At lower levels, some good players could win confidently, no matter what start location, civ, map, opponents, etc. Even deity probably is one of these "lower" levels! But Sid looks to be a different story. Most sid wins I see benefit from these factors:
1. Arch map. First, it retards AIs to contact and trade. Second, defense is so much easier, since AIs are inefficient to invade cross water. So even always war (e.g., Arathorn) could be won!
2. Start with alphabet. And furthurmore, sometimes to guarantee great lib, choose opponents so that no one else knows alphabet. Plus these with arch map, GL is 99% sure (the only chance to be beaten is AI SGL) ...
3. Capture Great lib. Even if we can't build GL, if GL is in our continent (surely so if map is pang), there is still good chance to capture it and gain even more techs. A great example is the 7+1 legend. But what if GL is in another island? And, Sir Pleb gives GL away before knowing education and recaptures it after seeing railroads, -- some may think it's exploitive ...
4. Start location. Since AI bonuses are so insane, it looks reasonable to me to require at least that our start city can become a 4 turn settler factory. But of course somebody can win with a mediocre start location, e.g., "scouting Sid", where there is no bonus food tile in the first city. But OTOH, that's with arch map and alphabet.
5. Steal tech. The cost of self research is terribly high, so steal makes a lot of sense. For arch map, steal is very safe, because even if you are caught and get declared, oversea AI cannot really hurt you. But again, what if it's not arch, and you have to steal from neighbors? How much factor of luck is involved? OTOH, isn't self research safer? When all the other AIs already know the tech, your cost is significantly lower. So perhaps self research at least to communism and espionage (for veteran spy) is not a bad idea.
So, is there any Sid win in a contient of pang map, with an ordinary start location, not knowing alphabet, no GL build or (re)capture? With these conditions, tech steal is also very hard. I would be very happy and grateful if you point out such an interesting legend to me.
1. Arch map. First, it retards AIs to contact and trade. Second, defense is so much easier, since AIs are inefficient to invade cross water. So even always war (e.g., Arathorn) could be won!
2. Start with alphabet. And furthurmore, sometimes to guarantee great lib, choose opponents so that no one else knows alphabet. Plus these with arch map, GL is 99% sure (the only chance to be beaten is AI SGL) ...
3. Capture Great lib. Even if we can't build GL, if GL is in our continent (surely so if map is pang), there is still good chance to capture it and gain even more techs. A great example is the 7+1 legend. But what if GL is in another island? And, Sir Pleb gives GL away before knowing education and recaptures it after seeing railroads, -- some may think it's exploitive ...
4. Start location. Since AI bonuses are so insane, it looks reasonable to me to require at least that our start city can become a 4 turn settler factory. But of course somebody can win with a mediocre start location, e.g., "scouting Sid", where there is no bonus food tile in the first city. But OTOH, that's with arch map and alphabet.
5. Steal tech. The cost of self research is terribly high, so steal makes a lot of sense. For arch map, steal is very safe, because even if you are caught and get declared, oversea AI cannot really hurt you. But again, what if it's not arch, and you have to steal from neighbors? How much factor of luck is involved? OTOH, isn't self research safer? When all the other AIs already know the tech, your cost is significantly lower. So perhaps self research at least to communism and espionage (for veteran spy) is not a bad idea.
So, is there any Sid win in a contient of pang map, with an ordinary start location, not knowing alphabet, no GL build or (re)capture? With these conditions, tech steal is also very hard. I would be very happy and grateful if you point out such an interesting legend to me.
OTOH, india is not actually 3rd tier (at least for sid): it starts with alphabet, and war elephant is very very strong in C3C (no resource, additional HP). Even so, without capturing GL from the Vikings by a parade of jumbos, it would be super tough for 7+1 players to have any chance to win. For that game, I have one thing not understandable: why build a worker (and even 1 turn wealth!) and research pottery in the beginning, not build a warrior to explore and hope to get pottery by trade? That start strategy made it very hard to catch up in tech, and led to capturing GL as the only possible way to go.
