The Deity Challenge Line-up #17 - Germany

Pangaea

Pangaea

Played 162 turns so far, went 3 city(settled on spot, south east above lake and west on coast next to wine) NC turn 110. Danemark eliminated whoever their eastern neighbor was pretty early, then took a couple cities from Polynesia after I bribed him to protect myself from his carpet of doom, then everyone denounced him and DoWed him, Mayans lost their capital to them. So since he was busy fighting the world I took his capital(turn 156, statue of zeus) but had to betrayed my word so now half the world hates me to even though I was only helping them by attacking the villain of the world... Guess I should have just let him kill them all

You sir, are a rat bast*rd. You really are trying to convert me into a warmonger.

I played the first 30 turns……and I see your twisted mind working. Love the map, hope I can pull off what I think I want to do.

I saw ED on t9, settled in the psycho's face.

More details to follow.

1st tech was archery…….that's a first.

Actually, Gustavus Rex chose the map, so it's his 'mind' you're getting an insight into, really. That said, I love this map because it presents a specific set of circumstances without forcing choices.

For example, if you want ED, you have to forward settle RIGHT NEXT TO the Big Barbarian

The area around the spawn site to the North, West and South is free of AI Civs, so there are lots of camps, and clearing all of them gives LOTS of culture. Your assumption about the clearance time for the camps assumes that AIs know how to handle raging barbarians. They don't. You can do all the barb hunting you like. At least I have been able to on every raging map I've played where there is enough space.

Also, there ARE several natural wonders in the approximate area.

Finally, Germany is both an early game and late game power. This map will be most fun for those that use both ends of the game to great advantage.

Happy exploring and happy hunting.

I think i found it out myself with the warrior (didn't read your spoiler as there might be more surprises). Requires some luck moving to the right direction, if i had moved west and some AI found it first

Sure, you can placate the old barb by sending him against the queen of the East or utilize the strip of 3 marsh tiles to the east of your starting location to block (blocking will require a lot of units because it's all flatland, but all the other wondermongers/ culture runaways are all in safe isolated terrain and bribes to slow them down are impossible. You are also 90% guaranteed to miss Oracle and any Religion. CV looks really difficult peacefully. The 500 gold is certainly useful however... and yet I'm not sure what to spend it on

I played this game very poorly. There was chaos going on in the house. I ended up losing on t305. I got in a late war and I just could not kill all the Denmark units.

To open I did settle the El Dorado site. I was attacked on t85 with Berserkers, but I held out against that one. Had to suffer 4 GG land grabs all the rest of the game. I hate that.

Maybe I will replay it after work and settle the same spots. Its not like I didnt know what to do, I just had really bad execution. I mean I chose a CS trade route instead of Harold for my first route giving up 4 beakers per turn.

Open the warmonger side of your heart a bit and kill Harald before he gets to Metal Casting, or contain him until you tech to Machinery and use the brutes (you should have a few) as defensive meat shields

Like I said above, he came at me on t85 with a literal carpet of Beserkers. I had two cites on hills with walls and little else. My best troops were spears. I was quite surprised that his troops didnt fair better than they did against the hill cities. He beat me up, but gave peace.

I'm about to jump back into my game, t20. I met that undesirable neighbor (Hi Harold) pretty early, settled in his face, and formulated a plan to get an early barbarian army, get early bronze working, and make sure he never gets an iron mine up, much less a worker to build said mine. Without water or iron, I don't think he'll be much of a threat and I'm not giving him peace ever. Heck, I even bought 2 tiles within range of Copenhagen, ensuring his rage.

What I can't fathom, is how he had a GG in Copenhagen on t9? That makes absolutely no sense, but I'm pondering delaying my DoW on him so I can time a GG steal at the same time as my first worker steal from him. I'll try to get a screen capture of the GG, but right now, at t20, you can't see the GG because it's hiding behind a Caravan in the capital.

I was going to forego building shrines and not even waste time on religion as there really isn't good terrain for a faith based pantheon (quarries, but that's a tech diversion), but found an early religious CS so I guess I'll try to get a religion after all.

I opened Tradition because I moved my settler 2 hexes East for the river/hill and need to expand borders fast. Found a culture hut and then opened Honor, which I hope to complete before going back to Tradition…..maybe mix and match. There's a ton of open tundra space SW which I have no desire to settle, so I should be able to farm barbarian culture all game long.

Basically, because Acken keeps putting in ridiculous finishing times and putting me to shame, I've decided to drop my normal slow and balanced approach and just bum-rush this map.

Edit: Got a screenshot of the GG. I now have 3 archers (2 scout upgrades) so it's time for war soon.

Well I did a great job barb-hunting and ended up with quite a few CS bonuses early and a military of 5 archers, 2 brutes, a spearman and my original warrior. Got a pantheon and went with +1 culture from pastures (lots of cows chewing their cuds….love that word). 4 religions are gone but I've got the only pantheon left and even at 2 FPT will get a religion sooner or later so at least I can defend that culture. Built Oracle t72. With all of this culture, I took left side of Honor and am almost done with Tradition. All units have 30 xp from barbs.

I really wanted to go to war with Harold, especially when he DoW'd Russia. After Philosophy, I went straight for Construction. Problem is, I didn't have enough gold to upgrade and still won't for awhile……not soon enough for a c-bow rush. I settled a 3rd city SW to get Cerro de Pasta, but even that 10 GPT is going to be wasted as I'm going to have to bribe Harold as it appears he is coming my way:



Sigh…..I guess I'll get a 5th city up, build infrastructure and deal with war a bit later. Nah….that's boring…….maybe an Xbow rush……just need some freakin gold.

Introduction: I had no idea of my early plan. I wasn't sure if opening Honor was going to be worth it but I think since I am going to use the GG to bomb KL CS to get the cotton and some of the extra culture it paid off. I was surprised that Denmark didn't find Gold Dorado before I did on turn 5!

Ruins: Free Population, Free Trapping, 60 Gold, Evidence.

Tech Order: AH, Free Trapping, Archery, Pottery, Cal, Mining, Masonry, Writing, Sailing, BW, Philosophy, Bee to Currency, Bee To Civil Service.

Capital Build Order: Scout, Rush Buy Settler, Scout, Monument, Shrine, Caravan, Granary, Settler, Library, Rush Buy Settler, Water Mill, Circus, Stone Works, Market (Delay), NC.

Social Policies: Open Honor, Open Tradition, Monarchy, Landed Elite.

Religion: I thought maybe +4 Faith with NW might get a Religion but I wasn't even close! Now Ethiopia and the Mayans are fighting with Pacal winning the battle for World Church!

Write Up: I played very passive and I was unable to get any barbs to join my army. I wasn't really trying. I wanted to farm camps with some archers but the camps were closed down pretty quick by rival Civs. The CS's asked me to clear camps as well hurting my farm strategy. I was worried about Denmark coveting my lands a couple of times so I sent them a trade route twice and paid dearly (2 Luxes and 13gpt) to have him wage war on Russia at turn 80 Ironically. I was thinking this is really gonna hurt anyone who takes over my game but it was what I did so you have to try it from that point.

Denmark is starting to smash Russia and I hope to get him onto another Civ later. It looks like a 4 city Tradition NC on Turn 105. I've had to hold back some growth but expect to get more happy to grow very soon. I have hardly any units but really am not worried about an attack from my DOFs Ethiopia, Maya, and Hawaii. I don't think Denmark will attack but if he does it is pretty much game over. I plan to keep him busy and give him some free iron and horses.

I did denounce Russia just now since I do not think they will be a problem and it might help diplo with Denmark. So the plan most likely will be to tech up and get some RAs going. Later I most likely will press into Denmark for some fun and either SV or Diplo Victory. I do not think I will be going Domination this late but I have switched gears before... time will tell.

More story to come but here is a screenshot so far. I have the tech lead and am pretty safe. I am planning on a late war.

Not much to say. I got Denmark in war with the whole world including 2 to 3 CS's which he captured. I slowly built up and used RAs along with GS bulbs to get the tech lead. I decided I was going to go to war with Denmark once I got into Rocket Artillery and most likely go for SV. So Denmark only had me to send his trade routes. The same goes for Ethiopia since I put him to war with Hawaii and the Mayans and he was always at war with the Vikings so he sent me most of his TRs as well.

Settled on riverhill because succer for hills. Found El Dorado very early and managed to settle it before(!) meeting Harold... Relized my "mistake" and started to plot for his death!

Found more NW and settled them both - this is, I think, my first mistake - I got greedy and wanted to much. Settling a 4th city with honor has never turned out good in my immortal games...

I got the "one with nature" with 3x wonders and managed to found a religion:




I bribed Catherine to go after Harold, she did and nabbed his expos after with point he never was a threat for me. As soon as my army was ready I took his capital.

Honor was finished super early due to el dorado and killing barbs. My first real setback was when two AI:s got autocracy before me when I really needed the extra happiness. My war against Ethiopia took time and I lost my edge, fining myself out teched. Me VS 3x different kind of runnaways.

After watching Peddros Sweden game I'm sure this still can be won but I lack his patience and quit.

My kingdom when I quit at t300: