Fox-30: The Sly Fox

Contrary to popular demand for war, this game is not gonna to be always war. Instead, I like to hone my skills for espionage and such.

Variant
Once we get alphabet, we must no longer learn any tech from research. All techs must be acquired using other means, such as:

• Stealing via Spy
• Trading or Extortion
• Bulbing via GPerson
• Free Tech from Wonders (eg Oracle/Internet)

Game Setting

• Leader: To be discussed, thinking of Philosophical
• Difficulty: Monarch/Emperor
• Map Type: Any
• Speed: Epic

Roster
Some players (Ruff and Mystyfly) had asked to be in my next game, while the game is opened to Fox-20's players as well. I will give them 24hrs to sign up (please post your proposal for leader and map type when you sign up). On the unthinkable event that I can't gather a full roster from here, the roster will then be opened to all.

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On Fox numbering: since I jumped from Fox-10 to Fox-20, I'd decided to continue the jump by 10. Sue me.

 

Starting to count in 10s? Sign me up if you have room.

I put together my 'random leader selector' because I was getting sick of Sitting Bull. I had one game where he went just spy mad - probably my fault as I spy bombed him. There were 4 or 5 techs that he stole from me before (BEFORE!!!) I even saw the splash screen. I fixed him - ran over his stupid cities with my lovely shiny tanks.

Anyway, I would prefer to play as Sitting Bull. Map - my two favs at the moment are rainforest and Global Highlands because of the chock points.

 

Counting by 10's? Is that how you plan to have a higher game number then the LK series?

 

Signing in -- spies are fun (Actually, I think I'll skip this one -- see below)

Most espionage focused games I've seen have relied on the Great Wall (so industrious leaders are good). Since we still have bulbing + trading I think seeing how well we can do without the Great Wall could be interesting ...

Philosophical, Financial, and Organized (cheaper courts) would all be nice traits to have. Since extortion is also enabled an early UU could be quite useful as well. Leader preferences:

1) Asoka (Org/Spi + Mausoleum (an improved Jail! What could be better for an espionage game?))
2) Gilgamesh (Cre/Pro + Vultures + Zigs -- very strong early with minimal teching)
3) Hammurabi (Org/Agg + Bowmen + Garden -- not really an ideal leader but I've been looking to play a game with him, so ...)

Map: I like ruff_hi's suggestions actually.

Diff: Emperor would be my preference.

Edit: As I'm already in two SGs (which seems to be the "sweet spot") I'm going to back out of signing up -- I'll lurk with interest, however

 

Hmmm .... are you planning on "honing" your espionage skills against 1 opponent and kill all other opponents before the ADs?

You forgot "begging" which mystyfly seems to do very well last game

I wonder if you can extort techs with "No Tech Trading" turned on? Something to consider I guess.

Sign me up in any case since I could always use some experience with esp myself.

I prefer Asoka, but willing to give Sitting Bull a try. Let's have a big happy family on a Pangea with Aggressive AI turned on for more fun

 

I have no SG (except SGOTM) right now and have never tried seriously an Espionage game, so I would gladly accept your invitation .

Augustus could be a choice as well, industrious for GWall, and imperialist to spam a few cities, more city=more courthouse=more spy. Add forum for GPP and praetorian for some early 'extorsion/annexion'..
In that case, probably emperor.

Jabah

 

There is a place for moi ? How kind

The variant is extremely easy if you get GW and settle/S. yard all the GSpies that we get.

And no Agg AI, pls. We want teching AI, not stupid morons that build units instead of teching

 

@Ruff, Olodune: Yeah, the first thing that comes to my mind is a Philosophical Industrialists when I came up with the variant, but alas, there is no such trait combo (too synergetic, they say).

@Lee: Bingo! Exactly ...

@Olodune: Yeah, I would probably also refrain myself from signing up on more than 2 ... gone are the days of SG craze playing in 7 simultaneously 2 is really a good number,. Please continue to lurk, though.

@Berserks: welcome back. No problem on Agg AI. Don't think I would turn on "No Tech Trading/Brokering" however.

Waiting for 3 or 4 more to sign up.

[EDIT]
Ok, 2 more signed up while I am typing this (either my typing speed needs improvement or Fox SG is that popular ). Welcome back, rolo and Jabah.

Seems contentious on AggAI.

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my preferences:

leaders: We can use any but an industrial leader. Any wonder but the GW pollutes the pool while GS are still fine (as we're allowed to bulb). GW is easy getting (we've done it on immortal with vicky). I'd like to play as: SB (I like that idea, ruff) or gilgamesh (very strong leader. However it would be another game with a cre leader which i seem to play sooo often lately).

diff: definitely emperor (at least )

map: I neary always play fractal. there have been sooooo many games on continents or pangaea as well. I'd like to play highlands/terra.

Burn's second game??

BTW hamm cries for heavy warmongering. Probabely in the next AW game, fox?

AC plus variant rule: Cannot (ever) (meaning NEVER) build a single praet

BTW protective leader with AggAI is too easy

 

Okay, we seems to be settling on Emperor, No AggAI, Rain Forest.

Roster is set:

- GreyFox
- Ruff Hi
- Berserks
- Jabah
- Rolo
- Mysty

As for leader, I will like to give initiate a debate on Elizabeth vs Sitting Bull vs Darius. Hamm is reserved for the next warring game .

Will start this once leader is settled.

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I vote for the sitting guy.

 

Well, I say debate, not vote

• Elizabeth:
  Philosophical - 100% GP generation, always nice
  Financial - advantage is obvious. Extra commerce means extra EP.
  UB is stock exchange, can be useful if we are buying techs.
  UU is redcoats, good middle-late game unit.
  
• Darius:
  Financial - advantage is obvious. Extra commerce means extra EP.
  Organized - advantage is cheap courthouses which gives 50% espionage.
  UB is apothecrary, gives +2 health, not very useful.
  UU is Immortals, nice early unit.
  
• Sitting Bull:
  Philosophical - 100% GP generation, always nice
  Protective - might help if we get attacked ... not as useful as the other two
  UB is totem pole, close to useless.
  UU is dog soldier, nice, no metal reliance.

Personally, I can play with any leader. I just want to probe further which leader is the best for a 0%-science or espionage-heavy game.

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No strong preferences for me.

 

hmm ... debate. Ok, Sitting Bull is a great leader that is undervalued by SG players. The other two are crap (and boring!). In the words of a US election pundit ... "He deserves a chance" ... the actual quote was "she deserves a chance" implying that people should elect their leader based on who hasn't had a go, instead of who would be best in the job.

 

I actually like S. duc... err, Bull .Drill IV Lbows are actually quite good at war ( especially because the AI has some problems in understanding the concept of attacking Lbows ( seriously, even when the bulk of the enemy force is Archery units, they seem pretty hesitant on betting on Cover units, the only decent counter ) ) and as our Sitting friend is Philo it will help a lot with the GSpy generation ( especially the first one, that is the most critical )

Said this, I think Liz is a interesting choice as well. Her traits made her able to jump from a SE Spy eco to a CE spy eco pretty easily. And if needed we have redcoats....

Well, to end ,Mr OP aka Darius. Beaten to death... ( like Oz said, there have been 2*10^31034533536 games of spy eco with him ). Not that a Fin/Org civ with Immortals is bad in any sense of the question

 

Lizzy: Very stong leader. C'mon Also we could go on a redcoat rampage and the game is over. Also the map is perfect for her: A couple of EXTREME food source for incredible GPFarms, the rest goes cottage crazy.

Darius: Probabely the strangest leader IMO. Plus he has immortals. 'Nuff said.

SB: Probabely underused. Philo is very nice for this kind of map. Rainforest lacks hammers - and philo means we'll be in caste a long time - this means we need good defenders. We could try the overflow -> gold trick with him (I've been wanting to try this for a long time...), pro + stone wall should work pretty good. Also SB seems to fit the thief theme as he seems to spend enormous amounts of EPs.
Uber XBow anyone?


As we're allowed to bulb techs we can use other GPs than GSpies so we don't really need fin to keep up techwise. We can bulb to liberalism while amassing EPs (settling spies and SYs of course). Then we can go conquer the world

Edit: I'll be OOP this weekend.

 

I'm ok with either Lizzy or the guy sitting somewhere best left unmentioned.

Lizzy because of the GP generation for more GSpies and for more money.
The guy sitting somewhere best left unmentioned ... dog soldier makes for a good start on any map

 

Geez, the roster is filled already? I really would have liked to join this game, since I almost never use spies properly. So if you'll need an alternate, I'll be lurking in your neighbourhood.

Btw: does trading techs include buying them for cash?

 

*prepares legal team*