BOTM 53 -- Final Spoiler Game submitted or abandoned

[kcd_swede]

BOTM 53 Final Spoiler

Reading Requirements

Stop! If you are participating in BOTM 53 (Monty Hall), then you MUST NOT read this thread unless

• you have submitted your entry OR
• you will not submit your game

Posting Restrictions

• Do not post any savegame file from the game. Discussions and screenshots are fine but not actual games.

..........................................

How did you take advantage of your starting position? Did you make a faster finish or higher score than you usually do at this level? Why, or why not?

Any tips for the less experienced?
Any questions fo rthe experts?


Most of all... Did you have fun? (What did you like, what did you not like about the game?)

[img=right]http://gotm.civfanatics.net/civ4games/images/botm53civ.jpg[/img]

 

[Greeder]

My economy was saved by Repr. Almost no lux resources without Calendar. Because of war I invented Currency as late as 275 AD. I traded it for Math and it was last trade worth mentioning in this game.
425 AD I bribed GK to DoW on Stalin. That way I was calm about my desert border and could focus on east.
At one point I lost almost whole army in failed assault. That's why I was able to research Currency, unit's cost dropped considerably then
I killed Toku 660 AD, till that moment researched Priesthood, Lit, CoL (finally, 580 AD) and Construction and to my suprise I was tech leader in our continent. I built GLib and Parthenon soon after, skyroceting with research in comparision with AIs. GArt from Music started my first GA at 740 AD. 780 AD I got Monarchy and traded for Calendar. From now on my cities started to grow.
War path again. MC, HR, Machinery, Engineering.
960 AD MoM.
1010 AD I attacked Gilgamesh, sending stack of experienced Jags with Cats on his capitol.
But I exposed my flank and he captured Osaka 1040 AD. I got Uruk 1070 AD, and invented CS - Maces.
1100 AD I recaptured Osaka, but battle for this city wasn't finished. I had to beat off few more stacks before it was finally mine.
1110 AD second GA, this time 12 turns long thanks to MoM. I was wonder whore, built Sistine and Statue of Zeus in the meantime.
I went for Lib path with Printing Press detour.

1120 AD the only bad suprise in the game. GK declared. He and Stalin made peace 960 AD and he came with stack of Keshiks and cats on #2 city.
It delayed me on Gilgamesh front as every new units I was sending to #2. I was lucky GK took his sweet time reducing city defences. I defended #2 and anihilated about 15 of his units.
Till 1240 AD I capured 2 and razed 2 more of Gilgamesh's cities. Then I took peace for Feudalism.
Around that time Edu, Philo and Notre.
Stalin DoWed GK at 1260 AD without bribe. Nice of him.

Shwedagon, Lib, Nationalism, Compass, Drama and I declared on Gilgamesh again 1340 AD.
1400 AD I captured Kish and declared on Stalin, as Gilgamesh had only 2 cities left including one on island.
Guilds, Divine Right from GA - first religion on our continent, Optics, Astronomy and Gunpowder around that time.
1460 AD I captured Russian city at #1. Next turn Military Tradition. 2 turns later Taj Mahal and 3rd GA. Soon Chemistry, Banking and Mil Science.
1540 AD my Cuiras finally razed last Summerian city on the continent. His Longs were tough and I needed 3 attempts to do it.
I stuck on Russian front because of it. Stalin sent stack of Swords and Cats to recapture #1, but I just lost 2 Trebs, Knight and Maceman for 6 or 7 of his units and he withdrew. Then I sent stream of Cuiras, stopped his second stack, anihilated third.
1550 AD at last captured his second city. I amassed Cuiras and they flooded his land. 1605 AD first Galleon reached Gilgamesh's island and I killed him for good. 1615 AD I bribed MM to attack HC. 1635 AD Stalin was history, next turn I declared on GK.
Turn before it I got +1 move bonus for ships.
Railroad.
1650 AD 4th GA thanks to GM from Economics. 1655 AD I vassalized GK.
1665 AD Rifling and war with HC. 1685 AD I captured his capitol and he was willing to capitulate. I waited till capturing 2 more cities to have some breathing space and agreed.
Then I declared on MM and Liz going for Domination. I vassalized Liz and captured almost all of MM's cities before end. My next-to-last tech was Biology so I scored above 75k altough late date.

 

[kcd_swede]

Sounds like a good deal!

 

[Jester Fool]

The whole premise behind the map was genius. Since I normally bang my head against Immortal bonuses..I just played to have fun.

Took door #3 initially but settled #2 as well. Oracled CoL and adopted Confuscianism (which normally is a very bad idea in my normal games). Built almost every wonder for lols (even Spiral Minaret). Swept my continent with Cuirs/Cav once my cities looked pretty enough (HR so cities 18+ pop) and won AP as an afterthought. Could have won 500+ years earlier but had so much fun playing that I didn't want to win (cuz the game would then be over).

The map was beautifully designed and probably the most enjoyable game I've played in over a year. Thanks for the map.

P.S. Still giggling about killing archers with Cuirs. Good times.

 

[kcd_swede]

The whole premise behind the map was genius.
...
The map was beautifully designed and probably the most enjoyable game I've played in over a year. Thanks for the map.

P.S. Still giggling about killing archers with Cuirs. Good times.

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself! Some credit for the map idea inception should go to Jesusin as well. He'll be influencing all of us for a long time to come, methinks.

 

[Greeder]

Sounds like a good deal!

Naahh... Masters will finish 1000 year earlier with score twice bigger. It's just Noble.

I'm right now repeating game and I think I'll finish 100 years earlier. Maybe 10k score more...

Yeap, finished 1685 AD, 96k.

 

[Sleepless]

Well I did try and be mostly peaceful.

I'd settled a blocker by the door 1 fish site which a bit later GK decided he wanted. Shame he didn't have siege and after suiciding his stack against my defenders I took a peace deal so I could carry on settling my side of the continent.

I'd always intended to take over the remaining part of the continent and head for a space victory and was looking to take out GK/Stalin with cavalry. GK beat me to it though by vassalising Stalin then declaring on me!!. Not a good idea by him with the units I'd been amassing in the fish site. Managed to take him and Stalin out easily though looking back it was possibly a distraction as the cities didn't really help much and didn't build any ship parts.

Still amusing Stalin asking to be my vassal during his war with GK yet wouldn't even open borders with me for most of the game. Bit of a cheek really.

Ended up with a space win 1804.

 

[WastinTime]

1230 AD Diplo, challenger, Door #1

I concur that this was a very enjoyable game.
Non-Hall of Fame games are a nice change. Tougher opponents for Diplo, but not that tough. By the end, I had the infamous Toku at +20 relations! -1 for declaring war on Genghis.
Toku : +19
Gilg : +16
Mansa : +13 (with different religions)
Liz : +11
Capac : -25
Capac only had 1 city left, and Gilgamesh was my opponent in the election.

I took Door #1 mostly because no one else was, but also I don't start with Hunting. I was happy to use the UU, Jaguar to take out Genghis. Then upgraded to maces for Stalin.

The West did not have marble, but at least it had stone for Pyramids.
I didn't build any other wonders.
I attempted the Oracle, but lost it 925 BC.

 

[kcd_swede]

^wow, that was fast diplomacy! Glad you had fun!

 

[srad]

Conquest 1100AD Door #3

Second city at Door #2 to speed up research - built a long road . Third city on PH near pig and horse.

Oracle'd Currency 950BC.

Next goal was Literature for GS generation. Did not research fishing and bulbed MC, Machinery and Engineering. Researched Guilds 275AD and started the Conquest. First Gilga, next Toku. Then some cities of GK and then Stalin.... absolute disaster when attacking Moscow. Lost something like 8 knights and I wasn't able to take it.

While fighting the AI on my continent I beelined Astro. Put two GS into Astro and got it 740AD.

Found Liz first and she had the Great Lighthouse. Nice! Liz, GK and Stalin fall around the same time and than the Galleons set sail towards Mansa and HC. 1090AD: Mansa capitulated and HC was gone.


Really a nice map! Thank you kcd_swede!

 

[klonoklown]

First GOTM played or submitted for me. 1952 AD is when I had enough. I barely have played noble, only one domination victory, and this was a challenge for me. (also I have to get used to playing with multiple AI's and bigger maps) I choose door #2 as my initial settlement, then progressed towards #3. Had some pretty good growth, but toku and GM were on my butt the whole time. The game was ALOT of warfare, 6 hours, GM took one of my main cities, he had infantry when I was still messing with cussair (sp?) Anyways it was fun, but I retired.

 

[kcd_swede]

First GOTM played or submitted for me. .

Welcome to the GOTM's!

PLaying these are a great way to improve, especially if you read through the spoilers, and ask lots of questions.

 

[klonoklown]

Welcome to the GOTM's!

PLaying these are a great way to improve, especially if you read through the spoilers, and ask lots of questions.

Thank you, I have already learned alot from this site.

 

[billybgame]

Had a good chance at an AP win, but had to abandon. Couldn't get the numbers to work....probably made errors. Plus took me a very long time to find Liz, so that slowed things down a lot. Once I found her, and finally got the votes going, I was close, but no cigar. I could probably get Liz to Friendly and get her votes, but others are vacilating now, between me and my opponent, so it's getting tedious and frustrating. I'll get the hang of Religious victory, sooner or later! Seems it's dicey trying to figure out who to give your religion to all their cities, and who not to.....I might need to try the old religion switcheroo AP victory a try...sounds much easier to cope with.

Interesting to see others also took that route. Thought most would take the warmonger. I had lots of friends, and only Toku was my enemy and declared on me a few times. I could/should have obliterated him, but wanted to stay peaceful like.

 

[cain3456]

Culture win, 1995. Would've gotten it earlier if I had gotten a couple great artists which I had been trying to get instead of great priests. Founded Creative Constructions which went a long way to the win, along with three religions (I founded Taoism, Judaism and Islam were spread from overseas)and their buildings. Conquered Toku, made Giggles and Stalin my vassals. Genghis was pretty neutral to me all game which I found surprising.

 

[Jastrow]

Fun game... As from the first spoiler, I continued with a peaceful game. Indeed, I was not involved in a single war, and was please of friendly with most AI for most of the game.
In fact, the AI were almost irrelevant. Their only purpose for in the AD's was that every couple of turns I could sell them a multi-thousand dollar tech for some 40 gc. This was enough to keep my research at 100% for the entirity of post-Oxford history.

As per my aggresive block at city 3, I had cordoned off the areas of door 2 & 3. I filled these with 15 cities (inclusing one of the little Gem island to the north, which got a late Maori, and even managed to build on of the spaceship parts!)

The early AD were a beeling to Oxford, followed by a run towards Liberalism --> BIO which I used to set up a national park city at the Banana cite on the east coast for the Door 2 Area. I could have gotten mcuh more from Lib, but since I had not met the other continent yet, I did not want to take a risk of waiting longer, especially since the payoff of an earlier National Park pays back quite a bit of what I would have gotten from the more expensive tech.

From there, standard tech path through the space technology. In the end, production was acually a sligh bottle neck. Usually, Tech determined the spaceship date, but this time, I would ahve been able to power through the 3 and get the last part build 3 turns earlier. I had to delay for the production of the other bits to catch up.

End result is a space colony at the very end of the 18th century. I am not sure how good a data that is, since I dont have a good basis for compairison at Nobel level (Where you get no tech help from the AI.)

 

[donsig]

Yes, it was a fun game. I took door number 3 and saw red borders fairly soon. Switched my first build to a settler to take door number 2. Had trouble getting door number one later on. I'd be involved in war on one side of the continent and then the others would declare on me so I'd make peace and go fight on the other side of the continent. I ended up collecting vassals. Toku first, then Stalin, Gilgamesh, Genghis and Liz. Liberated a bunch of English cities and Roosevelt appeared. The Malinese had the Inca for a vassal. Built the UN but came up short in several elections, once by two votes. Took one of the Mali cities and finally won the election in 1970.

 

[Alamankarazieff]

Decided I needed to work out, but to fight the boring factor, checked if I could do indoor bycicle and play Civ IV at the same time (wireless mouse, big tv as monitor). Turns out, I can ! So now, Civ IV is associated for me with aching legs and sweat.
No keyboard, so not as tight a game as I should.
Expanded peacefully from door 3, as everyone, went to settle door 2 quickly. After meeting my angry neighbours, started piling up axemen.
Missed the Oracle by two turns on turn 67 (on noble, that was a nasty surprise.) Started killing the japanese medieval style, and then cuirassiered the rest of the continent, using cavalry for the mongol.
At that point, I should have built tons of cavalries and beelined for astronomy, but after a long period of not playing, I was distracted by the shiny techs, and I ended up researching refrigeration before astronomy...
Anyway, rolled over the english, the incan and won a late domination victory in 1765 two turns before my last opponent would have capitulated.

 

[matthew9890]

My first GOTM, and it was pretty good. I got an extremely late conquest victory. Did the English in anyone elses game only build two cities and build most of the wonders?

 

[-Asterix-]

I guess that noble games make me play very unfocused.

I tried various military units in the game until I got trusty cuirs pretty late and stomped with them. At some point I tried to do something with HAs but was too late for it to be efficient. Trebs + anything worked much better. Most of the game was spent while running my armies from one side of our continent to the other side... and back. Wasn't too good at choosing who to attack and when.

Took Bio from Liberalism and managed to build Sushi and even spread it to some cities before domination was triggered in 1535AD. Some 240k points. Incas were the only AI alive with one small city.

Thanks for the scenario! Revealing multiple starting areas adds a nice touch to these games.