders - Ha! Who needs those stinkeen eggheads? Open Borders?

Click to expand...

Do you think it is possible to conquer enough land for domination just with chariots on quick speed? Never played a quick speed game.

srad said:

Do you think it is possible to conquer enough land for domination just with chariots on quick speed? Never played a quick speed game.

Click to expand...

No effing way. (Or rather, I should say... I'd REALLY like to see someone pull that off!)

Looks like a fun game, and on Monarch, a level where I might be able to play [noble/prince/monarch].

jesusin said:

- Subjective difficulty feeling: If you only play Epic Speed, please consider this game to be an Emperor difficulty game. If you only play Marathon Speed, please consider you are playing an Immortal Difficulty game...

Click to expand...

Oh well, then just a learning experience...

jesusin said:

- Other than that, the game plays basically the same as other Speed games ...

Click to expand...

QUOTE=anonymous. "Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?"

Erkon said:

Let it be known to everyone that I will pick the contender save this time, and that I will attempt fastest domination victory to complete my Eptathlete, ...

Click to expand...

Me, too. Working on my Eptathlete. At my level though, it's much easier, because ALL of the victory conditions are open to me... harumph... cough...

Erkon said:

Strategy - Kill'em! Kill'em All!!!

Click to expand...

[pauses to look up 'strategy' in Civ terminology guide...] Ah... that's where I just plod along and hope the AI makes a stupid blunder that allows me to win somehow or the other in the late 21st century.

kcd_swede said:

If you guys needs a real challenge, Good luck! :

Click to expand...

yeah, yeah, of course I want a real challenge

kcd_swede said:

Personally, I'm going for one of the peaceful VC's.

Click to expand...

I might try for the fastest time victory condition. Let's see, if I win it in 2o5o AD... then ....

kcd_swede said:

How can you go wrong???

Click to expand...

Let me count the ways. Would you like an alphabetical list, or maybe a numerical one?


Ggggooooood luck to alllll !!
Adama

Okay. Fastest domination it is. Let's all see if we can treat Erkon to an April Fool's Day surprise!

Let's see, strategy? Always War with the nearest 4-6 AIs, who I will Stone Age asap. Build a few hundred war chariots. Steal workers continually. Build a settler farm to REX continually. Build lots of cottages so I can afford to REX continually.

Oh, btw, jesusin forgot to mention that there are no horses on the map. Don't believe his Day of the Innocents beeswax.

kcd_swede said:

If you guys needs a real challenge, try beating a 1635AD Conquest or Domination. Hasn't been done in HoF at Monarch difficulty level or above. (standard size, quick speed). Good luck!

Click to expand...

What kind of map do you mean, speaking about so late date (1635AD)? I believe current map is coverable without astro.

I have HOF experience at normal speed only (2.13.001, emperor, Hatty, normal speed, standard w/s, 775BC)

http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/game_info.php?entryID=9606

Lexad has 545BC domi on a small w/s, quick

http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/game_info.php?entryID=5143

finally it looks like there were no problems to win faster.... simply there were no players who want to do that

Gosha, they're talking about Quick speed. Still, 1625AD for single-land is no result.

Lexad said:

Gosha, they're talking about Quick speed.

Click to expand...

thanx a lot! but I can read a little

Lexad said:

Still, 1625AD for single-land is no result.

Click to expand...

I tryed to say the same

тут уместна история про неуловимого Джо

Gosha190 said:

What kind of map do you mean, speaking about so late date (1635AD)? I believe current map is coverable without astro.

finally it looks like there were no problems to win faster.... simply there were no players who want to do that

Click to expand...

Quick Speed, Standard Size. There's no Conquest or Domination victory posted faster than 1635AD at any level above Prince for that map-size and game speed. Suprises me, too.

It gets worse for Quick Speed/Large maps. But Quick Speed Huge maps seem to be played more, so while worse than Standard size not as bad as Large size.

http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/ind...d&incBeta=0&speed=Quick&expansion=0&submit=Go

http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/ind...d&incBeta=0&speed=Quick&expansion=0&submit=Go

Personally, I've made a go or two for that Monarch Conquest mark... but have not managed it yet. I'd really like to see how its done.

Edit to add: Now you guys say this is "no result"... that is talking the talk. Now you must walk the walk.

Quick Speed, Standard Size. There's no Conquest or Domination victory posted faster than 1635AD at any level above Prince for that map-size and game speed. Suprises me, too

Click to expand...

Well, no surprise. At least half of HoF table (except Deity level - at least we have competition here) are sub-par as there ain't many high-skilled players bent on improving the whole table.

kcd_swede said:

Quick Speed, Standard Size. There's no Conquest or Domination victory posted faster than 1635AD at any level above Prince for that map-size and game speed. Suprises me, too.

It gets worse for Quick Speed/Large maps. But Quick Speed Huge maps seem to be played more, so while worse than Standard size not as bad as Large size.

Click to expand...

HOF players think that Quick is not optimal for domination/conquest. They treat Speed as another map parameter to be optimized.

As for Quick/Huge, I seem to remember there was a Gauntlet with those settings and that's why it has more entries.

jesusin said:

HOF players think that Quick is not optimal for domination/conquest.

Click to expand...

Well, yeah... that's what I was driving at. Quick speed is not optimal for domination/conquest if the map size is above "Small". Those HOF players aren't so dumb after all.

They treat Speed as another map parameter to be optimized.

Click to expand...

Whereas duffers like me look at the uncontested empty slots and start to about maxing out their EQM score without any competition from the heavy hitters...

(Uh oh... now I've let everyone in on my secret, its going to get a lot tougher...)

Never played Quick speed but pleased to see it, especially as it coordinates with upcoming SGOTM. Didn't have time for GOTM40, but based on 39, Jesusin has no doubt thoughtfully constructed an interesting challenge. Looking forward to this one.

Would certainly appreciate it if someone would post a test game and/or educate me on the features of a lakes map?