So I played this save till 1300's, managed to grab the stonehenge, great lighthouse, and colossus along the way. But now I am in the last place behind Caesar. What's more, my regular tech trade partner, Caesar, declared war on me (I am only saved behind Cyrus acts as buffer in between). Now I have no one I can have tech trade with. Meanwhile, my gallant knights conduct pillaging operating on Caesar, then heal in Persia, safe from Caesar's wrath. Attached is the save file. If civ experts out there can have a look, and give me some tips on tech path, terrain improvement, and game strategy, it would be much appreciated.
Could some Emperor players play out this start?
- Thread starter cleverhandle
- Start date
I was able to master the main continent with a few replays (but not using any of my resource knowledge), but around 1800 or so Russia arrived with a huge tech lead, an attitude, and troops to support a backwards ideology. I eked out survival until the AI secured a time victory, but could not have held out much longer.
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FWIW - I liked the 'sea approach' posted early in this thread, but I was unable to do anything with it that didn't end up with Cyrus driving a wedge in the middle. The dye/indigo city seems the linchpin of the scenario.
My best results came from a chariot rush on Cyrus's Persepolis, making friends with Caesar and letting him consolidate the rest of Cyrus's holdings while I out-teched him and cleared out the jungle. After that Rome's advantage was played out and he was *relatively* easy prey.
I built the horse city followed by the dye/ivory city. I was able to jam about 9 +POW chariots on top of Persepolis and reinforce it via roads. After sporadic Axeman resistance, I was able to trade Caesar for IW to match them and instigated a 2-front war. Without the culture spread from Persepolis, I was able to backfill territory easily enough.
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Has anyone secured a victory on this? Again, interesting start. Thanks!
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FWIW - I liked the 'sea approach' posted early in this thread, but I was unable to do anything with it that didn't end up with Cyrus driving a wedge in the middle. The dye/indigo city seems the linchpin of the scenario.
My best results came from a chariot rush on Cyrus's Persepolis, making friends with Caesar and letting him consolidate the rest of Cyrus's holdings while I out-teched him and cleared out the jungle. After that Rome's advantage was played out and he was *relatively* easy prey.
I built the horse city followed by the dye/ivory city. I was able to jam about 9 +POW chariots on top of Persepolis and reinforce it via roads. After sporadic Axeman resistance, I was able to trade Caesar for IW to match them and instigated a 2-front war. Without the culture spread from Persepolis, I was able to backfill territory easily enough.
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Has anyone secured a victory on this? Again, interesting start. Thanks!
JerichoHill
Bedrock of Knowledge
I think I can feel confident about getting a victory. I took nearly the same route as Alexti, hitting that worker first and improving tiles while counting on fogbusters. Unlike Alexti, I did manage to get the Pyramids (I chopped at a distance initially and then came in HARD for them).
Pyramids has allowed me to grow 2 inland cities while my coastal units thrive. From there I was able to launch an invasion into Persia and grab his holy city in a bloody ass war.
I've decided that I will not go for a domination/conquest win, and am considering going for the space race. I think that victory condition is logical given the industrious trait.
I feel its a won game because I have tech parity, and I have now enough cities (8) that are developed enough (approx 7-13 pop) with enough hammers that hooking factory+power+university+Observatory+laboratory will be possible. I have one city that has forests nearly around it, and it will remain unchopped until I can build the space elevator. I'll chop rush that sucker a good bit, but in the meantime I am making sure it will produce enough to make it worthwhile.
With the space elevator, my industrious trait, and laboratories in every city, I think it will be a cakewalk.
I just better have some defense...thats the only flaw I can think of right now, my military may not be big enough...
More soon,
Pyramids has allowed me to grow 2 inland cities while my coastal units thrive. From there I was able to launch an invasion into Persia and grab his holy city in a bloody ass war.
I've decided that I will not go for a domination/conquest win, and am considering going for the space race. I think that victory condition is logical given the industrious trait.
I feel its a won game because I have tech parity, and I have now enough cities (8) that are developed enough (approx 7-13 pop) with enough hammers that hooking factory+power+university+Observatory+laboratory will be possible. I have one city that has forests nearly around it, and it will remain unchopped until I can build the space elevator. I'll chop rush that sucker a good bit, but in the meantime I am making sure it will produce enough to make it worthwhile.
With the space elevator, my industrious trait, and laboratories in every city, I think it will be a cakewalk.
I just better have some defense...thats the only flaw I can think of right now, my military may not be big enough...
More soon,
Brief summary: At 375 AD I have 5 cities, 2 religions and one seriously pissed off neighbor.
Attached is my save at 375AD and here is my story...
As a general rule, I like to focus my capital on commerce, in case I feel like taking advantage of beaurocracy at some point. So the initial plan was to first go for Pottery so that I could cottage all the sugar tiles.
After the captial, I planned to settle two production cities to kick out military. Cyrus was very close, and that meant ancient conquest. What I look for in my production cities is nothing more than a food bonus tile, and some hills.
First, I made a play for the Elephants, right near Cyrus' capital, founding Shanghai on a hill. Shanghai is in range of cattle, ivory and a couple hills. I figured the borders would spark tensions, and Cyrus would burn some units on my defenders (hopefully spears since he'll probably have immortals) who would be fortified behind city walls, on a hill. It turned out that he never once attacked the city defenders there, but hey at least I was prepared. Settling here also gives me an easy way into the heart of his domain.
The second city I planned to place west of Beijing, next to the fresh water and in range of Cattle, Rice and a couple hills.
After Pottery, I decided to go Bronze Working, then Hunting, then Writing. I would have been content building an army of axes and spears, however, seeing no copper nearby, I immediately went for Iron Working after Bronze. Wow, is all I can say about the iron situation. Both of my production cities would have iron! (I swear to god I did not open the world builder).
Initial build order in Beijing
Warrior (scouts nearby but returns to garrison)
Worker (builds cottages on sugar, then road to second city)
Warrior (move to second city loc ahead of settler)
Settler (production/military)
Warrior (send ahead of next settler)
Settler (a second production city)
Worker
Library. At this point Beijing was at size 4 and working 3 sugar cottages, with one scientist. (and something like 100 turns on granary...)
Production in Shanghai went Warrior, Obelisk, Barracks, then Swordsmans on repeat. Also tossed city walls in there after masonry.
Production in Guangzhou was Obelisk, Barracks, then I cycled spear/axe on repeat. These would escort my swords, and also garrison captured cities.
During the military build up, I chopped the forests at Shanghai toward several swordsmans, until there was nothing left to chop.
One thing I didn't do, which I might have planned for in other situations, was go for pillaging Cyrus' horses. They were really just too far out of the way and I didn't want to wait to build more units. I decided to just let his horses pillage and then kill themselves on my spearmans. It turned out that I ended the war right as his horses made it to my capital, and they pillaged one town there.
Research Path
The Wheel
Pottery
Bronze Working
Iron Working (only because there was no copper)
Mysticism
Hunting
Writing
Masonry
Animal Husbandry
I didn't keep a log, but I did note some highlights and plans at a few dates.
875 BC The research on that list finished and I started on Meditation->Priesthood->Code of Laws, so that I would be able to build courthouses and switch to caste system after I captured some cities.
350 BC
My war started as I dispatched 6-7 swords, 1 axe, 1 spear to take Cyrus' capital.
250 BC
Persepolis is mine. I lost 3 swords in the process. Persepolis is the Hindu holy city!
No shrine. 
50 BC
My raiders (4 swords, 1 axe) approach Pasargadae and discover a somewhat large defense of 4 archers, 1 spear, 1 horse archer. Raiders move to fortify outside in the jungle to await reinforcements.
1 AD
Code of Laws -> Alphabet (incoming free techs for peace)
25 AD
Pasargae falls to my mighty swords. Presto! Sugar plantations without Calendar! (when it's borders expand, that is unless his horse archers pillage them)
375 AD
Alphabet -> Monarchy
Raiders take Tarsus (fish).
At this point, my lands are being razed and I don't want to lose the free plantations or my towns back at the capital. Since I now have Alphabet, I sue for peace.
Cyrus gives up Polytheism, Fishing, Archery, 100 gold and 2 gold per turn.
Traded Caesar Code of Laws for for Mathematics.
One turn left for an Academy in Beijing.
[edit] Hah, got ahead of myself on the last part so I deleted it. I'm going to pick this up again after work tonight, then probably post more results.
Attached is my save at 375AD and here is my story...
As a general rule, I like to focus my capital on commerce, in case I feel like taking advantage of beaurocracy at some point. So the initial plan was to first go for Pottery so that I could cottage all the sugar tiles.
After the captial, I planned to settle two production cities to kick out military. Cyrus was very close, and that meant ancient conquest. What I look for in my production cities is nothing more than a food bonus tile, and some hills.
First, I made a play for the Elephants, right near Cyrus' capital, founding Shanghai on a hill. Shanghai is in range of cattle, ivory and a couple hills. I figured the borders would spark tensions, and Cyrus would burn some units on my defenders (hopefully spears since he'll probably have immortals) who would be fortified behind city walls, on a hill. It turned out that he never once attacked the city defenders there, but hey at least I was prepared. Settling here also gives me an easy way into the heart of his domain.
The second city I planned to place west of Beijing, next to the fresh water and in range of Cattle, Rice and a couple hills.
After Pottery, I decided to go Bronze Working, then Hunting, then Writing. I would have been content building an army of axes and spears, however, seeing no copper nearby, I immediately went for Iron Working after Bronze. Wow, is all I can say about the iron situation. Both of my production cities would have iron! (I swear to god I did not open the world builder).
Initial build order in Beijing
Warrior (scouts nearby but returns to garrison)
Worker (builds cottages on sugar, then road to second city)
Warrior (move to second city loc ahead of settler)
Settler (production/military)
Warrior (send ahead of next settler)
Settler (a second production city)
Worker
Library. At this point Beijing was at size 4 and working 3 sugar cottages, with one scientist. (and something like 100 turns on granary...)
Production in Shanghai went Warrior, Obelisk, Barracks, then Swordsmans on repeat. Also tossed city walls in there after masonry.
Production in Guangzhou was Obelisk, Barracks, then I cycled spear/axe on repeat. These would escort my swords, and also garrison captured cities.
During the military build up, I chopped the forests at Shanghai toward several swordsmans, until there was nothing left to chop.
One thing I didn't do, which I might have planned for in other situations, was go for pillaging Cyrus' horses. They were really just too far out of the way and I didn't want to wait to build more units. I decided to just let his horses pillage and then kill themselves on my spearmans. It turned out that I ended the war right as his horses made it to my capital, and they pillaged one town there.
Research Path
The Wheel
Pottery
Bronze Working
Iron Working (only because there was no copper)
Mysticism
Hunting
Writing
Masonry
Animal Husbandry
I didn't keep a log, but I did note some highlights and plans at a few dates.
875 BC The research on that list finished and I started on Meditation->Priesthood->Code of Laws, so that I would be able to build courthouses and switch to caste system after I captured some cities.
350 BC
My war started as I dispatched 6-7 swords, 1 axe, 1 spear to take Cyrus' capital.
250 BC
Persepolis is mine. I lost 3 swords in the process. Persepolis is the Hindu holy city!
No shrine. 50 BC
My raiders (4 swords, 1 axe) approach Pasargadae and discover a somewhat large defense of 4 archers, 1 spear, 1 horse archer. Raiders move to fortify outside in the jungle to await reinforcements.
1 AD
Code of Laws -> Alphabet (incoming free techs for peace)
25 AD
Pasargae falls to my mighty swords. Presto! Sugar plantations without Calendar! (when it's borders expand, that is unless his horse archers pillage them)
375 AD
Alphabet -> Monarchy
Raiders take Tarsus (fish).
At this point, my lands are being razed and I don't want to lose the free plantations or my towns back at the capital. Since I now have Alphabet, I sue for peace.
Cyrus gives up Polytheism, Fishing, Archery, 100 gold and 2 gold per turn.
Traded Caesar Code of Laws for for Mathematics.
One turn left for an Academy in Beijing.
[edit] Hah, got ahead of myself on the last part so I deleted it. I'm going to pick this up again after work tonight, then probably post more results.
