6otM95 Announcement

[Eyswein]

Civilization VI - Game of the Month 95​

Welcome to the 95th game in the 6OTM Series! These games will allow new and old GOTM fans to try out the new features in Civ6 in a friendly environment. Participants are encouraged to post questions, stories, advice, tricks and failures in the dedicated game threads (described below). Each game will specify the Civ you will play and the Victory Condition to strive for. We will be working to refine the 6otM concept as we move ahead with the series. Gifting of cities is an exploit in a religious VC as the AI cant see that it will lose if it accepts the cities.

Must Read!

We would like to ask you to abide by our most sacred rule: Don’t replay any turns! If you make a mistake, accept it and try to recover. To ensure fair play and prevent results exclusions, please set your Autosaves to 1 turn. In the event of a computer crash while playing, just reload to the previous save and play it as closely to how you played it the first time. Please let Leif know (via Conversation (Private Message)) if you experienced a crash and how many turns you replayed.

Civ VI - 6otM95 Details:

Player (You): Cyrus - Persia
Victory Condition: Religious but all other VCs are enabled.
Difficulty: Immortal
Civs/City-States (including player): 8/12
Map Type/Size: Seven Seas/Standard Size
Resources: Sparse
Start Position: Legen...(wait for it)....dary
Civilizations: Not Saladin of Arabia
Game pace: Standard
Disaster Intensity: 2
Game Mode(s): None

Game options:
Start - Ancient Era
Enabled - Barbarians and Tribal Villages
Game Version: This game was created in Civ6 Gathering Storm version 1.0.3.31.
Game Requirements: vanilla version of Civilization VI with Rise and Fall and Gathering Storm expansions. All DLC Civ Packs are required to include all Frontier Pass DLCs except the two persona packs that cannot be purchased separately.

Here is where you will start (note: settler lens):

Cyrus of Persia Unique Attributes:

Spoiler Unique Attributes :

Cyrus's Leader Bonus: Fall of Babylon: Movement for all units for the next 10 turns after declaring a Surprise War. Declaring a Surprise War only counts as a Formal War for the purpose of Grievances and war weariness. Occupied cities have no penalties to their yields. +5 Loyalty per turn in occupied cities with a garrisoned unit.

Unique Ability: Satrapies: Gains +1 Trade Route capacity with Political Philosophy. Domestic Trade Routes provide +2 Gold and +1 Culture. Roads built inside Persian territory are one level more advanced than usual.

Unique Unit: Immortal: replace Swordsman; requires 10 iron to train; +10 Combat Strength vs. anti-cavalry units that also applies when making ranged attacks; ranged attack (25 Ranged Strength, 2 Range); can still make melee attacks; -17 Ranged Strength against District defenses and Naval units; higher production cost (100 vs. 90); lower Combat Strength (30 vs. 36).

Unique Infrastructure: Pairidaeza: unique tile improvement; cannot be built on Tundra or Snow tiles or adjacent to another Pairidaeza; +1 culture, +2 gold, +2 appeal; +1 culture for every adjacent Holy Site and Theater Square; +1 gold for every adjacent Commercial Hub and City Center; +1 culture with Diplomatic Service.

Information about threads associated with each individual 6otM -- Must Read if you are new to our Game of the Month!
Please note: If you wish to make a video of your game, please do not post any links to it until after the game submission date has passed. This is because of the potential spoilers that are created by posting before the end date. Thank you for your cooperation.

Spoiler :

Announcement thread (this one): This thread is used to announce the game and clarify the settings and rules (don't be afraid to ask questions). It's also used to discuss the game before you start, and post problems with opening the save. Once you have opened the save, DO NOT POST in the Announcement thread, even non game-related information. Instead use the next thread.

Opening Actions thread: This thread is used to discuss the game's opening decisions and strategies through the first 100 or so turns. Here you can post questions related to the game and share your achievements/anger/frustration/victories while you play. We encourage players to use the spoiler tags for screenshot. During the time the game is active, please do not post any information concerning the game outside of the spoiler threads including screen shots, videos, or recorded/live-cast Let's Plays on other websites.

After Actions thread: In this thread you can post the results of your game. Please state your victory/loss date and final score (preferably in the post title) and describe your path to glory in this post! Players are encouraged to provide feedback on the game. Some players like to replay the game, and although we will not record the results from a replay, you can still post your new experiences. The game will not be closed as such, but after one month, the results will be compiled, and will not necessarily be updated with reports coming in after the finish date.

File Upload System
In development.

This game runs for a month and ends October 15th, 2020.

The save is attached below.

 

[Eyswein]

For those that normally don't play Religious victories or Immortal difficulty, a couple items to consider for the start of your game:

Spoiler New to Religious victory at more difficult levels :

In order to win a Religious Victory, you MUST get a Great Prophet. Note: You don't have to use your great prophet right away, he can do other stuff for centuries before you establish your religion if desired, but not getting a great prophet means religious victory is impossible.

Note: GPP below is Great Prophet Points.

You can earn a Great Prophet by building the world wonder Stonehenge (grants a free great prophet) or the GPP route. Below is a discussion on the GPP route.

At Immortal difficulty, (my experience; may not be fully accurate) the AI typically exhausts the 5 great prophets (standard size map) about turn 60-65 (rarely earlier, but possible; sometime a few turns later). Also, the AI will outright purchase great prophets. Hence, if four great prophets are already taken it may be a good idea to purchase the last one outright - even if you already have 59.9 of 60 GPP you can lose out. Although game announcement states Saladin is not in the game, if I didn't know that I'd consider purchasing the great prophet outright if 3 great prophets were already taken because he automatically gets the last one.

As you should know, in the early game you can generate GPP with Holy Sites and Shrines. After you have a Holy Site, if you think it is needed you can work on the city project Holy Site Prayers for additional faith output and GPP when it is completed.

And remember, you don't need to fully reach 60 GPP; you can purchase your great prophet with gold or faith.

Faith Cost = 150 + 10 * GPP remaining (if 60 required, can also look at it as 750 - 10 * GPP earned)
Gold Cost = 200 + 15 * GPP remaining (if 60 required, can also look at it as 1100 - 15 * GPP earned).

 

[monikernemo]

That seems like plenty of resources for sparse resource

settle in place seems alluring, since you have access to 2f2p deer tile. On the other hand you miss out on +3 holy site for extra era score since tree is removed, which one may want for classical age exodus of the evangelist. Another possible move is settle on cattle. A viable turn 2 settling spot is the stone southwards, but I dont think I will move there. Turn 3 settle sounds risky.

Pantheon choice, probably earth goddess. First govenor probably liang + fisheries to grow quickly to work many tiles, and of course build many 4 charge builders for pairadeiza. Hopefully Granada is in the game as well.

I think one viable strategy is conversion + declaring surprise war for your religious units to gain more movement. This would gain you +4 movement on your religious units with exodus of the evangelist. Or otherwise can just eliminate civs that you dont plan on converting since if you war you can pillage for faith to create more missionaries/apostles.

Religious belief wise, I think Feed the World would be ideal, but difficult to achieve. Warrior Monk if going on semi-domination? But I hate the fact that Warrior Monks require temples. Missionary Zeal as always. Hmm Pilgrimage is useful later.

 

[Knowtalent]

That seems like plenty of resources for sparse resource

Legendary start, so I anticipate not much out side of the start area

 

[TheFinalChiTown]

Looking back at our Scythia game, the winner was 100 turns. Maybe we'll get a sub-100 on this one.

 

[Drac00La]

Do you need cartography to reach everyone on Seven Seas map? Haven't played it before.

 

[monikernemo]

Do you need cartography to reach everyone on Seven Seas map? Haven't played it before.

You don't need cartography. The seven seas are like humongous lakes

 

[hhhhhh]

Two religious game in a row?

It seems worth it to move one turn and settle the 2f2p2faith2scince stone tile. It has fresh water.

 

[Eyswein]

settle in place seems alluring, since you have access to 2f2p deer tile. On the other hand you miss out on +3 holy site for extra era score since tree is removed, which one may want for classical age exodus of the evangelist. Another possible move is settle on cattle. A viable turn 2 settling spot is the stone southwards, but I dont think I will move there. Turn 3 settle sounds risky.

It seems worth it to move one turn and settle the 2f2p2faith2scince stone tile. It has fresh water.

@hhhhhh - It is a grassland hill, so would be turn 3 settle.

Seems like a good discussion on whether it is better to settle early such as SIP, etc. or to wait until T3 for the higher capital output & fresh water.

 

[CappyAA]

I’m curious as to others’ thoughts on SIP vs other options. My instinct says to SIP and work the marble immediately, followed by the deer after we gain a population. We sacrifice some production — our first scout doesn’t get out for a few turns longer — but the immediate +4 science, +4 faith, and +1 culture is significant. We’ll get our pantheon on about turn 8 and are pretty much guaranteed to get the free settler from religious settlements.

 

[lotrmith]

I’m curious as to others’ thoughts on SIP vs other options. My instinct says to SIP and work the marble immediately, followed by the deer after we gain a population. We sacrifice some production — our first scout doesn’t get out for a few turns longer — but the immediate +4 science, +4 faith, and +1 culture is significant. We’ll get our pantheon on about turn 8 and are pretty much guaranteed to get the free settler from religious settlements.

The Settler is the only thing that makes it worthwhile. Then you can presumably settle further north and work some other wonder tiles. But my instinct would be to switch off the wonder tile and work higher production tiles as soon as the pantheon is locked.

 

[Knowtalent]

Two religious game in a row?

It seems worth it to move one turn and settle the 2f2p2faith2scince stone tile. It has fresh water.

Sometimes the map just defines the game. Other times its the civ. im fairly sure this case was the start location.

The Settler is the only thing that makes it worthwhile. Then you can presumably settle further north and work some other wonder tiles. But my instinct would be to switch off the wonder tile and work higher production tiles as soon as the pantheon is locked.

But that settler might get a second holy site up and running quickly which would speed up the great prophet.

 

[FeiLing]

I think settling the marble is an option too.
Maybe I should test settling the capital without fresh water nor on the coast before in a different game to see how crippling it actually is (it's probably a bad idea if your goal is a victory other than religious).

 

[Eyswein]

I’m curious as to others’ thoughts on SIP vs other options.

Between two of us that tested it, one did SIP (T1) and one did 1NW/1W - the freshwater grassland hills stone (T3) with 2sc/2fa.

 

[elmagico]

Dear civfanatics,

The GOTM states: Game Version: This game was created in Civ6 Gathering Storm version 1.0.3.31.

Is it allowed to play this game in 1.0.4.8 August 2020 Update ?

Or are the rules automatically 1.0.3.31 as it is stored in the *.sav file somehow?

Thanks for your reply.

Gr. Jeroen

 

[leif erikson]

I am not sure the game will load for you?

Generally, the game save will load to a new version but often crashes when one tries to revert to an older version.

You can try?

 

[Eyswein]

Is it allowed to play this game in 1.0.4.8 August 2020 Update ?

Yes. And testing it again it is playing by the 1.0.4.8 rules as long as you have that downloaded. If you aren't finished by 24 Sep and download the new patch the rest of the game will use those updates (won't add stuff in new DLCs as those were not part of the game creation); if you want to keep it under the current patch you can set Steam to offline until complete, but that is not required.

 

[elmagico]

Thank you Eyswein and Leif Erikson for your replies.