Bede's Challenge #1

[gmaharriet]

Aabraxan and I had a lot of fun working on this via instant messenger (with saves open) and passing saves back and forth to each other.

I owe both him and Bede a debt of gratitude for the opportunity to learn more about how to actively use CA2, besides just using it to extract world seeds and other settings from saves. My prior use of it was equivalent to using an automobile as simply a chair to sit on in my driveway.

It would be great if something similar could be set up as a mini-challenge of the month (or at random intervals). There's all sorts of MMing which could be learned...efficient use of worker turns, tax/science farms, trading techniques, ship chaining, and tuning the economy. Most of us struggle to pick these up from experimentation, training games and reading the wisdom of others. The discussions afterward could be so valuable, as this one was for me.

The beauty of this was its focus on a single aspect of the game, without having to worry about how it affected future turns in the game. The tuning we did wouldn't necessarily be best for the game as a whole, but the knowledge gained will be a useful tool in every game played from now on.

 

[Phaedo]

It's a nice idea gmaharriet. Why don't you set it up. It just takes a random save and criteria for a win.

 

[Aabraxan]

Nice job, AAbraxan and gmaHarriet (or is it gmaHarrier?)

And I forgot to point this out before the reason "The SGA doesn't have any impact on the science calculated on the F1 screen." is because the SGA doesn't work, never has.

Thanks, Bede. I knew that SGAs didn't work, but it was not clear to me, until now, whether they (a) simply did nothing; or (b) generated the excess beakers, but hung up on the last turn for some reason. I now know that it is the former.

Edit: It's the former, not the latter.

 

[gmaharriet]

It's a nice idea gmaharriet. Why don't you set it up. It just takes a random save and criteria for a win.

Because I'm still fumbling...at Monarch level yet after 2 1/2 years of playing. I'm still not sure of how to make a good start, when to build my first granary, when I'm strong enough to attack, what to research other than going for the Republic Slingshot. I'm STILL experimenting with all of these basic items.

If I get to the Middle Ages, I'm pretty formulaic in what I do from there. Imagination is not one of my strong suites, but I sure grab ahold of ideas generated by others.

How about this? Each of us who has an interest in helping others improve can sort of monitor our own games for opportunities that arise to demonstrate a technique. If any one of us can come up with a challenge, we just post it or maybe run the idea by Bede for suggestions on how to improve it as a teaching tool. He's the best as a teacher!!!

BTW, here's a link to CAII Help. I'd had it bookmarked for months, but just really read it tonight. Maybe it will be of value to someone else as well. http://gotm.civfanatics.net/civassist/help/introduction.htm

 

[jb1964]

Very cool idea and great posts.

And on Sunday.... Happy Mother's Day Harriet.

Because I'm still fumbling...at Monarch level

Ya, Emperor is the big jump. I've found that you have to get comfortable w/ being behind but putting in place a single minded method to get to parity. That method usually involves pointy things and fomenting war.

 

[Abegweit]

Because I'm still fumbling...at Monarch level yet after 2 1/2 years of playing. I'm still not sure of how to make a good start, when to build my first granary, when I'm strong enough to attack, what to research other than going for the Republic Slingshot. I'm STILL experimenting with all of these basic items.

If I get to the Middle Ages, I'm pretty formulaic in what I do from there. Imagination is not one of my strong suites, but I sure grab ahold of ideas generated by others.

Good discussion on granaries here

As for when to attack, if you are rated average to the AI, you should slaughter them. It takes a fair amount of experience to know you can attack when you are rated weak. Eight swords or twelve horses should be more than enough to start with at monarch. Keep building military during the war until you are sure it's mop-up time.

AE Research:
either Pottery followed by the slingshot, or the slingshot directly, depending on your need for granaries and the likelihood you can trade for it. Next Currency and Literature are good choices. Probably Literature first. Math if you have to. Get it into the hands of the AI so it will research Construction. Never research MM unless you are totally isolated, in which case it is your first priority, especially in vanilla where there aren't any Curraghs.

ME Research:
When playing a science game, know that the AI likes Invention, Gunpowder and Astronomy. Get the requisite techs into its hands. Follow the upper line, which it likes less. After Education, gift the AI so it can get Astro. Research Banking, Chemistry. Next Metals, unless Astro is out, in which case a beeline to either Mag or ToG (depending on your short-term objectives) is probably better.

Military games are beelines. Key techs are Chivalry, MilTrad and Magnetism. Decide which ones you need. Chivalry may be enough. If both MilTrad and Magnetism are required, try to get the AI to research some of the techs I mentioned above.

 

[gmaharriet]

Ah, many thank you's, Abegweit! That's the sort of research strategy info I need. I usually play at Monarch, and I can so far outresearch the AI with sci farms that my only strategies are based on whether I'm doing a peaceful or warmongering game...it also prevents me from succeeding at Emperor and above, where it becomes so much more important what the AI is learning and trading for tech. I tend to hoard techs...a no-no at higher levels.

I'm just starting an Emperor training game in the SG forum with Bede as Trainer. We're going to use the Celts to do a highly-modified NOW with Conquest as the victory goal and all win conditions left up in the game. It should be quite a challenge. Still one slot open for a player if anyone is interested. Your advice should come in very handy, Abegweit.