ALC Game 13: Mali/Mansa Musa

[stuge]

This has been the most entertaining ALCG ever when it comes to write-ups.

Funny how diffrently things pan out for diffrent players. In my game, I founded confucianism, spread it to Kublai, allied him and conquered Spain and the Ottomans. From that point onwards it was a peaceful spaceship launch, apart from that little sortie with Huayna when I felt that all those modern armor and stealth bombers were going to waste. (Yeah, I know, I "dawdled" a bit.)

 

[patagonia]

Speaking of which--is it time for a level change? Should the ALCs move up to Emperor, especially now that aelf has vacated that level?

Nice win there

Not that it was ever really in any doubt, which is why I guess the level change question arose.

Whether to move up to Emperor or not for the ALC depends on your aims for the series. If it's an educational way of showcasing tactics and strategies, then the level you play on doesn't much matter...in fact the higher the level the less strategic variability you can afford.

However, if it's "challenge" and tension/suspense over the outcome you're after then a move up to Emperor definitely seems appropriate. It would also give me the kick up the backside I need to start playing on that level. Caning Monarch's fun, but getting much too easy now (isolated starts aside).

 

[pigswill]

Sisiutil:have you started playing emperor off-line? If so then next ALC should be at emperor because as well as educating and entertaining the public (well CFC anyway) its also about your development as a player. If not then maybe play a couple of solo emperor games while playing Kublai on monarch as next ALC.

 

[cabert]

I think you're mastering the art of diplomacy now, so emperor shouldn't be too hard.
ANd this way, you can avoid those shadow games coming out too often

 

[Oko]

This and the other ALC threads helped me improve from Noble to Prince. Good stuff.

 

[NaZdReG]

damn the pace of the ALC's are impressive!! how do you find the time to do anything else??

great strategic decisions this game, was really fun to watch. did point out that the spiral and UofS are good but can be kind of crutch like I think.

looking forward to next game!

NaZ

 

[Eggolas]

Very nice game! I liked the way you used diplomacy/DPs in the game until you no longer needed them. The Spiritual trait was used very well. Financial lagged a little because you didn't have enough workers early to clear land and build cottages. Overall, though, very nicely done.

You could definitely play on Emperor in the ALC if you wanted to. Your diplomatic skills are certainly good enough to navigate the treacherous waters that are part of the higher levels. But if you want to stay with Monarch, no problems. The games are still very enjoyable.

Tactically, I think I would have captured Turfan in the game and set workers to clearing jungle and building cottages right away. The maintenance cost was a concern though, as you pointed out. I guess it's a balancing act.

 

[StevenJoyce]

Sisiutil --

I have a request for you. In these post-mortems, when you show the info screen, could you the units by #killed (descending) and the buildings by #built (descending). It really helps communicate what you built and what you fought against.

 

[BlueSoxSWJ]

I'd say difficulty might depend on each leader. For the ones whose strengths play to your own strengths (Toku), play up a level. If you're going to be trying something other than warmongering (Mansa), stick with Monarch so you don't feel "forced" into a different strategy for part(s) of the game.

 

[Syndrome Zed]

I haven't read the whole round yet. Just got to the phrase "my Accuracy Catapults and infantry" and my head just swam from picturing tanks and infantry dragging some old wooden catapults around with them to fight a war. I think maybe there was an old Dr. Who story like that...

And I just have to add, having seen the trailers for 300 a zillion times now, I want to know whose idea it was to make the Spartans look not so much like a group of warriors, but a group of Chippendale's dancers just getting off the stage? I mean sheesh, I know the Spartans were all about war, but even back then, they weren't suicidal enough to go into a fight without any kind of armor.

Now to read the rest of this "interesting" war...edits to follow:

So after reaching the end...congratulations! Nice combination of peaceful building, a little war here and there, and a lot of diplomacy. The only two things I have to comment on:

Ragnar also dog-piled Isabella (yeah, try getting that image out of your head over the next hour or so).

Heh, it went from a plot from the old Dr. Who to old 70's pr0n in one sentence. Ragnar Lodbrok, Ron Jeremy - separated at birth? Or worse yet, History of the World Pt 1 - BISHOP JUMPS QUEEN! KNIGHT JUMPS QUEEN! PAWNS JUMP QUEEN! EVERYONE JUMP THE QUEEN!

The other comment, more game-related and not so much a critique of your strategy but a possible alternative: What were the odds that, had you done what Validator suggested and let Huayna fight his war with Issy while you teched, you could have waited til Huayna had captured a couple of her cities and then made Isabella your vassal? I don't know if it could have happened or not, but I wonder if you could have done to Huayna exactly what you were worried would happen to you - vassalize Isabella, get her teched to aluminum, then demand it from her to deny it to Huayna? That would have been quite a twist.

Anyway, well done again, I'm looking forward to the fun on the road to Shangri-La....

 

[Sisiutil]

And I just have to add, having seen the trailers for 300 a zillion times now, I want to know whose idea it was to make the Spartans look not so much like a group of warriors, but a group of Chippendale's dancers just getting off the stage? I mean sheesh, I know the Spartans were all about war, but even back then, they weren't suicidal enough to go into a fight without any kind of armor.

That was bugging me too, though it does look kind of cool (and it certainly has my wife looking forward to the film). Given the prominent featuring of several monstrous-looking warriors on the Persian side, you could argue that it represents the clash of culture--the Hellenic adoration of the perfection of the human form versus efforts in other cultures to conceal and/or manipulate that form. There's a very good chapter in Michener's The Source that portrays the conflict between Hellenic ideals and Jewish tradition, with circumcision being the flash point--an east/west clash not too dissimilar to that being portrayed in the movie.

Of course, I could be reading too much sophistication into what promises to be a big, entertaining gorefest.

As for the Catapults--well, Civ is filled with anachronisms like that, isn't it? Like when your Tanks have finished off all the city defenders except for some desperate fool trying to fend off the attackers with some museum piece. But we all know how that can turn out sometimes...

 

[Khanate]

Lovely thread. I've been shadow playing myself, trying to do exactly the same (and actually i'm a little further in tech so far). Three first cities was settled in same spot, and fourth city (Goa in original game) I had to conquer, because barbs had settled Illinois in fishville. That happened a little later than Goa was settled, but I was fast with both Djenne and Kumbi Saleh. What I want to tell you though is what happened in Timbuktu. I mined the two hills north of gems early, and first I discovered silver in one of them, then now, in 655 bc, IRON in the other.

Look:

 

[Sisiutil]

Lovely thread. I've been shadow playing myself, trying to do exactly the same (and actually i'm a little further in tech so far). Three first cities was settled in same spot, and fourth city (Goa in original game) I had to conquer, because barbs had settled Illinois in fishville. That happened a little later than Goa was settled, but I was fast with both Djenne and Kumbi Saleh. What I want to tell you though is what happened in Timbuktu. I mined the two hills north of gems early, and first I discovered silver in one of them, then now, in 655 bc, IRON in the other.

Look:

Silver and iron in the capital? How come this never happens in my games?!? I mine and work my hills early! What more do the RNG gods want? Blood?

 

[Rancid Sushi]

Silver and iron in the capital? How come this never happens in my games?!? I mine and work my hills early! What more do the RNG gods want? Blood?

Yes. Make a shrine of Sid Meier and set it up next to your computer. Prick your finger and let it bleed into a bowl before Sid's likeness. I always end up with 2 food sources, iron, and a luxury in my capital's fat cross when I do that. Haha, j/k.

That was a good game. Nice to see that even marshmallows like Mansa Musa are capable of both early and late wars. So are you going to play as Marlin Brand... err, Kublai Khan next? I thought I saw it mentioned somewhere a few pages back.

 

[Uncle Istvan]

Hey, when can we be expecting to see ALC 14? I'm on vacation and I need to see someone play Civ 4 well.

 

[vormuir]

Two things.

One, I want to say again: Best. Writeup. Ever.

Two, let my add my voice to the "don't go to Emperor yet" chorus. Yes, I think you should do it one day. But I don't think that day is yet. You've only played, what, three ALC games at Monarch? And I suspect playing at this level is much more relevant for the average player (and reader of this forum). I'm a Prince player who is nervously contemplating the next step. Given constraints on my spare time, I may /never/ move up to Emperor. So, an Emperor ALC would lose a lot of relevance for me.

Final thought: part of the fun of these games is trying different things, no? Well, as you move up and the game gets tougher, your choices get more constricted. That's understandable, but it gives you less room to showcase interesting alternative strategies.

So, Emperor one day, but please not soon.

cheers,


Waldo

 

[Sisiutil]

Hey, when can we be expecting to see ALC 14? I'm on vacation and I need to see someone play Civ 4 well.

That's what aelf's threads are for. Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

(Thought I'd dis myself before somebody beat me to it.)

The ALC game 14 pre-game show is now underway HERE.