Emperor Domination

[lilnev]

If the island has a food source (Crabs?) it'll be OK, but I doubt it's spectacular. Too far north for there to be much. I think Berlin should build a library and barracks after the Pyramids. If we do want the island, it's not going anywhere for a long time, and we certainly want to settle the Ivory next.

We need to get some tiles improved around Hamburg. Most importantly the Gold, but also a couple of farms and another mine. But most importantly the Gold. Alphabet is going to take a painfully long time. And if we don't have Iron, then Construction is even longer.

Yeah, I've noticed the lack of food surpluses to run scientists. We have three good production cities though. Alex is going to suffer -- once we have a decent unit to beat him with. I think picking a fight now isn't a good plan. It will just induce him to build up units, including phalanxes, and send them at us. Besides, his workers are just about to farm and road that Rice for us. How nice of him.

peace,
lilnev

 

[johnny_rico]

I was thinking along the possibiliites of the NW island having a metal we might be needing. Seems like the pyramids and alphabet should come in at the same time, or relatively close. Then, we can trade for IW, and get a fishing boat scouting out the island if we have no iron on the mainland. If we do have iron, then the island could probably wait but not for too long.

 

[Galileo44]

I got it. I will proceed with the pyramids and get some military and perhaps a settler out. I think that attacking alex will have to wait for cats or at least axes.

 

[Galileo44]

The Pyramids: 1240-900BC

As you all know, this was the high point of the round. Oh wait did I just ruin the suspense.

Turn 0:
Switch the plains hill in Berlin to the grassland hill for growth in 2. I calculated that it gains us 2 hammers for the Pyramids. Go MM! I move warriors out of Munich to fogbust.

Turn 1:
move units hit enter

Turn 2:
Writing in-->Alphabet in 36!
Move scout and see copper!!!!!!

This makes me initailly mad at the person who didn't scout there sooner. Then I realize that the settler of hannibals that is 3S3W of the copper is going to get it. Then I get more mad. Then I realize that it's not anybody's fault, just really crappy luck. I'm cool now.

Berlin grows and starts working the plains hill again, at 26HPT + the chop that completed this turn, the Pyramids are due in 6. Another worker is chopping another forest in 3. I road the wheat at Munich.

Then I see a barb city in the south with a fogbusting warrior:

no biggie, it's pretty far away.

Turn 3:
Send workers to mine and road gold up by Hamburg. Watch Hannibal's settler move ever closer to the copper. There was no way even with whipping to get a settler there fast enough. The agony.

Turn 4:
Sign OB with Hannibal, as it's safe (no worst enemy). While looking at diploscreen I am very confused: Alex and Hannibal are pleased at -2 while they are both cautious with America at +1. Chop completes in Berlin. I move the worker from the clams to the plains spices to get the Pyramids in 2, starving -1 food per turn. The commerce remains steady though.

Turn 5: (the Munich turn)
Monument finishes in Munich. Munich grows. Start barracks in Munich. (8)

Turn 6:
The conclusion of our efforts: Pyramids in 1000BC!

I know everybody has seen the picture before, but I'm showing it anyway. Plus the glitch with the teal background is kind of cool.
Bring Berlin back to growing with clams and start library(7). Hannbal grabs the copper.

I revolt to Representation and Slavery. One turn of anarchy.

Turn 7:
Anarchy. Phalanx! Oh No. Good thing I didn't go for an attack.

Turn 8:
nothing ZZZ.

Turn 9:
Gold mine completes in Hamburg. I switch it to work gold. This halts growth at 3 but brings Alphabet from 30 to 16 turns. I think the tradeoff is good. Growth will resume when the farms are put up.

Turn 10:
Hamburg completes barracks. I set to Stonehenge.(10) This is just a filler, it may be a totally wrong choice so feel free to change it. There are no hammers invested yet.

State of the German Empire:
3 Cities
Pyramids, Writing
Alphabet in 15 turns

Munich:
Growth to 3 in 4 turns
Culture pops to BFC in 6 turns
Barracks in 4 turns

Hamburg:
Growth is halted
Stonehenge in 10 turns(filler)
Cuture pops to BFC+1 in 79 turns

Berlin:
Growth to 6 in 11 turns
Library in 4 turns
Culture pops to BFC+2 in 41

The empire:

Domination Countdown: TM
Population 7.75% out of 42%
Land 4.83% out of 64%

And the save:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/92585/Emperor_Domination_Team_BC-0900.CivWarlordsSave

 

[Galileo44]

I didn't get any military out yet, so the next player should probably go for that. The pyramids were good. We got a bad break with the copper. We will be in a good position to go for military now with a barracks in Hamburg (which should change production as Stonehenge is right now) and one on the way in Munich. Other than that the situation looks OK for getting Alex with cats, going for the GL, and feuling research with representation scientists.

 

[johnny_rico]

Why did you choose representation over Police State? We won't be running scientists for some time yet. I'm just curious.

Bummer about the copper. Boy, we all screwed that up. To think we left fogged turf just south of our capital is a crime. I could've moved the scout over there previously but we wouldn't have gotten a settler out in time anyway.

Additionally, we've lost our fourth city spot.

 

[Galileo44]

I chose it also for happiness and for the future. We don't want to be wasting turns later using civic changes. Although in retrospect I should have given it more thought.

 

[lilnev]

Stonehenge is not useless. It's converting hammers into cash, 2x because of Stone. It'll cash in quite soon, and let us run at 100% for a bit.

We could let Berlin grow to size 6, then run Clams+Cow+2 grass hills+2 scientists, about 25 beakers/turn at 80%. That spoils the GE, though....

What's our current troop count?

peace,
lilnev

 

[Galileo44]

Stonehenge may give us cash. Otherwise, if by some miracle we get it, it will easily give us the rice and push Alex back making war easier. Our troop count is very low, I think 3 Warriors, 1 Scout, 2 Archers, 1 Chariot. That is why military will be important this round.

 

[johnny_rico]

Since Hannibal isn't nearly as much a threat as Alex, we could always declare on Hannibal first with the sole intention of getting copper for ourselves. Then focus our efforts back on alex. At this point, we're relatively close to alphabet and thus IW. Perhaps we wait.

 

[lilnev]

I thought of taking the Copper by force, too. We should certainly wait until we know if we have Iron before deciding on that (and get a round of trading before making any enemies). We're going to end up in a war with Alex soon no matter what. I don't want to fight against 2 AIs at the same time if we can reasonably avoid it, so if we have Iron we should play nice with Hannibal. If we don't have Iron it's a harder question.

I think we'd rather have cash than Stonehenge, actually. Though I expect it will be built quite soon, and we won't have the choice. I'm kind of surprised it's still available.

peace,
lilnev

 

[vra379971]

I'm going to toss this out there and see what the replies are.

Why are we going after Alex?

 

[lilnev]

Because if we don't, he'll come after us.

 

[Galileo44]

Plus his territory is near and easily supportable. Also, this is domination, we need to take someone and have more territory helps getting other people. the longer you have the larger territory the bigger the bonus.

 

[cabert]

lurker's comment: I think stonehenge isn't at all! It's probably the best way (since you have stone) to get culture or gold.
If you get it you win.
If you don't you still win
And representation is good too: you're having free happiness in your bigger cities, allowing them to grow. It's not as if you had 15 cities anyway.

 

[lasombra]

hannibal is an ass. and the city is in the wrong spot, too. what is the ai doing except for srewing us over.

anyways, I would definately let berlin grow and assign scientists to speed up alphabet. let hamburg build stonehenge and see what happens. as cabert said it's more or less a win win situation.

 

[Giaur]

And there arises a question ...
Who is our enemy nr.1 now ... Alex or Hannibal. Both spoiled our borders. If we manage to construct some wonder in Hamburg, Alex should be left. Sparta will produce Buddist Monastery soon, but after Caste System we could run great artist in Hamburg. Should be enough to win the rice. We should scout intensively the neighbourhood of the city of Hanibal and sabotage any roads leading to this city.
I think we should not sell Alphabet so quickly. Researching next, cheaper tech is not as bad idea (perhaps Horseback Riding). I would sell every tech but not the Alphabet. In my deity domination games I never started any wars before Construction and all of them were won before 1500AD. So I guess, there is no need to rush.

BTW. Representation is good. Beer to everyone

 

[lasombra]

hey beer is a very good idea

cheers

 

[futurehermit]

Ok, nice turnset. That really sucks about the copper. Sorry guys Some bad scouting in the first few rounds...

We definitely should go after Alex and play nice with Hannibal, at least temporarily. Looks like Washington will be our longer-term ally this game, which is good because he techs fast and will be a good trading partner. Hannibal also techs fast so will be a good trading partner until we go after him post-Alex.

I've heard the logic: attack builders (i.e., Hannibal) early and attack aggressors (i.e., Alex) late. The reasoning is builders don't make much military early and aggressors are tech-backwards late. However, I don't think that playing nice with Alex is going to be possible with close borders sparking tensions...

I think going for the gold was the right move and we need the rice so attacking Alex is just inevitable. Hannibal will be next...

Pyramids rocks, great job everyone! Once we get some representation scientists going in our capital along with working that gold, our tech pace will be sweet...

Let's pray for iron in our empire because I think we want to avoid another settler if possible and instead focus on churning out units...Too bad we're not spiritual for easy switching between police state and representation...

 

[cabert]

ahhh, well if we can't prevent phalanxes from being built in Sparta then it's a non-starter...we must get to alphabet and trade for IW for iron. then we can attack with a mix of swords and axes while researching something like drama to trade for math then construction?

lurker's comment: why don't you go straight towards construction, and lightbulb alpha?