BTS Beta-3

[Methos]

While the general Hall of Fame is an ongoing competition, we like to run time-definite competitions between updates that we call Gauntlets. Standard Hall of Fame rules (*) still apply, but any games meeting the settings will be counted towards the Gauntlet.

[size=+1](*) Please read the >> HOF rules << BEFORE playing!
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Settings:

• Victory Condition: Cultural (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Noble
• Starting Era: Ancient
• Map Size: Small
• Map Type: Medium and Small
• Speed: Any
• Civ: Any
• Opponents: Any
• Version: 3.03.001
• Date: 10th to 24th September 2007

The earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

See BTS Beta-3 for details.

 

[Ani]

Disregard..
To litle sleep..

 

[hecubus]

Excellent, I've actually been itching to try for a Cultural win on Noble.

 

[Squarg]

I just got one as Ghandi but I think I want to try Zara Yaqob for this.

 

[Shoot the Moon]

I will probably try this if I un-burnout from civ, but the idea of having to compete against quechua rushes doesn't appeal to me.

 

[Methos]

Just to clarify and make sure everyone notices, but this game can be played at any speed. The question than becomes, how will speed affect both your strategy and victory date?

 

[ori]

I will probably try this if I un-burnout from civ, but the idea of having to compete against quechua rushes doesn't appeal to me.

Quesha rushes on noble are not too fast since the AI does not start with archers. On the other hand it will most likely start with one warrior and stay that way until 1000 BC or so so building 3 axes or so should be enough to take your continent if you are so inclined (I do feel that the upcoming patch will change this a bit - but at the moment noble AIs are just a push-over if you attack early).

 

[hecubus]

Quesha rushes on noble are not too fast since the AI does not start with archers. On the other hand it will most likely start with one warrior and stay that way until 1000 BC or so so building 3 axes or so should be enough to take your continent if you are so inclined (I do feel that the upcoming patch will change this a bit - but at the moment noble AIs are just a push-over if you attack early).

Didn't notice the date but Willem went down to an archer rush in mine. Amsterdam became my first Legendary city. If I hadn't taken him out I'd have had to settle my 3rd city on an island somewhere.

 

[ori]

Didn't notice the date but Willem went down to an archer rush in mine. Amsterdam became my first Legendary city. If I hadn't taken him out I'd have had to settle my 3rd city on an island somewhere.

You are right - archers suffice to take down one or two AIs on noble now - and it will probably be the winning strategy since capitals are just too good to pass

 

[hecubus]

The log is up now, I rushed Amsterdam in 1760 BC. Willem had one archer and one warrior defending. If I'd had copper anywhere near, I'd have built axes. As it was, I sent ~8 unpromoted Archers and two Warriors. It was just barely enough.

There was some sloppy play for sure (I teched pretty well I thought, but I made some poor choices on the timing of civic switches), but overall I was really happy with it. The map type (with high water level) was definitely conducive to a peaceful builder victory, excepting the early rush of WvO. I was only accessible by water, so I didn't fret a ton about defenses. I paused briefly to spam Longbows, and later Riflemen, but I didn't do much unit building outside of that.

I'm sure I can improve my play, but I'm not sure if I can improve or duplicate the luck I had in this game

 

[IglooDame]

The log is up now, I rushed Amsterdam in 1760 BC. Willem had one archer and one warrior defending. If I'd had copper anywhere near, I'd have built axes. As it was, I sent ~8 unpromoted Archers and two Warriors. It was just barely enough.

There was some sloppy play for sure (I teched pretty well I thought, but I made some poor choices on the timing of civic switches), but overall I was really happy with it. The map type (with high water level) was definitely conducive to a peaceful builder victory, excepting the early rush of WvO. I was only accessible by water, so I didn't fret a ton about defenses. I paused briefly to spam Longbows, and later Riflemen, but I didn't do much unit building outside of that.

I'm sure I can improve my play, but I'm not sure if I can improve or duplicate the luck I had in this game

Man, for a minute I thought you meant that you just turned in a game with a win at 1760BC, and I'm thinking - damn, 12 hours after the game is opened he posts an unbeatable score?

But... yeah, I'm going to try this one, too - I don't think I've ever gone for a Cultural win before. In fact I don't think I've ever even built a cathedral.

 

[hecubus]

Heh, I wouldn't expect to see an unbeatable score from me.

Cathedrals are insane. I wish I'd churned them out sooner. WvO founded Hinduism, and I founded Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Six total cities with a temple each let me build three of each of the four cathedral types. My big three were each getting +200% from the cathedrals, tack on another 100% to one from Hermitage, and a further 50% for two from Broadway/Rock n' Roll. I never did build Hollywood or the Eiffel Tower.

 

[hecubus]

I just started another game as Willem. I think Napoleon is trying to rush me. Not that I didn't have similar plans for him and maybe Pericles, but...

 

[Dracandross]

Got 1440Ad (epic, gandhi), captured only London. Problem is that if rushing too fast city maintenance will kill research. Gotta try rushing 2 instead. Also built only 4 cities and remembered too late that globe needs 5. Also popped at least 3 prophets because AI wanted me to go for priests and didnt notice (although oracle helped a bit too). Not that 1 GAge nor holy building wont do good but 3rd was absolytely waste.

-Dracandross

 

[Peluin]

I played a few games at varying speeds. I found that my finish times were considerably earlier on Marathon than Normal -- on the order of hundreds of years. That was disappointing to me, since I like normal speed. Pressing enter 30 times to invent meditation sort of bores me

Maybe I'll try epic and see how that goes.

I also tried playing as Ramesses, Ghandi, Isabella, and Zara. I think spiritual is my favorite trait for cultural, I was switching back and forth between caste system for mass artists and slavery for quick whipping temples. In my experience, industrious was more useful than philosophical -- but that might have been my own laziness in sometimes forgetting to reassign the darn priests to artists.

 

[IglooDame]

I just finished a game with an 1830AD finish. Nothing really notable - I was conveniently able to eliminate the other 3 civs from my continent and so focus on nothing but tech/culture after that (though it taking three wars to finish off Monty slowed me down too much). The funny thing was Isabella sending a couple galleons my way and declared on me and attacked a city (on the opposite side of my continent from my 3 culture cities) with 2 trebs (failing to take the city) on the turn where I hit the culture victory. That's got to be the definition of 'too little, too late'.

I think now I'll keep playing that game just to revert to my warmongering ways and go make Izzy my playtoy.

 

[Bozso]

What does "Map Type: Medium and Small" mean. Is it a mistake or I canfind this type of MAPs in BTS. Or is it the mapsize and any maptype can be played.

 

[IglooDame]

What does "Map Type: Medium and Small" mean. Is it a mistake or I canfind this type of MAPs in BTS. Or is it the mapsize and any maptype can be played.

It's a new map type in BtS - scroll a ways down in the setup screen and you'll find it.

 

[Dracandross]

I played a few games at varying speeds. I found that my finish times were considerably earlier on Marathon than Normal -- on the order of hundreds of years. That was disappointing to me, since I like normal speed. Pressing enter 30 times to invent meditation sort of bores me

Well no wonder! On marathon you have more moves before same date therefore your workers dont lose so much when going on hill/forest also you can claim few more cities easier before there are lots of protection.

Also someone counted nice graphs for vanilla/warlords showing how different finish dates compare to rounds/costmultiplier. I think epic was best around culturals if quick is excluded...

If you cant get it good on Mara (/epic even) just go for quick as artists give most on quick (12/150, 6/75, 4/50 and quick 2.7/25k). Slowers are only good if you can pull out definite advantage with warring. And mostly warring != culture.

-Dracandross

 

[Peluin]

One of the best parts of playing on marathon was that the AI civs that started with hunting had an awful rough time defending against the starting warrior