Cultural domination - My first Story

[MRick]

This game was a little boring sometimes, all I had to do was to wait for foreign cities to come to me.
So I developped, and explored, and looked at the French crushing the Celts, hoping they will raze the cities, and not capture them.

This happened, and I sent several Settler with proper escort to creat cities in the gaps. You can see on the minimap of the next picture that the French finally wiped the Celts out totally. This was just the turn after they captured Entremont and Lugdunum.

I was stockpiling some gold in prevision for an event I've been waiting fo a while :


That means I can now initiate propaganda !

Propaganda was the tool I was waiting for. It was clear that I could not capture enough cities before the end of the game to reach the 66% territory needed, so that was the solution. Now I needed lots of gold. That why I'm researching fast on this tech (can't find the name in English) that allows me to build Stock Exchange ! (I have Adam Smith's, so that's 100% benefit)

 

[MRick]

Now it's getting interresting again !

As I said before, Egypt has conquered 4 Mayan Cities, and 3 of them did not produced any culture yet. Only Bonampak has produced some now, but it is also very close to my core cities. They will be targets of choice for Propaganda !

But first things first : I have to plant spies... I try to plant a spy in every of the 6 remaining civs :



Only 2 out of 6 succeed, but I've got one in Egypt, that's good, since they are on Fascism since their war against the Maya. The Mongols are at republic, but they are very far away.


Here is how I settle around the devasted Celtic lands :


Right now I'm importating both Rubber and Coal from Egypt, that's not what I like most, since this are both very important ressources right now, I'm building my railroad network, and I need rubber for almost every military units to come... But I give them plenty of luxuries and Salpeter, and Cléopatra is gravious so I don't expect them to attack me soon.

I will get my own rubber very soon since Camulodunum has no culture, that's fine, but for coal, it's more tricky, I won't get it until the city flips.

 

[MRick]

Ok now let's launch the propaganda !

Btw : here is a very good topic by Oystein about espionage missions :
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=97042

But wait... Egypt has signed peace with the Maya just a few turn earlier, I just check again.
Oh ! They are not in Fascism anymore !

But the good news is that they are not at Demo yet !!!

This is anarchy friends !!!
Ahahah, perfect timing, it will be far much easier !

So I lauch the propaganda :
Bonampak : Success !
Kaminawhatever : Success !
Calakmul : Success !
Lagartero : Success !

Incredible, the RNG gods are with me now, I get 100% success on the 1st try against the Ex-Maya cities !

Ok, if the RNG gods are with me, let's try something harder : Giza (and it's precious coal)


Ok maybe I was a little too ambitious. And maybe the RNG gods are not so much with me.

Anyway, that's 4 cities in a row, Now I start to think victory is possible.

But the world is now too peacefull. The French have wiped out the Celts, and the Egyptian made peace with the Maya.

So I will have to put the AIs at war against each other, for several reasons :
- Make them destroy cities
- Make them capture cities. Captured cities are easily turned back to me, but I think native cities are very less likely to come to me thru propaganda.
- Make them slow their research. I want to stay ahead in science, but I need to stockpile lots of gold (propaganda is expensive !)
- Make them avoid Democracy. This last point is the most important, because I cannot use propaganda against Democracy !

 

[MRick]

So I decided to start a big dogpile against the French.
They are the most powerful, they also have the much culture : this is the only civ not in Awe for me, they are only Admirers of me, that means only 25% base for propaganda, not the "usual" 30%.

OK I have several deals running with them, so I let them go to an end, and it just gives me time to prepare my military a bit (building armies and loading them with cavalry).

I also push my research straight to the flight, in order to use Bombers : they can kill units without taking a city, that's very usefull to get rid of this anoying -5*Units % probability for propaganda !

In the meanwhile a city flips to me :


During this time I also manage to plant spies everywhere. The Germans have been annoyingly killing 6 spies before I finally succeed at the 7th attempt !

Now they are planted for good, I've never seen the AI kick off a spy, and the propaganda missions are at no risk for spies.

In the last turn of the last deal with the French, my brain was somehow shuting down, and I renewed a deal stupidly.
Oh no... 20 more turns to wait !

Ok doesn't matter, that's more time to build more things, more armies, discover motorised transportation, build tanks, etc...
We are still in the 1400s' I have plenty of time until 2050 AD.

And there are still a city that flips to me now an then :

 

[MRick]

So I go on my builder's game, don't care much for the other civs, and I reach Modern Age by 1595 AD :


I will search for Computers, Miniaturisation, and Genetics First, in order to get all the available wonders.
UN is disable, and so is Apollo. Manathan is buildable, but it only provides 2 cpt, and I don't want it.

And then just before my last deal with the French expires, they sign an MPP with Egypt !

Mmmh that's not what I expected, I wanted to make an alliance with Egypt against the French. Mmmh...

In the diplo screen, Cleo doesn't want to start an alliance against the French, even in exchange for 3 modern era Techs, and lots of gold !!!

Grrr, I don't like that...

I continue to play, thinking about waiting for the MPP to end...

But In 1680 I find a better idea (Yeah I know I should have found it earlier), while renegociating my RoP with Egypt I notice that they'll gladly accept a MPP with me either !

Wait... What will happen if they have an MPP with both Civ at war ?

I've seen that before, the First Civ to attack will lose the MPP, even if it was the other one that declared war !

The MPP triggers only when you are actually attacked in your own territory, so you can be at war and not trigger the MPP !

Cool.
So I sign MPP with Cleo. I gang up everyone else against Joan, but I do not attack !
I just put units inside my borders to block incoming French troops. I let some lonely cavalry within easy reach of the French so that they are lured to attack them. (What ? Expendable troops ? Why not ?)

And then :



hehehe !

 

[madviking]

But you're in Democracy which is not good for wars...

 

[MRick]

Oh, well, in the interturn, I realize I didn't have to let those 3 poor cavalries as baits, the First thing Joan does is to send a bomber on Mari (the city that flipped 2 Mongol cities).

I was prepared for that, I had a fighter plane. Even if I loose this fighter to the French bomber, I'm happy because I know now that France is doomed !

Only a few turn later, several good news, sum up in this screen :


The French have already lost Richborough, Verulamnium and Entremont to the Germans. I've used some artillery and bombers to weaken the French defenders, and help the Germans.

They have lost Kagoshima to the Egyptian ! (red link in the bottom)
Cleo did not only attack the French where they were expected to, but also used my railroads and took advantage of the RoP deal to sneak attack where they were not expected. I also had bombarded this city so that was easier.

The Japanese manage to retake Nara without my help, which didn't please me as much, because It had more culture than my city next to it, so I rushed cultural buildings here.

Also, you can see that my military advisor is happy because we have a greater military than everyone else.

But the real good new is that the Germans are already at Anarchy !

And that's not all ! The French have also desceded into Anarchy !




Propaganda time !



@MadViking : Well war under democraty is possible, but you cannot take much risk. What really generates war weariness is :
- Having ennemy troops on your territory
- Losing cities
- Losing units

And... well maybe more, but that's the 3 most important points and if you manage not to loose cities nor units, and crush every unit that comes in your territory, it's playable.
I probably wouldn't do that on Emperor, but on Regent it's OK.
Right now, with 0% luxury, I have more than 90% happy people, I will play with the luxury slider !

Of course I'll have to stand at least 20 turns to go to the end of all the MA, but it it gets really bad, I'll switch to Communism. I have a REL civ after all, 2 turns is OK... I'll even get a bonus on spies if I go commie !

 

[MRick]

Well i didn't get Camulodunum, but one turn later (when I have enough money) I try to subdue the Ex-Celtic, Ex-French, and Future Ex-German City of Verulamium :


And it works !



You can see also the funny wars going around :
My cruisers have bombarded a little the French frigates, and leave the way clear for an incoming German galion.

The Japanese galion has dropped a very bold Samuraï, that will try to take Gergovia alone against Infantry ! My tank here wont help, I don't know how much defender there are, it's just pillaging around, and killing units foolish enough to step out of the city.

My knight Army has cleaned the land around Lugdunum, which has been bombarded by artillery (from Telloh) first and bombers to finish off the Vet Infantry that was here. This poor conscript rifleman will not stand long if the Germans come around here...

On the other end of the world, I have another army pillaging around the distant French colonies of Dijon and Amiens :



You also can see why I want Giza more and more (it has aluminium also) !

I didn't bombard Dijon, the Egyptian destroyer did it, and there are Egyptian Tanks coming from the Coal hill. I've seen them before moving my Army, but I wanted to take the picture with almost every square pillaged.

But my other armies are in mainland France :

 

[MRick]

Well, at the end of this turn, I have an elite tank that have nothing to do. So I finally decide to help this very bold Samuraï at Gergovia. So investigation reveal that there are at least 1 standard riflemen in addition to the Infantry, and no offensive unit. So I send my Tank to attack the Infantry. The French infantry is killed, and I get a MGL !

This MGL will build a new Palace in Hindana (That's the size 4 city next to Kagoshima, we can only guess it at the edge of the previous screen)



That's all good news. But as the French and the Germans I start to feel war weariness also, even if I have the Universal Suffrage.

So I start to play with the luxury slider :


And there is no problem anymore with war weariness :

 

[MRick]

Soon after, I complete the Internet in Uruk.
Well normally this wonder is not so well considered, mostly because it comes too late in the game to have any impact.



But in this game, this is very important. Not for the little extra culture boost it provides on its own (even if I hope it will help Uruk to pass on Paris and reach TOP 3 Cities).

This means I get a Scientific Lab in EVERY city I own on this continent, well on this world as well since it's pangea !

The science boost is welcomed, but not needed, the very important part is that every city now produces 2 more culture per turn (considering the vast number of cities, that's already a cool boost) but also it will help greatly to get recently aquired cities to boost their culture.
The First Threshold is at 10 culture points, which can now be reached faster at a lower cost :
For example, If a city flips :
Turn 1 :
The city flips it produces 2 culture just by having a SciLab. It also produces at least 1 shield that will cut by half the price of rushing a Temple. (Culture : 2)
Turn 2 :
The temple is rushed and immediatly produces 2 more cpt (Total Culture : 6)
Turn 3 :
The city reaches 10 culture points. A Lib is usually rushed at this time, and the city will produce 7cpt after only 3 turns in my possesion !

 

[Invisible Rhino]

This is really making me want to try a similar game. I cant' believe you success at flipping cities through culture and espionage! Really great stuff!

 

[MRick]

After a dozen turns of war, France is no more the power it used to be.
In addition to the cities stated earlier, the following cities have fallen :
Lugdunum, Gergovia, and Camulodunum to the Germans.
Tokyo and Alesia to the Japanese.
Tours to the Maya (After heavy bombardement from me)



I'm keeping my Tank, and an empty army to build the most terrific unit of all times as soon as Synthetic Fiber is discovered : Modern Armor Army !

During the interturn, The citizen of Gergovia remind me that I've not been using Propaganda during the last several turns. They come to me freely !



Also you can see on the minimap that the Egyptians have finally destroyed the far French colony of Dijon... Settling time !


It's time to take a look at the F11 Screen :


37% Territory, only 29% left to go.
Another interresting news :
France is no longer the biggest Empire after mine, It had reached about 21% territory and 20% Population before the war, but now Egypt and Germany are better. France has still the best score after me however.
With 29% territory to grab and more than 200 turns to go, that will be OK, if I can grab 1% every 5 or 6 turns at least.
On this map that mean about 1 city for every %.


Here is a place where I can easily grab at least 2% :


Thanks to my RoP with Egypt, my settler is already in this Jungle, protected by the Cav Army. I will put a city right where the Mech Inf is.

Retrospectivly, I think I should have put this city on the hill NE from the MechInf, that would have provided me the coal immediatly. I was a little too confident to get Camulodunum very soon, so I forgot to take care about the coal at this moment. Too bad because Camulodunum only got to me in 1804 !

I was only thinking that I'd get some rubber very fast (but I already had one source, near Camulodunum also but thanks to my greater culture it was mine) and the worker on the left was ready to build the road on the next turn (Democracy so it takes only 1 turn to build a road)



This is why I was so sure camulodunum would come to me. It was only 2 tile away from my new capital Hindana and had 14 out of the 21 tiles under My control ! (including the Rubber that is under this MechInf North of Camulodunum)

 

[Lord_Iggy]

What the heck was with Joan's picture in the diplo screen?