******* 2metraninja's spoiler thread for Return of the Sword pitboss *******

[2metraninja]

I guess this thread is only for lurkers and all who play in Return of the Sword game will have to wait till its end before they can read it if interested at all. At least I will be very interested to read their treads once the game is finished (or for me personally).

Here is some ASCII image of Pericles to to remember to avoid accidentally clicking at this thread or hovering the cursor by any of my opponents

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Description of my games and any thoughts in the next posts.

 

[2metraninja]

So, welcome to my spoiler thread, stay a while and listen. Even comment if I manage to get your interest with my play or writings.

Some things about my opponents, as in the multiplayer the main difference and the most important factor are the human opponents.

Despite it is announced and organized at the CFC forum, most of the signed-up players are league players (www.civplayers.com).

Dont be fooled by the low count of their posts on this forum. They are not novices. Those guys from the league are really really mean and really really strong civ4 MP players. They play everyday, in every possible way and they play from years with literally 1000's of games on their account. They are also organized in clans, know each- other and most important - the are all top civ players as far as I know.

So maybe I am the most normal player in the bunch - played from Civ1 to Civ4 singleplayer or MP with some friend, from year discovered the world of the lobby internet games and the pitbosses and liked them much. Till now I started in 3 pitbosses, won the first decisively, leading decisively in the second, and being in the top3 in the third 18-players diplo pitboss. Also, I was recruited as a General for Team Amazon and now I am the current turn player for our team in the Mulity-Team-Democracy-Game2.


1. Ntenistromeros - a league player, the only one I played with before this game - we met at the 1/16 finals of the KAC cup before few months. He won with maces against my axes after couple of mistakes and mischances on my side. He was at position No.4 in the league at this time. Member of the [RU] clan, who is the current CCC world champion clan.

2. Indiansmoke - Also a league player, but he is also well- known here too, so no need for long introduction I guess. In fact we met in the MTDG2 for a while, before he step up for king Slaze to take the throne of the Merlots.

3. Voxsu - the only player I never heard of before. The only thing I found about him was that he made it to second place at one of the KAC cups - something which is not small at all by itself

4. Bemep - or Veter (from the Russian word for "wind" - Вете&#1088 Again a league player. Few times been at number 1 at the league, which speaks for itself. [RU] member too.

5. 2metraninja - my humble person, been lurking the forum for years and member from long ago. I am a league member too, but have no time to actually play lately.

6. OT4E - league member, [RU] again

7. LDeska - the leader of the Polish civ4 MP community and the KAC cup

8. Penny - League clan leader

So, as you can see, I am a bit like Alice in the Wonderland amongst all those famous top-notch players and maybe the one that most deserves your sympathy being the local boy and your encouragements as being the brave David against all those Goliaths

So much for now, the next post I will make some comments on the players choices of leaders and nations. Stay tuned

 

[bobbyboy29]

You seem lonely here 2metra! Lucky for you, you have a dedicated lurker now. This is a good chance for me (and others) to see how you go about playing MP so I hope you post some stuff (starting pos/ strategy) for our benefit! Also, I haven't looked at anyone else's spoiler but I assume I'm not allowed to give you any advice, is that correct?

 

[2metraninja]

I was so long and so hard frustrated about the restarting of the game and the great start I had there and the so-so start I had with the new roll, that I was reluctant to even write about it.
Now, as some time passed, I think I am ready to write about the game.

So, as it is a bonus +1 movement for proofing that the world is round, I got -1 great start for proofing that the world is flat in the previous start. Here is what start I had there:



and here is my medium start which I got in the new start even after moving my settler for one or two turns:



So far, so good I will say. We have seen many worst starts and still I have to play what cards have been dealt.

 

[2metraninja]

At turn 9 I here is the big picture:


It shows me, that I am the only player who decided to go for a pop2. My idea for this was to use the 2 nice flood plains which to give me slight edge on research. In fact it was about 10% - not that bad, but nothing spectacular either.

There is a coast-settled civ, which I can see form the low territory of the last in this category.

Someone who started with scout built a warrior - not bad idea in this relatively small world and the normal speed. Usually such a small land is played at quick speed, so the players are relatively safe from rushes. This map and settings might be dangerous. Especially with all those top-world-class players around. The only thing that is giving me some peace of mind is that this format games are usually decided in the long run - i.e. even if someone took a lot of energy and resources in hurting his neighbor and even if he succeeds in crippling him, it may turns out that the two of them are screwed, because their not- fighting neighbors will be ahead in techs and kill them inevitable later. The only justified war will be if you are able to actually kill completely your neighbor and have his land at your disposal to develop. Even this will be bad idea on this map with higher than noble level before the late mid-ages because of the higher maintenance costs of multiple cities.

I am feeding best and I am thinking not bad too. So far so good.

 

[2metraninja]

Here, I made some mistake, that I usually try to avoid. Because of my decision to grow to size 2 and then to 3 with farmed wheat and because of me discovering two low-beakers first-row technologies that I lacked - agricuture and then mining in the road to Bronze, I am well at the top of the score. I felt I am doing something wrong, as I usually stay in the lower half, if not at the last place at this early stage. Being at the top shows you are not producing enough workers or you are not slaving already and usually reveals a weak player. Well, it is not that I am most probably the weaker player in this game, but still I felt strange and not happy to be at the top at the moment.



Finding the Zulu 10 tiles down my capitol has added nothing good to my presentiment, exactly the opposite.

 

[2metraninja]

And it was not enough the Zulu down there in the south, but the mighty Mali were north of me, leaded by the fearsome ex-world champion Veter.



With the Zulu we somewhat made a border near their capitol, where their and my warriors are standing next to each-other on a forest tiles and just staying. However, his first warrior was able to out-maneuver mine and is camping near my capitol. the Mali warrior is doing the same in the woods north of Constantinople. Damn campers. I am working under siege, escorting my worker with double warriors, hoping for my second settler to settle in time on the copper and have enough time to chop an axe before the other Mali warriors or Zulu Impi show on the horizon. The archers are far away - I have no hunting and I must depend on copper units for now.

 

[2metraninja]

I have grown Constantinople to size 4 to be able to slave the settler for 2 pop. Was teching Polytheism to get my own religion, when someone else founds Hinduism. Well, have to live with it. Or without it.



And here I made a serious mistake. It will cost me a lot I guess. I decided to chop for the Constantinople granary to use my super - food to grow and slave a lot of production. So I went to chop forest for the capitol instead for the copper city. I settled directly on the copper and go for an axe, as I saw one more Mali warrior somewhere near our border and I wanted to be sure. I still think I will have enough time and the staying calm their first warrior is making me confident somehow that they are not here to mess with me.