Uploaded BOTM140, and noticed I still had a day and a half to finish this one. Breaking my usual pattern of starting and not finishing decided to "go for it".
[I usually start early in the "month" until about 1 AD; then set it aside until there isn't enough time to finish.
]
I had "rushed" India by planting my fourth city on his western shore. When I had left the game Stalin and I were roughly equal. Both of us pretty big (expanded along spokes and into hub) and he was going to be hard to conquer. Stalin had Great Lighthouse, Pyramids, and Colossus. On this map capturing them would be huge.
Saturday: with a lot of planning, I assembled a force of approximately 10 galleys, 10 catapults, and 10 macemen on the island to his east (sailing them there from both east and west. (extra movement point was huge - thanks for hint about easy circumnavigation DS). Easily captured Moscow with its wonders and forces were enough to take 2 other cities (his NE & NW corners) and stalled at fourth city. Meanwhile my other armies were gathering and attacking his hub cities from both directions (I had expanded along both my spokes). Stalin settled two new island cities before I could conquer his last two. I was able to get one by sneaking in a single crossbow vs the lone defender. All my navy movements had to be surprise as he ruled seas with triremes and later caravels. Made peace for all his techs leaving him with one island city.
Sunday: now as usual - what victory condition to pursue? I've won the game and can get any I want and almost anything with Liberalism. Finishing as quickly as possible is paramount, so let's go for Conquest. Large army of trebuchets, maces and crossbows heads toward Fred first. (Fred likes me the least. Early in game I stopped trading with him at Toku's request. Don't do this. AIs hold a big grudge if you stop trading with them).
Took Military Tradition from Liberalism and started building cuirassiers.
Germany capitulated after taking spoke cities and one big mainland one.
Army attacks Greece, while cuirassiers upgrade to cavalry and head to Japan. Japan caps first. Then Greece.
Finally time to attack good buddy Mao. [He had AP, I had been worried about losing religious victory; but few other civs had Christianity and I started spreading it to my cities.] He capitulates after I take his four hub cities and an island one.
Finished with two hours to spare.
Great People: GS Math for CS from Oracle; Great Artist Golden Age; GS - Education; Taj GA; Great Prophet - Theology; Great Merchant trade mission; GA & GS golden age; GS, GA, GE golden age.
I really liked the map. @DS - did you break up the starting areas into two or regenerate until you got the multiple islands? Were they a result of the high sea level?
With both current games my creations - I hope neilmeister creates a vanilla soon.
At least I was able to save my experienced jaguar, which would eventually become my superhealer. The next millennium would pass while I fought three wars against Stalin. Greece, Germany and India were all surpassing me in tech, but even if my usual plans for domination weren't working out, I was determined to defeat the Russians. When I finally captured Moscow in 1785 (with the Apostolic Palace) and accepted Stalin's vassalage, it occurred to me that a religious victory might be possible. I switched from Free Religion back to Theocracy and Buddhism and started sending missionaries to all of my cities, and to one Greek city, to ensure that all AI were voting members of the AP.
