BOTM 01 Pre-Game Discussion

[magpie_robert]

One thing no-one has mentioned so far which the newer BtS players might need to know is that the AI are much better at naval attacks.

If you see a stack of galleons, you won't see what units are on the ships in Bts like you do in Vanilla and Warlords. I have had occasions where I've left a coastal city poorly defended (shame on me) and the stack of ships appeared. Next turn they declared war and launched their attack amphibiously. Before I could respond that city was captured.

It seems to me that the AI are more likely to stab you in the back in BtS too so beware even if those ships are your "friendly" trading partner.

 

[Lexad]

You don't see units on board in Warlords too.

 

[cabert]

yep, that was modified by the latest patch, if I remember well.

 

[BLubmuz]

I play warlords since it was out, and IIRC this was one of the first things i noticed. But even if you can see units on the galleons outside your borders, but your city is poorly defended and your units (if any) too far away, you can do nothing.

But true, AI sometimes tries to sneak-attack you with an amphibious assault, usually pitiful.

 

[civ_steve]

Got BTS for Christmas and just finished GOTM25 so I'm off and running. Installation went well, as did upgrade and Hof installations, and the game came up.

 

[JazzTheo]

Hello civfan world,

I'm a newbie. I've only played a couple of games of vanilla and one game of BtS. Any advice as to whether I am ready for the BOTM, or if I should play some more games on my own and develop a better strategy.

I've read most of the articles in the war acadamy but have yet to win a game on Noble. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Jeff1787]

Welcome JazzTheo!!! Sure you should try the BOTM. What do you have to lose? I am not one to give advice, but I say go for it. Take it slow, micromanage your workers and cities, build a nice military, build lots of cottages and have fun!!

 

[ChrisFromLux]

Exactly!

You have nothing to lose. Play the game, try to do as good as possible, and once you're done, read the spoilers and take a look at the results to see how the good players (going for the same victory) did, to learn from their games ...

At least, that's what I'm doing
I even tried GOTM25 (on Emperor difficulty , too hard for me). Of course, I was defeated, but still, I played, submitted and tried to learn from spoilers ...

 

[morpheus11]

Hello civfan world,

I'm a newbie. I've only played a couple of games of vanilla and one game of BtS. Any advice as to whether I am ready for the BOTM, or if I should play some more games on my own and develop a better strategy.

I've read most of the articles in the war acadamy but have yet to win a game on Noble. Any help would be appreciated.

Welcome JazzTheo. I am in the same boat as you however I have been playing for a lot longer. I have yet to win at Noble as well. I have just started playing the GOTM and BOTM games and I think have improved my knowledge and skills a lot.

My suggestion is to play the BOTM or GOTM and write up a little report on what you did and how the game played out. Post that write up in the spoiler threads and you will get a lot of advice from the more experienced players. Then you can go back and replay using the advice that you recieved. After a couple of games I am sure you will notice that you are improving in skills.

Good Luck and if you ever need help the people here are always full of advice and opinions.

 

[AlanH]

.... Then you can go back and replay using the advice that you recieved.

I should emphasise that you must not submit any replayed game.

 

[morpheus11]

Um... yeah, I forgot to put that in there. The replay is only for educational purposes.

Sorry about that.

 

[Ronnie1]

Welcome JazzTheo! I would like to add that I learned loads from following the succession GOTM threads. Because of the time frame in which they are played (3-4 months), it is a little hard to see where they are heading sometimes. But my experience was that because of that time frame, and the amount of detail paid to individual turns, micromanagment of workers and cities, everything really, that the level of play was very good, and the level of discussion and learning potential was outstanding. Then sign up for the next succession game, and get to learn first hand.

 

[JazzTheo]

Thanks for all the adcive everyone. I'm going to give it a shot and see we'll see how it goes. I look forward to joining the community here.

 

[Living Parasite]

Therefore, if you want to play a few test games, you will have time.

Can anyone clarify what this statement means? I thought you were unable to play the GOTM more than once?

 

[azzaman333]

Can anyone clarify what this statement means? I thought you were unable to play the GOTM more than once?

A test game is where you play your own random game using similar settings to those being used in the GotM. You are correct that you can only play the GotM once.

 

[Harbourboy]

Sure you should try the BOTM. What do you have to lose? I am not one to give advice, but I say go for it.

Agreed. You don't have to be ready. I have played the last 14 GOTMs and lost about 12 of them. If I waited until I was 'ready', I'd still be waiting! Get stuck in. If you crash and burn, then . . . well, I could use some company at the bottom of the table............

 

[Harbourboy]

I purchased BtS when it came out, but haven't found the time to play a game yet. As a result, BOTM01 will be my first game of BtS (just as WOTM01 was my first game of Warlords).
Anyone else playing BOTM01 cold?

Me. I've had it since August but have been waiting for BOTM and HoF before bothering to play it. And I have been so busy with $%£"$$%%% Major Gauntlet 19 that I have had no time for test games. So this will be a one shot poney with only a few days left.

 

[Thrallia]

Me as well...I've started about a half dozen BtS games, but never got out of the BCs. Apparently the only time I can finish a game is if it is either a G/W/BOTM or it is an HOF gauntlet.

 

[petersc]

I think I will be going in cold as well. I just got the expansions yesterday. Wasn't able to download the HOF mod though. (I think I saw somewhere that the server was down). But hopefully I'll get that sorted out, and make this my first BTS game.

Mark my words... this could be ugly!

 

[da_Vinci]

Me. I've had it since August but have been waiting for BOTM and HoF before bothering to play it. And I have been so busy with $%£"$$%%% Major Gauntlet 19 that I have had no time for test games. So this will be a one shot poney with only a few days left.

Me as well...I've started about a half dozen BtS games, but never got out of the BCs. Apparently the only time I can finish a game is if it is either a G/W/BOTM or it is an HOF gauntlet.

I think I will be going in cold as well. I just got the expansions yesterday. Wasn't able to download the HOF mod though. (I think I saw somewhere that the server was down). But hopefully I'll get that sorted out, and make this my first BTS game.

Mark my words... this could be ugly!

To the cold water plunge crowd ... I suggest you set up a city siege scenario in worldbuilder, and maybe even a field battle using cats ... to experience the new siege weapon rules (if you are not going to play at least one game before BOTM 01). It took me a game (random game at BOTM 1 settings) to adjust to cats not being able to kill the engaged unit (and sometimes they are hard pressed to even damage it, it seems). Also, it seems that the AI in BTS was moving in larger, more threatening stacks, and city defenders included siege and melee in addition to the ususal archery units. So that all cat army with a few other units just won't do in BTS ... you need enough non siege units (at least that is my sense of it into my run of the test save posted in this thread).

Hello civfan world,

I'm a newbie. I've only played a couple of games of vanilla and one game of BtS. Any advice as to whether I am ready for the BOTM, or if I should play some more games on my own and develop a better strategy.

I've read most of the articles in the war acadamy but have yet to win a game on Noble. Any help would be appreciated.

JT, I would advise pursuing an aggressive tech trade strategy, except that tech trading is off! Lacking that ... try this: don't build any scouts, build a worker first, research AH so worker can pasture the pigs, then bronze working to chop forests and to whip (use slavery to pop rush). Camp the ivory, warrior after the worker, keep your capital maximally productive and figure out where to put second city (for metals preferably), tech to good military units and go kill someone. Subject to the realities of the map, of course.

dV