ALC Game 17: Russia/Peter

[aelf]

Poison water supply is indeed annoying, but it seems to only happen during wartime. Or maybe only AIs who aren't pleased with you will do it, so manage your diplomacy well. As for fomenting unhappiness, same story, and I think you should have enough EPs to prevent that from happening more than a few times if you play well (amount of EPs the target has compared to yours affects the cost of missions, I think).

 

[Uncle Istvan]

May I suggest a REAL computer?

Yeah, I would love a Windows computer, due to the game playing abilities, but my school has foolishly chosen to run macs, and I can't get 2 computers from my parents, nor do I have the funds for anoter. Still, I would be even more upset about having a mac, but at least it has the specs for Civ 4.

 

[JujuLautre]

aelf > it seems there is not only problems with foment unhapiness/unhealthiness; I read some stories about AI attacking with only artillery (when artillery can't kill anything), about strange worker behaviours, about military academy which can be built anytime... Not that all this will matter, but I fear small bugs like these could be really annoying

And I still think Sisiutil should play some offline games with BTS before using it in the ALC.

 

[Sisiutil]

I can tell you why he lost :
- he didn't really go SE = slow teching
- he didn't attack ragnar soon enough

That about sums it up.

At the same time, however, the Viking was on steroids. He's financial and had 3 gem tiles and marble in his BFC. And I had no strategic resources within easy reach.

So, a tough map situation made worse by my early mis-steps.

I'll see if I still have the screenshots from the final round. I might not. I'm human and I do get frustrated sometimes.

 

[Uncle Istvan]

I've been thinking about the big move to beyond the sword, and if possible, I would avoid playing extensively until you start the ALC. I think it couls be very enjoyable to go through the new changes together. Just my opinion

 

[Tyrael]

Yeah, I would love a Windows computer, due to the game playing abilities, but my school has foolishly chosen to run macs, and I can't get 2 computers from my parents, nor do I have the funds for anoter. Still, I would be even more upset about having a mac, but at least it has the specs for Civ 4.

Ouch. Ah well, BtS is so buggy right now anyway vanilla might actually be better.

 

[cabert]

That about sums it up.

At the same time, however, the Viking was on steroids. He's financial and had 3 gem tiles and marble in his BFC. And I had no strategic resources within easy reach.

So, a tough map situation made worse by my early mis-steps.

I'll see if I still have the screenshots from the final round. I might not. I'm human and I do get frustrated sometimes.

I didn't mean to be offensive, but reading it afterwards it sounds a bit harsh.

I maintain that the 2 points I mentionned are the causes of the loss.
But I don't say I would have done better.
Maybe I would have gone a bit straighter into the SE (pyramids FTW), but indeed with steroid ragnar boxing you in + being in the middle of a happy religious lovefest from which you were excluded, the war was inevitable. Turning this into an advantage would have required some divinatory abilities.

One more thing : you had horses easier to grab than the copper, maybe (hindsight is 20/20, I know) if you had chariot rushed ragnar, you would have won. At least, you could have pillaged him early on.

 

[Bhruic]

Not just that - the new AI reacts very strongly to attacks with slavery. Just moving a stack to attack him, even if it wasn't that strong likely would have caused him to stop building the Oracle, and poprush some defenders - which would have weakened his capital.

But yeah, that's completely hindsight.

Bh

 

[aelf]

aelf > it seems there is not only problems with foment unhapiness/unhealthiness; I read some stories about AI attacking with only artillery (when artillery can't kill anything), about strange worker behaviours, about military academy which can be built anytime... Not that all this will matter, but I fear small bugs like these could be really annoying

AIs attacking with only artillery is indeed a problem, but I don't see this often, so it is probably only a small one. In all my games I haven't been bothered that much by foment unhappiness or poisoned water supply. Sure, I've lost a couple of pop here and there, but I'm usually gaining many more by conquering cities at the same time (as I said, most of the time it happens to me only during war).

I don't get why people think BTS is so buggy. Which part of it exactly? I think the only problems I have with it are worker automation (the worker AI has been improved, but I don't find all of the changes desirable), some of the events and AI unit spam, and there are ways to get around all of them.

 

[BARBEERIAN]

That about sums it up.

At the same time, however, the Viking was on steroids. He's financial and had 3 gem tiles and marble in his BFC. And I had no strategic resources within easy reach.

So, a tough map situation made worse by my early mis-steps.

I'll see if I still have the screenshots from the final round. I might not. I'm human and I do get frustrated sometimes.

If it's any consolation I managed to eliminate Ragnar and join the Hindu trade ring very early and still lost even with a lot of extra room for cities and troop building. The map just wasn't generous and the only cities I had that pushed into the teens for population were Moscow, Nidaros, and my 3-fish city. Mehmed was just an animal overall though with a tonne of massive cities. I was running a pretty strong SE and bulbing like crazy and I only JUST beat Mehmed to Cavalry. Then the stupid punk traded Mil.Trad all over the world (literally 8 turns after Mil.Trad everyone but 1 person had it) and ruined my Cavalry rush/Domination plans.

I went for space race and was ahead but then Mehmed (who was pleased and Hindu too) DoW'd on me to kill my space attempts (BetterAI loaded). Battling him wasn't a big deal, but 2 turns later he got Mao, Brennus, and (i think) Saladin to join the fun. I couldn't finish up my spaceship parts before i just got overun with more troops.

 

[Sisiutil]

BtS purchased: check.
BtS installed: check.
Wife warned: check.
Favourite tactics and gambits nerfed: check.
New ALC game thread: imminent.

 

[Morgrad]

BtS purchased: check.
BtS installed: check.
Wife warned: check.
Favourite tactics and gambits nerfed: check.
New ALC game thread: imminent.

I want BtS, too!

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Excllent, looking forward to it.

What tactics are nerfed then? Off the top of my head I can think of: siege units can't kill defenders, cavalry and grenadiers pushed back, anything else major?

What gambits have been nerfed? Great Wall requires 3 (!) walls now doesn't it? Never the best for a gambit anyway when it dropped to +1GPP.

Pyramids/Great Library still as good as ever though I expect or has the GLib been pushed back too?

Stonehenge looks like it got a big boost with monuments obbsoleting at astro.

 

[uncarved block]

On a guess, ParadigmShifter, he's running into a little bit of trouble both rushing the nearest neighbor, and in keeping the back stabbing to a minimum. I'm sure he's still generating those huge stacks of units that's his trademark, but I suspect they aren't getting as far, and sometimes have to come back home in a hurry to play defense

But those are just guesses.

 

[MangleMeElmo]

Have you seen Uberfish's BTS Immortal game? You best take notes. It's not quite as thorough as the ALCs but it looks like a good showcase for what to expect in BTS. Also, there's no shame in dropping back down to Prince. I intend to do so myself when I get BTS.

 

[Tyrael]

BtS ALC! BtS ALC! BtS ALC!

 

[StuntedAzrael]

BtS purchased: check.
BtS installed: check.
Wife warned: check.
Favourite tactics and gambits nerfed: check.
New ALC game thread: imminent.

I'm looking forward to this one. Let's name it: Peter's revenge.

Are you sure about favourite tactics and gambits? Habits die hard...

 

[Tarkeel]

Excllent, looking forward to it.

What tactics are nerfed then? Off the top of my head I can think of: siege units can't kill defenders, cavalry and grenadiers pushed back, anything else major?

What gambits have been nerfed? Great Wall requires 3 (!) walls now doesn't it? Never the best for a gambit anyway when it dropped to +1GPP.

Pyramids/Great Library still as good as ever though I expect or has the GLib been pushed back too?

Since siege units can't kill, they get only 1 xp pr attack, even when surviving 20% odds. This really cuts down the total amount of xp you are getting.

GLib hasn't been nerfed by itself; but the pre-req is Aesthetics instead of Alphabet now, so you have to go off-track to be able to trade techs while researching literature.

 

[Indibil]

Great Wall doesn't require City Walls, but instead of GE points you get GSpy points.

Wonder grabbing is more difficult as other civs chop and pop rush effectively.

 

[Lance of Llanwy]

On a guess, ParadigmShifter, he's running into a little bit of trouble both rushing the nearest neighbor, and in keeping the back stabbing to a minimum. I'm sure he's still generating those huge stacks of units that's his trademark, but I suspect they aren't getting as far, and sometimes have to come back home in a hurry to play defense

But those are just guesses.

Grrr...don't remind me! Damned Incan. Never, ever trust your rear to anyone Sis, just crush all of them