COTM33 - First Spoiler

[civ_steve]

COTM 33 First Spoiler

Reading Requirements

1. You must be able to research a Middle Age technology.
2. You must have contact with all civs on your starting continent.

Posting Restrictions

• No discussions of the middle ages (or later)
• No screenshots of any middle-age (or later) resources.
• Limit AI discussions and screenshots to those from your starting continent

Feel free to mention other AI's and any deals or contacts you might have made, but don't mention locations/directions to them.

After ramping up to DemiGod level with last month's COTM, I thought that the players would like a break, so the level was brought down to Regent. Playing Spain the initial settler location doesn't seem too inviting - it's not coastal. However, it is fairly centralized for the chunk of continent you start on. So did you feel it was best to beeline to the coast to found Madrid, or did you stay more or less near the starting location which may provide you with a more efficient core? Any surprises along the way? One AI received some significant starting 'allowances' - have you noticed or is everything as you would expect?

 

[Taxpayer'sMoney]

Going for conquest, but a slow one.

Settled in place. Second city went on the coast. Explored with curraghs and warriors. Researched burial then went for Republic slingshot and got it. Trade kept tech pace quite swift for regent level.

QSC stats:
8 cities (16 popn)
Just need Currency and Construction to reach the medieval.
Contacts with all civs.

I got a DOW from three off-continent civs when they demanded tech tributes. Obviously no foreign soldiers set foot on Spanish soil before I sued for peace and got cash for the privilege. Only real war was with the Portugese who were wiped out with horses at about the same time as reaching the medieval in around 300BC.

170 AD Future plans:
Get chivarly, build some boats ship out some troops...get right royally thrashed and quit in frustration.

 

[PrinceMyshkin]

This was the first time I've played gotm and I went fast and didn't take very good notes. I'll go slower in the future.

I moved my settler 1 SW, hoping the water I could see was coast, it wasn't so settled Madrid in 3950BC, built a warrior to explore, and started research on writing, on my way to the Republic slingshot. In 3300 I spotted a Portuguese scout and trade CB+6 gold for pottery. By 1725 writing was discovered and I traded it + 45 gold for bronze working and warrior code. I was still exploring north and had made a bit of gold from disbanding barbarian camps. Code of laws was dicovered in 1625BC and in 1575BC I met France and traded writing for masonry and the wheel. In 1400BC I revolted to Republic. This was about the time the nearby volcano blew, just as I was sending a settler and some workers by it expanding to the coast and the wines in the west. This hurt my expansion and in 1000BC I only had 5 cities, 12 pop, 6 warriors, 2 workers, 3 granaries and a temple. I had researced math and traded for mysticism and iron working, with horseback riding due in three turns. Henry had mapmaking, which I later traded for and I got polytheism from France. My expansion pace picked up and I expanded north up the river towards the wine and iron near the Portuguese. Just as I was entering the MA, Henry declared war when I refused a demand. I had the iron hooked up, was producing swordsmen and had taken 1 city when I started the MA somewhere around 170BC. My plans were to destroy Henry, get some galleys out exploring to make contacts with the other civs, and look for any means of victory.
BTW, Taxpayer, you said you

Researched burial

did you not start with CB?

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

Open, ancient age + conquistador conquest challenge.

My spoiler will be greatly hampered by the continent-only restriction (I hope nobody feels spoiled in knowing there are civs on other continents on an archi map as a SEA civ ), but I'll try.

I traded BW and WC from my neighbors and then went dark on them. I would later acquire HBR, making horses my main weapon in the early portuguese war, and IW by the end of that war. I got the republic slinger (no big threat on getting there first) and then straight to navigation.

I pretty much kept relations dark with everyone. Phony wars and military alliances were signed profusely against the more powerful AI's to hamper their research speed. I traded for the polytheism line, the currency line, MM, HBR and IW. It didn't feel like much at the time however because I tried my best not to give any civ any edge in trades above the others, so that their internal tradings would suck - this above personnal profit.

Many aquas, markets, barracks and a few temples were rushed with republican money. The rest of the story is about making sword armies and grabbing land. The second war was about acquiring GLH, and I was at astronomy by the end of that war. France is still alive and I plan on controlling their ressources, with ROP rapage if necessary. Eventually I'll just need to fight a few spears and bows on my own continent, which can not be too hard.

Next to come: capturing the SoZ...

 

[ajb civver]

moved worker to mountains, did not like what i saw, moved sw to settle madrid on hills by river, build 2 warriors then settler, research writing @ max

meet portugal early (scout), trade cb & 6 g for pottery, dow when i find their capitol (3050 bc) to steal worker; Spain pops spear, sends warrior out to attack & is killed, my warrior gets promotion, i also manage to kill their scout then get peace + wc + 16 g

settle Barcelona 3 tiles n of madrid on hills coast by wheat, build curragh, then worker, then 3 more curraghs to explore

2390 meet france, trade pottery to france for bw & 10 g

madrid was set up to be a 4/5 - 2 archers / settler factory, barcelona preparing to be a 6 turn factory after slingshot

dow france early to steal a worker, would later get a bargain on math for peace

1325 complete slingshot & revolt

1300 have contact with all civs

in 950 i gift writing, phil, col, & rep to port, they revolt, i dow & capture a worker; sign france to ma (give them poly, they give 29 g) to hopefully keep port from trading those techs to them fought them with archers got them down to 3 cities then sued for peace getting one of those cities for it

researched very few techs to get to the MA:

writing
col
phil (rep)
lit

everything else was acquired via trades, i set up my trades hoping to get civs in certain areas to research certain techs so i would not have to and it worked pretty well, i was 2 turns into constr after having researched lit when another civ discovered it & i was able to trade to enter the MA in 630 BC

in addition to the few lump sums of gold i picked up in tech trades, my civ was mostly financed by destruction of barb camps

future plans - destroy port in a couple turns, take out france with horses, head to astronomy for GA then to knights for overseas war

 

[killercane]

Predator, Conquistador Conquest

King Killerbella rose to power during a glorious age for his people, in which they discovered mining, roading, irrigation, and how to expand their leader's life for over 6000 years. In celebration, they decided to build a city. Unhappy with the city planner's original city site, King Killerbella sent his legion of workers to the eastern peak and sent the rest of his people southwest in hopes of better lands. Unfortunately, the original city planners had it thought out well as there was wheat nearby to feed the people at the original site, so the settlers hiked back to their original spot and founded their city in 3900 BC.

The Killerspaniards were a people believing in big government, so they went the way of the Republic asap. All of the peoples in the world were met before 800 BC, and the discovery of technology became a strong point for the people of Killerbella. Unfortunately, the barbarians of the lands pillaged, and plundered, and pillaged some more, taking gold from the taxpayers of Palma, Murcia, Santiago, and numerous others. Tired of the plundering, and in line with the devout no military order of the king, the peoples of those towns began to build Anti-Barbarian Weapons of Mass Destruction (ABWMDs). These armaments could destroy all barbarian towns within their range. Archaelogists later found a picture of one of these weapons:


Technologies continued to be discovered, and culminated in the advent of a new age for the K-Span people in 730 BC. While joyous, this occasion was tempered by the arrival of the blue clad Koreans shortly thereafter. What could their intentions be? How would King Killerbella handle these intruders? Stay tuned for the conclusion.

 

[pimserplink]

This is my first COTM also, playing 'open'.

Opted for the certain sugar over the doubt of the 'coastal' square and settled Madrid 1SW(?- on the hill next to sugar). warrior; warrior; settler;..

Barcelona on the coast by the wheat subsequently pumped out most of my settlers.

Henry came by early; warrior sent along the hills in his direction soon found Lisbon; then lost to a barb hut so my meet with Joan was delayed. Sent more warriors up to plunder Lisbon's wheat and game (he already had 3 cities) and managed to capture his starting worker. RNG was nasty in the later stages of this war however I did slow his expansion right down. Peace yielded WC for CB+32g. This was my only AA war.

Researched directly for Rep sling and hit it ~1375bc. I had just made peace with Henry and military was depleted so switched govt immediately. Soon found Joan and one other AI. They hadn't met yet but soon would so I traded Writ for a whole heap of techs and gold to get the AI equalised.

Curraghs went on to find all the rest of the AI by 130BC at which time I traded for Poly to get into MA. 19 cities covering all the continent SE of Lisbon.

No Spanish wonders as yet. Building GLib in Madrid to switch to Sun Tzu; GLH in another city was late starting and might end up as FP.

Henry and Joan will die in the MA.

 

[klarius]

Predator - going for 20k

Settled in place. Build 2 warriors - settler. 20k in the capital it is after looking into the vicinity.
Science mysticism @ max.

Portugal said hello in 3550. No trades.

Got mysticism in 2850 and traded for alphabet.
Met France 2750. Got Masonry and BW in trades.

2070BC rebuff demand and Portuguese declare (it's regent - that's really lucky that they dare to declare).

Writing researched in 1950. Get TW and IW in trade.

1725 make peace with Portuguese for a few coins. The war happiness counter is still sitting there when I need it

1675 contact Aztecs and trade WC.

1600 trade HBR.

1475 contact Maya

1450 researched CoL. Get Mathematics in trade.

1425 some embassies. Firts phony war with Aztecs.

1225 contact Celts.

1200 slingshot to republic.

1175 trade MM and polytheism.

1000 contact English. I see the Korean borders but will have trouble to contact them in time for MA .

I have a fabulous QSC with only 3 towns, but my capital is doing fine.

925 literature researched

710 currency researched (will these regent slowpokes ever come up with something )

650 yeah can trade for construction (I'm researching monarchy). Enter MA

Culture Builds:

4000 palace
2590 temple
1300 oracle
875 MoM (GA)
850 library

 

[Taxpayer'sMoney]

BTW, Taxpayer, you said you did you not start with CB?

I think I meant mysticism.

 

[Honda[SU]]

Hello, everybody. Sorry for my english, but I think, that you badly will understand my Russian. By the way I live on http://www.forum.civfanatics.ru/ It's my first COTM. I began some games, but I have not finished any of them because of shortage of time. And now open-class ...

4000 - Madrid (Warrior, warrior, granary, worker, warrior, temple and only settlers)
3500 - The Portuguese scout has come to me and has told: "hello"/
3050 - I have exchanged to Portugal CB + peace + 9 gpt for their BW + Pottery. I at once have declared it war and Lisbon + 2 slaves (Portuguese settler into city) became mine.
2470 - Writing
1750 - Code of Laws
1550 - Philosophy + free the Republic. And now ... my science 0%
1450 - I have seen the French warrior. I have exchanged to Franchmen Writing + peace from their Misticism + the Wheel + all of their money.
1275 - My first curragh.
1000 - I have 12 cities, 30 citizens, 22 workers, 2 slaves, 2 settlers, 2 warriors, 2 curraghs.

Score - 249;
Science - the Republic, Misticism, BW, the Wheel (France - Masonry, WC, IW);
Government - The Republic;
Culture - 686;
Culture per turn - 28;
Gold - 94;
Land - 213;
Buildings - 11 Temples and 1 Granary;
I collected 121 shilds for the Oracle and 34 shilds for Great Lighthouse.

to be continued ...

 

[Aabraxan]

My first COTM (Open class) and, looking at everyone else's logs, it appears I should have kept a better one.

Thinking that there was coast 1 S, I sent worker one E (?) to road along the river, moved settler 1 S, & discovered that there was no coast. Not wanting to waste any more time looking for a good spot, I settled there.

Immediately began Republic slingshot, which I achieved circa 1200 BC, after founding a few more cities.

Built warrior-warrior-settler (IIRC) and sent the settler north to settle on the coast by the wheat. Spotted Henry's scouts wandering very soon thereafter.

Built granaries in Madrid and whatever my second city was.

Paused after 3-4 cities because it was getting late. Remembered that I wanted to fix that NoAIPatrol thingamabob, so I did that before starting up again.

Unfortunately, I forgot to immediately revolt to Republic when I started up again, but when I did finally remember, I drew a 2-turn anarchy, so that helped. Frankly, played poorly. I kept forgetting to deal with happiness, so I've had bunches of riots.

As of 130 BC, I'm a Republic, have met (I think) all but one civ, and have the tech lead by several techs. However, I've only got 108 gold, 8 cities, 2 cpt, and just lost two workers to barb horsemen. Fortunately, they got wines hooked up prior to their untimely demises.

Current plans include tech brokering between continents and lots of archers and horses.

 

[civ_steve]

Honda[SU]: Welcome to CFC and the GOTM! I see we also have several new victims ... errr ... players joining the competition as well! Welcome! Feel free to use the Spoiler threads (within the defined parameters of the thread) to discuss your game progress, and any aspects you deem interesting. Can be as detailed or top-level as you wish. And please ask any questions that you might have regarding the games of other players; there's a fairly seasoned crew here and they're always happy to help out, if it's needed. And we're always ready to learn a new trick or two!

 

[Honda[SU]]

2civ_steve What it is possible to describe in the first spoiler? Only till 1000BC or before ocurrence in Middle Ages? Whether it is possible to describe here what civilizations I found, and during what time I found them? What about the description of resources, display of my map and and what its part?

PS All the same with English at me it is rather bad, therefore not on all these questions has found answers.

 

[eldar]

4000BC: I moved my worker to the mountain, saw nothing. So I moved my settler to the hill, and saw the wheat.
3950BC: Moved the settler back where it came from !
3900BC: Settled Madrid.

Later that game....

xxxxBC: "No, I'll move my warrior from where he is next to that grassland cow, my settler will be okay"
xxxxBC+a couple of turns: "Where did that barb camp on that cow come from?"
xxxxBC+1 turn: dead 1st settler.

Even later that game...
xxxBC: I'm in anarchy. I'll pretend that that barbarian horseman who can gobble up two workers in one go isn't there.
xxxBC+1 turn: two dead workers.

Eventually:
xxBC (Medieval by now but, like, I have a tech pace with that many units under Republic?!): Yeah I'm beating up the Portugese with archers and horsies and 'pults. So what. Where's my Warlords CD?

I won't be submitting My own incompetence and complacency did for me in the end, despite the complete lack of anything nasty in the map.

 

[Desertsnow]

4000: Move worker to mountain to survey lay of the land; settle on starting tile. Set science planning for Republic slingshot.
3950: Start irrigation, moving toward wheat.
3750: Warrior completes, starts exploring.
3550: Portugese scout wanders by. Ceremonial Burial +6g to Henry for Pottery.
3500: Second warrior begins exploring.
3250: Start training first Settler.
3100: See Portugese scout again, coming from the other direction--suspect scout has popped most huts on the continent.
2630: Barcelona founded.
2110: Finish Writing; on to Philosophy.
1930: Granary competeted in Madrid; start Settler.
1675: Seville founded.
1550: Discover Philosophy and Code of Laws; start research on Republic and highest feasible science rate.
1375: Henry extorts Writing.
1350: Toledo founded, abutting Sagres @ OCD distance competing for Wine.
1275: Curragh starts exloring around the continent, but will not be sent on suicide missions until further notice.
1175: Santiago founded on hill southeast of Madrid instead of coast as originally planned; those barbarians look scary; apparently Henry is feeling bold as we receive news that Portual is building Pryamids /and/ Oracle.
1050: First Elite unit, from a barbarian fight; trade CoL and Philosophy to Henry for Mysticism, Bronzeworking, Warrior Code and 81g.
950: Madrid becomes a six-turn Settler factory.
775: Exploratory curragh discovers the city of Rheims, meets the French. Philosophy and Code of Laws (I think) to Joan for Ironworking, the Wheel, and 75g, horse resource located northeast of Madrid. Barbarians (Vandals) looking aggressive; Salamanca founded on coastal hill.
700: Curragh discovers a city, Cheju, and meets Koreans. Writing to Wang Kon for Horsebackriding, Masonry and 84g.
650: Wine near Sagres connected. Barbarian problem near Santiago solved after incurring losses.
610: Murcia founded near horses.
590: Henry extorts 38g.
470: Valencia founded.
430: A volcano erupts; close call for a worker near Toledo.
390: Republic discovered; revolt immediately (against my usual style) and start Literature. Curraghs go suicidal.
370: Zaragosa founded.
350: Revolution ends; we emerge as a Republic.
330: Pamplona founded.
290: Land found by curraghs; no signs of civilized life yet.
250: Madrid becomes four turn Settler factory for what it's worth.
230: Vitoria founded on coast west of the mountains.
210: More landmasses found by curraghs. Still no sign of civilization.
190: Curragh meets Aztecs. Trade Code of Laws for Mapmaking and 18g.
170: Literature complete; start Great Library in Barcelona and beeline to Currency. By now attempt at 20k is abandoned.
110: Contact with Celts established; no trade.
50: Sell Literature to Joan for 105g, despearte for cash but France is rich.
30: Finally connect horses, probably much too slowly.
10 BCE: Maya finds us and buys Literature for Polytheism and 96g; two workers and a Settler elimiated by barbarian attack aargh!
(A few log entries lost here, I'm sure.)
260: Santander Founded.
290: Sagres flips from Portugal.
310: Code of Law and Philosophy traded to Koreans for Currency, Construction and 9g. Start research on Feudalism.
320: Asturias settled abutting Lagos at ICS distance to poach Henry's iron (risky but desperate move).
340: Lighthouse competed in Barcelona.
350: Cash-rush a Temple at Asturias for quick cultural expansion. I need that Iron!
370: Jaen founded on the island north of our mainland.
380: Cash rush a Warrior at Jaen to pop a nearby hut.
390: Asturias now has the iron; start building Swords and upgrading Warriors in all connected cities.
410: Hut near Jaen visited; it yields--barbarians *sigh*
420: Forbidden Palace in Toledo. Finally.
490: Lagrono founded.
530: Buy Iron from Maya for 111g and Wine after Lagos culture expansion (Henry poaches his iron tile back). Gr.
580: England encountered. No trade.

All in all not one of my better starts.

 

[Sykron]

OK, I think I figured out most of the tech. abreviations, but what is the "republic slingshot"?

Since I did not read the GOTM rules I replayed some stuff (actually a whole lot of stuff) so I won't be submitting the game and I don't have detailed notes, but for what its worth..

I built Madrid right where the settler stood. Build my second city on the coast to the west. I found the wine and horses. Since the E is secure I concentrated on north and west to control the wine and block Portugal.

Took map making when I got philophy and built a couple of galleys. Met Korea and France. Found an island N of Madrid but Korea was already there when I established a city on the S coast by the horses.

Evidently the best practice is to attack your neighbors when you meet them and then get something for a peace treaty. I'm much less blood thirst in the early game just trading peacefully.

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

Sykron: the slingshot is going for philosophy as a means to getting the free tech - ideally for the republic. So you research code of laws and then you pick philosophy, hopefully getting there first and gaining republic without paying for it. There's a higher risk in doing this than in researching philosophy as soon as you get writing, but the outcome is much better.

 

[civ_steve]

@Sykron - Republic slingshot usually works at Regent and Monarch levels; being first to learn Writing (and not trading it) gives you the head start to learn both CoL and Phil. At Emperor and above you often aren't first to Writing; you can still do the Republic slingshot by learning Philosophy and looking for the AI to learn CoL, trading Phil for CoL (during the interturn right after learning Phil) and getting a free Republic. Other options are to trade Phil for Poly and get a free Monarchy

@Honda[SU] - the limits for the Spoiler thread are posted in the first post. Do not post anything from the Middle Ages or later, including screenshots of MA, IA or ModEra resources (so only Iron and Horses). You are in the Middle Ages once you can research any Middle Age Tech. Freely talk about anything on your starting continent - AI's, maps, resources. Limit discussion about other islands or continents to just dates you made contact with an AI, and any trades you might have made; no maps showing other islands or continents, and no information that shows their location or direction.

People are usually most interested in the early period of any game; this nearly always dictates whether the player will have a good result. Information up to 1000 BC is usually nice to compare, and progress up to entry into the Middle Ages is also very interesting.

 

[Desertsnow]

I won't be submitting this game either. My most recent save of the game is lost and so I'll be forced to replay about thirty turns. It's kind of a shame, really, as I think I stood a chance despite my bad starting play (I haven't made so many mistakes since my Chieftain days). Also I was trying some new techniques; I've never attempted a Republic Slingshot before, my usual strategy is to beeline to Literature and secure the Great Library, then hit Currency to get Markets to support a Republic.

 

[Beorn-eL-Feared]

The Great Library (and any wonder, but especially this one) is a crotch you need to get rid of if you want to play through the levels above regent. To work on trading helps a bunch - there's good threads in the succession games forum about no research games, where they make themselves trade for EVERY tech they ever get.

The fact is: you never should need it, unless you make the game MUCH harder than what you can usually take.