Challenge-I-09

[Ozbenno]

While the general Hall of Fame is an ongoing competition, we are running a series of ten games called the Hall of Fame Challenge Series. Standard Hall of Fame rules (*) still apply, but any games meeting the settings of one of the games will be counted towards the Challenge.

(*) Please read the >> HOF rules << BEFORE playing!​

Settings:

• Victory Condition: Space Colony (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Deity
• Starting Era: Ancient
• Map Size: Small
• Map Type: Terra
• Speed: Marathon
• Required: Aggressive AI
• Must Not Be Checked: No Barbarians
• Civ: Inca (Huayna Capac)
• Opponents: Must include America (Lincoln), England (Victoria), France (Louis XIV), Ottoman (Mehmed II)
• Version: 3.19.002 or 3.19.003
• Date: 1st January to 30th April 2010

The earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

 

[Ozbenno]

The Inca is back. Quecha rushing is on the menu. As taken from the suggestion thread by babybluepants.

 

[ZPV]

The HOF page requires Lincoln instead of Hammurabi. I assume that one is correct, since including Babylon in a quechua rush game is self-defeating and not an awful lot of fun.

 

[Ozbenno]

The HOF page requires Lincoln instead of Hammurabi. I assume that one is correct, since including Babylon in a quechua rush game is self-defeating and not an awful lot of fun.

I realised that when I set up the game and thought I had changed the OP as well but guess not, changed now, Lincoln it is.

 

[babybluepants]

As taken from the suggestion thread by babybluepants.

This just might be the motivation I need to get through a marathon game.

 

[WastinTime]

I thought his intent was to get the Inca back where they belong in the #1 spot...but they already have the #1 small map spot.

If the goal was to see the best date ever, It's a shame you are forcing Terra, since some might prefer a different map to get a really fast date.

But I guess this challenge isn't about best space game, cus I see you also have Aggressive AI...
so anyway, looks like a fun challenge, just not what I recall babybluepants was suggesting.

 

[babybluepants]

^ That was the intent. Still, maybe this isn't the right venue for it, given that the series as a whole is quite time-consuming... What would be the fastest map, in your opinion?

 

[WastinTime]

What would be the fastest map, in your opinion?

The problem I have with Terra is that I think it slows the AI too much when they try to colonize the west. Yes, I'm saying the Deity AI is too slow researching! You want to be able to trade tech with them.

I'd think Inland Sea or Pangaea are better.

The good thing about Terra is you can sail over and pop free Astronomy pretty easily.

 

[Ozbenno]

Terra was the suggested map BTW. The only things I took liberties with was the size of the map and the opponents.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

. Why is the ottoman "tied for #1 unitspammer" in there X_X. Successful games probably cut down him or louis early. Deity is generally daunting but I get the feeling that this is much, much easier than standard settings deity, although a competitive finish time is another matter...

Edit: FWIW, the only one of these AIs that plots war at pleased is Louis, so if you want a total peaceful game after a quecha slaughterfest, you know who you want to see early on.

 

[shulec]

I am quickly learning about Quechua rushes. If my conclusions are wrong, please correct me.

1. Don't get greedy! In my best start, I got carried away with conquering and the AI that I wasn't warring against ran away with techs.
2. Biggest Quechua killer--cash flow problems.
3. I love that those j-hole AI can't whip more archers!
4. Your first wave of Quechuas will have to be bigger since they are unpromoted units, the subsequent will not need to be as big if you have some promoted Quechuas that survived the first round.
5. When taking the last city of a civ, herd all workers into the city before you destroy it, or you will lose them.
6. You can have too many workers. If cash reserves are low, these workers, which may be sitting around picking their noses, may be detrimental.
7. Researching fishing as the second tech is imperative. The cash from lakes and sea tiles is huge.
8. I found mining to be the best first tech, as there is usually gold in one of your first cities, and bronze working can then be your third tech.
9. Marathon is killing me, but it is my best Ally.

 

[WastinTime]

You have some very wise observations shulec. I particularly like:
1, and 7, but they're all good...except, in my experience, fishing isn't needed quite that soon and bronze is not important. I usually trade for that, but then I've never been an early chopper.

It's important to make it to alphabet before your economy slows too much. So, like you wrote, don't get greedy, and let fishing carry you. Once you've got a good base (only around 6-8 cities on a small map), the quechua can retire as city police. Work on lib/univ/oxford. You can pull them out of retirement some day when they're upgraded to macemen.

 

[shulec]

I was also surprised at how fast the AI barbs spawned cities. I look forward to putting the Quechua beat down on those barb archers.

Somewhere on these boards I heard someone say that if a city has culture, it will not be raised if its population is "1". I disagree and assert that if a city has never reached a pop of "2" it will auto-raze not matter the level of culture. Opinions?

This game is also gratifying with the RNG. I was pleased with number of battles I won with 6-18% odds of victory. It rubs me raw when I lose 85-95% odds battles, but I rarely engage in battles with such a low chance of victory. My quechuas selflessly sacrifice themselves (hee! hee! hee!) against insurmountable odds and win every once in a while.

 

[shulec]

In my experience, fishing isn't needed quite that soon and bronze is not important. I usually trade for that, but then I've never been an early chopper.

I found that I needed BW to whip monuments to expand my cities' bfc's, to grab more tiles with .

 

[AutomatedTeller]

For inca, the granary (terrace) gives 2 culture.

 

[WastinTime]

I have also seen a city with 20% culture defense get auto-razed.

AT, is correct, you'd never want a monument with Terrace available.
I find that I can either live with the nine tile square, or pray for religion to pop borders

I like to save chops for after math to get Terrace/Lib/Univ.

 

[shulec]

Point taken. Monuments are not the best idea. Thank you.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Point taken. Monuments are not the best idea. Thank you.

Another alternative is capturing the AI City with Stonehenge, assuming its not too far away, given the Victory goal of this Challenge.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[shulec]

Edit: FWIW, the only one of these AIs that plots war at pleased is Louis, so if you want a total peaceful game after a quecha slaughterfest, you know who you want to see early on.

Victoria declared at pleased in my current game.

 

[ChrisFromLux]

Victoria declared at pleased in my current game.

Yes, Victoria and Louis have a 20%-chance to declare war at pleased ...