BOTM98 - Justinian - First Spoiler (to 1AD)

[Deckhand]

BOTM 98 Justinian and the Hippodromes - First Spoiler (to 1AD)

Use this thread to tell us what happened in your game, up to 1AD! How did it go?
Had any wars?
Conquer any Civs?
Build any Wonders?
Settle many cities?
What advantage and disadvantages did I give the AIs?


Stop! If you are participating in BOTM 98, then you MUST NOT read this thread unless EITHER

• You have reached at least 1 AD in your game, OR
• You have submitted your entry

Posting Restrictions

• Please do not disclose ANY events or information gained post 1 AD.
• Please do not reveal your final result if that happened after 1 AD.
• Please do not discuss the location of resources that may not show up before 1 AD. (Iron is OK, coal and oil are not)
• Please do not reveal names or locations of any civilization not accessible by galleys.
• Do not post any savegame file from the game. Discussions and screenshots are fine but not actual games

 

[whb]

No wars. Lots of settling -- running about 50% research rate. I got a bit complacent, and was beaten to the Oracle. I'll have to watch how late I leave it more carefully for Liberalism...

 

[ikotomi]

Despite it being "quick" speed, the game feels really slow. To be honest, unless more people show participation, I might just throw in the towel here, as it just feels like a real drag right now.

Opening game was pretty interesting, if only because of quick speed changes. I've never played a game on quick before, so it didn't take long before finding out that worker management is completely different.

At the time of the screenshot, I was surprised how few tiles were improved compared to the number of cities. At 2140 BC, I had only 4 improved tiles, and could have built another settler in 2 turns, but decided a 3rd worker was more useful. I teched pottery before I discovered how many mining resources there were, and haven't even been able to think about building a single cottage.

Normally, I like to pre-road as much as possible to avoid wasting worker turns. In this game, I opted to "waste" a worker turn if it meant getting to an improvable tile one or two turns faster.

Game was otherwise uneventful outside of worker management.

I self teched writing at 1900 BC, but had only met 2 civs.
1300 BC Saladin adopts slavery!
At 560 BC I self teched currency, but only charlemagne had any money for a whopping 10G.
Somewhere between 560 and 360 BC I was able to get priesthood from Gilgamesh, but Churchill beat me to the Oracle the turn before I chopped it out. To be honest, I was completely surprised because even Stonehenge hasn't completed yet.

I'm slow building the pyramids in one of my cities. I've never tried this before without stone, and it's turned out to be a very big mistake, even if I want the GE points.

At this point though, I'm honestly very discouraged by this game. I still only have one foreign trade route, and am trying to pump out more workers, just so I can either clear out more jungle to expand, or to make more roads so I can take someone out. There's just so much jungle though that it makes me want to cry, and I would have to improve all the cities myself anyways if I conquer them.

 

[Deckhand]

Despite it being "quick" speed, the game feels really slow. To be honest, unless more people show participation, I might just throw in the towel here, as it just feels like a real drag right now.

It is hard to ascertain participation. Few players post in the first spoilers these days. Many players submit on last couple of days. This game started 4 days ago and there are already 6 games submitted.

 

[lymond]

ikotomi - I expect a lot of folks will play this one

quick speed really throws me off, but the biggest thing about this map is how far away the AIs are. I quickly expanded to about 4 cities while teching to HBR. Built a lot of workers and stole some from Sal as I destroyed him. Using many workers to build roads to AIs - not for trade routes - but for horsie routes.

Conquest will be slow though due to proximity of Ais and them all being protective.. thanks Deck...but at least metals were not around much. i don't think I've even seen them and I've scouted a good bit of the map.

A lot of horses have died..damn protective. Stupid high odds losses to protective archers. Many more will die.

Ended up build great wall in Nople. Had not bland on it but no one built it in late BCs and nice Nople built it fast. I don't think I even had stone..can't remember. Don't really plan on wonder though unless I can chop them out in cities that are far away from action.

conquest/dom a bit of a chore on this map, but the map is set up for nicely for expanders/builders and space games. Part of me wish I went for space, but I'm pretty much set up everything for war early.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Settled in-place on the hill. 2nd city SW to pick up gold and banana (which I farmed, so I could get enough food for to run scientists). 3rd city NE to pick up the other gold+ furs. Other cities W to get the marble, N to get the gems, and along a line E to link up with Saladin so I can get at least some foreign trade. IN total 8 cities/29 pop by 80BC (I didn’t take a 1AD save but I’m sure 80BC is close enough).

Boy this land is worker-hungry. I’m not sure if it’s the land or the quick speed but I just never seem to have enough workers, no matter how many I build (currently got 11). And thanks to the lack of opportunities for foreign trade, and very few cottages (not enough workers) my economy is not good. Sustainable science is 40%, which gives me just 37 bpt. Ouch! I’m not sure the road link to Saladin was worth it, as it turns out he only has 3 cities, so that only gave me an extra 3 commerce per turn anyway.

I built Stonehenge fairly early (don’t laugh – I think it’s somewhat underrated. I find the extra flexibility it gives you in where you settle cities very useful, and the great prophet for a shrine helps with gold later in the game. Unfortunately, this time I misjudged: The great prophet from Stonehenge turned up about 2 turns before specialist city would have given me a scientist, but my slow tech speed means I have no religions. So now I have a prophet just hanging around doing nothing. Maybe I should settle him but I’m not sure if I’ll get another one.

I remember saving the game and deciding to sleep on it while I decided what to do. I figured I’ll have to stop founding any more cities until my economy is fixed. And I had this amazing idea – I can research priesthood (very cheap) and build the Oracle to get – wait for it – Code of Laws. Can you believe how ambitious my plans are! With code of laws, I’ll have a religion, and be able to whip courthouses to fix the economy. Then I can start expanding again.

Next day. Back to the computer. Oh, it seems an Ai has already built the Oracle. And Confucianism has been founded. (I’m guessing that’s not a coincidence). OK, I guess I’m going to be researching code of laws and currency the long way. And I guess philosophy is now a priority. When the scientist does come (8 turns away), he’ll also have to sit around doing nothing until I’m ready for him to bulb philosophy. No academy. Not that I have any cities generating enough science to make an academy worth it anyway… *sigh* Somehow I’m getting an impression that this game is not going to win any awards for outstanding examples of how to play Civ…

 

[WastinTime]

SIP, I settled the same locations as ikotomi...plus a few more. I have ~12 cities!

Stonehenge:

I also missed Oracle (after I hooked up marble too). No AI that I met had priesthood so I thought I had another 10+ turns. Gilga built it in a far away land. Not a huge deal, but I lost free CS.

I founded Confu. I've researched pottery too, but for the granary, no cottages. Math, Alpha, Col, (masonry/sailing for Marble ) Currency.

 

[WastinTime]

oh, and 20 workers.

 

[Minou]

Despite my lack of experience on Quick speed, I am having a fun time building stuff in fewer turns. On the other hand it is taking forever to chop and road through those jungles!

I didn't think I would have time to play this BOTM given the jungly map and shortage of real world time, but I ended up having the weekend to try and finish. Decided to go for a Cultural Victory as the simplest goal with limited time. Thus, my opening was very atypical and perhaps warped by my poor understanding of how to play on Quick. I started with Meditation to secure on early religion, and got it 1 turn before Hinduism was founded - lucky for me that AI did not go for Meditation too as I apparently would have lost that race. Next techs were Mining, Agriculture, AH, Writing, Priesthood, Math, and COL. Early Caste System with free Spiritual civic swaps was very useful to pop borders in new cities. Figuring Noble AIs would be slow to wonders, I built Oracle for CS in 1060BC. Delayed Alphabet until 860BC figuring (rightly) the AIs would have little to trade at which point I backfilled Hunting, Archery, BW, IW, Pottery, and Fishing+Sailing (haven't seen a single seafood so I pity the AI researching these techs). Judaism was still not founded and I was able to grab it in 680BC. Since then, I've been giving away all my techs for free hoping the AIs will research Calendar, Monarchy and Currency for me. Two have Calendar but won't trade it, so I plan to pry it out of Charlemagne's hands with war. GP from Oracle was used to Bulb Theology.

At 1AD I have 7 cities and 25 techs with 111bpt at 100% (forgot what break-even was, but ~50%). Most of my cities are either working cottages or building temples/missionaries to prepare for Cathedral construction. The general game plan is to get Drama and Music next, bulb Philosophy and part of Education with GS on the way to Liberalism, and run a Pacifism with a ton of Artist specialists in the food rich secondary cities. I only found one Stone on the map, and in the interests of cathedral building I'm about to declare with 6 Swords and 3 Chariots to hopefully steal it from two promoted archers at 40% on flat land - they'll have 2 turns to reinforce while units walk in, so it may be risky if more units arrive. If it works, I'll have my final needed city and also should be able to get Calendar in the peace deal.

Anyone have an event? I only got the ever-annoying Slave Revolt, costing me one turn to ignore and then 10gold and a pop the next turn to end it. Now I am trying to hold onto ~40 gold to buy my way of any fire/floods/revolts. Two AIs got beneficial events, one the herbal remedy to gives extra health and one something "delicious" which I guess gives more food or commerce in a plot.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Been a long time since I did a GoTM - not sure I've ever done one for Civ IV. It shows in this one

8 cities - oracled CS and got stonehenge, as well. Lost a settler to a barb, about to lose a city to one, too

The lack of health resources is an interesting challenge, I must say. Especially when combined with the jungle..