Dancing With the Devil

[superslug]

My game is up to 850ad. My plans for after wiping out Korea were to either revisit the Babylonians or smack Egypt around a little, but I decided it was time to haul my troops back north. Most of the AI are now in the Industrial Ages and the Mongols have several tiles visibly railroaded, so it's getting high time to take the Great Library back.

That's going to cost me, however. The Mongol military is larger than mine, and I share a long undefended border with them. A large chunk of their military is heading south towards Babylon, so hopefully I can wait for those stacks to get engaged there and then hit him where it hurts in his core.

I'll still be likely suing for peace just as soon as he's willing to talk to me though. I shudder to think how many of my towns I'll lose...

 

[superslug]

The Mongols have taken over, flipped or burned a quarter of my empire in the first two turns of war. I have spilled soda on my ergonomic keyboard and am now stuck with an ancient straight qwerty. I am now removing my C3C disk from my cd-drive for the first time in many months.

 

[sanabas]

Seems like the Mongols hold a grudge for as long as you do huh? I'd suggest that for this months gauntlet, rename 7 other civs to mongolia, and play conquest against 8 lots of mongols.

 

[superslug]

Well, after a five day break from Civilization (which is fairly unprecedented for me), I'm restarting Mapfinder to look for a map for G-Major1.

When I'll resume this thread's game, I know not.

 

[superslug]

When I'll resume this thread's game, I know not.

Well, it looks like it'll be tonight. I'm determined now to finish this game, although I'm equally (if not more so) determined to call it quits after this campaign. One last dance with the devil, and them I'm done with III.

 

[superslug]

880ad

While repeatedly pressing ctrl-shft-g to send units to my capitol, I accidently pressed just shift-g and enter, overthrowing my own government.

900ad

Declared war on the Mongols. Took back Niagara Falls and torched two of their border towns the first turn. It was earlier than I had wanted to go to war with the Mongols, but I was hoping the retaking of the Great Library in Niagara Falls would jump me up to Communism. It didn't. And thus the Mongols began romping me in a war I started over a bad keystroke.

Mongol victories over me (for the first turn):
Cities captured: 445, 451, 405, 505, 442, 439, 400, 441, 480, 449,
Cities burned: 389, 396, 393, 391,

910ad

Torched three more Mongol towns, pulled troops back to capitol for health reasons.

Captured: 402, 399, 473SALTPETER, 475, 476,
Burned: 386, 390, 388,
Flip: 512,

920ad

Chose Democracy for my new government.

930AD

Lost even more cities to the Mongols, didn't keep track this turn. In addition to rampaging through my southern extremities, they're now marching effortlessly through my midsection. I have to get my saltpeter back, but I also need to defend my northern core and get out of this war ASAP!

Traded horses to Spain for coal straight up. I'll start making workers as soon as I have a nonrioting town. Stupid WW. Stupid me for accidently overthrowing my government and choosing Democracy.

Shopped Industrialization around. Got a few AI to MA against the Mongols. They're all on the mainland, so it won't be tactically effective, but I'm hoping the extra red lines on Genghis's F4 screen will bring him back to the table sooner. I could be wrong, but I'm obviously desperate. Also got three new luxury imports from France. That'll help if I survive this war...

940AD

Got my town with the Saltpeter back. We'll see how long that lasts...

The luxuries are already helping. Many of my cities are resuming civility. ICS and a full set of eight luxuries is a beautiful thing.

Mongolia and Babylon signed a peace treaty. That could be bad news for what's left of my southern towns if his units get freed up.

950AD

Actually got to take back a few more of my towns. Most of my Cavalry finished healing up and got sent back to the Mongol border. Hopefully a few torches will bring Genghis back to the table next turn.

960AD

I burned a few more of his cities, but he still won't talk to me.

980AD

Mongols (Furious): Superslug, I've truly enjoyed leveling your culture. Have you come to beg for mercy?

Mercy? No such animal between us! I smacked around his units that turn, shopping for MGL's and unit promotions. I then pillaged his last Iron and last Saltpeter and took two of his core cities. He was still willing to sign for peace at the end of the turn, but was also willing to give up one town. I looked through the list of the 21 towns of mine that he had taken (and not burned) and selected the one closest to my still unroaded coal (in fear of culture flips).

He also agreed to a Right of Passage, so keeping those resources pillaged shouldn't prove a problem. My overall focus though will now be on getting to Communism ASAP. Via a surplus budget, research would take 38 turns. Using Negative-GPT, though, it would take only 15 turns, maybe less with specialists. I have to sleep on that decision. It may be legal for HOF play, but it's also a tactic I've rarely used.

Oh well, I don't feel like cleaning up the map right now anyway. Time to unwind with some Unreal Tournament and then go to bed.

 

[superslug]

Lost a section of my notes, reconstructing from memory.

1120AD?
Finished research on Communism. went back into Anarchy. The peaceful interim was productive. Built a lot of workers and railed most of what's left of my empire. Traded Communism with someone for Espionage.

(I did use negative-GPT after all.)

1140AD?
Thought I had enough troops to sweep through Egypt. Declared war and started torching towns.

1160AD?
Got another MGL. Instead of an Army, I saved him. At this time, I'm not sure if he'll go towards Intelligence Agency or SPHQ. At this point, stealing techs might actually prove fruitful.

1180AD
At this point, my troops were battered, redlined and spread thin. Considering the massive losses of cities that Egypt had suffered in so few turns, she was most willing to sign a peace treaty and even give me back one or two towns I'd originally had (taken by the Mongols, then her).

I seriously doubt the peace will last long.

(Later in the turn I remembered there were some redlined Egyptian Cavalry around. I really should have smacked them down before signing the peace deal.)

1200AD
At long last I arrive into the promised land of Communism.

Someone attempted propaganda in 451. I've never been victim of that before.

What to do with the MGL? The Intelligence Agency would cost twice as many shields as the SPHQ, but the SPHQ would have dramatically more immediate benefit. Rushed it.

Set my research on Electricity to scientists only.

All cities but two working on Cavalry. As they finish the units, they'll start alternating between Settlers and more Cavalry. My military had been whittled down to less than 60 Cavalry, so I needed more, but I also needed to start founding towns in the ruins of Egypt. I'm not sure how close the overall map is to the 512 city limit, but I intend to hit it.

 

[superslug]

1210AD
I found two Settlers I forgot about. I rushed a Galleon to transport them plus some conscript Riflemen to the mainland.

I need to go back to war with someone, anyone, soon so I can mobilize.

Prepositioned my five armies to knock out some Egyptian occupied towns of mine separated from their main territory. I also built a rail line down to their current border and started moving my Cavalry that way. Marching units to and from the nearest Barracks would be considerably quicker this time.

1220AD
Someone sabotaged production in my city of 010, where the Military Academy and Army construction is taking place. I should be paying more attention to the German gold. I already 'caught' one of his spies.

1230AD
Germany completed the Theory of Evolution.

1250AD
MGL generated when attacking an Egyptian town. Rushed Intelligence Agency.

1260AD
Egypt voted off the island by unaminous vote of Iroquois Cavalry. Settler flood of ruins commenced, workers now railing through Babylon.

Landed my two Settlers and escorts on the mainland. There was actually a few open tiles! Hope to settle next turn.

1270AD
Founded a town on the mainland. Sold a lot of workers to Germany for cash, bought Electricity from someone else. Replaceable Parts or bust.

1280AD
Germany has crossed over 100,000 gold now in their treasury. I was pleasantly surprised to see how few cities they had though, just a few dozen. After I cleare out the Babylonians and Mongols and get Artillery, I believe Germany may be in for a nasty little ROP-rape. I sure could use that gold.

According to a CivAssistII consultation and calculation, the map currently has 349 cities. That means I only have to build 163 Settlers to hit the 512 limit. That could take a few turns.

 

[Moonsinger]

1210AD
Germany has crossed over 100,000 gold now in their treasury.

Wow! That's a lot of gold. What are you going to buy with such a huge stack of gold?

 

[superslug]

Wow! That's a lot of gold. What are you going to buy with such a huge stack of gold?

Techs. There's at least six or seven (minimum) that some of the AI have that I don't. I'm really starting to get smoked in that area, but as soon as I get Artillery, I'll have what I need to slay most of the map (I hope ).

 

[superslug]

1285AD
Had another Army production sabotaged and my military plans stolen. Germany's gold dropped by thousands in one turn. Now at least I know who's screwing with me.

Invading Babylon, but taking heavy Cavalry losses, down to around 60. Bribed the Mongols into an MA against Babylon. Khan

took one of my former towns that had Iron and Saltpeter, made the scout resource denials kind of pointless. I may leave the

Babylonians around that town alone, see if they take it back.

1295AD
Joan of Arc sold me RP. I'm pretty happy about it. As a matter of fact:

See? I'm happy about it.

Time to pillage some resources. Victory in this game is no longer theoretical.

 

[superslug]

Victory in this game is no longer theoretical.

Unless of course Germany decides to spend it's 100,000 gold on unit upgrades and declares war on me.

Back to the Civ3Map folder...

 

[superslug]

It's time for me to face facts. I simply haven't got the time to do a high level milk run before IV comes out, so consider this my retirement notice from Civilization III milking.

I *should* have time to participate in some of the Gauntlets, though. I'm definitely not going anywhere. There's nowhere else on the internet I'd rather be than a Civilization Hall of Fame.