GOTM-02: First Spoiler:

[Memphus]

You really think we are that evil? C'mon!

No not at all, but that being said I am always nervous that I won't be able to get my at least a full hour of gameplay in. Especially if I am in the middle of a war Sometimes I sit on the same turn for 20-25 min to plan everything out write out notes for buildings, plans for GP. So from load # X to load # Y could be 5 turns, which might look funny

So with that in mind with a fiancee, job etc, I find myself starting to play at 10ish at night (we don't live together) so I know I can play untill 12 (which usually ends up at 1 or 2 )

 

[AlanH]

Concentrate on your game and your relationships and your real life, not on what I or ainwood might think of you. If you play honestly and to the sprit of the rules you have nothing to fear. If we are concerned about your playing style we'll contact you, but we're very reasonable. At least, I think so ... but then, I guess I would

 

[Oggums]

I starting this game last night, and I was happily building up units with a plan to steal Isabella's horses and holy city, when I get a dialog box at 160 BC....

"You have been defeated."

Followed by the stats and replay end-game junk, and "Just one more turn"

What gives? No indication why the game abrubtly ended.

 

[AlanH]

The Replay should tell you what the outcome was. It does seem strange, as you'd know if you were conquered, I guess, assuming you had animations enabled. And there aren't any other victory conditions that could happen that early as far as I know.

If you are unable to work it out, submit the game or send me the files at gotm_submit@civfanatics.net and I'll have a look at it and let you know who the game says won and what the victory condition was.

 

[Oggums]

The Replay should tell you what the outcome was. It does seem strange, as you'd know if you were conquered, I guess, assuming you had animations enabled. And there aren't any other victory conditions that could happen that early as far as I know.

If you are unable to work it out, submit the game or send me the files at gotm_submit@civfanatics.net and I'll have a look at it and let you know who the game says won and what the victory condition was.

After clicking "one more turn" I exited the game, then continued playing from the 160 BC auto-save, the most recent save. Which didn't seem to be after my "defeat."

I also reloaded the turn before and saved it, but I've already tried to reproduce it without any luck.

Is there a way to tell if you're in "just one more turn" mode?

The game score and event log is in my Hall of Fame records, with no victory. The only entry at 160 BC is the amount of time played. There's no way I was conquered. I had three cities with archers/axemen and the only thing close was a couple barbarian warriors that were doing nothing but promoting my axes. Those were killed in 180 BC anyway, so there wasn't even any unts next to any of my cities at the time.

 

[AlanH]

Send me the save file you want to continue with if you can, and I'll see if it has registered an end-of-game condition. If it hasn't then you should be able to play on to an eventual conclusion and we'll have to put it down to a glitch or corruption somewhere. Might also be worth while to run a memory test utility to ensure that your hardware is sound.

 

[Renata]

Well...I loaded the save, then my gf told me to turn the computer off and spend time with her. Session 3 started in the first turn so I wont be submitting this game

My session three started in the first turn, too, and I have no idea why. I don't remember opening, looking around, saving and quitting, but I guess I must have.

Anyway, yeah, we're not that evil.

@ Memphus -- If you're really worried about too many disruptions getting you nailed for reloads, you could try leaving the game running between "sessions". Your time played will be artificially inflated, but you'll have fewer reloads.

 

[cp30]

Units, units, units might have been what was killing your economy. Or did you just have too many cities? I know there have been some games where my cities have had nothing to build except units, but my economy was so bad that I didn't even want to build units. Usually if I'm in that situation I switch all cities to max commerce/minimum production and possibly even disband some units to fix my economy. Build cottages all over and even work 1 food coastal tiles if needed.

edit: Another option is to take those units and go raze a couple cities for a huge gold boost. Use that gold boost to get a couple much needed techs at defecit research (code of laws for courthouses if possible).

I think that my economic problem was due to too many spread out cities. I tried to minimize production and maximize food/commerce, but until I got pottery (which seemed like an eternity at 20% beakers), i was very limited.

My final solution as I realized I could only produce mass units was to BUILD MASS UNITS and invade. I took 3 of Isabella' cities (including Madrid which had founded 2 religions) within a few turns and then turned down a peace treaty so I could continue picking off her units. She finally offered a tech and gold and I "convinced" her to give me 2 techs instead.

 

[Tauro]

edit

all deleted for a final spoiler, it's better.
I'll post later a mini spoiler till 1000 AD

 

[Tventano]

Elizabeth GOTM2
This is my first lakes map and only my second epic game. I normally play on monarch, continents.

Founded London in place.
Because of lakes and financial heavy science is possible, try to get an early religion.
Founded Hinduism in 3160BC (Buddhism in 3560BC by Montezuma)

Start with a warrior, when start with a worker and Agriculture. After that Animal Husbandry and a settler, which can found a nice gems city. Because of the heavy food I need slavery, so start on Bronze working, but first get the water working by researching sailing for the lighthouse.
When the first settler is ready (1900BC) start some warriors to remove the fog in the north to prevent barbs from spawning.

The settler was killed by a panther just when they arrived at the intended gemstown. Or epic has more barbs or it is the lakes map, but the amount of animals is really higher than I am used to.

1775 BC not only stone just SW of London, but also marble in the NE at the border of the ice. But the tundra is not really attractive, so forget about it.
The pasture is ready, so focus on growth first.

1500BC researched Sailing. Now to Bronze working, first have to build warriors to keep off the bears and barbs. No barracks yet, but cannot afford the time to built it.

1375BC enough warriors. Now first Lighthouse to build the coming settlers with decent research.

1150 BC Lighthouse ready, start on a settler.
1100 BC Bronze working researched. do not need slavery yet, but the chopping may help. Copper is plenty full at all sides of us. Now go for Writing (to get a library)
980 BC chopped a settler.
920 BC, barb town west of the stone. York (gems town) founded, never founded my second city so late in the game. It will be my production city, start with barracks.
840 BC settler ready, start on library, chopping it. Go for alphabet, I want to exchange knowledge with all my new friends
780 BC Nottingham, wine city also starts on barracks
720 BC library in London finished, two scientists and start on settler. My religion still did not spread to York yet, athough they are nicely connected through the river (and lake).
620 BC first barb archers spotted.
520 BC Nottingham overrun by barbs. Better start with barracks in London, the settler was just finished and will go east.
460 BC Great scientist, builds Academy in London
420 BC London survives the barb attack (warrior + archer), with just a defense of two unpromoted warriors. Alphabet. Deal with Saladin and Washington. Founded Hastings, start with working boat.
380 BC Traded with Mansa Musa and Washington.
300 BC Hastings razed by barbs.
260 BC York captured by barbs. Barracks in London almost finished. Will build archers first, although I doubt they are a match for the barb axmen.
60 BC Isabella forces both Alphabet (tribute) and Literature (helping a friend) from me. Mansa Musa asked already Alphabet.
20 AD Revolution: going for Organized religion and Slavery. Researching Code of Laws.
360 AD Founded Confucianism
520 AD Recaptured York with two swords.
540 AD Convert to Confucianism, because Mansa Musa has done the same
620 AD Canterbury founded
670 AD Did not give in to Isabella asking for Code of Laws. Means probably war later, she is the only one with christianity.
680 AD Montezuma came begging, refused him aswell.
700 AD Sheep for Dye with Washington
770 AD Feodalism – Medieval era starts
800 AD Isabella declares war. Revolution to get Vassalage.
820 AD Montezuma declares well, oops. Bribed Mansa Musa with Feodalism to declare war on Montezuma
840 AD Montezuma razes Canterbury
1020 AD all improvements are gone, but both cities survive. Longbows with shock, catapults +20% strength. Discovered Civil Service, revolution to Burocracy
1035 AD Bribed Montezuma to stop the warrior
1045 AD Isabella pays me 80 gold to stop the war.

Building Heroic Epic in York. London and York produce macemen. Declare war on Isabella.
1465 AD Captured Cordoba, with the Hanging Gardens. Meet many horses, also build some pikemen
1500 AD Captured Barcelona, with the Church of Nativity.
She is willing to pay me 20 gold and a world map, not quite enough Isabella
1510 AD Montezuma declares war on Washington.
1525 AD Captured Salamanca
1560 AD Captured Madrid. Switch to Christianity, all newly captured cities are christian, thus better production and happiness. Further it is the religion of Washington.
1575 AD Captured Toledo. Peace with Isabella. War weariness becomes an issue and I am running out of healthy macemen.


will be continued..

 

[Warlord56]

pretty much killed by Montezuma after Isabella called me in... bah, nothing went well after my swordsman got killed on a hill by axeman, then everything went down

 

[JerichoHill]

Well, I'm running a score of 4000 or so in 1840, on my way to a domination victory (or diplomatic)

I settled in place, expanded slowly, and just pretty much pissed everyone off except for Monty, who is my military wing. Mansa Musa was VERY much ahead in 1600 until I launched a preemptive strike, as he was 5 techs ahead of me (and I was in second). After taking horses and 2 of his cities, I got cavalry, and then attacked Saladin. Made peace after taking mecca, and then attacked Musa again, to get his holy city.

Right now I'm wrapping that up, and will attack saladin and take his holy city. I also plan on taking some of isabella's territory. Washington is reduced to 2 cities, and im goingto take his largest.

Shouldnt be more than 50 turns.

 

[Eliezar]

My start:

Found in place.

City Build Order

Worker -> farm the wheat, mine hill NE, then chop
Warrior -> Explore
Warrior -> Fortify
Worker -> chop
Settler -> from chop, settled two south of stone since they got pigs, stone, and bronze.

Tech Order:

Aggriculture, Bronze Working, Mysticism, Masonry, Meditation, Priesthood, -> writing, Code of Laws (From Oracle, I was the first civ to Code of Laws and founded Confucianism).

...
City 2 -> Chop for obelisk - Basically made nothing but military all game (got a courthouse, barracks, granary, and market somehow)

City 3 -> River to the NW - Science City, chop rush Oracle
City 4 -> River to the South - Science City, builds Pyramids

I had a spread of axemen around the perimeter of my 4 city empire to stop the barbarians that were a real pain. I was planning on attacking Isabella early, but out of nowhere the Americans attacked me.

I took two cities from them using axe men and then got peace from the Americans. I was getting my economy under control when Isabella attacked me. I just defended for a bit while I waited on catapults. She actually sent two decent stacks of units to attack me with about 9 total units. Once I got my catapults I took 3 cities from her when the Aztecs declared war on me.

I made peace with Isabella and had a very difficult time defending against the Aztecs as they took one of the Spanish cities from me. That gets me to around 500 AD. No SSs though. 8(

 

[Shillen]

Aggriculture, Bronze Working, Mysticism, Masonry, Meditation, Priesthood, -> writing, Code of Laws (From Oracle, I was the first civ to Code of Laws and founded Confucianism).

Did you omit Animal Husbandry by mistake or did you not research it early?

 

[Merum]

Well...I loaded the save, then my gf told me to turn the computer off and spend time with her.

Wuss.

hehe j/k

 

[Merum]

EDIT: crap..meant to edit the previous... mods please delete.

 

[whb]

My session three started in the first turn, too, and I have no idea why. I don't remember opening, looking around, saving and quitting, but I guess I must have.

Mine too, and I'm pretty sure I didn't save and quit on the first turn either. I wonder if it has to do with starting the game by double-clicking on the GOTM starting save from Windows (which used to crash Civ 4 before the 1.52 patch) rather than by starting Civ4 and then loading it from the menu?

 

[AlanH]

No, I think there may already be two sessions clocked up on the save before you ever get it

 

[LordCopenhagen]

Well...I loaded the save, then my gf told me to turn the computer off and spend time with her.

All in good fun, I know how that can be sometimes.

Anyway, on to the first portion of my game:

I settled one tile SE of the starting location to nab the hills to the south, began research on Bronze Working and started on a worker. I chopped warriors and settlers, met the other civs, expanded north and west to 4 cities, held off the barbarians with archers and warriors (which was difficult when they began bringing in the axemen, I had to soften them up with 1-2 warriors and then hope an archer could finish the job; I hadn't expanded to the SE with the Bronze source). Found out I had settled London right on an Iron source and Washington was invading on my future city placement plans.

Declared war on Washington when I accumilated 10 swordsmen and a few axemen; took a few of his easternmost cities and razed most of them (they were in inferior spots, more ideal locations were 1-2 tiles from his cities) and rebuilt on the conquered land. Managed to grab about half of his territory in 2 wars while simultaneously holding off barbarians/expanding to the east.

I did grab Stonehenge, Pyramids, and the GL in London early, never adopted a religion, and just started teching to rifling. Mansa was in the lead at this point (he and Isabella waged a war against Montezuma, with Mansa conquering most of Monty's land giving him a pop and territory advantage). Once I grabbed gunpowder, I switched to Police State and built up around 30 Musketmen and 25 Catapults. I planned to cheaply upgrade this army to Redcoats once I had rifling (~120 each if I'm not mistaken, very easy to build up a lot of wealth with a financial civ by just setting research to 0 for a few turns. Besides, I didn't plan to research much after rifling). This would cause a nice blitzkrieg assault with superior units and not give my opponents much time to build equally strengthed defenders (since Mansa liked to trade with the other civs, I expected them to be around the same tech level I was).

I'll leave it to that as not to break the spoiler rules, but thats where I was as far as I could remember around 500 AD (maybe a few years after, but not much).

 

[Amao]

@ Memphus -- If you're really worried about too many disruptions getting you nailed for reloads, you could try leaving the game running between "sessions". Your time played will be artificially inflated, but you'll have fewer reloads.

I did exactly that for GOTM1 when I was busy moving my home.