Washington (IC) Immortal Cookbook

Gumbolt

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Washington (IC)!! Let the games begin!!!

The Immortal Cookbook is a concurrent succession game series to help readers learn how to play and win at Immortal level in Civilization 4: Beyond the Sword, v3.19

Some of you may be familiar with the previous Emperor Cookbook games. We decided to raise the level of difficulty to Immortal because we are always playing from the best save and we were often over engineering saves to make them more of a challenge. The difficulty should be approximately equal to Emperor level difficulty.

In a change to previous Cookbooks we will play rounds up to 1300ad (ish). At this point we will either elect a method to complete game by or decide if another round is really needed.

Our Immortal Cookbook game features Washington. We will be playing at Immortal difficulty, Epic, with a standard sized map. Huts and events are disabled for this game, as they tend to make things more random.

Here is the info on our leader, his unique unit and building as well as our starting position and settings:


Our Fearless Leader:
Spoiler :




UU:
Spoiler :




UB:
Spoiler :




Starting position:
Spoiler :





Settings :
Spoiler :








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Round one lasts from 4000 BC - 1500 BC.

Please play this Round and submit your Report into this thread by 12th September 2010 if possible. (This time frame may change once game is up and running!)


IMPORTANT : Please use spoilers if you want to discuss opening strategies prior to starting the round.

At the end of your Round, please remember to name your save with your name, game and Round # & game date (i.e. "IC2 Round 1 MyName BC-1500.CivBeyondSwordSave"). (And please don't forget to attach it to your Round report, either! ) Please also state your usual difficulty of play.

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Roster:

YOU! - contributor, voter - our most important fixture, the readers who follow the threads and play along.

Now that we have upped the difficulty level, we will return to the 'best ball' system of selecting and playing saves. What this essentially means is that after we have completed each round, everyone will have a chance to vote on which save is in the best position. The winning save will be used for the next round.

If there is any player who is strong at Immortal+ level, it would be great to have you post your saves to show us how it's done. However, I request that any of you who realize your round was far superior remove your save from the voting. This rule is intended to ensure that the game doesn't get into a overly strong winning position after only a few rounds (because what fun is that? ).

Voting Rules:

1. You may NOT vote on your own save (but you are encouraged to state the strengths and weaknesses of your save).
2. For your vote to count as winning save you are expected to have voted for 3 other saves where possible. There is an element of fair play expected from those that vote and tactical voting is not allowed.
3. Only those who have posted a round may vote (those who are shadowing are always encouraged to express their opinion!)
4. Please don't vote on a save that has voluntarily been removed from the running by the person who submitted it.
5. At the end of each round you can vote on 3 saves for first, second and third place. I believe that these votes should be made publicly in order to allow for as much discussion as possible. I strongly encourage you to explain why you are voting for a particular save. This is one of the best ways to learn, and that's what this game is all about! If you feel uncomfortable voting publicly, PM me with your vote.

After a couple days for voting and discussion a winner will be declared and we will move on to the next round using the winners save.

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A special shout out goes to Kossin who provided us with the map!

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And with that, let the Game begin...

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Intrathread links (ToC): (note, the turn sets are subject to change, this is a tentative schedule to get this first round underway, we are still trying to find the best length for each round)

Round 0: The starting save (this post)
Round 1: 4000 BC - 1500 BC- Playing
Round 2: 1500 BC - 400 AD- upcoming
Round 3: 400 AD - 1300 AD- upcoming
 

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  • Washington Immortal Cookbook BC-4000.CivBeyondSwordSave
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Need to change the settings.
 
I have a feeling Kossin has more of a challenge for us this game. It will be interesting to see if this game makes it to the late stages to make use of the late UUs. Start is interesting. I'm inclined to move the Warrior 1 SE to expose some coast, as with seafood there's a possibility of 3 decent cities in the immediate area. I assume we have some tundra to the NW.
 
I wonder what that blue circle has to say... :)

btw giving us 3 days for playing seems a bit strict, but I understand the fear of finishing before CiV
 
playing the first part now... my first game on immortal but i missed the hatty game and really liked reading about it.

Spoiler :
have met gilgamesh monty and bismarck.. MAN gilgamesh must have some sweet land, he is outscoring me by a lot (almost double my score) and teching really fast... ToA, Pyramids, Oracle, Great Lighthouse etc all went pre 2k bc.
 
Looks like i'm first to post a round :)
To 1500BC

Spoiler :

Ok so epic speed takes a little adjusting to from normal still I think I did an ok job. The name of the game was LANDGRAB.

Moved the warrior 1SE, saw that by settling in place i'd be preventing myself from working a fish but I figured that the cap has enough food already and I'd prefer a cottaged, FP rich cap so i settled in place.

So giggles is down south and pretty close, I decide early on he's unrushable and also decided against the choke (he founded his 2nd city two turns after I found his cap). I really wanted some of that land and made some pretty bold moves. The cap's build queue was accordingly:
worker, warrior, warrior, worker, warrior, settler, settler...

After improving the food specials and building 2 mines I used the 2 workers to chop out 2 settlers (as well as using the whip). New York was founded to block off my part of the continent and grab the gold and boston was aggressively founded in the jungle to the west to grab sugar, spice and everything rice! This put a drain on my economy but i got a road down there pretty quick. This was a good move i think as:
1: It gives us an extra city that giggles will normally get
2: It gives us an extra happiness resource in spices
3: It allowed me to meet pacal early as well as giving me a launching pad to settle cities by boat to the east

After that point I got monuments built in the 2 new cities (bostons borders pop next turn), got an exploratory workboat out, founded Philly for the horses, improved the gold and set up a couple of cottages in the cap.

Techwise i didn't do great due to early overexpansion but the golds online now and i think it'll pay off in the long run. I went for pottery to get cottages up in the cap as well as cheap exp granaries. I have 75 gold stockpiled to spend on either sailing or writing as well.

I got lucky with barbs, spawnbusted the island pretty early with just warriors, also one of Giggles archers killed most of the barbs in my area (thanks mate! :goodjob:). An early woody 2 warrior (7/8 exp 1 away from HE unlocked) helped as well.

This is a tough-ish map but I feel that barring an early DOW from monty or Giggles we're in a winning position here.
OK so screenies:
Northern half:

Southern half:


Ok so thoughts on my save:
Pros:
-I tried to set myself apart by greedily grabbing land, I have 4 well established cities. Land is power, Boston gets us extra spices as well as a shot at settling more cities to the east.
- Gold is improved and worked, 2 cities have border pops already
- 4 workers out (soon to be 5) more cheap exp workers to come.
-Exploratory workboat out already to scout out Monty's land, one being built to scout out Pacal as well.
- Cap is big atm and has cottages running already.

Cons:
-Tech rate is poor but should pick up
- No shiny wonders and my cap isn't coastal which some may not like
-Not connected to giggles yet and haven't had his religion spread
-Maybe i would have been better off i didn't meet monty... :p


Anyway, excited for this game, please look at my save. Good luck to anyone else who plays it... You'll need it :p
 

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  • Wash IC bobbyboy29.CivBeyondSwordSave
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playing the first part now... my first game on immortal but i missed the hatty game and really liked reading about it.

Spoiler :
have met gilgamesh monty and bismarck.. MAN gilgamesh must have some sweet land, he is outscoring me by a lot (almost double my score) and teching really fast... ToA, Pyramids, Oracle, Great Lighthouse etc all went pre 2k bc.

Spoiler :
I played my round in the monarch cookbook and I'm really, really surprised Gilgamesh managed to pull all those wonders, considering the competition he has.
 
Looks like i'm first to post a round :)
To 1500BC

Spoiler :
Was the jungle city really worth it? Can't produce, needs iron working and calendar, no production to speak of, guarantees 8 land tiles borders with Gilgamesh very early? Asking because I thought about it and decided against.
 
4000 BC - 1500 BC

Spoiler :

Opening moves: moved warrior 1SE, noticed fish and a fresh water hill, settled on that hill.



Tech path: Animal Husbandry - The Wheel - Mining - Bronze Working - Mysticism - Pottery - Writing - Sailing (5 turns to go)

Units: 1 settler, 4 workers, 1 workboat, 3 warriors, 1 chariot

Buildings: 3 monuments in New York, Boston and Philadelphia (whipped at current turn)

Diplomacy: Open Borders with Sumeria

Map: 4 cities, improved resources and roads, no cottages and chops yet, not a lot of exploration yet



 

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  • IC Washington Fierabras BC-1500.CivBeyondSwordSave
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Spoiler :
Was the jungle city really worth it? Can't produce, needs iron working and calendar, no production to speak of, guarantees 8 land tiles borders with Gilgamesh very early? Asking because I thought about it and decided against.


Spoiler :
In my opinion, probably yes although it will be hard to ever decide whether or not it is a great idea. Given that land is so important plus the fact that on immortal with limited space I wasn't going to be taking down protective, creative Gilgamesh any time soon I really felt that it was imperative to get as much land as possible and not to play it safe. I also wanted to do something different to the other saves.
As for your other concerns, the city has a 3 food city tile as well as ability to work rice so it is still of decent use pre calendar and iron working, for production slavery is enough. It also gives me access to more land to the east.
Diplomatically, Gilgamesh founded a religion so i shouldn't have too many problems if i adopt it, having a city that close to him early on increases the likelihood of it spreading early. His favourite civic is HR as well.
 
Spoiler :
In my opinion, probably yes although it will be hard to ever decide whether or not it is a great idea. Given that land is so important plus the fact that on immortal with limited space I wasn't going to be taking down protective, creative Gilgamesh any time soon I really felt that it was imperative to get as much land as possible and not to play it safe. I also wanted to do something different to the other saves.
As for your other concerns, the city has a 3 food city tile as well as ability to work rice so it is still of decent use pre calendar and iron working, for production slavery is enough. It also gives me access to more land to the east.
Diplomatically, Gilgamesh founded a religion so i shouldn't have too many problems if i adopt it, having a city that close to him early on increases the likelihood of it spreading early. His favourite civic is HR as well.

Spoiler :
On the other hand, as you said, he found a religion. And his UB is in Priesthood so he's going in hard thru the religious path. This means (cultural, religion, religious buildings) that, friendly or not, your borders are going to get butchered.
 
Up to 1500 BC.
Spoiler :
Move warrior SE and I have a plan!



location of Gilgamesh made me change plan a bit. Block my land + Great Lighthouse, can I pull it? TOA went 1900 BC, Pyramids - 1750 BC – ind civs there for sure. Can I pull Great Lighthouse?!

Yes! In 1650.


Now, I accept that having only 1 worker with 3 cities, not having important working techs like AH and pottery is not so good. But with Great Lighthouse I will catch up very quick. I see sites for 6 more good coastal cities, so now just REX and workers. With food rich capital will not take long.
And as a sweet bonus Hindu spreads to my land, I convert immediately, lets be friends Gilgamesh (at least for now ;)).

Capital:



South borders:



The game is half in the bag.


Good luck to all!
 

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  • Washington Immortal Cookbook BC-1500.CivBeyondSwordSave
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First time I post a game on here and my first time ever playing on immortal but since I can beat monarch almost 100% of the time the other one isn't really for me.

Spoiler :

Moved the warrior 1SE and SIP. Not sure if this was a mistake or not since if you move to the coast you will have more room for but now I have room for a pretty good GP farm.
My exploring warrior died to an archer fairly early so didn't find Gilgamesh's border but he couldn't be far away considering I met his scout around turn 7 and there is a lot of jungle to pass before that.
Monty came from the NW around turn 70 and his borders can be seen just across the water.
Build order was:
worker>warrior>warrior>worker>settler>settler>worker>worker
Tech order:
AH>mining>BW>Wheel>writing>pottery(0% slider since I couldn't decide yet what would be best)
Settled New York for the gold and Boston to block off Gilg. Philly is meant as a GP farm and might even be able to work 4 food tiles if Washington doesn't need the food.
As I see it we have room for 1 city north and 2-3 to the south of Washington.
Library was wiped on turn 99 in Washington so it just came in.
Buildings of worth: 1 library (almost finished barracks because of not knowing what to build while waiting for writing)
Units:
5 workers
1 wb
5 warriors

Feel I did ok and after looking at the other peoples posts I believe I didn't get too left behind. Looks like we have a few slightly different options so far.

Spoiler :





 

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  • Washington IC Quaren BC-1500.CivBeyondSwordSave
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My first round...

Spoiler :

I officially spit on myself, such a bad round, can't believe what I did there. Going to do second round with other tech order.

Ok to my game...

I SIPed (misses fish grr). My exploring war got eaten down there so i didnt scout as much as I would liked.

Settled only 2!! cities, settler is on the way to horse+gold spot.

Techs AH->TW->Mining (should be after AH really!!)->Pot->Myst->BW->Writ, turn off research.

well that's it... it's great map I think indeed, have to look around what other people did

 
No Grashopa to conquer world yet. hehe
 
Haha I started it, but I likely won't have time until after the weekend to finish the round. The start is very interesting, I hope we get a bunch more entries.
 
Okay played out a round to 1500bc

Spoiler :


Okay moved capital to coast after worker found some fish.

I grew capital to size 3 before working the fish. Then i built a worker/warrior and settler too.

Settler headed south. My second city was a bit poor for a long while. Needed monument.

I have whipped the capital for library (3 pop) Granary (1 pop) Settler (2 pop)

New York whipped a workboat and monument.

Overall 4 cities but I think my locations are poor. I have somewhat blocked off the Sumerians. Room for 2-3 more cities and i have libraries and monuments on the way.

In terms of barbs my warriors killed everything that attacked them. I kept my warrior close to Washington so i didn't lose him.

Science rate is fine and will pick up when gold is worked.

Cities
Spoiler :


Map
Spoiler :


Techs

Spoiler :





 

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  • Gumbolt Washington Immortal Cookbook BC-1500.CivBeyondSwordSave
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