Challenge-XI-03

[shulec]

While the general Hall of Fame is an ongoing competition, we are running a series of ten games called the Hall of Fame Challenge Series. Standard Hall of Fame rules (*) still apply, but any games meeting the settings of one of the games will be counted towards the Challenge.

(*) Please read the >> HOF rules << BEFORE playing!
(*) Games must be played using the >> BUFFY MOD 3.19.003 <<
(*) Games to be submitted via the >> Civ IV Hall of Fame Website <<
(*) New players, please >> register << using your CFC forum name​

Settings:

• Victory Condition: Cultural Cultural victories via espionage will not be accepted (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Prince
• Starting Era: Ancient
• Map Size: Standard
• Speed: Normal
• Map Type: Inland Sea
• Required: No Tribal Villages, always war
• Must Not Be Checked: No Barbarians
• Civ: Sitting Bull
• Opponents: Must include Arabia (Saladin), Egypt (Ramesses II), England (Victoria), India (Gandhi), Japan (Tokugawa), Rome (Augustus Caesar)
• Version: 3.19.003
• Date: 27th July to 30th November 2013

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

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Are Spread Culture espionage missions allowed in the three Cultural Cities?

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[shulec]

Are Spread Culture espionage missions allowed in the three Cultural Cities?

Sun Tzu Wu

The HoF staff will make a ruling on this. This intended to be a traditional culture game. I initially thought by making this an AW game, that would take the espionage element out of the game, but upon further analysis, this is quite wrong.

 

[shulec]

Culture victories via espionage will not be accepted for this challenge game.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Culture victories via espionage will not be accepted for this challenge game.

How will games be checked for the use of Spread Cultural missions in the three Cultural Cities?

Also, if the HoF Staff decides to restrict settings of Challenge games too much, players may not bother to play them.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[shulec]

How will games be checked for the use of Spread Cultural missions in the three Cultural Cities?
Sun Tzu Wu

They will be checked thoroughly and accurately!

 

[LowtherCastle]

I'll play!!!

 

[neilmeister]

This was actually a tough game, much tougher than you would think.

I started with the strategy of simply killing everyone, and then pursuing culture, but I must have gotten distracted. Took out the immediate neighbours, Toku & Gandhi, and almost cleaned up Vicky as well, but I ran out of Dog Soldiers. In hindsight this was maybe a mistake, it might have been better just to almost conquer most of the map and then stop and focus on Culture.

Gandhi thoughtfully founded Hindu & Judaism for me. Oracled CS after founding Confused. Got Taoism late but still built all 4 Cathedrals in each of my legendary cities.

I will never besmirch the Totem Pole again, it (with a barracks) made the most awesome Crossbows ever! CG1 and Drill 3 to begin with. These crushed all comers until they wised up and sent Horse Archers. Pikes were great but so were Elephants.

Several times I made the mistake of thinking I could simply go straight for the win, then another huge stack (or two) would appear. Damn Romans sent so many units it wasn't funny. Before the end they included a lot of Knights, which made things interesting. I couldn't just turtle and wait for them to attack my Castles, as they delighted in pillaging my lands and my nurtured towns.

First attempt was 1665ad, I doubt I will try this one again.

 

[enKage]

I stilltry the best opening sequence and it seems now:
1) settings: high sea, raging barbs to make AI's life harder
2) roll grain start, mining, BW, wheel, masonry, reliion path till priesthood
3) revolt into slavery, whip 1 dog, second minedbuild
4) 1 dog each side is usually enough to clean 2 neighbours and gain even 3woodsman2heal. keep capital if religion, raze otherwise.

Teching is a huge problem here, oracling Alpha helps

 

[enKage]

Hah! I did it!

Rolled low food start but with stoned plainhill. Cahokia had no food resources at all except few floodplains, but that was a good move. With stone I could quicly build worker settler, 2 dogs, Stonehenge (!) crucial for this game, GWall also crucial as raging barbs were on, oracle, Pyras...
Anyway, at the end Cahokia was able to work 5 artist (1 from Mercantilism) and had decent production

Spoiler :

Toku with only warriors = razed. I was really close to do the same with Rome on the opposite site of map (! - no archers! what was he doing? shooting for wonders probably)but misclicked and attacked the city when I had to retreat to heal I lost very experienced dog

Northern civs (Vicky, Sal) were early archered so no chance to rush with my wonderspamming. All early religions - too far away to go conquer cities. Fortunately Stonehenge + Oracle + GPoints boost from Mids and Gwall gave me enough prophets to bulb theology and shrine both religions. Unfortunately I lost Philosophy as I was busy on teching war techs, so had to get Islam by selftech and it came rather late.

Stonehenge + archery units is a great combo! I built not so many, and most of them were at good shape at the end of the game :]

It was probably the frst time I went typical specalist economy, only 12 cottages made to earn some gold before I could turn on wealth nearly everywhere after completing temples

My date is over 200 years later than eilmasters' but who cares, I won this game!

Spoiler :

BTW

Great Wall + Protective RULES!

I had: 4 settled generals in HE city, 2 in secondary military city and 5 or six alive warlords. Could be more, but my early Guerilla3 + 30% withdrawal Crossbow lost at about 70% odds + withdrawal bonus;/ -_-

I just cannot imagine always war game as Charliemagne! Maybe next challange series?