Paradigm Shift Reboot! Queen of Culture 2

OK, so AOL killed my PC, but it is alive again now.

I started a series based on Cathy doing it all ways (except time), already played the first game (Domination win on Prince level). That game was too easy so I am moving up to Monarch (a level I win most of the time on).

The challenge is to win all victory types (domination - check), culture, space, UN diplo, Religious diplo and Conquest with the same leader - Catherine of Russia.

I chose Cathy not because she is a saucy minx, but because she has non-outstanding traits (i.e. no philo/financial/charismatic) and a late UU and UB which aren't game breaking. So my strategies should be applicable to other peoples play styles.

I'm not the best CivIV player ever , but I try and play an entertaining game with some smutty gags thrown in for your amusement.

Rules are: 1) Cathy must win a cultural victory, (2) I normally limit myself to a few wonders (otherwise it could become a wonder spam strat - which is risky anyway with my diplo skills) - but I may build some Great Artist generating wonders since this is a culture game. (3) I pick the map type based on what I think is suitable for the VC - in this case Fractal. I don't like all land based maps or Pangaea maps much either - although a pangaea is possible with fractal. (4) All games are standard size maps and normal speed.

Wonders I would like are: Parthenon, Statue of Zeus, Sistine Chapel (a no-brainer that one). If I have stone I might build the pyramids because I think it is the best wonder available.

I mainly play a specialist economy or hybrid economy game, although my cultural cities will want lots of cottages.

Depending upon the aggressiveness of the (random) neighbours, I may stop teching after liberalism or get rifles for defence before stopping teching. None of this "Broadway/Hollywood/Rock 'n' Roll/Eiffel Tower/Sid's Sushi" style late cultural win nonsense. I play for the VC from the off.

I also play with the HOF mod (latest version), and the latest patch (3.17 I think it is).

I haven't checked "lock modified assets" so you can't win the game before me and submit it to the HOF . Also, feel free to peek at the map using Worldbuilder (I have never even opened worldbuilder myself), but NO SPOILERS! Even spoiler tags may be too tempting when I have had a few beers so button it guys and gals!!!

Enough rambling from me, here's the screenies:

Game settings:

Note - barbs are on (normal barbs only). I always play wirth barbs on. 6 random opponents, but I always seem to get Sury in my Cathy games

I chose fractal because there is a chance I will be isolated which makes cultural victories a bit less stressful



Our glorious leader, from behind:



The start - looks pretty good, lots of food. I'll probably move the scout onto the hill to get a better look. I don't see any advantage to moving the settler unless I see something amazing. I don't trust the blue circles at all.




I'll probably move the scout and take another screeny just before I go to bed drunk, and play the first round (normally up to where the first settler is about to be built) tomorrow (UK time).


It's good to be back in the land of the Civving!!!

WARNING! Lotts of screenies in these links, broadband recommended

First game in the series, domination win on Prince:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=266152

Link to abandoned 2nd culture game:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=270139


And here's the 4000BC save:

Definetly settle in place. Capital should, without a doubt, be a GP farm.

just before I go to bed drunk

Click to expand...

good luck with the hangover

If you moved the settler 2E you'd pick up the cows as well for 5 food sources. Build globe and national epic in the capital and run caste and that's a lot of GAs.

Good point about 2E. Less water tiles as well. I'll make a decision when the scout goes to the hill.

EDIT: Looks like desert to the East too...

Sushi might not be a bad idea depending on the ingame factors... taking biology from lib, using the free GM for sushi might often be faster than just the oldschool turn down slider -> win strat...

Might be worth to move 1E, but with 4 food resources odds are this will be your gp farm and as such the extra tiles won't matter. +3 land tiles would be nice for a burrecracy capital though...

OK I moved the scout...



1 East looks like the best place to settle but I will lose a turn then, but swap 3 grassland tiles for 3 coast tiles.

I don't do culture much so after LHC and G major I might just run a shadow here .

I disagree on cathy's trait combo IMO it has a lot of potential. Still, she's not particularly predisposed to a victory condition so good choice there .

I vote 1E.

Good to see you involved with HOF TMIT.

Cathy's traits are good, nothing outstanding. She is pretty good for culture since creative gives cheap libraries and theatres.

1E

I think I will go 1E. Tech path is obviously fishing first, build another scout I think in the meantime. Then a workboat and a warrior.

1E might be better after 4K years... but with snowball effect in place is probably better imo...

It's only 1 turn, I can handle that. 3 grasslands are better than ocean. I can cottage them or farm them as needed.

Probably cottage but you won't grow to a size to need them in the first 4K years of the game, but you will notice the lost turn... However since only your culture cities will matter it might be better to settle 1E to work more cottages... If you are just going to make a gp farm out of the capital you are better off just settling in place for sure though...

move 1E
+3 grasslands are much better than seatiles


tech path:
Ag-BW-Fishing-wheel/Pottery-writing

build order:
worker-warrior-settler-warrior
workerboots after fishing
1st worker farm the corn, then chop for settler


capital is an obvious GA farm, SC+NE (farm all grasslands, dont cottage)
your 2nd city must be near river, so you can cottage it

SC? And I think fishing is needed first since all a worker can do is mine.

ParadigmShifter said:

SC? And I think fishing is needed first since all a worker can do is mine.

Click to expand...

SC = sistine chapel
also DO NOT build any wonders which can pollute the GA pool in capital


no, dont do fishing
workerboot takes same turns as worker


a worker can farm the corn, and mine the hill
with Ag-BW, your worker can start chopping for settler after farming corn (and mine the hill if you want)

if you build workerboot first, you got nothing to do after you set it on clam
corn also adds more foor than clam

you can build workerboot later

Oh, I'll be building the Sistine Chapel, don't worry about that

I'll have to check your maths on the workboat/agri thing. I think another scout might behandy though.

ParadigmShifter said:

Oh, I'll be building the Sistine Chapel, don't worry about that

I'll have to check your maths on the workboat/agri thing. I think another scout might behandy though.

Click to expand...

the thing is, workerboot takes 15 turns
after 15 turns, you get +2F from 1 clam, nothing else
you will still need to build worker and settler later


worker takes 15 turns, +3 turns to farm corn
after 18 turns, you get +4F from corn
your worker can continue working

Right, cup of tea at hand so going to start the first session.

I think harusame may have convinced me about the worker first/agri thing. I'm going to settle 1E anyway.

Wish me and Cathy luck!