One City Challenge

[Desertsnow]

This has probably been discussed a bezillion times here before, but I'm considering undertaking my first attempt at OCC. I'm thinking Aztecs (instead of my usually favored Egyptians), figuring Militaristic+Religious would help with city improvements, plus the military advantage of the former for when someone picks a fight with my tiny civilization. Probably at low level (Warlord, maybe Regent), as I'm still a novice. Roaming barbarians to meet a few without their becoming a nuisance. Advice? Opinions? Criticism? Think I'm just damn crazy for trying? Any comments would be appreciated.
--DS

 

[Tomoyo]

Aztecs aren't really that good because militaristic is a horrible OCC trait. You just get some lower priced horbors and stuff. Scientific is much better. The free tech each age is more important than you think. Also, it's not that hard on Monarch, if you get a decent start.

Colossus is very important, as is th Great Libray, especially if you're trying for a culture victory. Any barbarians in OCC will be a nuisance.

I recommend the Russians or Babylonians.

 

[Pentium]

Russians?

I think you don't have to be Expansive in an OCC. You build a spearman and you don't care for barbarians.
Babylonians are great because of cheap temples and libraries.

 

[IbnSina]

He recommends the Russians because the expansionist trait means more goodies. That expansionist trait could keep you in the tech race without much trouble right through the ancient age. The scientific trait will get you a free tech at each new age - very helpful, since keeping up in tech is the hardest thing about nCCs. Industrious, agricultural, seafaring, and commercial traits are wasted. Personally, I rather like the militaristic trait for nCCs - the extra leaders can be used to rush non-wonder improvements, and it assists in getting a victorious army very early, leading to several culture-producing improvements, some of which can be rushed. If you plan to win by 20k, don't reject the militaristic trait too quickly. However, do not try a militaristic/expansionist civ - both traits are best early, and you'll need help later in the game... I think the Aztecs, Babylonians, or Russians could all be fine choices. You could even consider the Germans.

 

[col]

Since the normal OCC win is by 20k culture, a militaristic civ is largely wasted. Scientific and religious give cheap culture. Ag gives a fast start. Golden ages are normally kicked by wonders. A coastal start is a big advantage since it giave access to the crucial Colossus. Its possible on low levels to lead in science for most of the game by grabbing all the science wonders.

I've won on OCC without building any units other than workers.

 

[Tomoyo]

Of course! Seafaring is the best trait for OCCs!

 

[HamaticBabylon]

One question if you start as one city for example you capital is Babylon, does this mean you have to have one city or could you not conquer other civilization cities next to ours so technically you have started with Babylon but ended up with more cities due to war...then you will have a better chance of survival, then your civilization could rise from there...have I said to much!

 

[Tomoyo]

That's is only if you want to play OCB. (One city built) The normal OCC does not allow that.

 

[HamaticBabylon]

That's is only if you want to play OCB. (One city built).

ooh is that what it's called, thanks Tomoyo.

 

[IbnSina]

I once played a -real- 0CB: zero cities built. I got four extra offensive units at the start, and could not make settlers. ... pretty fun.

 

[boogaboo]

Question remains, what OCC are you aiming for? 20K? conquest? SPACE?!

If you take the Aztec, as I do never too many times, you can just wipe them all off the map with conquest pretty fast, but then.. the game ends..

Some of my HoF were OCCs, especially on tiny, and on lower level maps, but are all conquest victories, and heavily depend on luck.

 

[JMK]

OCC is fun, and do not hesitate to play on Monarch or even Emperor.
A 20K victory is not very dificult to acheive.
When you have a tech sell it for other Tech and/or GPT.

For the first time, try to play on Archipelago, as the greek.
You should try to find a start on fresh water (to be able to reach size 12 without aqueduct) and access to the sea for Colossus and contacts.

Set your research on Pottery and Build the granary if you do not have a food bonus(and sell it when you reach size 12), then set research to Writing, build Colossus and Great Library.
TRADE is the key, buy luxury even if you do not need it, this will help to keep everyone great with you.

 

[magritte]

One nice thing about OCC is it's a very fast game. I haven't tried it on Emperor yet, but it's quite feasible on Monarch to win by 20K culture.

Space Race is my normal victory on the epic game, but I haven't tried for that on OCC. It seems like it would be quite tough.

 

[Tomoyo]

I'm in a SG trying that. See my sig - Monty goes to space. Also see Microbe's win on Emporer.

 

[Desertsnow]

The experts seem of mixed opinion on the militaristic trait for OCC but mostly agree that religious is good. By the way, I will be attempting the cultural 20k win. (Well, any cultural win with one city will be the 20k one right? ) Also, I ususally do okay versus barbies if they're set to roaming or less.
@Tomoyo: I always try to build the Colossus and the Great Library anyway, as I find them to be among the most useful Wonders.
@Boogaboo: I suppose a space victory is possible with OCC. I've actually thought of trying it if I should ever get good enough. :suicide: It would make a good GOTM, eh? Or has that already been tried? (If so, forgive the noob )
@IbnSina: Are you serious? Is it even possible to get far with zero cities built?

-- DS

 

[Tomoyo]

GOTMs aren't known for variants. Maybe a SGOTM. It has been tried many times in regular SGs.

And I suppose you can conquer the world with goody hut troops...

 

[TemporalAnomaly]

As an OCCer 20K shouldn't be your target; diblo should be you target. On lower difficulty levels, however, nine times out of then you get 20K along the way.

 

[IbnSina]

Yes, I conquered the world with zero cities built (emperor level - I don't don't know how it would work at a higher level). The trick is that I was permitted to capture cities, and had a few extra units at the start. So... the trick was to find some poor civ very early in the game and capture their capital. I waited until they sent out a settler, because it seemed critical not to destroy a source of future cities. After that, it was a matter of running the archer rush and "farming" nearby civs for cities, making war on three nearby civs in turn. It was easier than I thought it would be...

 

[Tomoyo]

I thought you used goody hut troops...

 

[metalhead]

I play exclusively OCCs now. I recently won one on Deity by space race - although I was helped by a SGL, and an 80% archipelago map. 20k culture at deity is fairly easy, as is diplo, and neither should really be considered "wins," since all they really require is sticking around until the end of the game. Nabbing at least 3 ancient wonders is easy, even on Deity, and you can often get 4. You'll also be building at least Cop's Observatory, Newton's U, Theory of Evolution, and SETI along the way, giving a fairly easy path to a 20k culture win, provided you don't get attacked. Also, you'll be trading so frequently with everyone that a diplo win is all but guaranteed if you get the UN, and doing so is easy to accomplish. Space requires a lot of wheeling, dealing, and espionage in the modern age, and isn't guaranteed like Diplo and 20k are,

Scientific is the must have trait. You need those free techs at the industrial and modern ages to make some coin and keep up in tech. Nothing is more crucial to a OCC win than those techs. Starting with Bronze Working is a nice bonus too, because you can't count on being able to trade for or find any of the early techs and it ensures you can build the Colossus right away.

Worthless traits in a OCC are Religious, Militaristic, Industrious, and Commercial. War should be avoided at all costs, changing governments happens maybe twice, commercial is only good with a lot of cities, and faster workers are irrelevant because a second worker can very easily be built early on. Agricultural is OK, but you're going to want to choose a start with some bonus food anyway, so this isn't all that important.

Seafaring is surprisingly good, actually, but as much for starting with Alphabet as anything. I've built my entire OCC strategy around having Alphabet at the start, and it works like a charm. Begin researching Writing at 10%, then research Philosophy as high as possible (you'll be using the luxury slider). On Deity you can get philosophy first almost every time, and then you get Literature for free. Build the Mausoleum and then the Great Library, and you're set. The only downside is that you get an early GA with the Byzantines, but that's not fatal. You can also build Curraghs right away, and make contact quickly. Seafaring helps establish contact. You also start coastal, getting rid of the need to waste turns wandering to the coast.