5.02 Babylon Photojournal (Deity/Standard)

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My first (completed) game with the new 5.0! I really wanted to do it on 5.01 alpha but after few turns I found out about the double UA bonus bug and that was really unfair given my leader choice.... the 5.02 had some bugs still but I felt it was okay to press on and post some (hopefully) entertaining action.

Playing as Babylon, that hasn't been changed too much by the 4UC changes and is always a solid pick. I already have my mind set on winning by Science, as I can't be bothered to go through all the late game war action for a photojournal. Communitas map with everything standard, no handpicked opponents, first map rolled. The only change I made was turning off tech trading: I consider it cheating, basically a source of free gold for the player, especially as Babylon against deity AIs.

T0-1

Spoiler :

My starting location looks pretty bland (no 3 food or production tiles): Coffee monopoly is okay albeit weak in the first turns, there're some flat tiles that hopefully are going to reveal resources and the terrain isn't too rough, so less chances for some barbarians to ambush my workers and easier times moving around my units. T0 scout and warrior moving don't reveal any outstanding alternate location so I settle in place. Researching the wheel first that's on the way to two of my uniques and Stonehenge. Monument first as of 99% of my games.




One turn later I discover two NWs, but those two aren't great to settle before classical era (when they are going to scale with +2 culture each), hence I don't switch to Mining for a quick Pyramids land grab.

T12

Spoiler :

The Celts north are going to contest El Dorado but I have some okay land around my capital to settle as well. Ottomans spotted, I went trailblazer III (instead of scouting I, that's usually my preferred pick) with my first pathfinder when I saw some land past shallow waters, in order to steal some ruins from Suleiman while a gold ruin let me buy another pathfinder to explore in the opposite direction and grab the ruins spotted by the warrior. No pop or culture ruins yet though, this a slow start with both trapping and wheel not revealing any bonus resource next to Babylon.
I'm going for Calendar over Construction because I plan to improve the plantations quick with a progress worker, if I had any other type of luxury resource I would have beelined the Walls first. After Calendar I'm going to research Animal Husbandry because all that flat land 'must' hide some pasture resources and I need to both work good tiles with my capital and know where to place some good secondary cities before beeline Writing. I don't know how many other OCD people are playing here but I also feel very, very bad when I discover cattle or iron right under a city, if I'm not rushing units I like for my resources to be improved

T26 Pantheon

Spoiler :

Goddess of Protection would be my default pantheon as Babylon but today I go with God of Open Sky: there're about two pasture resources per future city in my region, I'm going to work those flat land plantation tiles anyway so culture and faith are going to average out. Most important of all, I don't value the 10 bonus healing that much when I don't have at least a couple of angry neighbours, while the bonus gold on pastures is going to help with both poverty and investments.

I unlocked Progress on T22 and all the cheap techs already researched let me pick the second policy at T26 already, that's going to be a worker to improve my land. I rush bought two Bowmen so far, they make barbarian pose no threat and let me farm more encampments, then the next money will go into one more worker.

T35

Spoiler :

Early CS alliances are very impactful yields wise so their quests sort of dictate my build order: it's also very helpful to know they aren't going to ask for you to complete a world wonder somebody else is already close to competition so if you focus on those you're almost guaranteed to get them. Artemis being free for grab is a novelty, the AI usually grabs it fast but probably no AIs had a plantation luxury to beeline Calendar for. It's not a good wonder to have tbh: 231 Hammers for a free glorified herbalist (65h saved, no gold maintenance) and some minor bonus (base food % is good but more of a late game thing). Nonetheless, almost an alliance worth of influence with a maritime cs and 93 faith are very important, so I ignore Construction for now (not going to lose turns for the wonder race by building Walls first) and beeline Writing while completing Artemis.

Only one settler out before Classical era might sound pathetic for a Progress game but I don't feel pressed to settle the land between me and the Celts (it's not really great anyway) and there's only one spot to settle that is going to benefit from free river connection and at the same time grab few pastures and block annoying barbarian spawnings. I'm not going to build any more settlers out of my capital anyway, that's a job for satellite cities with excess food. By growing my capital instead I get much needed science out of pop births to unlock techs quicker.

T40

Spoiler :

I actually delay settling my second city for a turn to not increment the policy cost, to unlock Fraternity before connecting the two cities...

In meanwhile, let drool a bit looking at all that land (and the Great Barrier Reef!) laying almost uncontested past a narrow strait... The Celts settled Dublin already in a good spot next to their capital, knowing the AI they'll probably settle El Dorado next and then put a city in between those marble and gold (on the east they're competing with the Ottomans for land...there'll be border friction between the two of them) thus blocking my way to the north... that means I'm going to refuse any friendship proposal from Boudicca, there can be no peace between us if I want to expand a lot.

T45 Classical Era

Spoiler :

Not much to see here, just a nice timestone.

Next I'm going to research Construction and then Bronze Working...I try to never chop any forest or jungle before that because 40 instant hammers at this stage are worth delaying any improvement, they make classical wonders easier to race for. For the same reason I'm going to settle the free GS Academy over a boring plains hex, it's still a good tile with god of open sky and I don't lose turns moving through forests.

T51

Spoiler :

Suleiman leads both in policies and techs, I can spot his capital working on the Great Library before I had enough policies to build it. No biggie, it's not a very important wonder for Babylon given my good flat science output, it's something I'd build in order to deny it to the AI though.

A CS asks me for the Mauseleum of Halicarnassus and I'm quite happy about going for it...it's a great wonder for a capital city that's going to be in WLTK most of the time (nevermind the 5.02 bug... but tbh in my games my capital is -always- in wltk anyway, given MoH, Hagia Sophia free church, Circus, any Great Merchant after the first and actively trading for luxuries that would unlock wltk in the capital). I though I could miss it with my delayed tech path but it looks like there're no Inca/Poly/Maya/Songhai (the usual suspects beelining Construction) in my game. It's also going to reset the damned Amber that's nowhere to be found on my continent so a win-win.

After monument and shrine Akkad is going to invest in the walls and then churn out settlers.

T63

Spoiler :

After Bronze Working I tech toward Drama and the Babylonian Etemenanki, a cheap and useful UNW that synergizes well with the UA. I also want to settle that spot on whe east south of Mount Sinai but barbarians make it a rouch sail, better fill the land around my capital to prevent more encampments from spawning.

Sulemain is friendly and asks me to DoW the Celts...sure why not, I was already thinking to attack on my own after Boudicca settled cardiff so I had my units nearby.
A 1-turn-after-investment forge sneaks in the capital build order even if I have no mines because the workers are now busy pre-building roads to my future 3rd and 4th cities and I'm running out of good tiles to work (seriously... I locked a plain unimproved 2 food grassland tile) and a CS is asking me for a great engineer.

T68

Spoiler :

The Celts only had an archer and 3 Picts Warriors near Cardiff, and no walls. That went down fast. Razing it, it's low pop and has nothing worth keeping.

I became greedy with wonders and Akkad started working on the Great Lighthouse after as usual a CS asked for it. This is around the time this wonder goes on Deity so it probably means that Venice, Denmark, England and a bunch of other sea/trade nations aren't in game either (and I can see it isn't being built in Istanbul)... It's a next to useless wonder for Babylon now but I spot some shallow water after deep sea on the far east of the map, maybe I can sneak a trireme there to explore a far away continent and unlock trade opportunities before caravels so the free Navigator II promotion comes handy. This means I delay my fourth city for a bit (Dur-Kurigalzu is going to build that settler after well-monument-walls) but no biggie because I can't spare an escort during war.

To be continued...

 

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T71 Religion

Spoiler :

I'm filling the upper part of the tech tree aiming to enter Medieval through Education, that's the quickest way and I don't feel like I need to upgrade my military soon anyway: I'm parking some units outside of Boudicca's borders looking for settlers but it looks like she's very busy against Suleiman.

First religion (those CS quests paid off...I found before India - I forgot to say "somebody" snatched the first pantheon on T1) and I go with the Revelation founder, that's my pick in most Progress games due to how a good science output translates into culture and faith that are usually lagging behind. Follower belief Indulgences: I don't care much about the first half of it, the faith per follower based on gold output, but the second half of this belief being yield conversion changes faith from a global yield to local hammers that makes me save some turns in the capital whenever I buy a missionary and speeds up expansions whenever I buy buildings. Late game when GPs are worth thousands of faith getting hundreds of hammers out of that outweights any per follower belief I think. The free gold is just cherry on top.

T82 Monopoly

Spoiler :

With Education and Chanceries approaching I need to work on CS alliances, that's why I went for the Roman Forum (in my experience is a safe wonder against the AI who likes to grab Hanging Gardens first...so you usually have a clue about how much time you have left): the initial plan was to burn the free Great Diplomat and ally Huari, to get its sugar needed to ally Tyre. Then a barbarian invasion quest popped, and with two more camps around that CS I'm confident I can farm enough influence to make it my ally soon, hence the GD will be redirected to Sigtuna. I lack the global population needed to build the Scriveneer's Office so the free paper coming out of the wonder is great because it makes me able to buy some cheap early emissaries.

The capital can afford to go for some wonders of secundary importance because I don't want to build -everything- in Babylon yet, I prefer to wait for Medieval era scaling and get 20 instead of 10 culture out of Expertise. Same with the secundary cities, they're better build settlers and workers for now. I'm usually happy with a sub-100 Medieval milestone so in this game I didn't feel pressed to shot for the Oracle, but I'll be happy to deny it from the AI should I feel I have a chance later, after era changes will make the production cost drop a bit.

A CS asked for a Great Merchant, I'll probably build a market in Babylon or Akkad (due to them having some GM points already from WW) and work a specialist there. The early great people make terrible bulbs so I'm going to plant every GP such as the first GE and the second GS in the screenshot. No libraries yet, I don't need flat science too much and can't afford to work a specialist full time.

T84 Medieval

Spoiler :

Only two turns passed but look at how the production cost for Nalanda dropped... I can also shave off a turn of production there thanks to Indulgencies. Completing it is going to net me the last CS alliance on my continent, and I'm going to place an expansion south of Ottomans soon: that is going to piss them a bit but we're still in war against the Celts together and I need to deny Suleiman that land. Mt. Sinai has been claimed but there're good resources still up for grab. An easier time sending envoys to Copenhagen and Msoura is also important.

I'll be switching production (and investments) to chanceries everywhere soon and then build everything cheap enough to be completed in 1-2 turns.

T97

Spoiler :

My science is outperforming my production and I don't need better military units hence I'm beelining to Banking: that's the fastest access to Renaissance and I'm holding any more expansion until Pioneers, they're simply too convenient with a dozen of already built buildings. I'm also spending all my faith in missionaries to reform quick, thinking I can enhance with Hagia Sophia free prophet instead: better save the 1100 faith that is -not- going to be converted with Indulgencies.

Second policy tier unlocked, I pick Fealty: on a pangea Starcraft offers some interesting semi-random benefits mostly due to the better quest reward policy but here I feel I'm going to get better use out of all of the safe free yields from Fealty tree.

T100

Spoiler :

T100 milestone screenshot: I'm ahead of the Celts (they feel very weak at the moment, the war has depleted their forces) and almost tech parity with the Ottomans. By looking at the tech cost I know they have only researched Chivalry out of all the Medieval techs though, so I'm leading in raw science when we consider the more costly tech path I'm following.

All my TRs are production from the capital to expansions (thanks MoH), and I'm also going to time a stoneworks in Borsippa with a cargo ship from Akkad to send one oversea to Nippur. A CS asked for Petra 17 turns ago, my neighbours did spawn next to desert but I can observe their cities and that wonder isn't being built anywhere... probably the other civs didn't spawn next to desert or even if they did, that's not a wonder the AI likes much so I think it's quite safe to get in an expansion.

The Celts founded a religion, on the other continent(s) India founded Induism and somebody (Ned? Deu?) founded Protestantism; Ottomans with Goddess of Renewal pantheon are in a solid position so I can't rule them out of the religious game yet, hence I focus on converting all the CS first.

A bit short chapter but I have to go... to be continued...

 

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T104 Reformation

Spoiler :

Ottomans peace out with the celts without territorial gains. Boudicca is going to send better escorted settlers in the no man's land soon but I'm almost at pioneers.
I'm more worried about losing a big chunk of influence (40? more?) with Sofia due to ignoring its warnings about the pledge of protection (that I promised when my early bowmen inflated the military score to get better reward out of a quest) going to be annulled. Serves me as a lesson, don't pledge this early in game. Should Boudicca flip that CS I'd lose a good distraction on that side. I also need to send two more emissaries out to CSs Suleiman is competing for.

Reformation: I don't care too much about the outstanding To The Glory of God belief since I am following Progress and going Rationalism, so that the two best late game GPs are going to be available as faith purchases anyway. I predict this to be a quick enough peaceful victory that I'm not going to run out of available GS/GWs, so no need to go for cheap 1000-2500 faith GEs or other GPs. Most other beliefs are tied to a specific victory, except my two usual picks of choice, Divine Teachings and Faith of the Masses, both great in a progress game (wide benefits, and those buildings trigger expertise bonus yields) and flexible enough. I didn't build any libraries or amphitheaters yet on purpose, first I needed to know which Reformation pick will be available.
Despite culture being a bit more useful at this stage of the game, a balanced choice due to my culture lagging a bit behind science and boredom unhappiness being a more serious issue, I prefer Divine Teachings due to its better synergy with Babylon late game GS bulbs (a flat +8 science out of buildings I'm going to have anywhere anyway, and instant build time for better snowballing) and the fact I already unlocked two science buildings vs one cultural one only. Museums and Broadcast Towers come late and are next to useless to a scientific victory anyway.

T108

Spoiler :

Divine Teachings also allows me to rush Library and University in Babylon, and build a quick Oxford as soon as I have the required population: that's going to net me a +50% science output in 5 turns and a lot of culture from all those classical-medieval techs I'm leaving for later (150/each with Renaissance scaling). I'm purposely delaying the Great Merchant spawning in Babylon in order to get a better CS quest reward, while focusing on GW/GS/GD (6 specialists and 7 improved tiles being worked in the capital atm, I stopped caring about growth - that granary is looking sad)

I didn't expect Suleiman to forward settle on my half of the continent (a truly horsehockey city location) before filling his own, I'm genuinely pissed. That's a 0 production city though, he's not going to put up walls and castles anytime soon.

T115 Renaissance

Spoiler :

First into the Renaissance! While Japan (who sent a trireme through the eastern strait) is still in Classical, embarassing.

A wave of Pioneers has been prebuilt, I'll stop build missionaries now that their price increased (I have open borders with Suleiman, and am working on converting all his cities already) due to era scaling and instead get monasteries/libraries/universities up in all cities. That's 150+220+300 faith (on average about 3 turns worth of faith, thanks to revelation) being converted into 90 culture and 67 gold/production. Especially good for border growth and the first building (a chancery) in the freshly settled cities as well.

The Ottomans went hostile due to border friction (right? after I promised not to settle near them anymore...), right after my old buddy Sofia asked for one of their cities... To be sure Sofia doesn't flip against me and I lose that nice quest (and the bonus science, and some free units) I spend another Great Diplomat to seal an alliance and some solid resting influence. I don't value embassies at all at this stage of the game.

T119 Enhancement

Spoiler :

I always enhance with a faith building (that's never a good first belief when you still use the faith for missionaries or the second prophet), and Synagogues are often ignored by the AI, I'm picking that. Unsurprisingly Mandirs went out first (Celts got them), that would be a solid pick but it's next to impossible to get nowadays, while other AIs went for Churches (Induism) and Orders (Tengrilism, so Mongolia is in the game...and is probably doing well due to ''somebody'' that's not Japan already aquired a vassal). Mosques are another great belief, I'm entering a GA soon and the whole second half of a game is a permanent GA if you know what to do, plus 2 base science is solid. Scaling 10% science from Synagogues is great for GS bulbings though, and the production in new cities will make them get up and running faster. On a Pangea-like map with close neighbours and international trade routes I'd be happy to pick Pagodas but this is not today situation.

Time to pick up all those military techs I ignored, on average one medieval tech every 2.5-3 turns at this stage is satisfactory. Still building academies with the next GSs, as I usually do until Industrial Era.

T123

Spoiler :

My composite bows and a couple of barbarian encampments made Celts unable to expand: my happiness is still very good so there's no point ending the hostilities between me and Boudicca until I settle the land between the two of us and block her from accessing the northern continent. Suleiman thinks he has something to gain out of this situation and declares again on the beated horse.

T128

Spoiler :

Phew, the Pioneer made it to the dream spot! I was trying to settle 1W actually but there're really too many barbarians roaming around. The Netherlands somehow managed to discover Sophia, get a free knight and be stuck oversea with it draining gpt. No biggie for them because they're filthy rich, and I help them by trading most of my spare luxuries, win-win.

I'm building a small fleet of navigator II (GL and armories) triremes soon to be upgraded into caravels in order to meet every other civ and CS fast: I have a city on the east coast of the continent too now, that was blocked by ice in the south. It's necessary to piss the Ottomans a bit now if I want to explore that side of the globe quick enough to matter.

Babylon built the Ironworks as soon as I had the required population and stopped wonderwhoring, now it's going to build pretty much any building available despite CSs asking me for Borobudur (overkill with fealty+Hagia Sofia) and Notre Dame (next to useless imo).

T130

Spoiler :

Surprise surprise, Suleiman wasn't worried of my freshly built army sitting at his borders due to our open border treaty and me being in war against our common foe for a couple eras, but there're two hills around Samsun from where I can siege the city with impunity and he cannot defend it properly, it's time to remove that ugly patch from the map. There're also 3 cargo ships in between Istanbul, Edirne and Bursa that will be easy to pillage before they trigger his UA.

T137 First Congress of Babylon

Spoiler :

After researching all Medieval techs I went for the Printing Press: I felt like there was no need for a Gunpowder unit upgrade in order to win the wars on my continent, and my caravels didn't spot any outstanding contested spot oversea to justify Astronomy. I met all civs though, that means a 540AD First Congress that's quite good on a continents-like map. I'm going to propose World Religion, it's usually easy to get it passed as the first proposal (I think I'll be able to convert Ottos and probably Japan before the voting session) and it helps getting enough votes to ban/pass future proposals.

Samsun went down really fast, I'll now move toward Bursa before Ottos unlock Janissaries.

A look at the other AIs: I'm 4-9 techs and 1-4 policies ahead of them, 4/1 against the direct competitor (William) that is losing a war against a quite successful Mongolia though. A successful warmonger on the second continent is usually a nice sight because it slows down the peaceful victory contenders and he can't really focus on an oversea invasion before it's done with them.

 

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T141

Spoiler :

Suleiman enters Renaissance through Gunpowder. He is Unhappy though, that is going to delay Janisseries for a few more turns. I'm building some bombardment II galleasses to blockade Bursa and I'm ready to sacrifice a knight or two to get rid of annoying skirmishers around that city, taking it down quick is of utmost importance.

In meanwhile, I'm sending a serious missionary wave to the other continent where everybody is trying to turn Japan and the CSs to their religion, and Venice (the CS) asked for a conversion contest but we met very late. I want those GPPs and need to reach the 250 followers cap for Revelation still. I also need to keep at least 20 cities as true Noobism believers: with both the Reformation building and Organized Religion that's 4 votes in the congress, that I plan to dominate even without embassies.

T143 Peace #1

Spoiler :

After only 80 turns the joke that is war weariness is starting to hit my happiness and I have nothing to get from the Celts: now that I settled the north I also plant a citadel (as long as we're still in war there're no serious diplomatic repercussions) to make the border between Ellasar and Eshunna prettier while stealing that marble quarry 5 tiles from Edinburgh, That explorer is also raiding a pair of caravans I eye few turns ago (but I lacked the movement points to also save the explorer, and I hate to lose my elite veteran) before asking for a white peace.

T146 Peace #2

Spoiler :

After razing two cities my war score against the Ottomans is so high I can vassalize them, not before taking down all their internal trade routes hoping he'll send the next caravans to my own cities instead. That's a better use of his UA. No need to thank me Sul. I don't plan to war against the other continent and more than one vassal can ruin diplomatic relations, I'd be happy to play peaceful till spaceship.

T156 Industrial Era

Spoiler :

I enter Industrial ignoring all the bottom techs but between faith-rushed public schools and zoos I'm confident I'll catch up really fast. 250 followers and maxed out Revelation mean I can stop trying to convert the world and faith buy prophets and other GPs.

Boudicca annoys me with some silly comment and my reply isn't diplomatic enough, she declares a hopeless war.

Taj Mahal in 1 turn, and I'm confident the Golden Age that is going to start is going to last for the whole game: I can faith buy some Artists to prolong it, and then Apollo project and World Fair are going to give me more free GAs.

T162 Colonists

Spoiler :

6 turns later and I researched Gunpowder, Chemistry, Acoustic and Railroad. Absolutely 0 coal on my continent, except for about 12 next to Istanbul. 0 to the north as well, the only available coal is next to Sigtuna and that's bad news because I really want to have enough coal for a factory in every city, and railroad station in the spaceship factory cities; for the first time in a long VP gaming career (lol) I'll have to build refineries.

I pre-built the second wave of colonizers and am ready to fill the map. I'm also going to delete the Celts from the map, as I realized that's my only way to get a hold on some useful monopolies (gold for the corporation, and then I can foresee doing some citadel magic in order to grab marble/coral/horses next to Dublin...)

T170 Industrialization

Spoiler :

I trade for two coal from Mongolia in order to build factory and railroad station in Babylon while I work on improving the little nearby coal. I'm very proud of how Kutha is trolling Suleiman, while Opis is busy building the steam mill (or how it's called nowadays.. I'll check and maybe edit later): I decided to build that wonder in a secundary city because I plan to get free factories out of Order in my first 5 cities, and that tenet cannot refund a factory that is already free... I feel really coal starved but it'll work out somehow.

I plan on razing and resettling Dublin, steal marble and horses and build the east trading company there, that plus the new colonies is going to net me marble and global horses monopoly.