Help Me Suck Less: The Court of High Queen Isabella

It is hard to get me Mad so please play as your prefer. Your war was obviously very succsessful and judging by the demographics and Tech screens you are dominating this game so wahoo!

I would trade with Boudica, dont worry if the deal is generous. Generous deals give you good diplomacy plus you want your trading partners to sorta keep up with you so you can continue to trade with them. Plus she may be teching currency right now so it may not be as good as it seems. What happens if you Sub in HBriding?

Likewise with Shaka I would make generous trades for his spare gold to get him up to pleased.

Your civics plan and abusing spiritual sounds good. Periods of Rep/Caste/Pacifism alternated by rounds of either Troop Whiping/building with PS/Vassalage/Slave/?/Theo or Slave/OR

For your Great People I think one priest for the Jewish shrine is worth it but I doubt Christ or Confu will be spread enough to be worth targetting a shrine (unless you start to go down a peaceful path and spread them urself). If a great Scientist An Academy would normally be my recommendation but I think you are setup on this map for a rather early win and the bulb may speed that up? I think that many players could finish this game with Medieval units only and the other half would finish it with a liberalism into Military tradition move.
 
Chapter 5
The Legend of the Spanish Bullfighters

(Your theme song for this round. ;) )

Goals for This Round:

* Join Shaka in the coming war against Sitting Bull.
* Take care of Sitting Bull.
* Build workers in the east.
* Build infrastructure and generate Great People, working scientists through Caste System to keep a strong, mostly specialist-based economy rolling.
* Tech along Gumbolt's Conquistador beeline in preparation for the endgame, trading to backfill as new techs open up.
* Build the Great Library when Lit goes online.
* See how quickly all of these best-laid schemes o' mice and men can gang agley.
)

With Indian lands on the verge of being pacified, the High Queen suddenly found that her lands met Celtia's via a long border south and east of Bombay. Boudica was a friend, but Isabella had no doubt that the close borders with the Celts would soon begin to spark tensions, especially as normalcy returned to the Christian holy city of Pataliputra. She came to Bibracte herself and negotiated a trade of secrets that, after some wheeling and dealing, seemed to best benefit both parties.



(Eeeeesh. Every time I'd try a new combination of techs, it seemed like things would get crazy and she'd ask for something different. I found a more favorable trade earlier [less gold on the table], but once I started to renegotiate, it didn't come back up for some reason. Ah, well--this is mostly backfill for Boudica anyway, and getting those plantation resources up was worth it.)

Research wound down in establishing Spain's new unified Code of Laws, which Isabella's counselors scribed onto parchment from Delhi. The High Queen herself traveled across the land, establishing order in the newly captured Indian state and bringing codified rule to the West.

In Seville, the economic cornerstone of the Spanish Empire, the local scientists found a special significance in this law:



With the land at peace, Isabella allowed research to move from hard-nosed rule to the arts. War would come soon enough, but Shaka would have to be allowed to move his soldiers into position. Meanwhile, the veterans of the Spanish-Indian War assembled, ready to join the Zulu war-chief at his request.



But no request came. All at once, the Zulu government seemed to back down from the idea of war, and the army was recalled back to Ulundi. The High Queen seethed at the snub, knowing that the Lakota king was now himself planning for war... and, no doubt, would do so against Spain itself thanks to the cowardice of the Zululanders.

But Isabella was not afraid. Settlers from Santiago traveled to the mountains northwest of Seville. The founding of Fort Murcia--due south of the Lakota border--was met with an unusual amount of fanfare from Madrid to Delhi. With protection on all sides from high mountains, the city locked itself down, declaring once and for all that this land was Spanish.



The site represented one of the few unspoiled lands in the North and, indeed, one of the final places where Sitting Bull could hope to lay down roots. Historians now recognize this simple settlement as the first shots fired in the Spanish-Lakota War that was to come.

In the meantime, though, Boudica and the High Queen continued to exchange secrets.



(Definitely favors Boudica, but Monarchy was meant as trade bait for Shaka. Freddie had Feudalism at this point, but he wasn't willing to trade it since he was trailing right behind me in tech. I figured if I spread Monarchy around, it was more likely that someone would tech Feudalism so the capitulations could begin.)

Enrico Fermi was a scientist from Madrid who had spent much of his time smashing people named Adam into one another in the hopes of generating a nuclear reaction.



Somehow, this led to the development of Spanish Philosophy... and a new faith devoted to running people into one another as hard as they can.



...and founded at Fort Murcio, no less!

This strange display was, for King Sitting Bull, the last straw...



Lakota Dog Soldiers and Horse Archers swooped down from Mound City, burning Cordoba's corn fields and laying siege to the city. The Spanish army, however, was just southwest in Barcelona. Isabella began shuttling the troops to the front, but she need not have worried: the garrisons at Cordoba were sufficient. Anticipating this war for some time, the High Queen had--in her wisdom--stationed units of Spearmen, Axemen, and Archers in the city, and they crushed Sitting Bull's first offensive wave with little trouble.

While the north erupted into violence, Boudica and Isabella continued to wine and dine.



In 620 AD, as Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found that someone had written a book about him being transformed in his bed into a giant insect.



Arriving at the discovery of Music, Kafka's novel told of Samsa the Giant Beetle leaving his bedroom and becoming Spain's most famous blues musician. The success of the book prompted a Golden Age of science and production throughout all of Spain.

Shaka was eager to provide the dyes necessary for the new Spanish art-ocracy.



But all was not song and very weird storytelling. The Spanish army at last arrived at the walls of Mound City north of Cordoba, and the siege began in earnest.



As Spanish Catapults cracked open the city walls, the High Queen continued her plan to spread her title around, earning a bit of gold and a missing technology in the process.



The siege of Mound City was difficult. Much of the Spanish siege was lost. Reinforcements--largely in the form of fierce warriors mounted on War Elephants--would begin to trickle in soon. Still, the current army was sufficient, and Mound City was taken:



The High Queen had dismissed the city when first seeing it, deeming "Mound City" an appropriate name for such a worthless pile of dirt. However, the completed siege revealed pastured Sheep in the northern fields--sheep that would no doubt help the city transform into a worthwhile production center in the long-term. Mound City was kept, and a bit of Cordoba's garrison rushed to the front to defend it.

The advent of Civil Service prompted government reform:



A period of allowing Spain's much-abused slaves to work in the sciences would help Spain's flagging research rates; bolstered by the Pacifistic philosophy of Fermi, the period would also help additional Great People rise from the ashes. And Bureaucracy would transform Madrid into an even more powerful production city than it already was.

(I think I went a bit late into Pacifism/CS; it came close to the end of the Golden Age. Should've gone in much earlier.)

The reinforced Spanish army marched toward Cahokia and found a formidable garrison indeed.



(...protective, Totem Pole-enhanced Longbows... on a hill!? :cry: Well, this ain't gonna be pretty.)

The garrisons of the city were thin, but what was there was strong. Isabella's army, however, was stronger. She ordered her troops to continue, laying siege to the Lakota capital. Many brave Axemen gave their lives attempting to rush the city walls, and Sitting Bull's Longbowmen picked them off with impunity. Suddenly, the Lakota king was no longer willing to negotiate for peace, so confident was he that Cahokia was an impregnable fortress.

Antony van Leeuwenhoek, traveling through a dimensional portal he had discovered in the Gauss Academy of Alternate Reality Zululand, traveled to Seville to found his own Academy.



And the discovery of Paper led Machiavelli to tell us (presumably in a conspiratorial whisper) what we already suspected.



Bolstered by the news, the proud Spanish army made one last charge up Cahokia Hill...



...and were victorious!



(Not much to the place, but definitely some potential in the future, especially with all of that seafood.)

Workers in Delhi, meanwhile, completed a project of their own. While Seville was doubtless the center of learning in the Spanish Empire, the old Indian capital proved that it could boast the finest minds in the land. From the ashes of King Gandhi's old palace, a Great Library rose and compiled the greatest works of Spanish literature, from the records of the deceased Indian king to Kafka's Metamorphosis Blues.



In Spain proper, Sitting Bull's Horse Archers had begun making a show of coming and going as they pleased, chasing the Workers of Murcia from their posts and blocking (but not pillaging for some reason) access to Seville's prosperous towns. Putting down this nuisance required diverting War Elephants from the front; nevertheless, doing so allowed the tactical genius Zhuge Liang to rise to greatness, training troops in Madrid.



Sitting Bull was on the ropes. He offered his one remaining technological advantage--Feudalism--to the High Queen, throwing in his entire purse of gold as well, in exchange for peace. Isabella allowed herself a long, low laugh. She had planted the seeds for finding Feudalism on her own years earlier; now, at last, it was time for harvest.



(Civil Service to Shaka is, admittedly, probably not so great, but he likes us quite a lot, and we're still tehcing much, much faster than him anyway.)

And, just to rub King Sitting Bull's nose in it a bit, Spanish raiders descended on the arid village of Choco Canyon before reinforcements could arrive.



With no real food resources and its only productive resource buried under the city, Choco Canyon was put to the torch.

Seeing that his Longbowmen could indeed be brought down--and very easily, in fact--King Sitting Bull found himself broken. He offered the village of Mesa Verde to the High Queen if she would only allow him to serve as lord in her stead over his last remaining city, the appropriately named Poverty Point.



The High Queen summoned Sitting Bull to the circle of Stonehenge, where he surrendered his tribute of gold in person. With a tear in his eye, he dropped to one knee and removed his headdress, placing it on the ground before Isabella.

"All hail... the High Queen," he muttered, his voice cracking with rage.

(The usual to follow!)
 
State of the World at 960 AD:

First of all, a look at our much nicer North with an eye toward Sitting Bull's last city and our prize:



You know what? Mesa Verde's not too bad a city to get for free. I hate that it's on top of the marble, but it's got deer to the north that it can work as well as those cows when we take care of Pacal. It's also got whales off the coast if we decide to tech Optics (which may not be necessary).

The new and improved East, which got a big chunk of the worker attention thanks to SB's Horse Archers:



We can still backfill a city south of Madrid; I hooked up the rice just to have an extra one available for trade. I don't want to found it yet, though; we're still bleeding gold (we can run a surplus at 0%). We do have steps we can take to stabilize the economy, though: running merchants instead of mines in our production cities, for example, assuming we're going to stay out of war for a little bit (which I think is a pretty good idea).

And yes, I know, I probably could've finished off the Native Americans for good, but I was tired of sending my nice Axemen to die against uber-longbows. Taking a vassal didn't really affect diplomacy at all; everyone we want to like us still likes us. Pacal's started to hate our guts a bit, but who cares what he thinks.

Techs:



Despite running the slider at 20% and bleeding funds, we're still keeping pace thanks to the formidable Caste System/Representation combo.

Our assets:



I'll build Stables next round. To be honest, I was caught off guard a bit by Bull declaring before I could, so I went into Elephant Spam Mode. The good news is that we'll be able to upgrade our army of jumbos to Conquistadors once we finish up our beeline... which won't be too much longer (Education, Nationalism, Gunpowder, and Lib/MT are all that's left!).

I picked up a map, so we can now see how things are going out east:



A lot of parity. Remarkably, on this mostly Pangaea-ish Fractal map, Freddie's managed to build the Great Lighthouse and use it effectively. Either of Shaka or Boudica will work fine as our next non-Pacal target. Shaka's power rating kicked up a bit recently, but that probably has to do with his teching Feudalism.

City info:



We'll get some workers over to put more food in our biggest cities early in the next round.

All right! So! With all of that out of the way, I'm inclined to play peaceful builder while we tech to our shooty horse guys. Our tech rate is... solvent, but not spectacular, but it'll grow as those cottages in the old Indian cities start to mature. We probably can take Pacal out now if we want to, but if we get bogged down, it could spell big trouble. Pacal has Longbows (like everyone else), and while our power ranking is better, if we go into a full-on crash, that won't last too long.

The good news is that we've got some good core cities now. We've got a pretty great tech lead. We're not just a lock but a super-duper-ridiculous lock for Liberalism at this point, to the point that I think MT should be the last of the prerequisite techs that we pursue, nabbing it with Lib after we get Gunpowder and Nationalism. From there, we can run merchants and crank the slider down for a couple of turns while we upgrade our old jumbos, then use them to run roughshod all over Pacal and everybody else.

What about civics? Pacifism/Rep/CS is nice, but I think having a ton of units with Pacifism is killing our economy. We can save a little bit of gold by switching out of Bureaucracy and into Vassalage (for the 17 free units), which may not be a bad idea with Madrid not pulling a lot of weight commerce-wise. Pacifism to OR actually makes things worse, so maybe I'm overestimating how much Pacifism is costing us.

So what do you think? War with Pacal now or try to put Humpty Dumpty back together again first? I haven't gone back and looked too closely at the save's micro yet, so a lot of that is going to change (e.g., Madrid working tiles and gaining improvements to start growing toward the happy cap) in the early part of next round.

Thanks, guys!
 
sometimes I forget how long some units can be viable on Monarch...

nice job with your wars.

on higher diffs the combination of civs, builds and warring wouldn't work though. You can't do everything at once. More streamlining is needed.
 
@The Oz-Man: I put this together yesterday but found the server was too busy when I tried to post it. I’ll leave it here (even though it’s been superseded by your latest save) in case it offers a few tips for future games. :) I'll take a look at your 960 AD save and comment later.

Congrats on two very nice rounds. :goodjob: You were right to continue BTW....learning is fine but secondary to having fun. Two great write ups too! “Bell communicator” :lol: Brilliant!

A couple of things about the first save. IMHO, Gandhi wasn’t teching ahead of you...my guess is that he took metal casting from The Oracle. FWIW, the only question I’d ask re: the earlier round was the settling of Santiago. IMHO, you’d have been better off also settling the rice / jumbos / copper site, which you quite rightly described as a “monster”. It wasn’t critical here because you were warring against Gandhi who doesn’t build many units, but, by opening up access to jumbos, it gave you access to jumbos / catas >> jumbos / trebs. Jumbos also rather handily upgrade into your UU and give you extra early happy. You were right to take him out BTW. Getting some techs for a peace treaty is fine but (i) you then have to re-launch in 10 turns time...assuming Shaka (who’s not now WHEOOHRN) hadn’t finished Gandhi in the interim and (ii) if anyone had teched feudalism, Gandhi could’ve vassalised to someone other than you.

The only other small flaw I could see in the earlier round is that I think you should’ve settled your GG in Madrid or Toledo, either of which will make a great HE city IMHO.

All that said, I don’t think any of this matters a jot because, looking at the second save, I think the game’s already in the bag barring a Shaka DoW. Well done! :) On that issue BTW, Gumbolt’s right to suggest considering gifting Shaka a tech to get him to pleased...but note there is still a 10% chance that he will DoW you (assuming you are deemed a target) at that status. Eliminating the possibility of a Shaka DoW actually requires getting him to friendly. The risk here IMHO is actually how the Hindu bloc will react if you vassal Pacal and SB.

Looking at the latest (EDIT: 325 AD) save, I’d say the two key issues facing you at the mo are (i) workers and (ii) exploration. The former are obviously needed to get your new cities up and running and the latter will help identify your next target. A shrined Holy city and diplo – since he’s currently not liked by anyone – suggests Pacal. However, I’d suggest that you use this time to scout out both your targets using two scouts or chariots to see if one has land / resources that are worthwhile taking. Scouting out your Hindu neighbours will also tell you more precisely how Hinduism has spread and how relevant The AP would be if built.

Talking of Hindu neighbours, Boudica will actually trade you currency for calendar. My guess is that you offered calendar and pressed “what do you want for this.” In future, when you see an offer like the one in your screenie, try making a counter offer and press “what will make this deal work.” What the AI “want” and what they “get” (ie. what you offer them in negotiations) can be two very different things. Talking of trades, you might also want to consider nabbing monarchy – perhaps by investing a turn into it and trading maths to Freddy (who already has currency) or to Pacal (for currency) – just to open up feudalism. If you want to be more risky, you might also consider investing a few turns into calendar and seeing if you can trade Boudica medi and poly for it...but she could obviously be researching either of these right now. As an aside BTW, you’re right to be focussing your EP on Pacal and Bull.

Your overall plan sounds absolutely fine. Indeed, I’ve been very impressed by the “goals” section in your latest write ups to help crystallize thinking. :) FWIW, going trebs or the UU will work here IMHO. Personally, I favour the UU on pangeas (which it looks like you’re on) because I find the extra movement point invaluable on them. However, trebs will work fine IMHO if Pacal or SB are your next target, given their proximity. Gumbolt’s right though: melee aren’t the answer to SB’s dogs...but jumbos are fine. The real issue IMHO though is whether you can get them – especially Bull - before longbows. That said, building / whipping enough 10XP / CR3 trebs will solve that too. :D

Re: your GPerson. I’d use a scientist for a philo bulb if possible. Be nice to keep Taoism out of AI hands IMHO and keep your Hindu bloc as large as possible. I second CreeDakota’s thoughts on a prophet. Personally, I’d do either of two things with a GE: (i) settle it in your HE city or (ii) build The Great Library – which IMHO fits nicely with a plan for the UU.

IMHO, all you need to do here is keep an eye out for a backdoor AP loss and you’re home. :goodjob:
 
Re: the 960 AD save.

Firstly, well done on vassalizing SB! As you noticed, taking down protective LBs can be a real pain.

Looking ahead, whilst warmongers and better players than me (of which there are many) may disagree, I’d humbly submit that you need to be looking to put Humpty back together at this stage. Whilst I can understand the desire to take down Pacal, I think three things argue against it at the mo:

(i) your army lacks siege, which would help defeat Pacal’s LBs IMHO
(ii) you need intelligence / to scout out Pacal to give you an idea if (i) is wrong; and
(iii) your economy is struggling at the mo (breakeven at somewhere between zero and 10% slider) and is actually just getting by thanks to caste system + rep.

Changing civics is certainly part of the adjustment process – but I’d question whether you want to imminently revolt out of pacifism. Don’t get me wrong...revolting into paganism will certainly help your economy, but I wonder if you want to at least wait for your next two GPs to pop from Delhi and Madrid (which if my maths is right will take nine turns from 960 AD) and then switch? The obvious choice for your GP meanwhile is of course to nab a GS to bulb lib (for nationalism and The Taj), once you finish education and compass (but avoid machinery until after you bulb lib, otherwise you’ll bulb optics). An alternative if you nab a GProphet is to shrine Delhi and assign a city to spread Judaism.

The other thing to consider re: switching civics is when to switch out of caste system into slavery. IMHO, it’s this issue that highlights the first of two things your economy needs right now: workers, so that your cities can grow onto improved tiles. The reason for considering a revolt into slavery meanwhile is that I think the second thing your economy needs is a bunch of courthouses across your empire, which can be whipped post a revolt. Having taken a quick look at the financial advisor meanwhile, I don’t think switching from bureau into vassalage will do a whole bunch – since you’ll lose a few BPT but gain a few GPT.

More generally, I’d question a few builds currently underway, some perhaps as a placeholder. FWIW, I find prioritising builds is much easier if I click on the domestic advisor / F1 / the little house top right. Once up, perhaps then try clicking on the column headings for production, beakers, gold, hammers and maintenance costs (the red disc), to rank your cities from high to low in each category. That enables you to see at a glance which cities are contributing most in each category to your empire.

Having done this, a few things leapt out at me. Firstly, courthouses are your best friend at present, as discussed. Secondly, Delhi could use a market (and a lighthouse) after the NE has been completed (=> work those mines after the GP pops). At the very least, running a few merchants there might nab you a GM for a trade mission to pay for those upgrades into your UU. Thirdly, Bombay (which is currently building a market) would actually benefit more from a monastery (since it’s top 4 in research, top 6 in gold). There are others too which I’m sure you’ll notice, such as deciding where to build the HE and if you build The Parthenon. The other issue that the domestic advisor highlights meanwhile IMHO is that you have plenty of room under the health and happy caps to grow. More pop = more room to whip those UUs later.

One other thing re: siege. I notice that you have 5 catas and 13 jumbos. As a tip, it helps IMHO to try and keep the ratio of siege : non-siege attack units in the vicinity of 1:1 to ensure that you have adequate siege. Non-siege units can then just be used to mop up units battered by your siege assault.

As a final note now that you’ve identified the marble in SB’s territory, imagine if you had known about the marble’s existence from scouting instead of building Stonehenge at game’s start. Do you think it would have influenced the direction of your initial settlement and early tech path?
 
You should've killed SB off, if at all possible. Making him into one-city vassal is actually contraproductive - he won't be any help in teching or warring, his culture will cause revolts in Cahokia and Mesa Verde, and he'll significantly hurt your diplo - the AIs actually average out their attitude to you and your vassals, which can lead to unpleasant surprises like a declaration on friendly - and SB is loathed...
 
Silverbow is correct about Sittingbull. Diplomacy once you have a vassal is not presented well by the Civ interface. It will show Shaka at pleased toward you but he is likley at Cautious toward your Spanish/Native American 'team'. You can alleviate that somewhat if you get Sittingbull to convert to Hindu. If you get really worried you could bribe Shaka to war against Pacal to keep him busy.
 
@Silverbow is indeed right as usual. :) My bad; please accept my apologies. FWIW, this was actually one of two other mental points I’d thought to include in my earlier post (the other being what to do if you pop a GE) that I neglected to follow up on. :blush: My congrats meanwhile follow on from my earlier post where I suggested taking down SB pre-LBs, which you managed to do Oz even though SB fielded them...and for that I still think you deserve some credit. :goodjob:
 
Should I replay that last turn and just sue for peace instead of taking Bull's capitulation? Pretty sure I can get Feudalism off of him out of the deal, and it'll stop that trade with Shaka. That's a replay I don't mind doing since the objectionable parts all come on the same turn, right near the end. ;)

EDIT: I did have an auto-save not far from the end, so I tried a few things differently:

-Rushed Choco Canyon with an eye toward ending the war and, therefore, holding off on building additional Jumbos for now (mostly going for Courthouses instead)
-Took and razed the city as before
-Did NOT trade for Feudalism with Shaka
-Still managed to take Mesa Verde in the peace negotiations. It was either that or Feudalism, and I don't think we have a desperate need for Feudalism yet for any reason except garrisons
-Switched research early on from Education to Nationalism with an eye towards bulbing the rest of Education with a Great Scientist (Delhi has a GP of some sort due in three turns that has a 50% chance of being a GS; if not, Madrid has another one shortly thereafter that has a much better chance of being a GP)
-Made a Rice-for-8GPT trade with the Mayans, who still aren't anyone's worst enemy
-Ran a few merchants here and there, including in Seville at the end of the round (may switch them back to Scientists due to the Academy there)
-Adjusted some micro to emphasize growth

So that was the last three turns replayed--not a whole lot of difference, really, except that I don't have Feudalism and I don't have Bull as a vassal.

I think it's a slightly better ending. The economy's still in the tank, but diplomacy's much nicer. Shaka still has enough on his hands (he switched out at the end of the first play), indicating that he is indeed planning to war with Bull. Celtia's in the same boat. I'm probably going to play forward from this save just so I can take SB out completely. Poverty Point is a pretty nice city of a good size.

Freddie is, right now, willing to trade Philosophy for Feudalism and his map. I'm inclined to take it; we've got Liberalism in the bag since he can't even research Paper yet, but he might build Angkor Wat instead of us (omg noes, not that). What do you guys think? Do you want me to attach this new save? Like I said, there's not a huge amount that's different.
 
Chapter 6
Siege and Science


The High Queen awoke from her strange dream with a start. She allowed herself to smile for the first time in months. Certainly, putting Sitting Bull to heel at Stonehenge would be nice, but for now, the war had merely ended. Shaka remained ignorant of Civil Service. Mesa Verde was now Spanish through and through, promising to bring glimmering Marble into the empire. And--for now--Spain was at peace.

Goals for This Round:

* Tech to the unique unit
* Build infrastructure and workers
* Grow cities as much as possible
* Begin rebuilding the economy
* Set the stage for the end of the game

Inspired by her dream, Isabella sought the secret of Feudalism not from Shaka, but from Frederick. The warmonger Shaka would doubtless find strength in Spanish force of arms, but Frederick could be sold Murcian Philosophy, a far less dangerous prospect.



Frederick's maps revealed the extent of an island off the distant shores of Zululand.



(Not a lot. After a quick count of cities, I've concluded that--I believe--Shaka has another city on the south end that Freddie can't see.)

It was just as well that Shaka was denied further military technology, for his ambitions toward conquest were apparent:



This was no mere raiding party of the sort the High Queen had seen decades ago. This was an army bent on conquest, and his target was easy to determine: Poverty Point, the final stronghold of the Lakota. Isabella granted Shaka's troops safe passage through Spanish lands, but she kept a close eye on the proceedings. The terms of her peace treaty with Sitting Bull called for a cessation of hostilities for a full century, but she could not allow Poverty Point to fall into Zulu hands... not when she was so close to snuffing out Sitting Bull herself.

As the Zulu army marched on, Rene Descartes rose from the rational Indian people and revolutionized Spanish education.



This was an age of scientific enlightenment, in which the pacifistic ideal of the Tao was truly realized. The stargazing Mikhail Lomonosov established his own Academy in Madrid even as that city sought a temple to attract even more amazing minds to Spain.



All the while, the Spanish economy slowly but surely began to recover. Courthouses were built across the land, creating new efficiencies in Spanish governance. The Merchant class arose across the land, and new residents poured into small hamlets as they rose to become villages and towns, bringing in even more taxes for the High Queen. Content with its contributions to the war effort, the people of Santiago decided to focus instead on building Wealth.

Ten years later, the Zulu army arrived at its destination... conveniently just as the Spanish/Lakota peace treaty expired.



The time had come to grind the Bull into hamburger meat once and for all.

Marching just behind the Zulu forces, the Spanish army arrived at Poverty Point to find that the siege had begun, with Zulu catapults tearing away at the walls of the city, which was protected by an absolutely terrifying garrison.



(...eep.)

With a heavy heart, the High Queen's generals decided to finish the siege as quickly as possible. Spain's Catapults did what they could to lessen the resolve of the city's defenders, and outdated Spanish infantrymen rushed to the front, swinging their ancient swords and axes with abandon at the stalwart Lakota defenders.

Were it not for their numbers, the siege would have been in vain. The battle of Poverty Point was a slaughter, and it was not the Lakota who were dying. However, these brave soldiers had accomplished their goal, cutting down the Lakota garrison enough to allow the strongest soldiers to advance.

Trampling across the bodies that littered the hill, Spanish Elephants surged to the city gates. The Longbowmen, weakened as they were, stood no chance as tusk and heavy foot tore them limb from limb. Finally, the unit's commander--an Axeman trained in medicine--put down the final Longbowmen, claiming the final Lakota city for the High Queen.



The city was destined to be one of the production capitals of Spain and was allowed to stand. Sitting Bull, seeing the Spanish soldiers storming into the city and knowing the fate of his old friend King Gandhi, chose to cast himself down from the highest point in the city. His body was dashed on the rocks hundreds of feet below before the dread lady of Spain could be allowed to do worse.

Shaka's army witnessed the bloodbath at Poverty Point and, disappointed at their failure, trudged back to Zululand to inform their doubtless furious king that Poverty Point now flew the flag of the High Queen.



With the secret of Gunpowder discovered, Isabella decided at long last to follow the Murcian philosophy to its logical end.



Seeing that the trek towards Liberalism was won, the High Queen felt no remorse selling outdated technology to the backward Zulu. Spain had technology. What it did not have was gold.




...and the secrets of Machinery, of course.

The versatile and talented Al-Kindi founded an Academy in Delhi, uniting the philosophies of the West and the East.



And the famed temple was completed at last in Madrid.



Finally, in 1170 AD, the breakthrough arrived, and Spain's new Liberal philosophies sparked yet another scientific breakthrough:



The High Queen had played nicely for long enough. She had the land, she had the technology, and she had the will. She had found the military advantage that would, at long last, allow her to bring the nightmarish warlords of the east to heel.

(Short round this time, but a crucial one. Infrastructure is much better now, and the economy is by all accounts back on track. Here's what we can research next:



A quick dip over to Theology might be wise just to give us another war civic if we want it, but I don't think it'll be necessary. I'm leaning toward a straight Rifling beeline: Printing Press -> Guilds -> Banking -> Replaceable Parts -> Rifling. In the meantime, we'll start cranking Conquistadors and make Pacal's life a little bit less bearable.

Spain in the north:



A barb galley was making short work of Cahokia's fishing boats during the siege, so we're working on rebuilding those. Otherwise, as you can see, our workers have been very busy.

And the south:



I built a road toward WelshGandalf's good spot for that rice, and I've got workers chopping the jungle in preparation for it. That'll probably be the last city we settle, but it's a pretty good site, so I think something should be there. Otherwise, it's cottage city down south, and they'll start to mature in short order.

One good thing about lots of Courthouses? Having a big-time espionage advantage on Pacal:



Saxon is a rough approximation of what most of his garrisons are like:



About 3-4 units apiece, usually a mix of maces and longbows. Not too bad. My plan is to raze Saxon pretty early with elephants upgraded to Conquistadors, then capture Chichen Itza and Mutal, probably with a quick stop to take Mayapan. That will probably do the trick, but I'll grab Lakamha as well if need be. The goal of the Mayan war will be capitulation to start that ball rolling, and we'll probably hit Boudica afterwards. Bibracte has some very nice wonders in it that I'd like to get, including the Mausoleum.

Techs:



Not too bad on this front. Pacal will probably be able to get a few castles up, but I'm not too worried about it. Other than Engineering (which is a quick tech if we want it), nobody really has anything I'm after.

Civics:



THIS has got to change. Bureaucracy to either Vassalage or Free Speech will probably work, although Nationhood is cheap. Pacifism has got to go; one of the reasons I went for the Parthenon was so we could keep some kind of GP bonus going.

Basically, we're going to war soon. I'm thinking a few rounds of Police State for production alongside Vassalage and Slavery, maybe running Paganism just to keep costs down... unless you guys think going total war and running Theocracy would be good. Our production cities mostly have stables now (including HE city Toledo), so that kind of civic change might end up being overkill. On the other hand, it might be fun and could appease those who are disappointed by our lack of Citadel abuse. :p

What we has:



We need more! We will build more! Still, how are you guys liking those 25 workers for 16 cities? That's about the number I need! I did it! I got enough workers, you guys! It's like I'm learning or something! :lol:

Builds:



Vijayanagara is our Moai city. The Taj will be finished early next round for a Conquistador-pumping Golden Age. The Native American cities still need Courthouses, but that'll happen in short order.

Demographics:



#3 in soldiers, but it's a close #3 that comes after a nasty siege and during an economic recovery period. We'll shoot back up there quickly enough.

So any final thoughts? Anything I'm doing terribly wrong? We've by all accounts won, I think, but we run the risk of going down to a Shaka/Boudica dogpile if we're not careful. I'm not at all worried about Pacal, but if declaring on Boudica ticks Shaka off enough that he'll go to war with me, then we could have problems.

We will, of course, then just have to shoot those problems from our horses, but hey!

Save's attached. Thanks, guys!)
 
...aaaaaaaaaaaand I'll save you all the trouble of answering those questions, since I was forced to not go to bed for a little while tonight due to a sick daughter and therefore had to do something to bide my time. Game is over after a monster final round. How'd we do?

Spoiler :
Oddly, a 1490 Diplomatic Victory thanks to the AP, probably 3-4 turns before we would've conquered Freddie and won by Conquest. Shaka turned his army right around, went straight for his border cities, and declared on Freddie while we were building up for Pacal. Went Theocracy first, then ran Police State/Vassalage/Theocracy combo for troop spam during the Taj-created Golden Age. Basically, that won us the game, as Pacal, then Boudica, then Shaka all capitulated in short order.

And no, I didn't build the AP; Freddie did, presumably to stop Shaka from pounding on him. It didn't work. :p


Write-up will come tomorrow when I'm less exhausted, but the little one's finally sleeping peacefully, so I'ma hit the hay.
 
You shouldn't spend time with Catas when having good land and Conquis waiting later, yip on this difficulty you can easily beat AIs with slow units..even Sitting Bull who would be a big no-no as you climb up, but for learning purposes it would be much better to focus on using "real" units ~~
 
Chapter 7
The Apotheosis of the High Queen, Part 1

Goals for This Round:

* MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

When the history of the rise of Spanish preeminence is told, much credit can be given to a number of sources. Certainly, the capture of the Hindu shrine from the Indians centuries ago helped. The Pyramids--and the governmental changes they allowed--were also a factor. However, even the most hard-nosed traditionalist must admit that Spanish ascendance was only achieved when the advent of Military Tradition brought to bear Spain's most potent weapon. Clad in iron helmets and brandishing fearsome swords, they were the scourge of the continent by which the High Queen could transform from local warlord to master of all she surveyed.

In the Mayan Nation, they were known as the Dread Wind. In Celtia, they were called the Demon Spirits of Kali. In Spain, they were simply known as Los Conquistadores: The Conquerors.

Training of this force began in the captured city of Poverty Point. Isabella knew that the War Elephants had acquitted themselves well in the Spanish-Lakota War, but they were too slow, too ponderous... too weak. The descendants of the veterans of that war traded the traditional elephants for the quick-striking horses of Barcelona as the Spanish military budget allowed.



Indeed, the High Queen did whatever she could to gather more gold in this period, selling trade goods and outdated technology to whomever would buy them.




Spanish research reached a new milestone, and at once, the Spanish Empire changed, seemingly overnight.




The Age of the Taj, as it came to be known, was less of a Golden Age and more of a dark period in Spanish history, known for brutal tactics across the empire. Punitive tax rates allowed gold to flow into Spanish coffers, while governmental changes saw the High Parliament dispersed and the Pyramids shuttered as the previously enlightened senators transformed into brutal petit dictators. The High Queen herself did not emerge, but rumors began to travel throughout the empire that she herself had ascended, transforming from mere human into the living incarnation of the goddess of death Herself, Kali.

The brutality of the new Spanish regime, in which Conquistadores poured forth from city after city, suited Shaka of the Zulu well. His army returned to Zululand, and, squatting at the eastern borders, they found themselves restless. Shaka was furious at having been denied Poverty Point, and he vowed to claim finer cities from his own brother in the faith.



The German-Zulu War was a precursor to what was to come, and Zulu forces began capturing German cities at breakneck speed, consolidating power in the East in a way they couldn't in the West.

The High Queen remained unseen through this campaign. She neither supported nor condemned the Zulu effort simply because she could not be found. Indeed, it almost seemed without her consent that the Conquistadores of Poverty Point poured across the border into Mayan lands.



The War of the Goddess--as it came to be known--had begun.

Delhi--still in chaos at the dissolution of the High Parliament--spawned a wise woman named Sojourner Truth. With her bald pate and long white beard, she stood before the Indian people and asked, "Ain't I a woman?"



She helped the Indian people construct the Temple of Solomon commemorating the ancient holy place of the Jewish faith.

In the West, the Conquistadores swooped down upon Saxon...



...and burnt the city to the ground.



The border city of Mayapan had a weak garrison...



(That's after a round of attack, but still!)

...that collapsed quickly.



It meant little at this juncture, but Settlers from Madrid established the port town of Valencia not far from Salamanca.



Meanwhile, in the East, Frederick of Germany was on the receiving end of the Zulu's brutal military tactics. While his core was safe, Shaka had captured many of his border cities, leaving the German people prisoners in their own land. Desperate for a way out, Frederick authorized the creation of a worldwide Hindu council situated at the Apostolic Palace of Berlin, where he--as Maharajah for the Hindu people--could maintain peace, order, and civility throughout the land.



It was at this juncture that the High Queen emerged from the Pyramids at last. Those few whom she counted among her close friends saw her as now different. The insecurities of the past had been replaced by a grim certainty, and her every movement seemed to come with almost divine authority. Her flowing, ornate gowns had been replaced by thick leather plate, and her crown had been replaced by a crested helm.

"South," was her sole word, and her Conquistadores hurried from the ruins of Saxon toward Mutal.

Terrified at the proceedings, King Pacal's spirit broke, and he submitted himself to Isabella's rule.



"You will give me your lands," Isabella commanded at the capitulation ceremony at Stonehenge.

"Yes, my people are yours to command," Pacal murmured.

"You will share not only the secrets of Drama, but also those of Engineering," she said.

"Yes, yes!" Pacal answered. "Anything!"

"You will recognize your place not as king, but as local lord," Isabella continued. "You will recognize that we had met the Buddha and, indeed, we have killed him. You will revere me not just as High Queen, but as an awakened goddess of the Hindu people."

"Whatever you wish, if you will but spare my people!" Pacal wept.

With that, Isabella turned on her heels and returned to the Pyramid with a slow, steady gait, stopping once before she entered.

"Inform the warlord of the East. I will not be denied. Frederick is not the Maharajah; I am."



At the High Queen's emergence, the Age of the Taj came to an end. Representative government returned, and Slavery was abolished. The local lords, however, retained their position, assuring that the brutality of the Spanish military would continue to be recognized.



Pacal, seeing what was to come, agreed that he would not merely serve Isabella, but would worship her.



Seeing his bid for peace fail, Frederick decided to at least make an attempt to secure help in his war against Shaka, which continued unabated even to this day.



But the High Queen was unmoved by his entreaties. "You presume we are a people at peace who can spare our conquerors to help your besieged people," Isabella said in her meeting with Frederick. "But the War of the Goddess continues. If we are to rescue your people, I ask that you submit wholly to me, recognize my authority granted by Kali Herself. Give your people to me as Pacal has done, and I in my infinite power will rescue you."

King Frederick left the Pyramids quickly, muttering that the Spanish High Queen had gone mad.

Such suspicions seemed to be confirmed when the Conquistadores gathered in southern India and swarmed to the south into Celtic lands.



"You jest, my friend!" Boudica laughed. "The bond of friendship between us is stronger than petty differences of the faith!"

But even behind her smiles, the High Queen could sense the truth. The Celtic army had assembled in Libyan, just off the border, in forces too great to be a mere garrison. Boudica was no dainty lady; she was a fierce and brilliant general in her own right. Some said that the assault on Libyan was motivated by respect between rival queens, a bit of gamesmanship to demonstrate who was stronger.

Those few who served close to the High Queen, though, knew that ideas of respect and camaraderie had been abandoned from the moment Isabella had emerged from the Pyramids at the end of the Age of the Taj.

The assault on Libyan--less a battle and more an extended butchering--saw the rise of General Arminius, who led the Knights Hospitaller to the front of the battle.



Libyan was overwhelmed...



...and, ten years later, reserve forces secured Durnovaria in the south.



Economic prosperity continued to, at last, be more than just a mere dream, as a merchant in Madrid named Jacques Cartier rose to revolutionize Spanish economics.




(Mercantilism probably would've been better, but to be honest, we'd won, and I was tired of managing all of those specialists. :p )

A physicist from Seville settled in Delhi...



...and Pacal continued to be a pandering little toady.



The High Queen, long ago recognizing her divine right to the throne anyway, accepted the deal simply to demonstrate her mercy to the Maya.

It wasn't long before the Conquistadores at last tore through the forests of Celtia, where they found their goal: the shining city of Bibracte.



Queen Boudica had observed the splendor of her capital, with heavy Stone and shining Marble, and had turned the town into a city of wondrous construction projects. Now, at last, these buildings fell under Spanish control.

Seeing that little else could be done, Boudica traveled to Stonehenge herself. She laid her crown on the ground and dropped to her knee.



The curious Spanish queen, emerging from the Pyramids, traveled to Stonehenge alone. There would be no grand ceremony of capitulation this time; instead, she laid her hand on Boudica's shoulder.

"You understand now," Isabella said.

"I'm sorry I spurned you," Boudica replied. "I'm a fool, and I now know to recognize omnipotence when I see it. You are no mortal; you are Kali, destroyer of all that is."

There would be no need for a ceremony. The High Queen allowed Isabella to live, to rule her lands, and to command her armies. Her old friend would serve her well in the coming years.

After all, the War of the Goddess was not yet complete.

(To be continued!)
 
Chapter 7
The Apotheosis of the High Queen, Part 2

With the Mausoleum of Maussollos at last in her hands, the High Queen allowed an Indian scientist to join forces with old Jacques Cartier to enact a Golden Age of production and prosperity.



With the production capabilities of Spain now pushed to terrifying extremes, the High Queen traveled to the war-ravaged Apostolic Palace to meet with the other leaders of the faith.

Her message was simple.

"Pacal of the Mayan Nation understands," she said. "Boudica, warrior-queen of the Celts, understands. All are insects before the High Queen, incarnation of the goddess Kali, destroyer of all that is. Submit."



But they did not submit. The High Queen, infinite in her wisdom, did not allow herself to be enraged by their foolishness. They were mortals, after all. They occasionally needed to be reminded of the fact they only lived by her whims.

As the Conquistadores regrouped, Shaka showed that he understood the message of the High Queen's speech... if not its full implications.



"You were right," he said. "Frederick is an insect. Did you know that he built the Apostolic Palace to undermine your authority as protector of the faith? He must be destroyed! My crusade against him continues unabated, and I'm certain I can count on the backing of your mighty army to bring this traitor to heel!"

Isabella stood. Even at a mere five feet tall, she seemed to tower over the burly Zulu lord.

"Then you submit?" she said.

Shaka rubbed his neck. "Well, no, but I--"

"Very well," Isabella interrupted.



Murcia, a late Spanish settlement, proved to be a valuable asset even as its production of Conquistadores slowed.



(Like I said, we'd won, so I was mostly just messing around in these last few turns.)

The War of the Goddess continued into its next phase. Shaka's mighty army was on the German border, where they had remained on the offensive for centuries. Shaka's military was one of the mightiest on the planet, but it was no defensive force.

And even if it was, it could still not hope to stand up to a wave of Spanish conquerors...




...much less a second force from India.




It did not take long before Shaka was summoned to Stonehenge.

"Then you submit?" Isabella asked once more.

"...yeah, I submit," a visibly cowed Shaka said.



Very little remained of the world that was not within the purview of the High Queen Isabella. Only Frederick remained. He, like the others before him, came to the Pyramids to grovel.



"Come now, Highness; this is madness!" he said. "The German people are scientifically advanced, with an intricate understanding of the cosmos. Where you offer military strength, we offer pure science. Imagine what we could accomplish if we worked together to unlock the secrets of the universe!"

Isabella stood again. "Then you submit?"

Frederick gulped. "That... that would be impossible."

"Then you do not understand the cosmos as well as you think.



Vijayanagara proved its worth in this time, creating a glorious chapel that demonstrated that it was the Spanish, not the Germans, who understood how the universe worked.



And Frederick paid for his lack of military insights.



At long last, in the midst of the war, the High Queen Isabella came to the Apostolic Palace once again--under armed escort. In German lands, her raiding Cavalry had been the scourge of the people, wiping out villages even in these early years of the war. An opportunistic assassin could not be allowed to sink his dagger into the throat of the one who was, in Germany, known simply as the Dread Lady.

She stood again at the center of the Apostolic Palace.

"Pacal of the Mayan Nation understands," she repeated. "Boudica, warrior-queen of the Celts, understands. And now even mighty Shaka, general of the Zulu people, understands. All are insects before the High Queen, incarnation of the goddess Kali, destroyer of all that is."

She turned a steely gaze toward Frederick. "Submit."

There was little that could be done. Frederick, rather than submit, drew a pistol that he had purchased in the Spanish black market. While the High Queen's bodyguards rushed to the front, they need not have worried, for the German king instead turned the gun on himself.



There would be no further objections.



Back in her palace at the Pyramids, Isabella allowed herself to smile for the first time in decades. The show had worked. The fearful Hindu people had submitted to her game, had recognized her as the goddess she claimed to be. Although she had, in her formative years, hoped for a world of knowledge and grand achievement, perhaps this new unity of resolve was enough.

Millennia ago, her people had doubted her when she killed her father and assumed leadership. They had laughed at her monuments, at her facile shows of unity. Now, these same people saw her as divine. The irony was, of course, not lost on her.

And so the world continued to live in fear of the dread incarnation of Kali who ruled them now. While scientific research continued apace, the brutality of the Dread Lady of Spain was the stuff of legend. With time, the Hindu faith was simplified to a monotheistic one, in which all forces in the universe were recognized as incarnations of Isabella herself. She was no longer a mere High Queen; she had, in the minds of all, become the Supreme Goddess.

And Isabella, previously mocked and ridiculed even by her own people, did not mind that one bit.

(Post-game write-up to come!)
 
Final Analysis:

From this...



...to this!



From the looks of the map, Germany of all people took that nice Barbarian city south of the Maya (Navajo). It was a good site, but I didn't feel like getting forces over to take it, especially given how quickly that last round rolled by.

Score:



And Power:



I love that one in military-type games.

Demographics:



I think what we're seeing here confirms what I'd thought about our start on this map: hammer-heavy but lacking in commerce. I don't know if I could've warred with Gandhi earlier, but I might have been able to beat him to some of those sites. It felt like, early on especially, Seville was the only thing keeping the economy afloat.

Builds:



Lots of Conqusitadors! I didn't really use the whip much in that last round, mainly because I had a few cities that were turning out Conquis in one turn. I figure somebody's going to tell me the civics switch in that last round was overkill, but a couple cities were turning out 11 XP Conquis out of the gate, which was nice.

I still need to work on building more workers, particularly near the end of what we'd consider the early game. I think I did fine with that in the very early going, then slacked off, then got better again.

And the score:



That is, by a pretty wide margin, my highest score to date.

By and large, I think this was a better game than the Shaka game: more focused, with fewer diversions to build wonders I didn't need (except--yes--Stonehenge. :blush: ). For my first game at Monarch, I'd call it a rousing success, but I obviously still have some work to do.

I definitely have problems in the early game--what to build, when to build it, and what to avoid. The Stonehenge fiasco in the first round sort of speaks to that. That's not the way I'd normally play an opening, but I wanted to try it anyway. For players who are struggling on the lower difficulties, I'd say avoid Stonehenge. Those easy border pops in the first few cities are nice, but by the time religion shows up, getting early culture is so easy that it's pointless. I'd have had a stronger economy all game if I had, for example, founded Seville earlier (and in the right place, even if I'd argue that founding it where I did allowed Murcio to really shine).

For the measure of the entire game, the Pyramids were a good choice, I think, since we had early access to stone. As I said, I think this start was commerce-poor, but we were able to compensate for that by using specialists for research (something I admit I'm not very good at doing typically). I think the major problem with the timing of the Pyramids was that I hadn't founded earlier cities (like, say, Toledo) since I was focused on getting the Pyramids. Again, the early Stonehenge gambit hurt more than it helped. The 'mids, though, are a much more valuable wonder, especially with a Spiritual leader.

Speaking of Spiritual, I think I did okay leveraging it, but I could do better. I didn't really dip into Slavery enough to get infrastructure up, which I think would've been wise. The tech rate that's afforded by Rep/CS is kind of addictive, though.

So overall, I think I did a better job than last time, but the game could've gone much better--and could've been over much quicker--had I avoided Stonehenge. I'm starting to understand what you guys mean when you say that those first few worker turns are so vital. It's not so much being able to do great things early as much as it is being able to make a lot of modest moves that will set you up for great things in the future.

In that spirit, yes, I'm going to post another game soon, and as per last game, I'm rolling up a random leader from this game. The dice have determined that we'll be running with Sitting Bull next time, and I've got something different in mind: going for a peaceful victory condition instead of murdering the whole world. Military victories are fun, but--as we've seen--they can also be pretty easy at lower levels. I'd like to further explore the power of specialists next game and, hopefully, get myself off to a stronger start.

Thanks for all your help, guys. I'm sorry I rushed the last few rounds, but once I got into "the game is basically won" mode (and once I was forced to sit up and be bored really really late), I couldn't resist. The next game will, I think, be more methodical, so I'll give you guys a chance to actually answer the questions I ask.

Thanks again!
 
Congratulations “Supreme Goddess”! :lol: Seriously, well done on both the win and for an inspired write up! :clap::clap: :clap: And just think, it wasn’t that long ago that you were getting by on noble. :)

As you and others have noted, there were indeed a few things in-game that wouldn’t cut it on higher levels, sometimes even in certain monarch games...but it’s obvious that you’re realising them and learning accordingly. And that’s all anyone can do. :) Look forward to seeing the next game.
 
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