3950 B.C.> I headed to the coast to found Chichen Itza. I build a Curragh to meet my neighbors and count on the javelin throwers I have been granted for initial defense.
3600 B.C.> I contact
Egypt. I trade Pottery for Ceremonial Burial.
3450 B.C.> I connect my gems.
3300 B.C.> I meet
China. I give Ceremonial Burial and 40 gold for Bronze Working.
1575 B.C.> I meet Japan. We four nations share one continent. My Curragh has shown me the contour of the continent, but the enemies overwhelming advantage in force has allowed them to send troops wandering everywhere and my little boat did not help me meet them.
I pay 20g tribute to Japan and 6g tribute to China. The latter is irksome as it forces destruction of a temple.
1300 B.C.> Japan and China are at war with Egypt. A few turns later I declare on Egypt just before they get the Great Wall and erect walls in all their cities. No matter. My spears fly over the walls and Pi-Ramses is destroyed. Strange though, it was a 2 population city and was still destroyed. I would have preferred to take it and make it my own.
1125 B.C.> Peace at a profit. Also by now I am the first to develop Literature. I trade it for Philosophy, Mysticism, and Horseback Riding and gold. My research is headed towards Republic and I build libraries. I have almost two slaves per city and have not built a worker yet. These Javelin Throwers are awesome!!
590 B.C.> Republican government is discovered. This revelation is traded for Currency, Polytheism, and Dyes and gold.
430 B.C.>
The Mayan Republic is formed, never to be dissolved.
800 B.C.> I begin construction of the Forbidden Palace.
120 B.C.> The Second Egyptian War begins. China declares against Cleopatra and I wait a few turns until she has emptied her cities of troops and sent them south before I opportunistically declare war. I take three of her cities, most notably Elephantine which was right in the middle of my birthright. I gain a ton of Egyptian slaves during the war and end it with 18 cities and 36 workers, all but one a slave. They seem to work as well as a native worker and I think I pay no maintenance on slaves. Perfect.
My naval efforts are a failure. I suspect there is a second continent out there, but the galleys I build are sunk by barbarians or lost at sea. Only my bravest boys volunteer to be sailors and they all die.
la Boca is visited by a Chinese galley and the next turn struck by Covid-158. The Gods are harsh. My people blame the Chinese galley for bringing the plague but my politicians say someone ate a bat. Who knows the truth and what can I do about it anyway?
380-530 A.D.> Well here’s one thing I can do:
War with China! They violate ROP and attack. I hate the Civs that violate right of passage and I rarely do it myself intentionally. At first they send in waves of shock troops and I fear annihilation but my troops eventually fight back. I take one of their cities near my saltpeter but I lose two cities and one is destroyed. My hope is that I can make cavalry soon and bolster my defenses. During this time I lose the rest of my galleys but the other continent’s civilizations have finally crossed the ocean and contacted me. I am not at the bottom of the heap. There is hope, but all my naval efforts were futile.
@ 1,000 A.D.>
Iron Works erected at Iron Beach. I direct research toward Electronics with the goal of Hoover Dam in that city. Special thanks must go to Più Freddo for making the hills rich with both coal and iron. The Iron Works give me renewed hope of survival.
Tobacco Lake goes on lockdown for an outbreak of the Delta Variant.
I am at war with Japan, but my Cavalry horde is strong enough to beat them back.
I have no elite units at the start of the war, and it ends with me in possession of just two elite units. I’d love an army but I’ll never get one at this rate.
1,350 A.D.> The Iron Works at Stallion Beach and my nationwide educational program reap real benefits. My scientists develop the Theory of Evolution and I trade my newly gained scientific advances widely and well bringing me up to parity with all but Persia. I lack only Steel, and that will come in three turns. I also developed Electronics first and keep it for myself until I build the
Hoover Dam! Truly the Mayan Republic has advanced greatly in the last few centuries. I recognition of the beneficence of our great creator my new capital is renamed Più Freddo. In retrospect, this was the high water mark of the Mayan Republic.
1,400 A.D.>
The Second War of Chinese Agression: Persia and China recognize our emergence as a world power and declare war on us jointly. Persia is too far away to be a real threat but China is our immediate southern neighbor and has been a worry for centuries. This is the existential threat for which we have been preparing. It’s all hands on deck in defense of our great nation.
The Chinese throw their troops at Hierancapolis, but their attacks are poorly organized in waves rather than one horde. I am able to destroy their cavalry as it retreats and force their infantry to attack rather than defend. I bring the Great Instigator in to inspire the defense and begin to plan a counter-offensive. I coordinate my defenses to use the elite troops preferentially and long for a great military leader to emerge.
Then a great joy! On January 8th (in real time) the Great Instigator dresses up as Elvis to celebrate the King’s birthday!! My troops go wild and the city is renamed Hound Dog to commemorate the occasion. Special thanks must go to Più Freddo who must have known this would happen. The Instigator was having fun, and he stayed in costume the rest of the game.
1,475 A.D.> Peace with China. I have taken back some of the cities they took from me earlier. I destroy Malkamal after it trades hands a few times. I wanted to retake Omega but my military is depleted by the war and I fear a reversal. I know China is suffering too when they send musketmen to die at the hands of my cavalry. Now I rebuild.
Persia is building the United Nations. That is a worry, but even after they complete the wonder they never call a vote.
1794 A.D.> I find that I have neither Uranium nor Aluminum, and I learn for the first time that aluminum is necessary to build the Apollo Program. I might need to go to war with China for it, but I don’t have the fortitude to attack again. Both resources are in the old Egyptian territory that I should have conquered, but didn’t. What I decide to do is settle Aluminum on the Incan coast. They are weak and can’t stop me. I build the Apollo Program with the Aluminum and hope to trade for the Uranium.
The Final Countdown: China won’t trade me Uranium, so it is war. I send three settlers into the old Egypt now occupied by China under right of passage, settle on Aluminum and surround Uranium with two cities. I violate the right of passage egregiously, but China did the same to me centuries ago and I have no chance of a diplomatic victory. To win I need to build a spaceship and get off this planet. It’s now or never.
I beat back the Chinese in war and take the land I need, but finally I lost to Persia. They built the spaceship first. I still needed Laser, Robotics, and Super Conductors so I wasn’t terribly close. Thanks again to Piu Freddo for making a very enjoyable game and giving us the tools to win but still making challenges along the way. I really enjoyed this game, far more than most, and I usually just slog through Deity games waiting for the hammer to fall.
Lessons learned:
· I still need to be more aggressive. I should have attacked Egypt earlier when they were weak and taken the land that eventually contained Aluminum and Uranium.
· I should have attacked China when I had Mechanized Infantry and they were still displaying Infantry and Riflemen. Strike when there is a genuine advantage.
· I developed ToE and was in the top tier of science, but somehow I lost that edge. I don’t know how, but it cost me the Space Race.