Best timed SGL ever!

[sandmandh]

I just want to share this brilliant piece of luck on my latest game - playing Deity on large pangaea - with all the usual tricks of fast expansion (got 2 4-turn settler factories) researching literature towards GL and then warmongering with monarchy - and when I finally get philosophy and then free literature - lo and behold here comes Sumagupta an Iroquois SGL !! Wow what a boost to get the GL in one turn next, and the rush of science at 1500 BC !! Got monarchy soon after and I had to even check again if I was actually playing at Deity level cos I was ahead with score at that point! There's been brilliant tips in these forums, and combined with brilliant luck, makes this the "funnest" game by far Also got some luck with 4 luxuries and early horses, these mounted warriors are strong! Anyone else had awesome luck recently? Sandman = Happy Camper

 

[LLXerxes]

Hey! That's great
That sounds like a very productive game so far

 

[thetrooper]

Congrats!

"Luck is when opportunity knocks and you answer."
0% Science and trying to meet all the other civs to get the benefit from GL?

 

[bingen]

I already posted something similar, Sid level, no less:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=95322

Interestingly, I also played Iroquois on Pangaea (a powerful choice).

 

[kokoras]

Hey...What is SGL?????????????????????

Seems like i am never lucky,'cause i never get them.Maybe they have forgoten my existance!
Anyway good for you,but wait until the other Strategic Resources apear,if you see that you don't have a problem with iron,coal,etc then the game is yours,however having 4 luxury isn't a small thing at all.

 

[DBear]

SGL--scientific great leader

 

[sandmandh]

This is a game and a half so far! Already conquered 3 other civs by 150 AD and 9 to go. Building copernicus at the moment. Eventually sold chivalry to some civs on the other end of the world for a total of 180 gpt + about 1000g So this boosts science rate with slider at 90% to 100% still making a profit! And in deity - can't believe it really (well I can cos Inca built JS Bach's in 10 AD)... heck my capital has so many nice wonders now I might just go for the 20K win Note about 20K win - u don't have to prebuild wonders all the time - I build all the improvements as well cos you get the 1000 year culture bonus for them - so the earlier the better - the wonders take so long to build that I'm so there's an optimum mathematical path for culture gain and bonuses...

 

[Theoden]

Extreme luck. I know what you are talking about I once got an SGL for the wheel the secind tech i researched after pottery. So the pyramids were built in 2550BC. Now, thats a boost.

 

[kokoras]

SGL--scientific great leader

I know that DBear,my question was sarkastic since i never get a SGL.This modification of C3C is by far one of the worst!

 

[sandmandh]

well I've played maybe 20 "fullish" c3c games so far and I've only ever got 3 SGL's - this is why I'm so happy about this one! And the others were quite worthless, even tried a golden age with the second one

 

[bingen]

Scientific golden ages are bugged and do not work.

 

[sandmandh]

as far as I remember, that was a monarchy game, and it upped my science rate? or is it always bugged? anyway this is besides the point, the benefits of rushing a wonder would imo in most circumstances be better than a temporary boost to science.

 

[morchuflex]

I hate SGLs. They just add random luck to what should be a game of skill.
When I get one early, I just start over.
In a recent game (on Emperor level), I had a decent starting position, but nothing better, and that's exactly what I like: not too hard, not too easy.
Alas, upon discovering writing (which was my second discovery after Alphabet), I was granted a SGL. So, since my civ knew Pottery from day 1, I rushed the Pyramids, of course. I didn't understand it just meant "game over"! I went on playing for half an hour but soon realized I was so much above my rivals that there was no point in going further. A promising game had been spoiled.
You see, Pyramids are very powerful, but usually you have to sacrifice a lot of shields to build them, thus hampering your early expansion, which compensates the advantage of having them, to some extent. But having them for free... That's not Civ anymore.

 

[sandmandh]

morchuflex I agree on lower levels I would probably reload because you get so far ahead it wrecks the game, but on DEITY - wow man I'm just playing for the FUN factor and the fact I can beat up on the AI which usually beats the crap out of me on that level. Besides no way do I have the skill to beat deity without some luck anyway - and shouldn't luck compensate for extreme AI cheating? ALSO have you ever seen one of these much-vaunted SID wins without some elaborate setup just to get the game towards your playstyle? Now are these sid wins skill, or just tailor-made for fun and a satisfying win? morchuflex if you can tell me you beat deity+ with an average start consistently, then I take my hat off to your insane skill

 

[morchuflex]

morchuflex I agree on lower levels I would probably reload because you get so far ahead it wrecks the game, but on DEITY - wow man I'm just playing for the FUN factor and the fact I can beat up on the AI which usually beats the crap out of me on that level. Besides no way do I have the skill to beat deity without some luck anyway - and shouldn't luck compensate for extreme AI cheating? ALSO have you ever seen one of these much-vaunted SID wins without some elaborate setup just to get the game towards your playstyle? Now are these sid wins skill, or just tailor-made for fun and a satisfying win? morchuflex if you can tell me you beat deity+ with an average start consistently, then I take my hat off to your insane skill

I'm still far from that! I can usually beat Emperor but haven't tried anything harder for now. And from what I read, I agree that Deity or Sid games may require every bit of luck you can get! I didn't want to blame anyone. It's just that I find winning through luck just as boring as loosing due to bad luck.

 

[Drakan]

Very lucky indeed, congratulations !!

 

[TrailblazingScot]

I hate SGLs. They just add random luck to what should be a game of skill.
When I get one early, I just start over.
In a recent game (on Emperor level), I had a decent starting position, but nothing better, and that's exactly what I like: not too hard, not too easy.
Alas, upon discovering writing (which was my second discovery after Alphabet), I was granted a SGL. So, since my civ knew Pottery from day 1, I rushed the Pyramids, of course. I didn't understand it just meant "game over"! I went on playing for half an hour but soon realized I was so much above my rivals that there was no point in going further. A promising game had been spoiled.
You see, Pyramids are very powerful, but usually you have to sacrifice a lot of shields to build them, thus hampering your early expansion, which compensates the advantage of having them, to some extent. But having them for free... That's not Civ anymore.

I like the Scientific Great Leader as it is a potential ray of sunshine when the rainclouds gather that encourages me to play no on matter the situation (a feature of my play in many games as some PBEM civdips will tell you )

 

[AbuHab]

I hate SGLs. They just add random luck to what should be a game of skill.

I don't mind random luck. What bothers me is that GSLs aren't completely random, because only those who are already ahead in the tech race have a chance of getting one. So it's like random luck with a bias towards the civilization that least needs the luck.

 

[sandmandh]

any game of civ no matter how good a player you are involves an element of luck - and if you are ahead in the science race it's a combination of skill and luck that got you there in the first place. Not to say a person who got a SGL was ahead in the science race - it's the first to get a tech - and at the time I was WAY behind in science but as we all know the AI doesn't follow the philosophy/literature line that often. It was just insane luck to get the SGL at that time. And even so right now most of the AI has caught up to me anyway - the ones that I haven't conquered that is. Makes for a VERY interesting late game - something else I was trying to find anyway cos with emperor games for me the late game has no point, I am too far ahead. Luck is a part of life - if you win the lottery, will you give it back?

 

[jkp1187]

I hate SGLs. They just add random luck to what should be a game of skill.

Nonsense. SGLs add no more luck/randomness than MGLs do. It simply gives peaceful builder-civs an advantage--one that is offset, I think, by the ability of militaristic civs to end up with Armies.

Of course, if the AI and SGLs worked as they were SUPPOSED to everything would be better. But the great thing about the game is that it requires both skill and luck to win. If you want pure skill...try chess. Or Diplomacy.