G-Major 134

[Seraiel]

I know this trick works in the sense that you see 'Cold' grayed out, so I've used it before, but I thought it actually had no effect on the map.

I believe this is correct. I just changed Highlands to cold and high sealevel, and the map generated had the exact same 1600 population as the tropical low sealevel one. Regenerating also always brought 1600 population maps.

 

[Seraiel]

I think you're talking about how an AI, when deciding to vote for Diplo win (or other votes), will consider his feelings towards you and your vassals.

After playing this gauntlet, I don't think this rule applies to Peace vassals...only for voting. In other words, I had AI that were Annoyed and as soon as I increased +1 to reach cautious they would peace vassal. Even tho I had 3-4 vassals already and even if they hated some of my vassals.

So either:
a) shared diplomatic stance doesn't apply here, or
b) the AI attitude for my vassals balanced out with them liking some and hating others.

I didn't prove it either way. Anyone else have experiences to share on this?

If shared diplomatic stance wouldn't apply for peace-vassaling, that would actually be a huge thing, and then I'd understand how you got 5 peace-vassals!

Also: W8, there are Civs that vassal at cautious? I have to re-choose my opponents, thx!

 

[WastinTime]

Also: W8, there are Civs that vassal at cautious? I have to re-choose my opponents, thx!

Of course! I didn't play with any civs that require 'friendly'. All vassal at Pleased or Cautious. I think one could get ~8 peace vassals with effort.

 

[Seraiel]

Of course! I didn't play with any civs that require 'friendly'. All vassal at Pleased or Cautious. I think one could get ~8 peace vassals with effort.

Frederick is my new favourite AI. He doesn't build units, he often builds the mids, he vassals at cautious.

Had to choose some opponents against which I have 0 experience, but set up the game similar to yours. Hopefully, I'll get a good start 'til tomorrow, because time is running out.

 

[Seraiel]

600 maps generated, not a single worthy start.

 

[Seraiel]

1400 maps generated, still havn't found a game that would be worthy to play on.

One looked like it could be ok, didn't get any techs from huts, but double Food, double Gold start.
Stole 2 Workers, got the Mediator event, then Catherine settled one of my chosen sites 1 turn before my Settler was in position, afterwards Joao settled another of my sites 1 turn before my Settler could have done so, leaving me with a maximum of 3 cities, from which only 1 had real Food, others had 1 Floodplain, gg.

 

[WastinTime]

1400 maps generated, still havn't found a game that would be worthy to play on.

One looked like it could be ok, didn't get any techs from huts, but double Food, double Gold start.
Stole 2 Workers, got the Mediator event, then Catherine settled one of my chosen sites 1 turn before my Settler was in position, afterwards Joao settled another of my sites 1 turn before my Settler could have done so, leaving me with a maximum of 3 cities, from which only 1 had real Food, others had 1 Floodplain, gg.

Having the AI settle great sites is a good thing. I don't think you should bother trying to settle 5 sites. This is probably where you can save the most turns. Just settle a 2nd city (next to horse or metal) and capture the rest. The game you describe sounds like a good start. Should be under 300 turns.

 

[Seraiel]

Having the AI settle great sites is a good thing. I don't think you should bother trying to settle 5 sites. This is probably where you can save the most turns. Just settle a 2nd city (next to horse or metal) and capture the rest. The game you describe sounds like a good start. Should be under 300 turns.

Thx for that advice! I already often wondered, how many cities one should settle, I'll probably go with the magic "3" cities, because for HA or GW rushing, I've found 3 cities always to be best.

Unfortunately, I deleted the game becaus of rage though, but if I only need 3 cities, a new one should actually not be too hard to find.

Thx again.

 

[WastinTime]

IMO, 3 is still too many. You only need one...and I mean your capital, not one settler. You need zero settlers. Many games might need one settler to get horses/metal. Some games could use a 2nd settler, but only if you can get a really good site or another gold/gems.

As I mentioned in my writeup. Joao had horses in the first ring in my game, so I didn't have to go out looking for any strategic resources.

 

[Seraiel]

IMO, 3 is still too many. You only need one...and I mean your capital, not one settler. You need zero settlers. Many games might need one settler to get horses/metal. Some games could use a 2nd settler, but only if you can get a really good site or another gold/gems.

As I mentioned in my writeup. Joao had horses in the first ring in my game, so I didn't have to go out looking for any strategic resources.

I will try with 1 or 2 cities in my next game. Maybe I'm underestimating the power of a real early rush, and am just too used to going for real wars later.

Thx again.

 

[Seraiel]

Played a Quick 1450 AD diplomatic victory today.

Mapfinder didn't want to give me any starts, and after re-generating manually for about 3 hours, again without getting a start, I gave up.

I'm more and more believing, that this game simply doesn't want to give me a fair, 2nd chance. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Seraiel]

Still didn't get a start that would be worth playing.

Time is running out, having in mind, that this game will at least take me 50h to finish.

Still hoping.

 

[Seraiel]

Let mapfinder create over 2000 maps.

Got 1 start.

Game ended with DoW from Cathy at 2240 BC.

 

[Seraiel]

Didn't wanna give up and let WastinTime and Kaitzilla get more fame than they deserve

Played a weak 1 Gold 2 Food start.

Discovered that Kublai sat 5 tiles away in the North.

Thought, then I'll expand to the south.

Discovered Joao there, 2 tiles away from my Borders.

West was water and East the edge of the map.

 

[Seraiel]

Played another weak 1 Gold 2 Food start.

Stole a Worker from Salladin.

Settled my 2nd city.

Suddenly, Salladins Archer comes out of nowhere.



I think I can give up on getting a better date in this Gauntlet. I don't even got any 1 Gold 2 Food starts left, and the game would take 50h anyhow, so that'd be 5 days + how long I need to run Mapfinder, which is past the deadline.

Gratz WastinTime and Kaitzilla.

 

[Seraiel]

I think you're talking about how an AI, when deciding to vote for Diplo win (or other votes), will consider his feelings towards you and your vassals.

After playing this gauntlet, I don't think this rule applies to Peace vassals...only for voting. In other words, I had AI that were Annoyed and as soon as I increased +1 to reach cautious they would peace vassal. Even tho I had 3-4 vassals already and even if they hated some of my vassals.

So either:
a) shared diplomatic stance doesn't apply here, or
b) the AI attitude for my vassals balanced out with them liking some and hating others.

I didn't prove it either way. Anyone else have experiences to share on this?

It's answer b.

I just played a Huge / Marathon / Domination victory, and Salladin didn't want to vassal, even though I got 2 times his power, he was a land target, I had more than double land, and diplomatic stance from me was pleased, but sometimes annoyed from the other 8 peace-vassals that I took ^^ . His argument was also "we just don't like you enough" .

Finished in the BCs btw., as you'll see tomorrow in the update. Really odd, that I didn't get a worthy map for this Gauntlet. I'm not sure if I would have beaten Kaitzilla , but the new Peace-vassal-method works like a charm, and I should have been able to pull of a BC-finish.

I was astonished by how few buildings one needs in Peace-vassal-Dom/Conquest-games. Granaries were the only buildings I had in every city, Forges only in the big cities, Barracks not even in half of the cities (got myself promotions from Theo and sometimes Vassalage, was more than enough) , nothing else, so no AP-temples even with being SPI, no Stables though running full mounted, etc.

3 times power + double land works without land target btw., just to confirm WastinTime's statement from page 3.

 

[Denniz]

Gauntlet Results:
G-Major 134 - Conquest, Deity, Ancient, Large, Marathon, Highlands, Celt
1^st WastinTime 1110 BC
2^nd Kaitzilla 240 BC
3^rd Seraiel 945 AD

Congratulations!

 

[lymond]

1st WastinTime 1110 BC

 

[Seraiel]

Really unreal that date of WastinTime . I (as told already) also played a peace-vassal-domination game, but I finished 10 BC, how many turns away from WastinTime is that, 100?

Regarding these 3 games however, the difference is, that WastinTime's victory is 100T before Kaitzilla, and as Kais game could be compared to mine, because he also played without peace-vassals, it's absolutely astonishing, that he again finishe 100T earlier.

I wonder if WastinTime has some sneaky trait with the Ais, because HA-rushes against hill-cities usually fail unless one has very high numbers, and then his luck with the diplomatic relations, not to forget, that he also needed to be a land-target for 6 of them!

Big congratz again, next Deity Gauntlet will get closer.

 

[WastinTime]

Really unreal that date of WastinTime . I (as told already) also played a peace-vassal-domination game, but I finished 10 BC, how many turns away from WastinTime is that, 100?

I like to think in turns, so 1110BC is turn 239.

So I think that's 110 turns faster than 10 BC

And, for the record...T239 < T250