DocT3 Best Start Ever! (Emperor)

[Greebley]

Preturn: A few minor tweeks based on personal preference. Upgrade a Musket and 4 Rifles to Infantry (since we are getting more cash next turn).

IBT: The forementioned privateers sink our galley. We get steel and start on combustion.

1640 AD: I raise science to 90% May need to redo Lux next turn.

IBT: Nothing of note

1645 AD: I am thinking about grabbing the Ottoman city with Rubber and Incense rather than letting the Japanese have it. Not at all sure we can get there in time though.

1650 AD:

1655 AD: Too late the Japanese grabbed the incense city. I may still try to grab the actual incense with a settler.

1665 AD: Trade for Espionage. Switch over to Intell Agency
1670 AD: Get Combustion and start Flight.
Ottomans have been destroyed.

1680 AD: Declare War on France. I hope this works... Attack oil town and kill an infantry. Land some troops on a random French island.

1685 AD: Looks like Sea Bombardment is going to be bad. I have to retreat the Army to heal (otherwise it will be bombarded as it heals)
Capture a random city on a random French Island.

I want to even out the years. I just like it better. This is also an awkward turn to end on.

IBT: Japan and Sumeria declare war.

1695 AD: I have to abandon that other city on the island with the oil (augustorium). It has an infantry who is red-lined by boats and surrounded by troops.

1700 AD: Trade Steel for Oil and some gold with Japan. Switch a town to a destroyer.
Abandon the French town I captured and replace it with a settler of our own founding Tingis. Lose a Cavalry attacking French units, but we get a leader with our Elite unit. I make an army and put in 3 cavalry (not that it is injured because I used the injured Elite*.
Kill one more Infantry in the town.

Notes:
Make sure you don't end the armies turn on the coast! There is a lot of bombardment - I believe I lost 5 or 6 hp when I first tried to heal (fortunately we were able to retreat and get healed while the other units went for Augustorium).

The way I would handle the taking of the oil town is to let the army heal. Then move onto the marsh. Kill one unit and move back.

If we take the city then I suggest making peace right away. Otherwise we will lose the harbor to bombardment (if it survives the towns capture). They won't talk to us yet. We may have a lot of units to kill, the AI has 4 or so heading to the town.

We need to send out a worker to connect the oil at some point.

We are making one destroyer. I suggest the next player go through towns and look to see if we want more. France has a lot of ships.

We want the temple in Tingis ASAP so the town won't be able to flip. It has 4 square overlap which means it currently has a small chance to flip.

For ferrying units across I suggest moving one boat out partway, have the units jump from one boat to another and then land them on the same turn on the island. Alternatively if you/we don't consider ship chaining an exploit, you can put both boats on the same square and transfer them without using their movement which allows them to also move on land and to attack on the same turn.

 

[Greebley]

Here is a map:

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

S of Tingis are the French Ivory cities, any chance to grab that before peace?

Well played, Greebley.This seems to be one of the few maps where Naval Power is really needed .

 

[Bigfoot]

And here I was worried that we wouldn't have a lot of action in a Demo-Sapce type of game. I have not had a chance to look at the save yet, will do so tonight.

Got it.

 

[romeothemonk]

Subs might be very useful in this map, even with the sub bug. Plinking galleons with subs sounds like a fun and safe thing for us to do.

 

[Bigfoot]

Pre-Turn check 1700AD
- We have 112 G, make 0 gpt; Flight is due in 5.
- Our forces consist of 7 workers, lots of slaves, 5 muskets, 7 rifle, 15 cav., 10 inf., 3 cannon, 1 atty., 4 galleon, 2 armies, 6 NM, 3 MDI.
- At war with France; our military is rated weak versus everyone.
- We are tech leaders (up Comb., Elec. on Japan, up Refining, Elec. on Sumer.)
- Take another look around the WM for oil, I see a total of 5 oil resources (3 in Japanese control, 1 each in French and Sumer. control).
- Switch Sabratha from atty. to destroyer.

<IBT: privateer sinks one of our galleons; French reinforcements move towards Omi (oil city); Seoul inf. -> settler; Rusaddir granary -> PS.>

Turn 1 1705AD
- Join some workers on horse island.
- Armies are resting.
- Change Cadiz from atty. to MP.
- Trade WM to Japan and Sumer. for extra gold and good relations.

<IBT: frigates continue heavy bombardment of Tingis; French SOD lands next to Tingis; France lands forces on the Japanese section of horse island (near Rusaddir – but no ROP showing between Japan and France?); Entremont. inf. -> destroyer; Utica inf. -> inf.; Pyongson temple -> MP; Cirta destroyer -> inf.>

Turn 2 1710AD
- Sumer. sends one inf. N. towards Oea.
- Move forces on horse island to defend against French nearing Rusaddir.
- Rested army moves S. and attacks Omi, kills a 4/4 inf. but loses 7 HP; moves back N. to inland marsh to rest.
- Rush destroyer in Sabratha.
- Destroyer moves towards Cirta to engage French navy.
- By Tingis:
- 12/13 army vs. 4/4 inf., wins (loses 1 HP)
- 11/13 army vs. 4/4 inf., wins (loses 3 HP).
- 4/4 cav. vs. 4/4 inf., loses (inf. loses one HP, but promotes to elite)

<IBT: French continue heavy bombardment of Tingis; our lone destroyer draws fire from some frigates that came from the N. (jeez, how many frigates do these guys have?); our army by Omi is wiped out by combined attacks from French cavs. and guerillas (French lose 2 cav. and 1 guerr. in the process); French SOD attacks Cirta, but the city holds; French land another SOD by Tingis ; Carthage atty. -> destroyer; Sabratha destroyer -> destroyer.>

Turn 3 1715AD
- With the loss of our army the gambit to take the French oil has failed; we have no forces near Omi, and the French navy prevents the movement of addt’l forces there. We also are likely to lose Tingis next turn (plus our other army and its support elements).
- Decide to sue for peace, France agrees and gives us 4G, 3 gpt and WM for peace.
- Check deals, France will give wines and 52 gpt for Steel; both Japan and Sumer. already have it, so I do the deal before the French get it from another civ.
- Sumer. inf. is still near Oea, but I don’t give the ‘move or declare’ ultimatum because our Korean lands are weakly defended. Looks like it is headed to attack a Japanese city.

<IBT: Lose dyes, we renegotiate deal with Sumer. furs and 40 gpt for dyes and WM; lose spices, renegotiate with Japan silks and 7gpt for spices; French forces start backing away from Tingis; Seoul settler -> inf.; Utica inf. -> inf.; Wonson duct -> univ.; French build Hoover in Orleans; lots of WLTKD celebrations.>

Turn 4 1720AD
- Join settler to Lugdun. (makes 10 spt net at size 9).

<IBT: Flight comes in -> Mass Prod. (due in 8 turns at +34 gpt); Nampo duct -> PS; Camul. library -> univ.>

Turn 5 1725AD
- Rush temple in Tingis,

<IBT: Utica inf. -> bomber; Tingis temple -> library; Rusicade atty. -> bomber.>

Turn 6 1730AD
- Start moving forces towards Korean lands to beef up defenses there; begin moving forces out of Tingis.
- France learned Elec.
- Join settler to Wonson by mistake (damn!), city will shrink from size 8.

<IBT: Sumer. iron deal expires, they will not renew (have no gpt); Sumer. and Japan still fighting, they are both sending forces across our territory on horse isle; Entremont destroyer -> inf.; Theveste factory -> coal plant; Leptis M. atty. -> inf.; Oea atty. -> univ.>

Turns 7-10 (1735-1750AD)
- Move forces to defend horse isle cities and to beef up on Korean lands.

There is more oil on this map than we originally thought (perhaps the reserves appeared later?) Since we were unable to take Omi and its oil, I recommend that we make a play for Sumer. (oil and ivory). This is an easier target from a logistics standpoint since it is within easy striking range of Korean ports, and our land-based bombers are within striking range of most of their cities. There are 13 turns left on our silks deal with them, so we will have tanks by then (assuming Japan continues to sell us their extra oil). With tanks, bombers, inf./atty. teams and our cav. army we should be able to roll up the Sumer. cities and secure their oil and ivory (and maybe some other goodies too – aluminum and/or uranium?).

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

and maybe some other goodies too &#8211; aluminum and/or uranium?).

I really wonder what that city on our landmass has to offer.

Got it.

 

[Greebley]

There were a decent number of oil at the start of my turn. I think the first survey simply did not spot all of them. (to look, I turn off everything but natural resources and national borders including mountains, forests, and rivers).

I still thought we should try the grab for the oil. I didn't realize the extent of the French Navy. We gained one city and lost the other (on the island with the oil).

 

[Bigfoot]

Well, you've got to take risks in a combat zone, I don't think it was such a bad bet either. If we could have taken Omi quickly the plan would have worked.

 

[romeothemonk]

Well, Now that we have some bombers, conquering oil doesn't seem so hard. I would not use bombers for lethal land bombard though. That seems like an exploit, but culling a few ships from the sea is a great use of them. I too am in favor of a limited war to get oil, if only because I forgot to check very thoroughly for all oil sources.

 

[Greebley]

I am going on a trip where I won't have much computer access. The times are in my sig. Skip me if my turns come up during this time.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Carthage 1750AD

Why is Wonsan starving - draft an Infantry there.
We’re building quite a number of regular units .

IBT:
Japan captures Zabalam on the Horse Island.
Oh, and we are the happiest nation on Earth.

Turn 1: 1752AD
Build a couple of Airfields.

Turn 2: 1754AD
Sell Combustion to France for Gems, 26gpt and 360gp.
IBT:
Mass Production->Amphibious Warfare (yes, I want that).

Turn 3: 1756AD
Switch quite a number of builds to ComDocks.
IBT:
Japan captures In’chon.

Turn 4: 1758AD
*PLEASE DON’T AUTOMATE WORKERS.*
Not even for pollution, they will clean the volcanoes then.
IBT:
We loose our supply of Ivory, and it is no longer available.

Turn 5: 1760AD
Zzz&#8230;
IBT:
Sumeria recaptures Zabalam with a single regular Guerilla&#8230; Toku!

Turn 6: 1762AD
Turn 7: 1764AD
IBT:
Japan takes Zabalam.

Turn 8: 1766AD
IBT:
AW->MT

Turn 9: 1768AD
IBT:
We loose our supply of Oil.

Turn 10: 1770AD
Combustion + Electronics + 260gp and 39gpt are only doubtful for Oil - looks like Sumeria needs to go. In 3 turns our deals with Gilgamesh will run out.
There are 2 Bombers in Pyongsong, don’t forget them (either keep them there against Sumerian ships, are rebase them).
If you go to war with Sumeria, eliminate them, or resettle everything except wonder cities.
Btw, Japan has 56k culture (but both France and Sumeria have more than half of that, while we have a blazing 15200 ).

(All active units are still active so that you don’t overlook them for the next turn).

The Save

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Roster:
Gyathaar - Up!.
Greebley
Romeothemonk
Bigfoot
Doc - Just played

 

[Gyathaar]

got it.. but seems like I am up in 3-4 SGs atm, and havent decided which one to do first

 

[Bigfoot]

Carthage 1750AD

Why is Wonsan starving - draft an Infantry there.

Sorry Doc, my bad. I joined a settler there by mistake.

We’re building quite a number of regular units .

I wanted to build some bombers while we still had an oil deal with Japan. I am not sure, but there may have been a regular atty. building as well. Noob question: is there much of a benefit in building veteran (versus regular) bomber and atty. units? I know they get an extra health bar, but atty. just get captured and fighter vs. bomber matchups are rare.

 

[Greebley]

Bombardment from air and water units tends to hit planes (and boats) first. That extra HP can save the life of the plane. On the other hand with lethal bombardment it is easy to get promotions.

For that reason, I will build an airport if I can do so quickly, otherwise I don't bother.

Gyathaar, Do you want to swap?

I could play this one tonight and give you some leeway on playing. As I will be getting ready for my trip later in the week, it would be better for me to play tonight.

 

[Gyathaar]

I am fine with a swap

 

[romeothemonk]

There is no such thing as regular or veteran artillary. That is why many players denote a couple of core cities without rax to build cats/treb etc, and why they are often built at newly captured cities.
With the bombers, I only build airports if I have smith's, or intend on doing mass airlifts of troops. I never build airports for the extra HP on my planes.

 

[Doc Tsiolkovski]

Technically, there are reg/vet Ari. But unless you play Korea (yes, you can spawn MGLs with H'wachas!), it doesn't matter in the unmodded game.

Bigfoot: NP with reg planes, but I meant those 3 reg Infantry .

 

[Greebley]

Ok, I got it.

Wanting vet planes is an admittedly rare case. The AI is rarely bombing you back. I have only seen the need in uphill battles vs a Strong Deity AI.

The ability to build airfields quickly with workers made city airports very low priority.

The only uses I can think of are:

Keeping resources connected.

Being able to move units directly into a city for defense. If you are transporting troops every round then the city with an airport is always defeneded by the new troops.

The rare case of wanting vet Bombers.

Workers are more valuable than shields in your big cities and you have Smiths.

[Edit: Doc says/thinks fighters are more reliable if they are veteran.]