G-Major 55

[Ozbenno]

[img=right]http://www.civfanatics.net/methos/hof/staff/gauntlet.gif[/img]While the general Hall of Fame is an ongoing competition, we like to run time-definite competitions between updates that we call Gauntlets. Standard Hall of Fame rules (*) still apply, but any games meeting the settings will be counted towards the Gauntlet.

(*) Please read the >> HOF rules << BEFORE playing!​

Settings:

• Victory Condition: Conquest (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Deity
• Starting Era: Any
• Map Size: Large
• Map Type: Any
• Speed: Quick
• Civ: Any
• Opponents: Any
• Version: 1.74.003, 2.13.003 or 3.17.001
• Date: 10th July to 10th August 2009

Must not play as Inca.
The earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

 

[Mesix]

• Starting Era: Any

This may help modivate folks to knock out some Rock of Ages game entires for their EQM.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

[*]Starting Era: Any

The option of using Any Starting Era is definitely makes this Gauntlet winnable by nearly any competent Player at perhaps Monarch level or above. Just select Modern (see GM-21 for strategy) or Future (No Tech Race at all and its easy to beat the AI in military production and Win. Neither option will likely produce a top three finish though. This will be Fun, especially for those with little or no experience at Deity or any of the higher (Monarch+) difficulty levels.

I suspect that Ancient Era will capture the top three spots, but only if significant advantage is gained by the Classical Era, thus beating out all successive Eras (assuming proof by induction is valid here). Yes, even at Quick Speed this is quite possible. One just needs to maintain a Lead in Military Technologies to make "starting in the Ancient Era" an early advantage.

The wild card in my opinion when choosing a Starting Era is the number of Settlers one starts with, the Starting Population and pre-built Buildings for a given Era. Also, I'm not sure what advantage the AI has at Eras after Ancient. So, I'm just hedging my bet on Ancient Era here. The Classical Era may have a good chance at Winning
However, its possible for an Ancient start to win this Gauntlet before some of the later Eras even begin.

It's also important to point out that many later Eras may have a much later Starting Date in BtS than in Vanilla/Warlords, but I suspect that this is most significant for Marathon Speed and may not be a significant factor at Quick Speed.

[*]Speed: Quick

This is the most underutilized option for Conquest. It opens many possibilities for Conquest that just don't exist at Epic or Marathon speed. We're talking Fun, with a Capital F. A vast array of unique units can be Utilized. Just beeline the unlocking Technology and spam the units.

Since its Conquest, just raze Cities to avoid an Economic Crash without hardly a penalty.

At Quick Speed, there are many more opportunities for different paths of Technologies (mostly Military). Conversely, shutting off research and spamming sufficiently advanced units in vast numbers will overwhelm the AI, especially in the Ancient Era.

Buyer beware: I don't have much experience playing Conquest (or Domination) at Quick Speed, so use the above at your own risk. Just having Fun with this Gauntlet will be a major risk mitigater.

Don't forget to select Vassals for a quicker Conquest Win, but only if you plan to complete Feudalism which unlocks this option for the Player. Vanilla Players can have a good cry now (Vanilla doesn't have Vassals).

Did I say this Gauntlet will be Fun? No, well, this Gauntlet will be Fun!

There will be plenty to learn too.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[Ozbenno]

Did I say this Gauntlet will be Fun? No, well, this Gauntlet will be Fun!

That's the hope anyway. Many different roads to victory here, ancient or classical start with praetorians (I wanted to include Inca but the system can't handle it unless you have to play Inca). Industrial start with redcoats or a modern/future start tank rush. Things like Mediaeval with cataphracts might also be useful.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

In my earilier post, I didn't realize that Future Era (BtS) has only 66 turns left when it starts. I'm not sure whether that's enough time to eliminate or Vassalize 8 AI Civs on a Large Map. It will still be fun to try!

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Modern Era, Quick Speed is 116 turns long and that would be the best chance to just to get a Win. Should be plenty of turns to build enough Tanks to clear the planet of all AI Civs. The Starting Date is 1888 AD, so don't use this option for an early Win.

Again, if you are interested in playing Modern Era for this Gauntlet, check out:
Modern Era, Deity Conquest Gauntlet, Standard Lakes Map (G-Major 21)

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[WastinTime]

I suspect that Ancient Era will capture the top three spots,

I'm not sure we'll see 3 successful Ancient runs. It's never been done...yet.

 

[Pious_Pete]

Hurrah! Another chances to fritter aways hours on end trying to get a Diety Gauntlet win for the EQM challenge.

After my miserable performance in Major 51 (which I failed to complete despite umpteen attempts) I can´t say I was looking forward to a conquest victory on quick speed; but the link to the Major 21 discussion (thanks for that BTW) has fired up my enthusiasm.

I shall give it a go forthwith.

 

[KingMorgan]

Not sure if modern era starts would be enough, the strats in G-Major 21 seem to rely on placing quick settlers to get enough production, difficult now the cost of settlers has been increased.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

You get 3 settlers I think if you start in modern era, you can conquer the rest.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

You get 3 settlers I think if you start in modern era, you can conquer the rest.

Also, each of these three Settlers in a Modern Era start founds a 4P City which can quickly build everything needed to quickly build a Tank per turn per City. Check G-Major 21 for details. You will be conquering the Planet in no time. Note that the Fast Worker was considered the best unique unit for Modern Era, Quick Speed. Also, G-Major-21 was on a Standard Flat Map; To reduce the Large Map of this Gauntlet, try Pangaea with High Sea Level (or another single continent Map). Or just build a Navy too and use any water Map (with High Sea Level).

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Not only does each of the three starting Setters found a 4 Population City, each such City has the following pre-built Buildings (excluding Sea Buildings for Land-Locked Cities):

• Granary
• Aqueduct
• Forge
• Lighthouse
• Harbor
• Library
• Market
• Courthouse
• Jail

Settling near or on Oil, connecting it, and building Factories in each City should be #1 Priorities.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[Alraun]

Looks like my one Deity slot on the HoF is gonna fall this month! (large score) Oh well, it shoulda gona down a year ago.

Anyway... I do great at peacemonger strategies, but my military game is terrible. Anyone have any advice on some articles or threads I could read to help improve my conquest game?

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Looks like my one Deity slot on the HoF is gonna fall this month! (large score) Oh well, it shoulda gona down a year ago.

Anyway... I do great at peacemonger strategies, but my military game is terrible. Anyone have any advice on some articles or threads I could read to help improve my conquest game?

Have you tried the following section of the War Academy:

Civilization IV: Military Strategy & Tactics

The Early Rush is particularly important to master and I recommend the following Article on this subject:

The Early Rush

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Quick/conquest is not my idea of "fun" . You need more troops than on any other level and you have less time to use them. If you can overcome these things, however, it's pretty impressive.

I want to see some ancient/quick wins. Not even good times, just wins. I found immortal/quick harder than deity/normal on small maps...but I'm sure we have some players who are good enough to do it if they can adjust to quick's timing.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Quick/conquest is not my idea of "fun" . You need more troops than on any other level and you have less time to use them. If you can overcome these things, however, it's pretty impressive.

I want to see some ancient/quick wins. Not even good times, just wins. I found immortal/quick harder than deity/normal on small maps...but I'm sure we have some players who are good enough to do it if they can adjust to quick's timing.

The best I can offer is a Tiny Deity Quick Domination 1280 AD Win using Julius:

http://hof.civfanatics.net/civ4/game_info.php?entryID=16063

In this Domination Win, I simply spammed Praetorians and tried to hit the AI Civs with overwhelming numbers of them. For this Gauntlet's Large Map, a completely different Strategy would be required for an Ancient Era start. I plan to focus on later Era starts, because I know that an Ancient Era start for this Gauntlet will be very difficult to Win and the Win date may not be any better than a Classical Era start anyway.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[cabert]

In my earilier post, I didn't realize that Future Era (BtS) has only 66 turns left when it starts. I'm not sure whether that's enough time to eliminate or Vassalize 8 AI Civs on a Large Map. It will still be fun to try!

Sun Tzu Wu

believe me, that's enough
And if it isn't, nobody said you couldn't try it with vanilla or warlords (for the vassalization thing).
I'm going to try it starting from modern with BtS, however.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

believe me, that's enough
And if it isn't, nobody said you couldn't try it with vanilla or warlords (for the vassalization thing).
I'm going to try it starting from modern with BtS, however.

I believe that a Conquest game is won when all AI Civs are either eliminated or are the Player's Vassals. Vassals are not available in Vanilla, but can be used to great effect in both Warlords and BtS.

OK, maybe I'll give it a try too; just to knock off a Future Era Rock of Ages EQM game I need.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

I just had to post the following link to a great tip by Moonsinger from G-Major 21:

Environmentalist tip in waging War by keeping your people at home Happy!

The point is it may be better to preserve Forests than Chop them in the Modern Era.

The extra Happiness will allow one to avoid using the Culture Slider for Happiness when its better to divert Commerce to Wealth to support more Tanks and supporting Military units. The extra "free" Happiness that several Forest Preserves per City provides can be used to stay in Slavery (avoid Emancipation) and make those lower Production Cities pump out a Tank every other turn. Too bad one can't Draft Tanks as drafting is where plenty of excess Happiness is needed. Note that drafting Infantry costs 2 Population and 3 Unhappiness for 6t (Quick Speed).

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[cabert]

Having played some of those games, I see no point in having more happiness.
You'll get plenty of happiness resources anyway + loads of conquest money.
I tend to build the national park in one the early cities, just because it feels right, but I'm pretty sure I'd better build more tanks sooner.