Nobles' Club 224: Zara Yaqob of Ethiopia

[krikav]

@earthy

Spoiler :

I saw the headline "defeat" and started reading. At every turn I thougth "Oh, now there is a suprise DoW!" but at every turn you came out ahead.
Capping her, killing his stack etc etc.

But I totally understand if that final thing with Izzy taking Hammy broke your motivation, you got further than I managed at least.
I personally have alot easier to find motivation if the map is really tough, in that case it's somewhat easier to just iron on when the mistakes start to pile up and bad rng work against you.

For me, when getting this setup I find it harder to continue when things don't work out.
I guess it's a perfectionist side I have, such that if the start is perfect, the game has to be perfect too, or something along those lines.
Silly, but thats the way it is.

 

[earthy]

@krikav

Spoiler :

yeah I think I kind of "defeated" myself here . it was just very frustrating having someone I was at war with vassal twice this game to an AI.. I should probably be a little more willing to give up some tech to ensure I get a strong vassal from now on. I'm sure a win is still possible here making peace and going to tanks or just going crazy mode with units, but the whole time you're playing that you're just thinking about how it should be done already if you didn't mess up

and you're right.. a tough map is one thing, but it's another when you make an easy map tough on yourself!

 

[Eagle777]

I tested it out (or rather, checked it out) and I simply missed that, in the green color, 3-6 first strikes gets listed for a rifleman with 4 "first strike" promotions.

And 1 first strike (usually) for a Longbow.

Displayed combat odds indeed do differ for the first strike rifle and an unupgraded one, so it seems to work fine!

 

[Excal]

Immortal Difficulty with Normal Speed, No Huts, No Events

T109 150BC

Spoiler :

Wow this is a nice map, albeit a bit boxed in

Tech Path: Agri > Wheel > Pott > Bronze > Fish > AniHusb > Arch > Mason > Writing > Alpha (trade to backfill)

Stone: so chopped the Mids > Rep
tried for GrLH and actually whipped it - only to find Cathy also completed on the same turn and she got it instead
(I guess AI takes priority in this case, so had to settle for failgold)

Tech pace is good, so bulb Educ then head for Gunpow then bulb Phil then Mach > Eng > Chem > Lib (steel) for Cannon and Oreo warriors

Cathy keeps demanding stuff, so whatever

/spoiler]

 

[Excal]

T175 1150AD

Spoiler :

start a GAge then switch PoliceSt + Vass + Slav + FreeRel = CR2 cannon and C2 Oromos

took 4 cities inc capital
capped brennus here because otherwise he will almost certainly vassal to Cathy

 

[Excal]

T194 1340AD

Spoiler :

my preferred weapon of choice is Cavs, but I am always impressed by the brutal efficiency of Cannons at this era of the game (just wish they moved faster)

Moscow is mine (and GrLH returned to its rightful owner )

interesting in the cap process: Cathy offers up Constitution, but i want MilTrad (same beaker value) - but she wont give it up - even when i take out Gold, World Map etc
(I guess AI values military techs higher somehow)

 

[krikav]

@Excal

Spoiler :

It could bet that MilTrad was known by more AIs? They do seem to value monopoly on techs quite highly. But if military or not, I don't think they care at all.

I agree with cannons, they are absolutely brutal although abit slow. (If one doesn't have enough cannons having to heal up, move around and bombard takes ages).
If one has "enough" (there is no such thing as enough siege) half of the cannons can continue moving while half lag behind after bombarding or healing.

I see the promotions on your oromos on that last screenshot.
I thought that going all the way to drill4 on oromos is better (and it felt abit like that when I tried them) do you have an other option?

 

[Excal]

@krikav

Spoiler :

It could bet that MilTrad was known by more AIs?

IIRC only Izzy also had MilTrad so yes perhaps still monopoly at this stage
I might try to demand Cathy give it to me (to see if she refuses and restarts war - I mean what can she do )

I didnt try any other promotions except once I think I tried cover against a longbow, but it didnt seem to make much difference
I will give drill4 a try - I have to confess I have almost no experience with the drill promotions
(usually with my preferred mounted units I just go combat, pinch or shock)

 

[krikav]

@Excal
Same here, I almost never go drill. But when drill4 (which is the supreme prize) is within reach at 5xp, I think it makes sense.

 

[Eagle777]

@Excal
Same here, I almost never go drill. But when drill4 (which is the supreme prize) is within reach at 5xp, I think it makes sense.

I think so, too. I liked it very much.

There was one issue which limited its usefulness in my game, though.
I am unsure about which strategies and tech paths people commonly take; for me, however, rifles came almost right after Oromo warriors (so none of my wars were fought with Oromos really).
That meant I only had a handful of them to upgrade to rifles later on.

The vast majority of units were maces, of course.
Not that City Raider from maces is bad as an upgrade for rifles by any means.

Btw I just traded for Astronomy.

A sad moment. My Stonehenge is no longer active

 

[Eagle777]

Victory!

And we already have another game ready!


I had an extremely smooth game.

Spoiler :

I nabbed very nice 4 cities. I figured out the map and adapted to it quite quickly.

I got the mids.

After the first sword rush, I barely lost a unit.

Quit timestamps, for my own reference.
First DoW, Catherine in 200 BC, sword rushing with a few axes and a few spears
Took 2 cities in 25 BC and 1 AD

Capped her in 620 AD

Fired off a GA at 1000 AD, for Bureau, Caste and Pacifism (later OR)
1040 circumnavigated the globe.
Taj Mahal in 1200 for another GA

Hammurabi hit Izzy and I hit Hammurabi at 1220, capped Izzy too, soon afterwards, and Brennus by 1500 to conquer my entire island. She gave up after losing 2 cities, I was a bit surprised by that as I was ready for a full on assault.
I had a few rifles by the time I hit Hammurabi already.

Then I boarded a bunch of ships, gotten them to Khmerland, and got him by 1650 or so for a domination victory and almost a 240k score.

And just a week ago or so I thought a 160k score in the Greek game, with a long stretched out Pangea, and an end date of 1675 or so would be nearly impossible to beat!

 

[Excal]

T234 1620AD

Spoiler :

Oromo era is over
Hamy DEAD - a hard slog as he got rifling just before I DoW

Just Izzy to go - she doesn't have rifling (yet)
With half Cathy's Offshore retreat should be able to crank Culture slider to 64% land

 

[Excal]

T264 1770AD
Domination

Spoiler :

Izzys Conquistadors are a nice unit - but no match for Cavs/Cannons/Rifles
she had about 15 cities, so it took a while

very nice starting map - Thanks

felt like I probably should have won much earlier
- perhaps an earlier attack with Oromos/Trebs (although I do like the power of cannons) ?

I read the rest of thread now, so understand the point about Drill4 and upgrading - thanks for those insightful comments

 

[Jellybug]

Sorry if this is kind of a necro/ (I'm not sure how long is too long to come back to an old one of these.) But I found this one really fun.

Spoiler Spoilery analysis :

The start is so bombing, and Zara is so good at grabbing land. But wait, no copper without kicking Brennus in the duck? No horses either? I just went full REX, even skipping mids bc I wanted all the land. Went down to the gems near Babylon even. Settled everything I could on a hill so I was ready for the obvious midgame wars, survived them, limped to gunpowder (feudalism came in handy on the way), and swept everybody. The first rifle got to dance Salsa near Madrid for a few turns near the end. 1740AD domination

 

[krikav]

I frequently bump NC games from ancient times.

 

[yyeah]

Good that you this up , awesome map. Wasnt play for a while and i wanted to try some looking ezy something .
Heres couple of ss's from my game.
deity huts

Spoiler :

tech path agc-bw-archery-ah-wheel-pottery
about settling its a map with a lot of so plan was to grab as much land as possible. I had in mind that i will fall behind in tech early and probably give up a mids i dont know was it good idea to give it up but yea thats what i did basicly.
1600bc

Spoiler :

tech path mansory-writing
figured out that invest some in to mids will benefit me more then writing and yea i choop my forest out in to it
850bc

Spoiler :

now i can tech allmoust 600 in a bank
725bc

Spoiler :

tech path aste traded for alpha math
550bc

Spoiler :

i was rly worried about my neighbours since Cath and Brennus arent peacefull tradeing partners usually and Brennus had hes army on my borde and yea tbh i was waiting only for red fist
and then this happends
i agreed Isabell wont like me anyway and i rly dont care shes not close to me and doesnt have open borders with Cath so now Brennus wont be rude and i think iam safe for now

Spoiler :

tech path mist-poli-drama-music
gennerally iam teching now tech path i choosed was for trade purpouses and free golden age
250bc

Spoiler :

now situation looks like this plan is to go cannons and ormo warriors idk do i want to win lib tbh probbably now however its tempting, well if i can lib stell taht will be ok
100bc

Spoiler :

 

[dr£ddlord]

Good that you this up , awesome map. Wasnt play for a while and i wanted to try some looking ezy something .
Heres couple of ss's from my game.
deity huts

Spoiler :

tech path agc-bw-archery-ah-wheel-pottery
about settling its a map with a lot of so plan was to grab as much land as possible. I had in mind that i will fall behind in tech early and probably give up a mids i dont know was it good idea to give it up but yea thats what i did basicly.
1600bc

Spoiler :

[/IMG]

tech path mansory-writing
figured out that invest some in to mids will benefit me more then writing and yea i choop my forest out in to it
850bc

Spoiler :

[/IMG]

now i can tech allmoust 600 in a bank
725bc

Spoiler :

[/IMG]

tech path aste traded for alpha math
550bc

Spoiler :

[/IMG]

i was rly worried about my neighbours since Cath and Brennus arent peacefull tradeing partners usually and Brennus had hes army on my borde and yea tbh i was waiting only for red fist
and then this happends
i agreed Isabell wont like me anyway and i rly dont care shes not close to me and doesnt have open borders with Cath so now Brennus wont be rude and i think iam safe for now

Spoiler :

[/IMG]

tech path mist-poli-drama-music
gennerally iam teching now tech path i choosed was for trade purpouses and free golden age
250bc

Spoiler :

[/IMG]

now situation looks like this plan is to go cannons and ormo warriors idk do i want to win lib tbh probbably now however its tempting, well if i can lib stell taht will be ok
100bc

Spoiler :

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

Your photos aren't showing, there's an error

 

[yyeah]

@dr£ddlord
Thanks i thought that i fixed it out but look like not . Now should be fine.

 

[yyeah]

100 AD

Spoiler :

tech
Lots of trades was going on so i dont even remeber everything tbh . Now iam going Paper - Edu (bulb half of it), good for me that they are not tradeing too much with each other, a lot of hate is in this game . And i dont rly care iam just carefull about -4 relations beocuse of trading with our worst enemy situation. Thats why i probably dont give Drama for Isabella for 100 this could piss Brennus ...ehh . rly need that gold idk - not this turn.
I really need Calendar but i dont want to give away Music.

Spoiler :

thats diplo situation

Spoiler :

resources i will need that stone after paper however its -2 when i loose dye

Spoiler :

And here are some of my cities

Spoiler :

 

[yyeah]

520AD

Spoiler :

I like this game . Finally something... Isabella who was ploting all the time DoW on Catherine, Catherine bribed Brennus in so now my 2 targets are at war with Spain . .

Spoiler :

Spain took 1 city from Russia but shes so much behind in tech... good for her that shes rly far away.

Spoiler :

I want to sell her Feudalism, 200 brings me to Chem and she will be a little bit stronger at least.
iam 1T from Lib so probably i will be able to Lib Steel.

Spoiler :

Next turn iam starting GA go caste philo to get GM i need to upgrade some Trebs in to Cannons but then yea and theres a question to draft or not to draft .
land

Spoiler :