COTM30 First Spoiler

[civ_steve]

COTM 30 First Spoiler

And it's still the 5th in some places!

Reading Requirements

1. You must be able to research a Middle Age technology.
2. You must have contact with all the AI on your continent (not too tough this one I think! )

Posting Restrictions

• No discussions of the middle ages (or later)
• No screenshots of any middle-age (or later) resources.
• No screenshots of off-continent land

Please limit discussions of off-continent discoveries to dates and significant trades.

So how is your game going? Is your Japan on its path to destiny or have any local AI gotten in your way? Are barbarians giving you any problems?

 

[AVN]

Going for Conquest.

Settled in place, there was no need to move around with all those BGs around. Started researching Pottery, to be followed by the fastest route to the Republic slingslot. After the first two warriors I built a granary, followed by a large amount of settlers. Because I used only one warrior for scouting (the other was on MP duty) it took me quite some time before I met the others. In fact there was only one other civ on the continent, namely Persia.

So I couldn't do much tech trading. When I researched Writing, I discovered that Persia had that tech already. Because I expected to be far behind in tech compared with the civs on the other continent, I decided not to go for the Republic slingshot anymore. I continued research with Philosophy and chose a free Map Trading, so I could build the Great Lighthouse, which I was able to get.

With some suicide galleys I was able to find the other continent and the civs which were located there. And this confirmed that I was behind in tech.

But the rest I have to tell in the next spoiler thread.

 

[maharaja]

This is the first time I played any emperor level game, before this once I played Monarch and that too COTM. No need to say that I got medal for losing that game (highest score for losing space race). Anyway, I knews it's going to be hard for me to play for conquest or space race or cultural. So only option left was diplomacy.

I settled same place and started with settler, archer options and starts roaming to see some resources near by. I found only one other civ. in this continent and that was persia. First thing what I did, I attacked Persia and got their capital. Then expanding my empire and on and off war with Persia, which didn't allow them to be stronger on this continent.

These AIs were way ahead of me in research , I don't know what speed or money they were throwing for research . And those wonders it seems were made for them only, specially one civ.

I can't reveal much in this thread, at the end I managed to survive. Even though I have to learn how to score on the higher side but I WON using my Diplomacy.....So first Emperor level game ends with Diplomacy win.....score was too low for me.

 

[civ_steve]

Excellent! Looking forward to hearing more details in the next Spoiler!

 

[AndySir]

Predator Domination

I entered the QSC on Mr PuiFreddo's advice - heavy on the micromanaging with the assist of CA2. Have to say it seems to have improved my start position quite a way.

Settled on spot, 2 warriors, a granary, 2 settlers then 4 archers and a spear which I was disappointed only managed to take Persepolis... until I discovered IW and realised I had inadvertantly cut off Xerxes from his immortals. Then just rapid expansion with lots of fiddly bits. Tech was the area I still lagged in, not reaching the MA until about 30BC.

QSC results: 13 cities (including Persepolis), 4 barracks, 5 temples and 1 granary, 9 workers, and a handful of military units. Still only 1 civ contacted (Persia) and tech is poor with the MA still 9 techs away. No trading whatsoever with Persia as I was going for Phil first, which I didn't get.

Entered MA by extoring tech from Persia and finally making contact with other lands. In a good position, but without GL don't know how I'll take the other continent in time to even approach the top military players.

 

[azzaman333]

I am much too chicken to declare war on a Persia with a hill capital and iron when I myself have no strategic resources, and it will probably end up costing me the game. At least it would if I hadnt built the Great Lib and met *NON-EXISTANT* civs.

 

[Chamnix]

Predator Class, going for Domination for a change.

It was a rather sloppy Ancient Age, I'm afraid. I'm not at all happy with how I started especially with all the food nearby, but here's my tale:

I started as expected with worker to the cow. With all the BGs around, it was clear to settle in place.

I met Persia in 3500 BC, and bought a worker from them the next turn for Ceremonial Burial to help set up my factory ASAP

My capital built warrior, granary, settler, barracks, and then operated as a 30/30 factory. The military 30 unfortunately was archer + warrior. The archers mostly danced with immortals trying not to get killed while looking for occasional attack opportunities, and the warriors were generally MPs who were disbanded eventually upon reaching Republic.

My second town was founded by the cows to the southeast. It built a granary first, then operated as a 4-turn settler factory.

With all these settlers being produced, I occasionally forgot how difficult it could be to defend towns against immortals. I periodically settled aggressively only to disband the town a few turns later.

I researched Pottery, then the attempted Republic slingshot, missing by 3 turns (to Persia) mainly due to an inexplicable tardiness in settling and hooking up luxuries.

Xerxes and I fought on again/off again wars. Periodically he would make a demand, and I would refuse.

QSC:

16 towns
30 citizens
2 settlers
18 native workers
2 slaves
10 warriors
8 archers
1 curragh (only one still floating at 1000 BC - I can't even remember how many sailors I sent to their deaths before then).



After missing the slingshot I was very disgusted with my play. Combine that with the frustration from not making overseas contacts, no trading opportunities with my only neighbor, and my poor settlement strategy (and a bad day at work), and I became extra dastardly. I maximized my gpt and traded it all to Persia for all their available techs, then immediately declared war. I figured if I was having that much trouble finding the other continent with suicide runs, then there was no way Xerxes would live long enough to tell anyone of my misdeeds.

In 570 BC, I completed the Great Lighthouse.

In 530 BC, I made my first overseas contact. At this point Xerxes was ready to talk peace again, so I gave him all my gpt for the Republic, Polytheism, Construction, and Currency and entered the Middle Ages (and of course redeclared on Persia immediately after).

530 BC (minimap edited):

 

[Htadus]

Settled on the spot when the worker found all those BG's. Built 2 warriors and grainary, reserached pottery and then to Philosophy for the free tech. The homeland neighbor, Hamurabi, was racing toward writing so fast we were afraid to go for THE sling. Good thing since Persia also learned Philosophy the same turn. Trading was not that good and It took forever, 10AD, to get to Middle Age. Once we realized we did not have iron, the chance for extorting went out the window, we built the GLib (Some one building Sun-Tzu told us how backword we are). That is how we got to MA. We also built the GLH but never found the passage to south. Oh well.

We gave into one extortion by Hamurabi since his guys were standing by two undefended cities. Later we DOWed and took the capital and the iron. It took 9 horses to take the city with 4 defending spears loosing only one horse. It was a good thing to spend gold to establish an embassy. Other wise only 8 horses would have attacked. Two turns later we had 13 horses for the attack.

When we did get to MA, the GLib gave us all the Const+Myst+Poly and 2 gov techs, and to Theology and Chivelry. We start to study engineering.

QSC
12 Cities
29 Population
11 native workers
16 Warriors
3 Archers
1 Spear
1 Galley
2 Rax
2 Grainaries
2 Temples.

The plan is to keep Hamu around to play OCC and to go for 4 turn science farms in the north.

 

[Paul#42]

I had settled in place, started research on the slingshot and had to build a settler first (after two warriors). I met only Persia (3500 BC), so Pottery was not available. Traded for WC and a slave soon. So after Alpha I went for Pottery myself, established settler factories in my first two towns.

Casually I built some barracks, archers and hooked up horses and dyes with combat settlers. I then focussed on horses and caught X-Man off guard, capturing Persepolis with 8 horses . Two reg Immortals lost to my units without starting his Golden Age

An early suicide galley sunk a view to some Sumerian borders

I lost the republic sling shot to some other civ overseas. No need to hesitate: Xerxes had to swallow all my anger . After a nasty Persepolis flip I ripped him by ~300 BC.

Finally a suicide galley made her way to the other continent, I was ahead Republic and Literatur by then, most of those civs already had entered the Middle Ages. This was around 500 BC. I waited with trading till I knew most of them, then made my way to the new Age. Made a mistake and first bought construction, they made me add ~20gpt on Republic to get currency then (both were equally spread among them).

China had built GLH and settled a town on my shores. Killing two spears got me a leader who rushed the FP in Persepolis.

I now will ICS my whole continent to support quick research and a samurai army. I guess I won't start to invade the other continent before astronomy. As usual on a continent map I missed to build the GLH...

As the Ai took the lower tech path, I will cruise through the upper part to make most of it. Not sure yet if I will start wars over there or keep them peaceful for most rapid tech pace.

 

[Nikodemus]

I figured with all the BGs around the starting location I'd try a 20K game.

4000 BC Settle on the spot, start research on Alphabet, building warrior (next temple, then settler).
3350 BC Finish temple in Kyoto.
3000 BC Meet Persia.
2800 BC Trade Masonry from Persia and start building The Pyramids.
2750 BC Learn Alphabet.
1725 BC Learn Writing.
1575 BC Finish The Pyramids
1525 BC Learn Mysticism.
1500 BC First curragh sails out for the new world.
1375 BC First curragh sunk by the barbarians.
1150 BC Learn Literature.
1000 BC Pretty weak QSC stats: 6 cities, 21 population, 5 workers, 1 settler, 4 warriors, 3 curraghs, no buildings or techs other than what has been mentioned here.
950 BC Finish The Great Library.
925 BC First contact with the other continent. Gain 6 techs from The Great Library.
875 BC Finish library in Kyoto.
825 BC Another new contact, gain Poly and Construction from the Great Library.
800 BC Learn Code of Laws.
710 BC Persians declare war and burn down my undefended dyes city. Finish Colossem in Kyoto. I have 4 warriors to fight the evil Persians.
690 BC Learn Philosophy and amazingly still make the slingshot for The Republic. No revolt yet though. Also gain MM from TGL. Science rate to 0%.
630 BC Learn Currency from TGL and enter Middle Ages. The Persians are pushing hard with their immortals while my 20K city has been producing 1-turn archers for a few turns, allowing me to just barely hold my own. 20K estimated win date according to CivAssist is 2153AD.

My empire in the end of the ancient times:

 

[AutomatedTeller]

I managed to get the slingshot, even though I started with mysticism and went to horsey riding next, in an attempt to wangle a trade for pottry/alphabet. That didn't work, and I researched alpha, writing, CoL and Philo.

I missed the Lighthouse, and my suicide currags/galleys have not made contact, so that's frustrating.

I have taken 3 of Persia's cities, though, and will start a new war soon while I research to chiv for my beloved samurai, which I will use to rid the continent of the Xerxes scum!

Then I dunno - am thinking 100K might be best. Or go invade the other continent - but that one is probably way ahead in tech, etc.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

well, I lost my save file, so that's a bummer...