Challenge-XVI-05

[Noble Zarkon]

This game has been revised so please carefully check the current settings for the new Civ to play as!

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 your best submission 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: Any
• Difficulty: Emperor
• Starting Era: Ancient
• Map Size: Small
• Speed: Epic
• Map Type: Lakes
• Required: Always War, No Tribal Villages, No Random Events
• Must Not Be Checked: No Barbarians
  [*]Civ: Babylon (Hammurabi)
• Opponents: Any
• Version: 3.19.003 or 3.19.003s
• Date: 30th May to 25th November 2015

Must not play as Inca.
The earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Apologies for any confusion from an incorrect note - this is NOT a Score game, the earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

 

[aitkensam]

Just played a quick game on this to get the ball rolling. Very fast game. Probably need to rely on RNG to get an awesome date.

 

[elitetroops]

Very fast game.

That's what I thought as well... A bit disappointed that this also had to become an AW game where the AW setting doesn't come into play at all, like the last one.

 

[kcd_swede]

I agree with elitetroopers. OK, I can get it that the Always War settings I suggested could have been nerfed a bit. The small size, sure. The epic speed, sure. But turning it into a standard quecha rush??? C'mon, why even bother with the AW setting? Unless you then stipulate Babylon and Mali and protective civs, this is a joke, not a challenging game.

This game is all about the map you roll, and the success you have with rng. No hard choices... techs don't matter much at all and you only have to build one thing.

 

[shulec]

I agree with elitetroopers. OK, I can get it that the Always War settings I suggested could have been nerfed a bit. The small size, sure. The epic speed, sure. But turning it into a standard quecha rush??? C'mon, why even bother with the AW setting? Unless you then stipulate Babylon and Mali and protective civs, this is a joke, not a challenging game.

This game is all about the map you roll, and the success you have with rng. No hard choices... techs don't matter much at all and you only have to build one thing.

Unintended consequences.
If those who have submitted games would declare their support, I will push for different settings that would require in-depth strategy, not RNG spamming.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

Agreed, on reflection the changes ended up with something we didn't intend. As Shulec says with games submitted we need consent to change this.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

Seems fine to me. Granted, I haven't submitted (or even started) a game here.

 

[aitkensam]

I am fine for game settings to be re-rolled if that's people's preference.

 

[kcd_swede]

I'm also good with resetting the settings. It's not as if 81 turns was a big investment to give up. Aitkensam's 64t game would be tough (tedious tough, probably not strategy tough) to beat, so if he's good with it I'm all for it.

 

[aitkensam]

I'm also good with resetting the settings. It's not as if 81 turns was a big investment to give up. Aitkensam's 64t game would be tough (tedious tough, probably not strategy tough) to beat, so if he's good with it I'm all for it.

That was only my second attempt (first time I forgot barbarians), so not much time wasted. I think it would quickly be beaten by a large margin by anyone who could be bothered to attack first AI with 1-2 quechas and wait for RNG to be kind.

 

[kcd_swede]

That was only my second attempt (first time I forgot barbarians), so not much time wasted. I think it would quickly be beaten by a large margin by anyone who could be bothered to attack first AI with 1-2 quechas and wait for RNG to be kind.

Yeah... if one is either lucky enough or persistent enough, about 25 attempts is all it should take. Yuck. My first attempt was very conservative and won in 91t, second tried to get a lucky bold battle and lost, third was mostly conservative after taking a few chances early (81t). Not fun enough to be worth trying to improve on. Very frustrating to see 64t limit approaching and having too many turns of marching left to beat you.

 

[Noble Zarkon]

OK we have changed this game to be with Babylon (Hammurabi) - hopefully this will be a more challenging task!

No objections were received from any of the people who had submitted a game.

 

[aitkensam]

Looks fun. Guess the best finish date will be pushed back a few thousand years now! Nice to have bowmen.

I wonder what the max XP anyone will get a unit to will be. I'll bet 100XP, although with lack of chokepoints on this map script maybe it won't be that high.

Guess I'll be aiming for a nice lonely corner start. Hope to play this in the next few days.

 

[neilmeister]

Definitely, Flat map will be a must for this.

 

[kcd_swede]

I will kick butt or die trying. I am in ecstasy!

 

[aitkensam]

New game is much more fun and not as hard as I expected. Forgot it was a small map. That made it much easier to roll the map with HAs. Got an 80BC finish but I'm sure it's easily possible to go much, much faster.

I went for flat map as I was scared of AI stacks coming from all directions. Don't think it's needed though. Emperor AI are too slow to get stacks made so I had HAs out (from 2nd city) before I met more than roaming archers. Next time I will go cylindrical and choke the AIs more.

 

[neilmeister]

I got a bit caught up in Elepulting the AI... in hindsight I should have focused on HA's.

I also went flat map, and I did have a few stacks come my way but nothing that was super scary. Considering the size of the map, I think the benefits of flat map outweigh the need to send units across the whole map. While it was easy to defned one side of my empire, I am not so sure about 2, especially early in the game.

 

[kcd_swede]

I got a bit caught up in Elepulting the AI... in hindsight I should have focused on HA's.

I also went flat map, and I did have a few stacks come my way but nothing that was super scary. Considering the size of the map, I think the benefits of flat map outweigh the need to send units across the whole map. While it was easy to defned one side of my empire, I am not so sure about 2, especially early in the game.

I went elepulting also, but got into trubble with holkans. I guess random opps is not advisable.

80BC is my new target... really, if you let any AI get 5-6 cities, its not cool. I'll try flat wrap too... cyl is good to reach everyone quickly, but if you can only reach them and not kill them, its not much help- HA's the distance is not an iddue. BTW...a much funner game than quecha rush, though.

 

[Seraiel]

How do you get in trouble with puny Holkans? If you elepult, no unit is a match for the mightiest unit in CIV.