Balance-Combined/MegaMod Competition!

If you're like me and want some competition, but find Game of the Month unplayable because of Civ 5's balance problems, you've come to the right place! Four competitions, all to be finished by Christmas Eve, will take place in this thread using Thalassicus' Balance-Combined and my Mega Mod. For consistency's sake, use ONLY these mods (do not include any mods recommended by each mod's creator).

The Rules:

-Unlike GotM, you MAY play each game more than once.
-DO NOT go off topic, period. Since there will be several games going on at once, staying on topic of the competitions is needed. Discussion of strategy is perfectly fine, but discussion of mods should go in the creations forum (unless it pertains to a specific ongoing game someone is discussing).
-Submit your save when you've achieved victory or are defeated.
-Spoiler all screenshots
-Save/loading is not allowed. This is a friendly competition, so this will not be enforced unless it's obvious. But seriously, it's not like there's a prize, so don't be a jerk and violate the rule.
-Cheeze like worker baiting is allowed, as it's somewhat ambiguous when these things are directly cheating
-The rule list may expand if any obvious exploits need to be addressed.

How to play the save files:

For each mod: Delete all previous versions of any mod components (Mega Mod/balance diplomacy/ Attila's mod/ etc). Even if not enabled, they will screw up the mod.

For Mega Mod (Competitions 3 and 4): Download the zip file at the bottom of the post, extract it, and place it in your usergames>>civ5>>MODS folder. Enable it.

For Balance - Combined (Competitions 1 and 2): Download the zip file at the bottom of the post and extract it. Individually take every folder in that folder (attila's mod, all the balance components, unofficial patch, etc) and place them in your MODS folder. Enable ALL of them.

For each save game (at the bottom of the first and second posts): Put them in your ModdedSaves folder (and then in the "single" folder in that folder), right above MODS.

Competitions

All competitions are standard, pangea, have all victories except diplomatic enabled, have no ruins, and have quick combat. Score does not matter, all that matters is how fast you make the goal

Competition #1: Balanced Combined (Big league)

-Save File: Challenge1BC, bottom of first post NOTE: THIS HAS BEEN CHANGED (See 3rd post)
-Ottoman
-Goal: Domination Victory.
-Immortal

Competition #2: Balanced Combined (Little league)

-Save File: Challenge2BC, bottom of second post
-Iroquois
-Goal: Science Victory.
-King

Competition #3: The Mega Mod (Big league)

-Save File: Challenge3MM, bottom of second post
-America
-Goal: Domination Victory.
-Immortal

Competition #4: The Mega Mod (Little league)

-Save File: Challenge4MM, bottom of second post
-Aztec
-Goal: Science Victory.
-King

Here are these other save files. Also reserved for links to current games.

EDIT: NOTE: As of this post, the ottoman save is now a different save at immortal. I intended to make it hard, but I didn't intend for you to start 5 hexes away from the iroqouis in nothing but forest! To avoid a repeat, I started another save at simply immortal level. The new save is still in the first post under the same name. Sorry for that mess

Well, may as well start it off myself. This'll be pretty funny if it just ends up with me playing against myself for all of them, but I'm fine with that

Anyways, I've been pretty busy and worn out lately, so I start with Challenge 2. Balance combined takes a bit of getting used to, so I had to play a few practice games on the side first, though.

Because of the increased city unhappiness, I try and settle only where there's luxuries for the first 80 turns. I manage to nab all my immediate luxuries as well as the spices to the Northwest and the silver to the southeast. I decide I really should get some happiness boosting SP, so I end up building monuments in all my cities which is something I usually skip. I end up saving up for piety, so I can get a golden age immediately when I get construction, which leads to quite a lot of colosseums.

Wars in this game were crazy. Greece and france declared at about turn 50, ghandi declared at around 65, then persia, rome and arabia all declared by about turn 120. I'm not sure if there was any particular reason that the entire world declared war on me, but I'm beginning to wonder if Thalassicus turned up Expansionist hate on the A.I.s. I did absolutely nothing to provoke anyone but ghandi and greece, and the rest were very far away.

However, generally speaking the wars were only beneficial: they built units which slowed them down. Buying a walls in the northwest, southeast, and northeast over time pretty much stopped everything and eventually got me a great general.

No iron was found anywhere, and since mounted units can't even touch a 35hp walled city, I have to wait all the way to muskets/rifles before even considering attacking unfortunately.

Anyways, here's what this game is looking like so far.



I've mainly been ICSing, as it seems to be the only way to get enough gold for maritimes still. Aqueducts would be nice, but maintenance and cost makes me avoid them in favor of more cities.

Anyways, for a king game I seem to be doing rather poorly. Most likely it's the lack of iron, but I guess I'm just not used to the mod's features yet.

@slowpoke

that's standard behavior. If you settle 4th city too soon you get DoWed by 2 AIs. Happens to me in vanilla or mods every time.
After I finally clear those first 2 AIs, the rest 2 will DoW me and doesnt matter if it was all out defensive war with making peace or total wipe out.

Ah alright. Also, I think I've ICSed too much, didn't know colosseums were only +3 in this mod, effectively canceling out the gains of a new city. If I start over rather than continue I'll probably be going to war over luxuries I don't have rather than build extra cities.

I would participate but I don't really have time for writing, and am not in a competitive mood

Like the idea, though.

Well it's a month long, so if you ever change your mind, go ahead The next month competition will probably be more active, as most of it won't be during of college finals.

Slowpoke said:

Well it's a month long, so if you ever change your mind, go ahead The next month competition will probably be more active, as most of it won't be during of college finals.

Click to expand...

Will see. I was mainly replying so you don't feel so alone here

I see, the "pity reply" Really don't worry, I know a few are going to try as I've seen in my mod thread, they just haven't gotten around to it yet.

jumped on the ship, I suppose i will be last but balanced mod seems like fun

just small report at T120 without much play details.