BOTM 26 First Spoiler - 1 AD

[Kennigit]

Took the challenger save, things went well. I actually was able to found confucianism but I wasn't trying to. I scouted around with a fishing boat, etc etc.

But I think I may have REXed too much. I dunno, my tech isn't that great and I've had to drop down the science a lot. But bts isn't super fast on tech so I'll see if I'm okay. I was peaceful with my neighbours.

This is my first game since BOTM 2, but I expect to probably lose anyways. I'm not a good immortal player, but I thought I would give that save a shot. I shouldn't have founded mound city there so quickly; it didn't do anything for a while. That was a waste, but I wanted to stop the AI from expanding towards me.

Heres my screen shot. The labels are what i did with my initial scouting info. But I did decide to found snaketown off the coast- it gets the desert square +2 useless coastal squares, but by being off coast it has 3 coastal squares (1 of them fish) instead of 8 coastal/ocean squares.

I'm going back and forth between the persian cities with a confucian missionary to see if he's going to war with me. He's light on defenses, so I want to get macemen and kill him. Buuuuuuut I had forgotten macemen take machinery, so at this point my planning is faulty and rusty.

edit- I had just gotten iron working in a trade in the screenshot, so I didn't know where iron was when I founded all my cities.

Spoiler :

 

[RD-BH]

BOTM 26 First Spoiler

Where did you settle and why?
Did you get any use for your UU and/or UB?
How did you get along with your neighbors?

Decided that was just too much food.
Settled south and chose settler for first build.

Tried to complete Stonehenge in a mad rush but missed by 2 turns.

I like the UU and UB for what they are, trouble is ... they ain't much.
Which brings me to my downfall ...

I coveted a patch of land just south of the jungle and,
I was just about to settle it when ...
ZY plopped down a settlement and an archer.

My thought was to destroy ZY's settlement then sue for peace ... mistake.
ZY went to -13 and thereafter maniacally sought my demise.
I really hoped ZY would find fighting from the other side of the jungle too time consuming .. he didn't.

When I realized the hornet's nest I had stepped in,
I built Archers and Dog Soldiers like there was no tomorrow!

... and, in the end, there was NO TOMORROW! 8(

I never made it out of Classical Era, but I did make it to 1240 AD.

 

[Grifftavian]

Adventurer save; aiming for a Cultural Victory by attempting to follow Jesusin's Guide from the War Academy.

Synopsis @ 1AD
Four cities built, and a 5th Settler en route to build another.
Have met Darius & ZY; we're all happy Buddhist Buddies thanks to Darius!
No wars to date, only fighting those pesky Barbs, & they haven't had any cities that I've discovered so far.
One Great Wonder: The Parthenon built & finished in Cahokia @ 50 BC.
Didn't attempt Stonehenge, and The Oracle was built somewhere before I could attempt to try and build it.
One Great Scientist, built an Academy in Cahokia.
Civics @ 1 AD = H. Rule/Slavery/Org. Religion

Settled in place, because who doesn't like a Seafood Buffet? Not to mention Corn, Gold and a few riverside grasslands & floodplains tiles to Cottage. Very nice starting position, IMO.

IIRC, only built 1 Dog Soldier to this point; have him guarding a Wheat Farm near Poverty Point.

Built Totem Poles in all cities, mainly to pop borders, but also for the extra XP for Sitting Bull's Protective Archers!

Poverty Point founded T46/2160 BC ~5W of Capitol, near the bend in the river and some wheat. Went there because that was the direction from which Darius' man came. Iron showed up in one of the nearby hills, so PP became my Production City.

Mound City (T65/1400 BC) & Chaco Canyon (T94/525 BC) were founded NW & N of the Capitol, more or less in the direction ZY came from, and will be my other two cities to aim for Legendary Culture.

My 5th Settler was heading South of the Capitol, to build on the coast near the Silver and still have the Sheep in its BFC, but wasn't quite there yet @ 1 AD.

Anyway, I feel I'm off to a pretty fair start. We'll see how it goes from here.

City Build Details @ 1AD

Spoiler :

Cahokia (settled in place)
Work Boat
Worker
Warrior x2
Settler
Warrior
Worker
Warrior
Library
Settler
Work Boat
Totem Pole
Work Boat
Granary
Worker
Warrior x2
GS -> Academy (T77/950 BC)
Settler
The Parthenon (completed 50 BC)
Work Boat

Poverty Point (founded T46/2160 BC)
Totem Pole
Worker
Barracks
Archer
Dog Soldier
Granary
Archer x3
Buddhist Temple

Mound City (founded T65/1400 BC)
Totem Pole
Worker
Walls
Granary
Settler
Buddhist Temple

Chaco Canyon (founded T94/525 BC)
Totem Pole
Granary
Walls

Research Completed @ 1AD

Spoiler :

Mysticism
Bee-Line The Wheel/Pottery
Bee-Line Mining/Bronze Working
Writing
Masonry
Polytheism
Bee-Line Hunting/Archery
Animal Husbandry
Iron Working
Aesthetics
Sailing
Priesthood
Monotheism
Mathematics
Meditation
Monarchy
Drama

 

[BornInCantaloup]

First, this is my 3rd post on this forum ^^
The existence of those games is a major reason why I have subscribed. I really enjoy the deal Thank you, people in charge !
I know the deadline is close, but here is my game :


At 25AD (couldn't find a 1AD autosave), I do not have a plan for victory, yet. This surely is a mistake ! But, please, understand that I have never finished a Civ game at all ! Maybe this event, or the next ones, will give me some motivation to load and go on !

Things are going well, using the contender save. There's plenty of commerce easily available.
I started settling in place (such a nice location !) and building a worker while searching for Mining and BW. Right after the worker, I started a workboat to maximize the food output.
First actions of the worker were farming the corn, chopping a forest for the workboat, then go for the goldmine. Techwise, Mysticism and Animal Husbandry were top priorities, then Wheel and Pottery.

After building a second worker, I chopped a settler and chopped/rushed a 2nd. The first one went south to the fish and especially silver resources, while the second settler went west to the floodplains, where I immediately started building cottages.
Here's what it looks like around 2000B.C. :

Spoiler :

Then, it appeared that the neighbours were friendly, AND that I was easily leading in tech, so I merely settled the remaining floodplains.
I searched for Aestetics, which proved to be a mistake (I still have to build a wonder...) since I couldn't trade it. I then searched for Alphabet and grabbed minor techs. Unfortunately, neither Zara nor Darios had Monarchy.

Around 1A.D., I still have to get Monarchy, but expansion on the "free" territory is done. That's 7 cities for me. I'm lurking towards Darios lands and since he has 40-60% cultural defenses, my priority has been on Construction !
I've built a small army of Swordsmen/Dog Soldiers. The army level on the continent is very very low so I expect to wipe out Darios. He has the Hindu holy city and I'd be happy to build a shrine there.
Otherwise, I've had my 2nd great scientist (the first has built an academy in the capitol city) but I haven't used him yet. I suppose I could build another academy in my cottage city (Mound City). I certainly can't found Taoism, since it has already been. But I could lightbulb Philosophy regardless, for Pacifism... Dunno...
Alternatively, I could go for a golden age to produce more specialists... It doesn't appear on the screenshot below but I have Code of Laws, so switching to Caste System + Hereditary Rule will soon be possible.

A few screenshots of the situation :

Spoiler :

 

[Xcalibrator]

Welcome, BIC! You've never finished a Civ game?? Looks like you have a very good start. Good luck!

 

[Htadus]

Last minute Charge to play and finish this game.

Settled on the spot and build a WB, Worker, WBx2 warrior and Settler.
Learned Mining and headed to Monothiesm hoping to get Christianity with the Oracle but that plan lasted until 15th century BC.

First city claimed the stone, second was built in between the two next to a plains hill on the river. Third was built on top of silver and was later captured by a barb worrior while my Dog was sent to the wrong tile by my right hand index finger. For a moment I thought of punishing it but it was the finger's master who messed up. Did I say I am trying to hurry this game yet? Anyways my Dog recaptured it the next turn and I got 2 turns of anarchy in it . The fourth was another blocking City 4 tiles east of stone tile. Three more cities claimed Iron to SW, Flood plains and a silly city north of Persia.

Missed the GW due to continuously changing the build order in the Stone City. It was also building the Pyramids and I realized I am messing things and assigned that to the Capital and was able to build it with 3 pop rush.

I expanded extensively to the point of getting negetive commerce at 100% commerce. One of the Cities ended up flipping to Darius I guess that must be the Silly city. This has never happened before in my game but it actually ended up healping the economy.

Note to self...It is OK to block AI but do not go to the other side of the universe to Physically separate the AI when I do not have Currency and/or COL. Darius has both of these techs. We do have Alphabet and were able to get a few techs from both.

Oh yeah...Darius founded Buddhism and we are all one big happy family.

Plan is to let the two AI build cities and develop them for us and for us to head to MT via Lieralism (but I do not feel lucky with just two tech traders and our current overexpansion issues ) If that fails then we will head to Rifles and then see how everything is going. Also I hope I can get the game completed.

 

[jesusin]

Adventurer save; aiming for a Cultural Victory by attempting to follow Jesusin's Guide from the War Academy.

Look at that! I feel honored.
Just don't tell anyone I bribed you to say so

Synopsis @ 1AD
Four cities built, and a 5th Settler en route to build another.
Have met Darius & ZY; we're all happy Buddhist Buddies thanks to Darius!
No wars to date, only fighting those pesky Barbs, & they haven't had any cities that I've discovered so far.
One Great Wonder: The Parthenon built & finished in Cahokia @ 50 BC.
Didn't attempt Stonehenge, and The Oracle was built somewhere before I could attempt to try and build it.
One Great Scientist, built an Academy in Cahokia.
Civics @ 1 AD = H. Rule/Slavery/Org. Religion

Hmmm, are you sure you are following my guide? Parthenon without marble is costly. That explains why you only have 4.5 cities at 1AD instead of 6. Hurry up to claim a couple more cities!


Is your capital your GPFarm? 6 cities and no cathedrals in the capital? You won't enjoy the bureaucracy bonus on building cathedrals nor on cottages if you don't move your palace.

Mound City (founded T65/1400 BC)
Totem Pole
Worker
Walls

Walls?

Research Completed @ 1AD

Spoiler :

Mysticism
Bee-Line The Wheel/Pottery
Bee-Line Mining/Bronze Working
Writing
Masonry
Polytheism

Spoiler :

Why Myst first? Why not after BW? I guess you didn't build a Totempole before BW, so why not move Myst after BW, getting visibility of copper sooner and getting earlier cottages?

Bee-Line Hunting/Archery
Animal Husbandry
Iron Working
Aesthetics
Sailing
Priesthood
Monotheism
Mathematics
Meditation
Monarchy
Drama

Hmmm. I would have researched Alpha and traded for (at least) Monarchy. It's a tech with no monopoly value for the AI so I tend not to research it myself.




Good luck, see you in the final spoiler!

 

[jesusin]

jesusin, contender. Goal: fastest spaceship

Initial thoughts:

I'm settling in place for the gold. So I already have a GPFarm (and a good one!). I need to quickly find a new capital with cottages where I'll build my Academy and enjoy Bureaucracy. I'll maybe build Pyramids, prioritize Constitution otherwise. I'll maybe use Monarchy for lots of happiness. I plan to take most of my continent. I plan to build GLib.


Early on:

When I see all the FPs I decide not to overlap cities with my capital. I think it was a mistake, one of the Clams was unused most of the time before 1000AD.

Use the 3 tile from the beggining.
Research: Mining-BW-Wheel-Pott-Wri-Alpha(T61)
Production: WB, half a WB till pop2, Worker, finish WB, Warrior, double-whip Granary, Warrior, WB, double-whip Settler.

02 settled T49, 4W of starting position, my future capital (builds Granary then Palace), with 11FP. All cities around make an effort to continually work it's cottages.

03 in PH N of FPs, with 3 hills, my production city.

04 pigs and shared FPs with capital.

05 fish, sheep and silver. Hey, a city without FPs! Very big mistake, I was short of happiness but it should have been left for later and settled N on the coast instead. Zara expanded fast and took that space.

06 corn, stone, 3FP.

07 wheat, iron, furs. Around 500BC, I want cities fast, don't I?

08 corn, horses, shared pigs

09 settler wandered aimlessly as Zara had taken all the land N and I was at war with Darius in the W.


My main efforts this part of the game were for REXing. That explains the very late Library (T88). Wasn't sure what to do of my first GS, I finally built 2 Academies in capital and new capital.




Worker stealing:

I waited and waited but AI took ages to build a Worker.
When I saw Persepolis I thought the map-maker had been wise putting those Clams in the lake so that Darius built WB instead of early Workers. Then realized the clams weren't connected. What was Darius doing then?

Border pop saved Darius from my first Worker steal, delaying it even further while my Warrior teleported away.

Double steal Darius T66, too late to "stone-age" him.

Steal again T88. It was the definitive war. I was so busy (scientists, totempoles, workers...) that I was very slow to build my swords. Then I attacked when I didn't have enough of them. I see 2 Archers in a city, I approach with 5 swords, by the time they are there, there are 4 Archers in the city, I move to anoher city... silly way of managing a war.


Evolution:

1000 BC Stats: 4 cities, 12 pop, settler, 5 workers, 6units(War), 0 strategic resources, 1 luxury resources, 2 health resources, 0 great persons, 0 world wonders, 0 national wonders, food/production/commerce=45-11-38, 26 sustainable beakers per turn, 2 culture per turn, 0 great person points per turn, 320 gold, 2gra. 0 religions, 7/8 cottages used, 13 Techs: Alpha, AH, Pott, Myst, BW, no Sail. 0 civs killed. 3 hours played.

Pyramids 200BC save me of my happiness problems.

Persepolis taken 50 BC.

My pop is growing furiously now.

1AD Stats: 9 cities, 50 pop, Settler, 7 workers, 18 units (9Swords), Galley, 3 strategic resources, 2 luxury resources, 7 health resources, 1 great persons, 1 world wonders, 0 national wonders, food/production/commerce=151-51-127, 87 sustainable beakers per turn, 22 culture per turn, 16 great person points per turn, 440 gold. 1 religions. 20/21 cottages used, 17 Techs: Curr, CoL, IW, no PH, no Aest, Alpha. 0 civs killed. 8 hours played.

The Palace in the new capital is expected to be completed in 2 turns.

 

[Grifftavian]

Look at that! I feel honored.
Just don't tell anyone I bribed you to say so

Your guide worked for me in this game, and I'll definitely give it a another try soon. Recommended reading for anyone attempting a Cultural Victory

This endorsement is given voluntarily, and the endorser received no compensation, other than the satisfaction of getting his first win at the Monarch Level!

Hmmm, are you sure you are following my guide? Parthenon without marble is costly. That explains why you only have 4.5 cities at 1AD instead of 6. Hurry up to claim a couple more cities!

Well, it was my first attempt at following the guide but I didn't want to miss out on getting The Parthenon. Perhaps next time I'll REX to 6 cities ASAP before building any Wonders in the Capitol.

Is your capital your GPFarm? 6 cities and no cathedrals in the capital? You won't enjoy the bureaucracy bonus on building cathedrals nor on cottages if you don't move your palace.

Yes, used capitol as GP Farm. Hadn't researched Music to this point, so didn't have the capability to build Cathedrals yet. Hmmm... never considered moving the Capitol, but with my 20/20 hindsight eyeglasses on, I can see that would have been a good move in this game.

Walls?

Sitting Bull's Protective trait gives double production speed for the walls, and they let me build Castles in the 3 LC city candidates to get another +1 down the road. (Every little bit helps, right?) I would have waited or forgone walls with a non-Protective Leader.

Why Myst first? Why not after BW? I guess you didn't build a Totempole before BW, so why not move Myst after BW, getting visibility of copper sooner and getting earlier cottages?

Just another mistake (one of many) on my part; I guess I moved it up just because it enabled the Totem Pole. I did build a Totem Pole first in my new cities to get their borders to pop, but that second city probably wasn't ready to go before BW, so Mysticism could (should have) waited.

Hmmm. I would have researched Alpha and traded for (at least) Monarchy. It's a tech with no monopoly value for the AI so I tend not to research it myself.

Don't recall why I waited so long to research Alphabet in this game. Another oversight (aka mistake) on my part

Good luck, see you in the final spoiler!

Thanks for the feedback on my game!

 

[jesusin]

Sitting Bull's Protective trait gives double production speed for the walls, and they let me build Castles in the 3 LC city candidates to get another +1 down the road. (Every little bit helps, right?) I would have waited or forgone walls with a non-Protective Leader.

Yes, every little bit helps.
Now, what helps more, building walls+castle when you have nothing better to build or just building culture when you have nothing better to build?
I am not at my playing computer, so I can't answer this question at the moment.

 

[Ribannah]

In some cities you can pretty much get the walls for free if you whip them on the way to a granary.

 

[BornInCantaloup]

Welcome, BIC! You've never finished a Civ game?? Looks like you have a very good start. Good luck!

Thanks a lot ! I actually paid a lot of attention to this game !

The start was good and everything went well for another 400 years.
Moderator Action: Deleted info later than 1 AD

And... nope, I've never finished a single game. I restart like a freak and hate loading a game... This is quite a handicap at later stages of the game since I'm not experienced with them

 

[Grifftavian]

Yes, every little bit helps.
Now, what helps more, building walls+castle when you have nothing better to build or just building culture when you have nothing better to build?
I am not at my playing computer, so I can't answer this question at the moment.

I'd suspect that just building culture would be better, however, I hadn't completed researching Music by 1 AD (first spoiler cutoff for this game), so building Culture wasn't an option at this point in my game

 

[Rusten]

I settled in place. Work boat (plains hill) -> work boat while growing to size 2 -> worker (whipped for 1 pop).

Tech: Mining, BW, AH, Writing, Alphabet (1680 BC).
Pick up Sailing, wheel and mysticism.

2nd city settled in Darius’ face for corn, pigs and horses. At the time I was planning on rushing him so I needed to deprive him of immortals. As time goes by it appears we’re on the 3-civ continent so I decide against rushing and hope for some tech trades -- there’s plenty of good land to claim peacefully here.

3rd city is settled for stone (first ring), corn and some flood plains. This start favours wonders and peaceful expansion so I aim to construct the Pyramids.

Masonry in 1440 BC, Pottery 1280 BC.

4th city goes south and shares corn with capital

First GS (2nd city) 1040 BC -> academy in capital.
Mathematics researched 875 BC. Traded for IW (1000 BC) and meditation (975 BC)
Complete the Pyramids 700 BC.
675 BC: Darius’ religion spreads – I adopt it immediately hoping to reach friendly.

1 AD:
Notable techs added; currency, CoL. +/- 3 Turns left for CS. Pop only 37, but soon to be doubled. HG due in 1 turn. 40 GPP/t.
4 new cities (8 total). 3 of them spaced out across the flood plains plus the wheat+fish north of the capital. There’s still room for one (overlap) FP city.

Diplomacy: Darius is friendly and have 5 turns to go on machinery. He’s got MC for me as well which will be traded for with CS.

 

[jesusin]

Thanks for your spoiler, Rusten.

So far our games haven't diverged a lot. Similar # of cities and pop. Same research achieved. You seem to have reserved a lot of extra land S for settling additional cities, though.