Monarch Specialist Economy Walkthrough 2

Ok, I hope you enjoyed Monarch Specialist Economy Walkthrough 1!

In the first installment, I played as Ramesses who is Industrious and Spiritual. These are two very good SE traits. Industrious lets you nab a bunch of wonders that affect running a SE, like pyramids, parthenon, great library, statue of liberty, and so forth. Spiritual allows the cycling back and forth between wartime and specialist civics game-long with no anarchy. This is very powerful for a warmongering SE. I hope that you can apply the strengths of these traits now to other Industrious and Spiritual leaders when you may want to run a SE with them.

In this installment, I turn my focus to two other strong SE traits:



Philosophical is, of course, one of the premiere SE traits. 100% gpp empire-wide. Plus, cheap universities. The goal here is to run as many specialists as possible as often as possible to get max effect. Of course, it also affects wonders, but I will be looking to tone down the wonder spammage in this game, since I am not industrious. Great Library is always good though and others will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Pyramids will be avoided this game though.

Creative is a great warmongering-SE trait. Quick border pops helps with an early rush and the extra culture helps cover terrain game-long. The cheap libraries really help get those scientists going early and has obvious synergy with philosophical. The cheap theatres and coliseums are often overlooked by players playing as creative leaders. This is because they may not be running a warmongering-SE where running the culture slider can be very beneficial. I plan to put these cheap buildings into practice this game.

The combination of Creative (cheap libraries) and Philosophical (cheap universities) means that Oxford is going to come in a timely manner. This is, of course, aided by the philosophical trait and likely philosophy and education light bulbs. However, aside from these two lightbulbs and an academy, I may look to settle many GSs in my early-Oxford city. We'll see how it plays out.

Our UU is the phalanx. An improved axe unit is always good. No need to bring along spears on this guy's axe rush. However, we will see if an axe rush is possible in this game. No sense sending axes across great distances if we have room to expand at home.

The Odeon is nothing special really. I will build them because they are cheap and useful for the

Starting techs are fishing (useful if we are on the coast) and hunting (i personally love hunting for the scouting and goody hut advantages). Not so great in the worker-tech dept, but we'll cope.

Here is the starting position:



I'm thinking I will need to snag that fish...

Round 1 (Part 1)

Round 1 (Part 2)

Round 1 (Part 3)

Round 2 (Part 1)

Round 2 (Part 2)

Conclusion (Part 1)

Conclusion (Part 2)

Conclusion (Part 3)

Yeah, move 1W and grab it.

Btw, it is hard coming on the forum these days. My comp's been messing around and I can't play civ.

Your first game really showcased Ramesses rather well. War Chariots, sort of a religous economy (you built a shrine and tons of Wonder building + Specialists early). He's one of my favorite leaders too. I think my highest score on Monarch has been with him.

Even FEUSS wouldn't cottage this capitol. Time to move the palace?

I've played the first round (to Liberalism). I will post on Saturday or Sunday.

Alright, here we go:

4000BC-Move scout S-SW, Move Settler 1W
3960BC-Settle Athens; Workboat and an unorthodox opening of teching Archery



3760BC-Pop hut for 85 gold
3640BC-Archery done, start animal husbandry; Hindu FIDL
3600BC-WB done, start worker
3480BC-Buddhism FIDL
3320BC-Meet our first AI:



Churchill. Protective and to our SE. He has the available land to become a monster if left unchecked.

3160BC-AH and worker done; mining and archer started; do we have horses?



Yes, and nearby patches of Gold and Ivory. Lots of jungle down there though.

3040BC-Did I really say I was going to avoid Pyramids this game!!!



Sigh...

2920BC-Mining done, start BW; meet our nextdoor neighbour:



I'm thinking this continent isn't big enough for the both of us...

2880BC-No shortage of happiness resources on this map:



You can see Nappy's empire there too

2520BC-Lose our pastured pigs to a random event. Turns out to be ok because otherwise we would've had an idle worker. Consequence of opening with archery. I went for archery, as I often do with leaders who start with hunting, just to mix it up a bit and go more with a Snaaty-style opening.

2440BC-Brave scout killed; the surroundings he revealed:



2360-BW done. Do we have copper? No, we do not. Our UU won't be getting a workout. Revolt to slavery (1 turn anarchy)

2160BC-Sparta founded:



I weigh my options and decide that settling on the horses is the right decision in this case. I'm wanting to hit Nappy with chariots asap and the land surrounding the horses isn't so hot. It also puts me on the coast for easy resource hookup with my capital.

2040BC-Finish wheel (enables chariots), start agriculture
1860BC-Finish ag, start pottery
1560BC-Finish pottery, start writing
1280BC-After whip/building 9 chariots, with reinforcements on the way, I declare on Nappy:



1240BC-And, in a quick strike, I sack Paris:



1200BC-I autoraze Orleans. Nappy RIP:



To be continued...

...continued

With Nappy gone, I have a good chunk of land to settle, so I get to it.

1160BC-Writing done, start mysticism
975BC-OB with Churchill
925BC-Our scouting chariots spot Churchill's empire:



875BC-Get some early scientists going:



850BC-Meet the last AI on our continent:



Peaceful Gandhi. Him and Churchill founded different religions and don't like each other. Gandhi later starts teching like a maniac and seems to head toward a cultural victory. I'm thinking Churchill will have him for breakfast without some intervention on my part. I OB with Gandhi.

825BC-Finish Polyth, start Aesthetics
650BC-Found Corinth:



It can work the wheat and gold.

Also, get our 1st GPers, a GS:



I use him on an academy in Athens

600BC-Aesth done, start Literature
550BC-Found Thebes, purely for the silver resource:



500BC-Found Argos:



Outside of the two capitals, this is the only other strong city. I am planning on building the GT there as my drafting center.

Our economy is on life support again though:



6 BC cities with no cottages will do that. I really do abuse the ol' economy when running a SE!

480BC-Hindu spreads to us, be we hold off on converting for a bit. No need to anger Churchill before absolutely necessary

425BC-A brave workboat has scouted out a large patch of islands near our capital:



I tell myself that I am not going to build the GLH because this game is supposed to be toning down the wonder-spammage!

375BC-Literature done, start priesthood; trade wheat to Gandhi for Clam
325BC-Priest done, start Code of Laws
125BC-Get our 2nd GP, another GS. I decide to save him for awhile.
1AD: We complete two world wonders:

In Athens:



In Paris:



I set Paris to work on the ToA thinking I would lose it and just get the gold. Paris had nothing else to build and my economy was starting to head downhill, so I just set it to ToA. So be it.

50AD-With another GS soon to pop, I change my mind and settle the stored GS in our capital. I need some more beakers/turn
100AD-CoL done, start Alphabet
150AD-GPers #3 born, another GS. This time I save him for Philo



250AD-Alpha done; trade Alpha/Aesth to Churchill for IW/Math/Medit; trade Alpha to Gandhi for Sail/Masonry. Do we have iron?



Yes, we do.

275BC-Bulb Philo, and...



Founded in Corinth. Now that pacificism is available, I revolt to Hindu, which has spread to my core cities (1 turn anarchy)

300AD-Revolt to caste system and pacificism (1 turn anarchy):



350AD-Reject Churchill's demand to cancel deals with Gandhi. Churchill and I are not going to coexist forever, it seems.

400AD-A shot of Gandhi and Churchill. Gandhi is teching like crazy, but is hemmed in by Churchill. If left alone for ever, he would probably win by culture, since he has founded a bunch of religions. Churchill will expand like crazy to the East and would become a beast in the renaissance if left unchecked.



475AD-Complete our first National Wonder:



Also, we get our 4th GPers, another GS, who I settle in our capital

500AD-Knossos founded:



It can work the seafood and furs

A shot of Athens working hard:



560AD-Mycanae founded:



A filler city, nothing more.

600AD-Finish Civil Service and revolt to Bureaucracy (1 turn anarchy). GP#5, a GS:

I don't seem to have a pic, but you know what they look like. I use him to bulb paper.

640AD-Found Pharsalos:

Also missing a pic here (I was playing while tired), but you can see it in the following pic of my empire. It is to the SE of my capital working the rice and horses:



I start to think to myself that with an empire that looks like that, and with the GLH still hanging around, not building it is really, really dumb. So I start to think that this is a situation where I will allow myself to take a shot at it.

To be continued...

...Continued

700AD-This game I have a good spot for the Moai, in Paris. I also plan to put the HE there if I ever get it unlocked!



720AD-Gandhi cancels our wheat/clam deal. I give him furs for it instead
740AD-Compass is completed, start Metal Casting
760AD-Cave in to Churchill's demand for Compass.



I don't want him to declare on me before I am ready. Also, we get GPers #6, another GS--no pic again, zzzzzz. I use him to bulb most of Education

780AD-And, I finally can stand it no longer:



I tried my best to lose it, I really did. But a man can only take so much!

800AD-Compass to Gandhi for Calendar
840AD-Metal Casting done, set to finish Educ

860AD-GP#7 is in, a great prophet from the ToA. I save him. Gandhi has a double holy city that I want to turn into my future WS city. If he doesn't get a couple of GPs for the shrines, I will use this guy for one of them. No pic, but you can see him resting in my capital coming up in another pic.

920AD-GP#8 is in, a GS. I save him until Ed is done.



940AD-Reject Friendly Gandhi's request for Philo. Umm, no, crazy teching Gandhi. However, I will trade him CS and Paper for Drama/Monarchy/Construction. I also trade him crab for banana.

980AD-Found Ephesus, putting the GLH to work:



1000AD-Ed is in, bulb most of Liberalism; Found Halicarnassus:



1020AD-Found Rhodes:



1030AD-Liberalism->Nationalism.



I want to get a start on the Taj because I have no marble. I want to use the golden age to lead me toward rifling. My goal is to hit Churchill with Rifles asap. I might need to bring some siege along this time too because I only have 3 decent cities for pumping units.

Some pics:

Cottage/hammer to 1 AD

- All auto worker

Cottage/hammer auto worker to 1959 AD

I wanted to point out for players newer to bulbing the liberalism route that in order to bulb liberalism directly, in addition to education and philosophy, you also have to have calendar, compass, and metal casting, and NOT machinery. To bulb philosophy you need col or drama, medit, and math/alpha. To bulb paper you need CS. To bulb education you need paper. All of these are bulbed with GSs. Philosophical churning out GSs can take you up the liberalism route really quickly, especially if you are able to trade for MC/Compass/Calendar along the way. This is harder to do at monarch and below because the AI techs so slowly.

TMIT-I'm not even being sarcastic when I say this, but space really slows you down!! While us mere mortals would LOVE a game to finish that fast, by your standards, and with autoworkers, it seems a little slow. Man I feel weird saying that...but didn't you do Toku in under 1:30?

FlyinJohnnyL said:

TMIT-I'm not even being sarcastic when I say this, but space really slows you down!! While us mere mortals would LOVE a game to finish that fast, by your standards, and with autoworkers, it seems a little slow. Man I feel weird saying that...but didn't you do Toku in under 1:30?

Click to expand...

It's the combination of BOTH massive warfare AND space.

Also, toku was 1:34 .

On topic: Future makes very good points about bulbing the lib path -----> you should seriously consider doing this even under FEUSS. You get oxford sooner, a free tech, and you're much closer to democracy from doing it.

I have played to ca. 1650 AD. I will post probably on Sunday.

futurehermit said:

I wanted to point out for players newer to bulbing the liberalism route that in order to bulb liberalism directly, in addition to education and philosophy, you also have to have calendar, compass, and metal casting, and NOT machinery. To bulb philosophy you need col or drama, medit, and math/alpha. To bulb paper you need CS. To bulb education you need paper. All of these are bulbed with GSs. Philosophical churning out GSs can take you up the liberalism route really quickly, especially if you are able to trade for MC/Compass/Calendar along the way. This is harder to do at monarch and below because the AI techs so slowly.

Click to expand...

does it change anything if you do have machinery?

cripp7 said:

does it change anything if you do have machinery?

Click to expand...

If you have machinery, you can't bulb liberalism itself, you will instead bulb down the optics ----> astro line.

if you have to bulb liberalism on monarch, you are teching too slowly!

tycoonist said:

if you have to bulb liberalism on monarch, you are teching too slowly!

Click to expand...

What would you do with the GS otherwise? Settle it? Without pyramids for rep that doesn't seem as appealing as getting oxford or your free tech sooner.

Read it, learn it, love it:

http://www.civfanatics.com/civ4/strategy/greatpeople_tech.php

TheMeInTeam said:

What would you do with the GS otherwise? Settle it? Without pyramids for rep that doesn't seem as appealing as getting oxford or your free tech sooner.

Click to expand...

academy? GA?

tycoonist said:

academy? GA?

Click to expand...

I'd buy the academy (more like I assumed one would be up before you'd consider bulbing typically), but a GA in the early-mid AD? You would need to produce 1000's of beakers-worth of more commerce/hammers/great people to justify doing that instead of bulbing, possibly more if the bulb means you can trade something faster, and the GAs are finite and stronger later while the bulb is stronger now...