The Deity Challenge Line-up #33 - Songhai

[consentient]

We don't generally support restrictions since participation is quite low already. Suggested VCs are OK, I think, but none of the hosts so far (including me) have done that. I suggest you lobby Acken

 

[Bimblecrumbs]

The challenges are a large time commitment for Acken as it is, and providing map-specific goals would require multiple play throughs.

Perhaps you could set yourself some benchmark times and try to beat them. For example if you got a T250 SV on an "easy" rated map, try to beat that on the next easy one. Or otherwise wait a week to do the challenge and compete with other peoples' times once a few have been posted.

 

[stormtrooper412]

I'm against it personally because I very much like to see diverse styles to get different VCs

 

[Dirk1302]

I'm against it personally because I very much like to see diverse styles to get different VCs

Agree.

 

[rtfischbeck]

Complicated map. And the first time I actually used carriers (though battleships would have been enough). Still, took several tries:

Spoiler :

First attempt was 6 city Liberty. Made it until T150 or so when the 3rd double DOW from Liz and Atilla set me back far enough to encourage a restart.

Second attempt 3 city HCA, this was more promising, as I had decided that ignoring the southern area would give me time to develop. That worked but I got bogged down fighting both neighbors again (Liz spammed LBs) and had to retreat until dynamite which was enough to clear them but I was far enough behind in tech that I didn't think I could win. Retired around T250 while in a stalemate with Morocco.

Third attempt 4 city tradition. Turtled until dynamite at T164. Smashed both neighbors. Liz didn't have Lbs at all this game (of course me not attacking at machinery means she had no LBs) but she had conquered Austria early on so slogging through all of her territory took a awhile.

I had to tech to combustion and then radar to finish Bismark who was deep in the Atomic era (but no oil) though better strategy might have enabled me to end with landships. I was worried he'd spam Panzers since he hit Atomic 20 turns or so prior to combustion being finished. All he ended up having was SAMs and Infantry which was no problem for a highly promoted landship/artillary army with some air support and battleships.

Tiring game but enjoyable.

 

[Redaxe]

Well progress continues - I barely made it through those early wars with massive English and Hunnic attacks - frontier cities were barely holding on for a while - check an earlier screenshot. Eventually I got peace from England and I was able to go after the Huns and I burned about 4 of their cities down so lots of gold from that I used to buy 3 factories so I was first to get an Ideology.

Unfortunately things were going splendid until Morocco chose Autocracy so now I have -24 happiness from Ideology pressure. That's going to hurt my science victory. I've expanded to 12 cities. Only National Wonders are National College & Grand Temple. World Wonders are Pyramids, Oracle and Machu Picchu. AI has been pretty aggressive at snapping up Wonders; Porcelain Tower is gone, Big Ben is gone... Morocco is really going to make life hard with their tourism. They have Sacred Sites and a tonne of Wonders and are about 40% dominant over me.

Spoiler :

Few funny things. Firstly Morocco proposed Standing Army Tax! Never seen an AI do that before. They must be as frustrated with the Huns, England and Austria as I am. Too many psychopaths on this map.

Spoiler :

Secondly I'm at war with England again and my late exploring caravels are running into some problems. Everybody complains about poor AI use of navies but not England this time. They have on top of their UA, Great Lighthouse & Exploration and movement promotions so their navy is pretty deadly. So thankfully their navy can't get to me with the inland sea.

Spoiler :

 

[beetle]

It was so painful, but I finally got a win, SV on turn 326. Final adjusted score was 2356 (#2 Hammurabi), 1532 raw. The runaway had only one more part.

Four city tradition, nothing on the coast. I was second to Ideologies, and used that as a save point. First I tried Autocracy, and took out the northern neighbor, and was having fun, but the runaway launched on turn 353.

So I tried Freedom. The runaway hated me the whole rest of the game, and it seemed be going pretty well, but then he launched on turn 310.

I have never gotten under 300 turns, but I though I would try Order. I thought I was way ahead of him, but then it actually took me longer. Things are just so smoother with no happy issues and the run-away as trading parter. But Freedom rocks for SV.

Prior to 4 city non-coast Tradition, I also tried 3 city Honor and 6 city Liberty. With both of those games got crushed about turn 150 or so. I could never get the southern neighbor to attack the northern one.

 

[stormtrooper412]

Welcome to the List

 

[beetle]

Welcome to the List

Thank you very much! I will confess that this being my fifth DCL meant that I was willing to try the map again and again (and again, and again). There have been more than a few deity games that I walked away from as being unwinnable (at least for me). This series makes me think that I should have been more persistent. Thank you all!

 

[stormtrooper412]

well, none of them are unwinnable, some are just harder to manipulate then others. I suggest you hit some of the older ones to get a feel for it

 

[beetle]

well, none of them are unwinnable, some are just harder to manipulate then others.

None of them are unwinnable for better players. I cannot seem to learn to improve my early dom game.

I suggest you hit some of the older ones to get a feel for it

I see people keep posting to older games. Do you perpetually update the spreadsheet for that? Going-forward recording keeping is already a big ask. Thanks for that!

 

[stormtrooper412]

I'm doing my best and nobody's complained much

 

[stormtrooper412]

Somewhat important:

I finished implementing new features in the spreadsheet. Each tab now has a pie chart depicting victory type. It's nothing fancy actually, but I felt the need to add it because I care

 

[Acken]

There will be a slow down of the DCL during summer. Unless there is a major backlash against this, the DCL will be once every 2 weeks until the end of september. I'll post a map today or tommorow.

 

[beetle]

Each tab now has a pie chart depicting victory type.

I like it! The one-sentence summaries are great too!

 

[consentient]

There will be a slow down of the DCL during summer. Unless there is a major backlash against this, the DCL will be once every 2 weeks until the end of september. I'll post a map today or tommorow.

If it's because you are busy, then how about we move to a rotating hosts model?

We can keep it every 10 days, and you can post 1, I can post one, and Olodune (or someone else) can post one?

What does everyone think about that?

I'm busy in the next few days, but between Friday and September I'm actually very free.

 

[prodi]

If it's because you are busy, then how about we move to a rotating hosts model?

We can keep it every 10 days, and you can post 1, I can post one, and Olodune (or someone else) can post one?

What does everyone think about that?

I support this idea.

 

[stormtrooper412]

I like it! The one-sentence summaries are great too!

Thanks! the summaries are not my idea, but I try to keep extra-ordinary occasions recorded

 

[consentient]

Those summaries is something I inherited from Dinglebirdy, and tried to continue a little bit. But ST was very kind to take over as Master of the List. It has gone from strength to strength under him.

 

[stormtrooper412]

Thanks

New stuff come to mind every day and the more, the merrier