Mad Scientist Role Play Challenge: The American Cowboy.

Just a few comments and things Ive noticed when playing.
As far as Wonders go, I think marble only contributes the bonus to construction in the city, in which borders it is placed.
Go for the GL slingshot to Civil Service, just start building the GL after you teached Writing, while you build, research Philosophy, then you get CS for free!!
PS. beeline CS, so you dont miss out on the starter techs required for CS

Another thing, DO build FARMS on the riverside Hills, they are monstertiles, as already stated by Jaaboo.
I just looove horsemen in warmongering, espially when they are backed by a Great general, 3-4 of them take out a level 6-7 grown city incl defender in one turn, no losses.

To get a GG, when not in the honor tree, hunt barbs frenzied, they do contribute to get a GG
Regarding CS, I am just beginning to get the grasp of how powerfull Maritime states are, go for a friendly or normal, they loose their appreciation a lot slower than Hostile etc.

BTW, im sooo glad you started RPCs again, they are really entertaining and I look forward to pick up a good number of details and tips ive missed out myself, as I did in Civ 4

I'm not finding warring to generate unmanageable unhappiness even early on as long as you don't keep everything you conquer. I'm playing king pangea with all 19 civs. I've conquered england, russia, aztec, germany and babylon. I've razed anything that wasn't a capital unless it had iron or a luxury resource I didn't already have. Two of my own cities, five puppets and one annexed building a courthouse and I'm up 10-15 happiness. If I hadn't razed the crappy cities, then I would be in trouble.

One annoyance I've discovered is that that multiple civs boxed me, which I had expected, but some of them planted their cities on the opposite side of me. I wasn't expecting them to go all the way around me. Their loss as I razed them all to the ground.

Prince difficulty is sufficiently easy that you should be able to get away with using all your gold for land. Go for it!

I got to the mid 200's and have started my "shock and awe" campaign. Two trebuchet backed up by three land troops (mainly there to ZoC and do the last push for a city). Might have to stop soon though because I need to set up a rearguard to clean out any strays that wander behind the lines.

Hello there to the RPC following community. Long time lurker.
To Mad, your RPCs granted new interest to civ iv, cause in civ it's mostly about the path and not the destiny!
To hell with gambits and stuff,it's all about creating your own story!Your RPC spy games (the first ones i read) had me and my friends coming up with all kinds of crazy rules for flavour, and made us play civ 4 again, as just winning got kind of boring after a while Besides, the current AI of civ V begs for us to let the computer have a chance to make things interesting to win, as they improve if u don't bully them to oblivion early on
So just saying i will be following again at least while i'm taking a break from my Persian ReallyGolden Ages

To rolo, i've also lurked some of your stuff, as a fellow tuga So hi there also!

Concerning the current RPC:
Why not befriend CS while cleaning up your continent, and them throw their leaders statues to the ground, backstabbing them into americanhood?

MAster Burton, thanks and welcome aboard!

Quick question...

The American Cowboy: The Bucharest Alliance

GW was full of eagerness and the New American people had a purpose. There is much land for the Americans to acquire, however there are some formidable Ais in the way and these city-states, well GW was undecided about that.

To further boost GW's opinion amongst the American's in his namesake capital a latest opinion poll came out about his educational policies



Rather mediocre at this point and GW promises to increase the population thus increasing science.

Meanwhile plans were laid out for the Union's growth

production went: warrior/workboat/workboat/settler and start another worker.

Research went Mining/Masonry/wheel start calender.

The experienced Spear unit approached a Barbarian encampment



And got 37 gold and a promotion (went the line giving a bonus on flat land attacks).

The American treasury was used to acquire more useful land



Both pearls were added, however reality struck GW



Costs of buying land are becoming prohibitively expensive, yet promises were made to the American peoples. GW considers just as



The Cultured and closeby people of Bucharest require assistance from the local barbarians



Very near so we send our Spear and warrior units towards the encempment resulting in victory AND



A Friendly Bucharest,

At this point GW leaves the American citizans to discuss matters with the City-State of Bucharest. Negotiations are made and soon a deal is struck



Getting Bucharest to Allied state and us an extra 8 culture per turn.

The American people complained bitterly at GW's throwing American gold away at a foreign city when that money was promised to American people to expand. GW laugher to himself " what you get for trusting an American Politicians Campainge Promise".

To the People GW said in a Speach

"Amercians, we shall settle to the south and claim those wild stallions with the city of New York. None shall stand to the rough riding American soldiers and our army will be grand and powerful, even if the neysayers claim the Songhai and Arabs have stronger forces. I promise you good peoples, once we get our horses and archers set we shall expand further."

GW retired to much cheering, his broken promise forgotten.

For now GW must decide what Social Policy to adopt next.



Do we follow the American Tradition, and if so which branch (Aristocracy for increased wonder production such as the Great Library or Legalism for less unhappiness)

Or do we begin the path towards LIberty and get the discounted settler which may not help much because I think warring the path after founding New York.

The Settler is heading towards the hill south of the horse for instant access to GW's horse and some DYE to give the President some better duds.

Research I am thinking archery and horsebackriding to start on our military followed by Bronze Working for the barracks.

However, do we play peacefully a little longer and make a run at writing and a library to build the Great Library? We do have marble.

At the least we should keep Bucharest at an Allied state.

You should move towards Oligarchy->Monarchy, and see how the effects stack.

Does monarchy cut your tile costs in half (still good) Cost*(1-.25)*(1-0.5)
OR
Does Monarchy cut your tile costs in 1/3
Cost * 75% wo monarchy
Cost * 25% with monarchy

either way Monarchy seems vital to the overall strategy.

And Oligarchy will take advantage of our strategy (and help in the early wars, defending new conquests)

madscientist said:

The American people complained bitterly at GW's throwing American gold away at a foreign city when that money was promised to American people to expand. GW laugher to himself " what you get for trusting an American Politicians Campainge Promise".

Click to expand...

Really nice read, mad!

Reading your RPCs is a way to survive, since I won't be able to play the game until 2011 due to time limitations

Looking forward to the next round!

Great game. I think staying in tradition right now is the best bet because of the increased food/production IMO..
However, if you're going for warring, wouldn't going down the Honor path be desirable?

I find it humorous how you're allied to the "irrational" state

I would take the Honor path if you plan on conquering the continent. There are some really nice policies in there but you have to dedicate 3-4 policies (at least) to make it worthwhile.

I view Tradition as more of a OCC/wonderspam policy tree.

Liberty is a REXer's tree.

I like how you dealt with Bucharest. It's a lot easier to ally with them after you've done one of their mini-quests.

Regarding the settler, I'd send him to the north, right next to Arabia, and claim the marble. This will seal off the southern part of the continent but probably put you on a collision course with the Arabs.

slobberinbear said:

Regarding the settler, I'd send him to the north, right next to Arabia, and claim the marble. This will seal off the southern part of the continent but probably put you on a collision course with the Arabs.

Click to expand...

Nah. Just grab the horsies.

Then move out.

Im another one thats all for the honor tree. If early warring is your plan then honor certainly gives a good boost. Liberty would be cool just because it seems like something washington would dig.

Honor. Go kill people.

I change my earlier vote from Liberty to Honor. Discipline & Military Tradition will help out a lot in the wars to come, with Professional Army helping down the line once you get it. I'm not impressed with Military Caste as of yet, though.

Professional Army plus Pentagon = uber-win it would seem. Haven't been able to have both at the same time yet though. Anyone?

Yeah Garrisons seem silly if they still cost gold. And spending a social policy that converts hammers+gold=1 happiness seems a little silly when Colosseum is already available.

I prefer the GG path, because GG allow you to turn the tide, and 2x xp is cool (when you get bombarded for 1 damage, get 4xp)

JUst an bump and update.

I plan to play the next segment on Friday and then continue next week. I am still learning the tricks of the game and prefer to have a good game understanding as I proceed with the RPC.

In retrospect of this game I wish I had adopted the Liberty Tree rather than the Tradition Tree, as was suggested by several, as it seams most in line with GW.

Also I think the Normal Speed works better than EPIC as war-mongering is not much different between the speeds like ti was in Civ IV.

SO look for an update this weekend.

Next segment is done. I will post tomorrow.