(Ab)using A Man Named Jed

[lindsay40k]

This is cracking; I just played an IMM game with Liz. Events on 'cause I enjoy random elements. Had Marble, built Parthenon & GLib. When people got Combustion, I sent Explorers around to camp on every Desert Fort and blatantly visible Well in their territory. Took a dozen or so turns for me to strike oil. Already had Combustion myself (failed race for CreCon by a few turns), and wouldn't you know it but my vassal, Izzy, had an Oil Fort that was a few Cathedrals away from a culture flip. With Destroyers online, I could safely go all-out culture with a Parthenon-powered GPfarm.

Spamming Explorers has been discussed before, but I don't think anyone's posted on the ease with which a half dozen can be precisely aimed rather than carpeting every desert. Warmongers will want SciMeth to lead to Tanks and Bombers, but at the very least it lets you squeeze map info from an advanced neighbour, build railroads sans coal, and guarantee a vassaled psycho can build advanced units whilst you go culture.

 

[Apricottage]

Could you please explain in more detail what happened?

 

[lindsay40k]

I was playing a culture game, with some Wonders built that SciMeth obsoletes. Slow religion spread meant a 1600's finish was out of the question, and Redcoats wouldn't cut it to deter invaders, so I continued teching. I had a GE and fancied CreCon, but it was founded elsewhere before I finished Combustion. I saw Desert forts and Wells in neighbouring lands, so sent Explorers out to sit on those tiles; in 3/4 games with Events on, doing so gives you like a very high chance of an event revealing Oil for you, without SciMeth.

When I got the event, it turned out my vassal had Oil - in a Fort on my borders. A bunch of culture buildings flipped it over and nabbed it without having to risk rebellion with a major tribute demand.

There's been discussion before about covering deserts with Explorers to increase the odds of rolling this event, but it wasn't pointed out that AIs with Combustion will actually tell you where the black gold is hidden. All Oil gets you without SciMeth is Destroyers and Railroads, but it's still a help.

 

[capnvonbaron]

SciMethod doesn't obsolete culture produced by the buildings it obsoletes tho. There's no reason NOT to research it. Its better to just go down the tech path and get things like arty and blimps that don't need oil and can inflict huge carnage on SoDs.

 

[lindsay40k]

SciMethod doesn't obsolete culture produced by the buildings it obsoletes tho.

No, but Parthenon hastened my victory by getting another GArtist and GAge sooner.

 

[jarhead_leif]

Who is Jed?

Its better to just go down the tech path and get things like arty and blimps that don't need oil and can inflict huge carnage on SoDs.

Oil is crucial in every game (in modern era, that is).

Izzy is your vassal, so you don't have problem with culture pressure inside your cities' BFCs. And if I get it right, the oil is 1 tile away from your cultural borders.

Settle a dummy city 1-2 tile/s away from that resource and you can get access to it as long as it's inside your city's bfc (and Izzy is still your vassal, ofc).

 

[damerell]

Its better to just go down the tech path and get things like arty and blimps that don't need oil and can inflict huge carnage on SoDs.

That'll scrape those Destroyers off your coast. Or alternatively you could try writing them a strong letter. Either approach would be equally good.

(To be fair, actually, the AI is surprisingly keen to move a Destroyer away because an Airship plinked it, never mind that that means it could only flatten six Frigates in a row).

 

[Apricottage]

Ah, that's interesting. Never knew that about Explorers.

I still have no clue what the Jed thing is about, but that's life.

 

[Doshin]

Jed is an event:

Spoiler :

Event7:
Man named Jed
Prereq: 1 Scout or Explorer AND Oil (not revealed) AND unit (i.e. the scout or explorer) on this plot
Obsolete: None
Active/Weight: 75/5000
Result:
1.Nothing
2.you pay 10 gold and Oil is revealed

There was a company named JED Oil. I don't know if that's the pun.

 

[Yudishtira]

Jed Clampett - Beverly Hillbillies

 

[lymond]

^^^this some may not know that outside America or if they were born when the Spice Girls were popular