G-Minor 99

[Denniz]

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.

[size=+1](*) Please read the >> HOF rules << BEFORE playing!
[/size]​

Settings:

• Victory Condition: Cultural (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Chieftain
• Starting Era: Ancient
• Map Size: Standard
• Map Type: Any
• Speed: Epic
• Civ: Any
• Opponents: Any
• Version: 3.19.003
• Date: 26th June to 15th10th July 2010

Must not play as Inca.

The earliest finish date wins, with score as a tiebreaker.

 

[dcruze75]

I finished 1866 AD on my first go. It's the first time I've tried cultural with Augustus, which I did to do an early rush and get some terrain.

I messed up with my GA farm, I made it shrink in size not realizing it would keep doing that until it reached size 1 (oops).

I'm used to doing cultural games on quick, so this is a new challenge - If I can get it down to around 1600 AD I'll be happy, but I think I need to rethink my leader, and strategy. I'm just playing the normal science -> gold -> culture way, but I'm sure there's a more efficient way of doing it.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Liz or Gandhi normally the best for culture games. Qin and Zara possibles too because of the culture multiplier UB (Qin is industrious too). France (Louis) a bit meh you don't really need astronomy. Ramesses is pretty strong too.

Saladin is good on vanilla too but with the buffed Sistine in BtS that should probably win it unless there is a big turns/year differential in BtS at Epic speed (I don't know).

 

[smitsk00]

HOF #1 right now for these conditions is 1475AD with Sitting Bull. This score should get creamed after liz and gandhi start popping settlers.

 

[dcruze75]

I got 1770 AD with Gandhi. Playing following the Godotnut strategy, I managed to found 5 religions and build temples and cathedrals for all. And relying on getting stone early, so I can build the pyramids for universal suffrage.

But, what's a better strategy, I just can't seem to bring the date down very much. I know some are playing with incrementing the culture slider, and without relying on pyramids, but I'm not really sure how it's done...

 

[smitsk00]

dcruze: you can still pop settlers from huts on chieftain. Try to pop one immediately, even if you original settler needs to walk for a few turns. Use the second to scout around and hopefully pop a few more. Early cities means that your culture producing buildings reach 1000 years old sooner. Plus hammers that would have been put into settlers can go quickly into infrastructure (AND WORKERS!!!).

The pyraminds/US route is certainly helpful if you have easy stone, but they still take a longtime to build. Gandhi can also cycle in and out of slavery to help whip Cathedrals too, but this requires a good bit of food in the cities.

Also, a good finish on this one will have 2-3 mining resources, marble, and high food in the capital for a quick CS sling, then to music, then to Lib.

Stone and copper will speed those cathedrals along too.


My best culture finish so far is in the 1100's on Settler. Chieftain shouldn't be too different and there are those out there who can crush my date.

Luck with huts, land and religion spread will determine this one.

 

[dcruze75]

Thanks for replying. On my 1770AD game I popped one settler and one worker.
I'll try something different next game and not rely on getting pyramids. I think I'll have to micromanage the hammers a bit better as well.

 

[smitsk00]

Perhaps using popped settlers to settle near and warrior rush AI capitals like that Rainforest space gauntlet a few months back?

I am almost done with a game where I popped 1 settler, but with no commerce goodies in my capital. CS came much slower than I would have liked.

 

[dcruze75]

Perhaps using popped settlers to settle near and warrior rush AI capitals like that Rainforest space gauntlet a few months back?

I am almost done with a game where I popped 1 settler, but with no commerce goodies in my capital. CS came much slower than I would have liked.

Usually I don't war on my cultural games, but I've mostly played them on duel maps. I've done my games for this gauntlet with random opponents so far, so I've done some preemptive strikes on warmonger neighbors with swordsmen. I think using that strategy causes me to lose some momentum.

Hmm, do you use oracle for CS. I try to avoid that since it can give you great prophets when I want great artists. And CS is mostly to be able to irrigate for your GA farm?

 

[shulec]

And CS is mostly to be able to irrigate for your GA farm?

Civil Service gives you Bureaucracy, a monster civic early in the game. You should run bureaucracy asap and use it until liberalism gives you free speech.

 

[Infantry#14]

Definitely Gandhi b/c of the fast workers, which can probably pop more huts. I suspect a 500-800 ad win is possible.

 

[Sun Tzu Wu]

Settings:

• Date: 26th June to 15th July 2010

Is 15th July 2010 the correct end date? The first update of the month is usually the 10th.

Sun Tzu Wu

 

[cabert]

not a lot of entries yet
I am desperately trying to get a deity standard marathon time victory, but if someone gives me a target, I'll try this instead.

 

[Denniz]

Is 15th July 2010 the correct end date? The first update of the month is usually the 10th.

Sun Tzu Wu

No that was a typo. I have fixed it in the database and will fix the OP.

@ALL, the deadline for this gauntlet it July 10th 2010.

 

[cabert]

without target, I just tried to get the #1 spot.
1465 AD for me.

edit : I played warlord instead of chieftain


main tactics (not much new in terms of strategy) used :
- played pericles vs weaklings
- move the initial settler a bit to get an extra settler
- warrior rushed 2 nearby capitals
- oracled CS
- went for alphabet before mining or anything, to have some trading options. got mining, BW, IW, masonry ... pretty easily.
- got a golden age from the coliseum quest, with the statue of zeus, another from the taj mahal
- did a pure artist GP pool in the capital, powered by the philosophical trait, got me a total of 8 Great artist including the one from music (first GP was a scientist for an academy in the capital). with a few unnecessary wonders (I forgot to remove the great library from the build order and got it stupidly when I wanted "missed money"), I also got some other scientists. one was bulbed for printing press, the other in the last turn for chemistry. I also got the free merchant from economics which I used for a golden age.

what I did wrong :
- too slow expansion, as always
- cottages in my GP farm :crazyeyes:
- should have oracled education at least


there is clearly room for a sub 1000 AD win, with better play and a bit of luck

edit 2 : played on chieftain, got a 1350 AD win
mostly the same, except I oracled education and got even more bad luck with my GPs + no luck with quests.
I used a GE to rush the taj, a prophet for a shrine, another prophet for a golden age, then a prophet in conjonction with an artist for another golden age.
The AIs were mostly useless for trade, but I still got my share of trades, including BW, IW, MC, mechanics, and theology

 

[iggymnrr]

Took a break from another game and gave this a go with Elizabeth. Finished in 1275 AD. Beelined two religions right a way, got monotheism early and oracled CoL. Tech speed didn't seem to matter much but religion spreading freely seemed a plus. Inland sea: the only tech I recall getting from a hut was sailing.

 

[cabert]

and I thought I'd get a minor win
good game, certainly beatable, but I won't try

 

[T-hawk]

I've never played a HOF game before, but somehow this caught my eye, and I love speedy culture victories. Writeup is here:

http://www.dos486.com/civ4/gminor99/

Spoiler :

Played as Gandhi on Hemispheres map. Popped two workers and a settler from huts. Axe rushed a neighbor for the 3rd legendary city. Liberalism in 245 BC for Divine Right. Went Universal Suffrage to cash rush missionaries and cathedrals, having all 7 religions. Legendary cities concentrated on cottages, with a separate Great Artist farm that put out about 10 artists total. Culture Win in 940 AD.

 

[Denniz]

Results:

G-Minor 99 - Cultural, Chieftain, Standard, Epic
1^st iggymnrr 1275 AD
2^nd cabert 1350 AD
3^rd WilliamOfOrange 1505 AD

Congratulations!

 

[iggymnrr]

@T-Hawk
You make some good points. If you want huts, stone and marble try highlands map. It's not uncommon to get starts with both stone and marble. (Just watch mapfinder for 100 regenerations or so.) What I found interesting was have plus cash at 100% culture. Useful for balancing out cities after the slider has been turned off.