Domination win 1912AD
My first proper Immortal victory.
I started off attacking from the get-go... why not with one of the best early-game UU's? As per my 1AD spoiler, I took out the Mongols early on and had started on the Egyptians.
450AD = peace with the Egyptians. I captured 3 cities, destroyed 2, which left them with 2 remaining cities. I was running at -25gpt at 0% science until the war ended with them, I needed what they had to offer me more than I needed their last 2 cities. I got sailing, currency, alphabet and 100 gold. The extra trade route per city combined with being able to trade along coasts meant most of my cities went from +1 commerce in trade routes to +4, this transformed my economy into one earning +16gold a turn. Plus I could always beat them up late for more techs.
The Greeks were in war mode. Bring it on, punks. The question now was to go for construction for catapults, or code of laws for cheap courthouses which would really turn the economy around. Turns out the Greeks already had construction, so I followed them down that track. To heck with the economy! Forge enhanced-powered wealth-building could keep me going. Then I remembered that forges don't help currency-building in vanilla. Doh.
660AD = The greeks declare war on me! Hurrah! Say hello to 17 praetorians. Actually I just held the border to start with as my recently-built catapults lumbered towards the front line.
Eventually I pushed forwards. We were all falling behind in the tech race, but the Greeks were no better than me. I kept going and going, as I wanted to extend the window of opportunity for my catapults and praetorians as long as possible. War weariness piled up. Elephants joined the fray, which were great to defend against horse archers, and later, crossbowmen.
1230AD = Finally, my first tech trade!!! I get to Drama before Saladin & Cyrus, and exchange it for horseback riding and monarchy, with a bit of gold in there too.
1310AD = Alexander, despite recently reaching macemen, admits total defeat and gives me all his techs for peace, thereby getting me right back into the tech race. I took Monothesism and Hunting out (not worth encroaching on my WFYABTA limit) but took Feudalism, Machinery, Optics, Literature and Music. Oh, and 130 gold, 1gpt and 2 of his remaining 4 cities
Best peace deal ever. Cyrus & Saladin still had Guilds, Philosophy, Engineering and Optics on me, but the gap looked much more achievable now. Mansa had just discovered Liberalism, stupid punk. I revolted to Judaism as I had a lot of Jews among my people plus it would help me stay on good terms with my new neighbour Saladin (with whom I had stupidly just refused a demand from, to stop dealing with the Malian people). I teched up and, free of war weariness which was as high as 8
, finally grew cities into double-figure populations, whilst I decided what to do next and how I could win. Saladin was going for culture, Mansa was obviously heading for space. However I had done so much waging of war so far it seemed wrong not to continue down that path...
My economy was recovering - gradually all those cottages were turning into towns. I got Universities and Oxford up, turned the slider down whilst I was researching them getting to around 3500 gold, revolted into some better civics and then went on 100% science in combination with a golden age. I was bringing in over 1500 beakers a turn at this stage as I flew through the tech tree in search of the leaders. Here's a small sample...
1575AD Optics, 1595AD Astronomy, 1610 AD Banking, 1620 AD Economics, 1625 AD Theology (2-turn revolt into HR, Free Market & Theocracy), 1640AD Replaceable parts, 1650AD Rifling, 1655AD Engineering, 1665AD Nationalism (1670 AD statue of liberty built by Mansa Musa to give you an idea of the relative tech speed) 1675AD Constitution, 1680AD Corporation, 1695AD Steam Power, 1695AD
You can see Astronomy in the above list - I wasn't far behind the others in getting there and made it a priority so I could go invade the barbarian island. I got there and took the citys whilst Mansa settled the ice.
Saladain was Jewish so I became Jewish too. Thought it good to be friends with my neighbours. No-one else really liked me but I didn't care
At 1730AD I had had assembly line for a few turns, was doing 1300 beakers a turn @ 70% and could trade assembly line to my only friends the Arabians in exchange for them declaring war on the Mali, they'd even throw in Liberalism too. This sounded like a good idea so I went for it. My factories were coming online - by the time I get dragged into the war I should have lots of infantry & cannons produced/being produced, and I had no direct border with the Malian so it would be a perfect backstabbing. I had 31% land now so almost halfway to the win. A few turns later they called me to see if I wanted to join in; I said yes.
The rest of the game was really quite tedious, and have convinced me to take December off from Civilization. I think I could've ended it quicker but I built my armies up pretty big. Basically we all piled on the Malians, then the Persians, and many tanks were built. I had to re-declare on Greece to take their last 3 cities to take me over the threshold, but finally in 1912AD I had my first win in a "proper" Immortal game