Immortal University XXIV: Julius Caesar

TheMeInTeam

If A implies B...
Joined
Jan 26, 2008
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Hello all and welcome to the Immortal University! This series was started a long time ago to move a group of the forum's players to the next level. Are you ready for the U?

This is the 24th in the storied series. Not steroid series. At least, we've never failed a test .

We will uphold the university's traditions...smacking down the hapless AI!

Our leader this time around:



Look at those traits and starting techs! They're awesome.

UU? What UU?

(anyway, we've had two perceived weak leaders in a row, so here's one that isn't).

Here's the start:



As usual you get the first start I generate. Huts and events are off by default (this is a game comparison and learning thread, after all), although if it bothers you terribly you can add the latter back. I reserve the personal right to point and laugh if the vedic aryans knock on your door though.

To play, just extract the WB save file into your worldbuilder saves directory, then play it. Use custom scenario if you want some extra settings to tickle your fancy. This series was designed for people learning immortal, so most people here will be at that level or trying to attain it, although deity players are welcome also. Hell, if you want to play this on NOBLE, go ahead, but I'm not peeling off the AI bonuses. The intention of this and any other game thread I post is to get better. Play whatever level you need in order to improve. Just remember, there are immortal bonuses and that's not going to change unless you WB edit it.

If you are aspiring IMM+, try to remember to add archery back to the barbs in WB. Every time you don't, a deity AI will kill a kitten, although there are a lot of kittens so it's not the end of the world if you prefer easymode barbs .

I do request people to list their difficulty and speed. In terms of updates, well nobody follows that anyway. Post in the manner you feel comfortable. Typical comparison dates are 1 AD, liberalism, and victory/defeat, as well as any major events. If in doubt, go with that.

Without further ado, the ZIP file:

View attachment IU XXIV Julius C.zip
 
OOOOOEHWWW

OOOOOOOHH

YAAAAA

MEEEEP

Its PRAEO TIME!
 
Imm/Normal

1 AD

Spoiler :
Settled in place. I started out with hunting ---> AH, then went for AG and pottery.

The barbs were a bit vicious for using only warriors in this one and slowed my expansion slightly until I started using chariots.

After pottery went BW, writing, aesthetics.

But, Sal decides to declare on a brother of the faith rather than one of the heathens.



Annoying. He was @ pleased too, must have gone war mode JUST before going to pleased. I thought he was going after someone with which he was cautious.

But, the city near his borders was on a hill, and had a couple prats in it. I held him off, and



So that wasn't too big of a deal, especially since he jumped to pleased after that.











I wanted to go pratromping but it seems this map leaves us a ridiculous amount of room to expand, so rather prats I really DID use the traits this time. Well, prats were good on defense and barb duties though.


1000 AD

Spoiler :
Not much to say that the screenshots below won't address. I continued to build settlers, make cottages, and grow my empire while the AIs went to war. I have an OK but not great shot at liberalism in this game. I am focusing espionage on alex. I might knightspy him otherwise i'll just wait till the usual democracy + military unit rushbuy rape.











 
Oh my god, this is the most ridiculous ending I've ever had at immortal, and possibly in all the civ I've played.

Immortal/Normal

1220 AD (game's end)

Spoiler :
More AI to AI war



Liberalism goes late due to the religious fighting. I was making no real effort at it (I bulbed NOTHING), but won it anyway. Nobody had education yet either.



From there I'd put HE in capitol and was using that and 3 other cities to churn horse archers while teching towards cuirassers. I had espionage accrued on alex and would have had the chops to hit him with about 50 cuirassers before he had rifles...probably would have pushed on into churchill since sal hated them both.

But, the AI had something else in mind.



Wait, what?! Here's what happened: I spread hinduism throughout my empire to get first the OR hammers bonus and later the xp bonus from theocracy (which made sal like me more). Sal and monty were at war...monty capitulated to sal (!). Before doing so, MONTEZUMA BUILT THE AP (!).

So the vassal, monty, called an AP religious leader vote.

Yes, that's right. The AI called the vote, not me! In a losing situation!

I had the most hindu pop since I'd spread it everywhere and had expanded so much, so I was his opponent. Not even thinking about it, I clicked myself. Well, I'd raised Sal's net with me to +8 or more...



So I won. I'll wrap this up then.







Yeah, sometimes the games are hard, sometimes the RNG just WANTS YOU TO WIN. The guy who declared on me earlier decides I should win. Haha!
 
I think the WB saves are cross compatible, as they are uncompiled text documents. The game compiles the text lines to run the scenario. Unless some of the "wording" (I can't think of the proper term) changed between patches, then there are no issues. Game saves on the other hand are not compatible as they are compiled.
 
I have no idea what any of that means, but I am comforted. If this file works tonight then I can put TMIT back on my friends list.
 
to 1 AD:

Spoiler :
Fun game. Always a good time when Praets are in the offing. And here we have a ton of land. A peaceful strategy would probably work fine, but that wouldn't be any fun now would it?

Saladin grabbed the corn/copper spot to the west so I held out for awhile on settling to keep the slider high for an IW beeline. I did grab this spot which will likely be my HE city:


I built settlers and just had them sleep in the spots I wanted, then when IW finally came in (I had to use the overflow chop/whip thing once for gold) I built some cities:

With IW online I don't hesitate on this one. It will be nice when those gems are working.

This one will be a GP farm I think.

So Sal's borders on his eastern city pop a little too soon and I realize that he has founded Judaism there, right after I press his borders with Antium. Crap. But hey, there are few problems Praets can't solve, right?
This city finishes off the block of Saladin and I don't care about its borders. Sal's culture won't be a problem for long.

Sal is spamming me with Jewish missionaries all day which is a huge help because I skipped Myst.

Here is my army about to invade Saladin. The timing on this worked perfectly as Saladin just built the Jewish shrine this turn. Thanks Sally!

The war was a piece of cake as Sal tried to attack Antium with the few units he had to defend Damascus.

It only takes a couple turns for him to want peace.

I considered pressing on but he was about to have WEs and Mecca was on a hill. Damascus should be plenty for now and the shrine will fund more expansion.

Since the war I have settled most of the floodplains and am in the process of cottaging them up. On the diplo front I have managed to piss off my best hope for a friend obviously but I doubt he will be too much more trouble. Monty is fighting Joao right now and is too busy to bother with me. Alex is blocked in the south and could attack but I could handle him for now. In fact, I am considering making some trouble for him with my Praet army before he gets maces. It may be too late though. Probably better to just send them against the barbs in the east.
As for techs, I am pretty far behind and it may be too late for the aesthetics trade. Might have to hold out for a Philo bulb trade.

Fun game so far, it looks like a domination victory shouldn't be too much trouble from this point.
 

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No huts is a bad setting for University games. Nobody is slitting their wrists because another poster beat their University game by three turns. No events is one thing, although I think they also would be better on, but no huts takes out an important part of the game.
 
No huts is a bad setting for University games. Nobody is slitting their wrists because another poster beat their University game by three turns. No events is one thing, although I think they also would be better on, but no huts takes out an important part of the game.

IU is not a competition, however it is a means to compare openings, mid games, and late games and learn.

Huts can drastically impact opening strategy if one is lucky. You can argue if they make a game harder or easier (mostly chance, really), but it's hard to argue that enough of them could cause a large variance in game play between players.

Now, on the opposite side, what do huts offer us? What makes them important? My experience with them on is that the AI does not do enough with them to justify calling them consistently harder. Usually it's just a couple extra units and maybe a tech or so for the AI, or maybe the player gets them and the game gets easier.

Huts also deliver a crutch - reliance on at least 1 hut gold. I've actually seen people complain about that outright. Even though the AI gets most of them, they still liked having enough gold to settle the 2nd city and keep the slider up for a while ^_^.
 
Huts also deliver a crutch - reliance on at least 1 hut gold. I've actually seen people complain about that outright. Even though the AI gets most of them, they still liked having enough gold to settle the 2nd city and keep the slider up for a while ^_^.

I don't think it's a considered a crutch if it occurs in roughly 80% of all standard "play now" games (I made that number up but I don't think I'd be far off the real number) . It sounds more like an integral part of gameplay ;P
 
What makes huts important?

Balancing exploration, scouts, and starting with hunting compared to the other possibilities.

Similarity to other games where huts are on.

And, they're fun (same as what makes any other game feature important.)
 
using 3.17, can still open it.

Goodie!
 
Balancing exploration, scouts, and starting with hunting compared to the other possibilities.

Though huts change the balance SLIGHTLY, all 3 of those things are active considerations regardless of huts.

Similarity to other games where huts are on.

I don't think huts are going to be causing HUGE variance either way. Besides, you could use the same argument with a terrible choice for this format such as "no tech brokering".

And, they're fun (same as what makes any other game feature important.)

People have differing opinions of "fun" ;).
I don't think it's a considered a crutch if it occurs in roughly 80% of all standard "play now" games (I made that number up but I don't think I'd be far off the real number) . It sounds more like an integral part of gameplay ;P

I don't know about the %, it's probably over 50% Nevertheless, which is harder? Games you get it or ones you don't? If you rely on it for expansion timing, games where you don't get one are going to seem mysteriously hard. If you don't rely on it, then you get a better feel (IMO) for expansion timing and what the early gold can actually do for you.

Regardless, these are just preferences but they do make some sense for a comparison between games. Of course, anybody can host games if they don't like the settings I chose, and I think the new NC host leaves huts on (MS does not)...so whatever works!
 
Regardless, these are just preferences but they do make some sense for a comparison between games. Of course, anybody can host games if they don't like the settings I chose, and I think the new NC host leaves huts on (MS does not)...so whatever works!

I was just being contrary =)

I leave them off for IU games but in my own games I always have them on. Even if the Deity AI do end up grabbing 95% of them :p
 
Count me in here. I will start it tonight! The Glory of Roman Might!
 
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