Earth Map Odyssey [Story/RoM Tutorial]

[DRJ]

Hello, this is my first attempt to make a story/tutorial, so if you have suggestions or criticism I would like to read that, I am interested in learning new twists and strategies!

It's my first "godsmaker" difficulty (one above deity) game and I chose earth map for it - as I like 'realistic' settings (I have the tactical advantage to know the map of the Earth, but that shall hopefully be forgiven. I try to write as if I wouldn't^^).


Stats:

Civ: Incans (Industrial/Agricultural, starting techs Agriculture and Ritualism)

Earth Map, 28 Civs (huge)

Barb Civ (5 pop barb cities can become minor civs): on

Revolution Mod: on

No tech brokering: on

Starting As Minors: on

Time Victory: off

Speed: Eternal

Difficulty: Godsmaker

ModMods activated: nearly all I found


Starting comments:

Well... I start in a very remote area: mountains, desert, plains and one unworkable lake cause I don't start with the knowledge of Fishing. This takes 80 turns to learn but I am willing to do so anyway - I really want the 3 and 2 from that tile. Together with the 2 potatoes in my city radius which is located 2 south from my original starting point: on the desert tile S/W of the lake I will have a nice 3 plot base for settler production and a bit of , too.

Screenshot

I explore the surroundings, get money from the huts in the amazon. Lots of bengal tigers(?!) track me down. Who the hell sends them there? India, gonna get you later for that!!!

Anyway, after I pop a scout and lose one of my starting quechas, I get richer from hut to hut- treasury grows to 2000 !!! This scout really is a godly gift from the Sun! Last hut gives me Naturopathy, but sadly I don't find Druidism in my capital, as some other civ already popped the tech some turns before.

After I discover fishing, I go for Stone Tools, a requisite for Mining. My goal is to get some jobs for my worker after he finishes the potato farms.

I built him directly at the start and if all works out well he wont have a single turn in this game sitting around like a lazy lama. I smell gold and silver in the mountain mines!!!

Screenshot

By now I discovered a barbarian city in northern Columbia, garrisoned by 4 warriors. Thankfully no spearmen! I fear an invasion of those, as I try to avoid researching Hunting (requisite of spearmen) but to go directly for Masonry after Mining, to be able to build Town Guards which I can use as effective Spearmen counters. I also want to work some of that shiny obsidian lying around everywhere.


Turn 237: My third city is now established. To recapulate: the working order in my capital from the start: Worker/Monument/Quecha/Quecha - grows to size 2 - Settler/Healers Hut/Quecha - grows to 4 - Settler. The queue is now to built a Town Guard as soon as possible, the Sphinx and then some Walls for the happyness it gives.

Screenshot


Turn 243: I get a breakthrough in researching Masonry, +158
I guess a prototype of a marble toilet fell from the sky and they now try to put the pieces together.

Turn 247: The Maya get Hinduism. Maybe I convert to it if it spreads early, I plan to find Confucianism later. My secound worker is ready, and a monument as well as a watchtower is built in the provinces.

Screenshot

Turn 287: The base of my economy is layed: all food resources are connected. Now the Obsidian will be my objective. My deficite rapes my treasury continually. The 4th city will soon have to make surpluses once my money has run out... Sadly, it probably won't and thus slow me down. All hopes lie in the silver mine I can start to work once Lima Docks expands culture. That silver and the gold from the capital shall give me at least a 12 /turn research rate in the near future, short but still slightly enough to stay on the road to Trade and Writing and Sailing. I also will have to reduce my army costs, disband the Quechas and keep the new Town Guards. If all works well and Maya or Aztecs research Writing too, I will establish a stream of Merchants to Latin America soon, giving 420 each and grant a 100% science slider for some turns.


Screenshot

Turn 336: "Sandstorms made some routes disappear near Nazca Lines" ;-)
My Economy is nearly cripled: 270 gold left and -27/turn. I get 31 /turn at 100% slider. Pottery is ~23 turns away - but only at 100%!!! I got to establish a 10% science economy with emphazising to get every possible - they have to starve go fishing instead of potato farming etc. I will get Pottery! It enables my Unique Building, the Terraces (+2 and acts as Granary) and it enables the Pottery Workshop, a useful building - its expansive (280 ) but gives +2 as well as 1 /turn to its city. This may help to get me out of economical depths before my citizens attempt to revolt. The Sphinx may also cover that, as a wonder reduces revolt instability as well. And btw., one of my Quechas killed a Spear. Just in time, as a Town Guard was not finished until recently after the fight - there was no City in challenge, though, as I had some covering troops in place.



Screenshot

Turn 346: Seems I was a bit pessimistic. My economy still has 14 / turn with a 40% slider.
48 turns to Pottery, here I come. Military Reforms nearly done, only 2 Elite Quechas remain, rest is Town Watchmen and Workers, some of the captured barb workers will be disbanded soon, there is not enough work and food left for all of them. I think I will send them into the desert, turkish-armenian-style...

Screenshot

As the above screenshot reveals, my hedgehog tactics (little soldiers, lot expansion) pays off, GNP, food and polulation nearly equal with the best rival. Nevertheless the europeans will trade much more than the american civs once they have writing, so after the trade establishing with the other american civs the far future obj will have to be to achieve an early ocean crossing as well as a certain tech lead towards a specialized tech capital for tech trading.

Screenshot (text for it below)

Turn 393: Pottery has been done and Trade is on the way (like 80 turns). Mayans research writing in about 100 turns, get there earlier then me, but I don't care. Most important fact is they get writing early - so both nations can flourish. Barb city in Uruguay has population 5. They will get a Minor civ sooner or later... For the same reasons I will have to kill the northern Columbian city in time so my trade project won't be blockaded by a barb city in between.


Screenshot (text for it below)

My 4th city begins to pay of now. I get 2,50 and 2,50 out of it per turn.
Maintance is 6,37 /turn, which makes the aquiered beakers still a bit expansive but they are worth it, as I get Trade in acceptable 50 turns (remember this is eternal speed!) while having an even economy (+1 /turn at 41 treasury) at 50% (+21 /turn)
On the downside my revolution counter goes up, maybe I'll have to research Hunting in between writing and sailing to build Spears and capture a barb city for revolt stability... maybe changing civics to Charity (enabled by Trade) which decreases Rebelliousness (and gives +1 to the Terraces) will also do the job. We'll see...


Screenshot(text for it below)

Turn 539: Writing is ready, 11 turns after the Mayans. After making peace and opening borders we trade wheel+agri vs hunting+mysticism, Pacal still got priesthood and poly but doesn't want to trade that yet.
I am on my way to Sailing now, Weaving is the first step.
A recent barbarian pillaging raid (quarry+farm) has been beaten off and I plan to establish my 5th city near the capital on the other side of the Andes mountain ridge. Gonna be a lot of barbarian slaughter (xp) there - for little maintance.


to be continued soon...

 

[DRJ]

Turn 553: 3 Barbarian Kingdoms emerge in the West, one sized 7. When will the storm raise? I try to get school of scribes online. Weaving still ridiculous 40 turns away. 30 turns is more realistic if I calculate the surplus the effects of micromanagment, scribal schools and growing worked city tiles etc. bring.

Spoiler :

Turn 579: Weaving still takes 15 turns at 20 /turn. I sent 3 Storytellers to my 5th city, so it expands fast (needs 120 , each Storyteller gives 42 ) and reveals barbs earlier and prevents them to expand further.
I want to gift Mining to Pacal, as he gets it in 1 turn anyway. This cheap action may give me a +1 relations later "you shared your technological advances". Besides this exploitive idea I see he doesn't want Mining from me, its red. Nice to see AI gets less and less dumb.

Spoiler :

Turn 593: I am the 4th largest civ in the world. Thats ok.

Turn 613: I gifted Masonry to Mayans when they requested it. I knew they still had 37 turns on that tech but I gave it, as
1)I want them to hold against the Aztecs of who I don't know how strong they may get
2) Mayans are now pleased with me (+1 "you gave us help"). Good for a trade partnership.
38 turns to Sailing.
Amazon barbs strengthen my Town Watchmen.

Turn 668: My first Trade Caravans reach Mutal, the Capital of the Mayans. Sweet 840 into my treasury. Aztecs at 26 Score, half of the Mayans. I expect Sitting Bull to be the Sitting Bull around North America.

Spoiler :

Turn 706: 16 turns to Metal casting if all works out well and I get the trade caravans going. 30 turns to Great Lighthouse. I also start worrying a bit as my GNP is being challenged and my food/turn is already outpaced by a eurasian civ I guess. My population is only 3rd. Something has got to be done. Lets invent some Jewellery so our women feel beautiful again and give some (more) birth!

Spoiler :

Turn 734: First contact with the Native Americans - they lead the score now with 198 to my 163.
They got 7 cities, I have got only 5. But as they lack Sailing I don't take them as a real threat. My quest for world domination goes on. Meanwhile it's only 63 turns to Bronze Working if I can leave my slider at sweet 50% and 46 /turn.

Spoiler :

Turn 772: I got a Quest: Classic Literature - 11 Libraries shall be built.
Not realistic for me right now. After having established my 6th city on the Galapagos Islands, which is great in combination with the newly constructed Great Lighthouse as it give 3 oversea trade routes to my continental cities. I think I will found Mesopotamianism, as nobody else has done so yet. The Colossus which I aim at would add some more - I will be Trade Nation #1 in the world!!!

Meanwhile Sitting Bull gets stronger and stronger every turn.
I gifted Weaving to Mayans when they requested it...
and I discovered a very steep Andes route^^ (see spoiler)... is this the route to the lost city?

Spoiler :

Turn 788: I find Mesopotanianism and change my religion civic to "Prophets", so I can adept a state religion. This will cool down my relations with Pacal and Sitting Bull, but I can live with that as I don't need them anymore - hahahaha
My bad thoughts are answered by a volcano breakout. 'Little sins are punished instantly by God -- major sins nine month later.' as my mother always told me...

Spoiler :

Turn 830: Yue-Chi, the northern Columbian city falls to the Incan rams and elite quechas. I discover some stone tablets describing slavery techniques. That might be worth keeping for later.
Also, the fall of the barbarian center enables trade routes with mayan and native american cities.
I contemplate to ship my army of 5 elite quechas and 2 rams to the Aztec capital. Incan warriors need experience, tech knowledge and money from pillaging and burning down far away cities.

Spoiler :

Turn 848: This turn seems to be cursed: First, my stack takes its chances to attack Aztec capital before its defences are destroyed completely because a stack of 3 defenders went for a single unit outside. The attack on the city fails, the strongest defender survives. Only 2 elite quechas remain with the rams. the secound bad news is that the collosus is built 1 turn before I was able to complete it. DAMN!!! I really would have like those from my coast. Anyway, I get 842 Btw. did I already mention I am very angry right know? F***!!!!

Spoiler :

Turn 870: The empire is in a critical state - my 3 northern cities all are hinduistic (hinduism spread after I conquered the barb city) and my 3 south cities are mesopotamistic. The middle city still neutral. Soon I'll have to bribe Galapagos, as it is revoluting, I guess.
-Best case scenario: Instability only grows now, as I adopted Monarchy and had a statewide revolution for it and it will stabilize soon + I will get a event soon that says X city convert to state religion.
-Realistic Scenario: I will have to pay bribes for now while building a huge army and face the attack later.
-Worst case scenario: revolutions come earlier I expect + I have no money left to bribe, so I lose ~2 of the 3 cities and have to conquer them back in a long, costly war - while Native Americans already attempt to colonize the moon.

Turn 902: The incan empire stabilizes. The two reasons are: luck and luck. First, Native Americans launched an attack at aztec capital, where my troops were just in place to wipe out the remaining defenders when the initial attack failed. Some knowledge of slavery and 82 were fine but more importantly my revolt instability was lowered by the conquest. Then, after having built a Temple of An in my secound city I found out I don't need a shrine to produce a mesopotamian missionary - so now 3 missionaries spread the state religion in the 3 northern cities. The trade caravans are also in place again, after earlier a galley sunk because of a mistype of the emperor (me), who may have had a beer too much yesterday. Anyway, a new galley is in place now - the cash flows, but more than 50% /turn can't yet be reached. I now go for military training, which enables me to draft units once I changed military civic to conscription.
Native Americans research iron working in 17. Thats no good news, I fear they may overrun the mayans, my trading partners and then take on me as I am the only other civ left in America then... We'll see. Next project will be the ocean crossing fleet. It's time to discover new horizons!!!

Spoiler :

Turn 910: Mayans are eliminated by a 20-something stack of Native Americans. I really fear an invasion now... Must strengthen then border city!
The pace of the Native American research is enourmous. They manage to get techs in 15 turns while I need 48... Something has got to change...

 

[DRJ]

Turn 945: Finally, a fleet of 4 galleys, all promoted to 'Navigation I' are setting sails to a expected new (old) world. The mayan emperor is keen to trade some shiny objects (glassware^^) for the boring gold and silver he has plenty of.
Potatoes are also abroad. Lots of potatoes.
The captain of one of the ships dreams of a far away mysterious land he calls Francianaku, where people will soon invent new, extravagant methods of consuming the potatoes, which he eats day-in day-out as a vapid mash. Stormy cloads are brewing in the far east.

Spoiler :

Meanwhile in the north, the Native Americans seem to have lost a city to the barbs (-16), and sacrified some of their population, so their score evens out with mine. I also hope their cash runs out soon, so they can't continue to research at the pace they do.

Turn 946: After a ocean crossing including some losses, I meet strange people on the other side: their skin is black and they know a lot of religious stuff.
I trade Animal Husbandry, Polytheism and Ceremonial Burrial for Trade, Bronze Working and Agriculture. After I added the techs costs, I calculated this was a fair deal, especially as the score of the Malinese sucked and I want them to stay on the air a little bit longer.

Spoiler :

Turn 954: After my fleet seperated into north/south, the northern ships discover the English People. they have got a huge golden statue called "collosus" standing in front of their Capital. This shall one day rightfully be mine!!!
Am a bit disapointed by the european civs, expected a much higher score. Well maybe the chinese can prevent that.
Btw. First turn in the game I lead the score before the Native Americans. Maybe it won't get too hard at all...

Spoiler :

Turn 984: there must be something wrong with the AI intelligence: Rome has over 40 Spearmen stalled in its capital! AI tech rate must be at zero with this budget. On the other hand, they'll survive quite many attacks like this... ;-)
I plan to circumnavigate the globe now. My Galley got promoted after a 50% battle, when attacked in korean waters and is now going straight to alaska.
Native Americans have now same tech pace like me, we both have Maths in about 40 turns - if I can build enough Caravans to cover my treasuries' decline...
Both, Sitting Bull and me need the great wall. But he has Stone and I don't... could chop it out in the amazon by pre-choping some jungle (leave it with 1 turn to chop) while teching the 40 turns to Maths. That may be the edge...

Spoiler :

Turn 1032: The Native Americans beat me about 4 turns in creating the great wall. But that doesnt matter that much, as I clear the remaining barb cities and get rid of the problem that way. I decide to keep them all now - Gonna fill in the land later and eventually disband some of them when colonists are available.
Next goal is Currency, Sitting Bull aims for Calendar. Maybe I can trade it from him later. The idea he might build mausoleum of mausolos is not nice but a early extra trade route + a market is a good deal, to my opinion.
Turn 1055: My position is stable. The barbs are on the retreat and I gain a lot of population but my GNP is 50 behind that of the Native Americans and projects have to be done to counter that. Currency still 30 turns away... The deficit of -127 /turn is met by a steady stream of Trade Caravans, which 3 cities are building constantly.
A view on the Incan Empire from space:

Spoiler :

Turn 1094: Incan Elite Galleys prove that 'The world is round!' --- It's the climax of the golden age spirit that went along with fundamental changes in the religious and idiological centers of the incan society. No prophets rule the people anymore, a organized ecclesiastical system now spins the 'thruth'. This is reflected by the massproduction of the 4 different mesopotamian temple types in various cities of the growing empire. On the political battlefield, egalitarian movements manage to dominate the capitalistic followers - once, when currency was invented, between those options had to be opted. A unbloody revolution wiped the streets, chanting, love-ins at every corner marked the beginning of this new age of consciousness among the mighty Incans.
What comes next? The state deficit is growing ungodly again, as the effects of the golden age weared off - but some avantgardistic citizens try to spread the knowledge of a new technique of art, which they call 'sculpturing' - whereby they intend to represent a certain melancholical reminiscense, originating, as they strongly believe, in the midst of the remembering and craving, (golden) aged people...

Spoiler :

 

[Afforess]

Very interesting. It seems as though your empire could collapse at any moment. And did you ever get above 50% research rate? Also, you seem to rely heavily on Town Watchmen...

 

[DRJ]

Yes, my empire is relying heavily on Town Watchmen (as I avoided to research hunting early on, they had to fill the empty space of the spears, being stationed at every hill pass and strategic bottleneck.
(To avoid this exploit they could get a -25% strength outside cities, I think)

Also, I modified the Barbciv-file so that a new minor civ can only be created if BarbCity is is at least 10 tiles away from next full civ capital. That means in my Case the 9-sized Barb city wasn't able to become a minor civ (only 9 tiles) and the others (11 tiles away) hadn't reached size 5 because the Barbs placed them stupidly (as usually).

But the real exploit must be the trade caravan system, I think. Although lots of cities can't get buildings because they have to produce these on and on, it works to pay for early, expansive techs like currency (~9900 beakers @eternal). 420 each... - 20 caravans just for that.
I can only have 3 caravans the same time so this has got to be micromanaged very well to work. A full 100% slider equals -300 /turn, and I sometimes did this - at the end of the researching techs when they still have 3 turns left if I decide to put my at 100%. On the other had, to cash in a trade caravan every turn logistically can't be done. Not with this map, at least. And if Sitting Bull decides to close the borders, I am honestly pretty much in trouble with 10% or something.

But anyway, this is only a my first godsmaker/eternal game. Misfortune as well as luck, both serve me fine this time, let's see if I can stabilize my economy. And let's see when Sitting Bull decides to rush me, that'll be the game-shifting point.

Btw., Afforess, have you any ideas, what I could change in games to-be?

P.S. my empire stability is pretty ok now, after the golden age and the shift to organized religion, the conquest of 3 barb cities and the creation of Abu Simble in Yue-Chi. Also, all cities practice state religion now and are garrisoned nicely (with Town Watchmen, of course^^)...

 

[DRJ]

Turn 1168: The Incan Empire is inventing an alphabet. Knots represent letters.
The budget is 55% at -112 /turn. Trade caravans are chopped down while most cities build courthouse to catch up with the huge maintance costs these growing centers of prosperity produce.
Sitting Bulls score is still 10 behind mine, we both scratch at the 500 mark, while England, best eurasian civ only has 200+ though they gain victory after victory in conquering middle european cities as my spies tell me.

Spoiler :

Turn 1174: As you can see in this screenshot, my GNP, Goods and Food are nearly all equal to Sitting Bulls stats. My Population is larger, but so is my maintenance. Why the hell is my Life Expectancy so low?? Does someone know where that originates in?
After 50 turns otherwise, this turn his score was again higher than mine (506 to 504). I will build spies now and go fishing for a cheap ancient tech from him.

Spoiler :

Turn 1187: A first great prophet is born and he advises to built 'The Tower Of Babel' in my religious capital. Before, I adepted 'Caste', which was traded of the Native Americans, as I realized the starting option 'Tribal' gives +50% city maintance ( I was wondering why my budget was so bad all the time^^).
Still didn't want to use slavery instead of barter. A mistake, maybe.
Sitting Bull techs construction in 14 turns. For Literature, equally expansive, I take about 30-35 turns.
Relating to the GNP and Unit Numbers: How does he do that? Must be a godsmaker bonus or something...

Spoiler :

Turn 1190: What Sitting Bull gets by cheating, I get by spying: cheap techs.

Spoiler :

Native Americans go for Engineering. Their cities are pretty uncapturable. I just hope to survive long enough to get same defenses before his trebuchets invade.

1292: Native Americans declare war on the Incans. One city has to be abandoned in retreat of a native american expeditionary corps in South America. But Incan triremes dominate the carribean, providing sensible losses on native american shipping.
After 10 turns of war, Incans buy a peace treaty for 210 - just in time, as a huge native american fleet was already at the borders, ready to land the main stack. 10 turns later I get asked for tribute. I pay 285

Turn 1320: Native Americans conquer Carthage. Their economy is very too strong. Can I still win this?

Some screenies of the past turns:

Spoiler :

Turn 1331: After my spy stole Meditation from Sitting Bull, his next job was to initiate a religious coup, et voilá: it worked! Native Americans now use Mesopotanism, but only 2 cities of them got this religion. Hopefully 4 turns lost for him, as well as a $hitload of mon€y.

Spoiler :

Turn 1366: The fleet grows to 15 well promoted Triremes. Brave elite sailors, who oppose 40+ ships of the enemy. Once Engineering is done, the path towards Papacy will be searched...

Spoiler :

 

[Afforess]

No suggestions, but a few comments. Technically, town watchmen do have a -25% strength out of cities because they start with 25% defense in cities. So normally, in cities they act a 5 strength, whilst out of them, 4 strength.

Also, the way difficulty levels work is that as the difficulty increases, the game slows your growth, research, gold, and lowers happiness and healthiness. At the same time it increases the AI's research rate, happiness, healthiness gold and production. That is why the AI can research techs much faster than you. I wish the difficulty levels actually meant that the AI tried better strategies instead of just dumb handicaps, but that's Firaxis's fault.

I think average lifespan has to do with the healthiness of your cities. The healthier, the longer the lifespan. Not that it has any bearing on the game, but yeah.

Oh and Lowering or eliminating research in place of espionage is a legitimate tactic. Players who win and get in the HOF sometimes use that as it can be more lucrative.

 

[MalvolioMagnus]

This is a great story! Thank you for sharing.

Would you please list all of the modmods you are using? I recognize some of them and can probably search for the others but there are so many ROM addons these days it is becoming difficult to keep up with all of them. (which is a good thing IMO )

I look forward to reading about The Mighty Inca's victory over the treacherous Sitting Bull!

 

[DRJ]

@Afforess: Thx for the explanations! Do you have also an idea how to lower the ungodly inflation? And one last question: Do you perhaps know how to change the fonts of the descriptions like what is built in a city or what great person will be born, listed countries etc.? I remember having seen screenshots where people had another font then I can see on my screenies but never saw an option for that in in-game menus.

@Malvolio Magnus: Your best wishes are like sweet songs of a glorious future in the ears of the hopefull incan troops^^ Regarding your question about which modmod I use I am sorry, but the list for me is too long to tell here, nearly all there are out there for version 2.71, so much I can tell you...


Turn 1396: The great Incan Empire now knows the technology of 'Engineering'. But they don't have a quarry of stones inside their boarders, so either they pay 50% more for those nice castles or they import some minor rocks from their major enemy, the native americans. That would cost 233 /turn. With inflation at 50%, (200 /turn alone for that) and another expansive res deal with Sitting Bull already in play, I heavily contemplate this decision.
A simple reason gives the edge towards the extortionate deal: Paved roads! Once my empire has a paved road network, it's much easier to defend and to manage (trade caravans reach their goals faster etc.) I guess I'll bite in the sour apple - it'll prevent me starving to death in the long term.

So the plan is now: bring all workers in strategic positions for paved roads, turn off research and begin to build castles everywhere...

Spoiler :

While Incan workers all over the country built roads, walls, castles, towers and moats, Native Americans had a fine time, spending incan cash - researching 5-6 techs, as if walking by.
Invaded some african landscapes, vassalaged Mansa.
Settled 5 new cities somewhere.

The Incan Emperor sighed when he heard of that back then, but he also decided to wait and work, whispering softly a word in the evening, which he remembers from his wise grandmother: Time will tell...

Guards are built in the backland cities, defensive Trebuchets at the coast. The country is prepared for an invasion, 'Never again will a city have to be abandoned because of invading enemy armies!' the people shout in the streets.

The Emperor raises his eyebrows slightly, accompanied by a frozen hush of his face.
He signs the end of the treaty with the Native Americans. What will happen next?!

Spoiler :

A few turns later, spies tell him the research of 'Feudalism' will be achieved 10 turns earlier than the Native Americans. Later again, same result is provided for the next project called 'Guilds'. The tech lead
can be won back someday!

Turn 1478: The Incan Emperor allows his mind to relax for some time: even if inflation is high, even if his rival, Sitting Bull, has a larger treasury, more ships, troops and lots of usefull technologies -
a number of subtle, positive hints make his face smile hawkishly for the blink of an eye, though:
Native American Colonies in Africa tend to revolt frequently.
The trade surplus the stone deal prevented for them is gone.
Their recent shift towards 'intolerant' will slow down research.
They are happy with Incan people and learn to respect their increased defence, economy and, most importantly, their openly reached hand towards friendship.

The Emperors decision is fallen: He probably won't be able to defeat the 'Neighbours of the North' on the battlefield but - as the Incans have proven already twice - they are the most cultured people of the world! - they shall try to gain that type of victory!!!
His eyebrows raises slightly. He laughs silently at himself.

Spoiler :

Turn 1510: Lead is gifted to the naive Natives. This serves the incan Emperor well, as, for once, the healthyness of the cities raises, while the unhealthyness of the revolt-shaken American Natives is growing critically, hopefully...

Spoiler :

Its one of the late turns of the 1500s: The Emperor looks back at the last centuries, feeling like back in the old days when important things were going to happen and the circumstances were cloudy, to say the best.
While the Native Americans vassilized the Ethiopians, Koreans and earlier the Kingdom of Mali, they only requested tribute of the Incans - although - 830 was nearly everything, they possesed at that time.
Banks were just being built everywhere, jungle shopped down all around 'Amazonia' - a coming-to-be supercity, planned directly from the scratch in a fat cross of maximized grotwh.
In another (once) jungle city, a combined workforce of 14 workers chopped down the Apostolic Palace during a 12 turn revolution that shook the land. Proposals for bribes were made, so peace remained. To get that money, Guilds had to be sold to England for 1900 and Elephant Riding. A bad deal, but as England is declining, losing Paris to Greece and as Incaland had to pay a steady sum to Native Americans / turn for a res deal, whithout having any income, sadly, this had to happen.
A new feudalistic, republican, slaveowning movement with a pacifistic ideology (?!) ruled the people from thereon, strictly preventing a stationing of many troops in the cities (and getting mad at the troops of other countries you have open boarders with and walk by also). But +100% is generated, and great persons emerge much faster as well...

The treasury deficte is nearly balanced with 35% , that has gotten much better by now; all trade caravans, of which have been built 220+ yet, will become minor factors soon, hopefully.

Spoiler :

 

[CivEikka]

Just wow, nothing else to say. 88turns to tech fishing.. And the current date is 4347AD?

 

[DRJ]

Turn 1568: My Game is stuck, the globe isn't stopping to turn around and around... Will reload last autosave later, but anyway, here is a short summary of what happened in the last turnset before that incident:

Native Americans conquer all barb cities in Australia and Indonesia, liberate Australia and get a new vassal, America. In the meantime, Incans invent a Carpenters Master Guild that spreads the neat, little chair-logo to various cities. They also built Notre Dame, Hindu Mandirs and Temple of Mut, in the soon-to-be legendary cities. Incan spies learn to manipulate native american society completely, shifting their believs towards a mesopotamic, pacifistic policy. As a result, native american cities, stuffed with thousands of troops caused ungoldly unhappyness and as they didn't move out of the cities, their cities starved down drastically. In the east, native american african cities revolt restlessly.

Incan scientists went for Usury, Architecture, Invention and are on the way to Education now. Yes, universities shall serve the smart incan people well...

Spoiler :

Still found no way around the loop turn problem. What I tried last was to open WB, save as WBfile and reload as scenario. Got some strange xml errors when starting that file...

Spoiler :

Ok I got the game to work again, loading the WBfile in-game. After chosing Native Americans, playing a turn and saving a secound WBfile, which I loaded as Incans again, I was able to play a turn further, just to experience an infinite loop after pressing Enter.

My decision is now not to continue the game, too many units are in play (see last spoiler) and I assume the loop issue will become cronical, soon, even if I do manage to delete the cause of that error.

I really enjoyed this game - and think the strategies that have been chosen would gurantee the victory in the long term. Most important was to face inflation, city/unit maintance by trade caravan production. Later, changing to Pacifism and then bribing the power-Leader to the same civic proved to be a real winner-move. AI just can't handle not to put troops in important cities but 1 tile apart.

I learned the AI is dumb and the godsmaker bonus doesn't always make sense, at least not without a working 'higher unit maintance minimod'.
I chose godsmaker in the first place, cause on monarch or immortal I usually win when reaching middle ages.
This game was beyond that and I really got in trouble sometimes, had to play very accurately, like in a game of chess vs a dumb player who has been gifted a queen more at the beginning.
Hide and duck and take your chances, like a snail that darts out of the darkness...
The ~1570 turns took several days to play and special thanks go out to my girlfriend who had been patient with me during this time (but not too much...^^)

The next project is to update mods to newest versions and then start a game with lesser units, perhaps same speed/difficulty again - I like to be challenged.

Some screenshots of the native american empire I made when trying to make WBfile:

Spoiler :

 

[Afforess]

Quite an impressive game. It's too bad that the save was corrupted. I can only hope that bug is fixed soon.

 

[CivEikka]

Make an another story, but with lesser civs? (That would be nice, as I really enjoyed reading this, probably the others did too.)

 

[hifcio]

I Agree. I really enjoy reading this too. I suggest maybe "terra" map with midgame colonization

 

[MalvolioMagnus]

I am certain the Treacherous Sitting Bull will be relieved that you and your tribe have allowed him and his to live. I for one will forgive him for attacking You and the Mighty Inca. My tribe is not as bold as yours. We have enjoyed your stories. Thank you for sharing. We shall sing songs of your victories...

 

[Carwyn]

I also enjoyed reading the story, not to creative myself and way too much of a tendency to play "popup" civ without planning ahead... ooops!

 

[DRJ]

thx for all the nice feedback, guys. I plan to start a new Godsmaker/Eternal Earth game as the Japanese soon.

I also enjoyed reading the story, not to creative myself and way too much of a tendency to play "popup" civ without planning ahead... ooops!

Yeah, I'd like to 'just play' too but you oughta know that, as a godsmaker, you even have to plan creating a deity - so no chance to lay back - it's a never ending story... ;-)

My prob is that strategy-wise I am too sophisticated for monarch/emperor/immortal AI, but as deity or godsmaker the handicaps are getting really too hard sometimes. I wished I could have intelligent AI on monarch level... :/


And all you guys playing with Afforess' ideology civics, don't even think about bribing enemy military power leaders into 'pacifism', it's quite an exploit...