The goals at this point are to get the three culture corps and gunships to clear city garrisons to maximize flip chances. Gunships can kill the last unit in a city without capturing the city.
In 1470, Antium revolts. It revolts again and flips in 1520. I raze it, planning to settle 1N when the tile is available to get 3 tile distance from both Rome and Arretium.
In 1480, I get a free Great Artist in Tainan due to an ice sculpture event. Unfortunately, this is not a border town, so the culture boost is wasted. It will get me the ice furs south of town sooner.
In 1485, Biology is in, enabling the National Park for Shenyang. I'm one step from Medicine for Sid's Sushi, but there is no point researching it until I get a Great Merchant. Instead, I do Steam Power, done in 1500. Levees cued up in all river cities, including Beijing, which puts the Eiffel Tower on hold. The hammer boost from the levee means very little loss of time finishing the Tower. Assembly Line is next in 1525, allowing a massive production boost with factories and coal plants across the empire. I have a lot of health resources to manage them.
1525 sees me finally elected pope. Now I can use the AP to give myself cities without waiting for flips. On the same turn, I finish the first of two privateers in Kaifeng to harass enemy coasts. I send it across the ocean to get the circumnavigation bonus, but lose to Genghis by 1 turn! Oh well. On pangaea, it isn't important.
In 1540 I get two Great People, an Engineer for Creative Constructions and a Great Spy from Communism. Next I research toward Combustion for Creative Constructions going through Steel and Railroad. To speed up the research, I use the Great Spy for Golden Age #2.
In 1550, the National Park is done:
Clearly, this won't do. All those citizens are a waste. I revolt to Caste System to assign them to merchants to try for a Great Merchant for Sid's Sushi. There are five lumber mills in the city radius, but I've pre-built preserves to within one turn of completion on all of them, so I am able to immediately convert them to get another five merchants. There are two empty tiles in the BFC that will inevitability grow forests for another two free specialists.
Same turn, I found Darien 1N of Antium's ruins. Next turn, the Eiffel Tower is finished, giving a 50% culture boost across the empire.
Then Julius declares on me, despite my solid lead in power. He steals one of my workers. In 1570, he takes Darien and razes it. I just don't understand the AI. Later, he keeps kwaDukuza which is deep in my territory, but he razes Darien right on the border. Well, I'm thankful since I get five free muskets in the area to hurt Julius (whose best troops are Praets) and don't have to worry about retaking the city. I shred his troops with my knights and muskets, clearing out most of the garrison in Neapolis to hasten its flip.
In 1565, Guimares revolts. In 1570, a Great Prophet is born in Nanjing. He stays where he is and founds the Kong Maio, my fourth shrine.
1585 sees a lot of progress as both the Kremlin (Shanghai) and Statue of Liberty (Tianjin) are done. Combustion is finished, unlocking Creative Constructions. But there is a problem:
The corporation is grayed out because I'm in Mercantilism. This is such a stupid bug. I have to revolt to Free Market to found the corp. Good thing I'm in a Golden Age. I revolt to US as well for some cash rushing. With Creative Constructions founded in Wall Street Shanghai, I spam executives to all of my cities.
In 1595, I get Military Tradition. Having finished its coal plant, Beijing starts on West Point. The turn also sees an AP vote to hand me kwaDukuza. It seems a good idea, but the city is very poorly placed. I learn that you can't raze cities gifted by the AP. So I craft a plan so clever, it is completely stupid. I decide to leave the city empty and DOW Shaka so he'll take the city back, so I can get it to flip later and raze it, clearing the way for better cities. This will prove a very bad idea.
In 1600, Shenyang generates the desired Great Merchant for Sid's Sushi. In 1615, Medicine is researched and I found the corp in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, 1605 sees Cristo Redentor done in Guangzhou. I revolt to Representation and Mercantilism. From here on, I will abuse the Rep/US switch to allow cash rushing in any turn I want while getting the beaker bonus most of the time. Note that you can run US for one turn but cash rush on two turns. Not as good as pre-patch, but still very helpful.
My war with Julius spawns a GG in 1610, which is settled in Beijing. I make peace with him in 1615 and promptly found Lijiang on the ruins of Darien. Next turn I DOW Shaka after moving my forces that have been fighting Julius. He takes kwaDukuza next turn and it revolts three turns after that. My crazy plan is working!
Meanwhile, I get Rifling in 1625. I've been delaying it while Beijing has been busy with infrastructure. Now it can start churning out high experience cavalry and infantry. Refrigeration comes in 1640, enabling the useful supermarket to deal with remaining health problems from my powered factories.
1660 sees two great people born in Beijing, an Engineer that goes to Kunming to rush Versailles, and a General thanks to Fascism that settles in Beijing. Now I beeline to Advanced Flight through Flight, Rocketry, and Satellites.
Next turn sees Guimares flip and raze. I now have room for two cities, one of which is immediately founded (Wuzi) south of Nobamba. The second city Maoming) is founded in 1712 north of Lisbon.
Baoding, with lots of riverside grasslands, completes the Ironworks in 1670 and goes to work on the Pentagon, finished in 1708. It gets a boost in 1690 when Shenyang generates a Great Engineer that settles in Baoding.
Versailles is done in 1695. On the same turn I DOW Mao, whose cities will never flip until I remove their garrisons. Shaka is drained, so I can afford to relocate the bulk of my forces to this new war. On declaring, I don't attack Mao, but I bombard down the defenses of Moscow and wait for this to happen the next turn:
Isn't it nice of Mao to move a bunch of his troops out of his city and into my territory? This gives me easy kills with double experience thanks to the GW. It also limits the potential for war weariness, not that it is a big deal. In addition to the stack shown next to Moscow, I have a decent stack of cavalry next to Shandong. I make quick work of Mao's forces, leaving Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Rostov all vulnerable to revolts. And the revolts come quickly: St. Pete's in 1710, Rostov in 1714, and Moscow in 1720.
The war gives me another GG in 1710. The same turn Julius DOWs Shaka in a pile-on (Genghis has been trampling him and I'm still fighting any troops that stray into my territory). This is infuriating because Julius goes after Shaka's weakest city, kwaDukuza. I should have kept closed borders with Julius (not sure why I opened them). He inexplicably keeps the city, resetting the revolt count to zero. It will be a long time until I can flip it.
In 1712, I found a city on the SE tip of the continent to grab some fish for Sid's and iron for CC. I'm shocked Portugal never grabbed it:
Well, maybe not shocked. The AIs don't like settling on resources, and there is no where else to settle. Luckily, I've got airports now so I can airdrop missionaries and executives into this otherwise isolated city.
With the fall of kwaDukuza, there is no point to continued war with Shaka, so I make peace in 1712. I get some revenge on obnoxious Julius in 1714 when the AP awards me Arretium. Its position is fine, so I don't mind the inability to raze it.
Starting in 1720, I build filler cities in the void between Beijing and Shanghai. I'll eventually fit three cities in there.
Finally, in 1722 Advanced Flight is done. Beijing starts pumping out 21 exp. gunships at a rate of just under 1 per turn. The same turn sees my first bomber built in Baoding. I skipped Artillery tech, so these will be my siege units.
My major cities (by culture):
Look at all those religions and corporations! Also note that Shenyang is running 24 artists. I'm trying to get a GA for Civilized Jewelers. All that culture is wasted on an interior city, but it will be worth it if I get the corp.
To understand how my culture is so strong, look at Yangzhou:
Even with five artists and Sistene's, the bulk of culture is coming from the corps. This is a big difference from RB29 in Vanilla. I have built two cathedrals there, and will build more after I get a powered factory.
The two corps are giving the following benefits:
It is good to control most of the map.
My northern borders:
Genghis is putting a serious hurt on Shaka. He has taken Shaka's old capital Ulundi and has a sizable stack next to uMgungundlovu. Great! Culturally swamping Genghis in that part of the map will be much easier than swamping Shaka.
The world in 1722:
The northeast is the only part of the map that really matters now. I'm guaranteed to get everything else long before Genghis's core cities in the northeast corner.
Demographics at this point:
Very one-sided. 30x GNP of the #2 player. I've got 2/3 of the total land already. The save game:
View attachment mwilliam AD-1722.CivBeyondSwordSave
In 1470, Antium revolts. It revolts again and flips in 1520. I raze it, planning to settle 1N when the tile is available to get 3 tile distance from both Rome and Arretium.
In 1480, I get a free Great Artist in Tainan due to an ice sculpture event. Unfortunately, this is not a border town, so the culture boost is wasted. It will get me the ice furs south of town sooner.
In 1485, Biology is in, enabling the National Park for Shenyang. I'm one step from Medicine for Sid's Sushi, but there is no point researching it until I get a Great Merchant. Instead, I do Steam Power, done in 1500. Levees cued up in all river cities, including Beijing, which puts the Eiffel Tower on hold. The hammer boost from the levee means very little loss of time finishing the Tower. Assembly Line is next in 1525, allowing a massive production boost with factories and coal plants across the empire. I have a lot of health resources to manage them.
1525 sees me finally elected pope. Now I can use the AP to give myself cities without waiting for flips. On the same turn, I finish the first of two privateers in Kaifeng to harass enemy coasts. I send it across the ocean to get the circumnavigation bonus, but lose to Genghis by 1 turn! Oh well. On pangaea, it isn't important.
In 1540 I get two Great People, an Engineer for Creative Constructions and a Great Spy from Communism. Next I research toward Combustion for Creative Constructions going through Steel and Railroad. To speed up the research, I use the Great Spy for Golden Age #2.
In 1550, the National Park is done:
Clearly, this won't do. All those citizens are a waste. I revolt to Caste System to assign them to merchants to try for a Great Merchant for Sid's Sushi. There are five lumber mills in the city radius, but I've pre-built preserves to within one turn of completion on all of them, so I am able to immediately convert them to get another five merchants. There are two empty tiles in the BFC that will inevitability grow forests for another two free specialists.
Same turn, I found Darien 1N of Antium's ruins. Next turn, the Eiffel Tower is finished, giving a 50% culture boost across the empire.
Then Julius declares on me, despite my solid lead in power. He steals one of my workers. In 1570, he takes Darien and razes it. I just don't understand the AI. Later, he keeps kwaDukuza which is deep in my territory, but he razes Darien right on the border. Well, I'm thankful since I get five free muskets in the area to hurt Julius (whose best troops are Praets) and don't have to worry about retaking the city. I shred his troops with my knights and muskets, clearing out most of the garrison in Neapolis to hasten its flip.
In 1565, Guimares revolts. In 1570, a Great Prophet is born in Nanjing. He stays where he is and founds the Kong Maio, my fourth shrine.
1585 sees a lot of progress as both the Kremlin (Shanghai) and Statue of Liberty (Tianjin) are done. Combustion is finished, unlocking Creative Constructions. But there is a problem:
The corporation is grayed out because I'm in Mercantilism. This is such a stupid bug. I have to revolt to Free Market to found the corp. Good thing I'm in a Golden Age. I revolt to US as well for some cash rushing. With Creative Constructions founded in Wall Street Shanghai, I spam executives to all of my cities.
In 1595, I get Military Tradition. Having finished its coal plant, Beijing starts on West Point. The turn also sees an AP vote to hand me kwaDukuza. It seems a good idea, but the city is very poorly placed. I learn that you can't raze cities gifted by the AP. So I craft a plan so clever, it is completely stupid. I decide to leave the city empty and DOW Shaka so he'll take the city back, so I can get it to flip later and raze it, clearing the way for better cities. This will prove a very bad idea.
In 1600, Shenyang generates the desired Great Merchant for Sid's Sushi. In 1615, Medicine is researched and I found the corp in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, 1605 sees Cristo Redentor done in Guangzhou. I revolt to Representation and Mercantilism. From here on, I will abuse the Rep/US switch to allow cash rushing in any turn I want while getting the beaker bonus most of the time. Note that you can run US for one turn but cash rush on two turns. Not as good as pre-patch, but still very helpful.
My war with Julius spawns a GG in 1610, which is settled in Beijing. I make peace with him in 1615 and promptly found Lijiang on the ruins of Darien. Next turn I DOW Shaka after moving my forces that have been fighting Julius. He takes kwaDukuza next turn and it revolts three turns after that. My crazy plan is working!
Meanwhile, I get Rifling in 1625. I've been delaying it while Beijing has been busy with infrastructure. Now it can start churning out high experience cavalry and infantry. Refrigeration comes in 1640, enabling the useful supermarket to deal with remaining health problems from my powered factories.
1660 sees two great people born in Beijing, an Engineer that goes to Kunming to rush Versailles, and a General thanks to Fascism that settles in Beijing. Now I beeline to Advanced Flight through Flight, Rocketry, and Satellites.
Next turn sees Guimares flip and raze. I now have room for two cities, one of which is immediately founded (Wuzi) south of Nobamba. The second city Maoming) is founded in 1712 north of Lisbon.
Baoding, with lots of riverside grasslands, completes the Ironworks in 1670 and goes to work on the Pentagon, finished in 1708. It gets a boost in 1690 when Shenyang generates a Great Engineer that settles in Baoding.
Versailles is done in 1695. On the same turn I DOW Mao, whose cities will never flip until I remove their garrisons. Shaka is drained, so I can afford to relocate the bulk of my forces to this new war. On declaring, I don't attack Mao, but I bombard down the defenses of Moscow and wait for this to happen the next turn:
Isn't it nice of Mao to move a bunch of his troops out of his city and into my territory? This gives me easy kills with double experience thanks to the GW. It also limits the potential for war weariness, not that it is a big deal. In addition to the stack shown next to Moscow, I have a decent stack of cavalry next to Shandong. I make quick work of Mao's forces, leaving Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Rostov all vulnerable to revolts. And the revolts come quickly: St. Pete's in 1710, Rostov in 1714, and Moscow in 1720.
The war gives me another GG in 1710. The same turn Julius DOWs Shaka in a pile-on (Genghis has been trampling him and I'm still fighting any troops that stray into my territory). This is infuriating because Julius goes after Shaka's weakest city, kwaDukuza. I should have kept closed borders with Julius (not sure why I opened them). He inexplicably keeps the city, resetting the revolt count to zero. It will be a long time until I can flip it.
In 1712, I found a city on the SE tip of the continent to grab some fish for Sid's and iron for CC. I'm shocked Portugal never grabbed it:
Well, maybe not shocked. The AIs don't like settling on resources, and there is no where else to settle. Luckily, I've got airports now so I can airdrop missionaries and executives into this otherwise isolated city.
With the fall of kwaDukuza, there is no point to continued war with Shaka, so I make peace in 1712. I get some revenge on obnoxious Julius in 1714 when the AP awards me Arretium. Its position is fine, so I don't mind the inability to raze it.
Starting in 1720, I build filler cities in the void between Beijing and Shanghai. I'll eventually fit three cities in there.
Finally, in 1722 Advanced Flight is done. Beijing starts pumping out 21 exp. gunships at a rate of just under 1 per turn. The same turn sees my first bomber built in Baoding. I skipped Artillery tech, so these will be my siege units.
My major cities (by culture):
Look at all those religions and corporations! Also note that Shenyang is running 24 artists. I'm trying to get a GA for Civilized Jewelers. All that culture is wasted on an interior city, but it will be worth it if I get the corp.
To understand how my culture is so strong, look at Yangzhou:
Even with five artists and Sistene's, the bulk of culture is coming from the corps. This is a big difference from RB29 in Vanilla. I have built two cathedrals there, and will build more after I get a powered factory.
The two corps are giving the following benefits:
It is good to control most of the map.
My northern borders:
Genghis is putting a serious hurt on Shaka. He has taken Shaka's old capital Ulundi and has a sizable stack next to uMgungundlovu. Great! Culturally swamping Genghis in that part of the map will be much easier than swamping Shaka.
The world in 1722:
The northeast is the only part of the map that really matters now. I'm guaranteed to get everything else long before Genghis's core cities in the northeast corner.
Demographics at this point:
Very one-sided. 30x GNP of the #2 player. I've got 2/3 of the total land already. The save game:
View attachment mwilliam AD-1722.CivBeyondSwordSave