[BNW] Deity Versus Series - The Aztecs

[beetle]

Deity Versus Series – Montezuma

I am posting a series of six games, all using the same eight civs and the same map script, and taking notes on which civs the computer plays the best. This is the third game in the series, and with this map, you play Montezuma of the Aztecs.

Please be encouraged to share your experience playing this map, but if you post in the first page of this thread, please use the SPOILER tag if you attach a picture, make a comment about your neighbors, nearby natural wonders, locations of ancient ruins, terrain features, luxes, resources, etc.

Before you download and start playing the map, please take a moment to speculate on your initial thoughts and plans for the game. Will you settle in place? Will you try to found a religion? What are your plans for getting the most from the UA, UB, and UU? What Victory Condition will you be aiming for?

After you play the map, please post about which civs lost their capitals to, or were eliminated by, other civs. Which AI thrived and which struggled? Did you feel any pressure from any of the AIs from their winning by SV, CV, or Diplo?

Please post the AI scores at your turn of victory (or defeat). I will be compiling those, to see if any obvious trends emerge.

The suggested VC is Domination, but play as you like, and all VC are enabled.

Spoiler for starting screen shot :

Spoiler for UA, UB, and UU :

Sacrificial Captives: Gains Culture for eat empire from each enemy unit killed.

You can train the Jaguar, which replaces the Warrior. The Jaguar receives a 33% combat bonus in Forest and and Jungle, heals 25 hp when it kills a unit, and starts with the Woodsman promotion (which allows the Jaguar to move through Forest and Jungle using only a single movement point). These promotions are retained as the unit is upgraded. The Jaguar becomes obsolete with Metal Casting (as compared to Iron Working for the Warrior).

You can build Floating Gardens, which replaces the Water Mill. In addition to the usual Water Mill benefits, a city with Floating Gardens gets +15% food, +2 food from Lakes, and only cost 1 gold maintenance (as compared to 2 gold for the Water Mill). Unlike the Water Mill, Floating Gardens is available for cities next to a lakes.

Spoiler for the map type and other settings :

Standard size, standard speed, standard number of civs and CS, etc. Map type is Continents Plus, so expect the City States to be on the periphery of the continents and on islands. I used Rotate Start Position to pick the best spot and IGE to remove some blocking ice at the poles.

Spoiler for exactly which civs are in the game :

Civs have been chosen because the computer plays them well. Your opponents are Alexander, Attila, Augustus, Bismarck, Dido, Pocatello, and Sejong.

Please note that there are two save files attached to this post. The AI civs in the file with “lite” in its name have each had a settler and worker deleted. As compared to the player, they still start off with an extra warrior, scout, and worker.

This map requires having the DLC map packs.

 

[Grendeldef]

Oh goodie, I started the Germany map and paused after 20 turns remembering that I have sufficiently forgotten the 1st Korea try so I was about to start the proper CDG29 but now I can give it even more time and tackle this one instead in hope of Liberty having a chance here.

By the looks of it the Jaguar is standing on riverside so that's where I'll settle unless something miraculous happens on T0.

 

[Grendeldef]

The bad news, I'm screwed @T50 and I'll leave it there for now. The good news, I can start rolling the Cathy & Dido map right away.

Spoiler :

Settled on the said hill, DoWed Attila for a Worker T7 and stole few more later. Liberty opened T18 by thought process liberty or death. 2nd city T34 NW by the Silver and 3rd S by the Cotton. Pantheon T41 while 2 religions were already gone elsewhere - faith & culture from Gold & Silver.
The problem is that there's no happiness, Colosseums won't cut it, not enough Circuses, can't much trade as the luxes are shared which mean I can't take cities because it give new luxes and CSs are hiding somewhere beyond the horizon.
Like 007 I'll return at some point in future but I'll switch Martinis to Scotch.

 

[raider980]

Whew, I'm about to finish the Atilla game. Now to start this or continue the Germany one? Decisions decisions.

Not a hard decision is to settle on that grassland hill. First I was drawn toward the plain hill to get the gold in first ring but that's not as good. Guess I'll move the Jaguar through the cocoa to hat other hill to the west, just because he can.

 

[beetle]

Now to start this or continue the Germany one?

FWIW, I had an easier time with the Germany game than this one. I am posting these games per @consentient’s ranking, so stronger civs (like Attila) before weaker ones (like Monty).

Not a hard decision is to settle on that grassland hill.

That is what I did as well. I don’t think the plain hill is on a river, and Floating Gardens is a very nice building. My first build was Jaguar. With the Woodsman promotion, they move just about as well as scouts, have no problems with barbs, and of course, are good for war. I love that their promotions stick with them, so I built a few extra. I did build a couple scouts, but only late (after Armory).

 

[zxcvbob]

I started the "lite" version; settled on that hill once I was sure it had fresh water for a Floating Gardens. I also didn't build any scouts, just jags. Doing a mix of Honor and Tradition. It's about turn 130. I have 2 cities -- I wanted to settle 3 but I've been too busy just stayin' alive. (cue the Bee Gees) My second city is due east. Both cities have monuments, walls, floating gardens, and libraries. Not much else. Third city was going to be north to pick up another luxury but I think it's too late for that now.

Spoiler :

We all denounced Caesar when he captured Moson Khani, then Attila asked me for a joint war against Rome. I did the 10 turns thing to build a few more composite bows and jaguars. It's a few turns before show time, and Attila declares war on me! I killed a bunch of Hun units and he backed off a little (not completely) but my capital was at very low health. Then Caesar declares war on me. The timing was right I suspect Attila made deals with both of us at the same time. I fought them all off -- lost a few units but not my cities -- and am at peace again, for a little while anyway.

Biggest problem at the moment is gold. My treasury is empty and I'm hovering around 0 GPT. Building markets. Next policy is Monarchy, that should fix it.

 

[Grendeldef]

I started the "lite" version; settled on that hill once I was sure it had fresh water for a Floating Gardens.

The enthusiasm is very welcomed but there's stil this part in the OP


****Please be encouraged to share your experience playing this map, but if you post in the first page of this thread, please use the SPOILER tag if you attach a picture, make a comment about your neighbors, nearby natural wonders, locations of ancient ruins, terrain features, luxes, resources, etc.****



for the purpose keeping those who so wish in the dark until they play it themselves.

With the current player base the possible damage is hardly a major issue but also easily avoidable altogether so let's keep using the at least for a week or so after the release of the game.

 

[zxcvbob]

Sorry about that, Chief.

 

[Grendeldef]

No worries but the change in your post is highly welcomed

 

[beetle]

…then [X] asked me for a joint war against [Y]. I did the 10 turns thing to build a few more composite bows and jaguars. It's a few turns before show time, and [X] declares war on me!

I encounter that pretty often. I think Monty is one of the worse offenders for this, so I guess that is fair!

 

[raider980]

Wow, The Aztecs are awesome! I have never played them before. Jaguars are incredible; it says a warrior replacement but they fight more like a spearman replacement, or better.

Spoiler :

I destroyed Bismarck with just Archers and Jaguars. First time I've ever taken out a civ before CB. And now I have CB and am debating whether to attack Attila. He has only one city still and is in a war with Rome. But I don't want to fall victim to hubris, I have plenty of space to settle 6 cities in the north. But he's got cotton and incense, which I don't have.

 

[beetle]

Nice going @raider980! I felt like I had a good enough start, but never really progressed.

 

[beetle]

Sejong soundly beat me to SV on T305. I do not plan to retry this map as that is so much faster than I can typically get to SV. I must say though, that out of the three versus games so far, I enjoyed playing the Aztec the most. I am looking forward to posting them in the CDG series!

How to rate the play of the AI for civs is a work in progress, but for now my thinking is one point for each the following:

• each civ dominated (and eliminated, hopefully)
• having tourism influence over all but one civ (or winning by CV)
• having five SS parts (or winning by SV)
• being within four votes of WL (or winning by Diplo)
• being ahead in score by a wide margin (i.e., a few thousand points, maybe twice the score of next highest civ)

I tally one point for Sejong, none for anyone else.

Next game in the series is up.