Immortal University 58 - Mansa Musa

Habitus

Emperor
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Messages
1,138
Location
UK
Greetings, Immortals and would-be Immortals (and indeed any other players of any level), and welcome to the Immortal University.

Here is our Leader:



Here's the opening scene:



This is the first start I rolled, Huts and Events are, as always, conspicuous by their absence.

Before we start, here's the copy & paste bit where I get to pretend that I'm TMIT:

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.

We also have an initial Immortal/Normal autosave which is much more convenient since you can avoid all the worldbuilder shenanigans. It comes with my personal seal of approval (not least as my worldbuilder edits may contain hideous game-destroying errors that could cause your computer to explode).
 

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2S1E and 2E both look to be unforested grass hills from what you can see in edge of fog, 2E1N and 2N1E both look to be unforested grasslands. :) I zoomed in on making the WB save so I can only guess that food must be on one of those 4 tiles unless i broke game and we get a foodless start :p
 
I'm just dye-ing to play this map. Looks like pigs on a hill 2E will be the only food if SIP.
 
I hate having dyes in your starting BFC. So useless.

Could be worse, you could get 3 dyes in your BFC in a human vs human game. At least here you have a chance, haha.

I'm tired of all the Mansa games, going to skip this one.
 
I played into the early ADs. This a good map - I'm enjoying it. I think the start is very solid.
 
River is always nice with fin leaders..But dye.. Eh?
Warrior 1NE or 1SW.. Maybe 1SW to wether there is something worth of not SIPing.
 
What's with the dye hate? They're the equivalent of riverside grassland. Or is it just that their appearance means we're less likely to have a strategic resource in the BFC?
 
Immortal/Normal - 1240BC

Spoiler :

Moved the warrior 1NE, found nothing but decided to SIP anyways due to moving no being worth it. Shyuhe was right on the unirrigated corn guess, but we also got Gems! Nice! Sent my warrior off exploring, while going Worker (15t) and Argiculture (10t).

Meet Yicky and Louis around 6t in. Vicky from the east, Louis in the south. After Agriculture I went Bronze Working. We find Mao, Alex and Cathy, who are either in the north/east I believe. Cathy has founded Hindu - meaning little Mysticism starting civs (most likely) and slow religion wonder dates, Oracle could be possible here.

Went Warrior after Worker, Worker went Farm (Corn, 5t) and then Mine (Gems, 4t). Scouting Warrior died, but the newly built Warrior took his place. Went another Warrior, going to grow to size 3. This is because Worker finished Mining the Gems simultaneously with BW coming in, and we have Copper. Pretty stacked start here.

Tech path from now on is probably going to be Pottery -> Mysticism, and then a combination of Meditation/Priesthood/Fishing/Writing. 1t into Pottery we find Monty, he's founded Buddhism. Here's the map:

MALIU1.jpg


Going to settle second city 1SW of the northern Rice, so it has 2 hills/Rice/Copper that it can work, while the capital grows and works hills/cottages. Axe rush is looking appealing here, too now, due to the proximity to England, starting with Mining + The Wheel, and a close, easy-to-get-up, decent production second city.

Warrior finished as we hit size 3, now working Copper/Gems/Corn, we build a Settler. This second Warrior explores West. Worker chops forest, builds cottage 1E of cap. After cottage he'll improve the un-forested riverside grassland hill.

Settler is done in roughly ~9t, settles the Rice/Copper/Corn/Cow site, sharing tiles with the capital. Both cities start on Barracks'. We also find Cathy's borders to the West. Capital works Cottage/Corn/Gems while the new city works the Copper. Once cap is size 4, it works Cottage/Corn/Gems/Copper and starts on a Worker, while the new city works the un-improved Rice. Worker finishes Mine, starts on another one (this time requiring a chop before-hand), then will chop/farm a riverside grassland tile, to irrigate Djenne/the corn for the future.

Once Djenne grows to size 2, it works Copper + unimproved Rice. Cap works Mine/Cottage/Gem/Corn. New Worker from Capital starts roading -> Djenne, then will improve the Rice, then the mines. Capital works on Warrior (Garrison) -> Axemen. The decide tech path was eventually Pottery -> Mysticism -> Fishing -> Meditation -> Priesthood -> Writing -> Maths.

Continuasly build Axes in both cities. After my one worker farmed he started to pre-chop some forests, waiting for Maths to come in.

Here's where I stopped, 1 chop + 1t into Oracle, a 1t chop coming in 2t, and both Workers are hopefully getting in 1 more chop after that. Have 6 Axe's, with 1 more coming, so hopefully I can take out an English city or two. Maths came in, so next techs are either Masonry -> Construction or Animal Husbandry. If I get Oracle, probably going to take Currency with it.

MALIU2.jpg


I haven't done an Axerush in a really long time, so even though I'm sure I'll take out 1 city, I'm pretty sure I'll have to take peace pretty soon after that and expand.
 

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@Kadazzle

Spoiler :
Our opening was the same up until after Pottery, i went straight Writing so i could open borders and scout Victoria's land abit before my Axe Rush. I'm about 900BC and i've just finished after taking two cities (got peace the turn i got 2nd city), No Oracle for me thou as i had to cut that to do the rush earlier than you have it planned :) Religion wise Louis got Hind for me so Cath got Jew. Overall i think yours was probably stronger play, I have lots of gold now to try and tech up as dropped slider during war, but a free tech + cats if thinks drags out abit seems stronger
 
@Habitus
Spoiler :

Looking at the tile yields, England has Iron. If I can take their cap I believe I could take that. Having said this, would Construction be a better tech to go? Swords/Cats clean up civs, and the starts give us a lot of commerce to work early.
 
Having a blast with this one actually. Too bad RL kept getting in the way during the day.

Need some opinions on what to do next, currently 250BC:

Spoiler :

Axe rushed England.

I took peace in between while waiting for cats and traded a lot of low-beaker techs to backfill, I think this was a mistake but I am planning on being in war for most of the game, therefore figured research now >> research later.

Elephants should be online shortly, next stop, trebuchets. Used cottages in the capital to fund the army and power research using stockpiled gold once the Academy came online.


Question one - france and china had full hands, these went away after I killed the last English city. Does this mean they have to "start again" when deciding to start a war? Or can they prepare a shorter buildup now they have been in war mode for some turns?

Plan is to bribe Aztec against France or China, then dogpile on Aztec side when he asks for extra diplo. Then repeat tactic on the other. Aztec has decent stacks, managed to take a city and almost got the final English city.

Vikings and Russia (Cathy) to the west, I am only cautious with them but roughly even in power. I dont have a religion yet, I want to take their religion while keeping the eastern power busy to get them to pleased after I get the other side in a war.

Second question - I know Cathy can backstab at friendly, but how likely is it I get dogpiled by one or the other while my army is on the other side of the map, given my high power rating? I would prefer not to have to leave anything behind to defend :)

I think I need to get some chariots out into their land to see where their stacks are as well. :mischief:
 

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@Berk -
Spoiler :
You are in pretty good shape. I would be bee-lining currency. AIs prioritize Calendar anyway, so you can trade for it later. The dyes are nice, but you need to work those cottages for now. Currency gives you far better benefit and more leverage.

You definitely want to focus on Phantaputting Louis. He has some serious Wonderage down there, including the AP. You should be able to bring Monty into the war, at least to get him busy. Whip out some Phants and Cats quickly with those axes in support. Try to get the war started very soon. Keep an eye on Mao though and look to get him in a peace treaty before attacking. Maybe gift him a tech to get to Pleased and beg 1 gold from him before attacking - should time right with Currency coming in.

Cathy should be okay. Get HR soon and she will be at pleased. Beg gold or she will probably ask for some tech soon anyway. Unfortunately you don't have Hinduism, but maybe it will spread soon. You have a couple of decent city spots down south that you could plop down and hope Hindu spreads. I would align to the Russian/Greek (not Vikings) bloc. After you take France you will be set up nicely to take out Monty and Mao.

I don't think Cathy will attack you outright at Friendly and you should know if it is coming anyway. She can be bribed in but not if you have peace treaties or simply bribe her into wars yourself.
 
@lymond

Spoilers please :)

@Berk

Spoiler :
At friendly Cath can only be bribed against you, she won't just decide it herself, and to bribe her you need to be friendly, so just bribe her in on any friendly AI before they bribe her on you :p
 
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