First immortal-level game

[zxcvbob]

I'm playing as Spain on a continents map. (also my first time with Spain) My continent has 5 civs including me, which leaves 2 on other continents. (the map generator always seems to crowd my continent)

My conquistadors and a small powerful navy are tearing the place up. I thought I was doing really well, until my caravel met Montezuma on the other continent and he's about 20 techs ahead of me. I assume he's going to win a science victory before I can do anything about it. I've met Tomyris too, but I haven't found her cities yet. She's pretty far ahead too.

I guess I should play on a pangaea map if I'm going to try Immortal? On continents, there's always a runaway; an AI that has plenty of room to expand, and no competition except for barbarians. I can usually catch them at King and Emperor level.

 

[The Highwayman]

You don't need to play on a Pangaea map on Immortal/Deity to out tech the AI - continents are just fine. I've been on the 2 Civ landmass with 5 Civs abroad and vice versa. Sometimes AI such as Kongo, Aztecs, or Sumeria have great games where they tech up really fast, but you can still catch and pass them.

Trying initiating your map clearing earlier than Conquistadors; Knights are great units to mop up your landmass. If you have to conquer in two different directions, create multiple groups of 4 Knights each with a battering ram and some Crossbowman backup as needed. The faster and more you can steal from the AI the better. Are you prioritizing Campus districts? I've shaved many turns off of my victories prioritizing this district first and basically grabbing every Great Scientist. I suggest checking out the excellent Science Victory in 140 turns or less. There are outstanding tips on there for high level gameplay that can apply to all Civs and victory conditions. Soon you'll be the runaway regardless of map type.

 

[zxcvbob]

I invested heavily in religion at the beginning of the game. Would have snagged the first religion but someone built Stonehenge when I had 59 out of 60 great prophet points, so the cost went up to 120 and I got the 2nd religion a little later. (I assume that's why the cost went up because I did not finish any new techs or policies on that turn) Took "Defender of the Faith" and built archers. Not much else besides archers, just a few war carts so I could upgrade them to knights someday. My neighbors Norway and America declared a joint war on me in the ancient era (I was in the ancient, they were probably classical) and only Norway actually attacked me and I slaughtered his units, stole a settler or two, and took a lucrative peace treaty. I refused peace with Teddy and captured several nice cities with warcarts, swords, a battering ram, and tons of archers. Made peace w/o taking Washington and where I probably screwed up was pausing to integrate all the new cities into my empire. Sumeria was the tech leader (that I knew of) and hated me and had denounced me, so I declared a formal war on him and attacked with knights, crossbows, a siege tower, and a few pikes. Conquistadors joined the party a little late but were very helpful taking Gilgey's capital. Then I declared war on Norway (who was friendly with me after he lost that first war so badly) and I took a very nice coastal city (Petra, lots of desert hills, and Colossus), defended it against his huge navy as he tried to recapture it (Defender of the Faith was very helpful here), then when his navy was exhausted I captured his capital and all the rest of the cities on my continent. He has one pitiful city left on the Aztec continent. That was about the time I met Monty and Tomyris and realized how far behind I really was.

I still need to finish wiping out America and Germany on my continent, then hopefully can go after the other continent before Monty finishes the space race. The AI's are good at starting the space race but terrible at finishing the Mars projects so I might have a chance.

I will start with Washington (before Teddy gets Rough Riders) and any other nice cities he's built, then go after Germany; Germany has some nice wonders and a weak military. America hurt them pretty bad in an early war; one of the American cities I captured was really German. Not sure if I should be harassing Monty with my navy while warring with America and Germany, just to soften him up a little...

Even if I lose, I'm having fun with it.

 

[The Highwayman]

When any great person is recruited, the cost of the next one is higher, so you're correct. Selling out on a religion on high difficulties can be a setback since researching Astrology, building a holy site, running projects, etc. means you're not building an army, builders, settlers and the like. If you're late in the game, say turn 225-250 on standard speed, a runaway AI such as the Aztecs or Kongo will start building Space race stuff but, to your point, can't finish them to save their lives. To your original question, you don't need to roll Pangaea on high difficulty: the RNG can be just as favorable for you in your next game. The AIs may beat each other up while you cruise in the fast lane.

Try using spies to wreck Monty's space port - that could set him back enough for you to complete your conquest. Then hit him with many Tank --> Modern Armor armies and put him out of his misery.

 

[Victoria]

For higher levels you need to concentrate on your victory type more. You go for religion and then domination? This confusion does not help you as already said.
The best all round strategy is attack early, normally you will get holy sites pretty fast that way.

 

[zxcvbob]

For higher levels you need to concentrate on your victory type more. You go for religion and then domination? This confusion does not help you as already said.
The best all round strategy is attack early, normally you will get holy sites pretty fast that way.

Yeah, the AI's get enough bonuses I can't just out-awesome them (pursue almost all victory types at the same time) like I do at King-level. I typically switch late in the game from domination to either culture or science victory.

I've never played Spain before, and I thought Philip was all about religion-enhanced warfare. A conquistador plus a missionary is almost as strong as infantry (I wish I could still pin a missionary to a conquistador instead of having to move them separately)

None of the cities that I've captured had holy sites. I know that's unusual. The Sumerian cities were almost nothing but ziggurats (sp?) so when I captured them those all went poof. I'm having to make a lot of builders.

 

[Victoria]

The Sumerian cities were almost nothing but ziggurats

These are fantastic early, do not take the city until you have looted them all, if you can slot the RAID card all the better. Do not loot them with no science in the tech learning slot. For example half way through a move you finish a tech by looting, make sure you put another tech in play.
If I have another enemy near by I am always tempted to loot the zig's and then take all their money in a peace deal, take out the next opponent and come back for more.
Do not forget to loot mines and good resources like marble and especially do not forget to loot farms when you need healing next to an enemy city.

 

[zxcvbob]

Monty managed to finish all the Mars projects while my spies kept failing to destroy his spaceports. (I should have beelined whatever policy unlocks Cryptography) And his cities were too far inland for me to reach with battleships. I had fun with it; I may try the same strategy again and play a little smarter; build more campuses and fewer holy sites, and pillage better, and keep track of the great scientists and engineers.

Defender of the Faith is awesome. It works on offense as well as defense if you can attack from your own territory. One artillery unit with an observation balloon for a spotter was tearing up 86-strength cities with modern defenses all by itself. After about 2 or 3 shots, I'd send in a conquistador to stand next to the city (for the religious conversion thing and maybe a flanking bonus), and I'd capture it with a tank.