G-Major 29

[AnitaGaribaldi]

Another game lost. It seems every time I got a good start, the AI knows: this girl will win by culture, let's whip her out of world.
This time was Gandhi:
Turn 75/460 (1040 BC) [15-Jun-2008 16:21:15]
Tech learned: Meditation
A Camp was built near Moscow
St. Petersburg finishes: Settler
Gandhi(India) declares war on AnitaGaribaldi(Russia)
Attitude Change: Washington(America) towards Roosevelt(America), from 'Pleased' to 'Cautious'
Attitude Change: Gandhi(India) towards Roosevelt(America), from 'Pleased' to 'Cautious'

5 games and I was eliminated in 2 of them, is it normal?

I got Parthenon in this game. I was thinking if I should try to get Notre Dame. Parthenon is worth 20 culture (after doubling). I would build Notre Dame on BC era or early AC, I would have by the end of game 40 base culture just from wonders. I had a capital with a lot of production (2 marble, iron, corn and a mined gold) and six forests. My second city city had stone. My plan was to be the first to Music using the Great Artist from Parthenon to lightbulb Music. I would exchange one Great Artist for the free one. This would have a small cost on gold, but I think 30 gold or so is worth the Notre Dame. This game was lost because of Gandhi. Which AI do you choose? I play Warlords.

 

[WastinTime]

Very unlucky. I don't think Gandhi will bother you again. Sometimes the tension from close borders causes these unlikely wars. Gifting tech can solve this problem. Get them to Pleased. Open borders ASAP.

 

[Lexad]

Sistine has become even stronger in BtS. I also prefer to build Taj. However, in my best quechua games I managed to build also Pyrs, Henge, and smth other for base culture - each after 1000 years is worth like 2-3 towns. Also very useful wonder is Mausol, as GAges are much more available and efficient in BtS.

 

[Lexad]

Even the most peaceful AI tended to attack if I was settling quickly and boxing them in their 2-3 cities. Keeping them pleased, howeer, usually does the trick.

I don't know how it is in BtS - AI tend to be smarter, judging by my previous experience.

 

[AnitaGaribaldi]

Very unlucky. I don't think Gandhi will bother you again. Sometimes the tension from close borders causes these unlikely wars. Gifting tech can solve this problem. Get them to Pleased. Open borders ASAP.

I had no open borders with Gandhi, so I guess this would help. Gandhi was cautious but I guess I'm not very luck, I got attacked by Roosevelt at Pleased. I checked the Deity Hof games, the Americans are oft one of the rivals.

I still haven't played any games as Aztec, Greece, Japan, Mongolia, Viking and Zulu for the Quattromasters challenge. I'll get my revenge.

 

[ssjos]

I had no open borders with Gandhi, so I guess this would help. Gandhi was cautious but I guess I'm not very luck, I got attacked by Roosevelt at Pleased. I checked the Deity Hof games, the Americans are oft one of the rivals.

I still haven't played any games as Aztec, Greece, Japan, Mongolia, Viking and Zulu for the Quattromasters challenge. I'll get my revenge.

lol, Ive seen Gandi pleased at -2 How did you piss him off so bad he went cautios?

 

[AnitaGaribaldi]

lol, Ive seen Gandi pleased at -2 How did you piss him off so bad he went cautios?

No idea. I guess there are some hidden random modifiers. I think I didn't have a single -1.

I'm starting a new game soon. I think I have time for just one more game this week. I'm curious, which is the best start?

Gems+Gold Start

Spoiler :

Gems + Marble Start

Spoiler :

 

[ssjos]

Dunno, Gold+Gem Id build on gold and reroll if no food resource
I dont really like start 2 either but I would build on the plain hill to left of marble and hope for food resource somewhere in the blackness, else reroll

 

[WastinTime]

You can e-mail me start #1. I'll play that!
No doubt I'd go for that one. You have Rice. Don't move and hope for something in the fog to the east.

 

[WastinTime]

On 2nd thought move 1 south. That will give you 7 unrevealed tiles instead of 3. Good chance for something special.

No actually move the warrior south first and see what shows up.

 

[Lexad]

Do them both

 

[Infantry#14]

the last game I played was a close call...Roosevelt was popping SS parts (he even finished 2 engines!), Sitting Bull planted a huge army on my border (did nothing though), and Lincoln won a Diplomatic "victory" on the turn I won. I think because culture is added at the end of my second last turn, I gain a cultural victory before he gets his diplomatic victory, phew!!!

This game was an improvement of my last, because I have 2 religions in my cities in this game, but 3 in the last. I won the liberalism race by 800AD, the ai never even got to education yet (I guess less trading in hemisphere maps), also I was blessed with a good start (1 gold, 2 corn, 1 clam) and my 3 legendenary cities have grassland cottages almost everywhere. Though I was pretty unlucky as I lost the race to build both parenthon and sistine chapel.

 

[Mesix]

At present, I use the GE from the pyramids to build the GL. I then use 3 GSs to build 3 Acadamy´s in the legendary cities.

I´m not entirely convinced this is worth it. The cultural benefits of the acadamy (+4) are nice to have, but not necessarily worth the expense of a GE, and teching to lit. The +50% science is of course a big bonus, but I seem to be getting my GSs quite late. Indeed, I´m often reasearching Edu/Lib by the time the third one comes, when I´m beginning to think about switching research off.

Another problem with the GL, is that often (not always) I end up getting a fourth GS when what I really want is GAs i.e the GL is messing up my GA pool.

So, I have a number of questions around this.

Should I build the GL?

If I do build the GL, what should I do with the GS? Build academies, or grab new techs to trade e.g. philo, edu?

How should I maximise GS production? Should I have as many scientists in as many cities as possible, or should I concentrate on only having as many scientists as possible in the city with the GL?

If I should build the GL, but the AI beats me to it, is it worth perservering with the game or should I start again?

If I don´t build the GL, what should I do with the GE?

Also, in the city which has the pyramids (which is usually the capital), should I use additional scientists (either before or after the first GE has popped). What I am getting at is should I be trying to preserve the purity of the GE gene pool in the hope of getting a second GE (for the taj majal say), or should I be throwing as much effort at research as possible as early as possible in the game?

I try to specialize my cities GP points in the early game. If I build the Pyramids, I also build a forge in that city to maximize GE points. If I get the Great Library, I try to add at least two scientists to that city to maximize GS generation. These are in separate cities of course so that the GP pool is not diluted. In the late game they switch to artists of course.

When going for a cultural win, I try to use the GE to rush the Sistine Chapel. In BTS this gives +2 per specialist and +5 per state religious building. To me this is a lot more beneficial than the extra trade routs from the Great Lighthouse. When playig on a small map with 5-6 cities, the affect of the extra trade routes is minimal anyway.

 

[ssjos]

Won by 1595 AD as Mansa musa on Inland sea- not all that great but decent for a first try (and my second cultural victory ever)
There was a bunch of things I could have done better but most notably I think I need to go for higher population in my culture producing cities.

Got attacked by isabella in 1000 BC which was really bothersome, however after a while she made peace

used 4 cities, 3 religons and 5 cathedrals. Stopped tech at liberalism @ ~~100 AD

Manged to build MoM (had marble and didnt have anything else to build), and after I reached liberalism I also built sinistine and Tach? Mahal.

Got 1 GS and a total of 11 GA, of which I used one to generate an extra golden age. (Dunno if this is good but as it improves the great people generation it partly pays itself back)

 

[Pious_Pete]

Oh my, Pious_Pete has set the ball rolling and I am missing it! I love talking about cultural strategy.

Well, I was really enjoying the discussion too. Unfortunately, my wife´s aformentioned withering looks were beginning to turn into barbed and caustic comments, so a diplomatic charm offensive was in order to avoid a more serious escalation of hostilities.

I´m afraid I had to abandon the forum in favour of the Sex in the City movie.

Still, she´s in bed now, so I can pick up where I left off!

 

[Pious_Pete]

Stone? Marble the the key for culture. (Nat Epic, Parthenon, Oracle, sistine chapel)
But you don't need it in your first city. I like the capitol to have a couple commerce resources (gold/gems, maybe furs). Food obviously and a lot of river.

The reason that I go for stone is that I am following Godonut´s strategy which calls for stone to build the pyramid.

Let me throw a challenge at you: play a game without Pyramids, get Liberalism around 100AD and use 100% culture from then on, no matter how few cathedrals you have built at that time.

Well maybe I do need to abandon the pyramids as the cornerstone of my strategy.

I think I´ll try the pyramid strategy with four cities first; but if that doesn´t work I´ll probably have to change tack.

 

[Pious_Pete]

Never build the GL in a cultural game.

Get 1 GS for Academy in the capital. The capital should be the engine of your research.

Get 0-3 GS for lightbulbing.

I never was entirely sure of the net value of the GL, so I´ll definitely try this in my next game.

 

[Pious_Pete]

Get 10-15GA for bombing at the end. Very early ones get settled.

How do you get so many GA?

In my games (which typically run to c 1700) I get 1 GE, 3-4 GSs, and 5-6 GAs.

I can trim off a couple of GEs as per previous posts, but this still leaves me a way off.

I normally build NE and switch to pacifism when the other AIs have free religion.

I guess Parthanon would make a signficant difference. (Can you get Parthanon and Pyramids?)

Also, how many artists do you usually run in you GA farm? On a good day, I get 5. To get more (without irrigating grasslands, which Wastingtime suggests is not worth the candle) you´d need at least 3 food resources in the city, and I must say that I rarely manage to achieve that on diety.

 

[Pious_Pete]

I normally use the GPFarm as Legendary, without a single cathedral.

Well I´m convinced about making the GP farm one of the legendary cities; but what is the advantage of not building cathedrals in it?

 

[Pious_Pete]

I love having my 5th city in a fish+2FP location. At size 8 is is running 5 artists, providing 45GPPpt as a secondary GPFarm. It more than outweights its cost.

How many GAs would this secondary farm pop?

I would have thought that it would get dominated by the first GA farm (which would have NE in it)?

But then, what do I know .