COTM 05 - Incas
Player: Grogs
Level: Open
This is my first GOTM/COTM, and also only my 2nd game of Conquests, so it's been interesting so far. I think I was pretty lucky that the first COTM that came my way was at Regent level and not Emperor or something (I've been playing Monarch.) I chose to ignore the Chasquai scout and use more warriors instead.
----------------------BEGINNING OF TURN LOG----------------------------
Turn 0, 4000 BC: Scout moves NE->N onto the hill. We see wheat! NE->E of Cuzco, putting it within the city borders after expansion. Guess the fog gazers were right and wrong about that one
Note: At this point, I was (almost) certain I could turn Cuzco into a 4 turn settler factory, but I wanted to work out the fastest way to get there. Since I had never actually built one before, (my thanks to RFHolloway, that article in the War Academy really laid it out for me) I left the game at this point and used a spreadsheet to plan my moves. After about 2 hours, I came up with a course of action that would produce a granary, 1 warrior, 1 worker, an archer/spear/scout/2 more warriors, and a settler in 24 turns (2850 BC.) After that, 1 settler should roll off the assembly line every 4 turns.
Elated by my confirmation, I returned to the game. Moved worker west in preparation for a forest chop. Visited advisors. Science set to 90%; luxury at 0%. researching alphabet (30 turns.) Cuzco is producing warrior (4 turns, will MM to 3), will grow in 7.
Turn 1, 3950 BC: Worker begins forest chop.
Turn 3, 3850 BC: Warrior produced in Cuzco; Cuzco producing granary.
Turn 5, 3750 BC: Worker finishes forest chop -> moves NE.
Turn 6, 3700 BC: Worker begins 2nd forest chop.
Turn 7, 3650 BC: Science 90, luxury 0, Alphabet in 19 turns.
Turn 10, 3500 BC: Worker finishes forest chop -> 10 shields to Cuzco and moves east onto BG square. Cuzco expands due to high culture.
Turn 11, 3450 BC: Alexander contacts me. I trade Bronze Working+Alphabet+10g for Masonry and Pottery. Hopilites next door (ouch.)
Turn 13, 3350 BC: Granary finished in Cuzco and is full already.
Cuzco set to produce worker. Research changed to writing @ 90% in 39 turns.
Turn 15, 3250 BC: Cuzco produces worker.
Turn 17, 3150 BC: Cuzco produces warrior. Warrior2 fortified in Cuzco for future MP duties.
Turn 19, 3050BC: Cuzco grows to size 3, produces warrior.
Turn 24, 2800 BC: Cuzco produces settler1. The 4 turn settler factory is now open for business.
Turn 28, 2630 BC: Cuzco produces settler2. Tiwanaku founded.
Turn 31, 2510 BC: Machu Picchu founded.
Turn 32, 2470 BC: The Aztecs contact me. I give Masonry and Alphabet for Warrior Code, The Wheel, and 10g. The only source of horses I can seem to find is sitting underneath Athens. If I weren't such a trusting person I would think that was intentional.
Turn 33, 2430 BC: Cuzco produces settler. I blew the MM
and took 5 turns again. I at least didn't make too big of a mess of it by letting Cuzco rise to size 5 or drop to size 2.
Turn 36, 2310 BC: Tiwanaku produces Curragh, begins to produce another. Ollantaytambo founded.
Turn 40, 2150 BC: Corihuayrachina founded (that's a mouthful.)
Turn 42, 2070 BC: Writing complete. Researching philosophy in 9 turns @ 80%. Contact the Romans and trade Masonry for Iron Working +10g. There is iron next to Machu Picchu. Trade Alexander Writing for Ceremonial Burial.
Turn 43, 2030 BC: Tiwanaku produces a 2nd curragh. I send it south down the coastline.
IBT: Herodotus has completed "The Happiest Nations of the World." The rankings are: 1) Inca, 2) Greeks, 3) Indians, 4) Aztecs, 5) Celts, 6) Carthagenians, 7) Japanese, 8) Romans.
Turn 45, 1950 BC: Scout NW->pops a goodie hut and gets a map of the region.
Turn 46, 1910 BC: Huamanga founded.
Turn 49, 1790 BC: Vilcas founded.
Turn 50, 1750 BC: Complete Philosophy, get CoL as free tech. Republic in 34 turns @ 80%.
IBT: Aztecs are constructing Pyramids. I hope they manage to finish them since we're neighbors.
Turn 51, 1725 BC: Warrior1 NE, pops goody hut, learns mysticism(!)
Turn 52, 1700 BC: Northern Curragh finally makes contact with the blue-green civ (the Celts.) I trade Brennus Masonry for 35 gold (his entire treasury.)
Turn 55, 1625 BC: Vilcabamba founded.
Turn 58, 1550 BC: Settler8 founds Victos. Northern Curragh sees Japanese warrior. Trade Tokugawa Masonry+Alphabet for Horseback Riding and 35 gold.
Turn 62, 1450 BC: Trade Greece Code of Laws and Mysticism for Map Making and 18g.
Turn 63, 1425 BC: Settler9 founds Andahuaylas.
Turn 65, 1375 BC: Settler10 founds Ica (OT: Isn't Ica a nice name? 5 syllables or less and I'm happy.)
Turn 70, 1250 BC: Contacted by India. Saw some brown people walking around by the northern curragh.
Turn 71, 1225 BC: Contacted brown people, turned out it was Carthage. Gave them mysticism for 10g. We now have contact with 7 other civs.
Turn 72, 1200 BC: Greece has mathematics. Discover Republic, but choose not to revolt just yet.
Turn 75, 1125 BC: Settler12 founds Nasca. Discover Republic, but choose not to revolt just yet. Research set to Currency @ 70%. 14 turns.
Turn 78, 1050 BC: Settler11 founds Juli, claiming the 3 spices.
Turn 79, 1025 BC: Settler 14 founds Chuito.
----------------------------QSC Stats----------------------------------
Population: 40
Cities: 15
Barracks: 5
Granaries: 2
Workers: 10+1 Slave
Warriors: 11
Archers: 2
Spearmen: 3
Swordsmen: 6
Curragh: 2
Luxuries: Furs (2) and spices (need road to capitol for spices)
Resources: Iron (2)
369g in treasury, +7 gpt
Technology: All required techs ex. Construction, Currency, Polytheism known. Also know The Republic. Currently researching currency (7 turns.)
Firaxis Score: 220
-----------------------END OF QSC REVIEW-------------------------------
Turn 86, 850 BC: Settler 15 founds Chuqiapo
Turn 87, 825 BC: Research Currency, Construction in 12 @ 70%
Turn 90, 750 BC: Trade Celts Currency and Writing for Polytheism and 121g. Establish embassy in Greece. Athens is guarded by 2 regular hoplites. It's currently building the Mausoleum of Mallos. Greece has no iron.
Turn 91, 730 BC: Tiwanaku begins construction of harbor for future luxuries trading. Established embassy with Aztecs. They have no resources, Tenochtitlan guarded by 2 regular spearmen. Building pyramids in 19. Settler 16 founds Huanuco Pampa beside the cow near the large inland sea. Trade Aztecs Code Of Laws and 50g for Construction. Trade Caesar Polytheism for a worker. Enter the MA. Currently researching Feudalism in 19 turns @ 70%.
Turn 104, 430 BC: My northern and southern curragh linked up, completing their mapping of the coastline.
My thoughts on the game so far: For a game with raging (or was it restless?) barbarians, they seemed to be rather light until after 1000BC, at which point they started coming out of the woodwork. They caught me with my pants down at one point when 11 horses popped out of the SE peninsula and attacked my town. I lost a barracks, a citizen, and ~ 300 gold.
Other than a lack of horses, we seemed to have a good starting postition and I think I've used it to good effect throughout the Ancient Age. I've decided to invade the Aztecs since they have only spearmen as defenders and a source of horses near Tenochtitlan. I've currently got about 12 swords, 2 archers, 2 settlers, and 4 workers gathered in Juli for the invasion.
Here's my empire at the end of the AA in 730 BC:
, but the big dogs have blown me away with their unbeleivable exploits in the past. I can't wait to see your guys' posts on AAC attempts- this should probably be some of the best reading I've seen on the forum! 
for 5 min. before I saw it worked out for the better. 
