TSG 226 After Actions Thread

[Nizef]

In this thread you can post the results of your game. Please state your victory/loss date (preferably in the post title) and describe your path to glory in this post! Players are encouraged to provide feedback on the game.

- Did you play peacefully or warlike? Did you use your UU?
- What technologies did you prioritize?
- What Social Policies did you choose and in what order? Which Ideology did you choose?
- How many cities did you have in the end and where did you settle them?

 

[armcie]

Victory on turn 447 (1897). A bigger map than I'm used to, and a slower speed. Fortunately Prince ensured that the AI didn't make too many units to slow down the potato I play on.

I planted 5 cities myself early on, and stole a worker from Poland, preparing to relax into a peaceful game. My neighbours weren't too pleased about my expansion, and on turn 159 both the Hun and the Aztecs attacked. I played defensively with a handful of archers and companion cavalry. Attila was happy to make peace after I sunk a single battering ram, and the Aztecs gave me a city after I destroyed the few units they sent my way. Got tradition and all but one Patronage complete before the Renaissance.

The game was peaceful until Brazil sent a Prophet my way around turn 286. That angered me, and I urged Attila to join me in wiping out the infidel. Montezuma didn't learn from the Brazillian's mistake, and tried the same about 80 turns later, with the same result.

Around that time I discovered Kilimanjaro. That wonder is mine - no one else deserves Altitude Training, and I sent off a settler. The Zulu must have noted my interest, and settled in the spot I wanted. Not to be outdone, I settled nearby and bought up the mountain and its surroundings. There was an exchange of citadels not long later, and we settled into a tense standoff.

It was time to set my science targets to the end goal - Telecommunications and then on to Globalization. My Great Scientists got me to the information era two turns before a congress vote, which lined up World Leader vote nicely. My wonder whoring and general awesomeness had got most of the city states in line without spending a penny. There was enough time for me to post my spies as diplomats, and Treaty Organisation got the last few city states on my side. Freedom being the world ideology meant I had 50 votes - well more than the 43 I needed, which was fortunate as Poland sniped a city state just before the vote.

 

[sebtanic]

Won turn 418.

I got Telecommunications turn 370, and after the United Nations was founded... "44 turns until the next World Leader vote"

This reminded me again why I don't like Diplomatic Victory games. There was basically nothing to do those last 44 turns (which somehow turned out to be 48). -- Is there a way to time this better? Maybe I should have started bulbing my GSs 5 or 10 turns earlier. Unfortunately I don't have any saved games from turn 360, I'd have to go all the way back to turn 308 to test this out.

As for my game, I founded 6 cities in total and played mainly peacefully, except at one point where I liberated Bratislava from Attila, and brought Brazil back to life. Brazil didn't survive long: Attila re-conquered them shortly after, but at least they kept their hands of my ally Bratislava.

Social policies were the usual after Liberty (see Opening Actions thread): Patornage, Rationalism, Freedom, Commerce opener. Tech-wise I beelined the science techs, then Telecommunications to trigger the UN vote.

 

[fiddlesticks]

Picking up from the Opening Actions Thread...

I used Scientific Revolution to get Ecology on turn 287 and bulbed two faith Great Scientists to get Telecommunications on turn 288. Oxford was for Plastics and I had bulbed another GS to take 9 turns off Radio. I went Order with Hero of the People and Skyscrapers then Factory Science for the Tier 2. Eventually finished all of Patronage.

Turn 200

Turn 252

Turn 328 for the win

 

[zxcvbob]

Turn 530. I went Liberty and settled 6 cities. Patronage, Exploration opener, Rationalism, Freedom, and Commerce. I tried to play peacefully, but the NPCs wouldn't have it. Monty and Attila were bigtime warmongers on my continent, and Caesar and Shaka were warmongers on the other continent. When Monty wiped out China, I declared war and captured Tenochtitlan, Warsaw, and Beijing from him. Took all his remaining cities in the peace treaty; I liberated a Chinese city and razed the rest. The plan was to get China to vote for me for World Leader, and it would have worked except I liberated her too early in the game then Attila wiped China and the Aztecs out and razed their cities. But I didn't need the extra votes anyway, I had plenty. I never annexed any of the cities I captured, since they were capitals they probably could have been productive cities with better management.

The last 40+ turns after triggering the world leader vote were just building wonders, bulbing great scientists, artists, and writers, and almost finishing the whole tech tree while waiting for the vote.


Since I didn't really need Treaty Organization, I went back to a save from just a few turns before picking an ideology and I tried Order to see if it would be faster. I also settled one more city on the gems to the west just to keep Atilla or Shaka from settling somewhere over there right on my borders; it turned out to be a good city. I was also a little more careful to beeline either Telecommunications or Satellites and leaving other techs not on the critical path until after starting the countdown. My science with Freedom was much higher and I had tons more gold for bribing CSs, but in the Order game I used the Rationalism finisher to grab Telecommunications just a few turns earlier than I had before, and this time the world leader vote was much quicker and I got a sub-500 win.

If someone could explain the strategy for timing the world leader vote I would appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[GeoGeo]

Turn 559, which isn't too great except this is only my second ever game of Civ 5 (the first being the wonder scenario). Saw this month's game was Prince difficulty and thought it would be a good introduction to the game. Come to think of it, it's also the first time I've played Civ on Epic.

Poland forward settled between me and the Aztec, so I figured I might as well take the city before Monty did...and I might as well take their east coast capital. And now Monty wants me to go to war with Brazil, so I might as well steal all that land too. So much for trying out a peaceful tall game. Did Tradition > Patronage > part of Rationlism > Freedom, but my yields were all over the place as I dabbled in a bit of everything. I had a good amount of science, but I didn't expect the victory condition to rely that much on science progress compared to culture. The City States pretty much fell in line automatically between Alexander, Patronage and that one city-state religious belief. Hunting down more ideology perks was overkill.

But in my case, all the meandering through different mechanics only added to the learning experience. Definitely appreciate this game popping up on the homepage. I expect I'll be up for King or higher next time!

 

[armcie]

This reminded me again why I don't like Diplomatic Victory games. There was basically nothing to do those last 44 turns (which somehow turned out to be 48). -- Is there a way to time this better?

If someone could explain the strategy for timing the world leader vote I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Once someone hits the Information Era, the congress votes alternate between passing a resolution, and a world leader vote. Ideally you would have a resolution vote within the first few turns of you entering the information era, which brings on the world leader vote as soon as possible. Your timeline could go like this:

Turn 300: Vote to Embargo Venice, propose Embargoing City States. Turn 301: Enter information Era Turn 330: Vote to Embargo City States Turn 360: World Leader vote.

Or, if you can enter the Information Era a few turns earlier, through policies, wonders or scientists, your timeline could go:

Turn 298: Enter Information Era Turn 300: Vote to Embargo Venice Turn 330: World Leader Vote

You've still got a wait, but its not quite as bad. This does rely on you having the ability to do a science push though.

 

[Rhodro]

Diplomatic victory on 373. My economy was very strong this game. Ended with 715gpt, 609culture and 1870 beakers per turn. I had to wait 44 turns or so for the leadership vote so I just started having fun, using xcoms to capture all neighbours capitals, raze the rest or give it to brazil.

Brazil got himself eliminated during the game a few times, I revived him multiple times, didn't need a big army for it, just 2 archers and 1 mounted unit and 1 pikemen or so, they were very promoted in the end.

- Did you play peacefully or warlike? Did you use your UU?
I got an early ruin upgrade warrior -> hoplite, that was amazing because it intimidated city states for money gifts, simply having 1 hoplite. I didn't play fully peaceful, I stole some workers from Poland and Aztecs. I helped and revived brazil a few times. Slowly I battered the Huns down, every time taking his cities in peace deals and selling them. I was friends with Aztecs, China, Brazil, Carthage for most of the game. Rome never wanted to be friends, and Poland only close to the endgame.

- What technologies did you prioritize?
I basically did the science beeline towards plastics and then Globalization, trying to get to the last era asap to trigger the leader voting. I applied some of the faster science trics like gold rushing all the science buildings in 1 turn.

- What Social Policies did you choose and in what order? Which Ideology did you choose?
First full tradition, then consulates and philantropy in patronage. Then the usual suspects in Rationalism: science per specialist and science for universities. Then freedom to universal sufferage. (I timed taj mahal and bulbing all great artists just after i got this, resulting in a permanent golden age.) Then I got commerce for big ben and Merchantilism. I finished up rationalism to buy Globalization with the free tech. After that all the policies were just for fun, i got arsenal of democracy but didn't really need it, started filling honor for more xp.

- How many cities did you have in the end and where did you settle them?
7 self settled cities. 4 cities before NC, 2 of them soon after. I settled 1 last city late in the game next to bogota for Salt, my other cities wanted salt for we love the king day. This city developed fast because I sent it a hammers trade route and it had naturally lots of food.

My sparta city was a good one, settled on a river close to mt. kailash and developed Petra, Machu Picchu, Forbidden Palace as most important, but also Neuschwanstein, Sistine Chapel, Porcelain tower( timed as the last natural scientist).
Knossos was settled north in the jungle on a river next to a mountain to become a strong science city. All the other citys were basically specialist runners and economic support. Corinth found some time to randomly build globe theater, another writer to bulb after world's fair.
My capital build a nice amount of wonders, notably Great library to pop pilosophy. Chichen Itza for permanent golden age. Hubble was used for 2 free scientists in bulb spree. Hagia Sophia enhanced my religion. I got alhambra + Brandenburg gate for fun but it was not really neccessary.

Note: I got 2 black screens during this game (maybe my new pc build is not so stable?) but luckily didn't have to replay many actions for that. I did get 1 visual bug in the game that prompted me to reload. There was a warrior completely hidden under a worker. This caused one of my units to attack instead of capture a worker. Screenshot attached.

 

[sebtanic]

Note: I got 2 black screens during this game (maybe my new pc build is not so stable?) but luckily didn't have to replay many actions for that. I did get 1 visual bug in the game that prompted me to reload. There was a warrior completely hidden under a worker. This caused one of my units to attack instead of capture a worker. Screenshot attached.

Speaking of bugs, I had a weird one where I couldn't trade ressources with the AI on some turns. I would do the trades as usual in the dialogue screen, but there just wasn't any effect. A couple of turns later it would work fine again, it was on and off... I've never seen this bug before.

 

[billybgame]

I had it in my head that this GoTM ended 9/15. Just finished but it would not let me submit, saying it's over. I don't see the end date on the start thread now, so am confused I guess. Oh well.

 

[zxcvbob]

I had it in my head that this GoTM ended 9/15. Just finished but it would not let me submit, saying it's over. I don't see the end date on the start thread now, so am confused I guess. Oh well.

So forget about submitting it; I don't think they tally those anymore anyway. How'd you do? Do you have a story and some screenshots? Did you have fun? I'd love to hear an epic story!

 

[billybgame]

Yeah, but it took forever, as I really didn't go for too much war. Only took out one nearby Civ, the Brazilions. Thought about the Huns, after he took a C/S. I did have a far reaching dominant empire though. Victory was like turn 561, or something like that...here is file.

We don't still submit on the GOTM page? I am pretty positive I saw 9/15.....

 

[The_Black_Vegetable]

T349 diplomatic victory. Despite my many hours in civ, I was still a little hazy on the details of the diplomatic victory. If I understand it correctly now, the timing is determined by the founding of the the world congress, and then once the player hits information era, a world leader session will be held after the proposal that is currently in congress (or atomic era in case half of the players are there, but that would be a long wait with Prince AI). I think in the America thread someone mentioned reaching Telecommunications without a single session being held, but that seems beyond my abilities, so for my game it was after the second regular session.

In my game I went 4-city tradition, immediately into Temple of Artemis. Oh wait, it's not there ! Instead I should have gone for Great Library, that would probably have given me some more tempo, an earlier entry in Astronomy and Printing Press, and therefore shaving off some turns of the final victory. However, given the game pace I was a little reluctant to commit to a 16-turn build in the capital when I had not seen seen half of the civs yet. In the end, after all my libraries had been built and GL was still there, I started building it in an expand, but was then beaten to it with 2 turns remaining.

My interactions with the other civs was very Alexander-like: I stole settlers and workers, pillaged tiles, took all of their gold in peace treaties, only to declare war again later. Initially, this was quite profitable. I think early game Montezuma gave me 500 gold and 10gpt for peace, but after a while the AI coffers began to run dry. I was not sure how many of the AI cities I actually wanted to take, and settled for Tenochtitlan only, mainly because the other capitals were far away or unappealing. Also, until around renaissance, happiness was a bit short.

I went Freedom, as I usually do, but perhaps Order would have been better here, since there were no spaceship parts to buy. T320 Globalization with Oxford, followed by ending turn 29 times