Experiment 626's Japanese Pre-Game Thread

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: At long last, the 2nd Solo TDG is about ready to begin.

The game (as always) is v.1.22. This is will also be my first attempt at the HoF. I will be attempting a Conquest Victory, Regent level, Pangaea map (all other details forthcoming).

Before I begin, I have some questions:



1. How exactly do I write the Journal Entries? I’ve perused CommandoBob’s thread, and he gives extreme combat details (i.e. vInfantry defeats rSpearman). I don’t have the patience (or the eyesight) to do that, especially when the AI attacks me. It happens so fast that I would miss it, and so I am unsure on how to proceed.

2. Should I immediately attack an AI as soon as I meet them (I do know that would make the game an ‘Always War’ one), or should I wait until I see one of their cities?

3. I will try my darnedest to build cities in a circular pattern around my Capitol (without doing the HoF-banned RCP, of course), and not leave my Capitol’s backside swinging in the breeze.

4. If we could recap the ‘House Rules’ under which I will be playing, that would be a big help as well.

5. I will be using MapFinder to help me select a good Starting Point. I would like to know how to ‘program’ MapFinder to only save starts that are Settler Factories.

I will probably have more questions before I begin, but this is enough (hopefully) to get the dialogue started.

Yayyyyy!!! He's back!

I can't answer all of your questions, but here's my attempt at a couple of them.

1) Have the program, Notepad, open while you play and take notes of things as they happen. Be sure all animations are ON so you can see what's going on. And, yeah, I don't have the patience to be as detailed as CB.

5) Set MapFinder to AND-Rivers->3, AND-food bonus->1, AND-bonus grassland->2, AND-forest->0 . I'm sure there are other combinations that would work, but that's a start. I also set mine to AND-marsh-=0, AND-jungle-=0. I may also limit coastal tiles if I'm not playing a seafaring civ. If I'm playing an AGRI civ, I only set food bonus to >0, because 1 is usually enough. I may also limit desert and/or tundra tiles, but that's personal preference.

Thanks for the quick reply, gma. I see that you got my PM.

About using NotePad, I'm not fast enough to type 1000 words a minute. If the AI has 10 of it's units attack me, there would be no way for me to catch every detail of every battle. Thanks for the advice, but I'll need to come up with a system or something that my meager brain and intelligence can handle.

I understand the difficulty of describing a battle, but something along the lines of "our stack is attacked by AI stack of approx 5 MDIs and 3 archers. We lose 1 samurai, another is redlined, but the rest are healthy. AI loses all but 1 MDI.", giving a general picture of what happened.

Experiment 626 said:

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: At long last, the 2nd Solo TDG is about ready to begin.

Click to expand...

The game (as always) is v.122. This is will also be my first attempt at the HoF. I will be attempting a Conquest Victory, Regent level, Pangaea map (all other details forthcoming).

Click to expand...

Good, you'll like doing that.
Conquest, Regent, Pangea: what is the latest victory posted in the HoF tables?

Before I begin, I have some questions:



1. How exactly do I write the Journal Entries? I’ve perused CommandoBob’s thread, and he gives extreme combat details (i.e. vInfantry defeats rSpearman). I don’t have the patience (or the eyesight) to do that, especially when the AI attacks me. It happens so fast that I would miss it, and so I am unsure on how to proceed.

Click to expand...

On the IBT I just tried to pay attention to the combat and write in the log when I had a chance. So when I was informed that some AI did something important enough to wake an advisor, I Alt+Tab-ed to Notepad and put in what I remembered. With only one war at a time it is not too hard to do.

As for how you set the log, well, determine your format and then copy it 9 times. That is, get one turn set up the way you want in Notepad/Textpad or even Word, get your Bolds and Italics and Indents and all that set up, and then copy that format nine times, once for each of the turns. Then go back and make the years right.

I would make entries as I played, knowing it would take longer but be more complete. But, once the turn was done, the turn log was done too!

2. Should I immediately attack an AI as soon as I meet them (I do know that would make the game an ‘Always War’ one), or should I wait until I see one of their cities?

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That's your call, but I would suggest you not lock yourself into a war strategy this early. Alway-War are fun game but you don't have to do that to win by Conquest.

So maybe build up to 10 or 20 cities, get a good war government, and then start your pointy-stick expansion.

3. I will try my darnedest to build cities in a circular pattern around my Capitol (without doing the HoF-banned RCP, of course), and not leave my Capitol’s backside swinging in the breeze.

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In C3C the RCP doesn't work. The corruption model and calculation was changed due to the RCP and extreme palace jumping. A circular pattern is still okay; I wasn't aware that it violated the HoF standards.

4. If we could recap the ‘House Rules’ under which I will be playing, that would be a big help as well.

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(psst - Fearless Leader can't cut and paste from his own thread - pass it on.)

5. I will be using MapFinder to help me select a good Starting Point. I would like to know how to ‘program’ MapFinder to only save starts that are Settler Factories.

I will probably have more questions before I begin, but this is enough (hopefully) to get the dialogue started.

Click to expand...

I haven't use MapFinder yet, but I plan too.

And just to brag a little bit, I've also started a HoF entry: Monarch, Huge (pangea), Conquest. I let the game determine who I was and got - India !

Finally getting started!

Now as for your questions:
1.Don't worry so much about details--just count wins, losses, and retreats, and if you can, what kind of units won, lost, or retreated. It's easier when you're attacking, of course, but you should be able to follow the action when the AI's attacking, even if you don't catch every detail. Also, I just record things on paper and type them later rather than switching back and forth between Civ3 and notepad.
2. No. Wait until you're ready. 10 swords or 15 horses should be plenty to start your first war if you build them fast enough.
3. RCP doesn't work in Conquests, so don't worry about that.
4. Of the rules you played the last game with, these are IMHO the ones you should keep:

2. My first 2 builds in the Capital city must be Warriors to practice exploration, contacts, and trading skills.
3. I am not allowed to build any Ancient Age Wonders.
5. I must always have at least one Worker for each city and I am forbidden from Automating them. They must be used to Irrigate brown, Mine Green, and connect the cities with Roads. Roads = Commerce and Commerce = Gold and Gold = Research, so the more the better.
6. I am to concentrate on expansion, improving my lands and contacting everyone else on my landmass. I am also to use galleys to try to reach other landmasses and meet all of the AIs in the game.
7. I am forbidden from building temples, colosseums and city walls.
8. I am to try to claim at least 1 Luxury resource, and either Iron or Horses (both would be best) by 1000 B.C.

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Note that I revised 2 and 7: 2 because Japan can't build scouts, and 7 because you'll definitely want more than two barracks. Also, there's an exception to 3: if you get an SGL, then by all means, rush the Pyramids!
5. gmaharriet's rules work, and they're very similar to mine.

I'll see how this game goes.

It's always nice to read TDGs.
Good luck Experiment 626!

RCP is allowed in HOF games. As has been said, in conquests it doens't matter.

Experiment 626 said:

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: At long last, the 2nd Solo TDG is about ready to begin.

The game (as always) is v.122. This is will also be my first attempt at the HoF. I will be attempting a Conquest Victory, Regent level, Pangaea map (all other details forthcoming).

Click to expand...

You need to win before 1745AD to chart, assuming Std map. Large and Huge aren't full, Tiny and Small are full and very difficult.

Experiment 626 said:

Before I begin, I have some questions:

1. How exactly do I write the Journal Entries? I’ve perused CommandoBob’s thread, and he gives extreme combat details (i.e. vInfantry defeats rSpearman). I don’t have the patience (or the eyesight) to do that, especially when the AI attacks me. It happens so fast that I would miss it, and so I am unsure on how to proceed.

Click to expand...

Do what's comfortable. The first thread was pretty good.

Experiment 626 said:

2. Should I immediately attack an AI as soon as I meet them (I do know that would make the game an ‘Always War’ one), or should I wait until I see one of their cities?

Click to expand...

I wouldn't to AW, a big part of civ is learning your diplomatic skills. Plus, it's better plunge the knife in after you're friends

Experiment 626 said:

3. I will try my darnedest to build cities in a circular pattern around my Capitol (without doing the HoF-banned RCP, of course), and not leave my Capitol’s backside swinging in the breeze.

Click to expand...

As has been mentioned, conquest eliminated this peculararity, but Mr 626, if you insist upon spreading disinformation about the HoF , I will have nothing further to do with you.

Experiment 626 said:

4. If we could recap the ‘House Rules’ under which I will be playing, that would be a big help as well.

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It's your house, you don't know the rules?

Experiment 626 said:

5. I will be using MapFinder to help me select a good Starting Point. I would like to know how to ‘program’ MapFinder to only save starts that are Settler Factories.

I will probably have more questions before I begin, but this is enough (hopefully) to get the dialogue started.

Click to expand...

I could never figure out mapfinder

Just do a good job at having fun! We all had fun last time, I know I had a blast. The jokes, the stories, just a good time. Just look at how many of us were waiting for this one. It'll be all good. Just don't make it into work for yourself or it might not be fun.

Originally posted by CommandoBob:

And just to brag a little bit, I've also started a HoF entry: Monarch, Huge (pangea), Conquest. I let the game determine who I was and got - India !

Click to expand...

At the risk of spreading more disinformation about the HoF, I thought that you couldn't randomize who you and/or the AIs were.

So maybe build up to 10 or 20 cities, get a good war government, and then start your pointy-stick expansion.

Click to expand...

Which government should I make a beeline for? Monarchy, or a different one? And I wouldn't want to expand, would I? Wouldn't that trigger a Domination Victory before a Conquest?



Originally posted by Marsden:

As has been mentioned, conquest eliminated this peculararity, but Mr 626, if you insist upon spreading disinformation about the HoF , I will have nothing further to do with you.

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Sorry! I've been away for a bit . . . No disrespect intended. I must stop by the HoF Rules page sometime to see if anything has changed.

Just do a good job at having fun! We all had fun last time, I know I had a blast. The jokes, the stories, just a good time. Just look at how many of us were waiting for this one. It'll be all good. Just don't make it into work for yourself or it might not be fun.

Click to expand...

Thanks to everyone for being so patient!



@gmaharriet:

Thanks for the 'MapFinder Settler Factory' Rules. I'll use them!



Originally posted by CommandoBob:

(psst - Fearless Leader can't cut and paste from his own thread - pass it on.)

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I heard that! In the first game, my character was sort of based on William J. LePetomane from 'Blazing Saddles'. Different game, different character.


Allow me to introduce myself and my assistant:



I'm the one on the right, wise guys and gals!

Experiment 626 said:

At the risk of spreading more disinformation about the HoF, I thought that you couldn't randomize who you and/or the AIs were.

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You are free to preselect your civ and the number of your opponents. You might be able to preselect the AI, also, I'm just not sure.

In an HoF attempt, there is a minimum number of civs for each map size. This is to prevent a two civ game on a huge map (and similar excesses). This minimum number is less than the 'normal' game setting for that map size, but a 'normal' game with a 'normal' number of civs could be submitted.

Marsden can correct me, but nothing you've suggested so far would 'break' any HoF rules or submission guidelines.

Which government should I make a beeline for? Monarchy, or a different one? And I wouldn't want to expand, would I? Wouldn't that trigger a Domination Victory before a Conquest?

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On Victory Conditions
The key to avoiding a Domination VC while you try for a Conqeust VC is just to raze cities. To win via Domination you must control 66% of the world's population AND 66% of the world's territory. So once you start getting close to 60%, capture and raze.

Anyway, by that time those cities will be so far from your core that they'll be fit for science farms only. Razing them might slow your advance down some (no guarantee that razing eradicating the AI's overall culture expansion to that tile) but it won't affect your production.

On Government
That's a good question and I'm not sure I have the best answer. I like Republic for just about everything and that probably is not good.

Democracy is too hard to manage in the game; too much busy work.

With Republic comes the ugly War Weariness that demands higher luxuries and poor war waging. Part of War Weariness is the number of your units inside enemy territory over the IBT. So in Republic wars are more like prolonged raids for a set objective; they don't tend to result in AI eradication.

Feudalism rewards conquering cities since it's unit support model is opposite of Republic. Cities 6 or less support 5 units; cities 7 to 12 support 2 units; cities 13+ support only one unit. In Republic, those numbers are 1 unit, 3 units and 4 units. Excess support is 3 gpt per unit in Feudalism compared to only 2 gpt in Republic.

Feudalism lets you whip; in Republic you gotta pay cash for rushing production.

I've heard that Monarchy is a good war government, but I haven't used it that much.

Not sure about Fasciscm.

You can random all or pick all for the HoF, it's your choice, although you might find it's better to pick to optimize a quick victory. For example, if you are interested in researching as fast as possible, then having all scientific opponents to trade techs is the quickest way to accomplish this, don't forget the 4 turn minimum reasearch. Now in your game, I recomend no Carthage, Rome, or Greece as opponents. I'd tell you why but I think you should figure that one out yourself. Don't tell him anyone. Some things are better researched yourself. Since you've (wisely) picked Pangea, then seafaring opponents might be good because the seafaring trait doesn't help them much, if at all. Agricultural opponents are always a bit more dangerous, so use them with caution. I like using Portugal as an opponent because their traits are the worst combination in the game and they have no UU. I also use America for almost the same reason. Do you want to give yourself a good fight or do you want the best date? For the HoF, the second choice is best, but it's up to you.

BTW, there have been no recent changes to HoF rules, but please do check them out before hand. It would be good idea to make sure you are enrolled to submit and use the 4000BC tester before you even start, just to make sure you didn't accidentally have a wrong setting. If you need any help, just ask us, we will be happy to help. It's what we do.

Marsden said:

BTW, there have been no recent changes to HoF rules, but please do check them out before hand. It would be good idea to make sure you are enrolled to submit and use the 4000BC tester before you even start, just to make sure you didn't accidentally have a wrong setting. If you need any help, just ask us, we will be happy to help. It's what we do.

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Enrolled? 4000BC tester?



I missed those two things.

You need to be able to log in to submit your games. The HOF staff require two forms of picture ID and a credit check....

nah.

You basically just give them your username (same as what you post with) and they give you a password.

There is a utility you can use to load the 4000 BC.sav and it will tell you if it is good. use it!! I once had a game excluded that would have charted #1 cause I had forgotten to check "enable cultural conversions"

The HoF staff were very nice about it and even said "it certainly wouldn't matter for a chieftain conquest game..." but they disallowed it anyway

For this game, which may take a long time, do check it beforehand

Okay.

I registered and check the 4000BC.sav. It passed.

Now to find time to finish it.

AutomatedTeller said:

You need to be able to log in to submit your games. The HOF staff require two forms of picture ID and a credit check....

nah.

You basically just give them your username (same as what you post with) and they give you a password.

There is a utility you can use to load the 4000 BC.sav and it will tell you if it is good. use it!! I once had a game excluded that would have charted #1 cause I had forgotten to check "enable cultural conversions"

The HoF staff were very nice about it and even said "it certainly wouldn't matter for a chieftain conquest game..." but they disallowed it anyway

For this game, which may take a long time, do check it beforehand

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Thank you for the explanation. That sums it up well, so please do make sure all settings are correct. And don't worry about the credit check, we are always looking for new blood to satisfy our boss's thirst...er um I mean to add to the thrill of competition, yeah that's it.

There is no Vampirism in the HoF. There is no Canabalism in the Royal Navy.

An easy way to keep them correct is put them that way and leave them, but if you like to change them often or play scenarios please be careful when starting a new map. Once a map is generated with those settings, there is no way to change it back to the correct ones, so that 7 cow start won't be a good one after all.

Marsden said:

Once a map is generated with those settings, there is no way to change it back to the correct ones, so that 7 cow start won't be a good one after all.

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Marsden, I've never tried for HoF, but I'm curious about something. If you submitted a map and it was rejected for an incorrect setting, couldn't you extract all the settings with CA2...then generate a new map with all the settings the same EXCEPT the one which disqualified it? or would that fall under a rule similar to "reloading"?

I don't know enough about CA2 to say, I could run that by the boss. But, it's always better to have the settings correct first.

I did try an experement with the seed number, if that's what you are refering to and when I used it the map looked nothing like the first one did. You are allowed to enter the seed number, but don't forget it's still a random generation. But Please do feel free to submit. Again, you don't have to play higher than cheiftain, and noone is expecting you to grab a #1, but you might!

Any more questions, just let me or one of the other HoF staff know, we will help you.

Marsden said:

I don't know enough about CA2 to say, I could run that by the boss. But, it's always better to have the settings correct first.

I did try an experement with the seed number, if that's what you are refering to and when I used it the map looked nothing like the first one did. You are allowed to enter the seed number, but don't forget it's still a random generation.

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With CA2, the first 2 tabs give you ALL the info on, not only the seed number, but the world size, temp, wetness, barb settings, difficulty level, the opponents in the order originally generated, agression level. There are several things you CAN change without changing the map...the civ you are playing, opponents (provided you have the same number of seafaring in exactly the same order), difficulty level, cultural conversions, SGL's enabled, random seed on/off, respawn AI, and barb settings. If everything else is exactly the same, you will get the same map. I never change more than one item.

If you'd like more info about this, you could ask the question in the Strategy and Tips forum, and I'd be happy to give a demo...complete with screenies. I think I've already spammed Experiment626's thread too much as it is. Sorry.

Experiment 626 said:

Allow me to introduce myself and my assistant:

I'm the one on the right, wise guys and gals!

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Ehm... that would be me