For Newbies: if you want the game to be really easy...

[WCH]

Calabim + Aristocracy + Agrarianism + Sacrifice the Weak + Caste System = holy ****, pwnage.

If you want it to be stupidly, painfully easy, do a Classical/Advanced Start with the gold number set to, say, 8,000. The balancing factor with Calabim is supposedly that they get kind of a slow start (no elder councils, for instance). If you Advanced Start with enough that you can begin with Feudalism, cover every available scrap of land with farms and have Governor's Manors, Breeding Pits, Granaries and Smoke Houses in all of your cities... you're not going to even have to try.

This is how to play if you like making the AIs your and don't care whether the game is challenging. Pretty fun every now and again.

 

[Fafnir13]

Calabim are something of an "easy game" even without an advanced start. Alexis gets two traits I really like: Philosophical and Aggressive. Philosophical practically guarantees ownership of whatever early religions you want via great prophets. Aggressive, with Apprenticeship, let's you produce one star shock troops. A warrior rush of those will take out most early game AI defenses.
My favorite thing to do is pop RoK, get mines of Galdur (free iron for conquest), switch to OO, and get Tower of Complacency. The XP vampires get from feeding of such a massive city is jaw dropping.

 

[FireBlaze]

Don't forget to go Empy for Vampire Chalid.

 

[Jet]

balancing factor with Calabim

Nah.
.

 

[WCH]

@Jet
I said "supposedly." Really it's not nearly enough to balance anything, but it's still an attempt in that direction.

 

[Breunor]

Don't forget to go Empy for Vampire Chalid.

It works from a game standpoint - but even though FfH vampires aren't the same as Medieval legend, there is something about vampires worshiping the sun and a Sun god that would keep me from doing this!

Best wishes,

Breunor

 

[FireBlaze]

It works from a game standpoint - but even though FfH vampires aren't the same as Medieval legend, there is something about vampires worshiping the sun and a Sun god that would keep me from doing this!

Best wishes,

Breunor

Masochistic vampires?

 

[MagisterCultuum]

Vampires are cursed by Lugus on account of the first victim of the Vampiric ritual being a devout acolyte of the God of Light and Truth. Sunlight does not kill vampires (except at levels high enough to cause lethal sunburn to normal mortals), but it hurts them. Direct sunlight saps them of their superhuman strength, causes them to feel the pain that they inflicted on their victims, and often makes them panic. I'm convinced this is meant to compliment the normal human feeling of guilt that is not strong enough in them, in order to lead them to repent.


In my version I just made it so that all Calabim units with the Empyrean religion gain a "Rebel" promotion that makes them AI controlled, gives them a chance to turn barbarian, and lets them cast a spell that can pass on this promotion to other units, remove the vampire promotion, and when cast in a city can cause a revolt.

I also gave Vampires a little vulnerability to Holy and resistance to Death damage.

 

[Onionsoilder]

In my version I just made it so that all Calabim units with the Empyrean religion gain a "Rebel" promotion that makes them AI controlled, gives them a chance to turn barbarian, and lets them cast a spell that can pass on this promotion to other units, remove the vampire promotion, and when cast in a city can cause a revolt.

Does the AI actively cast Inquisition in cities with Empyrean? If so, nice change. If not, they can become very weak in some situations.

 

[MagisterCultuum]

I decided to change it so that instead of making the spell cause a revolt (requiring a seperate python call for an otherwise XML only spell) revolts in Empyrean cities are instead handled in CvEventManager.py, near the planar gate code. Each turn there is a chance that cities with the Empyrean will get some serious unhappiness or a short revolt. If the city is already in revolt there is a chance of the religion being eliminated on its own, which also costs a couple population and will destroy cities that were too small.


Right after that code I made it so that the Unyielding Order building eliminated hurry anger and revolts every turn instead of only when it is first cast. (I found it really annoying that you cities with Unyielding Order could still revolt, and that you would have to move you caster out of the city for a turn in order to be able to cast the spell again to end it.) That means that Unyielding Order effectively negates any risk of Empyrean rebellions in cities, although units that follow the Empyrean can still be a problem. Also, I moved that spell from Order/Divine/Channeling III to Law III, so the Calabim can get it rather easily. (Note that Unyielding Order also negates the production bonus from a Governor's Manor, so this is a trade off.) (Hmm, I just got to thinking that it could be interesting to make Unyielding Order force any unit built in a city to adopt its owner's state religion. Priests of other religions would of course have to be an exception.)

 

[Zongo]

Masochistic vampires?

"Darkness will take you". Alternatively, you may enjoy sunbathing in our countryside, where young maidens with beautiful necks offer you saucy snacks.

 

[Humakty]

For my agristocracy calabims, I much prefer Flauros and Order. The first for the extra oomph on farms, and the second will avoid having to worry about the AC (as irrigation spread for farms may pose pbms in broken lands). Plus social order allows for chain feeding your vampires in cities, as you've technically got infinite happy faces. Plus I love the irony of having blessed vampires.

 

[WCH]

Yes, Flowers for sure. (my computer defaults my name to "Win XP," so I've got a habit of changing it to a pun on the actual leader name)

Got a game that I abandoned because it'd become too easy... my economy is out of control and I just steamrolled a third AI, now have three vassals and could win by Tower of Mastery if I bothered, or by Domination if I took the time.

 

[tharg]

Calabim + Aristocracy + Agrarianism + Sacrifice the Weak + Caste System = holy ****, pwnage

If you want it to be stupidly, painfully easy, .

Too complicarted.

Lanun on an island map, its difficult to believe anyone not finding the win, however much they screw up. (In fact anyone on an island map)

 

[Lade]

Too complicarted.

Lanun on an island map, its difficult to believe anyone not finding the win, however much they screw up. (In fact anyone on an island map)

I bet I could lose.

On settler.

 

[FireBlaze]

I bet I could lose.

On settler.

While not actively trying to fail.

 

[FreeTacos]

Just played half a game with Hannah/Lanun. huge/archi

I founded all the religions, 4 in my capital (AV I got from a disciple i popped out of a ship wreck).

I have flipped 6 civs to AV so far, 3 wont change, clan, luchuirp, and that event leader for the dwarves that takes over one city, AV is at 44% capital is putting out wonders/priests of different religions, as i switch around to get open borders, other 5 cities are spamming religion spreaders, AC is at 35, not going up fast.

I might get a religious victory before the end of the world! I need to run inquisitors around a bit i think.

city of a thousand slums + heron throne + 2 fish + 4 pirate harbors + 2 cotton + 2 mines in my capital

if someone decides to attack me i am screwed tho, i have like 6 priests each of FoL RoK Order and AV, and a couple warriors, the rest is caravels and missionaries of doom!

If I summon the infernals I can take over my own capital right ?

 

[WCH]

If I summon the infernals I can take over my own capital right ?

Pretty sure you can't. What you want to do is to build the Lanun palace in another city, so that the uber city is no longer your capital and is eligible to be taken. Keep in mind though that some of the strength of the city no doubt is from food/health, a benefit that's irrelevant for Infernals.

 

[Lade]

While not actively trying to fail.

I could try to win and still lose.

 

[Luckmann]

I could try to win and still lose.

I can try to lose and still win.
Which mindboggling enough would mean that I'd lose.