LotR15 -- OPEN SG Regent With a Twist

All game settings random. I know about as little as you do. Except that it's a standard-size map. Beyond that, there's not a whole lot to tell about the game set-up. Heck, I didn't even eliminate lethal land bombard for bombers -- this is straight C3C 1.22.

Start was pretty standard. We actually originated on some wheat, but I moved us off onto a nearby hill to found our first city. Irrigated the wheat and got us going just a tiny little bit. We're researching Pottery as fast as we can.

Oh, we're the Chinese -- Industrious and Militaristic with the 4/3/3 knight-replacing Rider as our UU. Fine civ...not exactly the one I would've chosen for this, but, oh well.

What's the twist? Well, I don't really want to say. Suffice it to say, it's not one I've really tried out a whole lot, so it might turn out to be a really easy game. I expect at least a few interesting turns, though.

First couple players should probably be at least emperor-capable, though, so that things don't get too far off track. If you can't micromanage Beijing to the forest for a turn and then back to the wheat to still get growth in 2 and gain extra shields, please don't play right away.

It's been a while since I've played much regeant, so I hope this is about the right level of difficulty. I fear it may be too easy, however. <Shrug> Only time will tell. I tried making it a bit harder, but, well, it wasn't working so well, so I'm going with this.

Who's up next?

Arathorn

EDIT:
Arathorn's OPEN SG rules!
Anyone can claim as long as the game is available. Just post an "I got it" and play.
10 turns! Please try to abide by this.
Please only claim if you can play and post in 24 hours. If it'll be longer, please wait to claim, so someone else can!
No exploits, please.
[/EDIT]

*Zwingli opens save*
Oh wait, it is already 450 BC? We only have a handful of shields and food in the bin to show for it? So that’s the twist

Preturn: Check diplomacy, and we already know the Ottomans who are, of course, ahead of us by all visible techs. In terms of wonders, the Oracle has been built by the Celts, the Colossus by Spain, and TOA and the Pyramids are under construction.

Early: We meet Spain who is similarly ahead of us. The Ottomans start the Hanging Gardens and switch to Monarchy. The warrior completes on schedule and heads westward, and Beijing switches to a granary prebuild.

Middle: Pottery comes in, and Beijing switches to Granary. I think about shutting off research to buy tech, but we are in no position to refuse demands so max science is set for Alphabet.

Late: Spain starts the Great Library, ending any hope of a late Literature monopoly (a check of F11 reveals we are 7th in literacy meaning only one other civ is without Literature). A Babylonian bowman wanders by Beijing on the last turn giving us another contact.


Alphabet is due in 9 turns for now, and I would suggest a beeline for Republic to improve research ability. There seems to be plenty of land left to grab, but the other civs have 6-9 cities by now and should be able to crank settlers fairly quickly. Aggressive settlements will be a major problem in the near future since our civ-wide culture is about 5% of the weakest opponent.

Got it while cursing the minimum character limit for posting.

This looks similar to Sirian's "In the hole" Epic way back when, where he had intentionally mismanaged England for some centuries. There, we had a chance to research a monopoly tech (monarchy) to catch up rather fast - this one here looks more interesting.

Beijing has completed the granary and has built two more warriors. I left the second one unmoved for the next player ro decide if we want to keep him home for MP duty or go out exploring. I vote for the latter.
The capital is size six now and can make 10spt for a settler in 3.

Alphabet came in and we're researching writing now.

Spain has completed the pyramids, and the Ottomans have changed their wonder build to Sun Tzu's(!).

Our scouting warrior has seen ruins of a former city; there seemed to have been a war between Babylon and Spain.

Who's the next one to grab this?

-Kylearan

I find myself with some unexpected time. I got it.

Arathorn

What needs to be said? It looks like this game is crazy -- what happened? Did we spend the first 100 turns with our worker and settler just fortified? Doing nothing? We're more than a little behind.

I didn't do a whole lot. I explored with our meager exploration force -- no new contacts. The Ottomans are to our NE, too. They're EVERYWHERE!

I did manage to found two cities...in poor locations. I got beat by a single turn to a site to our SE by the Babylonians. It'd be nice if Shuruppak would flip to us, but with our culture 1/30th of theirs, at best, it's probably reasonably unlikely. Anyway, Shanghai is pretty much due east of Beijing and Canton is a bit close to the NW. We still don't have Writing, but the Babylonians don't have Mathematics yet, so we might be able to twofer, if we had any cash or income.

I started a curragh, as we desperately need more contacts. The civs around us are some of the most powerful in the game, judging by F11. That's to be expected, as they had lots of room to expand into peacefully -- land that might have been ours in a different reality.

Keep the warrior in the SW moving SW. He can hopefully make it through Babylonia to discover new peoples and new interests.

I've attached a dotmap and a power graph. We're on our way up! We've gone from completely invisible to having a tiny fraction of a sliver of power.

Who's next?

Arathorn

Got it..............

preturn: lower sci to 60 still get Writing in 6, but may have to raise again since a settler is due in 3 turns.

We actually can see Babylon lacks Mathematics while Spain and Ottoman have it, and we can use 11gpt to buy it. But I'll finish Writing and the settler first, and try to get CoL or at least Philosophy for the two-fer.

(1)170AD: MM to get settlers still in 3 turns but get extra commerce so we could get Writing in 4 turns at 70% science.

IBT Ottomans demand 3g I cave.

(2)190AD: ZZZ

IBT settler->warrior.

(3)210AD: lower lux and we can get to Writing in 2 turns break-even.

IBT Spain starts Hanging Gardens and completes MoM. Vikings complete Great Lighthouse.

(4)230AD: ZZZ

IBT Writing is in.

(5)250AD: We cannot buy Math yet. Need to found another city first. AI has all techs we can see.

(6)260AD: I found Nanking. I buy Math from Ottomans with 10gpt+11g. I can see Babylon doesn't have Currency!

I can get CoL by Math+2gpt+1g, or Philosophy+33g by Math. I decide to go for CoL as I'm afraid AI demand. It leaves us 2gpt income, just to be able to cover the settler in 3 turns.

Then I start min research on Philosophy. Making 1gpt.

I'm not sure what Nanking should be working on. I set it to granary for now as we need growth badly. But someone may want to pop up a worker.

(7)270AD:

(8)280AD:

IBT Babylon starts ToA. It probably means it just got polytheism.

(9)290AD: Another settler is built and we can lower lux to 10.

(10)300AD:

We need more contacts indeed. The fact that Babylon lacks a bunch of techs is comforting.

Next settler could settle west to Canton. We also need more workers.

We could raise sci to 20 and get Philosophy in 36 turns instead of 46. I think we should do it.

Ggoott iitt..

Our SW warrior trying to get through Babylon was booted to our side again. But I woke all other warriors we had and sent them our exploring, and one made it through Ottoman land to the north. Additionally, we have a curragh exploring the continent counter-clockwise.

The Celts have completed the great wall.

I have founded two cities, Tsingtao and XInjan, and we have one last settler on our way to the north, then all lands in our direct vicinity have been settled. With no culture, Xinjan is at major flip risk, but maybe we can get rid of the surrounding Ottoman cities before that happens - which brings me to the next topic at hand:

We need to wage war. It's way too crowded around us, and the AIs are way too large, and we are way too behind in tech, so let's do some pointy stick research! Some slaves won't hurt either. Canton is pumping archers already, some cities are building barracks to pump archers then, too, and maybe we can acquire bronze working for some spears before it actually starts, though that is not really needed against Regent foes. I suggest to attack Babylon first; maybe they don't already have feudalism yet.

Please keep a close eye on micromanaging Beijing! Beijing and Canton share the wheat tile, please don't forget to give it back to Beijing next turn.

Who wants to prepare us for war?

-Kylearan

I'm game to set up the war.

Key events:

Ottomans complete the Hanging Gardens.

Next turn Xingian filps to them. It just completed a worker so it was the best posible time to lose the city if there is such a thing.

Second curragh heading clock wise.

Thinking pointy stick is the way we will be going, I give Spain 11GPT and 25g for Bronze Working and the Wheel. We have horses in the hills east of Beijing. They will be connected in 2. I chose Spain because we will be attacking Babylon too soon and the Ottomans are big enough.

I have 3 workers clearing the jungle between Canton and Tsingtao. The Ottomans are building the roads so the least I can do is clear the jungle behind them.

We now have 4 archers ready to move in on Shurppak. One more turn and the first spear will have caught up. Our settler is over here to replace a size one town. I have 3 warrior scouts gathering in the mountains above Zariqum. This city must be sitting on some saltpeter. The spear that will be ready next turn needs to go to Nanking.

Beijing is now size 6 and making 10spt but requires 20% tax. Science is at 20% also to get Philosophy in 5 @-2GPT with 11 in the bank.


Time for war.

Got it. Will see to the war

Not my best turns, but we have a bit more elbow room and the opportunity to pick up Republic.

500 AD (0)
In addition to the archer stack, I move a couple of warriors in position as backup. Shanghai switches to catapult.

IBT- Babylon completes the Great Library

510 AD (1)
The troops move into position at Shurrupak.

IBT- Spain Establishes an embassy for us.

520 AD (2)
Tsingtao grows and gets a taxman. Babylon is currently without gold, reducing the odds that they will buy an ally. After removing the curraugh from Babylonian waters, I declare war and move 4 archers, 2 warriors, a settler and a spear into position.

530 AD (3)
Attack on Shurrupak
We destroy 2 spearmen and a bowman losing 1 archer. Shurrupak is razed, and the settler moves to replace it in a less pressured position (a poor position, but I'm paranoid about Spanish culture).

540 AD (4)
An exploring curraugh discovers the Vikings. Babylon has upgraded to pikemen, but unconnected Zariqum is still defended by a spearman. All available units are diverted toward Zariqum.

IBT- We learn Philosophy and start minimum science on Republic.

550 AD (5)
Shanghai grows and gets a taxman to keep the peace. Chendu is founded near the ruins of Shurrupak. A warrior near Zariqum pillages a Babylonian tile.

IBT- An archer on a mountain defends against a Bowman outside Zariqum. Celts complete the Statue of Zeus.

560 AD (6)
The northern curraugh turns southward to see if the Vikings are on a new landmass. More troops head for Zariqum.

570 AD (7)
3 archers, 6 warriors, a spearman, a catapult, and a settler move into position for the attack on Zariqum.

IBT- Our reg warrior on a hill defends against a bowman.

580 AD (8)
Attack on Zaiqum
The catapult fails
the first archer loses to the babylonian spear promoting it after 1hp
the second elite archer destroys the spear
third archer loses inflicting 1 hp of damage.
The last 2hp spear takes out 2 reg and 1 vet warrior, promoting to elite but we raze the city anyway and the settler moves to replace.

590 AD (9)
Noting the weakness of the Babylonian counterattack, I move on Nippur with some an archer, a catapult, and an injured warrior looking to do some pillaging.

IBT- Babylon attacks from Nippur with a Med Inf, killing an archer and capturing our catapult.

600 AD (10)
We found Hangchow to replace Zariqum.

I have left most units unmoved for the next player, and most builds are currently placeholders. Babylon will part with Republic for 17gpt + 44g (if we shut off lux tax) or will give us less valuable techs for free. There was really no reason to continue the war after razing Zariqum since Nippur is defended by pikemen, but a 2hp Med Inf is standing on flat ground next to a 3hp elite archer if you feel lucky.

Where is the GL city?

It's both good and bad news. Good news is that we can try to capture it. Bad news is that Babylon will get ahead in tech and we'll lose a trading partner.

Still good news for the most part. I suggest we shut down research after Republic, build some horsemen and capture the GL in 20 turns?

Beijing is the capital. It does not need the courthouse it is building in the picture.
Did a Bowman win a battle and start their Golded Age?

I believe the Great Library was built in Babylon, which is quite some distance from our current front. Even so, it might be possible to take a pike defended capital with enough horsemen, but I’m not sure that would be the easiest way to catch up in tech.

No Babylonian bowmen managed to win a victory in this particular war, although they may have already triggered their GA during their earlier conflict with Spain. They may very well have also triggered it by building the Great Library (if they also own one of the numerous ancient religious wonders).

Of course, the courthouse in Beijing is a placeholder for a potential Marketplace if we choose to extort Currency or buy it with Republic-enhanced income. Our landmass seems to be a Pangaea or a very large continent, and the Northern curraugh should probably turn around and head north again since it appears to be headed for a dead end.

Got it! Will play tonight.

PreTurn: I feel lucky and kill the wounded bowman with the elite archer, but no leader arises; Hamurabi gives iron working, horseback riding and 5 gold for peace - we take his offer, we have iron!; Bejing changed to settler and growth to 7 will be stopped till settler arives, we need to settler the small landmass we have. Shanghai switched to archer; reshuffle garrison; start research on Republic
610AD: nothing special
620AD: nothing special
630AD: Beijing settler-settler; Tsingtao worker-barracks
640AD:
650AD: Isabella wants 21 gold, we give it; Canton prosuces first horseman
660AD: next settler produced
670AD: Tietsin founded
680AD:
690AD: Osman wants 20 gold, I give again
700AD: Tatung founded

Rebuplic is due in 12. Iron will be connected next turn so we could build swordsmen. Quite uneventfull, but an interesting game nonetheless - will monitor it, and try to play from time to time, if you want me