COTM33 Pre-Game Discussion

[civ_steve]

COTM 33: Spain

Spain is another civ that hasn't been played in COTM. This month we will lower the level considerably, down to Regent level, and play the Spanish on a continents map that should allow you to use the Spanish traits well. Since the AI has been downsized, the barbarians will be set to Raging.

Here is the COTM33 game info:

Civilization: Spain
Rivals: 7 pre-selected.
Barbarians: Raging
Difficulty: Regent
Land Form: Continents, 70% ocean, Standard map.
Geology:3 billion years old, Normal and Temperate.
AI Aggression: Normal.

Conquest-Class Bonuses:

1. TBD

Predator-Class Equalisers:

1. TBD

(Note: since this is the February COTM, I plan to extend the time to submit into the first weekend in March to give about 31 days playing time)

 

[Chamnix]

Wow, that's ugly. Seafaring but no coast, and more importantly, not a single tile that starts at 2 fpt in our starting nine. I really hate scouting with my worker, but I guess worker to the mountain - if nothing appears, then settler SW.

 

[denyd]

I think SE is coastal, the problem is we'd lose the sugar bonus.

If I can finish hammering the AI to bits in GOTM 63, I'll probably play this one.

Not sure of a goal, but SE might be a good 20K location.

 

[socralynnek]

If SE is coastal, then S surely is too without losing both Sugar. (I assume W-NW is also sugar)

I am quite unsure where to move the worker...and where to put the city.

 

[denyd]

Being that this is regent, I'm quite willing to walk a little bit before settling or maybe even settle after a SE move and then palace jump with settler # 1 after some scouting has been done.

I'm thinking of a build order of warrior, curragh, settler with research on Writing, CoL & Philo for the Republic slingshot.

Of course you all realize that just to make it fair for the AI, they are all AGR on rivers with at least 2 cows & 1 Lux.

Just curious, but anyone here planning on building any Conquistadors?

 

[killercane]

I think the Predator handicap should be you can only build workers, settlers, an occasional ship, and Conquistadors.

 

[Puppeteer]

Interesting. Just a day or two ago I lost a city to a Spanish AI...those Conquistadors can really penetrate a border. It was still lucky, though...I had the town defended by two 3-strength fortified veteran defenders, and the only two Conquistadors in range (one vet, one reg) had great RNG luck. I took the city back immediately with knights. The RNG favored the attacker during my turn, too, as I leveled another of he cities.

I doubt I'd use Conquistadors as primary offensive troops, but it could be fun to make an army of them...6 moves with free pillaging! Take out a few tiles and retreat to a defender or mountain.

There appears to be another sugar W,NW...effectively a BG.

If you start the worker irrigating in turn 1 you'll have only 3 turns of 1-food if there is no 2-food tile by the coast. On the other hand, that prevents you from using the worker to scout before moving the settler.

On second glance, it's tempting to move the settler W. Okay, maybe move the worker onto the mountain to scout...if the situation is bleak move the settler W, and there are 2 2-1-1 tiles to work before the worker has to have a 3rd tile ready.

Sure, W puts the capital off the river, but if there's not much food nearby then this city will probably be under 6 for a while anyway helping with settler production.

Then again, I love scouting with Curraghs...

 

[PaperBeetle]

I doubt I'd use Conquistadors as primary offensive troops, but it could be fun to make an army of them...6 moves with free pillaging! Take out a few tiles and retreat to a defender or mountain.

Interesting idea, but I assume it wouldn't work. Their roady movement is a special ability, just like the marine's amphib assault. I'm pretty sure an army of marines doesn't get amphib, so I would guess an army of conquistadors gets cut down to move 3.

Could the cortez be a viable alternative to the cavalryman? Well no, but it's still tempting to try . It's a shorter research path, but the real problem is that they are expensive units and can't be made by disconnect/reconnect (and even if they could, their tech path doesn't go through Leonardo). So how about the predator bonus: you are EXP instead of REL? I mean EXP is supposed to be such a weak trait, right?

 

[Marsden]

Interesting idea, but I assume it wouldn't work. Their roady movement is a special ability, just like the marine's amphib assault. I'm pretty sure an army of marines doesn't get amphib, so I would guess an army of conquistadors gets cut down to move 3.

I don't know about conquistadors, but marine armies keep their amphibious attack, but paratrooper armies loose air drops.

 

[nerovats]

There's an article somewhere indicating a conquistados army can pillage 6 tiles per turn, so they keep movement points.

 

[Mistfit]

Not having played any Civ in quite some time, if I have the time, I may play this one. Is there going to be some sort of challenge made? Like in the GOTM I see some people challenging for Pred Conquest.. is there to be the same here?

 

[denyd]

With this type of setup at Regent either of the war options would be more of a sprint. For a real challenge one of the research (Diplomatic or Space) would be more of a challenge. No real help from any of the AI unless there's a couple of SCI in the game. The other option challenge would be to limit the number of cities we could hold. At the moment I'm pondering the chances of making this a cow effort.

 

[Chamnix]

Is there going to be some sort of challenge made?

There will be if you throw down the gauntlet again . Pick your victory condition and challenge people to beat you - insults about other peoples' moms' civ-playing abilities optional...

 

[Mistfit]

Well I am certain I do not have time for a Cow try but if someone puts down a challenge I will likely accept

@nerovats..

 

[eldar]

Hmm, what's really wrong with this game? Regent, Spain, standard continents, 7 opponents? Yeah okay I'm suckered in, I just have to prise the Warlods disc out first!

 

[Kool Keith]

Can somebody direct me to a link explaining everything I need to know about the COTM's. I am guessing COTM is for Conquest OTM as opposed to Game OTM.

Thanks.

 

[civ_steve]

You are correct: COTM stands for Conquest of the month, and is played using Civ3 Conquests; GOTM stands for Game of the month and is played using Civ3 Play The World. For both competitions you must use the last patch; this would be 1.22 for Conquests and 1.27 for PTW. If you don't have them they can be downloaded from the www.civfanatics.com site, or from the game developer's site.

The best place to go for general G/COTM information is the main GOTM website where links to all the current games are stored, results listings, medal and award winners and general code of conduct and how to play instructions. You should check it out!

To play, go to the link in the 'Games Available' thread, and select the level of challenge game you'd like to play - Conquest, Open or Predator. For both COTM and GOTM you just have to be at the lastest patch level; no special downloads are required other than the game save file. Play your game (be careful not to replay any portion of the game!). Participate in the Spoiler threads as they are opened and as you qualify for them. When completed submit your game by choosing that option on the gotm.civfanatics.net site.

 

[pat4]

This is going to be my first c/g otm. Can't wait but the start looks scary.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

actually, it's not too bad. Lack of food bonus is a pain, of course, but it's regent.

remember - all the other players will have the same lack of a food bonus

 

[denyd]

Remember you're facing a Regent Level AI - Even with this start, you'll probably be able to have more cities and tech parity by 1000 BC.

I've decided that I don't have enough Civ time in Feb for a cow run, so I've come up with a new challenge for those out there who want to make this more challenging.

Conquest victory, but you can only use Ancient Age units & Conquistadors for the victory. You can research as far as you want but you can only build Warriors, Swordsmen, Archers, Horsemen. Spearmen, Curraghs, Galleys, Catapults, Settlers, Workers & Conquistadors. Beware that once you know Feudalism no more swords and Engineering blocks catapults. Also Invention blocks archers and Astronomy blocks galleys. You'll still be able to build horses & spears if you disconnect iron (and later on saltpeter).

Note: Ancient Cavalry are allowed, but no Crusaders.