full metal jacket - luckiest game ever

[jackdog]

Ok i'm new to monarch but doing OK. I decided to try Zara, maybe even go culrural as I have only done this once and ormo's upgraded to rifles kick arse.

The 3rd and fourth goody hut give me bronze working and then one turn later another scout gets iron working about 8 turns from the start, and yes I have iron in my capitals cross (I am checking world builder having moved up but don't turn down many maps). This is fantastic but scary as Ceaser spawned next to me, imagine prets from the word go....

Then later on around maces time I get an event I have never seen or heard of where my government is ceased by a new stronger leader and I get plus 2 happy faces in every city.

Yes I am winning, after that start a loss would be very embarassing.....

 

[Bob-san]

Give us a full overview of everything you do. I like hearing about games like this. I've had horrible games as of late... my last game infact I flat-out cheated to quit. I had accepted a war v. Boudica and, after a few reloads, was able to defend my cities so they're no sitting ducks for Gaelic Warriors.To put it in short--she declared war on me a long time later and had a huge SoD that I couldn't counter. I thought I was safe, but she decided to attack me again already. Yeah--I cheated. WB and spawned 6 gunships and a modern armor next to every one of Justinain's cities (who stopped my REX phase) and took half the continent, then proceded to attack and capitulate Boudica. Yeah--that was end-game, since I don't like playing once I cheat like that.

 

[jackdog]

I'm afraid I am fairly stuck on versions of the same basic strategy. I generally go CE but try to have at least one decent farmed SE city. I usually try to build great wall ASAP so can get on developing without all that barb worry, and then go for oracle in a different city so I definately get a great spy to infiltrate so I can steal loads of tech and incite revolt with what left. This game I got great wall but missed oracle, but the cash was useful as had developed a lot and was suffering. Did get pyramids though with lots of chopping.

I usually go for the very early axe/sword rush and on this occasion took out Fredrick. I never build more than 3-4 cities a game, and I usually never trash cities. Its then all about staying alive long enough to fast track to rifles well befor anyone else. I usually go for liberalism first which is usualy possible on an OK monarch game and get gunpowder from the free tech, Its then build (ormo's)in this case to upgrade later to rifles as hopefully by now the CE is paying off and I am at 60-70% science with a good cash overflow.

In this game Napoleon was almost continually at war with me but I just kept defensive and it didn't stunt things too much, after rifles I kicked arse very quickly and sow he's my vassal.

I am just at infantry and leading tech wise and am about to kick caesars arse around the continent, from there its space race to victory, but you never know.

 

[TheWilltoAct]

Eh...? You choose gunpowder as the free tech??? :O

 

[Jerrymander]

Ethiopia has a musket UU, I think.

 

[Airefuego]

Recently I got BW from a hut on turn 2 - and TWO copper resources popped up in my BFC.

Needless to say my neighbours witnessed - briefly! - the fastest axe rush in history

 

[TheWilltoAct]

I see Jerry... but still, wouldn't you want to choose a free tech that's worth more beakers??? I can't think though off the top of my head - what would be a good high beaker tech to snag with liberalism?

Airefuego - sounds awesome man

 

[Znabel15]

I see Jerry... but still, wouldn't you want to choose a free tech that's worth more beakers??? I can't think though off the top of my head - what would be a good high beaker tech to snag with liberalism?

Airefuego - sounds awesome man

I agree, Gunpowder usually only takes a few turns to research the hard way.

 

[jackdog]

By that stage gunpowder is only about 7 turns or so compared with maybe 10-12 for nationalism but the strategy works for me of getting to rifles way sooner than everyone else and then kicking butt, barely losing any troops except the suicide trebs, those extra turns can make a difference.

Yes Zara has a ormo wariors instead of muskets that have free first stike upgrades.

So get gunpower off liberalism build them like crazy and then if all is well with the finances upgrade them to rifles and you barely need to worry about the city defenses as the best everyone else has is longbows or if you are unlucky maybe a few muskets, the AI tends to do the whole military science thing first and so although there are lots of mounted troops about against the 25% bonus rifles have they get slaughtered. Seven more turns (the ones used to research gunpowder rather than get it free) and they might have muskets and then its not quite such a white wash.

Well it works for me anyway, I can usually catch up on a tech or two I missed beelining rifles as part of the capitulation package......

 

[TheWilltoAct]

No no, I'm sure it works great jackdog. As you say, every turn really does count, especially since the mid game is so messed up imo, because almost the moment you get musketmen they are made obsolete by rifles!!!

As an aside this issue apparently stuck in my head over night - I actually had a dream where I was looking at the civ tech tree and in my dream the beaker count for Nationalism was like 500 more than Gunpowder (relatively negligible) LOL... what is wrong with me XD

 

[jackdog]

jees dude fanatics is certianly the site for you!!, I find I can't get to sleep thinking about the game i'm playing as I usually play late, but can't remember ever dreaming about it.

And yes the mid game is a bit messy, if money is tight I don't build muskets hardly at all as rifles are so close, I also usually harldy ever build longbows as if its not a good attacker i'm not interested and would rather have a maceman, any mounted troops, or anything that flies. I really have to think about trying some new strategies..

 

[Diamondeye]

Tried popping BW->IW from 2 huts as Rome in MP. Slaughtered 3 other players before I met a wall of russian maces and byzantine cataphracts. Then I died.

 

[TheWilltoAct]

Off topic:

heh ya jackdog, it just seems if there is a specific problem stuck in my head I think my sub-concious tries to solve it while I sleep, and I think that's probably true of everyone but it's a super cool concept nonetheless