C3C Deity level training game !

Hi,

By playing the GOTM's and COTM's I've been able to increase my level of play to a point where I now consistently win on Emperor level (C3C, that is). However, demigod games are far less frequent in the xOTM's, and Deity games don't occur, so I'm looking for a different way to increase my level of play.

A builder by nature, I find myself struggling with effective warmongering. I tend to build too many units before launching an attack, and I dread oversea-battles. I'm also sure there are still basic game concepts that I failed to comprehend up till now. Time to bridge those gaps , and hence this training game.

The idea is as follows :
- it's not a succession game; I'd like to play all moves myself in sessions of 10 or 20 turns (or whatever makes sense at the moment) and compare them to what others did starting from the same save. After each comparison, one of the saves is chosen to continue with.
- The focus is on warmongering.
- I don't intend to allow myself an easy starting position or game settings. It's training, after all.

If you've mastered deity already and feel like giving some advice, put in a small post below so I know you're looking over my shoulder. All others : we have a special lounge for lurkers; make yourself comfortable.

Oh, before I forget : I'm very limited in time, so the game might slow down at times. I do commit to finishing the game however, no matter how long it takes.

Let's take a look at the preferred settings (C3C f1.22) :
level : deity
map : standard
barbarians : raging
landmass : continents (70% water), wet, cool, 3 billion years old
AI agression : normal
rivals : 7 random

Enabled victories : domination, space race, diplomatic, conquest, cultural (not 'wonder victory')
culturally linked start loc : OFF
respawn AI : OFF
preserve random seed : ON
no accelerated prodcution, elimination, regicide, mass regicide, victory points, or princess
Cultural conversions : ON
Scientific leaders : OFF
AI-patrol fixed.

Although the usual victory conditions are enabled, the goal of the training game is to win by conquest.

Which civ to play ?
- I'm looking for a difficult game, so not a civ with militaristic traits;
- expansionist civs require a special approach (goody-hut hunting), so that's out as well;
- Industrious workers are always a huge bonus, so that's out as well;
- no agricultural civ either : the extra food at the start is worth a lot;
- Scientific seems to be about the least-valuable trait, since we'll want the tech pace to go slow, so let's take a scientific civ.

i don't want to start with Alphabet either, since that gives an easy platform to start research on Writing.

It looks like The Babylonians are our only option.

That ok for everyone ?

u got a lurker here

Lurker coment:

The Byzantines start with Alphabet (seafaring)

Yep, your only option is in fact Babylon (SCI/REL). Anyone else starts with Alpha, or is IND/MIL/EXP/AGR .

dl123654 said:

Lurker coment:
The Byzantines start with Alphabet (seafaring)

Click to expand...

Of course... I meant Babylonians (Scientific, Religious).
I'll update my earlier post.

Dropping in by request...

One question first: Do you have any experience on Deity level? If the answer here is "no" or "limited experience", don't make it too difficult on yourself and try playing as, for example, Sumeria. AGR/SCI, so no alphabet, but somewhat more options expansionwise. Also, you'll find out that scientific is one of the better traits to have on higher levels. The free tech really helps if you're in a tight spot.
If the answer to the question is "yes", then Babylon should provide a nice challenge...

I haven't played a single Deity game yet.
No problem for me to switch over to Sumer.
I'm waiting for a couple more reactions before starting.

Well, raging barbs is also a concern at this kind of level.

One suggestion would be to tone down the barbs, and maybe go archipelago since you havent played deity?

That would make the Byzantines a good choice.

Maybe some experienced players could provide you some help with a decent and suitable set up for a training game?

JJ

I wouldn't do archipelago since Ambiorix has specifically stated he wants to do some warmongering, so it's either continents or pangaea, and I'd suggest continents, 'cause pangaea tends to have an even faster techpace (like lightning speed). Defininately tone down the barbs to restless or even lower (good catch tomasjj!).
@Ambiorix: First deity game??? Then take the Iroquois! Great UU, great traits. Yes, you start with alphabet, but as a first time deity player, handicapping yourself is not a good thing. AI's: Pick mostly religious AI's. Deity AIs tend to get 2 turn anarchy's anyway, so them getting a 1-turn anarchy won't make a difference, so one of the AI's traits will be weakened in its' effect, and you might need that advantage, as it is your first deity game...

Ah. Didnt catch that he wanted warmongering. That leaves out archipelago right.
Iroquois would do nicely I reckon.
The tech pace will still be awesome on continents though, and you wont be helped by not being scientific (as it actually is an ok trait on high levels.)
But I guess you want to squeeze all the techs out of the AIs

JJ

Thanks for the feedback, guys.
OK to tone down barbarians to restless.
I'd like to cling to continents, since I specifically want to tackle overseas-warfare.
Sumer still sounds reasonable, since they're both scientific and religious. Iroquois as entry-level civ would give me too much the feeling that I'm making things easy on myself (relatively speaking).
But I can be convinced...

I suggest you play a couple of test-starts with both iro and sumer to get the feel for deity, since you havent tried it.

Good luck Ambiorix. I am also about this same level and inclinations so I will be lurking in the lounge. Dibs on the purple chair.

Ambiorix said:

Thanks for the feedback, guys.
OK to tone down barbarians to restless.
I'd like to cling to continents, since I specifically want to tackle overseas-warfare.
Sumer still sounds reasonable, since they're both scientific and religious. Iroquois as entry-level civ would give me too much the feeling that I'm making things easy on myself (relatively speaking).
But I can be convinced...

Click to expand...

1 - Sumeria is AGR/SCI, not SCI/REL (that's Babylon)
2 - Even though demigod level was designed to make the step up to deity (from emperor) less devastating, it is still quite a big step and as a first timer on deity you really can use all the advantage you can get. Take the Iroquois, and trust me, it won't be easy...

Well, if i ask advice I better take it when it's offered...
So, it's restless barbs and Iroquois as changes to the initial settings.
No time for test-runs, JJ, so I'm gonna start the game up and stick with the first position I get (unless it's permafrost).
BRB...

The gods are smiling on us : seeing our mountainous start, they sent one of the mountain-goats down and converted it into a cow !
(Let's hope they converted another one into horses...).

England, Sumer, Rome, China, India, Greece and Carthago volunteered to help us reach our conquest-goal.

initial thoughts : settler is on a BG that's not next to the river, and there seems to be a lot of ice and snow to the NE. Seems reason enough to move the settler SW. Worker to the cow first to check the terrain.

The settler is not on the river? Then, like you said: worker W, settler SW...

I'm not sure how active I'll be but I'll definitely be lurking on this thread

Ambiorix said:

initial thoughts : settler is on a BG that's not next to the river, and there seems to be a lot of ice and snow to the NE. Seems reason enough to move the settler SW. Worker to the cow first to check the terrain.

Click to expand...

Absolutely, go for it! As the Iroquois using one turn to be on a river is easily worthwhile, and the cattle are the first place for the worker of course. Irrigating the cattle would give a +5f/turn town - things look promising for a four turn settler factory being available.

This looks like a promising start! I'll be lurking this one and hope some of the higher level players will do the same. So they can give comments and usefull info during the game. This can be a very usefull game to follow for players trying to make the great leap from emperor to deity. Good luck Ambiorix!