COTM 11: First Spoiler

[denyd]

namilam: There are 3 different saves on available to be used for this game.

Predator is the toughest and is aimed to challenge the top players. It usually has either bonuses for the AI or penalties for the player (or both).

Open is a standard game with no advantages given to either side beyond normal for that level.

Conquests (probably a bad title for the class) is for those who have not played very often at the difficulty level. This is the only level that has a score adjustment with a 10% (I think) reduction in score.

Since you are new to the forum (welcome btw), playing the Conquest level is fine. You'll have a couple of extra goodies to get you off to a good start. You are playing the same map as everyone else with the same opponents.

 

[AlanH]

It's not in Cracker's article, it's in this article by T-hawk, and a correct picture is in this article by planetfall.

For clarity, they are all posts in Cracker's forestry thread.

 

[solenoozerec]

You get these weird messages in the following case:
- you are a scientific civ,
- when you enter a new age you select a tech to research before you get your free tech
- you get the tech you selected as free tech

(In this case it looks like you selected and got monotheism)

Yes, I do not see these kind of messages often, since even when we are scientific, I don't always eneter new ages, like in GOTM41.
Yes, I indeed chose monotheism (it was a mistake, though).
But what bothers me is why this guy is talking about polytheism? Why not about writing or mysticism ?

 

[Lanaxis]

I settled SE on the hills and grew my empire along both coasts. Between curraghs and warriors I was able to make contact with everyone fairly quickly (except the Celts who hid from me for quite some time) Except for one major trading snafu I was able to enter the MA ahead of or tied with all the other civs in the tech race.

The snafu was a trade with the Mongols: I put Code of Laws up for trade and then as I went down to click on what would you like to offer for it, I accidently clicked on Here have this nice pretty tech! Doh! Oh Well needless to say the Mongols liked me after that.

I quickly blocked off access to my lands using the 4 point chokepoint, which allowed me to get the Ivory and the Incense. I did end up in one small war with the Carthaginians when they tried to settle on the Ivory. After I killed the first warrior and took the settler as slaves they promptly sent another warrior and settler who I also killed After that nothing happened until we went to peace.

Nobody else even tried to settle on my little chunk of land, though i kept expecting to find a Dutch or Viking settler wandering around it never happened.

All in all a fairly good start I have no idea what victory condition that I'm going for but I'm currently in 3rd place on the Histographic chart, though I'm rapidly closing the gap with 1st and 2nd place.

 

[ionimplant]

After been beaten twice for 20K, by 25 turns in COTM9 and by at least 42 turns in COTM10, it's time to get serious. I copied the starting situation and did some testruns up to 1000BC. The purpose of these runs is to see what can be build and researched in that timeframe.

Rebad, how did you do the test run? i tried some test game, but they were not helpful at all since the starting positions are too different. i was thinking about using editor to make a map like this but i'm such a novice with editor and don't even know how to assign myself a startign position to a desired place (the tip of a penninsular this time) and so finally gave up.

 

[ionimplant]

I quickly blocked off access to my lands using the 4 point chokepoint, which allowed me to get the Ivory and the Incense. I did end up in one small war with the Carthaginians when they tried to settle on the Ivory. After I killed the first warrior and took the settler as slaves they promptly sent another warrior and settler who I also killed After that nothing happened until we went to peace.

that sounds excatly like what happened in my game. those 4 slaves are really easy. Carthage is such a miserable civ in my game. i guess losing two early settlers is the main reason for their performance.

 

[Più Freddo]

For clarity, they are all posts in Cracker's forestry thread.

Exactly. But in Cracker's War Academy article, it is falsely stated that:
"When two or more towns can overlap the same square of forest, the harvest bonus will go to the town that is working the forest square at the moment the forest is harvested."

 

[Più Freddo]

But what bothers me is why this guy is talking about polytheism? Why not about writing or mysticism ?

Is that how you would have designed the bug...? But usually, bugs are not designed, they just happen. Probably that applies to this one as well.

 

[gskyes]

Exactly. But in Cracker's War Academy article, it is falsely stated that:
"When two or more towns can overlap the same square of forest, the harvest bonus will go to the town that is working the forest square at the moment the forest is harvested."

That must be what I was remembering. I will have to look through those links you posted earlier and see what the current rules are when I have time later. I should also see if I can find Crackers forestry thread. Thanks for the clarification from both of you.

 

[Chamnix]

Open class, barbs fixed. Goal = fast space victory.

I didn’t even realize there was fresh water nearby for a while – my worker went right to the cow to road, settler went SE to settle. Builds were curragh, granary, worker, warrior (finally discovered fresh water), settler. My workers created a nice 6-turn settler/something factory which I had to convert into a 4-turn settler factory by irrigating over a mine when I finally found water.

Research was at maximum the entire way. I researched pottery, then writing. I was shocked by the quick tech pace on regent. A couple civs discovered writing not long after I did – I’m thinking there was rather generous goody hut placement for selected non-Korean civs. I avoided trading writing until almost everyone had it, then I finally traded it to the final 2 civs. I still managed to complete the Republic slingshot although I was very nervous for a while, completing Philosophy/Republic in 1275BC.

1000BC stats:

13 cities
28 citizens
2 settlers
10 workers
2 archers
6 warriors
3 curraghs

I was not involved in any wars in the Ancient Age since there was adequate room to expand peacefully and I was using so many shields on libraries that my military was laughable. I kept the tech pace as quick as I could, giving literature to everyone as soon as I discovered it so they could build libraries, and generally spreading techs around for whatever loose change others had accumulated. I reached the Middle Ages in 730BC.

 

[eldar]

Open

I didn't take notes; so I've forgotten my exact date for entering the MA. Some time after 490BC (my save from then is researching Currency with 17 turns left, my last MA tech).

I settled in the popular SE spot, and built a Warrior, a Curragh, and a Settler. The Settler went up to the lake, and I irrigated my way down to the cow.

Seoul was now a 4-turn Warrior+Settler factory, with the second city sharing the irrigated Game two turns out of 4.

I made contacts quickly with my Curraghs, and traded a bit; with the Mongols in particular, who popped huts like crazy. I pulled off the Republic slingshot by 1 turn - a close shave.

I had one brief war with the Dutch, due to a misunderstanding. They thought they could plonk a city down on my Incense. I corrected this train of thought with a few Archers.

I also had a war with the Vikings. I thought it would be a "phony war" that saw no action. They landed a single Warrior next to Pyongyang - undefended, and with the SoZ by that time. Not a worry, I thought, I had 3 Veteran Warriors within range of it. Then the Curse of the RNG struck, as my first attack failed, then my second and third failed without scratching Ragnar's super-dude! So I had to watch as he marched into Pyongyang Next turn I re-captured it with my first attack, and suffered no further embarrasments during the war.

My empire at 1000BC (11 cities, 23 pop, all AA techs except Poly, Monarchy, Lit, Currency, Construction):

Neil.

 

[Megalou]

DaveMcW, how could your rivals have Currency and Construction in 1125 BC? I noticed you did not research Math, although I assume you gave it around once you traded it as did I, but what else did you do to help the AI? I am of course totally rejecting the possibility that it was luck.

 

[eldar]

One thing I did notice was that there were a number of Flood Plains on the starting peninsula that weren't next to rivers... clear evidence of map editing, but was this intentional? Not that I minded, it made some of the desert areas useful even pre-rails.

 

[Più Freddo]

One thing I did notice was that there were a number of Flood Plains on the starting peninsula that weren't next to rivers... clear evidence of map editing, but was this intentional?

I found it pretty disturbing. I didn't notice until a citizen unexpectedly worked one of these tiles. Then I took a closer look at all desert tiles and found as many as six of these Salzburger Nockerln (a.k.a. a rich desert). I might have placed cities differently.

Rules changes (edits) should be in the game release notice, and a Civ III rule says that flood plains are always next to a river.

Will these flood plains cause disease?

 

[DaveMcW]

DaveMcW, how could your rivals have Currency and Construction in 1125 BC? I noticed you did not research Math, although I assume you gave it around once you traded it as did I, but what else did you do to help the AI? I am of course totally rejecting the possibility that it was luck.

Yes, I did trade around Math and Mysticism as soon as I got them. I also gave away Republic to boost their research speed.

I think another factor was not trading Writing or Alphabet. Even when half the AIs had Writing, I refused to trade Alphabet to those who didn't have it. The AI thinks Alphabet is a useless tech, so they often research something else like Currency and Construction.

 

[Più Freddo]

The AI thinks Alphabet is a useless tech, so they often research something else like Currency and Construction.

How can they do that without Alphabet?

 

[DaveMcW]

Oops, you're right.

They did get Alphabet eventually (when I gave away Mathematics), but not Writing.

 

[Choffy]

First COTM

Settled on hill. Went for settler fqctory after 3 warriors.
Research all along at high level. Started with Code of law + Philo to get republic. Then finished with other tech. Traded techs all along and have been able to get construction from AI.
Entered MA in 470 BC.

Build a stack of 1 warriors to upgrade with cash to Nedieval Infantry. Open question is the next target.

I have at 470 BC
17 cities, 36 pop
1 settler, 12 workers, 12 warriors, 4 spearmen, 2 curraghs.
NW, I have 4 warriors to stop Carthage warriors or settlers.

 

[Megalou]

Thanks, DaveMcW. Didn't really think about giving away republic. I wonder if I was right not to research republic once I missed the sling-shot, but I think so.

 

[Redbad]

i doubt it can be smaller than mine. good thing is i did get ivory.

Yes, I think my empire was 50% larger at 1000 BC
And yes, you were quite fortunate to get the ivory.

Oh, i think again i'm going to lose due to my late library which was not built until 130 BC...

I made some calculations. Seems to me our 20K culture stayed within a few percents from one another throughout the entire AA. I estimate you had at 270BC (my MA-date) 1144 culture with 22 cpt and I had 1158 with 25 cpt. We will have to await eachothers MA-post to see if we're continue to be close or not.

Rebad, how did you do the test run? i tried some test game, but they were not helpful at all since the starting positions are too different. i was thinking about using editor to make a map like this but i'm such a novice with editor and don't even know how to assign myself a startign position to a desired place (the tip of a penninsular this time) and so finally gave up.

I used the editor to copy the starting map. I too don't know how to assign the starting position. I just put a settler and a worker on the mountain with the editor. And then when I load the .biq file I just delete the starting settler/worker from the game and use the settler/worker I placed with the editor.