I, Hammurabi (recap of Zachriel's Gotm14)

[Zachriel]

I, Hammurabi
Lord of the Tigris and Euphrates


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http://www.zachriel.com/gotm14/

[Gen. Maximus]

I was wondering how you could win when at 1800+AD when you're still pounding the Persians away... you surely surprised me. Congrats for the great victory.
Indians beat me culturally just as my invading force landed :*(

[Skyfish]

Great win Zachriel !
I am sure this will get you a good place in this month's ranking, you certainly deserve it.
Settling along the Tigris was a genius move and the massive warrior / swordsmen rush was also impressive.

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by Gen. Maximus
I was wondering how you could win when at 1800+AD when you're still pounding the Persians away... you surely surprised me.

I attribute the victory to ruthless ambition and bribery.

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by Skyfish
Great win Zachriel !
I am sure this will get you a good place in this month's ranking, you certainly deserve it.
Settling along the Tigris was a genius move and the massive warrior / swordsmen rush was also impressive.

You would think that 40+ Swordsmen would be enough for just about anything. Hammurabi was fully expecting to be in Persepolis by noontime. As you know from the "lost records," Hammurabi lost two-thirds of his stack, not including wounded. What a pitiful mess. Of course, Hammurabi declared it a great victory.

[Japes]

Thank you for doing these and putting so much time and effort into them .

I have read your entire site and find it entertaining and informative.

This was the first time I actually played the GOTM , and I got my head handed to me by Xerxes soundly. I am amazed that that game was winnable by anyone.

Great job , and once again thank you sir.

[Bismarck]

Thank you for another fine effort!

I enjoyed how, for the first time, your narrator wasn't an enlightened philosopher-king.

[JonathanValjean]

As always, another excellent, educational, and entertaining chronicle. If you charged admission, I would be willing to buy a ticket! Well done! Also, as a logophile, I really enjoyed your resuscitation of the words "fallow," "nefarious," and
"intransigence." Again, my compliments to you, both for your victory (I, Hammurabi the Pathetic, got "removed from politics" in 960AD in this GOTM) and for your exceptional work.

[satchel]

Zachriel, I have long been a great fan of your pages, but I have to say that with "I, Hammurabi" you have topped yourself. This is one of the best so far! I throroughly enjoyed how you characterized Hammurabi throughout, endowing him with real personality. And this game appears to have been more of a challenge for you then some, which only enhanced the depth of the story. Excellent work! I once again bow in admiration before you. Play on, my friend!

[civ_steve]

A great write-up as always! I enjoy and learn from your histories.

I have questions regarding two points. I researched Pottery and built a Granary first before building any settlers. As a consequence I lost the race to found a Babylonian city in the ideal floodplains location with all 4 Wheat spaces potentially within the city radius. Was that part of your rationale for building 1 settler first before building the Granary in Babylon, or was it chance timing, or maybe you hadn't learned Pottery yet so Babylon couldn't build a Granary yet?

Also, did Xerxes have many Immortals to throw at you? He had to have Iron hooked up, since he defended Bactra with Pikemen. (I attacked him in 410 BC and found myself fending off several piles of Immortals, usually attacking my other 'frontline' cities along the 'Tigris' river; in my game, Zululand and Persia had been at war for several turns, and Xerxes was nearing the end of his Golden Age, so he was fairly built up.)

[Zachriel]

Originally posted by civ_steve
I enjoy and learn from your histories.

Me too!

I researched Pottery and built a Granary first before building any settlers. As a consequence I lost the race to found a Babylonian city in the ideal floodplains location with all 4 Wheat spaces potentially within the city radius. Was that part of your rationale for building 1 settler first before building the Granary in Babylon, or was it chance timing, or maybe you hadn't learned Pottery yet so Babylon couldn't build a Granary yet?

There comes a point in the early game when the entire position is laid out plain. In Dais of the Eagle it was in 3150 BC.


http://www.zachriel.com/gotm13/bc3750-Mountaintop.htm

In Manifest Destiny, it was in 3300 BC.
http://www.zachriel.com/gotm5/3300bc.htm

And in I, Hammurabi, that moment came in 2850 BC. At that very moment, Hammurabi knew he must control the Flood Plains. With Susa at the headwaters of the River Tigris, he knew he had to grab it now. Plus with the Wheat bonus, the new town of Nineveh could pop-rush to catch up.

(Edit: Actually, Hammurabi's sudden realization was in 3150 BC, though the entire situation wasn't quite clear until 2850 BC)

http://www.zachriel.com/gotm14/Tribes.htm


Without Pottery, of course, Babylon couldn't build a Granary. And with Science at 0%, Hammurabi was obviously more interested in the Gold. Hammurabi could have acquired the secret of Pottery from Xerxes, but Xerxes wanted all of Hammurabi's Gold, and more.

Also, did Xerxes have many Immortals to throw at you? He had to have Iron hooked up, since he defended Bactra with Pikemen. (I attacked him in 410 BC and found myself fending off several piles of Immortals, usually attacking my other 'frontline' cities along the 'Tigris' river; in my game, Zululand and Persia had been at war for several turns, and Xerxes was nearing the end of his Golden Age, so he was fairly built up.)

Immortals!? That's what I was wondering (and why my Sword Stack was so large ).

Bactra had just upgraded their Spearman to Pike by the time I had gathered my forces together for the assault. The Persians had finally connected the Iron. Presumably, by controlling the Flood Plain, Hammurabi had stunted the Persian's overall growth.

[civ_steve]

Thanks for providing these additional clarifications!! Building an early settler before a Granary may provide some additional benefits, such as more free military units and a second city to make them while the capital turns out settlers. In Hammurabi's case, it is desireable to claim the fertile floodplains anyway.

It's often surprising what the AI will or wont do. The Persian Iron source was inconveniently placed. Perhaps Xerxes' logic decided not to connect it up while still at peace, or until it was more convenient to do so. Once he was attacked, he got it connected quickly!!

[Zachriel]

Some have said that Hammurabi "lucked" into his "victory." Let us be fair to the Despotic, Tyrannical, Overlord of Babylon. Hammurabi saw Xerxes as an obstacle to his desire for power and recognition. He eliminated Xerxes in a very destructive war of attrition, a war against all odds simply to further his ambition, a war in which millions of civilians were killed or starved, a war resulting in the capture of the United Nations.



There was an international outcry and a U.N. Court of Inquiry into Hammurabi's supposed warcrimes. The most important fact brought out at trial was that Hammurabi never actually broke a treaty. Also, in his own words, he "never wiped out nobody what didn't deserve being wiped out." As far as the massive Artillery campaign which destroyed Marketplaces, Cathedrals and other civilian structures, well, they were deemed to be "colateral damage." (Xerxes did not testify at the Court of Inquiry, because as everybody knows, Xerxes "lost his seat at the United Nations.")

With his exoneration for warcrimes (and after a few well-placed bribes), Hammurabi was elected as Secretary General.

[Zachriel]

Hammurabi spent centuries building a positive relationship with Shaka.

"O Great and Glorious Shaka Zulu."



"Let me work out a good deal for you on some Incense. Okay then. I'll just give you the Incense and you put down that Spear."

"Love those tidbits of tribal wisdom. 'The teeth of a man serve as a fence.' Precious! I've busted down a few fences in my time, too. Nothing like Artillery to . . . Oh, that's not what you meant."

"My, you are so strong and wise -- and tall, very tall."

"I would like to buy the secret of Chivalry. A thousand gold per turn seems a little high. Why are you laughing? What's wrong with my money?"

"Help! The Persians are counterattacking. . . . What do you mean you're not a mercenary? I could use a little help here!"

[Zachriel]

Eventually, Hammurabi I was forced into retirement. There was rejoicing and celebration among all the people of Babylon. Prince Hammurabi, affectionately called Ham Jr. by the common folk, directed the process of tearing down all the statues to the former "Tyrant of the Tigris and Euphrates, Patron of the Whip, Prince and Governor of Suffering, High Priest of War, etc., etc., etc." When the Old Despot died, he muttered, "But I could find no other way. I had no choice."

Afterwards, Ham Jr. became quite a modern sex symbol and an important member of the Jet Set. However, the Prince had his own "political" problems and went into exile at an undisclosed location.



But that is another story.

[RufRydyr]

Finally got around to checking out your website. Beautiful and well written. Captivating and enjoyable. Well, you get the point. It rocks!

[Zachriel]

There has been some speculation as to why the Babylonians didn't get any Great Leaders. Some have asserted (with good reason) that it was due to the bloody nature of the conflicts. However, it has also been suggested that it might be because there could be only one Great Leader during Hammurabi's reign -- Hammurabi himself.