R:I. My personal spin-off

[TheBirdMan]

The misplaced civics from yesterday have been moved. CasteSystem to Polytheism (with Hinduism) and CivilReligion to Philosophy.

The first WorldWonder has been builded. Not by me - but. It's still a little interesting, since it shows that even a WW needs ressources to be build. In this case stone (masonry) and timber (PrimeTimber cut up to NavalSupplies (wooden beams and boards) by a Carpenter).

Spoiler First WorldWonder builded :

 

[TheBirdMan]

As some might remember - I have written about it several times - I have changed one of Walters features - TheChineseCanal - to a useful canal. Something where ships can sail from the open sea to smaller inland seas or lakes. And the other way around.

To do this I had to make a change in the CIV4ImprovementInfos.xlm for the value <bActsAsCity> and change the line from <bActsAsCity>0</bActsAsCity> to <bActsAsCity>1</bActsAsCity> (and the opposite for Forts since I didn't want to see ships dock in a fort on a hilltop - it doesn't look so good in my opinion).

Unfortunately the AI changed its bad habit of using a fort to claim a bonus outside the city-radius to use a canal instead. And when I thought that a system of canals used in the way Walther intended - to irrigate fields - looked ugly, then..... this was even worse. A canal placed on top of a bonus in a place where it looked completely out of place (which it also was). Funnily enough, the AI is able to figure out how to use the right Improvement on a hilltop - but not on a flat tile. So this was something that I had to find an emergency solution for - the easiest thing I quickly found out was to place all bonuses on a hilltop. That's how it turned out, which you can see below on the next screenshot.

Spoiler Bonusplacement on hilltops :

At the same time I changed Forts to what those should be used for. Forts - strongholds in the wild, along the borders or as lookouts. Manned with landunits only - not used as harbors or airfields.....

Now remember, that I play with a 5-tile distance between cities. Moreover, the country is in many places very dry (desert) or quite cold (tundra and ice), so there are plenty of inhospitable places. Places that only barbarians care about. So sure - forts are needed. Or at least as I have done here since I do not yet have access to Forts - I have placed a "strong" unit and a scout with the ForvardObservers promotion on a hilltop with a forest.

P.s.: In this game I'm going to test if I actually have found another - better - solution on the bonus_on_hilltop_only problem, which actually isn't a very good solution. I have moved Canals from Tech_Civil_Engineering (Classical Era) to Tech_Mechanical_Engineering (Renaissance Era). At that time, most cities should have been founded and only a few bonus outside city-radius unclaimed. It might be "visual acceptable" for me - time will show.

 

[TheBirdMan]

This extensive work that was done on GreatPerson (naming and citations) - this is one of the things that elevates the R:I mod to a higher level (yes, it sounds a bit pretentious, but I really like that).

Spoiler My first Great General :

 

[TheBirdMan]

Another rather important thing to remember in my spinn-off. City-protection.

Since it's not possible to protect all cities with walls - due to lack of Masonry material - palisades has become very important in my game. Before I decided to go-on with my spinn-off, a palisade was only builded in deep need and always with a feeling of regret. Now a palisade is a must and the first structure I build during the time with heavy expansion after I have "seen" my first barbarian unit (the animals doesn't "count" since they can't enter controlled land - no changes in that).


I'm not totally sure when I became aware that the barbarians had become more "dangerous" to deal with. But at some point "something" was changed. Now - if you don't protect your cities sufficiently with either troops or other forms of protection like walls or palisades - then this happens:

Spoiler Barbarian take-over :

Yes - I do check development via WorldBuilder......... this is still a test-game.

Edit at 14:34 dk-time: As I wrote - the barbarians are dangerous.

Spoiler Another city taken :

 

[TheBirdMan]

When a unit has achieved a "nice" number of promotions, I withdraw them "to safety" - if it's possible.

Why?

Well, because they will form the "core" of the defense (army, navy or air) on which the future of my nation will depend. It is these troops, who will first get "new equipment", i.e. be upgraded.

Spoiler Skilled archer :

 

[TheBirdMan]

Hmmm. Oh well - guess I can't harm much. Specially not when I have 2 russian settler-groups comming in from the north.

Spoiler Considerations and - perhaps - future problems :

 

[TheBirdMan]

Yesterday's gray and cloudy sky has been darkened by the shadow of war between my 2 nearest neighbors. Both have applied for my support and both have been refused.

For they have - both - actively cut me off from my opportunities to increase the strength and prestige of my own country.

I do no longer see any possibilities to continue to expand and develop my country in a peaceful way - therefore a war is now inevitable.

Spoiler The Map :

Spoiler War :

Kaluga. Russia founded the city. Persia took it from them. Now I took the city from the Persians. The Persian army is somewhat larger than mine - but so is the area it has to protect.

May all the gods and devils of war - none shall be mentioned and none shall be forgotten - be gracious to me.

 

[TheBirdMan]

Success!

Although the Persians are still much stronger than me - they would normally turn down a peace feeler from a weaker enemy - it's not unusual that 2 quick defeats could "soften" an enemy position.

And luckily it worked...

Spoiler Peace :

 

[TheBirdMan]

"FEJL 40"

Or in english: Error 40. - "Fejl 40" is Danish and means directly, that an error has been made by a person positioned 40 centimeters from the console, making something he/she shouldn't have done.


In this case I made some changes 3-3½ day ago - changes I considered as minor but still needed - to the tech-tree after the game was started. It "only" took me 2½ day to find where I had made the 2 goffies (well I found 2, but I can't be sure if there are more loose ends somewhere).

Therefore I have decided to restart from turn 0 - and instead of making immidiate changes to what I think is wrong or need some ajustments, I'll "just" write them down...... Hopefully this will allow me to play to an end....

"Man bliver aldrig for gammel til at lære" (danish saying).


For the first 450 turns or so, I'll only make posts if I find something I guess could be interesting - after these turns I will continue to comment on the game and/or make screenshots the way I have done it upto now.

 

[TheBirdMan]

Ok, the game seems to back on track again.

Unless proven otherwise, I believe I "awakened" an ancient religious function from the unmodified BtS days - something that really shouldn't have happened, but did anyway.

How that could happen - I don't know. You can read some more here: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/you-have-founded-a-new-religion.686764/

But anyway. I've restarted my test - with another nation - and have now passed the point where I had to throw down the gauntlet.

 

[TheBirdMan]

The game-engine seems to have accepted my changes in the tech-tree. I have updated/replaced 2 first attachments on page 1 about the techs (Updated Nov 19, 2023)

 

[TheBirdMan]

As for the actual game:

I'm at war with the Zulus (N'guni) for the 2nd time.

In the 1st war I was "lucky", that the Zulus attacked me in an area, that was easy to control and defend - while they, in their eagerness to become as large as possible as quickly as possible, had laid out a number of new cities in an area a little too far from their homeland.

Those cities were only defended by 1 or 2 units and though they "managed" to send a few more defenders before I was ready to hit them there, I took 3 cities out of the 6 I could see. And offered a peace while I had the diplomatic upperhand. Zulu-leader accepted it, which I was pretty happy with.


2nd war is still not and has - so far - been expensive in manpower for both nations.

Ethiopia, with whom the Zulus have also been at war with in the past, has now "of its own" intervened on my side. I am in no way dissatisfied with that.....

How much of Zulu land, that will be left when the war ends.... well, it remains to be seen.

Spoiler The 2nd Zulu-war - report direct from the front from your own war correspondent :

 

[TheBirdMan]

Bohdan declares war!

Spoiler Bohdan declares war - and I have hardly done anything. But maybe that's why. :

Angry for no reason I say - but what the h.ck....He have enough enemies 'round his homeland I think - so he didn't dare to send a huge army

BTW: Just read a little about him in the Wiki. I love having a little background knowledge about historical figures and events. Not so deep that I know "everything", less can easily "do it".

 

[TheBirdMan]

Guess this was all for now - Bohdans army is gone.

Spoiler Actions :

Edit:

Spoiler Oh well - it shouldn't be that easy....... :

Edit (again)

Spoiler 2nd skirmish :

Spoiler 3, 4 and final. Out. And Peace :

0092jpg was a lousy screenshot - but I didn't loose...... After the battle, the Cossacks withdraw and offered peace.

Just had to finish their army before any peace could be discussed.

420 gold and some good exercises. Fair enough.

 

[TheBirdMan]

Even if there is peace with all the neighbors, there will always be a hidden enemy. Mother Nature herself.

No one knows where or when she will strike........

Spoiler Mother Nature's Revenge :

 

[TheBirdMan]

New changes made, required a restart (done Dec, 7th 2023). I'm using the German Nation this time.

If any are interested in screenshots/comments, pls "give sound".

 

[TheBirdMan]

Back in business with my Spinn-Off after a little more than 3 months silence.

And then what have I used all that time for, some may ask?

Well, first a 2-3 weeks to prepare the latest version of R:I - released a little before Christmas 2023 - with my own.... let me call them more-or-less good ideas.... Then a small knee operation - I have gradually reached the repair age - that took 3 weeks. At least around that. Then more weeks with more "updating" of my own ideas. And finally some test games - just to see if I had most of what I wanted without making too many mistakes...


But a few days ago... well, it looked pretty good. Now I just hope I won't be too disappointed along the way......

 

[TheBirdMan]

A little about the map. I have re-used an old "round" map, size 200*120 (8892 landtiles) with 18 nations.

I changed it by making it into a scenario, where I could choose any of the 18 starting nations. At the same time I "opened" the map - changed it from being round to flat. I also changed it, so any leader could lead any nation (Option=GAMEOPTION_LEAD_ANY_CIV).

Leaders are:
France - Napoleon I; England - Victoria; Spain - Carlos III; Italy - Benito Mussolini; Berber (Mauritania) - Abdelkader El-Djezairi; Nguni (Zulu) - Dingane; Mandinka (Western Africa) - El Hadj Umar Tall; Germany - Otto von Bismarck; Scandinavia - Carl Mannerheim;
Russia - Alexander II the Liberator; Poland - Josef Pilsudski; Hungary - Miklos Horthy; Greece - Ioannis Metaxas; Ottoman - Mustafa Kemal Ataturk; Persia - Nader Shah Afshar; Arabia - Ibn Saud; Ethiopia - Haile Selassie I and last The Mongol - Peljidiin Genden.

The Map:

My nation:

 

[TheBirdMan]

From The first 2 days. More-or-less just expanding (in peace). The Barbarians seems to be more hostile than I'm used to - but that's quite "ok" with me.

Oh well - the first nation has already had to bite the dust.

And now 2....


1st serious war just started this morning (on the 3rd day).

 

[TheBirdMan]

BTW: On page 1, I just updated the tech-map I'm using.