Perhaps the best thing about Computers as a free tech is that no one else has it. I also discover that I'm almost caught up in the tech race; the Iroquois have Rocketry, and Persia Fission, but no other first-tier techs have been researched.
I realize at this point that a decision needs to be made. It won't be that long until the Iroquois are pursuing a space race, assuming Persia doesn't end it before then diplomatically. My technology is good, as is the resource situation, but my military and manufacturing are critical weak spots. My main rivals are:
1. America - 3rd in the Space Race. They are militarily weak, but a technological power. I could likely win a war against them if need be.
2. Iroquois - 1st in Space Race, 2nd in score, a leading candidate for Diplomatic Victory. It would be very difficult to win a war against them.
3. Persia - 2nd in Space Race, building the UN. They are strong and would be tough to defeat, and are the main counterweight to the Iroquois.
4. Maya - 1st place in score. Have an MPP with France. Though France is weak, fighting the two of them together is almost impossible.
5. Hittites - 3rd place in score. They are very strong and expanding (and hate me).
Looking at this, I come to the conclusion that my victory will have to be Space Race. I simply cannot stop enough of my rivals militarily to win in a different fashion. As a result of this conclusion, I also decide that I should not trade Computers, instead building Research Labs and the SETI Project for the research boost, and should research Miniaturization next, for the production boost for spaceship parts.
And thus, Moscow builds a lab in 1762, and begins on SETI. It should finish before the UN. I
could have switched research to Fission to try to grab the UN, but do not, and it ends up being a good choice, as Persia builds it early, apparently with a leader, in 1768.
The Iroquois keep expanding, finishing off Mongolia in 1767, and then DOWing Spain. I gift Spain all my surplus resources to slow down the Iroquois, and also give them all my techs - except for Computers, because "we have our reasons". I also gift Oil to Persia, to help them fight the Iroquois. I'll later get 73 GPT from Lincoln for another surplus Oil.
But I will rue the day that I traded oil to Persia, for in 1779, we are shockingly backstabbed by those vile Persians!!!
They march into Leptis Magna and raze it to the ground, and steamroll into all of our other cities on the Carthaginian continent except for Delhi and Alesia before we can do anything. It's an absolute disaster, costing us over 100 GNP in a single turn, putting us back into 2nd place from 1st, and delaying research by a few turns as well. And there's no real hope of taking it back.
So, livid after the backstab, we declare Persia to be Enemy Number One, and go all-out in making life miserable for them. At this point, we don't really care so much if we win, as if Persia does not win. To start with, we get their longtime ally Japan to declare war on them for Horses and Motorized Transportation. You backstab us, expect your ally to backstab you!
The next few turns are tense. We sever the Rubber near Delhi, so Persia cannot use it or trade it, but do so before drafting, meaning we get Rifles rather than Infantry. Oops. Japan, however, sends SNLF (Marines) to aid Delhi, and also captures Carthage, beginning the process of depriving Persia of the cities they so savagely took from me. Alesia is lost, but it was a lost cause.
In 1787, Spain, who is remarkably still alive after only having had one Spearman in their capital a few turns ago, demands Computers, which I refuse. It's still my monopoly. However, in 1791, the Hittites demand it, and I cave. They are possible THE most dangerous civilization to me, and the homeland in particular. So in 1792, I trade Computers, gaining Rocketry, Amphibious War, Saltpeter, Iron, Rubber, Spices, Wines, 2124 gold, and 148 GPT. It's around this time that I start going 100% science all the time, even if 100% is less than it used to be.
1794 sees Miniauturization completed, and I begin going for Nuclear Power, going for absolute maximum production. By this point, it looks like Persia is not going to be able to invade my lands, as they have no navy. Japan has contained them so far, but it's still not certain that Japan will win the war, so Delhi is still in danger.
In 1795, America declares war on their Hittite neighbors. They are the only two big powers on that continent (Portugal is a minor power). However, this does not prevent the 1805 Hittite Invasion of Japan. Although good in that it helps America, a lesser threat than the Hittites after latter's demand for Computers, it's bad in that it hurts Japan significantly.
The same turn, Japan demands Miniaturization. Though not happy about it, I cave - the last thing I need is Japan turning on me now. With Silk, Rubber, and Coal nearby, Delhi is too valuable to lose. As such, I trade Miniaturization the next turn, gaining Fission and gold. I am even with Japan and the Hittites in technology; the Iroquois are ahead of me.
In 1814, I complete SETI, and my GNP is above what it was at the time of the backstabbing, if barely. Four years later, it is back to #1. Persia, meanwhile, is requesting peace. We notice that they lack oil, and that they also are not yet conquered. Ha. Peace is NOT happening!
In the early 1820s, Persia peaces Japan twice. That is clearly unacceptable. I bribe Japan with Horses the first time, and 20 pieces of gold the second to continue the war. The second try works.
Meanwhile, in 1822, the Maya begin building the Manhattan Project. They've been nice and quiet for awhile, but they're still first in score, but now seek to become the first nuclear power. Speaking of Nuclear Power, I get it in 1830, and go for Space Flight.
The 1830s see a renewed commitment to hating on the Persians. They get the Internet, but lose Bactra. France is giving them oil, but giving France Fission ends that and starts a war. Then the Iroquois trade Persia oil; 666 gold is enough to stop that. As a bonus, this should cause war weariness in the Iroquois populace - good as the Iroquois are now #1 in GNP, despite my having gained 96 GNP in 11 turns.
In 1848, I discover Space Flight, and begin the Apollo Program in Moscow after trading for Aluminum with Portugal (there is some on the tundra, but it is not yet connected). With a laser focus on production, we beeline to Robotics via The Laser. I trade Nuclear Power to America for Ecology + 162 GPT. This ties me for the tech lead with the Iroquois. However, I have fallen to #3 in GNP, with the Maya, a Democracy, likely #2. I give them 666 gold to DOW Persia, and cause themselves war weariness.
By 1862, I have retaken one Persian city with Conscript Mech Inf, but more importantly, the Apollo Program is completed, and I'm #1 in GNP once more. The Iroquois are an Anarchy, and I am building spaceship parts in earnest. The devilish 666 gold plan is working!
I get The Laser in 1866, and am now in the tech lead! But the Hittites demand it in 1867.
I have no choice but to give it to them, as they'd crush us instantly if we resisted. But they are first-class jerks.
In 1868, I get the Party Lounge and Docking Bay completed. I trade The Laser to the Iroquois for 265 GPT, 1529 gold, and Saltpeter. This should run them dry, and slow down their research. I trade it to the Maya for 320 GPT for the same reason, and wind up with a surplus of +657 GPT at 100% research.
Trading has nearly doubled my GNP, and cash-rushing Manufacturing Plants is no problem.
1872 sees the Cockpit completed, a year after France completes the Manhattan Project. France is a decidedly second-rate power, but is at war with the Iroquois. It could get interesting if France decides to nuke them. Meanwhile, we begin building a fleet of yellow submarines - of the nuclear variety, of course.
In 1880, the Engine, part 4, is completed, the last part we can build with our current tech. Our manufacturing is at 246 Megatons - not great, but adequate so far. We're also upgrading our navy - we're careful to cover our subs with surface ships because of the infamous Sub Bug.
In 1886, we finish Robotics, and switch a nuke prebuild to the Stasis Chamber. Meanwhile, we discover that the Maya have Satellites, though not Robotics. They could be building ICBMs, or spaceships... or both.
Bad news comes in 1890, when we learn that the Iroquois have both Satellites AND the Superconductor. Uh-oh. That's a decided tech lead. We aren't sure how it happened, but we are sure that it's concerning. On the good side of the coin, we've completed our first Tactical Nuke, and send it via sub in the direction of the Maya.
The 1890s see us complete the Stasis Chamber (5/10), and Moscow reaching 10,000 culture. Clearly we were a bit off the Culture Victory, though perhaps it would have been a viable strategy with a relatively early focus.
In 1900, Moscow gets its Manufacturing Plant, and we finally peace the treacherous backstabbers, Persia, after 121 years of mostly-phony war. The reason is that we expect Japan, the only other country still at war with them, to make peace soon. Persia, meanwhile, has Synthetic Fibers. But we do not fear them in the Space Race anymore - they have been too busy building military units to take them as a serious threat. We get Synthetic Fibers the next turn, and soon thereafter, Japan does peace Persia.
In 1908, we are slightly behind the Iroquois in tech (and possibly in the space race, though we dare not spy with our military, and thus haven't even built an Intelligence Agency). So, we buy Satellites from America for 8200 gold from our war chest. America is down to one city, the rest having been conquered by the Hittites. We give them Oil for 50 gold in a lump sum, the best we can get with our reputation.
1910 sees the Storage/Supply completed (6/10). By this point, the Iroquois, Maya, and Americans have
all technologies required for the spaceship. We lack only Superconductors. The Hittites are one tech behind us despite their bullying, and Japan, Persia, and Portugal are farther back. It looks like America used the proceeds of their sale of Satellites to buy Iroquois technology, as that's who has money now. We switch to ICBM prebuilds in Istanbul and Hadrumetum.
Small events happen in 1911, when Persia foolishly requests an MPP which is still most certainly NOT happening, and in 1913, when the Hittites finish off America. Only eight civilizations remain.
In 1914, production of the exterior casing in Moscow is sabotaged! We HIGHLY suspect the Iroquois, as the money they received from America has mysteriously disappeared. This makes it even more clearly that they are very seriously pursuing a Space Race victory, and appear to consider us their top rival. As such, we send our tactical nuke away from Mayan and toward Iroquois shores.
In 1916, we research Superconductors, the last tech we need. 1918 sees the completion of Thrusters and Fuel Cells, reaching 8/10 parts.
In 1920, the Life Support System (9/10) is finished. Our sub enters within firing range of Salamanca, and spots an Iroquois nuclear sub in the same vicinity, within range of the southern fertile city of Cadiz.
Finally, in 1922, we complete Exterior Casing, despite the sabotage, and win a Space Race victory! It was a victory by the skin of our teeth; on the victory screen, we learn that the Iroquois had already completed 8 parts, and were almost surely building the last two. Some post-game city investigating determines they had 2 turns left on Exterior Casing, and 7 on the Statis Chamber (which they were building in a relatively low production city, and could have build in about 3 turns by switching cities). Even with the score bonus, we wind up in 5th place in score, behind the Iroquois, Hittites, Maya, and Japanese, respectively. I'm curious if there's any good way to find out how many parts the Maya had completed; my guess is they were pretty close, too.
All in all, a very fun game, very close, and a satisfying victory (even if the Persians were vile backstabbers and the Hittites were jerks). Definitely a one-more-turn game for most of the Industrial and Modern Ages!
Great story, MrRandomGuy. Unfortunate for you that you missed the victory, but it makes for a great tale. And those Hittites, yeah... they're jerks.
. They're more advanced than I'd thought! I decide not to get Rome or India to help me, as both of them are weak and would be quickly conquered. I take Cadiz, the other good city, in 690, and make peace in 700 AD, getting the Printing Press for a nominal price in the process.
), but I deliver the final blow to Zululand, taking their only city on the Hittite continent, to the north of Moscow.
