A Noble Walkthrough

[pigswill]

1505. Back in the game I'm running short of wars. Only Monte at the moment and that one's turning pretty dull. Intolerable!

The western stack is heading slowly north east looking for Aztec lands and still hampered by the poor road system. Got a couple of workers on road duty, the rest are heading towards uM to chop down some jungles. With everything else going on I'm not sure how well I'm managing my workforce. Its something that seems to get harder to keep under control as your civ gets bigger.
Finished my first round of upgrades. Research 70%: rifling in four turns, +68gpt.
The eastern stack crosses into France without opposition though there do seem to be some french units buzzing around between Paris and Nijmegen.
Got some looose cuirassiers heading slowly east from aztec territory via viking lands.
Amsterdam:settler>theatre. Settler heads north and meets up with some cuirassiers south of Nijmegen.
Utrecht: xbow>lighthouse.
Middelberg: mace>cuir(assier).
Karakorum: cuir>cuir.
Beshbalik: uni>theatre.
Akex has decided to become annoyed at me just because I've been declaring war on his friends.

1510. Rags agrees peace with Monte. I'd forgotten they were meant to be at war. In practical terms it appears to make little difference. Diplomatically I might start to lose 'mutual military struggle' bonus with Ragnar though we're both at war with Napoleon at the moment so gaining some mutual military for that.
Ulundi is now out of revolt and contributing to the empire. Its generating 3cpt (culture/turn), 2 cpt from creative trait 1 cpt from Stonehenge's free monument. It will pop borders in four turns adding slightly to my land% for domination victory.
The western stack is still inching north east.
Amsterdam: theatre>conmiss.
The Hague: gren>cuir.
Rotterdam: uni>theatre.
Nijmegen: LH>theatre.
Maastricht: cuir>Moia Statues (6 turns, stone not available as Tenochtitlan is still in revolt).
A hilltop pike is blocking the direct route to Paris. Drill2 gren disposes of the pike and the army is now adjacent to Paris and ready to attack next turn. Cuirassier/settler stack now within 2 tiles of Paris. No interference from Nap's skirmishers as yet.

1515. Confucian missionary converts Ulundi (now 4cpt in Ulundi, also get +2gpt from Kong Miao in Utrecht (1gpt +100% modifiers from market, grocer and bank)).
Amsterdam: conmiss>cuir.
The Hague: cuir>cuir.
Seige of Paris. Defended by 4LB, mace, pike and sword. Promote 5 cannon to CR1/accuracy who between them reduce Paris' defences to 0. 2 CR2 cannon and a CR1 cannon weaken defenders without losses, combination of CR grens and cuirassiers kill defenders without losses:

Decision time. Spiral Minaret would give +2gpt/confucian city which would help. On the other hand AP is likely to become a significant nuisance. While I was fighting against the western buddhists I didn't acquire many hindu cities.
Once I start capturing cities in the east it will become problematic because if I defy AP I'll get -5 unhappiness in each hindu city. As it stands Bod is likely to become the next AP Resident. To actually become Resident and control the AP I'd have to adopt Hinduism as my state religion which would alienate Ragnar. I'd also have to actively spread hinduism among my cities to get a majority. BURN BABY BURN!!! As far as I know there are no diplomatic penalties for destroying the AP. Guess I'll find out next turn.
Delft is founded on the broken rubble of the Apostolic Palace, Spiral Minaret and Great Wall:

Cuirassiers hunt down a few more french units (3 maces, 2 xbow, treb and 2 cats). Napoleon is willing to capitulate already.
Still got seven turns of the golden age left. Peace treaty with Bod doesn't expire for another five turns.

 

[pigswill]

Looking a bit further ahead I think I'll stick my neck out and tempt fate by saying that I have a good chance of winning this game. The issue now becomes winning it as quickly and efficiently as usual.
Bod is still a significant opponent with an army of 582k troops. William's army of 1,028k troops is obviously stronger but its also more dispersed with a significant component on the western front. They're currently hanging around in Tlatelolco.

I'll probably split this army in two to speed up the conquest of Texcoco(raze) and Tlaxcala(keep) before combining them for the assualt on Calix and they can then head off to do something useful. I'll move out the grens and some cannons next turn while upgrading the maces and a couple of crossbows.

On the eastern front I want to vassalise Alex because I'd otherwise have to get some kind of navy together to capture the islands. Generally speaking the more vassals you have the harder it becomes to capitulate the next AI. Napoleon's only got two cities so what I'll probably do is gather up the grens and cannon into a stack that will march through France prior to invading Greece.
I'll gather the cuirassiers into a couple of stacks ready to repel any invasion from the Iceni Bombshell. Rifling is due in a couple of turns at which point I could blow some cash on upgrading the cuirassiers to cavalry.

I should get to the point of having the western stack available after Monte's demise, the eastern stack available after persuading Alex that vassalisation is better than destruction and a decent number of cavalry. Then it will be time for a Celtic Sunset.

Still, there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.

 

[pigswill]

(1515) Switch Maastricht to cuirassier, Moia can wait till I have stone again.
Research 60%, rifling in 2, 175gpt.

1520. Napoleon adopts pacifism. Bod gets a GS.
Greek spy sabotages ivory camp, unhappiness abounds (Amsterdam -4 unhappy and starving).
Have a quick revolution back to HR. Universal Suffrage was (yet another) mistake:

Amsterdam no longer starving:cuir>conmiss.
Utrecht: LH>harbour.
The Hague: cuir>cuir.
Rotterdam: theatre>colosseum.
Nijmegen: theatre>colosseum.
Middelberg: cuir>cuir.
Beshbalik: LH>barax.
Karakorum: cuir>cuir.
uMgungundlovu: CH>lib.
Upgrade ele to cuir, couple of maces and crossbows to grens.

1525. Rifling>steampower. Cash 100%, 771gpt.
Amsterdam: conmiss>cav.
Start upgrading cuirassiers to cavalry (80gp each).
East army moving north.
West army has split up as planned.

1530. There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.
Napoleon vassalises to Alex.
Alex declares war on Ragnar.
Alex declares war on me!
Oh dear, most of my units are out of place when it comes to defending Delft. Road connections between Delft and the rest of the empire are non-existent. Got some workers heading in that direction (and to rebuild ivory camp) but they have a long way to travel. Could be a challenge.
Couple of grens that were heading to join the main stack heading towards Orleans turn back. Upgrade pike to rifle, upgrade pike to gren (misclick, should have been a rifle). Couple of cannon and a gren have also arrived. Upgrade more cuirassiers to cavalry near Middelberg. Move cavalry/cuirassier stack from holding position near Nijmegen towards Delft.
The Hague: cav>rifle. Cavalry heads towards Delft.
Ulundi: library>theatre.
Teotihican is still starving, whip LH (2 pop).
Confucian missionary converts Tenochtitlan which is out of revolt next turn.
Western army (northern division) bombards, captures and razes Texcoco for 133 gold and no casualties.

1535. Alex suicides 3 HAs against Delft, earning the rifle useful experience.
His main stack turns up next to Delft: LB, 2 Ele, HA, 5 chariots, 4 cats, 3 trebs.
Cannon attacks stack, wounds LB and survives.
Cannon attacks stack, wounds ele and also survives.
Cavalry/cuirassier stack getting closer, worker starts a road to Delft.
Southern cavalry stack still 2 turns away.
An aztec mace tries to block the road to Tlaxcala and is killed by a grenadier. Southern division of the western army moves on.
Tenochtitlan out of revolt.
Maastricht: cuir>Moia Statues (2 turns with stone).
Confucian missionary converts Delft.
The Hague: rifle>cav.
Rotterdam: colosseum>grocer.
Karakorum: cav>harbour (getting unhealthy).
Ulundi: theatre>LH.
Teotihican: LH>theatre.
Research 70%. Steam power 4 turns +103gpt.
Peace treaty with Bod expires next turn!

1540. Busy round. Delft is protected by rifle, 4 grens, 2 wounded cannon. The AI's ai is improving but when it comes to attacking there's still room for improvement. First Alex suicides a HA and a chariot. Then he bombards Delft's defences to 0. Then he does nothing.
Worker completes the road to Delft. The cavalry are on the way! cav v ele, wins (flanking damage), cav v ele wins (flanking damage), cannon attacks HA (to get up to 10xp), cav v treb wins (more flanking damage),cav v chariot wins (kills 2 seige through flanking damage), cav v chariot wins (kills 3 seige through flanking), cav v chariot wins (kills last siege). Grens from Delft kill another four units. Alex's stack is down to one wounded chariot.
Southern cavalry head back down south.
Southern division of the western army is at the suburbs of Tlaxcala.
Eastern army is at the walls of Orleans:

Accuracy cannon destroy defences while Subutai heals the rest of the stack.
Buy a map from Boudica for 40g, mainly to update myself on her cities.
Bod's army has grown to 599k troops, our army has grown faster and now has 1,239k troops.
Amsterdam: cav>cav.
Utrecht: harbour>theatre.
uMgun library>uni.
Teno: LH>theatre,
Teot: theatre>library.
Bod doesn't have enough on her hands (yet).

 

[pigswill]

A very short set (2 turns) and war goes on.

1545. Seige of Tlaxcala. CR2 cannon 75% wins, next gets 98% combat odds and its another massacre. Get 80 gold and keep the city:

Once its out of revolt and expanded its borders (7 or 8 turns) it will grab crabs to improve the health of the empire. [edit: It also gets to grab a goldmine!]

Seige of Orleans. CR2 cannon 94% and then its very one sided. Get 178gold and its another city to keep.

No new resources, just grabbing land. I notice that Rags has got some units heading towards Corinth so I send a couple of spare cannon back to Delft to support a small expeditionary group to assist my faithful friend (and hopefully pinch the city from him).
Utrecht: (something)>cannon.
The Hague: cav>cav.
Middelberg: cav>rifle.
Maastricht: Moia Statues>aqueduct (getting unhealthy).
Tenochtitlan: library>National Epic (6 turns):

Even though the wonders aren't adding any culture they're producing 30gppt (currently doubled by golden age to 60gppt). Definite GP Farm (and its only pop 5 at the moment).

1550. Its the end of a Golden Age in the history of the Dutch Empire.
Boudica has discovered guilds and can build knights and/or upgrade HAs and chariots (if she's got the cash). Speaking of The Bodacious One she makes a proposal:

Which I decline.
I make a counter-proposal:

Which she accepts. Yummy, omega-3.
Amsterdam:cav>conmiss(filler while awaiting steam power for a dike).
Karakorum: cav>theatre (happy).
Ulundi: LH>lib.
Workers have now reconnected ivory near The Hague.

 

[pigswill]

News from the front line(s):

Calix has got five defenders so in two turns it should become a part of the North West Frontier of the Dutch Empire and eventually add some whale-happiness. There should be additional rejoicing as the war weariness from the Epic Struggle Against The Aztecs finally draws to a close. Once the army's healed up they'll be heading down to Birka.

The cavalry are there to protect against Celtic aggression. Bod's main stack is in Birka (4 ele, 4 HA, 3 char, 2xb, 3 misc, 10 cats, 2 trebs). Rags has a small stack heading in that direction. I wonder if he's planning on declaring on Bod? Maybe the stack is just heading towards Greece. All will be revealed shortly no doubt.

Lyons' stack should get there in a couple of turns, hopefully with a bit of bombardment and the such France will cease to existwithin a turn or so after they arrive.
Rag's stack at Corinth consist of 2HA, ele, berserker and 2 trebs. That's what I call optimism.
William's stack heading towards Corinth (currently on the gold mine) has 2 rifles, 3 cannon and 4 grens and should have a slightly better chance of success. I'm hoping that once I've captured Thebes (after Lyons and Corinth) Alex will be ready to capitulate.

Only on 39% land. Need 62% for domination. Getting there slowly.

 

[pigswill]

Another interruption.

Don't think we'll be seeing Williams UU in this game. On the other hand is UB is only two turns away:

Usually its most powerful on a water map. In this game there's a couple of cities that will benefit significantly:

Amsterdam looks to have 11 riverside tiles (maybe more) so that's a significant boost. With +25% from forge and +50% from bureaucracy a dike should add another 20 hammers/turn.

Maastricht's already got Moia Statues, Colossus is still working and a dike will help make the sea tiles more useful than usual.

Health and happiness are problematic for both of these cities. Happiness should improve once the Aztecs and French are annihilated and there's still a couple of buildings that can help as well. Picking up gold and whales will also help combat the next round of war weariness. If those measures fail then there's still the option of using troops as a happiness resource under Hereditary Rule.
Health is more of a problem. There aren't any buildings available in the near future that will help Amsterdam. The next buildings are hospitals (medicine) and supermarkets(refrigeration). Health resources are also not brilliant. Amsterdam's already got corn, rice, pigs, cows, clams and fish. Crabs will become available from Texcoco. There's bananas available from Corinth (+2 health with grocer). The only source of deer is deep in Celtic territory. The map doesn't contain any wheat or sheep so that will be about it.

Despite these minor problems William is dominating the game:

The economy is still holding up:

So all things considered there's not too much to complain about.

 

[cripp7]

With the dike & UniversalSufferage would give the towns +2 which would give a good boost to production

 

[pigswill]

That's certainly true. My concern about US, having already tried it briefly, is the happiness hit through losing HR particularly in Amsterdam.

 

[pigswill]

Another three turns. William finds peace.

1565. GS in Rotterdam. What to do with him? Tenochtitlan's next GP is not due for another 6 turns but it won't be a GS. I've only had two golden ages. First came from Music's free GA, second came from Taj Mahal, this means that the next Golden Age will only cost 2 great people. GS has a nap.
The Hague: cav>cav.
Karakorum: theatre>cav.
A rifleman kills a greek elephant near The Hague.
A stack is adjacent to Corinth.
Another stack is next to Calix.

1570. Steam Power>Railroad.
Battle of Corinth. Rags has kindly crushed its defences. CR cannon pulverise defenders who are quickly mopped up by rifles and grenadiers. Corinth falls.

A Great General is born in Maastricht. He settles there as a Military Instructor

The longbows defending Calix have read the wrong script. Ok, its on a hill but with defences reduced to 0 they have no business killing 2 CR3 cannon and a CR2 cannon . Heroic defending and all that but numbers prevail:

That gesture of defiance was the last chapter in the history of the Aztecs. Bye Monte, it was Wonderful to know you.

Amsterdam: conmiss>dike.
Maastricht: aqueduct>dike.
Teotihuacan: library>harbour.
Aztec cities are much happier (and 100% dutch).

1575. Alex sends various HAs on unsuccesful suicide missions. He ain't willing to capitulate.
Lyons gets defences crushed by cannon, defenders weakened by cannon, defenders killed by grenadiers (same old routine but what the heck, it works). Lyons falls.

Vive La France. Not any more.

Have another chat with Alex. Now he's lost his vassal he's willing to become a vassal himself. Originally I was thinking of taking Thebes first. However a vassal can't own any tiles that are in the city radius/BFC of any of his master's cities. This means that Lyons and Corinth will end up pinching most of Thebes BFC anyway (including a banana!). Hello Alex:

Open Borders. Do some resource trading:

Yes we have bananas! For the first time in the game Alex has some metal (better late than never).

Suddenly up to 49% land with a number of cities waiting to come out of revolt and expand borders. Victory beckons (or at least victory is beckoning me to crush the Celts asap). For the first time in a very very long time the Dutch are at peace. It feels....strange.

 

[dzog]

a month to play a game... that sure teaches me that just wont go to bed before finishing it.

awesome game and descriptions

 

[pigswill]

Sorry for the delay. I blame New Year and long shifts:

Peace reigns uneasily in the dutch empire.

1570. Decide that I don't need any more research. By the time I've fnished railroads and laid down a decent amount of track the game should be virtually over. Next GP is due in three turns. Looking for my second golden age and a civics change, including US because the end of all these wars has given happiness a major boost. I'll also have gold and whales in a few turns to boost happiness further. Switch to 100% cash, 695gpt should boost the coffers.
One of my (belated) concerns was the realisation that taking Alex as a vassal could have jeapordised my diplomacy with Ragnar. As most people know once you've got one or more vassals the other AIs react to you as a team. As far as Ragnar is concerned he's no longer dealing with William he's dealing with William/Alex and his reaction will be the average of his reaction to both members of the team. (Hope that ain't too confusing). In the event this isn't a problem. Despite Alex declaring a war and following a heathen religion Ragnar is pleased with him, the main factors are (hidden) warmonger respect and because Alex is running Ragnar's favourite civic (HR) he gets a major plus for 'wise civics'.The end result is that because Ragnar is friendly with me and pleased with Alex he's still friendly with me (the average reaction rounded up).
Got units healing up in Calix. Moving eastern units to Corinth to heal up there.
Make a deal with Alex: his marble for my incense. It doesn't benefit me because I've got marble already but doesn't harm me either and there are no better deals available withanyone else.
Alex completes Sistine Chapel.

1575.Confucian missionary converts Tlatelelco.
Hague cav>cav.
Middelberg: rifle>cav.
Karakurum cav>cav.
I'm heading for the 'final showdown' with Bod so the more units the better.
Got 2880g in the bank. Switch to 60% culture, 40% cash (+328gpt) to speed up border pops through culture because for domination I want as much land as possible as soon as possible.

1580. Western army heads out from Calix towards Birka (will get there in 3 turns).
Eastern army cuts through Celtic territory to get to its 'jump off' point south west of Tolosa.
Utrecht: something>cav.
Hague: cav>cav.
Nijmegen: something>cav.
Tenochtitlan completes National Epic, gppt doubled, great person next turn.
Tlaxcala pops borders - gold and crabs available for health and happiness!
Now on 50.4% land.

1585. Locusts devour a dye plantation near Nijmegen!
Great Prophet in Tenochtitlan. Combines with GS in Rotterdam for a golden age!
Change slider again to 40% culture, 60% gold (+447gpt)
Swop civics:

As well as the free town hammer US allows me to rush-buy units and buildings. Free Speech adds a small amount of commerce but its main benefit is the culture boost for border popping. I switched to caste because it enables me to run artists if required for extra culture, it also gives a small boost to workshops and swopping out of slavery means no chance of a slave revolt (I'm amazed that I haven't had one so far to be honest). Because I can rush buy improvements I don't need to whip them.

Cities are happy and cultured:

Despite abandoning Bureaucracy Amsterdam is still producing 77 hammers/turn. The dike helps. US gives each town a hammer and a golden age adds a second hammer.
Maastricht is also a solid production city. This is down to Moia, dike and golden age giving each sea tile 3 hammers.
The Hague is trailing in terms of hammer output but Heroic Epic doubles hammers per turn for units.
Calix pops borders and we're all whale-happy.
Amsterdam: dike>cav.
Maastricht: dike>cav.
Orleans: >Theatre.
Armies are in position:

Western army is two tiles NW of Birka.
Bod's got 29 units in Birka (3 knights, 4 ele, 3HA, 2xb,12cat ,2treb+3 misc).
Got a stack of 17 cavalry three tiles SE of Birka.

Eastern army is north east of Midelberg, 1 tile away from Tolosa. Got a stackette of cavalry south east of Middelberg either to respond to cross border raiders or try to capture a lesser city or two.

How long can peace last?

Edit:
Cash-rush Forbidden Palace in Tenochtitlan (750g)
Cash-rush cavalry in Utrecht, Rotterdam, Nijmegen and Karakorum.
Cash-rush university in Beshbalik.

 

[Shurdus]

Wow, all this detail is making this game really hard to follow. I take it everything is going well, but reading every ittle detail of what place builds what and what cannon does what is getting very confusing.

 

[pigswill]

Its basically very simple. Failed warrior rush. Rexed to 7 cities. Got CoL from Oracle. Specialised cities. Got Glib and bulbed towards liberalism, got steel from liberalism. befriended Ragnar.
Went to war.First war was GK, Shaka and Monte. GK went first. Ragnar and I finished off Shaka. Meanwhile went to war with Napoleon to get rid of AP. Nap vassalised to Alex. Finished off Monte. Finished off Nap. Vassalised Alex. Preparing for final war with Bod.

 

[Shurdus]

That is simple indeed.

I am sure it will be a very nice read when one takes the time for it, but to me all this 'cannons do this, this unit does that' has me confused.

 

[RRRaskolnikov]

Well it's always nice to have detailed info... and thanks to Pigswill to do this hard work (probably lot of hours just posting the whole thing) while Sis is away

 

[pigswill]

A short war.

1590. Ragnar is not willing to declare on Bod saying "we would have nothing to gain". No problem.

Declare anyway.
Ragnar's changes his mind and is now willing to join the dogpile. He wants 1700 gold for it though. I make a counter offer:

The game shouldn't last long enough for this trade to make a difference and I want to keep some cash in case I need to rush-buy something. The reason I wanted Ragnar as an ally is to eliminate the (slim) chance that Bod might be able to bribe him against me. Given that he's friendly (and William is four times more powerful) its unlikely he'd agree anyway. Pure paranoia I suppose.

I ask Alex to attack Bibracte just to keep him out of the way. Its unlikely he'll do anything useful as I recently destroyed most of his army.
Western army attacks Birka. Blow away defences, collateral damage from cannon, eight grens and seventeen cavalry pile in, all victorious. Bod is still left with four defenders, albeit wounded. Ragnar has five units nearby, maybe he'll pinch the city from me.

Eastern army are at the walls of Tolosa ready to attack next turn. Eastern cavalry head towards Verlamion. Flanking2 cavalry succesfully defeats a hilltop pike (28%) on the way. Overall the RNG does tend to balance out over the course of a game.

Despite losing most of her field army Boudica isn't willing to talk.

1595. Ragnar failed to capture Birka. One wounded trebuchet is no match for the experienced veterans of the western army and the city falls. The cavalry head east to join in the fighting before its too late.
Tolosa is defended by 2 longbows. Once the defences are blown down the city falls quickly. Another 170gold to the pot. Keep the city.
Eastern cavalry are at the gates of Verlamion.
Amsterdam, Hague and Maastricht all complete cavalry. Rushbuy ironclads in Nijmegen and Beshbalik because I can and it makes it harder for Bod's caravels to land spies or block seafood resources.
Boudica is still not willing to talk!

1600. Boudica has obviously reconsidered her options and is willing to open negotiations:

Sounds like a deal to me. Accept. 68% land, 57% pop.
Meaningless movement of units.
Hit return.

1605: Victory!

Reasonable score (I suppose).

 

[RRRaskolnikov]

Spoiler :

1605 AD is now officially our objective in our new SG Pigswill

Good game

 

[Sam_Yeager]

@pigswill - Thank you for all your hard work in playing and posting this game.

 

[synthboy]

Cheers for this; really enjoyed seeing this game played out.

 

[dirtyparrot]

This was fun to follow. Would it be possible for you to recap the periods for which you were at war (i.e. with whom and the dates). I'm trying to wean myself off the peacenik that I am, so it would be useful for me.