COTM40 - First Spoiler

[Red Horse]

Be careful that you only use Scouts in this manner on resources within your territory. Using them against resources within current or future AI territory IS a banned exploit!

See the list of allowed tactics/banned exploits for more information.

Permit me to sway slightly off thread topic. I was aware of this exploit though I never used it, even before I read about the banned and permitted exploit.

I just don't understand why it's banned. I figure if the AI needs/wants the resource bad enough they will declare war to get it. It certainly seems like the AI doesn't need provocation to declare any other time.

 

[eldar]

It's an exploit because a Scout can stay indefinitely in enemy territory without ever being kicked out. And the AI just aren't clever enough to declare war over it.

 

[Red Horse]

It's an exploit because a Scout can stay indefinitely in enemy territory without ever being kicked out. And the AI just aren't clever enough to declare war over it.

Thanks for the reply, eldar.
I guess I didn't see it as an exploit since I rarely (read: never) stay at peace with my neighbors.

 

[AskReeves15]

I like being so much later than everyone else. Anyway, I settle in place, I always do and immediately begin work on granary. Never done that before.

I settle pretty safe, I settle Northeast bigtime and to the west. Washington is almost my southernmost city, Chicago is on the Peninsula to the southeast. I am not sure about this Republic slingshot but I do in fact like the Great Library which I get and attain many technologies from, it becomes worthless because I am the most advanced civ next to Sumeria so no help. I watch Sumeria throw some attacks at hte Mongols and destroy a city. I then wait until I have 6 cities churning out a veteran swordsman every 4 or 5 turns before letting the Mongols declare war on me. I take two of their cities before I leave the ancient era.


End of Ancient

15 cities
About 70 pop
10 workers
about 15 spear and another 15 swordsman

One of the best starts ever for me, an excellent starting position helped alot though.

 

[Marsden]

The Mongols jumped me, too, but I must have sacrificed a chicken to the (p)RNG or something because they fell flat completely. They sent an elite warrior and and archer against my regular warrior. Well, the AI must use the same logic in picking attackers as choosing defenders and attacked with the warrior, which promptly lost and didn't even hurt my fortified warrior! Thus Chicago was saved and the archer retreated!?! I did move some defenders next turn, and fortunately I had a few swordsmen built up for just such an emergency.

Did anyone else get confused by the Zulu spearmen? It really threw me for a moment, I thought I was dealing with another yellow civ! I was going to ask if they were going to get 2 extra Impi but I decided not to.

I just want to finish up by saying don't forget to submit your losses everyone, they still count towards the global rankings. There was a time not that long ago that all I had was loses, so it will get better. I always find XoTM to be harder than the difficulty level usually is than playing my own start, but that's part of the fun!