BOTM 82 (Ragnar, Deity) First Spoiler

[DynamicSpirit]

BOTM 82 First Spoiler - 1AD

This is the thread to discuss how your game went up to 1AD (not later). Tell us how did you go against the rampaging deity AI. Just remember before you post...

Reading Requirements

Stop! If you are participating in BOTM 82 then you MUST NOT read this thread unless EITHER

• You have reached at least 1AD in your game, OR
• You have submitted your entry, OR
• You have abandoned your game and will not submit.

Posting Restrictions

• Please do not discuss anything that happened after 1AD.
• Please do not discuss modern era resource locations (Copper and Iron are OK).
• Please do not divulge your final result if that happened after 1AD.
• Please do not divulge the names and locations of any AIs not accessible by galley
• Do not post any savegame file from the game. Discussions and screenshots are fine but not actual games.

 

[PattonTwo]

Ah well that was fun...

Quit in 2080 bc after barbs razed my 1 and only settled city. Actually played it to 1880 bc when the barbs killed my capital.

Started out going mining-BW and was surprised to discover no metal at all in our starting area. Then went for AH and found horses. I forget when I settled near there as my city is razed so I can't tell.

I went on to research writing next and built 2 warriors along the way. I guess my mistake was not settling my city so that the horses were immediately next to it. I settled on the hill due west of the 1 square lake so I could eventually reach both the pigs and the horse knowing that at diety I can't afford to have an okay city. I wasn't worried about a barb invasion before 2000 bc. I played the posted test game (I know it's not the same game) and there was no invasion before 2000 bc. Seemed like a safe date to have solid barb defending units. Obviously I was supposed to have the horses connected and some chariots.

I was 4 turns away from my capital expanding to add the horse when 1 barb warrior and 2 barb archers came by for a visit. I survived the first attack (2nd barb archer was 1 square further away) but no chance for 2nd attack.

With one city and 3 barbs close by to rape and pillage my lands the games over before it began. I know deity is supposed to be impossible but a no copper start (noticed India had metal so no chariots/HAs to accomplish anything) seems like a waste of a GOTM. Won the immortal game last month and was looking forward to seeing at least how far into the ADs I might be able to take the game.

Maybe I was supposed to go for IW instead of AH after finding no copper? It will be interesting to look at the games of those who win and look at their tech path.

 

[georgjorge]

Upon turn fifteen or so, I stared at the screen long and hard and debated whether to go after Gandhi early (Horse Archers or Cats) or to go for the Great Lighthouse. I chose the latter, and after some more Workboat exploration was very happy to have done so. Teching was of course fast, but production of the GLH was slow, and I only landed it in 16XX BC or so.

Settled two more cities on the mainland, one by the pig and the other one up by the silver. Then started pumping out Settlers and Workboats to settle all the islands.

After the usual techs, went for Currency as fast as possible which was a killer tech when it came in.

I expected massive Barb problems, both on water and on land due to the amount of space and the tundra, but even with little fogbusting didn't encounter more than three of four Warriors on the mainland and two or three Galleys on the islands. Very well, since I HATE these Galleys. So I got by just with Warriors and my own Galleys for a long time.

Didn't find the seventh AI so far, expect it to be somehwere on an island in the middle only reachable by Caravel. My "strategy" diplomacy-wise is just to open borders and trade ressources with everyone since I desperately NEED those trade routes. So far, it's working well, as no-one has attacked me.

 

[Jastrow]

Despite how different they look at first read, my game as much in common with BOTH the spoilers above!

I decided to settle on the plains hill for a faster settler, and went Ag-Mining-BW... I am not sure if it was turn 15, but somewhere very early on, I asked myself the same questions about the GLH. MY answer came quickly... I could already see three nice coastal spots on the mainland, and at least two, likely 3 island locations.

Indeed, this decision affected the location of my city #2. Pre-game, I was planning on placing it so it could share corn and gold with the capital, but that location is not coastal, so instead it went on the coast, near the pig, and sharing only the corn. City #3 went on an island, 4 by the silver, and 5 and 6 on islands... Those are all I have founded at 1AD.

GLH was completed ~1200 BC, and with it, and currency in, tech is well over 200 bpt, and I actually appear to be keeping pace with the Deity AI... That cannot be a bad thing, right

The similarity with PattonTwo is more of a what-could-of-been.... Like him, when the Barb wave came, I had only warriors to defend. I had decided to keep my scout in the area to help partially fog bust, and when the first archer appeared, I was able to make him dance around for a while which prevent a bit of further spawning, and probably slowed the wave down a bit.

Still, despite pretty decent RNG roles, the barb onslaught was pretty vicious, and they twice got very close to doing real damage. Once, 2 Archers and a Warrior got within 1 square of my Gold mine. I whip an extra warrior, and left my capital without millitary police to put two warriors on this hill. The 3 barbs got 1 kill in, but the second warrior and the gold mine survived.

A second time, two barbers got to my #2 city, with only 1 warrior in it. I had to cold-whip a second warrior, but the city held.

Shortly after that, Gandhi's culture got close enough that the wave stopped, and all in all, I survived it with no serious damage. Slightly worst RNG rolling however, and I might not have made it to 1AD.

As I said, I founded 6 cities, but I actually have 7... Gandhi founded Wheat-Sheep city, and while it was defended with as much as 3 archers and a spear at one point, a bit later, I noticed it had only 1 archer left in it... Furtuntaly, this was nicely timed with my build up of charriots which are intended to an island barb city... 3 of them were in range, and I decided this was too good a chance to pass up, so I declared, took the city, and immediatly gave him a tech for peace...

So, at 1AD, I still on 7 cities, have currency and GLH. I am about on par with tech, and actually maybe have a slight lead (unclear because I have not traded for Alphabet or religious techs yet, so I dont know what they have beyond that.) Interestingly, I have met only 2 civs so far... I am therefore planning for an early Astro (before education, which I rarely do), in order to go out and meet the world... Hopefully there is not an island with MM and HC, buddy-buddy with a shared religion, and already having taken Biology with Liberalism by the time I find them....

 

[zamint3]

I only met one barb archer which killed a warrior and destroyed two mines including the gold..
After that I put two fog busters up north and I guess Gandhi took care of the rest.

I build the GLH 1120bc and started settling the islands. At 1AD I have 8 cities and CoL as monopoly and 3 turns from Civil Service, which should bring me to about tech parity with the known AI (4).

Barb galleys have just started to show up and they are pretty annoying....

 

[Yamps]

Gandhi decided to DoW on me while Cautious with some 20+ swords, axes and spears so I decided not to bother. Besides that, I also got the GLH and it all seemed easy despite the initial barb onslaught which was also quite annoying.

 

[georgjorge]

Gandhi decided to DoW on me while Cautious with some 20+ swords, axes and spears so I decided not to bother.

Yes, the little man with the glasses often deceives me with his peaceful appearance as well (notwithstanding the fact that an early DoW is only survivable at severe cost to your development anyway). Sorry to hear of such bad RNG luck in your game.

 

[Yamps]

Yes, the little man with the glasses often deceives me with his peaceful appearance as well (notwithstanding the fact that an early DoW is only survivable at severe cost to your development anyway). Sorry to hear of such bad RNG luck in your game.

Thanks. Yep, not something one would expect from Gandhi. In any case, no way to get a competitive game out of that so I'll let it go.

 

[ShiVvV]

I never do a very good job of documenting these things but...up to 1AD from memory.

SIP. Early tech path: Agri>Mining>Archery>TW>BW>Myst>Masonry>Sailing>AH>Pottery>Writing

Lost out on GLH, ugh. The turn I began working on it an AI completed it (875 BC). This is a later completion date than in some of the above posts. I didn't realize how long I'd postponed teching Sailing until I typed out the above tech path. So, my fault missing GLH. As a matter of fact I have no wonders--was hoping for maybe Mids but didn't happen either.

Mostly a peaceful Jewish lovefest with me, Sally and Gandhi. Was able to settle cities north and south of the central mountains to block off Gandhi and secure decent chunk of land on continent.

Had 7 cities by 1AD--2 on islands I think. Gandhi snuck a galley through and settled the 2Ag/sheep site behind my lines though My own fault too I guess here but I was just sure he was heading for the islands.

Experienced the early barb archer troubles from the north which threatened gold mine and cap. I'm glad I went archery as third tech.

Narrowly avoided a DoW from Gandhi (war fist) by gifting crap city west of mountains. Fist went away

Plan is just to stay on good terms with Sally and Gandhi; the only real land threats. Expand east to the islands and whip courthouses. Try to catch up in tech but will be a long process.

World was proved round in 275BC !

 

[nocho]

Thought a bit too late of GLH so missed out on it after a not very serious attempt to get it.

Otherwise things don't look all that bad with 5 decent cities on the continent and 3 more off-shore. Circumnavigated and met all AIs. Ferocious trading and a philo bulb should bring about tech parity in 2 turns from now with CS then in the bag.

Trying to keep the closest AIs at pleased while expanding into the islands due east. Not sure what kind of VC to pursue but on Deity I'll settle for any.

 

[Folket]

I'm going to try a military VC as I have not been able to get that on my previous games.

Plan was to Elepult Gandhi but later decided against it as he was my only friend.

I'm now at war with the Arabs and it is a close and bloody war. Arabs have not made peace with Gandhi so as long as they continue I think I will win the war. Once they stop it will be much harder.

Boudica is my main concern. She is beating Mansa pretty good. My third concern are the Persians. They have CS and philosophy. Teching fastest of everyone with only 5 cities.

I still think I will win the game. My economy is good and I have a stable partner in Gandhi. I'm a little afraid of the Arabs vassalizing to Gandhi. That would be very bad for me.