Alternative campaign-The Russians

[kaskavel]

Intro (same for all scenarios): This is one of a series of campaigns I have created in order to try to create more interesting games. They suggest a number of self restrictions the player has to follow, depending the civilization he is playing. The purpose of them is to

• Create fun, different, challenging and interesting games.
• Offer the game a flavor consistent with each civilization characteristics and history
• Support the civ’s traits and encourage game-play consistent with them.
• Allow players to lower the difficulty level of the game.

Each one of them has been tested in practice and I present the format that I found most interesting, perhaps making 1-2 changes after running the game. I would be glad if you added extra ideas that may improve the experience. In all games I am also using the extra self restrictions I always apply to myself but that is not directly relevant to the campaigns. I guess every player has some house rules he follows, he can just combine them with the ideas presented here. One of them I have to mention though, I do not use artillery. It may influence my perception of some of the scenarios presented. In general, I am trying for years to create situations in strategy games that allow me to reduce the game level as much as possible, ideally to the neutral level where neither the player nor the AI has an advantage, while retaining the game’s challenge. I have not succeeded in that, only a couple of those scenarios may have troubled me somewhat in regent level-and that is with many extra house rules applied, but the point is that anyone can combine his game level, his own self-restrictions and the difficulty level in order to create a wildly different than usual, but still challenging game. I am always trying to have as much of the added difficulty possible applied in the late medieval-early industrial ages, the point where the player usually gets away with an overwhelming advantage. Basic victory conditions are always active, unless noted otherwise.

I hope you find the campaigns interesting and have something to say about them.

The Russians-From Alaska to the black sea-for socialism

Rules: First government change has to be to Monarchy. Must have a second revolution to communism before sc method and Industrialization is researched, then stay in communism until the end. Cannot build religious buildings including temples, cathedrals, Bach, Sistine Chapel, knight’s templar, Mausoleum, Oracle, Zeus and Artemis. Cannot trade luxuries with non-communist civilizations. Cannot sign peace treaties with fascist civilizations.

Map: Any settings are OK, but obviously archipelago does not offer a realistic historical representation. Cold climate is also more consistent with reality.

Notes: Catherine or Stalin, this one is very straight. The major themes here are expansion and citizen mood control. Unable to use trade and buildings properly for happiness, the player is encouraged to expand as much as possible to grab more luxuries. The government restrictions are very naturally pushing the player to the desired direction. They encourage him to use the lack of war weariness and conquer more and more land. In addition, communism encourages him to create an empire as big as possible, in order to exploit the reduced corruption. The more he expands, the more valuable new luxuries become due to the number of cities. Without temples, first culture building will be libraries, emphasizing the scientific trait. Art and science projects get built faster without religious buildings and wonders blocking the way. Generally, I have found that the restrictions somehow work very well, feeding themselves in circles. We finally get to build that unknown building called colosseum.-everywhere...Some of us for the first time. You see, people love it when mama or papa offers them spectacle. Hanging gardens and cure for cancer are now very important wonders. Inexperienced players can have a chance to learn about military police and luxury slider, something they rarely master before jumping to Monarch.

Difficulty: Moderate. Consistent as it may be, the restrictions make civil order more difficult, which, in addition to the double revolution that obviously hurts, gives the game a feeling that you are somehow two levels up in difficulty level, but hardly more.

Variants: The trade restrictions can be different. No trade with fasc-dem-rep civs only or something like that. Or they may include resources and/or science. A third revolution can be added for democracy at some point towards the end, but it may well mess up many of the cities.

 

[Fergei]

I am going to give this a shot on an Earth Standard map, with 24x Civs crammed into it (including the must-have Civs of America, Japan, China, Korea and Germany for their historical relationships with Russia). I want a smaller map to not spend too long getting to Communism (which is kind of the purpose of the challenge). I will start in Siberia, with my buffed Mongols right in my face (they get the Keshik at Monarchy, but they are still kind of passive). I'll make Asia cramped, with every Asian Civ plus Netherlands starting in the Dutch East Indies. I'll drop down to Regent, two levels below my normal difficulty. I will not do such appalling starting positions for my cities as in the Mongol challenge (lack of concentration and panic at having war declared on me pretty much immediately!).

The only other changes from my custom settings that is really applicable are:

1) I have the Feudalism government at Code of Laws. But I will probably make a rush for Monarchy to reduce the amount of revolutions I take. My custom settings do increase the chance of the AI selecting Communism over Fascism (its about 50/50). I will also select Iroqouis, Korea and Inca who I have previously made all have Communism as their favoured goverment type. so hopefully I'll find an ally.

2) I have Espionage as the last tech in the ancient era, so if I am desperate I can go down the tech stealing route.

 

[Fergei]

A very lucky start. I pop St Petersburg (in an admittedly rubbish location). Incense and Furs are well within reach (although for the Furs I've had to go with an aggressive city placement next to Korea's Wonsan, which may backfire as every Civ will eventually have more culture than me. I guess I'm not counting on Korea being alive by the time they can culture flip Yaroslavl. Hopefully the poor land of Wonsan will delay their culture buildup. I might seriously consider early espionage and try to bock Wonsan's building of cultural buildings.

Once I get my luxuries hooked I'll think about conquests. Regent has an extremely easy start for my custom rules (no bonus starting units for the AI) but will essentially be Monarchy difficulty after the expansion phase.

I forgot to mention my luxuries only appear as I learn techs, so it plays havoc with my early game city placement and I am sure with hindsight I should have gone in another direction.

The main changes to my normal play at this stage is that I've really spread out to try and get luxuries, but I have been cautious with city placement as I'll be vulnerable to culture flip throughout this challenge due to the lack of religious buildings.

The only geopolitical thing to report is China captured Delhi and killed my consistently pathetic Indians in about 1.5 turns. I'm not too unhappy about a possible future Communist ally doing well.... ugh, which makes me remember Korea could be a Communist ally too. That leaves Mongols, Germans and Ottomans as options for my first war (of my choosing).

 

[Fergei]

My Yarolslavl conundrum is solved by Ghengis Khan, as he annexes it and leaves me without any luxuries. Japan then also declares war on me. It turns out Portugal in Mozambique have got off to their normal flying start. This should mean I lose the score lead and the level of hostility against me dies down.

My lack of tech trading (in the first two columns of the tech screen) is completely killing me as I am millenia away from getting Monarchy and cannot trade (or threaten) for anything else. I'm going to have to abandon Monarchy for now and get Masonry (for walls) and writing (so I can try and get MPPs and trade for Literature, for Libraries). I am nowhere near being able to build a cultural building and mild panic of losing on Regent is setting in!

 

[Fergei]

I need not of panicked. Regent is so easy. I take back Yaroslavl, but Ghengis is still wanting a peace deal in his favour. I literally do not kill any more of his units and two turns later he has gone from making demands of me, to offering me 2 cities, all his gold and 3gpt for a peace deal. Bizarre! I assume his chariots and archers reported back on the number of horses I had produced. I cannot, not accept the terms of this peace. Madness.

 

[Fergei]

Chaos in Eastern Europe. The advanced Germans declares war on the Ottomans and takes Edrine on my border, making me somewhat nervous. The backward, small Ottomans somehow get an MPP with the Mongols, who start flooding my territory despite having castrated themselves at the start of the game against me. Would you like an RoP Ghengis? Perhaps also Monarchy so you can make your Keshiks? A little gift from Russia!

Ghengis then takes Edrine and floods Germany with horsemen and swordsmen who set about cutting off Bismarck's resources. Even though I am severely handicapped on culture, old habits die hard and I can't resist planting Smolensk in a manner that should avoid a culture flip, but only if Edrine remains in Mongol hands (which I'm gambling on). I should even stand a chance of flipping Edrine if I can get my library up and running in Smolensk.

I am falling behind on tech but with the lack of a killer AI emerging I think I've a chance to last until Communism appears - especially now I have raced to Education.

The map is horrible because the AI has given neighbours America and Maya the same colour and neighbours Arabia and China (probably my biggest threat having taken a couple of Arabian cities) the same colour.

 

[Fergei]

I was just about to launch an attack on the Mongols with my Cossacks to claim a third luxury and Mao marches his Cavalry into my territory in a way that was sufficiently suspicious for me to get 4x MPPs with surrounding Civs and tell him to leave or declare war. The fool chooses war and I end up taking the whole of India off him and 2x luxuries that are based there. Unfortunately, he gets infantry and is miles ahead of me on tech, plus I have no rubber and worst of all, he goes Fascist! So based on the rules I guess I must remain at war with him for the rest of the game as I can't imagine he will leave Fascism whilst at war? I cannot take more of his cities and he has cities in Australia as a backward base, so he will be a major pain in the neck even though he has been reduced to a rump.

I have now exported Communism to everyone that can take it in the hope that by getting it before they get Fascism they will switch to Communism.

This will be a great challenge to the end. Portugal, Germany and France are all dangerous. My win condition is 20% of land and population. I'm currently at 13% & 17%. I am hoping I can keep China at bay, conquer Mongolia, Korea and the Siberian pacific coast and that could bring me within reach of 20% of land. If Germany, Portugal or France go Fascist I think I am doomed. If so, on next playthrough I might make it I cannot do any trades or diplomacy with Fascists (other than peace treaties) and must have trade embargoes in place with all Fascist AI (to increase their hostility to me and the chances of war). EDIT: And demand they leave your territory at all times.

Superb entertainment! I don't think I've ever gone through the entire Medieval era onwards without a government that has a trade bonus. Very challenging on Science and the AI seems happier giving up cities than techs in war. I know how to tailor the game settings to my preference but I lack imagination in how to play sort of Civ specific rules, so your ideas are a godsend. Thank's again kaskavel.

 

[Fergei]

Victory! I was so fortunate that with Military Alliances disabled the Communist French and Imperialist (enhanced Republic) Germans just took turns constantly camping the Chinese lands and attacking them, preventing China from bothering me.

Then when Portugal (in Africa) became Fascist and at war with France and Germany (who had a 4 millenia love in) and I had to engage in war with them I just got MPPs with France and Germany and this secured my conquest of east and northeast Asia, leaving much more manageable borders. Add in a few cities in the rubble of north Africa, one to steal Chinese rubber in Myanmar and a bizarre late game culture swap capture of Istanbul from Germany and I achieved my 20% pop & 20% land domination victory.

I was also lucky that the Iroquois would not attack their English neighbours and instead engaged in a variety of amphibious adventures in South America. They could have steamrolled North America and threatened the domination victory conditions if they had played more conventionally but they seemed to expend all their resources protecting the 3 cities they captured in South America and fighting off the Spanish and Incans there (who I of course gave resources and techs to to keep them competitive).

Combined with my preferred game settings this was my favourite ever Earth game of Civ and pretty intense for a game on Regent. The chart above shows around 1400 AD that China, Portugal, Iroquois and French all had capacity to take off and all but the Iroquois were more advanced than me. I think the settings were absolutely spot on as was the difficulty of minus 2 levels. I would not change any element of these settings. The war with Fascism element would not be so difficult in games with Military Alliance settings, so would not be so reliant on my incredibly good fortune in this game. Highly recommended. Thanks again!

 

[kaskavel]

Well done! Glad you enjoyed it...