GOTM 30 Spoiler II - End of Middle Age, Full Map, all contacts

This is the second spoiler for GOTM 30: Spain

To read and post in this thread, you should have satisfied the following conditions:

1. Have a full map of the world.
2. Have contacts with all other civilizations.
3. Have reached the end of the middle ages (researching the industrial ages).

You may post maps from the middle ages, but please: no maps from the industrial ages. Don't want to give away the locations of those industrial resources.

PTW - 1.27

Wow 2 for 2 on the first post

So far so good on the peaceful approach to winning - One very brief war with no casualties on my side in the ancient times and peace since then. No wars at all in the middle ages.

This report begins at the start of the Middle Ages in 480 AD, quite late for a GOTM, but the islands map delayed contact and slowed the tech trading pace. Built my Forbidden Palace in Barcelona hoping to someday get a Great Leader and move my palace to a second core site. Got most of the early MA techs from Great Library, however 40 turn gambits worked on Invention & Printing Press. Barcelona built Leo's Workshop in 1000 AD and all those spearman got promoted to muskets. A couple of tech for gpt deals pushed my economy into high gear allowing 4 turn techs at 90% science & 10% lux with a positive cash flow. Started what would prove to be a long term horses + 2gpt for dyes deal with the Vikings to help with unhappy people. - With 5 luxuries and marketplaces all around, I revolted to Democracy in 1280 AD to further reduce corruption. Successful pre-builds led to Smith's Trading Post in 1325 AD & Magellan's in 1330 AD. With the discovery of Magnetism in entered the Industrial Age in 1355 AD.

Resource report: So far so good, with 3 irons, 2 horses & 3 saltpeters, plus wool, wine and imported dyes, furs and silks.

I'm the largest in land, population, GNP and wealth plus the technology leader, but the at the bottom of the pile in military.

With a 2+ tech lead on everyone else I hoping for a sweep of the IA wonders and a tech selling induced runaway science lead. As long as I keep the gpt deals flowing, I might be able to remain peaceful til the end. Shooting for either Diplomatic (will for UN just in case) or Space, depending on resource & playing time.

My to the GOTM staff for a very enjoyable game, with a game with a different challenge than any recent GOTM. Keep up the excellent work.

Ancient age

Here is the turn when I enterered the middle ages:



As you can see, I created a little war with the backward Vikings. I had no hope of actually finnishing them off, only to create a little pond to fish for Great Leaders. The military advisor said their military was larger than mine, and they had no swordsmen, so this was a good uppertunity I thought. I captured Nidaros the same turn, and killed some archers. In my quest for great leaders I took some chances and let archers attack my elite swordsmen, but most chances failed and I ended up with 3 swordsmen to guard Nidaros, only one elite. So I had to make peace after a little while. No great leader.

At 90 ad I remembered a little trick. Since Persia is a scientific civ, I gave them the techs needed for them to go into the middle age, and so they got a free tech the same turn. Then I could trade for this new tech:



I think the Keltoi is also scientific and I could try the same with them hoping to get a new tech, but I wanted to keep them backwards. They had luxuries I wanted later and when my knights arrived, I didn't want them defending their cities with musketeers and pikemen.

I went into building mode after this. My cities built aqueducts and marketplaces, which were a great boost to economy. Workers joined cities, I started some wonders and built about 29 veteran horsemen preparing for war with the English. Around 400 ad I discovered Chivalry and attacked the english. Soon after I took their main island leaving them with only one city after peace. I had some major losses because I had a few knights in cities that were lost due to culture. No screenshots, this was too intense . When the war was over, I decided it was time to finish the Vikings. Here is a screenshot at the year 670 ad:



The Keltoi were next and I finally got my first great leader and created an army:



After 3 big wars, I had lost half of my force of knights with only 18 knights remaining (out of 29). I researched everything wrong or not at all, so I didn't enter the industrial age until 1040 ad.

Here are two screenshots of the year 1040 ad:




The wonders I built during the middle ages were The Great Library (70 bc in Madrid), STC (740 ad in Madrid), CoO (750 ad in Barcelona), Magellan (820 ad in Seville), and Forbidden palace sometime in Salamanca.

At the beginning of the MA in 70AD i Captured all cities on the English island. They were not destroyed because they had a city left on a small island far away from us. Due to the lack of leaders i started the FP in London (200 turns !!).

As planned I triggered my GA with Sistine Chapel builded in Madrid 800AD. I decided not to build more MA wonders and concentrated on Infrastructure instead. Usually i build banks, cathedrals and universities during my GA. Not this time.

I researched quick along the Military tradition path, builded an army of 20+ knights, made a mass upgrade to cavalry and finished off the Vikings in 5 turns. I had 20+ won elite battles during this game but no leader to rush FP in London.

I also made huge gpt deals, which allowed the lux slider to be on 0% and the science slider on 100% and made a lot of money. This allowed me to rush most Universities and banks, so that i had a well builded infrastructure at the end of MA.

I entered the IA around 1200AD.

Plans: Rushing factories, coal plants, Hospitals and build rails very quickly. I want to build all wonders except Hoover. Huge tech for gpt deals of course to support a gigantic army. I hope i can achieve a conquest victory with Tanks and artillery at the end of IA. The FP in London will be finished then, so we can build up our military quickly.

Biggest mistake: Worker automation in the Middle of MA. How stupid is the AI? Until hospitals you can only have cities at size 12. Why does he irrigate the mined tiles??? Of course i corrected this. No more worker automation.

Screenshot from the end of MA:

Open 1.29f

Victory Type:

Space Race; yet to win a GOTM by this option. I've not won any by Conquest or Culture either, but... I could switch to Conquest; however, I feel I should have started the game w/ a culture victory goal to reach it. I built no AA GWs, no chance for the latter.

Middle Age Goals:

* Take control of England's starting landmass and build FP in London, creating second core.
* Continue expansion, peacefully or aggressively, by contained wars for the smaller islands.
* Gain tech parity, or possibly the tech lead, through trade, peace treaties, and own research.

470 AD - 1000 AD

* Settled Galicia.
* Contact made w/ last civ (Persia).
* DoW on England (510 AD); captured English cities of Coventry & Nottingham.
* Signed peace treaty w/ England (660 AD) for Republic, 6g, & worker.
* Spain becomes a republic (670 AD).
* Trade horses & 60 gold to Vikings for Monotheism & trade my only source of wool to Vikings for Feudalism & 14 gold (750 AD).
* Break peace treaty w/ England (800 AD) and capture London in 810 AD.
* Sign peace deal w/ England (900 AD) for Chivalry; the RNG god was not kind to the Spanish forces.
* At 920 AD, Spain tops the histograph with 826 to America's 781.

1000 AD - 1555 AD

* Lose Liverpool (1120 AD) to Keltoi by culture flip, not unexpected.
* DoW Persia (1160 AD) to remove their lone city (capture Hamadan) from southern landmass (my second core) and to gain a tech in what will likely be a short war w/ Persia's distance from Spain's spere of influence. Same turn -> sign alliance v. Persia w/ China for my second iron source. IBT -> Trade horses to Vikings for 2 luxuries.
* Persia signs alliances w/ America (1190 AD) & England (1200 AD) v. Spain.
* Make peace w/ Perisa, gaining 80 gold & tm; gift 1 gpt deals to Tokugawa & Keltoi to encourage them to maintain neutrality.
* Lost Aragon to America in1270 AD, but it flips back on the very next turn.
* Make peace w/ America in 1285 AD after I capture Detroit, gaining tm, 21 gold, & 5 gpt. America is in the Industrial Age which is of some concern to me regarding tech race.
* England razes Aragon (1290 AD), but I settle New Aragon w/ a rushed settler.
* Capture Canterbury (1325 AD) and Hastings (1340 AD).
* York offering fierce resistence in the offensive 1360 AD; Spain's first GL (Sertorius) emerges during assault; Forbidden Palace rushed in London next turn.
* Keltoi attempts to extort wool (1370 AD) from Spain, attempt denied and Keltoi declares war; Spain signs alliance w/ Tokugawa (giving wool ) v. Keltoi.
* Make peace (1430 AD) w/ Keltoi, receiving 40 gold; trade wool to Keltoi for 15gpt; make peace w/ England (York still in England's possession) for Printing Press; having researched Chemistry, Spain trades it to England for Education.
* Keltoi captured York from England during their war, which leads Spain to break treaty w/ Keltoi and RoP aggreement to seize York ASAP. Spain captures York (1445 AD)! Trade wool to Tokugawa for 21gpt; trade iron to America for 43 gpt; Spain leads histograph (1445 AD) w/ 1256 to America's 1050.
* Trade saltpeter to Persia for 14gpt.
* Two civs building Universal Suffrage (1475 AD); Spain's concern over tech race increase.
* Trade Metallurgy & 10 gold to England for Astronomy & Music Theory; trade silks to Tokugawa for 21 gpt.
* Make peace w/ Keltoi, gaining wm for 35 gold in deal; trade silk to Keltoi fr 11gpt.
* Researched Theory of Gravity (1555 AD) sends Spain into the Industrial Age.

Assessment / Outlook

I'm beginning to make ground in the tech race, and I feel the protracted wars between many of the world's civs will ****** their research. Set plans to build the ToE in London, by rushing infrastructure in London and starting palace pre-build. At this stage, I'm feeling better about my situation than at the end of the AA. America and Tokugawa may be my only serious rivals in the future, but plans are made to whittle away America's and Tokugawa's perimeter cities (on islands).

Open PTW1.27f

"I thought cultural assimilation was supposed to be painless."

I started building temples and expanding to other islands. Then I began the conquest phase in around 190CE by attacking England. Conquests lasted until 1200CE when I reached domination limit. As can be seen, this war period was very bad for my culture:

I lost one city to Persians by cultural conversion near the end.

I was in Monarchy during the long wars and didn't have any gold for rushing. But then I began rushing and the culture started to grow rapidly. In the end, I gained 1500 cpt which was still low, but I was still rushing cathedrals after temples and libraries.

Here's the minimap:


Playtime was about 16h.

Open civ 1.29f

Going for a 20k cultural victory...

Lots of wonders to get in the middle ages, -in the end I got all the crucial ones. Sadly, despite almost perpetual war against the english and the Keltoi, I didn't generate any great leaders :-( This was exceptionally annoying, especially as the deliberately slow pace of conquest that I embarked on nixed my score as well...

Anyway. By triggering a golden age with a Missionary, and thanks to a bit of luck in the AI research priorities, I managed to build in Madrid

AA - Temple, Library, Oracle, Great Library, Hanging Gardens

Cathedral 430 AD
Colloseum 490 AD
Sistene Chapel 810 AD
Copernicus 1070 AD
University 1090 AD
JS Bach 1265 AD
Newton's University 1345
Shakepeare 1435.

I'd gone into the IA sometime between the last 2 wonders. Can't exactly remember when. :-(

Well thanks to the lack of Great Leaders I guess the chance of quickest 20k is gone, although I don't think that there was much I could have done about it...

P.s game submitted - I had to reload about 10 times on the final turn since for some reason I was missing a bunch of leader pics...something to do with conquests? Hmm. sorry mods!

Well, I'm still in the game! Not having built any wonders, I did not get my GA prior to the industrial era. I was lagging badly in tech until I got a trade route to the Han Dynasty. One surplus Saltpeter netted Navigation and Economics, and enough gold to boost my research. While the Smith's and Magellan wonders were built, my science advisor calmed down a bit.

I managed to get the Forbidden Palace built in London while researching Steam Power. I was coveting the Vikings luxuries, when thoughts turned back to England. I sent 4 Cav against one city, and 4 Cav with 4 of those Inqisitor guys against the other. Got my Golden Age!

Now researching industrialization, and planning to use the GA to get some factories built. Still down Nationalism, and Medicine to Persia... but I think I'm in okay shape. I might even try for a wonder!

At the moment I'm thinking about a spaceship or possibly even diplomatic victory. My Diplomacy situation has improved much since the middle ages. Prior to finishing England off, everybody was polite. The Vikings and Persians are now cautious, but I think they'll forgive me for kicking Elizabeth off the planet...

Archipelago maps are not my strong suit, and the differential naval movement took a little getting used to. I know there are people doing much better, but I'm pleased to be in this one.

I had goal, 100k Culture before 1500AD. I achieved it, but not with traditional ways.

1000BC
428 cul, +16 cpt
10BC
2707 cul, +86 cpt
1000AD
23598 cul, +611 cpt
1350AD
61328 cul, +1272 cpt
1495AD
100183 cul, +1422 cpt

Research:
Full Pottery, 40t Writing, Full Map Making, Literature, Philosophy. Then freezed research. Waited for CoL, full Republic and formed new goverment 280BC. I had all 7 contacts by 450BC. I did my best to delay contacts between AI. ie. not to sell Map Making, declared wars. I was first on MA 130AD. I rushed on Banking and Chivalry, then stopped research.

Wars:
I had small army, no MPs etc. AI was most passive than I have ever seen. There wasn�t any other wars except wars where I declared. Apparently I got a few attitude hits when I broke 20 turn peace treaties. I thought I could expand a little, but it went better than I planned:



Wonders:
590BC - Great Lighthouse. I built it to speed up conquest phase. Differental naval movement
with Sea and Ocean tiles, fast indeed.
270AD Colossus captured from Han.
270AD Palace prebuild changed on Great Wall to trigger GA.

Economy:
How I did built all those culture buildings. My best was +250gpt and it was on GA. I nearly ran deficit:




I had everything irrigated, even with ICS (~200 towns) growth were moderate good. Every ~20 turns I changed goverment type on Despotism. Pop rushed corrupted cities to 1 pop. Then switched back on Democracy. Cpt increased 50-250! I Religious trait. I learned something new (for me atleast). During one turn anarchy cpt isnt halved. I could have done it more often as I had 8 luxs, riots werent problem.

Build orders:
Core cities: Temple - Library - Marketplace - "aqueduct", "harbour" - Bank - Cathedral - University - Colosseum. Settlers and military units between.
Corrupted cities: Temple ("pop/gold rush") - Settlers until island full ("gold rush") - Cathedral ("pop rush") - Library ("pop rush") - Colosseum ("pop rush").


Pop rushing clearly decreased the per-turn score:




Ainwood & staff great map.

Starting in the middle ages a lot of seafighting with pirate galleons happens. I lose some galleons, but not too many.

270 AD

The 2 luxury trade with Tokugawa expires, I can’t renew it, cause I traded technologies. Instead I get furs from Brennus for Literature, Construction and 21 gold. I could get vines or dyes from the vikings for techs (they still miss 4 ancient age techs), but they too have no road from their capitol to their harbor, so I pack 2 workers on a galleon and ship over to build it (will need 7 turns to finish it). In the meantime I pay 16 gpt for 10% luxury (still cheaper than buying from Tokugawa).
Theology in 10, madrid starts prebuild for sixtine chapel.

290 AD

Lincoln asks us to join his war on terrrrorrroorrrrrissmmm. We are not as stupid as our descendants will be.



300 AD

Despite Spain being the culture leader El Mundo flips to the Han Dynasty

310 AD

Warwick filps from Elisabeth to us

320 AD

The road to the Vikings is finished, we get Dyes, Wines and 11gold for Republic, Literature and Currency

350 AD

Theologie researched, research set to: Education, Astronomy, Banking, Printing Press, Democracy; Sixtine in 30 turns

370 AD

My game crasheds numerous times to the desktop

The area of my big gpt deals starts with 44gpt + Feudalism for Theologie from Lincoln. I trade it around every time for slightly less.

530 AD

Again numerous crashes and reloads, when using Alt-Tab to switch from Civ to Notepad or whatever it crashes soon after that. Never had that before with any application but so be it. I just hope that won’t hinder me submitting!?

From now on everything runs smooth Education, Astronomy, Invention, Gunpowder, Economics. I sell my techs for gpt and luxuries when I have at least 2 more the AI does not have. Instead of paying for luxuries and running out of gold I get filthy rich. I research in 4 turns and don’t even need 100% research. I keep having 6-7 luxuries – 3 local, rest import.

610 AD

I finish Sixtine Chapel and the “We love the king day parade” starts. Some towns did stay in WLTKD till now.

860 AD

Entering the industial age.

890 AD

I got Adam Smiths and it triggers my Golden Age and I hurry for Scientific Method.

1070 AD

The golden age finally gives me a reasonable time to build a Forbidden Palace in Mallorca.

1160 AD

I research replacable parts…nice placing of rubber Ainwood

Now at
1240 AD

I have about 40 rounds left till I can build the UN. Madrid will be producing around 55 shields then, so I can hit it with a prebuild in the same round. Shortly before that, I will switch to Democracy – as all others are in – and give away some techs. If all runs well Lincoln will stand no chance in this vote.

All in all it really payed off to get 3 luxuries myself – even if ivory and vines had to be connected by just building one city far off and rushing a harbor and a temple there. The starting gamble, neglecting all “usefull” techs and running straight for Republic was my other big plus. I did not make a single attack on any civ by now and hope that it will stay that way.

PTW, predator

i will come up with my summary later. i am still going for a 20k victory, it will be late but it will happen.


has anybody of you noticed this:



i always thought floodplains would be located beside a river, but that one doesnt, and it doesnt get the commerce bonus as well... strange.

OOps

Can someone explain why Julia has Korea as Civ in the gotm instead of Persia?

well, i wondered, too... maybe its the version? everything else seemed to be similar, just korea instead of persia.

i am using PTW, v1.27f

did xerxes have junks? korea did, if i recall correctly

Originally posted by Leibniz
OOps

Can someone explain why Julia has Korea as Civ in the gotm instead of Persia?

Click to expand...

Is it unique to the Predator game?

Hmmm, its a bit mysterious...

Another thing i wondered in my game was, that the Han (or Tokugawa, dont remember) had a junk (still in AA) which was able to ship in ocean tiles. I had not this ability although i had built the Great Lighthouse.

Predator 1.27f PTW

I had the Koreans as well. They were very nice to me, gave me lots of gold. When AlanH mentioned his light green friends in the first spoiler I thought he was beginning to see things.
I entered the industrial age in 1060 AD. I didn't do a great deal in the MA apart from take an island off the Tokegawa. After the the celts sneaked attacked me at the beginning of the M.A. - I just fought defensively - they sued for peace eventually gifting me some cities including one on the English island.

Originally posted by Leibniz
OOps

Can someone explain why Julia has Korea as Civ in the gotm instead of Persia?

Click to expand...

Please accept my apologies -> this is a mistake on my part.

It has created a slight disparity between Civ/Mac Predator and PTW predator players.

Open & Conquest are unnaffected.

no problem ainwood, just wondered about the Koreans as I saw Julias screenshot.

Xerxes was very nice to me this time when he voted for me as Un general secretary

What about the Han? Do they really have additional seefairing abilities?

Ancient Age report-ette.

After completing the Gr. Lib. Spain became a Monarchy. In 500AD we captured the last English city. The major problem with the war is that it didn't generate a leader for the FP.
Building it brick for brick in Londen was not an option. Finally I built it in a southern town on our core island, which got the English cities a bit productive but it was a mistake that cost me a quick finish.

Gotta run, more info later.

edit: I did consider disbanding Madrid, since it had no improvements for a long time, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Call me sentimental, I am.

In 600AD I switched to Republic to generate some money for the Horse -> Knight upgrades. I hoped to get a Golden Age with Sistines, I got Sistines built in time, but it was not to be. So I needed either Magellan's or Smiths' too.

In the Middle Ages I left the research to the AI, and traded to get Isabella a lot of money to burn. I had not built a single Library upto that point.

In 1255AD we were ready for the war against the Celts, the Celts were trailing the world in techs, while we had Cavs... it was a massacre.

In 1305AD we bought Theory of Gravity and entered the Industrial Age.

Well this is my first GOTM, and my first post in the spoiler. I wish I had kept better track of what went on. I can sum it up like this didn't have much money, way behind in tech, and couldn't win a war against the girl scouts. Then again this was my first game above regent. I suppose if I had kept better notes some of you could help my techniques. But I have learned alot from reading all of your posts.