Wrath of the AI

Yes. I think we've all ready gone over this. It was all the traits + the wealthy gold that allowed Talent to Cash Rush up a storm and make their cities ultra productive in just a few turns. Less time building imps means more time building units, (including the Deity bonus) for further expansion. I suggest that we give the wealthy less wealth (say, 5,000 or so, perhaps 10,000) but give them a form of despotism that allows C-rushing. "Wealthy Despotism"?

They need cash-rushing and an early unit with a defense of 3 or 4.

Maybe give them an ability to bribe themselves out of war?

I'm pretty sure that that is outside of the possibilities of the editor.

Quintillus, if u lost to the Talented, plz tell us. There was no shame in losing against them. We're all waiting for your update... this civ story was so great it needs a conclusion from you, leaving it just like that.. would suck.

Look at that! Another first time poster!

Welcome AntilopProducts! Good to have another member on the forum post for the first time in one of Quintilus' threads!

I think I know what may have happened to Quintillus. He probably got a new game and laid off Civ for a while. Happened to me when I got Rome: Total War. But the civilization allure will bring him back..

He's been online, according to his profile, maybe he's just thinking of an excuse.

Remember, not only does it take time to play the game, it takes even more time to do the updates. One update, that we could read in 5 minutes, may take 5 hours of work (writing, rewriting, adding in images, etc) before it gets posted.

Nothing makes a game take a long time like keeping a turn log, even a brief one.

Give Quintillus some slack. He'll get it finished.

We know the position Quintillus was in, Scrambling for survival takes forever, I know from personal experience.

We're missin' ya Quint!!! The situation when you left looked pretty hopeless, so like AntilopProducts said, It's okay to say that you lost. That happens to the best of us.


EDIT: Sorry, Choxorn if you think this is Quintillus posting.

You are forgiven, I've almost given up on him posting at this point.

Quintillus hasn't been very active on the forum recently. His last four posts were on July 30. July 30, July 7 and July 5 (IIRC - and I was just on that page! )

The Next Section said:

The Talented advances seemed to have slowed for a couple months, mystifying the Intelligent. Yet they soon came bounding over the trenches with a vengeance.

Yet before they've reached our lines, diplomats come to the Prime Minister informing him of yet another trade embargo, this time between the Frisky and Talented. The Prime Minster assures the diplomats that he did believe them when they had earlier told him that these civilizations were evil.

Less than a day later, news of more Talented-Frisky developments come: more war.

That cements the Honest as our allies. Probably unfortunately for the Frisky, who I would conquer myself if it weren't for a couple dozen Talented units already on my borders.

But when the Talented finally do arrive, it's a bloodbath. They attack blitzkrieg-style, first with waves upon waves of bombers...

Click to expand...

The Talented have not defeated the Intelligent, but neither has more than one AI turn passed since May - and that one only tonight. Between work, trying a couple Civ mods for the first time, and (indeed) a new game, Diplomacy, I haven't played my own scenario in a few months. Tonight I started it up again, let the Talented advance, began debating what to do, and realized a great moral dilemma about what to do about J.S. Bach's Cathedral. As a result, I spent most of the last hour reading about the implications of a scorched earth policy on Wikipedia, and have not yet determined the fate of the city of Bright Future. Here's the situation:

*5% chance of defending the city successfully for this turn, which would give about 60% chance of defending it the next turn and about 5% the turn after that.
*J.S. Bach's Cathedral in the city
*Attempting to defend it may cause the loss of two other cities that can be defended with 99% certainty this turn
*Abandoning it means the permanent loss of the Cathedral
*Letting it be captured means the use of the Cathedral by the Talented

Multiple political parties have already formed in the Intelligent Empire regarding the situation. I'm leaning towards a certain course of action, but if anyone has a particular insight on the situation, please do advise. Were I to lose the city, I may be able to retake it before their hordes of infantry arrive to defend it (3-4 turns; 1725-ish), but keeping it long enough for peace would require a miracle, and attempting to may cost me The Fens (and with it, Smith's Trading Company) as well, which I have a better chance of successfully defending.

I've decided to go ahead with uploading the scenario even though I haven't completed modifying it; the version you see here is the one I started this game with, without any of the fixes I've spotted along the way. The attached file is in 7z format to keep within the space limit; you can also download it here in ZIP format.

Superb story, and a fascinating mod!

Look forward to reading the next chapter when you have time.

Hi Quintillus.
Yay! You finally replied!

Well, not an update, but at least he posted.

I'd try to keep it if I were you, but say screw it if doing so would make you lose better cities.

I would see if you can defend it... and if you do, try to get peace as soon as possible... maybe you should try to conquor an island, and try to rebuild your empire untill you get Replaceable parts then unleash death (artillary) on the talented. Your in a big pickle

Quintillus said:

Multiple political parties have already formed in the Intelligent Empire regarding the situation. I'm leaning towards a certain course of action, but if anyone has a particular insight on the situation, please do advise.

Click to expand...

Pull the ultimate sneaky trick against the blasted Talented! -
gift the city away to another civ that the Talented are not at war with (nor have an ROP with). They will keep it safe for you until you can return it to its rightful possessors. - the Talented dont get the benefit of the Cathedral nor the land to pass through it.

That's...

Actually, a pretty good idea. Give it away if you can't save it, then take it back later when you stand a chance against the Talented.