800 A.D. I enter the Industrial Age. I celebrate by establishing peace with India in exchange for their Democracy and Navigational skills.
1000 A.D. I research Steam Power and the only coal is north in Roman territory. The Romans are already on the ropes so I eliminate them with my beautiful Buffalo Soldiers. Thanks to Piu Freddo for these terrible Dreadlock Rastas. The added defense helps, but they can still die sometimes as I find out. Russia has a presence in the northern jungle so I stake out a perimeter presuming I will need to get my rubber up there.
1200 A.D. Lugundum has rubber! I’m glad I eliminated Rome and glad I don’t have to fight the Cossack hordes for rubber. By now I have stopped acceding to Russia’s demands for tribute, but I still don’t want to fight it out. (Maybe that’s why I have never had a leader yet?)
1210 A.D. Mass upgrades to infantry! I LOVE doing that, especially if I have Sun Tzu’s and barracks in every city, which is not the case this time. With this more potent defense I can sleep more easily at night.
1320 A.D. Persia sneak attacks! I build the Hoover Dam! There is oil by Jaipur!
Lots of headlines this turn. The Hoover Dam might make me a wealthy nation. The oil on my territory rewards my earlier wars against India and means I can avoid further expansion by military means. The attack by Persia was worrisome, but their horde of troops was mostly guerillas and longbowmen with a few warriors. By now I have railed all my cities so I send my dreadlocked Buffalos in to deal with the Persians and they eliminate the threat with little loss of life. No Persians survive to bring the news of defeat back to Xerxes.
I ask Gandhi to join me in war against Persia. He accuses me of “betraying” Rome! I have been very careful of my reputation since I wanted a diplomatic victory, but this means I have somehow sullied my good name. Feeling miffed and rather like a bully I attacked India and fairly quickly took all their cities eliminating Gandhi entirely.
1395 A.D. I enter the Modern Age. I have all eight luxuries on my land as well as uranium and aluminum. I will not need to expand. France and Russia seem ascendant, and I think building the United Nations might be out of my reach. Unless I do I won’t be a candidate.
1475 A.D. Mass upgrades to mechanical infantry. Atlanta flips to France and I am worried about my lack of culture. I build temples and cathedrals all over, but is this too late? No further city flips happen anyway.
1540 A.D. I build the United Nations and hold a vote. In anticipation I had earlier paid France and Persia to join me in mutual protection pacts. I guessed rightly that Russia would be the nation running against me for leadership, but despite the MPP Persia votes for Catherine. The vote is inconclusive. Perhaps I should have declared on Russia and then Persia and France would have been my allies in war?
On the next vote I am surprised to see Joan d’Arc AND Catherine on the ballot opposing me. Xerxes has been furious with me the whole game and he votes against me once more. I can see that I will not be elected and I never hold another vote.
1575 A.D. I build the Apollo Program, but I am the third to do so.
1675 A.D. Persia declares and invades. I am able to beat back his force easily.
1690 A.D. I suffer a humiliating space race loss. I was close with only two or three parts left to build. I think I should have used my military more and attacked both France and Russia at some point. I never did get a great leader.
(I submitted my game and it was recorded as a conquest loss though it was really a space race loss. I suppose it doesn’t matter and I know there is a different thread to report this, but I couldn’t find it.)
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