(Next War) From Sea To Shining Sea

Meshakhad

Chieftain
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
45
Location
Washington State
I have decided to dip my toes into the LP waters, and have chosen Civilization 4 as my first subject.

I am running my favorite mod, Next War Epic, which came bundled with Beyond The Sword. The map is Earth18Civs, which, for those who don’t know, is a model of the real world with 18 civilizations on it in their home locations. There are a couple of changes I am making to the world map using the World Builder, not to aid myself, but to ensure that certain AI civilizations are not going to be completely screwed over by geography. I will go over these at the start of the game.

I have chosen a low difficulty setting (Chieftain), primarily because I’ve never actually played the higher difficulties, and this LP wouldn’t be very interesting if it ended early due to conquest by an AI.

Oh, and I will make posts when I feel like it, not according to a schedule.

Other settings:

Speed: Marathon
Victories: Conquest, Dominion, Cultural, Space Race
Options: Random Personalities, Choose Religions

One other warning: if you like to see a lot of warfare in your LPs, you’ll be disappointed. I’m not an aggressive player. Same goes if you want to learn advanced Civ 4 strategy – I have no knowledge of it. What I will be doing is narrating the history of the mighty American civilization.

Spoiler :


Earth18Civs doesn’t allow you to choose your leaders. Each civ has one chosen for it. I don’t mind greatly, as Roosevelt is pretty good, especially if you aren’t looking to win by religion or conquest. Roosevelt has the Industrious and Organized traits, which improve wonder production, lower civic upkeep, and double the production times of Forges, Lighthouses, Factories, and Courthouses.

Spoiler :


I include this shot because… well, it felt right. We see here that we start with Fishing and Agriculture. That will help our early agriculture. The American unique unit and building don’t come into play until late game, so I won’t bother describing them.

Before I get into the game, I will make the aforementioned changes to the world map.
There are two civilizations that, by virtue of their starting locations, are completely screwed. The Spanish are one of them. The Iberian peninsula is only big enough for one city, and their settler begins inland. Consequently, they will be landlocked. Their only possible expansion is into France, which would necessitate defeating the French. A human player could move their settler, but AIs always start where the settler is placed, so they’re screwed.

To prevent them from total stagnation, I will be turning the circled section of land into water, so that Madrid will be a coastal city.

Spoiler :




The other civilization that is screwed is the Inca. They start out on a narrow strip of land between the Andes and the Pacific, with no land route off.In theory, they could use ships to get out, but I have never seen them do that. Furthermore, there is also, for no good reason, a mountain in the middle of Panama. Its purpose is to prevent North Americans from expanding into South America.

The only reason I can think of, given that they’ve already limited the Inca to their little strip of land, is to give the Europeans the opportunity to colonize South America. Personally, I think it’s stupid. So I will create two passes out of the Andes, and turn the mountain into a hill.

Spoiler :






Now, we can begin the game!

Spoiler :


When they decided to settle down, the Americans found themselves in lush surroundings on the Atlantic Seaboard. The great warrior, William Clark, was sent out to explore the land, while the people ventured north, to the Appalacian foothills. It was here that they founded the city of New York. It is unlikely that they had any idea of the grandeur their city would achieve.

We start on what is obviously the East Coast, with a warrior and a settler. The warrior will be used for scouting. For this reason, I have named him William Clark. I plan to name my units, except for the ones that are consumed by their tasks.
I decided not to settle right away, but move to the north. This decision is, to be honest, based on knowledge from previous games. This also means that in this history, Washington D.C. never existed, and New York was the American capital.

Spoiler :


Historians have long believed that fishing was important to the new city, which is likely the source of New York’s love of seafood. However, as the city’s fishing industry predates all forms of writing, solid evidence has been hard to come by. It was only in modern times that archaeologists uncovered evidence of boatmaking as far back as 3985 BC, the approximate date of New York’s founding.

Now, if you’re wondering why I’m building a work boat when there are no fish, clams, or crabs in my territory, here’s why.

Spoiler :


New York, as my capital, is generating 2 hammers and 2 culture per turn. A work boat costs 60, so it will be completed in 30 turns. However, advancing to the next culture level – and the first expansion of the city – will only take 15 turns. By the time the work boat is complete, the clams will both be in my territory, ready for exploitation.

Also, training workers puts your city’s population growth on hold. I usually wait until the city has at least 2 population before I start training workers. I tend to think in the long term, so I choose to get my population up as quickly as possible.

Next, I have to choose what technology to research. My options are Sailing, the Wheel, Animal Husbandry, Hunting, Mysticism, and Mining. Animal Husbandry offers little advantage, as there are no cows, pigs, or sheep in the area. Mysticism would allow me to expand my culture, but I have other priorities. I decide to go with Hunting – there are deer nearby, and I’ll want to train a scout as soon as possible.

Spoiler :


The name “William Clark” should be instantly recognizable to any American. Tales of his exploits were handed down from generation to generation, often growing to outlandish proportions. While we can discount such stories as his battle with the Great Bear as myths, it is certain that he played a major role in charting the land, enabling the American leaders to plan the future expansion of their civilization. He also learned the secrets of sailing from the Regatta tribe, along with their favored sport of boat racing. Boat racing flourished in the coastal cities, and persists to this day as America’s national sport.

Clark’s done good work. He’s uncovered several resources, including marble, gold, and corn. He also found a tribal village in the Midwest that inexplicably knew the secrets of Sailing. This is really good, especially as Sailing is one of the more expensive technologies at this stage, and being given it by a tribe saves me a lot of time.

Spoiler :


Sailing will allow me to construct Lighthouses, which increase the food production of water tiles. This means that a single water tile can support a citizen on its own. My coastal cities will be thriving. I can also train galleys and build the Moai Statues. In time, I will be able to train triremes and build the Great Lighthouse.

Incidentally, I will be going for the Space Race victory, which means teching up as soon as possible.

Spoiler :


In 3880 BC, an Aztec scout encountered New York. This marked the first contact between the Americans and another civilization. Relations with the Aztecs were cool to start, so the Americans began diverting resources to learning what they could about their new neighbors.

Now that I’ve met another civilization, I can start diverting income to espionage. I find that 10% is usually plenty. I still have no treasury, but as I don’t have any expenses as of yet, that isn’t an issue.

Spoiler :


In 3760 BC, New York grew strong enough to expand its territorial borders, growing to encompass the Red Sox tribe. While the Red Sox were happy to join the American civilization, they found that they did not fit in with the denizens of New York. They elected to found their own city, Boston, further up the coast. In time, Boston would grow to be a proud city in its own right; however, the rivalry between the two continues to this day. The Red Sox name lives on as Boston’s boat racing team.

Spoiler :


With the expansion of New York, the tribal village is absorbed by my nation, granting me a settler. I decide to use it to establish a city up the coast, calling it Boston. I start work on a lighthouse.

In other news, a wolf pack attacked William Clark. He kicked their asses.

Spoiler :


Of course, hunting for survival is a task even animals can accomplish. However, any hunter can tell you that hunting is more complicated than simply finding an animal and killing it. And traditional methods of hunting rarely obtained more food than the hunters needed to survive.

Archaeologists working in the Carolina Forests have uncovered remnants of sophisticated snares and traps dating to 3700 BC. These tools made hunting game such as deer and beavers much easier. Wall paintings from this period indicate that hunters also took care not to wipe out entire herds, while eliminating other predators such as bears and wolves. Sustainable hunting techniques like these made hunting a major source of food for the American civilization.


I’ve developed Hunting! Yay! I can now build hunting camps and train scouts.

For my next technology, I choose Mining. This will allow me to build mines in the hills, which will prove critical to my civilization’s production.

And that’s the end of the first part. I will continue this soon!
 
Welcome to our very humble sub-forum :D
What does LP stand for?
 
"Let's Play"

Also, I will accept suggestions for unit names, assuming I don't come up with my own. For instance, I can pretty much guarantee that the first Scout I build will be named Merriweather Lewis.
 
:band: :dance:Welcome!:dance:
 
Thank you all for your kind greetings. And now, the story continues.

Oh, one thing. I will be ignoring the fact that Clark, Lewis, and hoplitejoe should have died of old age by now. The names serve to help keep track of the units as much as add flavor.

Spoiler :


In 3565, farmers from Boston began farming truffles found in caves west of the settlement. Not only did this provide a new food source, but Boston truffles swiftly became a delicacy, earning the farmers a tidy profit.

Spoiler :


While fishing has been a source of food for generations, it is only in 3535 BC that we see large-scale fishing of the clams in New York waters. With such a bountiful supply of food, Roosevelt chose to raise a labor force for infrastructure purposes.

It is high time I built a worker.

Spoiler :


In 3430, the Americans began to dig for valuable metals and minerals beneath the Earth’s surface. Mining was – and still is – a dangerous job. However, it is also vital to all kinds of industry.

Mining is a critical technology. Mines are the best source of hammers in the game, and they allow you to access mineral resources from gold to iron to uranium.

I then decide to invent the Wheel.

Spoiler :


I see that Christianity has been founded in a distant land, probably in the Old World. The chances of Christianity ever reaching my lands are pretty low.

According to my intelligence, the Aztecs are close to researching Polytheism, which means they may get a religion.

Spoiler :


In 3220 BC, a new faith emerged in Aztec lands: Taoism. According to Taoism, one should discard the trappings of this world in order to return to the Tao, that which existed before all else. It was not long before the Aztecs incorporated their gods into this doctrine, and made it their official religion.

In time, Taoism would spread north, becoming a faith observed by millions of Americans.


Spoiler :


So the Aztecs follow Taoism now. In all likelihood, this means that my people will too in the near future.

Oh, and the first worker has been trained. In the absence of name suggestions, I will honor those who have read this thread and posted, in the order they posted. This worker is named hoplitejoe.

Spoiler :


The Boston Lighthouse was critical to the development of the city’s fishing industry. Now, fishing boats could operate all day, returning to harbor at night under the guidance of the light. The tending of the lighthouse fire was a lonely task, often given to the older citizens of the city.

I have a lighthouse. Now Boston can gain food from the sea efficiently (although with all that grassland, they won’t need to for a while). In the meantime, I will begin work on a galley.

Spoiler :


Despite the maritime nature of the early American civilization, most goods and people still traveled overland. The earliest known wheeled carts date to 3130 BC. It was not long after this that the Americans began to build roads to connect their cities, establishing the foundation of the legendary American transport network.

I have researched the Wheel. Now I can build roads to connect my cities. In Civilization 4, there is really no reason not to build roads on every square in your territory if you have the workers. This also opens up access to the technology of Pottery, which I will research next.

Spoiler :


Clark has discovered some fish and deer. This looks like a promising place to found a city.

Spoiler :


While not as… legendary… as William Clark, the explorer Merriweather Lewis was no less important to the charting of the Americas. Indeed, while Clark was a strong warrior, Lewis was a capable scout.

I have a scout now. I will begin work on a worker in New York, and perhaps a settler after that. Also, hoplitejoe has completed a camp. I will begin work on a road to connect the camp to New York, and then to Boston.

Spoiler :


In 3070 BC, Clark finally discovered the borders of the Aztec Empire. However, the Aztecs were wary, and refused entry. The charting of the Aztec territories, and what lay beyond, would have to wait for another time…

Spoiler :


I have a second worker. His name will be SouthernKing. As mentioned earlier, I will now train a settler, to build that third city. Not only is it in a juicy location, but it’s close to the Aztec borders. The less they expand into North America, the better.

Oh, and my camp is now connected with New York. I have hoplitejoe continue to build the road to Boston, while SouthernKing goes north into the hills to start mining.

Spoiler :


Spoiler :


Famine was a serious danger to a young civilization. It was important to store the surplus food from good years, so that people could get by in bad years. The development of pottery in 2830 BC made storage practical. With this added food security, American cities could grow faster.

Pottery gives access to the granary, which effectively doubles the growth rate of the city it is built in.

Spoiler :


For my next technology, I choose to research Mysticism. This isn’t as important, but it is a prerequisite for many religion-related technologies. I might also build Stonehenge.

Spoiler :


Clark has defeated a wolf near what will probably be Seattle, and gained a level as a result! I can give him one of three promotions: Combat I, Woodsman I, and City Raider I. I choose Combat I, as it will improve his combat abilities overall.

Spoiler :


hoplitejoe has finished the road from New York to Boston. I considered building a farm, but then I noticed that I have no income. Instead, I will build a cottage south of Boston, to bring in some cash – especially as Boston is not far from growing. Also, that particular square won’t be farmable until I discover Civil Service anyway. And SouthernKing has finished his mine – I’ll have him build a road to connect it to New York.

Spoiler :


The construction of America’s first galley, the USS Sea Queen, added a new dimension in her relationship with the sea. Not only a source of food, it was also a means of transport. The galley also offered a defense against pirates.

I have completed a galley! I was thinking about what to call it, but instead I will leave it unnamed, and allow you to name it for me. The name will then be retconned into the history books.

galleys are quite useful. They’re the first combat-capable ships you get, and usually form the basis for an early civilization’s navy. They are also transports, and sometimes get pressed into service as scouts. This one will suffer the latter fate.

Boston is growing pretty quickly, so instead of a granary, I decide to build a second galley. This one will be used for defense.

Spoiler :


SouthernKing has finished his road. Due to building the settler, New York is sorely behind on food. I decide to build a farm, so the city will be able to catch up with Boston.

Spoiler :


It is said that what separates man from beast is that only man wonders how the world works. The early Americans were certainly curious about many things. Why, for instance, did fish die when you brought them out of the water, but humans died if they tried to live underwater? Early American mystics sought explanations for such things, usually by crafting fables and folk tales. The fish, for instance, learned to breathe water so as to hide from William Clark. These folk tales formed the basis not just of early religions, but of American culture.

You may notice that I’m giving William Clark quite the reputation. In this history, he’s something of a cross between Gilgamesh, Paul Bunyan, and Chuck Norris… and I just realized that I’m confusing the heck out of those among you who don’t know your American history.

To explain: William Clark, along with Merriweather Lews, were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 to explore the Louisiana Territory (basically the Great Plains down to Louisiana), which the US had just bought from France. The Lewis and Clark expedition actually went all the way to the Pacific. They paved the way for large-scale American settlement of the West.

Anyway, Mysticism allows me to build monuments and the Stonehenge wonder. It’s also a prerequisite for many religion techs.

For my next technology, I choose Writing.

Spoiler :


I have trained a Settler. In order to catch New York up population-wise, I start work on a Granary. I send the Settler over to the Gulf Coast to found the city of New Orleans.

Spoiler :


I’m making a gamble here. I’m going to try to build Stonehenge here. If I succeed, every city in my nation will have a monument, and will be able to grow in culture from the beginning. If not, New Orleans falls behind in infrastructure, although I’ll gain a boost to my treasury. I’ve also dispatched hoplitejoe to add New Orleans to my road network.

And that concludes part 2! Please suggest names for any of the following:
- Galleys
- Workers
- Archers
 
Actually, the chances of me building cavalry are practically nil. I know for a fact that there are no horses in the Americas on the 18Civs map.
 
SouthernKing approves of this story :D

Also Meshakhad you may want to protect this thread from our official :bump:er Ilduce when he gets here :D
 
set some bear traps around the post quick reply button.
 
I'll be a worker please.
BTW, Meshakhad, superb writing. I'll definitely have an eye on this one.
 
I'll be an archer.
 
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