Always Skirmish!

[Sirian]

Difficulty: Emperor
Civilization: Russia
World Size: Tiny
Opponents: England, France, Spain
Terrain: Pangaea 70% water
Climate: Flat
Barbarians: None
Rules: Standard
Victory: Any


Variant Rules: ALWAYS WAR!

You must declare war on all opponents on the turn you make contact. You may acquire tech or contacts prior to declaring war, but you must pay up front: no deals involving any kind of per-turn payments. No map information may be acquired. You may never, ever make peace with any opponent. Until you control all of the earth or are wiped from the earth, there will always be war without end.

This being a tiny map, it only qualifies as a skirmish. Always skirmish!


THIS IS AN OPEN SUCCESSION GAME!

If you have what it takes to compete in this situation, you are welcome to grab the game any time it is "available". Once a player posts "Got It", they have no more than 48 hours to post a result.

Each round is 20 turns in length. 20. No more, no less. 20.


I will start the game. A number of things need to occur or I will restart. Firstly, we can't make contact too soon, or the enemy's starting units will waltz right into our undefended capital. Secondly, we need to survive that first wave, which means starting off by building units. This is why I have selected Russia, the scientific ability starts us with Bronze and the chance to build spears. On a tiny map, our closest opponent could be as few as 8 tiles away. Thirdly, once over these humps, I will carry us forward through Iron Working, to establish that we have iron in our territory or within reach. If a start meets all these conditions, I'll post a result and the game will be open for play.


Oh, and one final request:

Got it? Understood? Roger, over and out? Excellent!


- Sirian

 

[Sirian]

4000BC: We start on a river. Moscow founded. Scout heads south, worker moves onto plains wheat. Research into Warrior Code started.

3850BC: France is right there! Our scout moves into VISUAL RANGE of French military, then hastily retreats. If those units come toward our scout, contact will be made and the game is probably already over.

3800BC: No contact with France yet! Our scout heads west.

3750BC: Warrior trained. I move him up onto the mountain to scout eastward just a tad. Move him back next turn. Five turns to build this warrior, going to be six more to get a spearman at max shields.

3450BC: France moves into visual range. We have trained our first spear. Joanie already has bronze working? Crapola. Nothing to trade, war is declared!

Their unit parks. We continue to train troops and explore.

3200BC: Our second spear has been trained. We have two, and a warrior. And here come the French! OMG! We LOSE a fortified spear from their first regular warrior attack! Luckily the second one survives and promotes. Losing that unit is a setback, but we're still alive.

Next few turns, we fend off all their starting supply of warriors, no pillagings, and our worker is slowing improving tiles in the back lines. This concludes the "early" phase.


Middle: Our scout moving south along the west coast spots TWO UNESCORTED FRENCH SETTLERS moving to the west of Paris, somewhat in our direction. Our warrior is immediately dispatched, and the settlers actually retreat. We slowed them down a wee bit, maybe a few turns on Orleans and half a dozen on Lyons. Joanie trained regular spears for escort, and we were not in position to attack. She now has three cities to our one. I started us on a granary.

On the up side, I boldly strode our scout up to Paris and started pillaging. Nabbed some grass, then disconnected her gems, then some more grass and her game. (WOW does she have the massive food bonuses or what? Paris is a garden of eden over here, we're in for a nasty fight). All told, I pillaged about eight tiles, and her two workers were reconnecting them almost as quickly as I disrupted them. Still, this slowed her down a little bit, and anything helps. (Ouch, those industrious workers, though).

When she brought out a regular archer, I had to retreat, going west.

After our granary, I trained a settler, then built a barracks. The settler went to the spices on the back lines, furthest from attack. After warrior code, I researched Masonry to get access to walls. Now I have started Iron Working. Here's our scout in the middle of his pillage mission:

Late: I trained spears, a couple archers, and two more settlers out of Moscow. We had one spear and one archer promote to Elite. Joan founded two more cities, also, and built a temple in Paris, apparently, as we are falling behind in culture now.

I founded our newest cites on hills to the west. Joan is about four or five techs ahead of us (sheesh).

We learned Iron Working in 1275BC. There are two sources in sight, one right there at Moscow (good!) and the other... well, of course, Orleans is right on top of it.

(RANT TIME: Anybody else here despise the fact that the AI cheats in regard to the resources, always able to see any resource on the map? In one sense, it does mean they grab the good sites ASAP, but in another it is so mind-numbingly predictable that it starts to get a little boring after a while. The AI OUGHT to prioritize resources, but it ought not be able to do so until it has the tech to see the resource in question. Oh well.)

St.Pete has whipped partial progress toward its barracks. Minsk is building a reg warrior so that it may whip walls next. Kiev is almost done with its walls and is up to 2spt. Remember that corruption is beyond devastating on tiny maps.

Obviously, our top priority now needs to be to destroy or capture Orleans and gain a monopoly on the iron. This needs to be achieved before Joan gets her sword production cranking. We have the start of an attack force at Moscow but our other cities are just barely getting started on contributing. Moscow can maintain 10spt at size 6+

Who among you is a worthy general to lead our campaign against Orleans? Who will step up to this challenge? Who can certify they are on the Nicotene Patch and will leave the tobacco and other carcinogens behind? Who has the experience to know what to do? We await your arrival.


- Sirian

 

[Sirian]

Always Skirmish! - 1250BC


- Sirian

 

[LordMongoose]

Wow. Interesting. I just played an always skirmish of my own on Warlord (Snow Days rule!!!), but this is fascinating. With the french next door, you're in for a fun early game. FOR THE MOTHER COUNTRY OF RUSSIA!!!

 

[Rowain deWolf]

PtW or vanilla Civ3 ?

Rowain


PS.No I have not got it

 

[Gothmog]

This is a great starting position for an Always Skirmish game. No dogpile! and once France is defeated - an easilly defended island. But on the downside you will have to do naval invasions and hope for a passage. IMO it will take a bold man (or woman) to take this game from Sirian with a -no weed- warning right up front! (as if AW wasn't intimidating enough).

This is not an 'I got it' either...

I'm at work and couldn't play until tonight anyway. But due to my thick skin (and even thicker head), I might get back to you. I'm in two SG's but am not likely to get to my turn in either any time soon (of course they will probably come up simultaneously). Either way, good luck (I have an annoying tendency to use a word in two consecutive sentences).

 

[Sirian]

Spain as opponent reveals the version. Too subtle? Sorry. I've moved to PTW as default. I won't be playing any more 1.29f (I'm not playing Epic 23, even though it is a special situation in that scenario).

If I arrange anything involving original Civ3, I'll be sure to emphasize that. In the mean time, I hope to leave behind having to identify PTW games with special notation. (I especially despise use of the word "vanilla" to describe the unexpanded version, so you see me say "1.29f" instead).

In other news, I have LOST my first three attempts at Emperor AW in PTW. This is my fourth, but it is also the most favorable situation I've been in thus far, and something for Deity players to snack on if they hit a famine niche with their other games. So here's hoping.


- Sirian

 

[Rowain deWolf]

Originally posted by Sirian
Spain as opponent reveals the version. Too subtle? Sorry.

- Sirian

uups in all this France vs Russia I completly missed Spain

Rowain

 

[Sirian]

Well, it's Ladies Night. Girls Only. Slumber party? Cat fight?

BTW... our leader title is "Crazy". Crazy Cathy. Can't wait for the first "We Love the Crazy" day.


- Sirian

 

[JaxomCA]

This looks like fun, got it

 

[JaxomCA]

Preturn: I change Minsk to walls as this is part of the front line. I take the whole stack in Moscow, except for a warrior, and send them toward the hill to the south. Moscow changes from archer to warrior to provide MP.

1. 1225 BC Kiev builds walls and starts on a barracks.
   
2. 1200 BC ...
3. 1175 BC An archer dies to a spear in Minsk but a swordsman kills the second spear. The stack reaches the hill and some swordsman are next to it, everybody fortifies. Ceremonial Burial comes up, the Wheel started to see horses. The workers are sent to Iron Mountain.
   
4. 1150 BC A spear dies on the hill, dumb luck. The elite archer jumps on warrior and destroy him, but no luck either. The stack moves into the south forest.
   
5. 1125 BC A road is pillaged between Orleans and Paris.
   
6. 1100 BC Another spear dies near Orleans, darn PRNG.
   
7. 1075 BC The stack, well what is left of it, retreat to the hill.
   
8. 1050 BC The stack is destroyed, but they take 2 swordsman and an archer with them. They served their purpose, to disconnect iron.
   
9. 1025 BC Our own iron is connected and 4 vet warriors are upgraded to swordsman in Moscow. Minsk completes its walls and begins a barracks. The workers move toward Minks, under escort, to connect ivory.
   
10. 1000 BC Moscow builds a 5th swordsman and begins a spearman.
    

There are at least 2 french swordsman near the south hill, but the next leader has acces to a small stack of 5 swordsman in Moscow.

Here is the save at the end of 1000 BC.

 

[meldor]

Originally posted by Sirian
...... Nabbed some grass.......

I thought you put up the no sign.

(RANT TIME: Anybody else here despise the fact that the AI cheats in regard to the resources, always able to see any resource on the map? In one sense, it does mean they grab the good sites ASAP, but in another it is so mind-numbingly predictable that it starts to get a little boring after a while. The AI OUGHT to prioritize resources, but it ought not be able to do so until it has the tech to see the resource in question. Oh well.)

IIRC, it was stated in one of the chats on 'Poly that the code to implement the AI not seeing the complete map from the get go was just too much to do. Plus, it helps the AI to compete better. The bad thing is that we humans now know that we should capture all those weirdly placed AI cities, and take note of the places that the AI chooses to go out of its way to place cities.

In other news, I have LOST my first three attempts at Emperor AW in PTW. This is my fourth, but it is also the most favorable situation I've been in thus far, and something for Deity players to snack on if they hit a famine niche with their other games. So here's hoping.

I have yet to be able to beat AW on Deity. I have made it on the lower levels. One of the things that can make it easier for the human is lots of forest and jungle. These allow you to set up killing zones for the AI and takes away the advantages of faster moving units, and it lets you bomb them into leaving.
Even on monarch, a dry pangea is just brutal with a standard number of opponents given the sale of contact in PTW.

 

[JaxomCA]

Oops, just saw each round is 20 turns, no more, no less. That means I still got it.

 

[JaxomCA]

Preturn: Nothing changed, I trust the previous leader

1. 975 BC ...
2. 950 BC The french sword near Minks kills one of our sword It is a good thing I sent two, so the other one kills the offender. The wheel is discovered, research begins on alphabet to move us toward catapults. We have horses on the coast NW of Minsk. Disease strikes Moscow, my good luck continues.
   
3. 925 BC Moscow completes a spearman and begins a settler to claim the horses. The sword stack is sent to the hill.
   
4. 900 BC ...
5. 875 BC ...
6. 850 BC Moscow completes a settler, begins a sword.
   
7. 825 BC A couple of french archer meet their doom in the open. French swords are wiser as they do not come near the stack in the open.
   
8. 800 BC ...
9. 775 BC A stack of 3 swords is moving toward Minsk. Minks has a wall and 2 vet spears in it, it should be safe.
   
10. 750 BC ...
    

If you are worried about Minks, there is a spear and a settler right next to it. It might be a good idea to move them in Minks until the sword stack is dead. The workers will proable have to interrupt what they are doing. A blue border can be seen across the ocean to the west, be careful where you put the city to claim the horse.

Here is the save at the end of 750 BC.

 

[Sirp]

ok, sounds like a nice challenge. I got it!

 

[Sirp]

(IT) 750BC: I reduce luxuries to 10%, and increase science to 90%, giving Alphabet in one turn at -5.

I retreat one of the swordsmen on the mountain to defend Minsk if necessary.

(1) 730BC: We discover Alphabet. Writing is the only tech that Joanie has that we don't. It's a choice out of Horseback Riding and Mathematics for us. Both are good technologies, but I choose mathematics, mainly because France has horses much more easily accessible than we do, while I don't think catapults would benefit them nearly as much as us.

It's due in 13 turns @ -2.

The French sword stack headed east, maybe going for Moscow, I'm not sure.

Moscow produces a sword, set to build another. Orleans being built on hills is going to make it 'non-trivial' to capture.

(2) 710BC: The sword stack heads toward us, I move our sword stack near Moscow backwards, off the hill, letting them have it. We'll retreat a little, let them come into open ground, and then kill them. Meanwhile, we're developing a little swords build up (well, three and a spear anyway) near Orleans, it's on hills, but as long as they don't have more than two regular spearmen in there, I think we should be able to take it. I hope.

(3) 690BC: The French advance onto the hill, I retreat further. Smolensk is founded in the west, right on the horses. Frankly, I don't think contact with whoever is to the west would be so bad.

We need another settler, and I decide Kiev is the place to build it.

(4) 670BC: The French swords advance into the plains, unfortunately backed up by archers. We lose a veteran sword attacking a regular sword, after getting him into the red. Our swordsman and archer win. They have an archer that can attack our wounded swordsman next turn, but we're in forest and it'll be across river.

Our own stack advances on Orleans. Hmm...not good that the elite swordsman is above the veteran spearman.

(5) 650BC: The archer does attack us, we win and our swordsman promotes. France has a spearman approaching along the hills towards Moscow. Spearman are some of the *worst* enemy units early on in an AW game in rugged terrain imho. They are hard to kill, and are only worth 20 shields when you do.

We attack Orleans. Our first swordsman dies without doing any damage. Our second swordsman gets him down into red, but then loses. They have at least another spearman in there. I retreat our spearman and swordsman. Not a good result!

(6) 630BC: The French spear advances, we cover our iron with a spear.

(7) 610BC: The French spear retreats. An archer comes into view. We have Moscow up to the magical 10spt mark, meaning a swordsman every three turns.

(8) 590BC: The French are attempting another advance.

(9) 570BC: Another veteran swordsman loses when attacking a French sword on the plains. And then the disgrace of all disgraces! An *elite* swordsman with full health loses when attacking the same swordsman who is red! Argh! Their swordsman promotes too. We don't even have anyone else to attack with, so it looks like the sword is going to get away!

We are left with just two swordsmen in our military.

(10) 550BC: blah.

(11) 530BC: Our veteran swordsman attacks a regular spearman. I'm going to have a stroke if he loses, but he wins. Good.

(12) 510BC: Ok, the Russians have catapults! Cathy dances with glee as she sees the advancing enemies. We will rain rocks down on their heads and destroy them!

Joan has Mysticism and Writing. We go for horseback riding. Due in 8 turns @ +0.

Kiev completes a settler and is set to build catapults

(13) 490BC: The French now have a *veteran* swordsman in sight. Not good!

(14) 470BC: Their veteran sword attacks our spear on the mountains. We win, but it was a little close there for a while.

Odessa is founded in the north-west.

(15) 450BC: Our first catapult is produced! Moscow is now size 8, and we need 30% luxury rates. I set it to build a temple. At least we can have a little infrastructure going.

(16) 430BC: hmm...French swords are advancing west. Maybe they're going for Smolensk? I shadow them with a force of our own.

I decide it's time to build a road on the mountains towards Orleans.

(17) 410BC: Yes, it does look like they're going for Smolensk. They've got a stack of two swords and two archers.

(18) 390BC: blah.

(19) 370BC: The Spanish complete the Colossus in Barcelona.

(20) 350BC: We discover Horseback Riding. I set us to research Writing. Joanie still doesn't have horseback riding.

Our veteran swordsman *just* defeats a regular swordsman outside Smolensk.

And so ends my reign. I'm not entirely happy with it: I lost too many units, and didn't get to take Orleans, or any other French cities. I would have hoped to have done better, but at least we didn't lose any cities, and sometimes when the RNG doesn't like you....it doesn't like you.

We've only just started researching Writing, so feel free to veto.

My final lost/killed statistics are:

lost - 5 swordsman
killed - 5 swordsman, 3 archer, 1 spearman.

Now that we can build catapults, we should be able to do much better than this.

-Sirp.

The Scepter of Moscow

 

[Gothmog]

Gothmog the thick headed decides to have a go.

'Got it'

OK, remember - no , that's no

 

[Gothmog]

Preturn: Paris is building the Oracle?
I wake and move our mini SOD towards Orleans.

Early turns: Spain finishes Pyramids. A French sword leaves Orleans so I attack - 1st sword kills a spear, 2nd redlines a spear but dies, I go for it with our spear and raze Orleans. St P is working unimproved squares so I whip out the catapult there. Spanish galley and another French settler spotted. I move our elite archer from Moscow east. I trade Isabelle math for writing+myst+all her gold (30) and Declare war. Moscow grows and I decide to peel a worker off the top. I shadow Isabelle's galley with our elite archer. France founds Rouen next to our elite sword+cat+spear? They must know how much they need that Iron. I raze it next turn. I kill a number of stragglers. Liz calls up, I trade her contact with French+62 gold for WM+CoL+Philos, declare war. Shuffle lots of troops. The French call up but wont give a reasonable price for peace. Isabelle's galley moves into French waters. Kiev reaches 6 spt and switches to swords.

Middle turns: 3 archers and one sword enter my trap south of Minsk. I bomb them with 4 cats and take them out. The English start the GW. I move towards Marseilles. England lands two warriors near Smolensk, they impale against defending spears. Battle at Marceilles: cat hits, cat misses, sword kills spear, there is just the wounded reg spear left so I go with elite sword - he loses, I auto raze Marseilles with the next attacking sword. French unload a sword near Smolensk and I take him out with a sword. Spain lands warrior near Smolensk who suffers the same fate.

Late turns: I pillage the Ivory near Tours and kill a couple stray archers nearby. Another English galley spotted. One warrior lands near Smolensk (must be a brothel near Smolensk), I kill it. France starts HG, more in fact they are pimping . I take out a spear/settler pair on former Rouen site - Slaves! I move in on Chartreuse and take it, our first non auto-raze. Swap Minsk to settler. A French sword (their last one?) attacks a fortified sword in a forest and loses. Yet another English galley is spotted. I pillage the French horses. I finally realize we can build horses (they are under Smolensk) so I swap Moscow. The Spanish land a warrior/spear just as I am arriving at former Marseilles site. I kill the warrior and take some more slaves.

Tally for my turns: I killed - 8 French archers, 8 French spears, 5 French swords, 4 English warriors, 2 Spanish warriors, and enslaved two settlers. I lost - two spear and two swords.

Critical mass has been reached and we've got the French on the run. Run Joanie run!

I did notice alot of but it seemed to be coming from somewhere else. I guess no one told Joanie the rules for this one.

 

[Gothmog]

Here are some screenies and the save:

and the save: http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads3/as1_50ad.zip

 

[Sirp]

Great turn Gothmog, but uhmm...in Sirian's first post it says, "You must declare war on all opponents on the turn you make contact. You may acquire tech or contacts prior to declaring war, but you must pay up front: no deals involving any kind of per-turn payments. No map information may be acquired." (emphasis added).

hmm...other than that you did just fine

-Sirp.