LK63 - Age of Discovery. Emperor

LK63 - Age of Discovery
Difficulty = Emperor
Civilization = Maya
We are going to try to get a 4,000 culture city. Be ready to sacrifice those workers.



Signed up:
LKendter
open slot
open slot
open slot
With this only being 150 turns, I am going with just 4 players.

Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.

The following tactics are PROHIBITED:

RoP Rape - if you have to ask...

RoP Abuse that includes things such as irrigating all tiles with a city building wonders, denying resources with a RoP, putting a unit to block a land bridge, etc.

Scout resource denial - parking a scout on a resource, as the AI won't ask scouts to leave. The same scenario also applies to workers.

False Peace Treaties (must wait for the 20 years to end).

The negative science exploit - you can run a huge deficit (-250 / turn) of negative cash with a token penalty of one lost worker / cheap building. If cash will go below zero, the research level must be dropped.

Ship chaining exploit - you can move a ship, unload troops to another ship, move that ship, etc. This allows you to ship an indefinite distance, and that is why I consider it an exploit.

Resources disconnect / connect exploit - I consider most resource tactics fine. Delaying to hook a resource, trading it away etc is fine. The exploit is to do this every turn. Build a stack of horses, connect saltpeter, upgrade to cavalry, and disconnect.

Palace Jump - You abandon the capital city to move the palace to a new location. If you want to move the palace, build a new palace.


Standard LK house rules:
1) Worker automation of any kind is prohibited.
2) No worker purchases during the first 50 turns to avoid civ crippling.
3) Declaring war / demanding leave solely for the purpose of getting out of trade deals.
4) Even if not covered under exploits listed, please try not to use tactics that take advantage of holes in the game design.
5) Our trading reputation is golden - please respect it.
6) Complete your turn. It is frustrating to get a 1/2 completed turn.

RBC10 is wrapping up so I'm free for another SG.

Signed up:
LKendter
6thGenTexan
open slot
open slot
With this only being 150 turns, I am going with just 4 players.

I'd like to sign up and stick it to those Europeans

Tentative: Would like to play as long as my computer can handle it. Middle Ages were a no go, Fall of Rome and Rise of Rome were problems in the late game.

Does any one have a feel for how this scenario runs as far as map size?

This scenario is easy on the computer.
Also, it is much more fun being a native.

This is not a signup. I am swamped.

Grimjack

1490 AD
The tech tree is nasty. The game only goes 150 turns, yet even alphabet takes 75 turns at the moment. We need those extra roads and commerce quickly.


1491 AD
What a difference one road makes - alphabet now due in 37.


1493 AD
We meet the Aztecs, and as expected they have nothing of value.


1494 AD
Copan is formed and I get the message that gold allows construction of new units / buildings. Thanks to the revenue of gold the Alphabet drops to just 7 turns.
(IT) Our first worker completes, and it is time to push military out of the capitol. We need a couple of token spearman, then nothing but Javelin Throwers to capture workers with.


1500 AD
We spot several barbs and a camp. Can you say sacrificial workers?



Summary:

LKendter
6thGenTexan (currently playing)
Caesar_Augustus (on deck)
hotrod0823


http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/LK63-1500AD.zip

I've got it.

Just so we're on the same page, there's no advantage to sacrificing slave workers immediately, right? We can keep a close eye on our culture, and then sacrifice all of our slave workers in one turn in order to surpass the 4,000k and win.

I would keep the sacrifices close to home. Once the Europeans begin to land we don't want to many exposed workers. Letting a few of them clear all that annoying jungle, connect spices, connect dyes, etc would be a good thing. In this game large worker stacks are the best to let us protect them easier.

We won't have a lot of cities this game, so we simply need to get to max military production to last long enough to hit 4000 points.

Letting a few units kill barbs for workers help, but the key timing is when to beat up the Europeans.

Not much to do but look around and hit End Turn.

1501AD-1 Move Throweres.

IBT Barb archer attacks across river and loses...no porpotion or slave.

Alphabet arrives start on Writing (15 turns @ 50%) thinking we will want Map Making.

1502AD-2 Chichen spear-->spear See a Chasqui Scout. The Incas have 180g. They've been busy killing barbs. Sell Alphabet for 168g. Writing in 10 @ -7GPT.

IBT Two Scouts kill OUR barbs and take OUR slave. I have the mind to declare war and kill them but I hold off.

1503AD-3 Forest chop reveals a regular grassland. I do not see any irrigation anywhere close so I'll road and mine it. The Aztecs are heading our way to explore (but turn back and do not enter our land).

IBT A light blue boat flew by the coast but did not stop to see our Thrower.

1504AD-4 The blue boat arrive off the coast of Copan. It is the Spanish with the knowledge of Writing and Currency and contacts with the Portuguese, French, English and Iroquois. They have not met the other Indians. The Dutch are also on the F4 screen. I do not remember seeing them float by. William is a little cheaper. Before contacts are spread around, I sell Monte Alphabet for his 115g. William introduces us to the Portuguese for an intro with the Incas and 201g. Inca and 150 to Henry for meeting King Francis of France. He now knows both the Aztecs and the Incas and gets 2GPT for giving us the address to Elizabeth and Hiawatha. We now know everyone, time for maps and techs. Isabella sells us her WM+12g for meeting both our neighbors and our WM+3GPT. Contact with our nieghbors, WM and 3GPT to Elizabeth for Currency and WM. Writing, WM and 2g from Henry for Aztecs+WM+1GPT. William offers his WM+100g for Aztecs and WM. Another 34g for reselling updated WM. Not quite enough cash so Map Making and WM from France costs 1GPT+149g+WM. with Map Making, I can deal with the other indians. The Incas are proud of their map. They get the other 2 indian contacts and our WM for theirs and 14g. Thinking we now know most of the Iroquois map, Buy Monte's for Iroquois contact and our WM. Decide to get the complete WM and swap WM's with Hiawatha. The indian maps are sold for 140G+12GPT back to the Europeans. Last up is France so they offer Construction for the new WM+145g+1GPT. I then go back and take the last 23g from the Incas.

TOTAL:
Writing, Map Making, Currency, Construction, The World Map, +1GPT for only 203g.

Start research on Storytelling @ 70%, 11 turns at break even. Might as well get the library in Chichen for the culture. Start a Curragh to claim the Caribbean since the 2nd spear completed.

IBT French start Leo's and the Dutch start Magellan's.

1506AD-6 Last spear frees Thrower in Copan to barb hunt. Another 25g for map trades.

1507AD-7 Wander around in the Amazon Jungle.

1508AD-8 51g for map trades. Max science 3 turns late.

IBT French start Magellan's.

1509AD-9 Only 18 for maps. Protugal, Frence and English have no cash.

IBT Lisbon completes the Sisting Chapel and everyone else starts Leo's or Magellan's.

1510AD-10 Another 15g for maps. Worker starts clearing one of our silk jungle squares. Chichen will grow and complete the Curragh next turn. There is a Thrower waiting to go to Cuba. Copan will grow and complete the settler in 5. (I do not see in my notes when he started, but it was with the completion of the barrack.) Storytelling in 4 at Max (-7). We are easily making twice that in the WM trades.

What's next? I'm leaning towards settling the Caribbean islands. Our Amazonian Throwers can keep any Incas from settling near Panama. If the Conquestadors arrive, we want them to settle on the continent, not on an island. Our first war will probably with the Aztecs. They are closer and have better land.

About Barbs, the Inca Scout's 2 move have cleaned up a lot of barbs. I was moving our Throwers south to create some fog around the area of the canal for another camp to appear and be between the Incas and the barbs. There is a camp in Cuba unless the Spanish took it.


Unfortunately I am not able to pull the game save off the floppy I brought to work. I 'll not be home until Midnight Central to upload it from my computer.

6gntxn

Thinking we now know most of the Iroquois map,
I don't remember seeing them as a playable civ!

===========================


LKendter
6thGenTexan
Caesar_Augustus (currently playing) (once we get a save)
hotrod0823 (on deck)
Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.

I do not think the Iroquois are a playable civ, although it would be fun to play them. The Europeans are settling North America before South America.....more chance to get slaves. That could be the reason, too easy to get slaves for sacrifice points.

Sorry about the delay......

LKendter
6thGenTexan
Caesar_Augustus (currently playing)
hotrod0823 (on deck)

Will play tomorrow night

The link above is broken. The correct link is:

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads6/LK63-1510AD.zip

Take a quick peek through the 'pedia. The Chasqui scout isn't two move, rather it's 1 move and all terrain as roads. No wonder they're getting the barbs so fast . Our 2.2.1 Jav Throwers could mess them up pretty bad, since the Chasqui can't retreat. With 3 Jav Throwers already in South American, I'll keep my eyes open for a fortuitous Inca war opportunity. Their cities are on hills so I won't attack them directly, but we can pick off their non-retreating 1.1.1 Chasqui with our Javs.

If we can get up to Theology (a 2nd tier tech in the next age) we could revolt to Monarchy. Or we can go Blood Cult, which is the same as Despotism except Corruption is Problematic, and unit support is 8.8.8 (as opposed to the 2.4.8 of Monarchy). However, Blood Cult still has the Despotism tile penalty, which really stinks.

I sell the Courthouse in Chichen Itza

IT: Chichen Itza (CI) Curragh-Spear. Since it'll grow in 10, it'll complete the Spear in 4, and then build a Settler in 6. With the scarcity of food tiles around CI (and with no chance of irrigation for a LONG time), I want to preserve our pop there as best as I can.

1511 AD (1): Load up a Javelin Thrower (JT) onto the Curragh and head for the Cuban Barb camp.

The Iroquois have Code of Laws, so I give them Mapmaking for it. Net 15g from WM trades. The Iroquios aren't a threat to win on culture, as the Mounted Warrior cannot enslave.

1512 AD (2): Our JT lands in Cuba - shades of Castro's revolution. Can't drop the sci slider on Storytelling, due in 1. WM = 6g.

1513 AD (3): We are now in the Middle Ages. What to research next?


Despite our Science Advisor's suggestion, I start research on Monotheism. We need to get out of Despotism more than we need the river movement penalty eliminated. Start research @ Max.

Kill a barb archer in Cuba but no slave. Still one archer in the camp. WM = 5g.

IT: Spain starts Magellans.

1514 AD (4): Disperse the barb camp, no worker. WM = 6g.

IT: CI Spear-Settler. Copan Settler-JT. France completes Leo's. Spain cascades to Copernicus.

1515 AD (5): Settler boards Curragh and heads for Cuba. WM = 6g.

1516 AD (6): Nothing. WM = 6g.

1517 AD (7): Roads through jungle only take 3 turns to build, nice. No one will take our WM.

1518 AD (8): Can't found a city on a jungle! Well that changes my preliminary dotmap entirely. I'm getting sick of being cut out of the WM trade, so I trade Writing to the Inca for WM + 25g. I then get the WMs off of the Aztec and Iroquois, and sell the new map to the Europeans for roughly 135g. Monotheism is out there for 275g + 12gpt, but I'll hold off and leave that choice to the next leader. I do turn off research though since we'll be buying this tech soon.

I can't see any barb camps in the fog anywhere! Damn Chasqui!

1519 AD (9): Palenque founded in Cuba on a hill. WM = 63g.

1520 AD (10): Movement. I trade our WM for 54g. Now that we're back in the WM loop, we can trade last turn's European-updated Map to the Aztecs/Inca/Iroquious, and then trade our New World map to the Europeans for gold + their ocean explored maps, and then next turn to the Aztecs etc etc . . .

The Incan city of Cuzco is ahead of us culturally (736 to 680). I establish an embassy to see why. They only produce 13 cpt (Palace, Temple, Altar) while we produce 21 cpt (we're + a ball court). They must be sacrificing their slave workers right away.

Notes for next ruler:

-Monotheism is out there for trade. I certainly would recommend it and would have done it, but I didn't want to hamstring our economy right before the end of my turns.

-We're at turn 30/150, which means we're 20% through the game. At turn 150 we'll be at 3200 culture if we don't sacrifice or build any new culture buildings. If we switch CI from a settler to a library this turn, the library will finish in 11 turns and we'll have 3,418 culture at turn 150.

-Since we desperately need sacrificial slave, I think we should start thinking about war against somebody. We have 3 JTs in South America, and 1 + 1 in production in Central America. Our starting location deprived us of easy barb slaves, since our neighbours got them all.

-None of our nearby luxuries are hooked up yet, as thus far we haven't needed them.

LK 63

Empire and Dotmap:


Red Dots: High Priority. 'A' is nice for settling the choke, but note that it's not on the river. 'B' has Iron, Cow, and Gems. Good denial to the Europeans, but a little far away and will likely be totally corrupt. But with our Agri river bonus (3 food in center tile) + irrigated cow, the city could support 3 specialists with only one labourer, which would really help our economy. 'C' is 1st ring and consolidates Cuba.

Blue Dots: Low Priority. 'D' pulls in a fish + a BG and would be 2nd ring. 'E' would also get decent commerce, though it would need a harbor (not available until Astronomy, at least 5 techs away). 'F' would deny another source of gold to the AI.

Yellow Dots: Probably never need to settle, but I thought that I would include them anyway. 'G' would pull in two fish, but is too far away and isolated to defend. 'H' would be on top of a Spices - another denial to the Europeans (remember, spices, gold, gems, and silver can produce treasures which produce VPs for the Europeans. Tobacco and Sugar do as well, but we can't see them yet).

LKendter (on deck)
6thGenTexan
Caesar_Augustus
hotrod0823 (currently playing)
Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.