Challenge-VIII-03

[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: Diplomatic (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Immortal
• Starting Era: Ancient
• Map Size: Standard
• Map Type: Fractal
• Speed: Normal
• Required: No Tribal Villages, No Random Events
• Must Not Be Checked: No Barbarians
• Civ: Mali (Mansa Musa)
• Opponents: Must include Egypt (Hatshepsut), England (Elizabeth), Holy Roman Empire (Charlemange), Persia (Darius), Portugal (Joao), Spain (Isabella)
• Version: 3.19.003
• Date: 8th June to 8th October 2012

Must not play as Inca.
The earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

 

[ric_hard]

Any idea how to play this one?

 

[vranasm]

Any idea how to play this one?

diplomation would be probably the easiest, but maybe not the quickest route.

you will most probably need to generate couple of fractal maps and choose "pangeaish" one.

 

[Ozbenno]

Don't rule out a friendlier route to victory. You could probably create a block of friends (Liz, Hatty, Joao and Darius maybe) and get the points this way.

 

[vranasm]

Don't rule out a friendlier route to victory. You could probably create a block of friends (Liz, Hatty, Joao and Darius maybe) and get the points this way.

I won't say otherwise, but certainly involves much more a** kissing then just vassaling 3-4 AI's to get over 65% votes (or how many it is for UN, can't remember now) since vassals are bound to vote for you.

I have a feeling that massive vassaling won't be quicker then your mentioned method of taking the best of AI's, but involves much more planning then vassaling with Cuirs/Cavs.

 

[ric_hard]

Thx for tips, I didn't know that peacemonger approach may work here. My first attemp is to get max crowded map and 3 or 4 AI's on my continent, then wipe them out before optics and then beeline to MM.

anyway UU is not optimal for early rush so i will try with axes, if RNG god will help me i think it is possible, is it?

And after rush what what type of economy will be better?

 

[Manco Capac]

Now, I wonder why I abused mapfinder while the challenger V...seriously, this was the first attempt where I deemed (a.k.a. few generations away from the very first map decent and a single gold tile over my usual 3-5 high commerce starts) and I broke the fastest threshold for all immortal normal speed diplo victory.

From now on, finish the thought process more high commerce start means easier and necessary faster dates. It is a wrong assumption. And pretty glad I'm less discouraged over small bad luck. Those stoopid >95% battle losses...

I chose the typical copper-rape method.

Spoiler :

Lol at the score. 300k is the typical domination, not fast diplo victory.

 

[ric_hard]

Felicitation Tachywaxon!

Can you write some succint write-up about your strategy?
How you manage switch from rush phase to research phase?

I have try few times to go on war path (inspired by your perfectly played G-major 93 and very intresting discussion tread), but I do always some wrong decision somwhere and I fall behind in science and economy.

Anyway I get one victory without waring I am happy to win this one, score and date is not so important for me. This is my first true immortal victory.

 

[Manco Capac]

Merci, mon cher. Sure I'll share some insights as it is more fruitious than "look how beautiful I am post" lol.

Well, I wanted complete control on global populations and easy targets (closer ones).
That means high sea levels and max opponents. That way it is easier to abuse some while harvesting good relationship with the remainings.

Copper-rape is getting copper within capital (which surprised me quite a lot). Before axe rush, I make my worker stealing economy strategy, that is worker stealing all my close neighbours. That way I invest only in militia and cities. Wonders too in the right situation.

Each settler stolen, rush for ceasefire to push the AI to retrain another one and avoiding training archers one after one. While at war, AI trains archers and while at peace they train peaceful things first. Giv'em fake peaces.
And stealing many folks at once mean many warriors and means more power and less resilience to ceasefire. If possible attack you first city with axes before T50 if copper is in BFC as you get less cultural defenses. And attack as a surprise to get them pants down.

As regards economical decisions and victory ones:

• Oracle preferably Metal Casting a build asap a forge. I built a forge in my oracle city and 50% gambled GEngineer or GProphet. Later I got another GEngineer at 33%. I built a super early Jesus status wonder for the lulz.
• Pyramids are a must as you pop many GScientists.
• Try to get pottery before your first military onsets. You need some basic economy to survive.
• GArtist should be used for GAge or Mass Media once Drama tech is gotten from the AI.
• Try to gather mass fail gold from useless wonders for the victory.
• GLibrary is important and Parthenon too.
• Try to keep some forest tiles in the capital so you can chop them to complete the U.N. in one turn. Usually the GEngineer will provide around 800 and the rest can be completed with spare forests boosted with OrgRel, Forges (here the UB) and most importantly Bureaucracy.
  

 

[ric_hard]

Thx Tachywaxon, "worker stealing economy strategy" is something realy important to improve in my games.

 

[WastinTime]

[*]Try to keep some forest tiles in the capital so you can chop them to complete the U.N. in one turn.

You should have no problem chopping out the UN in 1 turn in just about any city. I wouldn't bother saving forests in the capital unless it's convenient. 6-8 forests should do it.

 

[Manco Capac]

You should have no problem chopping out the UN in 1 turn in just about any city. I wouldn't bother saving forests in the capital unless it's convenient. 6-8 forests should do it.

My capital had a bunch of 4th culture ring forests, just enough for completing the U.N.
Indeed, keeping a city for the completing the U.N. is dependant of the game.

 

[Manco Capac]

Extraordinary! AAA is taking me down! Excellent job. In your position, that should be easy. Now, you know the strongest dates. For instance, knowing bcool score in challenger VIII #6 helped me as a reference. If I'm going good to beat it or I scrap the game.

How many attempt did you make? If one, I expect no less from such a dangerous HoF players like you. In my book, you are one of my immortal worst rival!

Shame you took the games (on plural) I wanted to retry the least. And I almost I have no time anymore.

And, admit it, you dirty punk..you waited I finished to pick on me.