Always War

[Duckweed]

I prefer to let it go normally. Again my major concern is the pollution for GS. Plus we only have two seafood resources for now so the Colossus won't give us much benefit for a long time. 5 pop is more than a market.

Edit: I am actually neutral on whipping the Colossus. I tend to play the game in a more predictable way than relying on luck. Plus the GM is not bad.

 

[Rusten]

Got it, but haven't had time to look at it yet.

 

[Rusten]

I don't think we need to whip the Colossus to get it. The times the AI build it early is usually when they grab MC with the Oracle. In this game we were the ones doing it so there should be time still. However, the city is about to be unhappy so I guess whipping is fine. It does eliminate the risk. If we complete it normally our catapults will be delayed (unless we 2-pop whip them into the Colossus where the delay is minimal). My feeling is to whip it, but I don't feel strongly about it.

Finish construction ->
either - HBR (ivory) -> sailing -> calendar.
or - sailing -> calendar (skipping elephants).

Start making catapults (2-pop whip) when construction is in.

Not really set-related, but I don't understand the location of Frankfurt--surely 1N of the lake would be better? Not a big deal though.

Will replace the farm south of Hamburg with a cottage. The city has enough food and that way we'll have another cottage with a high yield when bureaucracy is available.

My first thought was HBR, but thinking about it I believe the elephants are a waste. The way things stand swords will do just as good (if not better) in the city taking. We don't need to worry about stack protection so HBR is (IMO) a major waste of beakers. War Elephants cost more than swords as well, so I'd skip them entirely.

 

[Duckweed]

I settled Frankfort with the habit of coastal city and you also get extra coastal tiles to work. In AW setting, your suggested site is better since we cannot get intercontinent trade.
Regarding tech, clearly we can skip HR, however, I am thinking of CoL since the GS is coming soon and we need a religion.
You can build Market in Munich and whip it in the next turn, which solve the unhappiness problem. I also suggest start Market in Berlin now since our slider is low atm.

 

[Rusten]

Not many comments. I'll take that as a go. Will play tomorrow.

Edit: I'm fine with CoL. Markets sound good too (can't sell things in an AW setting).

 

[Duckweed]

I'd call for more active discussions. I've learned much more from discussion on next step strategy than the actual play.

 

[Rusten]

Want me to hold off on playing? I completely agree that the discussion is more interesting than the play. I am simply worried about holding up the game too long. There's been more than 2 days since I posted the plan.

 

[PaulisKhan]

I prefer the sailing->calender route. I'm normally a big fan of elephants but you make a good point about not needing stack defense. Catas will be enough.

 

[ungy]

I'd be inclined to go for COL at 0% and if it looks like we can lightbulb tao run to COL at 100%. We're in danger of missing religion here and as useful as the academy is I think religion is better. If tao goes then research calender at 100% and claim the calender resources.

I agree about skipping jumbos--we don't need the stack protection (assuming you can clean up my weedy set) but we'll face large stacks of archers--swords+cats will be just fine.

 

[Duckweed]

I think 2 days of holding for comments is long enough. Have other team members already thought this map is too easy?

Edit:
Great, it seems my call works.

 

[Dirk1302]

It probably is, we have so much good land to work once we're ok economically that it's hard to imagine we'll lose. Compare with King of the hill, that was deity and the other ais were much more dangerous. Even there we could put up a good fight (admittedly with some fiddling around). We're 2 levels lower here and the ais on our conti are as good as dead. Also 4 different ais will coordinate worse than one super ai as Stalin was in that game.

 

[Duckweed]

If majority of the member think this map is too easy, we can probably restart another one. Setting can be discussed.

 

[Rusten]

I just had a GG spawn on the other continent so I think this will be pretty easy. I think it would be easy even with a tech club over there, but with (at least) 2 of the civs engaged in war as well it should be over.

 

[Rusten]

Went for CoL and markets assuming Colossus was fairly safe (and unimportant).

Had 2 archer SoDs (1 from each AI consisting of 5-6 units) pop up during the set to interrupt but they were killed easily with swords and catapults. They still don't have metal so not much to worry about. We should be ready to start taking cities now.

Saladin gets a GS in Medina 100 AD. Not sure what he did with it -- probably settled.

Jeanne d'Arc (GG) was born in a far away land. As far as I know we didn't lose any units (or get attacked) that turn so it must be on the other continent.

We did get a GS from Munich, but I forgot to stop and consider lightbulbing philosophy. I was playing automate (not much of a challenge on this continent) and made an academy in Berlin instead. I've started researching philosophy manually--still no Taoism, but we might not get it. Not the best move, but it doesn't matter at this point.

Currently 375 AD and an opportunity presents itself.

The 2 chariots that have moved were next to the iron this turn (still not been mined). Sent them back because we might be able to grab Addis Ababa next turn--it's only got 2 archers inside. If we move our sword next to it we'll have 5 units vs 2 archers (assuming he doesn't whip anything). The sword N of the city has forest2 so Sal might not think the city is in great danger yet. If we move the sword next to the city there's perhaps a bigger chance he'll whip a 3rd archer, but I'm not so sure about attacking it with 3 chariots and 1 sword -- not enough I believe.

Also, there's not an awful lot to gain by taking it now so perhaps not even worth the trouble of discussing. We'll get it with catapults later anyway and we'd surely lose units taking it.

 

[Duckweed]

Want to continue?

 

[PaulisKhan]

well I was looking forward to launching some amphibious elephant assaults but it does seem like interest has died.

 

[r_rolo1]

The fact that we didn't got agressive AIs made this thing very easy, definitely. Anyway, I think that if we continue, the game will have a very interesting ( and bloody ) ending. And I'm always up for a bloody and prolonged modern age war ( tiring but very fun )

 

[Duckweed]

I mentioned my worry in my 1st play report when I found there might be only two AIs in our continent and it proves to be true.

So, if you guys are still interested in this theme, I can regenerate a map with a setting that won't give up an easy map.

1. Immortal + 5 AIs + continent
2. Emperor + 7 AIs + hemisphere + 2 continents.
3. Emperor + 6 AIs + Pangaea

Other suggested settings are more than welcome.

 

[timmy827]

Lurker comment

More AI's on your landmass will help of course, but I think the bigger issue is that choking makes it too easy. A rule like "no combat units in enemy territory before 1000BC" may give you a more of a "true" AW feel.

 

[ungy]

I mentioned my worry in my 1st play report when I found there might be only two AIs in our continent and it proves to be true.

So, if you guys are still interested in this theme, I can regenerate a map with a setting that won't give up an easy map.

1. Immortal + 5 AIs + continent
2. Emperor + 7 AIs + hemisphere + 2 continents.
3. Emperor + 6 AIs + Pangaea

Other suggested settings are more than welcome.

I'd prefer a reload but I'm not much of a game finisher-this one seems won.
I'd say emperor again --maybe setting 2.
I think everything just fell into place here--2 close AI, horse, nobody got metal hooked up and add the 'mids so we outtech them. I don't think the choke will be so easy with more AI and we won't necessarily have horse.