Ethiopian Emperor game I want a few people to just play!!!

[michmbk]

Arrrgh - I forgot about the stupid Oromo Warriors! I always do that with mid-game UUs (musket/mace/knight type replacements). Man, it's 1000 AD and I hope I still have a window to use them. I totally forgot about them.

What do they have at drill IV - 3-5 FS?

 

[guysouthward]

Would anyone mind converting this to noble, looks like a really interesting game but I really don't think playing it on emporer would be that fun for me

Just asking because I don't know how to do it myself.

 

[Soirana]

To 200BC

Spoiler :

I do consider game being won at that moment. I also do not fancy large maps so will stop here.

BC1350 - discover HBR
BC 1325- get GS, bulb maths since i have chopping seasdon open anyway. Hanging Garden would not hurt either.
1025Bc Jao build Mids. Okay, i will say i simply had no shot on this,

900Bc- Oracle by augustus. Took Col also okay since it spread to Jao. if only i could get it we could be buddies till the end.

775- Dow on French [i put stack so i could get to capital at turn two reinforsemnts should take care of Orlens]
750Bc- Get Paris, i plan chop out hanging gardens in there. Later on it will probably function as GP farm, so GE pollution is very wellcome.

700Bc- took Lions-aka french gem city. Capture Orleans. I got one French settler, but other managed slip in jungle.
I call for short peace. Get Masonry in process.
575BC- Currency [healing and maneuvering HA]
455Bc Declare on Liz, she settled on iron if that matter [i lost 3-4turns due to bad scouting and her fourth city. Once again i put stack behind London so i could reach it on turn two.]
440BC-Burn York.
425-Capture London, Sun Tzu born leave him.
410-Disconnect Hastings and iron doing major healing [MI HA could have used GG].
350BC-CoL, Start Calendar. Well i run short wars, not so much units so actually profiting from war. Doing some cottaging already since in real life i am bellow zero percent.
Take Nothingam
320BC burn hastings [city on iron]. RIP Liz
290BC-get barb galley at Paris
260-Founded 3 gem city/De Gaule figured secrets of Metal casting [if that matters again].
245-Loose galley to galley combat in Paris get pillaged here badly, Start hanging gardens in there [since it is high food placing aqueduct here is okay.]
215BC- Redeclare on French
200BC- burn Rhames which is good since 1S would get me even more gems.
RIP De Gaule.

I've already curthaused half of cities, actually i would consider game being won.

I can trade for Construction right away which is more or less parity. I would probably settle few spots southwards and there is still all northern side.

Even if i would fall behind Elepult would allow me to kill someone. On other hand praets ain't funny, so even i would stay still untill UU cames out.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

What promotions did you give your Oromo's, TMIT?

Drill IV. Well, some got combat III drill IV. It was excessively easy at first, because my target didn't have longbows until it was down to 4 cities. At that point I didn't even bombard - just threw a couple pre-oromo catapults to dislodge the 1 hard city, and just took losses on the other 3 to make it go faster.

Would anyone mind converting this to noble, looks like a really interesting game but I really don't think playing it on emporer would be that fun for me

Just asking because I don't know how to do it myself.

- open 4k bc
- save as wb file
- open wb file in text editor
- starting year, speed, diff and all that jazz that you want different = 0 at the top
- Find/replace handicap= with nothing to delete all instances
- find/replace all beginunit or endeunit to take away start units
- find/replace away at least archery so the AIs don't start with that.

If all that is too complex and you just want it more similar to noble, all you really need to do is make the WB save and switch it all that beginning jazz to 0. The AI will still have archers but not emperor bonuses.

 

[Bleys]

OK, once I got a solid grip on the Darius game, I started this one. Zara is one of my very very fav leaders, and its not just a single "thing" that makes me enjoy him, its the total package. Top Tier Traits (to me) and an insanely powerful UU that fits in perfectly with my playstyle (my preferred Lib choice is Steel) make him very powerful for me, and I dont even mind his UB being redundant. Zara can out-culture ANYONE with that 25%-for-1-pop-whip monster. First time I played Zara was the Religious Zealot PYL, where I started next to Sury, a notoriously difficult AI to get a culture advantage on, and I took his tiles like he was Toku.

Anyway, heres my game, through 335 BC, which includes my entry for "Coolest Looking Great Wall":

Spoiler :

I settled 1W, on the Plains Hill, and did the usual teching. I spotted the other AIs quickly, and didnt waste any time getting a couple settlers out to block off some land. Built the GW, and it turned out to be my savior, because we got the Barb Archer Event WAY early (~2500 BC IIRC) and they went by me and took out Paris. So I got the Horses hooked up ASAP and charged over there with a pile of Chariots, and sure enough, there was only a single Barb archer in Paris so I scarfed it up. I also settled the Copper area in the South with a few FP but no Jumbos, the spot just South of Paris with FPs and Rice, and 1 Jumbo (Liz got the Jumbos in the SW), on the Dye in the North that will give me 3 more Dye and 3 Gems. Since DeGaulle was on the ropes, I just took him out once I got a few Axes up to support my Chariot Army. I only kept Paris, though, I razed the other 2 cities DeGaulle managed to get down, since they were just going to cost me money, and I had more important sites to secure. Auggie is already starting to fill in that area to the North, and he will be a problem, but I think we both have enough land to keep us happy a while. I also have a couple Barb Cities I want to get. All in all a solid start with a strong position that I should easily be able to equalize. I lost the Mids, very late too, but the cash enabled me to deficit research a long long time (still have half of it). 7 cities at 335 BC is decent, so is enough cash to deficit over 80 BPT for a good stint. Adding those 2 Barb cities in the West soon as well, and my even try for another just North of Paris.

So heres a few pics, one of my Cool Great Wall, one of the Paris area, and the Barbs I am headed too now:

Spoiler :

Oh, for those interested in learning to edit WB files, there are some utility programs that will cleanse the WB file for you (remove all units, re-set all speeds, etc). I havent used them, but I assume they work. There is also DanF's thing, but that wouldnt affect someone looking to take an Emp game down to Noble.

 

[Gumbolt]

HAHA! Of all the games to build this kind of wonder...

Zara is a monster. Add another "cakewalking" game to the mix.

To 10 AD:

Spoiler :

I settled in place and regretted not settling on the plains hill. Oh well.

Yay cities.





EXPAND



Laff culture pressure and abusive civics



We cross coasts.



And get confucianism just for trying to get to bureaucracy early



This is some ACTIVE diplo management. The AIs all disliked him from the start. I open borders just long enough to sneak my free missionary in there. After this I completely ignore military while just checking him periodically. He is a sissyfoot and nobody else will declare or take bribes from him.



Yay more cities?



10 AD

To 1250 AD

Spoiler :

Pyramids rep zzzzzzzzz. Let's go with UU abuse.



I trade for theo while spreading jewish. Drill IV oromo warriors hahaha.

RNG is anti-TMIT. Note that this kind of garbage BS JUST HAPPENED IN THE LAST GAME VS BARB GAY LIES TOO!



It's a dogpile! I rush into the fray



Whoa AC is strong. I don't want vassal crapping.



AC uses the AP to pull everyone into war again, but not before all the french cities are MINE!



Liz is next. I keep everyone else on the continent at pleased and stomp stomp stomp.

Not sure on the VC after killing liz. I'll have enough land to mop up space easily. Joao is going culture but I can just spyrape that away with this many cities, he doesn't have anything at 10k yet.

UN isn't out of the picture, either, I'll be #1 in pop.

Conclusion: Oromos are really strong.

Questions @ TMIT

Spoiler :

How did you get to 400 science beakers so quickly from 10ad to 1250ad? Thats impressive. I assume you used specialists and representation for this and added scientists to your key science city?

What tech order did you follow mid game? Did you beeline gunpowder?

Overall my problem on the game was never the English or French it was the Romans teching like crazy!!! I didnt really try an early rush. When the Ai reach knights its tough to rush these with oromos. Also JC and JoaII both had elephants on my attempt. JC spread Bud religion like crazy and spammed wonders too.

You certainly make this save look easy.

Wheres your 1250ad save?

 

[Gumbolt]

Has anyone considered beelining gunpowder?? What techs would you need for this? Not sure which great people would allow this. On other hand liberalism race would speed this up just as much.

I will definately replay this map.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

@ gumbolt:

Spoiler :

How did you get to 400 science beakers so quickly from 10ad to 1250ad? Thats impressive. I assume you used specialists and representation for this and added scientists to your key science city?

I built the pyramids...well for the gold initially, and then when I realized I could actually get them around that time I just whipped them in. I admit I was hoping I'd get them for culture pressure on liz though. Doubling culture + stele makes that an annoying city.

I used emphasize commerce in most cities and the majority of my research was from commerce, including my bureaucracy capitol. I did squeeze in some scientists though. The first one was settled because I was expanding pretty far from capitol and wanted a boost, the 2nd made an academy. After that they were settled in my capitol because with rep and +75% science they are worth close to 15 beakers each, and more after oxford. Really though, most of the jump is cottage growth and more libraries/courthouses.

What tech order did you follow mid game? Did you beeline gunpowder?

Standard lib path. As you can see I used it for gunpowder, and used caste (then later caste/guild) workshops to hammer out some oromos.

Overall my problem on the game was never the English or French it was the Romans teching like crazy!!! I didnt really try an early rush. When the Ai reach knights its tough to rush these with oromos. Also JC and JoaII both had elephants on my attempt. JC spread Bud religion like crazy and spammed wonders too.

AC and Joao are both teching ok, but obviously I'm out-doing that. Liz has knights so I'll start adding some formation oromos and cats - should be easy since all of de gaulle's cities are converting to hammers and i've spread judaism there.

One of the good things I did in my game was isolating de gaulle from the tech loop. Taking oromos vs archers and classical melee is a joke and it showed. I suspect my continent is the more advanced too.

You certainly make this save look easy.

. I try. If only they ALL went easy for me .

Edit: I'll put all my saves up when I finish later on today most likely.

Gunpowder needs edu or guilds. It is much easier to bulb the education line, typically. I'm not sure going through guilds is actually faster, and you'll have less trades too.

 

[Gumbolt]

@ gumbolt:

Spoiler :

How did you get to 400 science beakers so quickly from 10ad to 1250ad? Thats impressive. I assume you used specialists and representation for this and added scientists to your key science city?

I built the pyramids...well for the gold initially, and then when I realized I could actually get them around that time I just whipped them in. I admit I was hoping I'd get them for culture pressure on liz though. Doubling culture + stele makes that an annoying city.

I used emphasize commerce in most cities and the majority of my research was from commerce, including my bureaucracy capitol. I did squeeze in some scientists though. The first one was settled because I was expanding pretty far from capitol and wanted a boost, the 2nd made an academy. After that they were settled in my capitol because with rep and +75% science they are worth close to 15 beakers each, and more after oxford. Really though, most of the jump is cottage growth and more libraries/courthouses.

What tech order did you follow mid game? Did you beeline gunpowder?

Standard lib path. As you can see I used it for gunpowder, and used caste (then later caste/guild) workshops to hammer out some oromos.

Overall my problem on the game was never the English or French it was the Romans teching like crazy!!! I didnt really try an early rush. When the Ai reach knights its tough to rush these with oromos. Also JC and JoaII both had elephants on my attempt. JC spread Bud religion like crazy and spammed wonders too.

AC and Joao are both teching ok, but obviously I'm out-doing that. Liz has knights so I'll start adding some formation oromos and cats - should be easy since all of de gaulle's cities are converting to hammers and i've spread judaism there.

One of the good things I did in my game was isolating de gaulle from the tech loop. Taking oromos vs archers and classical melee is a joke and it showed. I suspect my continent is the more advanced too.

You certainly make this save look easy.

. I try. If only they ALL went easy for me .

Edit: I'll put all my saves up when I finish later on today most likely.

Gunpowder needs edu or guilds. It is much easier to bulb the education line, typically. I'm not sure going through guilds is actually faster, and you'll have less trades too.

Spoiler :

Ooops I meant AC not JC. Too many leaders with c's!!!!

I think city placement and not taking out the French weakened my game. Also the English managed to find Iron too and were not afraid to attack either.

Not teching to liberlism by 1000ad might have hurt me. Might have been close though. By time I had Oromos AC had Curslier and was attacking the French. It was crazy and there was little I could do to stop his 1-2 20 strong stacks taking French cities. I lost many oromos fending off a 9 stack of cats and other units.

 

[oyzar]

@ TMIT

Spoiler :

Why did you get gunpowder from lib instead of just teching gunpowder then do lib afterwards for nat(more out of lib and earlier gunpowder), also you have machinery before lib? Rather late CS, you could probably have gotten that earlier with better micro, but i guess you have to pay something for rex... Looks like a rather late city #2, what was your early tech path? Oh and last, just take out your continent for dom, that should be fastest at any rate...

 

[TheMeInTeam]

@ TMIT

Spoiler :

Why did you get gunpowder from lib instead of just teching gunpowder then do lib afterwards for nat(more out of lib and earlier gunpowder), also you have machinery before lib? Rather late CS, you could probably have gotten that earlier with better micro, but i guess you have to pay something for rex... Looks like a rather late city #2, what was your early tech path? Oh and last, just take out your continent for dom, that should be fastest at any rate...

Spoiler :

Playing for dom might be too much effort, I'll see what I feel like doing and how far behind the other continent is. If it's an infantry vs musket or rifle for an entire continent mop up operation, i'll probably ship some garbage over there. Otherwise, I'll just start automating production even, make enough spies to pants joao out of culture, and sleepwalk to space.

This game doesn't count for anything so I don't care about finish date since it's already won essentially . Fastest game time vs fastest real time might favor domination or space differently!

I had machinery before lib on a trade. I wasn't going to be getting a scientist in the near future, so there was no reason to delay mach, and guilds helps workshops.

Early techpath I forget. Pretty sure AG ----> AH was the opening though. Possibly AH first would be better since the corn wasn't irrigated, but I don't like calculating that type of thing out. I went for bronze after AH which you can see there. Again, maybe BW ---> chops would have been better but that's not the part of the game that is fun for me.

You're right on the gunpowder 1st then lib something. I'd have actually probably lib'd chemistry since I had a nice HE city with workshops already set (and 2 more good production cities on top of that one) and the AIs are so far back it would have been just as good as trade bait. Maybe I just wanted to tech lib for the sake of it . Certainly not optimal.

 

[michmbk]

Another response on TMIT's lib-gunpowder:

Spoiler :

I just did the same thing, because Aksum, my HE city (moved my capital to London) is able to build 7 XP oromos in 1 turn, so 8 turns earlier meant 8 more oromos. Not optimal, but more fun harassing the AI civs (Joao for me, since Liz and DeGaulle already dead). With 18 cities (2 of Joao's) and Auggie friendly in 1250 AD, now it's just cruise control. Oromos until steel, then cannons until rifles, and upgrade all oromos - drill IV rifles.

Now that the Genghis game is posted, I'm debating whether to bother finishing. If I was first to lib, the other continent is probably behind, and regardless, unless they have some sort of Shaka-monster over there, no way anyone over there can compete with 18 cities all either cottaged or farmed/workshopped.

 

[Soirana]

well i think oyzar meant that gunpowder is cheaper than lib. And both branch at education, while gunpowder has chance of discount via guilds.

Unless you bulb lib, teching gunpowder directly is faster.

Another scenario is to deny lib from AI's.

 

[michmbk]

Yeah - he's right. It definitely wasn't the optimal play. Although in my game I hit lib in 1020 AD. So add in 8 or so turns for gunpowder - that would have made it 1100 AD for lib - I don't know if that's a certainty to get it first on emperor or not.

I always do tons of suboptimal things once I get big - don't think enough at that point.

 

[Crusher1]

5 BC

Spoiler :

My production city was size 7 but I lost the city and had to take it back during the war.

 

[Monsterzuma]

Has anyone considered beelining gunpowder??

I intend to do this. Uhm, correction, I intend to beeline Liberalism for Nationalism and draft the hell out of my empire using Gunpowder units + Globe Theatre + anger stacking + Trebalets. But that's close enough.

I'm pretty well on my way, beaker rates approaching 200 at 0 AD. I'm burning my scientists on acadamies cause I'll get to Lib on my own power quickly enough at the rate I'm going.

 

[Crusher1]

1000 AD

Spoiler :

 

[michmbk]

To 1700 something - domination - new high score for me. Not bad for only building 3 cities.

Spoiler :

Ok, so I changed plans after reading what others did up to this point. I forgot about Oromos. So I shamelessly took a page from TMIT’s approach (granted 200 years later) and did this with lib:



Oromos are coming now. But what to do – Auggie is friendly with me and Joao pleased. So I can either beat up Joao, or get both to friendly, build bunches of oromos, upgrade to drill IV rifles, and send over to the other continent. What to do – warmonger on my continent and the other, or just the other? I opt to mess with Joao – more fun. Take two cities, get gold, wait ten turns. As I’m marching to devastate, meet Hanny – way behind:



Boudica doesn’t have alphabet – it’s 1395 AD. Are you serious? Actually, I've done that before in an LHC too, now that I think about it. Anyway, Joao gives up after two more cities:



Take your cities back and get to cautious again, my buddy. Auggie, you’re in trouble once I hit rifles/steel. I gifted Boudica alphabet out of pity – tech after that:



She’s behind. Auggie has big stacks. But I get steel first. Have I mentioned I love the double merchant upgrade. I love saving a merchant to do two at once - nice since the gold gets higher anyway.



Hello 17 cats upgraded to cannons. Wait until my oromos become rifles. Better get him before steel – DOW and take two cities. Auggie was 9 turns from steel and didn’t have rifling when I started. In fact, I didn’t see him tech it at all during the game and I had enough espionage to see his research. Yet in the span of 7 turns, he managed to tech rifling and get 3-5 rifles in each of his border cities. Quite amazing. It still doesn’t matter. Cannons and oromos rock. Rome’s a keeper:



He still won’t capitulate. 5 cities down, mass casualties. I need to find his SOZ city – I recall him building it. Found it. Finally he gives up.



At this point the game is over. No need to worry about anything. Communism great spy, next GP from GP farm equal golden age. My sleeping engineer finishes Kremlin superfast in Aksum, rush buy galleons. go kill the other continents – I hope they’ll cap quickly. Now this is an empire!



Go time – stack for Boudica:



And one for Hammy:



Then Boudica has the AP apparently, and has all but about 10 votes.



So she buys 10 turns before she dies - probably cost me an even earlier finish date. I knew I should have defied. At least Hammy wanted nothing to do with me.



Hannibal loses several cities and says Uncle;



Boudica doesn’t cap, but thanks to creative border pops on taken cities, this:



Stats – ridiculous number of units produced:





Yay – new high score. Love that ORG trait. 5 of my top 6 scores are ORG. Off to Genghis.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

UN didn't go my way so I just sleep walked to space.

To 1881 AD

Spoiler :

England war



The AP calls a vote to stop it. I think about it, and since both judaism guys to the north are friendly with her anyway, I just take her as a vassal before the vote ends the war. I throw in extra garrison garbage to keep it from revolting and that's that.



Trade for world is round



The other continents were really backward so I did throw down with some SP/workshop. I stayed in caste, too. Between that and the tech lead this got ugly fast.





I push for space, AC does but more slowly (and I get the 'net to seal the deal). Willem goes culture but NO willem, I think your city should rot.







Haha! You're not going to win culture with pop 1 starved cities and less than 100 cpt.





Score a little bit under 90k.

View attachment 204617

View attachment 204618

View attachment 204619

 

[Crusher1]

1620 AD Domination

Spoiler :

I got a bit sloppy towards the end and for some reason was obsessed with building wealth instead of more units. But, with 10+ cities making units it was plenty. I upgraded all my Musketman to Drill III and IV of that bat. I didnt even use artillery until I invaded Jao. Honestly, 4-7 extra strikes with Drill Iv makes needing siege less important.

I'd say my start was the key to my success. I used a solid build order which put me way ahead. It's no surprise that more cities with higher populations exponentially set the rest of your game up.