Challenge: Earliest UHVs with the Final patch

[blizzrd]

Well IMO you can't set up a similar challenge in RAND, because the conditions vary too much. Then it would be competition of who loads enough starts to get the best possible starting situation. Although that might be fun too, so why don't you put up a similar thread there?

Could be a misunderstanding, but I think onedreamer meant that he prefers the challenge presented by RAND, not a challenge within the RAND modmod.

Actually it is the best possible strategy that is going win the earliest UHVs. Not random events like in RAND.

There are some random events that are crazy good for earliest UHVs though. Popping a key tech is, as always, very beneficial, but randomly generated.

 

[Jusos2108]

Oh, I think you are right, I deleted that from my comment. Of course some random events might help you, but in the end it is the best strategy that's going top the list. Every 'challenge' that I can think of is somehow luck based, from football to RFC.

 

[Wessel V1]

We could solve the 'events' problem with two minor fixes:

1. Create a 'Hall of Fame' scenario where all goody huts are removed. It would delay some UHVs, but not make them impossible, so there is no severe problem with doing so.
2. Turn random events off.

There is already a Hall of Fame mod, where some matchbreaking events or other stuff that can give a major advantage are turned of. Exactly for challenges like these, this could be a solution and it wouldn't take so much effort to do.

Also, nobody said that there can't be another category for Emperor victories. If you'd like to, create one yourself, or ask Jusos to include it.

And the same thing could be done for RAND, it's just the challenge you want to create. I honestly think this is one of the best challenges possible for RFC. And yes, I can also safely say that I achieve an Egyptian UHV in turn one, but that is not the point. I would define the VV this way: If the UHV date would be x, could I achieve it? So, would the UHV be possible if the time limit was much more severe? That is the challenge, to be the player who could achieve a UHV within the tightest possible timeframe.

 

[Jusos2108]

Removing random events and huts wouldn't make the challenge completely no-luck based as AI behaviour is another variable, not to forget the barbs.

Although, including Emperor might be possible, but doesn't seem to be too needed at the moment, as this challenge alone has very few players attempting it.

 

[usi]

IMO, replicability is what matters.
If luck is the most important part of the victory, that does not deserve to be called an achievement.
For that reason I have aborted some games like an Etiopian game where I got an Egyptian GProphet flipped to me.
Of course, different people have different senses of integrity, and I trust most others' too.

What I can not understand is the word "Challenge".
In my opinion, something can be called challenge on Monarch unless the higher level is impossible or too hard.

You can always go for an Emperor OCC.

 

[usi]

Japanese (3000BC) Monarch VV on 1680AD

The strategy was nearly the same as my previous try, except:
1) I did not expand to Americas. These cities will be super strong, but it takes too much time.
2) I relied heavily on the Internet. It did not help me get very late game techs, but it still helped me a lot.
3) I relied more on tech trading (e.g., went for CoL after researching Sailing; Math, Calender, etc are obtained via tech trades).
4) I had to build a Trireme instead of using an initial Workboat.
5) I got Constitution and Democracy early (1030AD and 1090AD respectively; the latter came from the Liberalism bonus) to boost the beaker output. To do this, I completely gave up researching Guilds, Optics, etc by myself.

Some other things to note are:
1) All the plagues were avoided. The first one did not hit my land, and I got Medicine before the second one came, which was in the 15th C.
2) I was much luckier in battles, and China was less defended than usual.

The Internet helped me a lot, but I still had to research almost all the late-modern and future techs, since no civ but mine could research those in 1-3 turns. If I am to try again, I might capture / build some cities and gift these to my vassals so that they might be able to research a bit faster.

No tech was obtained from huts, but the Chinese cities were great. Shanghai and Chang’an were built in good plots and Beijing had the Hanging Gardens, Mausoleum of Maussollos, and Great Wall (this one is usually not there). Other cities were badly located, so I had to razed those and built new ones.

The picture on 1680 says only 1/3 of UHV won, rather than 2/3, since completing the tech tree thing is not checked until 1700 based on code in Victory.py:

Spoiler :

                elif (iPlayer == iJapan):
                        if (pJapan.isAlive()):
                                if (iGameTurn >= i1700AD and pJapan.getCurrentEra() >= iModern):
                                        if (self.getGoal(iJapan, 2) == -1):
                                                bCompleted = True
                                                for iTech in range(con.iNumTechs):
                                                        if (teamJapan.isHasTech(iTech) == False):
                                                                bCompleted = False
                                                                return
                                                if (bCompleted):
                                                        for iCiv in range(iNumPlayers):
                                                                if (iCiv != iJapan):
                                                                        bOtherCompleted = True
                                                                        for iTech in range(con.iNumTechs):
                                                                                if (gc.getTeam(gc.getPlayer(iCiv).getTeam()).isHasTech(iTech) == False):
                                                                                        bOtherCompleted = False
                                                                                        break
                                                                        if (bOtherCompleted):
                                                                                break
                                                        if (not bOtherCompleted):
                                                                self.setGoal(iJapan, 2, 1)
                                                        else:
                                                                self.setGoal(iJapan, 2, 0)

In 1930, China (which became independent from me and got all the techs from me) had the second highest score of 2467, while I got 4213. So, even after losing half of my cities, there was no chance that anyone could beat my score. I could have gotten all the land back to me if I had not felt lazy to do so. Quite probably, then, collapsing should have not altered this result.

---

BTW, during the game, I noticed an error in modified Citynamemanager.py. The error should do no harm, but if you have the error popup turned on, it might bother you a lot. I wrote the erroneous part, and I know how to fix it. I'll post a new one after I am done with Chinese dynamic city names.

 

[Jusos2108]

Finally somebody actually plays the challenge, thank you usi!

I guess Rhye never thought that someone could finish the tech tree before 1700.
You could also try to beat your record with Japan in 600AD start, so that we don't have ponder whether the old record should be kept or not...

 

[AnotherPacifist]

Pre-1700 tech tree: that is just insane. That's a reason I don't dare play RFC anymore, because I'll just be put to shame by some several hundred years.

 

[usi]

There is what's called publication bias, and I am probably the one who have tried the most and failed the most.

 

[AnotherPacifist]

Too bad we don't have a journal of negative results for RFC:
http://www.jnrbm.com/

 

[Jusos2108]

Some strategy points:

-Rome founded on spot, switched to slavery, didn't change civics after that
-I started with a Greek city (Barium) in Italy, which flipped but Greece didn't declare war
-The other two settlers founded Toledo and Tarraco
-Rome builds Oracle straight up, I took currency with it, don't know if another option like mathematics would've been better. There were less than ten turns to math when I finished it and currency helps the overall game the most.
-Initial legions take Athens and Constantinople ASAP, make sure to capture all the workers before killing Greece
-After Greece, Carthaginian cities have grown to size 2, so it comes next. Make sure to destroy their navy with your first strike
-After that I just build two more settlers in Greece and the buildings all around Europe, I got Construction on turn 125
-Only english city and the 3. gaul city have to be founded, Paris doesn't spawn early enough
-Build Great Wall in Rome, I also got an event that made me sign peace treaty with Brennus, so nothing threatened me, except the occasional horse/camel archers in Africa

 

[Jusos2108]

Hmm, seems like I am the only one interested in this challenge; well anyways..

Some strategy points:

-I used the Siwa-Per Atum-tactic (PA on the horse)
-I popped pottery from a hut, as did the previous record-holder
-I also got masonry from a hut, although I was only couple turns away from getting it, but anyways that was lucky. It is important to collect all the huts in Africa.
-Siwa built warrior, worker (at size 2), whipped a granary and the Pyramids and then stonehenge, after which I changed to castes
-I researched Sailing about 5 turns after Per Atum was founded, so it had time to build the Great Lighthouse
-The save is one turn before I got the requirements

 

[Zaanzie]

I've tried to break the Incan record (1525 AD) but I were 1 turn too late.

Question: If you have a virtual UHV achieved, but you loose it later but get it back in time, does it stil count?
Example: The Incans have 3000 gold and no European colonies in South America in 1500 AD. In 1550 They have only 2950 gold and a Spanish city in SA. In 1600 you have captured the Spanish city. In 1700 you have 3000 gold and in 1800 there are no European colonies.

 

[civ_king]

I've tried to break the Incan record (1525 AD) but I were 1 turn too late.
View attachment 261091
Question: If you have a virtual UHV achieved, but you loose it later but get it back in time, does it stil count?
Example: The Incans have 3000 gold and no European colonies in South America in 1500 AD. In 1550 They have only 2950 gold and a Spanish city in SA. In 1600 you have captured the Spanish city. In 1700 you have 3000 gold and in 1800 there are no European colonies.

rules are have a virtual victory and then win via historical vitory

 

[Zaanzie]

thank you

 

[Zaanzie]

Tomorrow I'm going to finish my Incan game. I've already broken the record (the previous record was 3000 in 1525) but I have to keep it until 1800 AD.

 

[Zaanzie]

Virtual in 1515:
3000
View attachment 261098

No European colonies in SA exept Brazil


Normal:

 

[Jusos2108]

Nice job! This was a 600AD start, right?

Can you edit some strategies to your post? Thanks.

 

[Ogrelord]

Doing the UHV is quite the task, but doing it in record time is hardcore. I can manage UHVs but can't do it in lightning speed. For example, with Greece, the quickest I managed is 1200 C.E. (AD). I don't know how to research tech that fast (even with 7 goody huts and plethora of bulb Great People).

 

[Zaanzie]

Nice job! This was a 600AD start, right?

YES, it was a 600 AD start.

Can you edit some strategies to your post? Thanks.

Your starting units are 4 settlers, 4 Quechua Warriors, 3 archers and 2 scouts. Build Qusqu at the starting tile and build 2 archers. Sent 1 settler, 4 Quechua Warriors, 1 archer and 2 scouts to the north. Sent 2 settlers and 2 archers south. When the 4 workers arrive, let 1 worker mine the gold, 1 farm the corn, 1 build a road to the south and 1 buil a road to the north. Capture tucume with your 4 Quechua Warriors and sent your survivors (mostly 3 QWs, sometimes 2 QWs) to the gold tile with the goodie hut and let them sentry. Tucume works on a Terrace and a work boat. When your scouts are north enough (around Colombia), let them explore (if you don't let them going north they go explore to the south, and there are only peaks). The North-Settler build Quitu W of the gold and NE of the corn (!!!not the corn and the gold of Qusqu!!!). Quitu works on a wall and a work boat. The North-Archer defends Quitu. The South-Settler#1 build Ariqipaya SE of the stone, NW of the forest and 2 tiles S of the lake. Ariqipaya works on a work boat. The South-Settler#2 builds a city between the stone and the copper, 3 tiles S of the forest. I don't know the name of that city but I'm going to call it the Copper and Stone City (CaS). Cas works on a walls.

RESEARCH

1) Bronze Working at 100%
2) Sailing at 100%
3) Calendar at 30%
...

CITIES

When a city is ready with the buildings/units above, build a market, a courthouse, a library and finally gold. Whip these buildings ASAP.
Qusqu hires 2 merchants after finishing the market. But Qusqu must keep growing so if it's stagnant or sarvation, stop hire merchants for a while. When you have a GM, stop hire merchants.
The work boat from Quitu goes to the crab. The work boat from Tucume goes to the fish. The 1st archer from Qusqu goes defend Tucume and the 2nd goes defend Qusqu. The work boat from Ariqipaya goes to the crab W-SW of Qusqu.

CIVICS

After BW, switch to Slavery and HR.

DOG SOLDIERS

When the QWs awake there are 3 DS on the peak. Let the QWs fortify 1 more turn. 2 of the 3 DS will attack and they both loose. After that, sent your QWs to the copper S of CaS. Do the same (wait for DS, defend 1 turn, and go back north) over and over. The third DS attacks Quitu and loose the battle. It is important that your North-South road is finisht ASAP.

3000

You start with 700 .
You get 1100 from the GM in Yax Mutal (Aztec).
3000 - 700 - 1100 = 1200 .
When your research is 30%, you get about +50 /turn, thats enough for the 1200

EUROPEAN COLONIES

To avoid the European troops, let them met you with a unit (I mean that the caravel mets a scout, galley, or other unit at least 1 turn before they can see your borders). When you have 3000 gold, start building 5 settlers and 5 archers. Build a city SE of the corn and W of the oil in Venezuela, build a city 2 tiles E of the oil in Venezuela, build a city at Buenos Aires, build a city on the desert tile to the south (the flat one, not the hills), and build a city E of the crabs and N of the dear.

IMPORTANT

avoid war
defensive pact are handy
when you have 3000 , you can set your research back to +/- 80%
DON'T use your gold before 1700 AD