ALC Game 20: Vikings/Ragnar

[Thalur]

It was in the original BtS release, but one of the later patches turned it off. However, Buhric's patch turns it back on (Sis is playing with Bhuric's).

Ah, thanks. I thought I was already using Buhric's patch, but it turns out I was only using the .dll patch and not the .py parts (which do the glance screen)! Thanks for making me check again

 

[johnny_rico]

Sisi,

In your last round, you mention that corporations came in but your GPT went down. I'm guessing that is because corporations obsoletes the great lighthouse (pretty sure you built it in this game). Thus, it is a net loss of -1 trade route per city.

Having all the upgraded amphibious berserkers made things way too easy on hannibal. But you gotta roll with what works.

Wrap it up, this one is over.

 

[Porphyrius]

Hannibal wont capitulate cause he's got a colony/vasal (Izzy).
I suspect he'll be glad to to do so after you deal with Izzy, sadly with arms only as colonies are more faithful than bare vassals as mentioned allready.
I'm sure Hannibal will be be happy to capitulate then, likely giving you a city as well.

Other than that we 're still a good way to domination/conquest and yet more of a safe bet than before. Large army/production and a decent tech lead. Anybody other than Mehmed (close to MGs) is fair game.



Not really sure about the GPs but bothering with religion spamming and shines seems tedious at this point. The ironworks boost to production is a less concern as well. I'd likely expend the pair for a GA instead.

 

[Sisiutil]

Hannibal wont capitulate cause he's got a colony/vasal (Izzy).
I suspect he'll be glad to to do so after you deal with Izzy, sadly with arms only as colonies are more faithful than bare vassals as mentioned allready.
I'm sure Hannibal will be be happy to capitulate then, likely giving you a city as well.

Other than that we 're still a good way to domination/conquest and yet more of a safe bet than before. Large army/production and a decent tech lead. Anybody other than Mehmed (close to MGs) is fair game.



Not really sure about the GPs but bothering with religion spamming and shines seems tedious at this point. The ironworks boost to production is a less concern as well. I'd likely expend the pair for a GA instead.

But should I take Hannibal as a vassal, or just finish him off?

And that's the second vote for a GA, so I'll likely follow that recommendation. Especially now that it will be a 15-turn GA!

 

[URSExelcior]

Sis! You're back! We've been waiting so long!


By the way, shouldn't the GA be 12 turns, since MoM is +50% and 8 + 50% = 12?

 

[Validator]

By the way, shouldn't the GA be 12 turns, since MoM is +50% and 8 + 50% = 12?

Epic speed GAs are 10 turns, so MoM makes them 15.

 

[Validator]

But should I take Hannibal as a vassal, or just finish him off?

Looking at the victory screen, Mehmed has 22% of the land area. With Hammurabi's empire also being sizable it looks like you probably can't reach the domination land threshold without taking some land from one of them. Vassalizing any of the others just means you need more land from them.

I think the real question now is whether it would be best to try to take the land you need from Mehmed/Hammurabi next (after Hannibal is finished of course) or wait until after the backwards civs are finished. You're only a couple of techs away from having a large military tech advantage. Combustion provides destroyers, and with them the greatest naval advantage in the game. Assembly Line brings Infantry. So you'll soon be in as good a position to take on the strong civs as you will at any point in the game.

You should be able to get the land you need by taking Mehmed's island cities. That also will deny Mehmed his only sources of oil which should limit the threat he can pose in the future.

 

[Shoot the Moon]

I would say take Hannibal's land. He doesn't seem to want to Vassalize, and the distance doesn't matter because we're in State Property. I would rather get rid of the the motherland unhappiness and not take the diplo penalty (not to mention the 50% penalty). Better to keep pushing while you have the upper hand of amphibious promotions.

 

[Gliese 581]

Definitely finish Hannibal of, it will bring you closer to a domination victory than vassaling him and save you a ton of grief.

 

[Shoot the Moon]

I just realized an interesting thing about State Property. Won't vassalizing Hannibal cost you the same amount of city maintenance as capturing his cities? Normally the difference is that you get # of city maintenance for both vassalizing and capturing, but for capturing you also get distance maintenance. However, with SP there is no distance maintenance, so the two costs are equal.

 

[carl corey]

I've had a game with multiple Mausoleum enhanced Golden Ages, and they're quite a boost for a big enough empire. In your case you could try to have consecutive Golden Ages if you manage to get the right GPs; that would definitely end the game faster. Aside from the production and commerce bonus you'll also hage GP generation bonus for further GAs, and the ability to freely change your civics, to Police State and back for example during a war.

So yeah, another vote for a Golden Age.

I'm also for finishing everyone instead of vassalizing. In "normal" games I sometimes don't do it since I don't have the navy to go around taking all the islands. But here, your navy and amphibious units should help you capture everything fast enough to make it worthwhile.

 

[Thomas G.]

Now Carthage is captured (would have liked more to have it razed, and then you should have posted a task force there, ordered to enforce your imperial edict that no city shall ever be founded in that spot again. I.E. Destroy any settler/unit pair of any civ trying to walk there...)

..yes now with Carthage captured hunt down and bring Hannibal the cannibal to justice. Since you already are at war with Spain, you might expand or even reroute offensive operations against her, should not take long to have her on her knees, begging. Not an altogether unpleasant prospect, eh?

Next target should be one that offers challenge and enough land to give you the win. I would vote Mehmet, being your closest opponent in score and power.

 

[kazapp]

Most interesting question remaining: what should Sisiutil write as this ALC's "feature" (on the bullpen page).

I vote for "Early Astronomy Gambit"!

 

[Daedal]

You should finish off Hannibal. Not only do you already have the navy needed to ferry your troops around, but you'll have to ferry troops around anyway to kill off the rest of your competition. Why start a new war when you can finish a current one for the same effect? Against a now crippled opponent, no less..

 

[Sisiutil]

Now Carthage is captured (would have liked more to have it razed, and then you should have posted a task force there, ordered to enforce your imperial edict that no city shall ever be founded in that spot again. I.E. Destroy any settler/unit pair of any civ trying to walk there...)

Too bad there's no in-game option for sowing the earth with salt, eh?

 

[Gliese 581]

Now if Carthage had been THAT much of a challenge then I could see how razing it and sowing the earth with salt would be understandable, but I don't think the vikings were bothered quite enough by the carthaginian forces to be so resentful. ^^

 

[cabert]

Now if Carthage had been THAT much of a challenge then I could see how razing it and sowing the earth with salt would be understandable, but I don't think the vikings were bothered quite enough by the carthaginian forces to be so resentful. ^^

so true
this emperor game looks more like chieftain from where I stand

 

[Bhruic]

Well, we predicted that the AI would suck on a largely water map, and that prediction has turned out to be pretty accurate, I think.

Bh

 

[Gliese 581]

Just finish it off fast Sisiutil, I want to play a shadow game of your next challenge.

 

[Julian Delphiki]

Too bad there's no in-game option for sowing the earth with salt, eh?

It would be historically inaccurate option anyway .