GOTM 48 Final Spoiler

[AlanH]

Roll up here and tell us about your activities in the Industrial/Modern eras. Or just round up your perspective on the game as a whole.

Simple spoiler rule: If you are competing in GOTM 48, don't read or post here until you've submitted your game.

 

[Più Freddo]

Class: Open

Goal: Space Race

1160 AD Finally a Military Great Leader emerges in the siege of
Hlobane, the last Zulu city. He is used to create a Forbidden Palace
in Namwon in the middle of the formerly French island.

1275 AD The Egyptians are no more. 123 tiles from Domination. No more
war is needed. Research is almost completely at four turns per Tech.

1495 AD Enter Industrial Ages. Get two bonus Techs from Theory of
Evolution. Research at four turns per Tech if I select the easiest
ones first. Going for Internet on main island, building Research Labs
in second Core.

1660 AD Reach for the stars.

 

[xxaaaxx]

PTW, Open, Space Race


After botching the early war against persia, then settling in for a peaceful builder run thru the middle ages, I decided to go either for diplo or space race, depending on how I felt when the modern ages hit. I surged ahead of the AI's economically and technologically, and got a nice surprise when I turned out to have an Iron Works city, only my second in 3yrs playing

Soon to turn to more hate and anger toward the mapmaker though , as time and time again i wound up lacking vital resources. Rubber? Nope. Oil, Ha!
Aluminum? Not a chance. Guess thats what I get for not island hopping, so I managed to correct that mistake by settling a tundra city near some spare oil (and as I later found out, rubber AND aluminum on the same tiny isle...sheesh). That pissed France off nice and good, and thus began WWIII. Held Joanie at bay with my units. I managed to sign all but 1 of the remaining civs against france, but it didnt matter as my rep was worthless from my early war with persia and no civ would stay allied with me for more than a half-dozen turns before breaking the MA and signing WITH france against me.
No fewer than 10 betrayals later I finally got everyone off my back, although this turn of events clearly ruled out diplo. Won by space race (after discovering I had no uranium either, and having to go to war for it), dont remember the year offhand but it was 20th century and slow. Not a very good effort, but my first GOTM, and way outside my comfort level with the early war, so a good learning experience for me.

 

[Nata]

I waited for this spoiler to brag about my 20K city (unofficial game), which I resettled in 1475BC from Persepolis.
Yep, it's the one with IronWorks!

Just look at this baby: 157sh.p.t.!

Coal was an unexpected bonus, and I didn't realize until I built IW after all IA great wonders that it adds up to a factory and a plant! I thought it would just replace a factory, and after factory is built its production bonus would go away.
But it adds up! I'll remember it for the next unlikely time.

 

[ControlFreak]

Open, Diplomatic

I still have a lot to learn about having the AI help me in research.

Our Technology
We hit the Industrial Age in 940AD getting Steam Power. I waited to gift the scientific civs because I was planning on abusing my ROP with the ZuluAztec continent and didn't want anyone to know. Most didn't know Astronomy yet or were oceans away and needed Navigation.

I headed for Replaceable parts to help my railroading/Jungle clear efforts. Then I bounced back and forth between the top and bottom trees getting Corporation, Steel, and Scientific Method before being able to get Refining at 4 turn/tech rate. That resulted in all of the Industrial age techs being learned at 4turns/tech.

Iron Works
With steam power, the advisor tells me to build the Iron Works. OK! I forgot to look for Ironworks spots since I've only really built it twice. My investigation finds THREE candidates! The worst was on the island to the east of our start. (~70% corrupt) The other two choices were an R4 inner city outside of my new palace on the western jungle island that had become my new core and ... Pusan, my FP city built 1 tile SW of Persepolis. This is already my highest shield city so it's a no brainer. EDIT: At one point I was making 118spt with the factory/hoover dam. Not as impressive as Nata but then I didn't build any hospitals.

Last of the fighting
I used mostly MI and horses to wipe out the Zulu (honorably declaring from galleons at sea) and then the Aztecs (ROP Rape). I never saw the swarms of impi's that others mentioned in the last spoiler which was good because I didn't bring more than a couple pikemen. I think that the Zulu and Aztecs had stalemated and lost most of their units in an extended war. Chivalry wasn't available until the wars had started. Despite the lack of impi swarm, the little buggers still posed a challenge for my MI's. In two separate city seiges, I lost 2.5 MI to the top impi. Both times, the subsequent archers scored a flawless victory. Guess I was using too much firepower.

The Aztecs built the Great Wall in their capitol, just as the Zulu were expiring. I used the ROP Rape to position my attack force next to the capitol and then declared. The four catapults I brought destroyed the palace! (and three other buildings.) I feared a game crash but when my troops took the city the capitol jumped and I think rebuilt the palace elsewere. No game crash. The Aztecs survived a few more turns as I moved my troops around to finish off the other cities.

The troops were repositioned to hit the Vikings from the two towns I had received in peace centuries earlier. The Vikings and English were honorably but quickly eliminated with knights and infantry, railing as I went. Many of the troops for this war were conscript infantry as I had very little military and the escort time from Zululand was taking too long.

AI Technology
The AI had researched Chivalry as their optional tech during my buildup for the Zulu war. I traded that to most to try to get them to research something else. Once the Aztecs were eliminated, I gifted the scientific civs to the Industrial Age and lucked out. Two go Nationalism and one got Medicine. I traded for both. I didn't expect to get any more techs from anyone so I just sold techs to Babylon and France for lux and gpt (not much).

I had learned Economics for Smith's, the AI learned Navigation but I got Magellan's anyway. Those were the only optional techs at the end of the game. No one even got Communism!


The finish
I realized a little late that I needed a TOE prebuild. As a consequence I wasted one turn researching Flight before I got it for free. TOE grabbed Flight and Radio and left me with 4 turns on Motorized transport. Pusan's palace prebuild was set to barely finish on the turn Motorized Transport was due just in case I got Fission for free. I double checked that I could slow it down by >4 turns if I didn't get Fission for free.

On the interturn, the science advisor asked me what to study next and Fission wasn't an option so I used the big picture to switch to the UN. The vote was held against France. I'd never traded contacts and nobody felt it important enough to sail over to visit Joan so when the vote was held they all said "Joan who?". Russia, Germany, Egypt and Babylon all vote for me, Joan for herself.

Diplomatic win in 1345AD. (I think, the save is on my other computer.)

 

[denyd]

Now you guys are going to make me reload this game to see how many shield MASH (by Persepolis) had near the end. I had added a nuclear plant and started by Golden Age with the Internet. I think it was near 190spt (with about 6 corrupted).

Anyway I've almost finished spoiler # 2, so I'll chip in a Spaceship launch in 1750 AD.

 

[DBear]

Middle Age spoiler

Silly English Kniggits
I pick up steam as a freebie and go for industry. Babylon starts the palace in prep for the jump when I bring the leader over. London starts building Bach! Hello, I have cav ripping thru your cities! We have coal next to Persepolis and it's an Iron Works city! Hyangsan is also eligible. Nottingham falls in 1535 and I start upgrading caravels to galleons. France pays 100 tribute to end their skirmish. The palace finishes in 1540 and those former corrupt cities in Egypt and Babylon are now producing. I take London with the Lighthouse in 1550. Hastings is razed the following turn because the stupid gits built it on a cattle. Persepolis finishes Smith in 1565, starting the Works. 2 turns later I learn industry.

Otto's One-City Challenge
I take Newcastle in 1580 as I also declare war on Germany, who doesn't even have guns yet. Hamburg falls next turn, with harbor intact. In 1590, Manpo builds Newton. Next turn, the two biggest survivors, Zululand and France, declare war on each other. Chongfu is build near the ruins of Hastings. The 1600's begin with learning corp, start refining. Berlin is taken in 1605, but a German longbow takes it back, only to be retaken, along with Konigsberg the following turn. Konigsberg was built on cattle also, but I leave it alone. I take Leipzig in 1620, figuring the capital would jump to Frankfurt, then I would demand the one-square island of Canterbury, which had flipped to Germany, for peace. But no, it jumps to Canterbury and Otto will survive. I get Frankfurt in peace talks along w/4 gold. Persepolis finishes the Works in 1630. Next turn we take Dover and the English are out. I also build Taegwon at this time.

Are We There Yet?
Russia is next on the list. I take Kiev in 1645. Russia has iron, so they are a tougher foe. In 1650 I trade France econ for music+PP+WM+120+1gpt. Heavy losses are taken, but Moscow falls and we have their iron. Next turn I learn refining, start electric. A Russian longbow defeats our spear on a hill, so Frankfurt is unprotected. We take St. Petersburg. By 1690 we have overrun all of Russia. The previous turn, we declared on the Zulus and landed on the incense outside Intombe. The Zulus have muskets and pikes, tho. They must be getting them from France, so I bribe France into the war for dye and wine, getting 40+3gpt in return. After learning electric in 1695 I do what I should've done some time ago and turn research to minimum so I can fund libraries in my conquered towns. 2 small towns are build on a southern tundra island. Foolish Zulus tried to attack Paegam with a couple impi. The previous invasion failing, we land a SoD in 1715 and take Intombe the next turn. We also build Iri to fill in a gap, and we finally get domination in 1725.

Final Thoughts
2293 Firaxis, 5837 Jason. If I had turned research off earlier, I coulda gotten a better score. This seemed like the easiest GotM yet. Once Persepolis was taken, it was a matter of getting units and land. Even under a monarchy, I was miles ahead in tech. The sole survivors were France, the about-to-be conquered Zulus, and the 1CC Germans.

 

[DJMGator13]

Open - - - My only spoiler

I did the standard early battle with Persia and then jumped my palace to the former Persia capital. I also completed the great Lighthouse and managed full world contact before entering the Middle Age at a rather late 230AD. I was up to 20 cities at this point and decided that most people would be going the blood lust path, so I decided to try my hand at a space game.

I slowly took over the jungle island and was able to achieve a 4-5 turn research rate by the end of the Middle Ages. I was up to 30 cities by then but had still not completed my Forbidden Palace as I entered the Industrial Age in 870AD.

I promptly gifted the other civs to the new age. I got Nationalism, Germany got Medicine and the other scientific civs got Nationalism as well. So I was only able to gain 2 techs at the age change. I did sidetrack and researched Sanitation knowing that I had a lot of unused tiles in my core and need to have really big cities. Again I was able to maintain a 4 –5 turn research rate and got no help from anyone. But that would change when I hit the Modern Age.

Since I was getting no help I decided to save the completion of TOE until the Modern Age. I hit the Modern Age in 1445 and gained Ecology, then using TBP I gift the other scientific civs to the Modern Age and promptly trade for Rocketry, Fission and Computers using a large stack of gold I had amassed. I had also timed my completion of TOE to 1 turn after the age change thus gaining Miniaturization and Space Flight so 2 turns into the Modern Age I had already learned 6 techs. I completed SETI and the Internet and then started rushing research labs in my 2nd core. Again using TBP I was able to change a palace prebuild (wasting over 600 shields) to the last part of my ship and launched in 1590AD.

Firaxis score 2809, Jason 7024.

@Control Freak – I see I beat you to the IA but you hit the MA in front of me. Did you get any research help or did my mostly 5 turn rate and sidetrack to Sanitation slow my progress too much?

 

[ControlFreak]

@Control Freak – I see I beat you to the IA but you hit the MA in front of me. Did you get any research help or did my mostly 5 turn rate and sidetrack to Sanitation slow my progress too much?

Hmm...you went from ~8 turns ahead to ~20 turns behind.

My research rate was 4 turns the whole IA. I know that you "missed out on Steam Power (my freebie), Flight and Radio (TOE). That's twelve turns at my tech pace or 15 turns at your 5 per average. You also had to go for Sanitation (I was densely packed and couldnt have gain more than a couple citizens in the core cities) so that could be another 5 turns. So if you research 8 IA techs at 5 turn rate I can see the difference. My guess is that Radio and Flight probably took longer than 5 also since they're so expensive.

The last two GOTMs I've done well in the IA doing 4 turn research. Where I get bogged down is in the beginning of the MidA. But I think that comes from wanting to keep the civs separate on the archipelago islands. I have such a need for control that I never let them thrive enough to help me. We'll see how it goes on my next attempt if the map is more panagea-like.

 

[nerovats]

Diplomatic win in 1345AD.

Hmm, I should have continued for space then . Next time I'll gift the AI's too, then I would have beaten you .

But .

 

[ControlFreak]

Hmm, I should have continued for space then . Next time I'll gift the AI's too, then I would have beaten you .

How close were you. Like I said, the save was on my other computer and I'm not positive about the end date.

Details, I want DETAILs.

 

[nerovats]

Not that close, 1415, but I think I could have improved at least 20 turns. I'm just not competitive enough to win these kind of events. I should have helped the ai, I was half way the IA before I gave the first ai into the MA. Planned the ToE wrong and ended up with some cheap tech should have build it later, to get techs I was not able to research in 4 turns. Also the bad timing on the UN which still took me 5 turns to finsh after reseaching it. By not gifting the AI they had few cash to pay me, thats why in the end I was not able to keep up the 4 turn cycle. I estimate I could have finished at about 1300. But there was some room for improvement in your game too.

 

[ControlFreak]

Always room for improvement.

One thing I learned this game is how important gifting luxuries can be. In the early game, gifting luxuries helps the AI stay on 100% Sci to research faster. In the late game, gifting luxuries helps their treasury and gets those big payoffs when selling techs.

 

[Genghis069]

Open, Domination

Highlights

3900 BC: Seoul built 1S, 1SW of the starting location. Given the placement of the mountains to the south, I could've placed better. Blah blah blah, best information at time, blah blah blah.

2950 BC: I catch Persia with their 2nd city undefended. A triumphant warrior destroys it and makes my life much easier in the near future.
2430 BC: Cease fire.

650 BC: 16 Archers invade Persia.
250 BC: Persia dies.

270 AD: English get the Lighthouse. (doh, oversight)
Around 500 AD: I underestimate Babylon. Failed war sets me back.

1365 AD: Second war with Babylon, having finally gained a healthy amount Cavalry. Deaths to follow:

Babylon: 1410 AD
Egypt: 1440 AD
Russia: 1525 AD
Germany: 1530 AD
Zulu: 1615 AD
Aztec: 1635 AD

1645 AD: War with England costs them all but the one-square island city, though they get back York by conversion a turn after war ends in 1685 AD.

1670 AD: Golden Age set off by Copernicus in Persepolis. (thanks IW)
1680 AD: Scandanavia dies
1700 AD: India dies
1715 AD: War with France sets off their GA.
1756 AD: Domination victory conditions met. France has 2 cities left.

Firaxis: 2227
Jason: 5631

Unimpressive victory, but fun nonetheless.

 

[Fat_Blerk]

I normally don't submit GOTM as I either get squashed or bored but this was different. With conquest we started off with a pikeman and I went exploring with him, spotted a lone Persian city with a warrior defending, and amazingly won, leaving me with the whole of the starting landmass.

I guess I should have done better with such a start but couldn't seem to get going with more than one war at a time and missed the great lighthouse (big mistake). Once I had the conquered the great library turned research off, and never got past Invention. The French were the last civ and never got to finish them off before dom limit.

Game finish: 1545 AD
Firaxis score: 2892
Jason score: 6038

Best yet !!

 

[killerkid]

Excellent game- good start (island- we had the biggest) and I improved at oversea atttacks.







"Burr hurr, there'm be's a gurt 'ole in the shipper. Oi'm afeared usn's will be a drownded!!"- Foremole- The Bellmaker- Brian Jacques

 

[k-a-bob]

If you read my last spoiler, I had faught very little with other nations. After the piece about reducing the # of civs to reduce tech costs (since I was running away with the tech lead) I decided the small civs needed to go. 1st up was India with 2 cities.
I signed in France, quickly unloaded my Cavs and took down India with France at the doorsteps. Next I was going to head to the Viking/England island since I needed the rubber resource. Well, that attack on India (and I only kept 1 city) apparently angered the French so they declared on me! Then the Zulu, Russians, and Babylonians followed suit! Somehow I was still able to keep my 5 turn research (no FP yet).

Soon, only Egypt was not at war with me - but my goal of reaching the final frontier would not be swayed. I retreated off of France's continent, took a Russian city on the small island (where rubber and uranium appeared) and razed the former German (now Russian) cities. I took the Zulu source of incense for myself, so I wouldn't have to do much trading for happiness. I took the Viking/England continent, wiping them both out (good for later uranium) since I gifted the Russian town to Egypt (it was about to fall).

I later destroyed Babylon (finally getting 2 leaders - TOO LITTLE TOO LATE )
and coasted to a Space launch in 1816. France paid for me to be at 100% research the rest of the game, before declaring war 8 turns from the end - but I had enough money to stay at 100%.

Critical oversight in late game: Not researching Computers first for the Research Labs. I built/rushed about 10-12 of those around my 2 cores, dropping turns to research the modern techs from 6 to 4.

It was a good thing I did as much warring as I did, otherwise I would not have had the aluminum and uranium necessary to build my space ship.

Game status: Spaceship Victory for Korea
Game date: 1816 AD
Firaxis score: 2358
Jason score: 5299

 

[azzaman333]

I won diplo in about 1930. I chould have won 20 turns earlier but none of the sci civs got fission when entering Modern times. Jason score of ~1300, which is pretty good considering the fact i had 6 cities left after Persia decided to try to kill me.

 

[Smirk]

PTW, Open, 20k Culture.


This attempt was hairbrained and ill-thought out. I haven't played Civ in months and I kept getting confused about what was in the ruleset and what wasn't! I began my leader farming way too late (Oh YEAH, I can rush with leaders in PTW!), and missed wonders because of it, Pyramids among them. And wasting effort rallying workers to prepare for completion of the Theatre, duh!


On the plus side, I never built any settlers from Seoul and captured Pers, then jumping my capital to what looked like a very nice area. I contemplated moving it a little south to get rid of the deserts or west to get some more cows, but eventually stayed put. This turned out to be a mixed blessing, one my production topped out at 190 without a manufacturing plant, but if I had moved south a few I would have gotten a second coal mountain and a bunch of other hills and would have easily exceeded 200. That would have only been fun as that kinda production is pointless on this low difficulty.


All in all not a bad game, but I like culture games much more in Conquests, despite not having science leaders. I won in the early 1800s and managed to get every wonder except Pyramids and the coastal ones for obvious reasons.

 

[Niklas]

Just submitted my game with a few hours to spare. I'm really surprised to look through the second and the last spoiler threads and find that my date seems to be the fastest one of all. Surely someone forgot to post a spoiler...

Entry class:	Open	
Game status:	Domination Victory for Korea	
Game date:	650 AD	
Firaxis score:	4920	
Jason score:	10317	
Time played:	23:39:47

I'll post a more detailed spoiler when I get some more time left over.