Climb the Ladder V: Stalin - Emperor (again!)

[shyuhe]

At this point, you shouldn't switch to cottages until at least emancipation, if at all. I'd just workshop/watermill spam the map and go full military from here. Also, if St. P is your HE city, fire the specialists and concentrate on hammers.

 

[Calech]

I also want your thoughts on specialization. Moscow will get Ironworks, Novgorod Wall Street, and Ulundi Oxford maybe? Do I also need to plow over those few cottages near Ulundi?

Ulundi can't get Oxford as it already has two other National Wonders (Moai and NE).

If you're set on repossessing Justinian's land, Constantinople (complete with Buddhist shrine) might be a better site for Wall Street.

Curassiers and your UU are coming up but you don't have horses. Justinian however is willing to trade them - although he might ask a steep price for them, but stone and marble aren't exactly military resources. (Justin is also missing Guilds which enables his UU and is instead chasing Divine Right?)

 

[Ignorant Teacher]

Thoughts:
2) When do I switch to CE? Once Printing Press comes in, I should switch some cities (i.e. Novgorod) to full fledged CE? I also want your thoughts on specialization. Moscow will get Ironworks, Novgorod Wall Street, and Ulundi Oxford maybe? Do I also need to plow over those few cottages near Ulundi?

As you're going to attack Byzantium, I'd build the Wall Street in the Buddhist holy city.

If you're going to build Oxford in Ulundi, build more cottages, not less.

Pick some cities and cottage them up, especially the riverside ones. I don't think a civic based approach to the whole empire is the best way to act here.

Fire the specialists in St. Pete, farm the floodplains and workshop the rest.

 

[CreeDakota]

I often rotate cities out of SE and into CE based on Great people; once a city gets a Great person it loses the specialists and switches to cottages or production.

Farm Ulundi's Cottages. If possible put future wonders there.

Moscow looks fine. Iron Works+ This will likely still be running a few specialist and be secondary GPerson source.

poor St. Petes. Ugg. Forget the plains cottages. Can you chain irrigate to the Corn? Sacrificing the Flood Plain town maybe worth it.

Perhaps Rostov as a GT draft City?

Oxford and Wall perhaps best in Just's land?

 

[dankok8]

Round 6: 1380-1650AD

Tech Order: Military Tradition/Printing Press/Guilds/Banking/Replacable Parts/Rifling/Economics/Astronomy/Scientific Method

Basically, the beginning of the round focused on getting some military techs online and building a little bit of an army to make ourselves appear to be a less juicy target.

I pulled a happy trade with Justinian:



I couldn't think of any Stone wonder from that point on except Mt. Rushmore and that was not for a while. Some gpt is nice too.

But then I notice...



and..



I was a little worried to be honest. I asked him for a gift (i.e. a 10 turn peace treaty) and he agreed.



A GS was born in Ulundi and used to build the Academy there (Moscow and Novgorod already had one).



I then pulled a nice trade with the Arab leader:



I still had 2 turns on Printing Press. I also traded Justinian for an updated world map:



When I saw a large brown blob, I thought it was all 1 huge civ!! Luckily its the Native Americans AND Mongols who I had no contact with at that point.

Siege machinery was being built across Russia:



...and a large Russia was getting larger...



Gotta have them Horses!!

Attacking Justinian would be really tough though. He has a large army:



Jaroslav in this pick is being cottaged all over and is becoming an important city in the empire:



Since Justinian is Friendly and pretty damn tough, I decide to:



The next GS out of Novgorod is settled.



Another trade for gold with Justin:



Finally, a Mongol shows up:



Hey Qin, I mean Kublai, how are you? Still running them Keshiks?

The next GS born in Ulundi I kept to perhaps start a GA ... I donno.



In this pic, you can see Justinian's capital. Nothing special. Lots of plains. I bet he can't work half of those cottages. No wonder he's behind in tech. It seems like his workers are tearing down those farms too...



Novgorod would start on the Oxford:



A Celtic leader tries to make me stop trading with Justinian:



I refuse. Brennus could declare on us later in the game but then again he's the tech leader and may need to be brought down a peg.

We meet the last leader in the game.. THE BULL!!



Nice guy though.. we pulled a few great trades (1st one especially)







Another trade for happiness with Saladin:



As the round ends, we compete Scientific Method and start on Biology. Extra food will really help us in many places and allow us to farm that tundra in St. Pete in particular. State of the World post to follow.

 

[dankok8]

State of the World - 1650AD

Domestic:



Tech:



Civics:



Power:



Demo:



Major Cities:

Moscow


When Biology is done and city grow to size 20, I'll max out on workshops. After Steam Power (Levee + Ironworks) and Assembly Line (Factories), this city should have some serious production!!

St. Petersburg


Biology will benefit this city enormously as I'll farm all that tundra to help it grow. This city will build military units exclusively and production buildings.

Ulundi


Biology will help this city too. It's a pretty strong GS farm (I'm currently in the growth phase so only running 4 scientists). After Biology, I will easily run 8-10 and contribute to research in a major way as well.

Nobamba


Another commerce city. Not much to say.

Novgorod


Commerce powerhouse. Will also get Wall Street and probably be the HQ of Sid's Sushi (hopefully I'll get it ).

Rostov


Up and coming commerce city. Yaroslavl north of Moscow is also a commerce city but I have no screenie.

Comments/Thoughts:
1) I will switch to Free Market soon. I'll keep running Bureaucracy and Caste System though. I have lots of happiness resources to avoid Emancipation and not many towns to really benefit from Free Speech while Moscow will benefit form higher production and gold.
2) I think I'll go for Space Win. Rapid industrialization should get me there in terms of production. Research will be limiting factor so I'm thinking Internet beeline. What do y'all think?
3) I also have Rifling on everybody on top of Replacable Parts.
4) I'm trying to pop a GM from Nobamba for Sid's Sushi.

 

[Soirana]

2) I think I'll go for Space Win. Rapid industrialization should get me there in terms of production. Research will be limiting factor so I'm thinking Internet beeline. What do y'all think?
3) I also have Rifling on everybody on top of Replacable Parts.

I think you had problem in tech planing.

 

[CreeDakota]

If you have given up on invading Just and instead will use him as a defensive pact shield, consider being very generous with some tech trades to keep his units powerful if the other continent invades.

Is the other continent hindu lovefest?

 

[kossin]

State of the World - 1650AD
St. Petersburg


Biology will benefit this city enormously as I'll farm all that tundra to help it grow. This city will build military units exclusively and production buildings.

1. You can't farm non-riverside tundra
2. You should never ever be working 1-food tiles! You have a windmill hill and can get another one rather than a mine to add prod and commerce. Moreover, that corn is somewhat wasted without irrigation (cottages on plains? ewww)

 

[shyuhe]

If St. P is your military city, it has no business having half the buildings it has right now. It also shouldn't have any cottages - farms, workshops, or mines. Possibly a windmill to even out the food count.

 

[dankok8]

Round 7: 1650-1842AD

Tech Order: Biology-Steam Power-Steel-Corporation-Assembly Line-Medicine-Artillery-Rocketry

Plan was to grow cities larger and increase production followed by heading for Apollo which is unlocked by Rocketry. I also build a fair bit of modern units this round which makes me feel safe that I can defend myself in case of attack.

As the round starts off, a backward neighbour wants a gift:



Sure, it's all yours!!

I pull a trade for a happiness resource as unhappiness from Emancipation becomes more noticable. It's not the like the Stone would be of any use to him anyways.



Sitting Bull declared on Kublai and he wants my help:



The thing is that I don't care about their war.

A GS is popped in Nobamba and builds an Academy there:



Justinian asks for another thing:



No!! You are already pretty happy with me and I don't want a turn of anarchy.
Then Justinian declares war on Kublai who makes peace with Sitting Bull and bribes a few buddies to go after our friend Justinian:



Soon enough, requests to stop trading come up:





No and no!! I really need all the happy resources at this point.

Brennus makes headway against Justinian:



I was a little worried since Brennus is also the tech leader, but then again this was a small garrison and Justinian should get it back (he eventually did).

Justinian also struck a blow of his own to Brennus:



Durnovaria isn't a great city but then Brennus isn't that big so it hurts him. Justinian didn't lose control of it...

I pulled a nice trade with Bull:



Several turns later Bull wants a gift:



Sure man. You do know you're quite far from the tech that lets you use it right?

Brennus hates me yet he asks me for help:



Fight your wars on your own!!

Another GS is popped and builds an Academy in Bulawayo:



I sell Justinian some Silver for money:



And then use that money + a a little more to buy Gold from the Bull:



Then, I pull a trade with Saladin after realizing that Brennus got as far as Radio as he built the Cristo!



Luckily for me, another war erupts:



This time, Justinian wants my help:



Sorry, I just have no interest in a war right now.

I realize I haven't built this wonder despite having Assembly Line for a few turns. I think I can still do it even though I sold the tech to Sal. I was right:



After Medicine is done, I switch to Environmentalism so I don't have to worry about health problems which were going to be an issue given lack of forests and numerous flood plains around cities.



Kublai wants a sizable gift and he's teching pretty well himself:



I decided to give in and he turned Pleased. I wanna reduce chances of having to fight an unexpected war.

I decide to put this National Wonder in Moscow:



It will come in useful if we have to do a late game invasion to stop a culture/space attempt.

I buy another happy resource for Brennus:



Finally, as the round ends, Kublai asks for help:



Is it the "N" or the "O" that this guy doesn't understand.

As Rocketry was finished, the round is done. State of the World post to follow.

 

[dankok8]

State of the World - 1842AD

Russian Empire:



Domestic:



Tech:



Foreign:



Demo:



Victory:



Cities:



























Comments/Thoughts:
1) My research rate is not good especially since I came out of Free Market. Should I finally switch out of Representation, Bureaucracy + Caste and adopt US, Free Speech, and Emancipation? Do I have enough cottages to benefit?
2) Stemming from comment #1, I'm thinking beelining Computers and getting the Internet is a good move since research (not production) is the limiting factor.
3) Justinian has higher power than me but much of it is his huge navy:



His units are also very obsolete and if I could build a few more Artillery, he would go down like a deck of cards since my production is almost double his. Then again, going to war will exacerbate my large happiness problems. Some of my cities have +8 due to not having Emancipation. That's crazy!! I have to run the culture slider at 10% during peace times.
4) I may have to invade Brennus late to stop his culture attempt. I'll be monitoring Vienne closely.

 

[shyuhe]

You're working a total of 4 workshops for the price of emancipation unhappiness??? Caste system isn't worth the unhappiness the way you have your empire configured right now. Also, St. P should be hiring engineers, not scientists. You're trying to make that poor city do too many things when it's not capable of it.

I'd also check your farm irrigation - some of them have lost irrigation.

 

[CreeDakota]

Have you burned a one GP GA yet? I would probably hold off on a big Civic Switch until Burgundian pops its GS then go either

US + FS + Em + EV +whatever

then focus on City growth and cottage growth and fire all specialist that are not going to produce a Great Person.

or

HR + Buero+Caste+SP (trade with Sit Bull) +whatever

if you want to hold onto the Workshop angle (which I do not recommend). You would likely need to build wealth in Moscow for long periods to have the research needed to get space with this.

As Far as Justinian I would not want to take him out unless you have Hindism and the Will to Spread it around your continent. Right now he is providing you with worst enemy cover, If he were gone you would have to worry alot about late game invasions.

Also Rostov is working an unimproved tile.

 

[dankok8]

Round 8: 1842-1982AD

Tech Order: Electricity/Industrialism/Fission/Ecology/Plastics/Radio/Computers/Composites/Fiber Optics/Genetics

Several Goals This Round:
1) Grab Aluminum (needs Industrialism)
2) Get Internet to compensate for low research capacity
3) Monitor Brennus' cultural progress and raze his Vienne if needed

The first tech we were researching was Electricity while Moscow was building the Apollo.



We got a nice event:



Given how busy Justinian was with wars, I decided to also have another less volatile ally:



Sal is also on the same continent as my potential enemies so he would likely take the brunt of the attack.

Seeing how Brennus was lacking Aluminum, I decide to found Aluminum Co. with my GS for denial purposes:



I then pulled a few nice trades to get me in the thick of things:







Notice I traded techs with Justinian and Bull who were backwards and not threats for Space.

Bulawayo built the Red Cross:



As you can see, the world was engulfed in war while we were building up. Not for long as you will see.



Here you can see Moscow building the SS Life Support:



Finally, a GP that is not a GS is born (RNG was really crappy all game long as I always kept getting GS) and I start a Golden Age:



...and switch to Emancipation:



Given Moscow's production supermacy and the fact that we were going for the Internet, I decided not to change the other civics.

Since Moscow had nothing to do, I figured I'd build:



...followed by:



Brennus' third city was over 25k and getting there quickly so I decided to act:



I made a trade with Justinian:



Brennus, this means WAR!!!



With substantial loses, Vienne was razed!!!



Another helpful event:



However, to say that Brennus responded to my attack would be an understatement!!



He captured Nobamba and dropped 2 tactical nukes on Ulundi where my mini SOD was, killing at least 15 units. He also sank the remainder of my invasion fleet and killed my veteran marines to the last man!!

Stalin was outraged and ordered complete annihilation of Celtia and that Brennus glowing green from radiation is brought to Moscow. However, Russian diplomats under pressure from surviving Russian people of Ulundi, were forced to use their UN powers to introduce and pass the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Meanwhile, the conventional army was kicking Brennus' army back into the sea and Nobamba was quickly captured by a massive stack of Artillery and Tanks.



Our buddy Justinian helped us by nuking Bibracte:



Kublai was also throwing nukes at the poor Bull:



"Master Stalin, we do have one ICBM that was built before the treaty was passed", said one of the soldiers. "Use it", said Stalin, "We need to bring Brennus down a little!"



Half of the population as well as a lot of improvements and buildings were gone. Bibracte was seriously crippled. Ulundi happened to have the Bomb Shelter so the damage suffered from 2 nukes was less than in Bibracte although substantial.

While a nuclear war was raging, Moscow was completing the Internet:



Before:



After:



Finally, we are the technological leaders.

TO BE CONTINUED!

 

[dankok8]

As Wall Street was destroyed when Nobamba was captured, I decided to rebuild it in Bulawayo which was a stronger gold city:



Brennus wasn't done though:



He had tactical nuke there but didn't get to launch it as I recaptured the city on the next turn. This brought Brennus to the bargaining table.



All of my navy was gone and my ports decimated through capture/nukes that I couldn't afford to fight this war any longer. Brennus knew that.

Moscow was busy building parts:



I dialed Justinian:



I popped 2 Engineers in the round which I settled in Moscow:



I should have used them for the elevator. Maybe it would have helped?

Moscow was building:



When this finished in Kwa, I was overjoyed because it meant that I was probably safe from annihilation:



In 1970, the spaceship was finally launched:



I spent the next 12 turns building and upgrading my military in case an attack came. It never did and in 1982:



We WON!!

Summary:





Production was crippled quite a bit as Ulundi and nMung lost most of they buildings... I was #1 in production for quite a bit before that and Moscow was building most parts anyways.





It recovered quite nicely from nuclear holocaust don't you think? It made like 200+ beakers by the end with the research slider on.







By the end of the game, Bull was eaten alive by Kublai (who vassalized him) and Saladin.

Why we won:
1) Good diplomacy. I was never declared on despite low power by playing friends with all civs and ensuring I wasn't anybody's worst enemy.
2) Killing Shaka early. We would not have enough land if we didn't. Starting positions on our continent game Justinian way more land than myself and Shaka.
3) Moscow. AI cannot build cities that make Casings/Thrusters in 2 turns.
4) Attacking Brennus. I have no doubts that if I hadn't hurt Brennus, he could have won Space. I think he launched 4 turns after me.

What I learned:
1) Naval supremacy is essential in the Modern Age. If I had even 10 Battleships, I could have sunk Brennus' invasion fleets and won much earlier.
2) SE can work into the Modern Age. Even with the slider off, I was still making 800 beakers/turn at the end.

What do y'all think?

 

[CreeDakota]

Bravo!! You also must of had some decent war skills to recover from Brennus' counter attack.

 

[mjg5591]

Congradulations Dankok8, followed the whole thread. Really like the write-ups and post reports very thorough(sp).