I had the wonders and the religion I wanted from the BC, so now it was time to expand. Perhaps I could have done so faster, but I also needed to keep my economy from crashing.
I had Optics by 1020, and soon I was encountering the ice walls that our evil mapmaker had build for us.
When I meet the AI, QSH has already bent the knee to Catherine, who has a considerable lead over the other AI and over me. QSH has also become an incredible wonder hoarder; I'm amazed that I managed to build the three wonder I wanted!
I get circumnavigation and continue expanding, while the lesser AI fight some wars amongst themselves. I get Astronomy for the trading, then Chemistry to build some frigates, but that's strictly for defense. I'm not ready to consider a long-range attack on the Old World.
And then, in 1650, Catherine (who was pleased with me) shows up off my coast and launches a surprise attack! Her vassal, QSH, automatically joins the war. Monty does so, too, either from being bribed or just because he's Monty.
Catherine captures Baltimore in the first wave of her attack, but I liberate it and manage to hold off her reinforcements. I feed my frigates--and then ironclads--piecemeal into counterattacking her and I suffer some horrendous losses to the RPG.
Then, in 1760, I notice something. I had founded Confucianism in the BC and the Kong Miao had helped spread it through most of my cities. I had run a golden age in Caste System and Pacifism to churn out the great person points, then I had switched to Organized Religion to help produce buildings. And in all of that time...for nearly two millenia...I had never noticed that
I hadn't converted to Confucianism!
I almost rage-quit after that, but I kept playing. Instead of converting at this late date, I switched to Free Religion, so as not to further damage my diplomatic relations with the AI. Once I researched Combustion and started producing destroyers, enemy fleets escorted by frigates and ships of the line started having a dreadful survival rate. Monty made peace in 1840. Catherine/QSH did so in 1864.
Now, I'm free to finish settling the empty quarters of the New World. With Mining, Inc., even little coastal cities can produce a lot of hammers. In the Old World, Hammy capitulates to Saladin. Catherine/QSH attack Saladin/Hammy. Monty joins that war and peace-vassals to Catherine. And in the meantime, QSH has gotten Beijing to legendary culture and is the first to complete the Apollo Project in 1916. I could try for a peaceful victory in the New World, but Catherine is slowly taking cities from Saladin and QSH might get a cultural win while still a Russian vassal. I always prefer the military path to victory. And I want revenge!
I build up and launch my invasion fleets, with lots of Navy SEALS, and declare war in 1925 (the same turn both Catherine and I complete Apollo). I bribe Isabella to join the war, and now the whole world is involved. On that same turn, I capture Beijing, with 21 World Wonders! The Chinese Empire is destroyed by 1930. I push on through most of Catherine's cities. Monty breaks free from her. The computer notifies me that she'll capitulate in 1947, but I'm on the verge of capturing three more cities. I take them, and now she's too mad to bend the knee.
I sign a ceasefire with Catherine and turn my forces towards Monty. Then, in 1949, Isabella asks me to rejoin the war against Catherine, so I agree to that. I'm Secretary General of the UN and call a vote for Diplomatic Victory, even though polling says none of the AI will vote for me. I capture three Aztec cities and Monty bends the knee. Now it's a question of game mechanics. Do the AI cast their votes at the instant I call the vote or do they cast them when it's their turn to move in that year? If it's the latter, Monty has to vote for me and I'll win.
Well, it was the former and Monty didn't vote for me. But in a surprise move, Hammy goes against the will of his overlord and does vote for me, giving me a Diplomatic Victory in 1950.
Incidentally, watching the game replay, it appears that QSH peace-vassaled to Catherine in 1080. It looks like he got cheated of expansion space, being cut off by Catherine and left with only four cities in which to spam his wonders. If Catherine had started a bit further away, the Old World might have been far more balanced when I finally made contact.
Thanks for an interesting twist on an old standard!
I got optics in 760AD, then basically prepared for the grand invasion of the Old World which didn't happen until the early 1500s but from there the American rage didn't stop until final conquest. The Chinese went first, they were quite small but pretty advanced. Then the Russians that were the other way around, but they crumbled pretty quickly against my cav army. Aztecs went next, then Arabia and then Spain. By now also had shipments going through the pacific ice wall, all units had been coming through the atlantic wall initially. Finally I took on Babylon and its Persian vassal that was spawned on the northern islands, I was somewhat worried that would drag on the game, but Ham was prepared to capitulate despite having a vassal, and this vassal Darius quickly bowed to the new overlord on the same turn. On the final turn could have gotten either domination or conquest, it was the latter.
