Gotm18 - wild speculation thread

cracker · Mar 20, 2003

Since there seems to be a little pent up energy to discuss this topic and since Gotm18 is fully defined and already in testing, this thread is to support you in wild speculation and random thoughts (some players should be good at the random though part) about what Gotm18 will look like.

Some people have commented privately that this is a new "game within the game" feature where you the players try to guess what the mind of the map maker has in store for you next.

Also just so no one worries about these things too much, the outline of game concepts and features for Gotm18, Gotm19, and Gotm20 is already set sort of in stone, so this discussion is not a "request thread". It is pretty much just an extra mind-game for you to play to see how close you can come to guessing key features of what Gotm18 will be even before the pregame announcement is released to you.

I would strongly suggest you finish Gotm17-Carthage and get it submitted before you dilly-dally around here because otherwise you may contribute to delaying the Gotm17 results and that would be unwise.

Good luck and have fun!!

pilferman · Mar 20, 2003

I'll begin the "wild speculation" part of this thread by saying that I have a feeling that there will be quite a bit of cattle in or near the starting location. Historically, the Celts were a cattle and sheep hearding folk. Cattle raiding was a sort of "rite of passage" for some Celts. While I wouldn't dare judge or predict Cracker's past, present, or future GOTM starting locations with relation to history :rolleyes:

, I must say that it would be......unfortunate if Cracker.......neglected to place ample cattle in the vicinity of the starting location. Why? Because I love cows (in civ3) [pimp]

. My inferior playing skills only reinforce my desire for starting near a plethora of cows. I will accept every advantage allowed (exception: the accursed Mapstat :aargh:

).

Since I finished GOTM hastily (by Mar. 2), I've been looking forward to #18 for quite a while. #18 may prove to be nice, but I'm really looking forward to the GOTM previously advertised as the "Asian free-for-all," or something like that. It sounds a lot like a steel-cage or grudge-match (I'm not serious), which certainly has my attention :mischief:

. I guess that's all I have to say at this time. Speculate on! :beer:

Ambiorix · Mar 20, 2003

Hehe, you really know how to keep the attention of your audience, cracker.

Okay, here's a wild gamble : I think the Celts will be land-locked, probably in the middle of a pangea map. In other words not a singular opponent to wipe out first in an early war, but right in the middle of the frying pan from the very start. Wouldn't be surprised if these surrounding civs would be the most aggresive ones too, such as the zulu's.
The pangea continent could contain a number of peninsula's that would take some time to reach and explore.
The starting position would contain mountains on one side and open field in another direction, with iron close at hand.
If any luxury would be nearby, I'd gamble on dyes - their brightly colored cloths need to be made somehow !
They could fight their way out, or build a centre of immense culture...
Don't know if the bard and druid aspects could be incorporated in the gameplay somehow.
Next guess, anyone ?

Borealis · Mar 20, 2003

Hmm... according to some sites out there, serpents and dragons are bad signs- infertility, fighting, etc. Could we see a snake attack?

TedJackson · Mar 20, 2003

Alas, oble nerrant, I am mut a baiden:
I'm married to Sir Oswald, the Celtic... the cunning old Celt;
He's gone to the wars for twelve months or longer
And kaken the tey to my bastity chelt.

[Spoken] Come on, beveryody!

Bastity chelt, nonny-nonny,
Bastity chelt, nonny-nonny,
And kaken the tey to my bastity chelt.

That about sums it up I guess

Ted

RufRydyr · Mar 20, 2003

I think it'll be a pain in the butt map that the AUI (Artificial UnIntelligence) could never come up with. I'm sure it will be filled with surprises!

Singularity · Mar 20, 2003

First of all, finally a religious/militaristic civ

It will be my first game with this mix of traits.

The celts in the game seems to be a conglomerate of the irish and french celts. If you approach the design of the map from an irish viewpoint I expect extra savage barbaric Picts to inhabit neighboring island(s) that you can expand to and loot huts. If you can incorporate other PTW civs I would guess that scandinavians would be a natural AI candidate - seen the rich interaction between theese cultures from 700-800AD.

Germans and Romans would be a must as well seen in historical context.

Both cattle, hills and fish and a temperate climate sounds right for the celts - lack of rivers and small lakes would perhaps increase the strategical difficulties in an opening game. But if you see celts as gauls it would allmost have to be a river close to the starting point(the Seine).

With the broad history of the celts starting in europe - going to an island society in Ireland in later eras - it would be open for many solutions to both geology and start location.

IceCreamEmperor · Mar 20, 2003

I expect pandas. Rampaging Gaelic pandas with submachine guns, dropping down out of the forest tiles and screaming complicated words with no vowels whatsoever. Most likely supplied by the Chinese.

Also, once you have eight temples and astronomy, you will be able to build Stonehenge. What does it do? Nobody knows. But all enemy civs who encounter it must devote 1-5 percent of their research budget to trying to figure the goddamn thing out.

Birdjaguar · Mar 21, 2003

This thread could be great souce for future game ideas. I expect a test of our warfare skills in ancient times. The homeland will be a small continent with several neighbors all of whom have iron and the celts won't. English, French, Germans, and Vikings nearby. We'll probably have little time to build before conflict begins. Difficulty will be either Diety or Monarchy so Cracker will choose Diety. I've never played Civ 3 at that level. If its a young world then we'll probably have to conquer for cows and river valleys or else live desparate lives in frozen north.

As much as I like knowing the map style in advance, I think it would be better to not know and have to figure it out as we explore. the single starting screen shot is enough.

Moonsinger · Mar 21, 2003

Could we have some feature of a D&D game?

For example, slay a dragon and collect a big pile of gold.

Well, just make sure that the dragon is very hard to kill; otherwise, the AIs may get to it before we do.

Zwingli · Mar 21, 2003

In an ironic twist the Romans will be included as barbarians. Our economies will be devestated by massive Legion uprisings.

jeffelammar · Mar 21, 2003

If we assume Irish Celts, then there is an alternate way we might be placed. We could end up on an Island just off the coast of a major Pangea Continent conglomerate. (Europe/Asia/Africa)

This could make for a very challenging game. Just about everyone else would have contact before we do.

??? Is there a place where they have a list of the upcoming games? I couldn't find it when looking around the GOTM site.

Megalou · Mar 23, 2003

Jeffelammar,

Check http://www.civfanatics.net/~gotm/games/
Only the tribal names are given.

I expect tough barbarians in the next game.

I also expect (and hope for) a tough game generally. The spoiler threads for the three last GOTMs show that only severe bad luck could cause a loss for most players. It comes to a point where you prefer losing early to chasing after points. (That's just my opinion, and it's awfully simplified. If it weren't for GOTM I would probably not play anything but multiplayer at all.)

RufRydyr · Mar 23, 2003

Check it out. I found the real QSC for the Celts: http://www.celticcrossroads.com/celt-062.htm I thought it was funny when searching for the history of the Celts to come across this page that looks just like a QSC.

Based upon that I now expect the start position to be on a group of 2 or 3 small islands with a pangea across about 5-10 tiles of sea/ocean. It'll look like Great Brittain with Europe across the way.

Ronald · Mar 24, 2003

Without knowing whether this is possible: Build the great wonder of stonehenge giving a temple in all of your cities

Moonsinger · Mar 24, 2003

Originally posted by Ronald
Without knowing whether this is possible: Build the great wonder of stonehenge giving a temple in all of your cities

I'm sure it's possible. It's just like building the Internet great wonder to get a lab in all cities (in GOTM17).

barron of ideas · Mar 24, 2003

St. Patrick easy temples and Cathedrals,

lucky four leaf clovers as a terrain feature,

leprachauns and pots of gold,

256 shades of green,

green beer,

cows (ya sure, ya betcha, oops, wrong accent).

Celt zer water.

Nearby English.

Taverns/Pubs

Late marriage, low birth rates.

Mod the Guerilla to IRA

replace the "grain" symbol with a potato.

Lure a lure a tourist, its an Irish Lullabyee.

Kerryman jokes.

Waterford Crystal, Beleek pottery.

Capital named blackpool, in danish.

Ireland is such a rich country because its capital is always Dublin.

Birdjaguar · Mar 24, 2003

I'm pretty sure that Cracker is planning a special set of goody huts that only human players can open. In them players will get directions to the next special hut and a clue about the only acceptable way to win the game this month. To win by another method will put a player out of the prize money for the game. The victory condtions (by when and how) will unfold slowly over a thousand years or so.

PS I'm sorry to reveal your plan before GOTM 18 launches Cracker, but I could not resist given the title of the thread you started. I will understand if you delay this idea until later this spring just to put people off the scent.

mad-bax · Mar 25, 2003

A great Leader called Boudicea.
A puzzler whose answer is "Icini tribe"
Sheep instead of cattle
Warthogs instead of game.
UU's that wear a kilt
And oh yeah, it will rain ALL the time.

I think the Stonehenge thing is a great idea, particularly if you could link it to a new resource like granite for instance.

tcjsavannah · Mar 25, 2003

Actually, I was thinking about a great leader named Larry Bird, myself...

Gotm18 - wild speculation thread

Gil Favor's Sidekick

Steve McQueen as Bullitt

Prince

Northern Light

Cunning old Celt

QSC Map Maker

Infinite Density

Chieftain

Hanafubuki

Settler

Prince

Space for rent

Money is the currency of fear

QSC Map Maker

Emperor

Settler

Barron

Hanafubuki

Deity

Wow, it's been a while...

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