An Emperor start - how would you play it?

[goraemon]

So far we have 2 diplomatic victories, anyone manage another type of win? SS or (gulp) dom/conquest? I don't know if the latter is possible.

 

[alexti2]

So far we have 2 diplomatic victories, anyone manage another type of win? SS or (gulp) dom/conquest? I don't know if the latter is possible.

I'm pretty sure that domination is possible, but I'm not too excited about spending 10+ hours on mindless clicking. I'd start by bribing Mao to fight Cyrus and attacking Cyrus with plenty of catapults backed by longbowmen. By that time, the cultural bridge to the south-eastern island should be ready and it will be an easy target for conquest (AI is particularly bad at defending overseas colonies). After that beeline for Steel and upgrade all catapults to cannons, get some grenadiers with right promotions and go conquer another AI (preferranly tech leader, unless he is too far). At that stage we can have about 3 times more land and population than anybody else, so just keep cranking out military and conquer everything in sight...

 

[alexti2]

I gave it a try and, of course, things didn't go as planned. The major thing is that Cyrus is too valuable trade partner to declare war on. Besides, losing open borders with Cyrus will also mean losing trade with Chinese. So my plan got revised and I've attacked the south-eastern island (it as mostly populated by Egyptian with one barbarian and one Persian city). Cyrus is actually quite annoying, because he has planted a city on my home island, and then, on the south-eastern island as well.

Anyway, by 1070 AD, I've conquered the south-eastern island (except one persian city). Cyrus's 2 city on each of my islands, perhaps, isn't a bad thing after all - they don't hold any valuable resources and I don't mind letting persians grow those cities for me :> - I have enough cities to stress my budget. Egyptian cities are not very good (2-4 pop with no buildings), but the land is good. I'm in lead in production and commerce, technology-wise it's more or less parity, perhaps I'm slightly ahead, but some civs know some technologies I don't.

The next step is to conquer Egyptian homeland - my units got plenty of extra promotions and Egyptian have no iron. I think I'm on schedule to the dominance victory here. Just few turns away from getting Astronomy, and then I'll be able to attack anybody I choose...

 

[sandman_civ]

Alexti2 please post some savegames. Didn't think that island was conducive to a production lead. More or less what was your early tech choices up to the point of iron working? (to get to those jungle hills)

 

[Grogs]

Barbs (combined with an angry RNG) nearly did me in, but I think I've got it under control now. Here's my 1st 100, and the 50- and 100-turn saves:

Spoiler :

0, 4000 BC: Moved scout SW-S to see what I can see. I see gems. Sweet! I'll need IW though since they're in jungle. Actually, seems to be a lot of jungle, so I'll need several workers + IW fairly quickly. Starting loc looks very hammer rich, although food won't be great unless there's another food bonus besides the wheat. Settle in place. Initial build = worker; Initial tech = agriculture.

1, 3960 BC: scout SW-NW; there are 2 gems there

Turn 2, 3920 BC: Scout N

Turn 3, 3880 BC: Scout N, Moscow expands

Turn 4. 3840 BC: Scout NE - pops GH; I get a map of the ocean to the NW - there's at least 2 islands up there, + fish I could work

Turn 5, 3800 BC: Scout E-SE

Turn 6, 3760 BC: Scout SE

Turn 7, 3720 BC: Scout SE-SE - we've got 3 sugars here as well

Turn 8, 3680 BC: Bhuddism founded; scout E

Turn 9, 3640 BC: Scout NE - see my first animal, a panther.

Turn 10, 3600 BC: panther attacks my scout and dies (0.5/1); fortify scout to heal.

Turn 11, 3560 BC:

Turn 12, 3520 BC: worker complete; Moscow worker -> warrior; Agriculture -> fishing (8); worker moves to farm wheat.

Turn 13, 3480 BC: Worker begins farming wheat; a jungle grows in Moscow's fat cross - quite annoying.

Turn 14, 3440 BC: ANOTHER jungle grows near Moscow - I'm getting overrun here

Turn 15, 3400 BC: Scout SE-SE

Turn 16, 3360 BC: Scout E

Turn 17, 3320 BC: Moscow warrior -> warrior sent 3S to scout there. Scout W; wheat farmed - Moscow now working wheat tile.

Turn 18, 3280 BC: worker sent to grass/hill to mine; scout SW - there's a bear there (ouch)

Turn 19, 3240 BC: Bear eats scout

Turn 20, 3200 BC: Moscow grows (2); Fishing -> Bronze Working (21); worker begins mine; This has got to be another island start, doesn't it?

Turn 21, 3160 BC: warrior pops GH and gets a map, which contains a continent/southern part of this continent.

Turn 22, 3120 BC: Moscow warrior -> warrior;

Turn 23, 3080 BC: worker completes mine - now working mined hill + wheat in Moscow.

Turn 24, 3040 BC: worker moves and begins a grass/farm on a river tile.

Turn 25, 3000 BC: Moscow warrior -> barracks; Moscow expands borders;

Turn 26, 2960 BC: warrior pops a hut - gets 'The Wheel'; man is that lucky. Move my 2nd warrior and there's a lion *AND* a bear there. Sheesh.

Turn 27, 2920 BC: Bear eats warrior - I'm really starting to hate that bear - I was favored, had the bear down to 18 hp, but it won 4 rounds in a row.; Hinduism founded far away; Moscow grows (3)

Turn 28, 2880 BC:

Turn 29, 2840 BC: worker finishes farm - citizen assigned; I'm able to raise science to 90% thanks to the commerce the tile is producing. worker moves to mine plains/hill. There's that bear again.

Turn 30, 2800 BC: Bear attacks warrior and dies (yes!) warrior 2/2. worker begins mine.

Turn 31, 2760 BC: lion attacks warrior and dies (1.4/2) - warrior promoted to woodsman I and moves onto a jungle/hill.

Turn 32, 2720 BC: I've got a barb warrior W of London. I pull London from barracks to warrior and move the warrior in the city SW to intercept him. I also cancel my worker so I can move him next turn if I need to.

Turn 33, 2680 BC: barb warrior moves away - that was lucky. worker finishes mine. I decide to go ahead and move the warrior in the direction of the barb; since London will be unhappy if it grows next turn, I move a citizen from the farm to a coastal square - this slows growth for 2 turns (when the warrior will be finished) and increases research.

Turn 34, 2640 BC: worker moves to wheat to begin road; barb warrior is back - I move my warrior onto a jungle tile right beside him.

Turn 35, 2600 BC: Barb warrior attacks and dies (1.0/2); Moscow grows; Moscow warrior -> barracks (finish)

Turn 36, 2560 BC: worker moves to a forest for a chop.

Turn 37, 2520 BC: Bronze working -> sailing; Moscow barracks -> warrior; no copper in sight (ugh!); worker begins chop.

Turn 38, 2480 BC:

Turn 39, 2440 BC: Moscow warrior -> worker; worker finishes chop.

Turn 40, 2400 BC: worker moves for another chop.

Turn 41, 2360 BC: worker begins chop.

Turn 42, 2320 BC: Moscow worker -> settler; 2nd worker moves to chop; My new 4xp warrior moves onto a hill S of Moscow, there's a barb beside him.

Turn 43, 2280 BC: Barb warrior attacks and dies miserably (2/2); I promote my warrior to Woodsman2 - now that's a scout. 1st chop completes, worker begins 2nd.

Turn 44, 2240 BC: worker begins road.

Turn 45, 2200 BC: 2nd chop complete.

Turn 46, 2160 BC:

Turn 47, 2120 BC: Moscow settler -> work boat; Sailing -> Masonry;

Turn 48, 2080 BC: Settler moves into position.

Turn 49, 2040 BC: St. Petersburg founded, begins lighthouse; worker begins chop to rush lighthouse.

Turn 50, 2000 BC: Research drops to 70% IT. 50-turn save made.

Turn 51, 1960 BC: Barb warrior attacks my warrior and dies (1.1/2); Moscow workboat -> warrior.

Turn 52, 1920 BC:

Turn 53, 1880 BC: Moscow warrior -> work boat;

Turn 54, 1840 BC: St. Petersburg expands; work boat moves onto fish and builds net.

Turn 55, 1800 BC: workers finish chop & mine

Turn 56, 1760 BC: Masonry -> archery (yuck!); St. Pete Lighthouse -> workboat; another $%^$% jungle grows near Moscow.

Turn 57, 1720 BC: Moscow workboat -> lighthouse;

Turn 58, 1680 BC: I see blue borders on the NW islands! I'm not completely alone after all.

Turn 59, 1640 BC: See my first barb archer - that's definitely not good.

Turn 60, 1600 BC: Barb archer attacks my warrior and wins - I'm having pretty bad luck with the RNG ; Finally explore the southernmost part of the island - there's copper down there (yay!) but also a barb archer who's going to kill my warrior next turn (boo!); My work boat sail over and meets Cyrus.

Turn 61, 1560 BC: barb archer kills my warrior, as expected.

Turn 62, 1520 BC: St Pete grows (3); St Pete work boat -> barracks; Moscow lighthouse -> archer. barb archer is just outside my territory.

Turn 63, 1480 BC: Moscow archer -> archer; I move the archer onto a hill beside the barb archer;

Turn 64, 1440 BC: Barb archer attack my archer and dies; Moscow archer -> Great Lighthouse; I'm sending both archers out to take up fog-busting/barb interception duties.

Turn 65, 1400 BC:

Turn 66, 1360 BC: Here comes another barb archer - I'm getting swarmed here.

Turn 67, 1320 BC: Barb archer attacks my archer and dies (2.8/3); barb archer attacks my archer and wins. He's 2 tiles from Moscow and I have only a warrior there for garrison.

Turn 68, 1280 BC: Stonehenge built far away; I'm so glad barbs are stupid - this one heads for my 2nd archer instead of Moscow (I hope);

Turn 69, 1240 BC: Barbs are stupid, thank goodness. Barb archer @ 0.8 strength attacks my guerilla II archer on top of a jungle hill and dies.

Turn 70, 1200 BC: Moscow archer -> back to G. Lighthouse.

Turn 71, 1160 BC: I have trade routes with Cyrus now. St Pete barracks -> archer.

Turn 72, 1120 BC: I meet Mao.

Turn 73, 1080 BC: Sigh, another barb archer.

Turn 74, 1040 BC: This one isn't quite as stupid - moving towards Moscow.

Turn 75, 1000 BC: archer moves up onto a mined hill - looks like he's going to pillage.

Turn 76, 975 BC: Give Mao OB's, archer pillages my mine;

Turn 77, 950 BC: archer attacks my archer on an adjacent hill and dies (1.0/3)

Turn 78, 925 BC:

Turn 79, 900 BC: St Pete archer -> archer;

Turn 80, 875 BC:

Turn 81, 850 BC: Oh look, another barb archer.

Turn 82, 825 BC: This is just unreal. The barb archer was a 98% underdog, yet he defeated my Guerilla II archer on top of a jungle hill.

Turn 83, 800 BC: The Great Lighthouse comes in - cha-ching!; Moscow GL -> archer; St. Pete archer -> archer.

Turn 84, 775 BC: archer + a warrior move in towards Moscow.

Turn 85, 750 BC: Moscow archer -> settler. Iron Working -> writing.

Turn 86, 725 BC: archer pillages a section of road, warrior moves in towards my archer fortified S of Moscow.

Turn 87, 700 BC: barb warrior attacks my archer and dies painfully - promote archer to guerilla II.

Turn 88, 675 BC: archer pillages another section of road.

Turn 89, 650 BC: barb archer attacks and dies (3/3);

Turn 90, 625 BC:

Turn 91, 600 BC:

Turn 92, 575 BC:

Turn 93, 550 BC: Research drops to 60%; Writing -> alphabet (21);

Turn 94, 525 BC: Moscow Settler -> library;

Turn 95, 500 BC:

Turn 96, 475 BC:

Turn 97, 450 BC: Cyrus completes the Pyramids; St Pete worker -> worker; Novgorad founded near gems, production set to library;

Turn 98, 425 BC: Cyrus adopts Representation.

Turn 99, 400 BC:

Turn 100, 375 BC: Moscow expands - whew, that'll help a ton with barbs;

 

[alexti2]

Here're my saves. They're a bit embarassing - I've played quickly and sloppy

I think went Agriculture-Bronze Working-Wheel-Pottery to get wheat exploited and start building cottages (not sure exactly where Bronze working was). Then I got fishing, settle another city in north-western corner and send another fishing boat to explore, continued to sailing and masonry to get Great Lighthouse. Then I went for Writing and Iron Working (not sure in which order). Somewhere about that time I've settled third city (copper+wheat) in the south. Then I got alphabet, did some trades, currencies, more swaps. At the same time I put 4th city in the west to grab gems and 5th in the middle to make it into GP-farm. I've researched code-of-laws,monarchy,feudalism,metal-casting and spent great merchant for civil services. I did some tech trades in the progress. There is a lot of luxuries in our corner of the world, I was trading with Cyrus and Mao and I had little problem with city capping. I've used north-western city to build galleys, and the capital, southern city and western city to build units (catapults with some support from spearmen, longbowman, axemen and later macemen). That was enough to take over the south-eastern island.