Beta Gauntlet V

[A_Turkish_Guy]

A_Turkish_Guy: Don't shrink from this gauntlet because its on deity, its not nearly as big a problem as you think. In a non-aquatic Domination gauntlet (as this will assuredly be) the building advantage of the AI is rapidly negated by the fact you're taking everything they build. If you can run a good assault on Noble you can run the exact same thing on Deity. There's a whole lot of documentation on this over in the Strategy forum.

However, as noted above, this gauntlet is going to be an exploit-fest and slow as hell. So if you're not the sort to turn on NoClip in Counterstrike or to micro a titanic empire every turn, you might want to reconsider this one.

- Bill

thanks for the advice.i believe i can play on Noble but i will try to get higher levels later.i am now finished my first chieftain and try warlord.

 

[fluffyflyingpig]

Deity is fine, huge not so much. Waiting until the next patch and seeing if that helps with some of the problems would be greatly appreciated. I personally cannot play huge maps without major problems.

 

[fbouthil]

I am just starting to play with the goal of submitting to the HoF and I checked the Gauntlet page of the HoF and it is still advertising a gauntlet due on January 24th. I did not think about looking in the forums to find the most recent gauntlet before today.

You should really update that page and include a link this forum. On the other hand, maybe I am the only stupid enough not to find it.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), I really don't have enough time to play such a long game, even if I started on Feb. 10. I am not good enough to play at deity level either.

 

[superslug]

You should really update that page....

Just did. Sorry that didn't get caught in the last update.

 

[Big_Ben]

yeah, i probably should have mentioned that. i saw it last gauntlet as well and forgot to post about it. i check on here first anyway though.

 

[SpikeSpy]

Has ANYONE been able to win a game with the current gauntlet settings? I just restarted a new game, doing pretty well but I'm just not sure if I can make it before some puter launches a spaceship. Playing Roman, got 20% of the map 910 BC, but my economy has reached 0 and I don't know how many more cities I can conquer without using the anarchy exploit, which disqualifies an entry...and if I don't take more cities the computer will soon be at a stage where my pretorians are less effective. Wonder if I'll make it, and if so, if I'll make it before the 24th.... anyway lets keep tryin folks!

 

[Big_Ben]

ummm.... the anarchy exploit is allowed, it isn't banned from the HOF yet. The entire first page of this thread is about how people aren't going to play because it is only about the exploit.

I myself have tried 3 times so far. I was about 40%+ around 200 AD on my longest attempt I think, can't remember. The computer started getting war elephants and longbowmen. My other two attempts got screwed, one by the map layout, the other by getting war declared early. I am going to try and hammer out a finished game before the end of this just so I can say I finished it, but it will take FOREVER to play.

 

[solidwoody]

I keep getting attacked early also. I have yet to figure out the right number of AI or which ones to use. My best start I was attacked early by isabella lost that city but kept playing had Iron in my main city then attaked the leader Asoka (He also had Pyramids). I took four small cities and was going to the city that had pyramids and he had longbowmen.

 

[Big_Ben]

Had the best start so far. played for almost 2 hours. probably have 3-4 more hours of play time left. I am playing with 17 opponents. When I tried with 6 they were teching too fast for me, so I maxed it out. Left out all of the aggressive trait leaders and mansa. I am also declaring peace when the enemy has 1 city left, if possible. That way I have to conquer less land. We will see if I can get it done in 2 days, working both days

 

[SpikeSpy]

Hmz I remember a whole thread between moonsinger and the mods about the anarchy exploit. I thought they had decided to ban the exploit from the HoF, but I guess I may have been mistaken. Anyway I'm finishing the game WITHOUT the anarchy exploit.
So far so good, my game is now in 550AD, I kicked Tokugawa and Napoleon. I now have 30% of the map (can run up to 35-40% if I fill in the holes with some culture). Managed to catch up in tech (sortof and able to run 70% sci) Of the remaining 4 comps 2 have just achieved gunpowder, but so have I. Now researching my cavalries, hoping to beat them to it, or at least get them at the same time. I have 2 specialists standby for a 16 turn goldenage, hopefully that will give me the productionboost I need to pump out a legion of cavalries before my AI rival China is able to do so. If I succeed my main rival can be taken out and my land quota should almost be at the 64% total landmass needed. Lets hope I have time to finish the game before the 24th!! Perhaps I'll be the only one without the anarchy exploit... that could be fun!

 

[Big_Ben]

Good luck. I really would like to see someone finish this without using the exploit. I think you may have been thinking about the GOTM. They banned the exploit but the HOF is leaving it in for the beta. The HOF staff are hoping Fireaxis will fix it. It would be a lot more trouble than it is worth to check every game for it in the HOF. They are getting a couple hundred submissions each update.

Anyway, I just finished. I used Caesar with the exploit. Finished in 230 AD. Caesar isn't the right guy for this though. I know who would be the best for this gauntlet but I will let you know tomorrow. I am going to try and get 1 more game in before the 24th. Using the anarchy exploit a BC finish is possible.

But seriously, good luck not using the exploit, I would like to see someone prove that it isn't necessary, I just don't have the time or patience for that long of a game right now.

BTW, my score was only 173k. I could have milked it out and probably gotten in the 300k+. Not sure if I could have beaten the record though.

 

[Methos]

A little off topic, but will the HoF be updated at the end of this gauntlet? Just curious as I'm unsure how much time I have left to finish my current game (non-gauntlet game).

 

[Dianthus]

We're aiming to do updates around the 10th and 25th for the Civ4 HOF. The 24th for the Gauntlet just gives us a little breathing space to verify any last minute submissions.

 

[Moonsinger]

• Difficulty: Deity
• Mapsize: Huge
• Victory: Domination (though ALL victory conditions must be enabled!)
• Starting Era: Ancient
• Speed: Marathon
• Submitted on or before: Feb 24th.

You guys must be crazy to attempt this! I'm really looking forward to see who can pull this off.

 

[SpikeSpy]

Heya Moonsinger, do you mean to say that you are not participating in this one? I was kinda hoping you would, since you invented the ceasar/anarchy strategy, I was hoping you would join me in a game without the exploit. I'm sure it can be done! I'm going back to my game in 4 hrs when I get home. I have made my plan of action, slightly adjusted.

I have already changed to nationhood, this will give my 30 somewhat cities +2 happiness, which I will use to draft +/- 2 musketmen each city (giving -2 happiness for 30 turns). That should give me about 45 Musketmen. My main rival has not even upgraded his units to muskets (if he has the tech, which I believe he just got). Those 45 Muskets will join my (hopefully) 15-20 cavalry (researcing, eta 16) turns which I will obtain fast after that by gaining a goldenage using 2 great ppl in combo with slavery. My research/economy will drop dramatically again, but since I can afford 70% sci atm, I'm sure I'll have the cash to support this army. With any luck I can overrun China and once that is done victory is assured. Anyway, hopefully I'll have the result of my battleplan tonight if all goes as planned I expect a finish time of approx 1100 AD WITHOUT the anarchy exploit..... wish me luck!

 

[Moonsinger]

Heya Moonsinger, do you mean to say that you are not participating in this one? I was kinda hoping you would, since you invented the ceasar/anarchy strategy, I was hoping you would join me in a game without the exploit. I'm sure it can be done! I'm going back to my game in 4 hrs when I get home. I have made my plan of action, slightly adjusted.

Since Christmas, I have been trying to see if I can win a Deity game on a huge map. So far, I haven't yet won one. Of course, I didn't use the anarchy exploit in any of these games. Good luck on your game! Btw, may want to watch out for their defensive pacts. The strongest AI often signs some kind of defensive pact with the dying civs.

 

[Big_Ben]

I'll eventually do a huge deity without the exploit, but definitely not in time for this gauntlet. Only thing I would really need to change is to make maybe 4-5 more workers in the beginning while researching pottery. Just have them laying cottages the entire game. Would only take 5 cottages per city to break even if I stopped researching. I could probably pull off 700 AD with my strat and no exploit. May take me a couple tries though, and I don't have the time for that.

After this gauntlet I am going to go for high score sometime as well. See if I can milk out 500k on huge deity. Will be REALLY long though. I am interested in seeing your score on this spike. Mine was pretty early so it wasn't that high. With you tech and size you may beat the record so far. Once you have your military out switch pure population generation. If you can get your cities pretty pop heavy you may be able to break the record.

 

[SpikeSpy]

My battleplan worked like a charm, I pulled an all nighter in order to finish the game... but I'll sleep over the weekeind! As planned got my cavalry before china, got 1 goldenage from my 2 specialists AND managed to beat AI to Taj Mahal for consecutive goldenage! Needless to say poor Mao was soon toast. Still didn't have enough land, so regrouped quickly, pumped research to get riflemen, then drafted again to get huge army of defence rifles and declared on Huayna (or whatever his name is). Finished the game 1126 AD, so more or less what I expected. Final score 195k. The score is a little dissapointing, but with all my drafting and constant need to build units I guess my final pop was not as high as it could have been, but that would have taken away a lot from the finish time. Now lets hope my game doesn't get lost in the 50th place behind all the exploit games.

 

[superslug]

Gauntlet concluded. No submissions.

 

[Moonsinger]

Finished the game 1126 AD, so more or less what I expected. Final score 195k.

Congrats! Have you submitted this game to the HoF? IMO, any win on Deity huge map is a glorious win no matter how low the score may be.