G-Minor CXLXIV

[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.

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

Settings:

• Expansion: Brave New World
• Victory Condition: Science (though all victory conditions must be enabled)
• Difficulty: Prince
• Map Size: Standard
• Map Type: Continents
• Speed: Standard
• Leader: Huns (Attila)
• Opponents: Any
• Version: SV8
• Date: 3rd January to 1st February 2018

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

 

[zenmaster]

Just need a nice continent with enough luxuries/happiness to go wide with conquest and settling, until you meet and trade with new friends on new continents later who know nothing of your warlike ways .
Happiness often kills my science tries on mid-high levels on continents and islands maps. Really need diverse luxuries or mercantile CSes to go wide effectively at Prince or above.

 

[ImperialGuard]

It's been a while since I've tried to participate in a HOF game, I can't remember, is any DLC allowed?

Specifically thinking about the "Wonders of the Ancient World" DLC, but want to make sure I don't enable any DLC that is forbidden

thanks in advance

 

[zenmaster]

It's been a while since I've tried to participate in a HOF game, I can't remember, is any DLC allowed?

Specifically thinking about the "Wonders of the Ancient World" DLC, but want to make sure I don't enable any DLC that is forbidden

thanks in advance

No official Firaxis DLC is forbidden at all. Most mods are not allowed, though some that only affect user interface (like the EUI mod) are OK. Hope that helps!

 

[ImperialGuard]

Thanks Zenmaster!! appreciate you taking time to answer the question !!

 

[dinanipedro]

Attila to space. always fun.

 

[billybgame]

I have a question in the midst of this one.....after quite a few unsuccessful tries(not enough luxuries, or continents/# of oppenents not working out right), I finally got a great set up. One opponent AI and 4 city states and a big enough continent for 8 or 9 cities. So, the turns went by(after taking out the other civ post haste).....peacefully and quickly. Finally in the 1400s I started meeting other civs. I'd done fairly decently, as I had 8 luxuries, and had a mercantile city state. But, still it was touch and go on unhappiness at times.

So, I meet new civs, they have excess luxuries and so do I....great! Umm...no....not a one of them will agree to a one for one excess luxury deal....they all want a ransom. What the hell? I've never seen this before, unless they dislike me, or if it's their only one of the luxury. I believe they are all neutral. I'm not even leading in score. I may have the most cities, I suppose.

So, what gives? I googled this but still doesn't add up. Seems even Guarded in other games will allow fair trades.

Edit: Well, no replies, but maybe I figured it out?.......just before I went to war with my continent AI civ, he offered a Dec of Friendship, which I accepted. I see now, thousands of years later, every single civ has a negative for me for DoWing on a civ that I had signed a DoF with. I find that amusing, given that civ was gone thousands of years before they even met me......no way they'd even know about it. Kind of figured ancient history like that would be lost.

Figure that has to be it....first time I've seen it, so news to me. Nearing later game stages and not one fair offer from any AI civ. Luckily, my happiness has been hanging in.

 

[vadalaz]

Yeah, it's pretty stupid. If your army is stronger than the other continent's AIs', you could try DoWing to see if they're willing to give up their luxuries and gold in the peace deals.

Barbs have been a real pain in my game. I had a warrior ruin upgrade and quickly killed one of my neighbours, so my first two cities each had two barb camps targeting them from around turn 10. Had to invest a bit more production into Horse Archers than I wanted, but things look fine now.

 

[mcshame]

Attila to space. always fun.

Yup, but got a couple of nukes in there as well

 

[dinanipedro]

Yup, but a got a couple of nukes in there as well

born ready

rolled a high seas map with observatory potential - not enough growth
went for a low seas map - phenomenal capital location - no decent expo spots plus all opponents too far away for worker steal to be of any value

found my preference on continents maps to be sea level medium, opponents morroco, denmark, catherine, portugal, arabia sweden and ghengis the khan (cathy is the prettiest imho)

3 city nc t83 2 more expos settled for luxes with the workers waiting - happiness ok, barely - some religious CS allies made me take pagodas and the shrine belief for happiness to keep growth / tilthe / IP's

education t113, renesans acoustics t125 (with oracle for secularism) then astronomy (meet everyone) get some lux trades to pp t156

t160 5 cities 73 pop 12 wonders (GL, Col, Oracle, HG, Hagia, C.Iza, Macchu Petra in Expo, Notre ToA Borobodur and Parthenon) Trad full, 3 in Rationalism - teching Industrialization for Big Ben with next policy opening commerce - world fair in the congress
2 more cities after oxfording modern planned (on site - waiting)
the merc city states are solving their own barb camp missions

 

[zenmaster]

born ready

rolled a high seas map with observatory potential - not enough growth
went for a low seas map - phenomenal capital location - no decent expo spots plus all opponents too far away for worker steal to be of any value

found my preference on continents maps to be sea level medium, opponents morroco, denmark, catherine, portugal, arabia sweden and ghengis the khan (cathy is the prettiest imho)

I agree that the medium sea level probably gives the best Science setup on Continents maps.

I like your opponents too. Genghis is probably my favorite opponent on most settings- He doesn't beat you to wonders; he is not prone to attack you unless on higher levels or unless you are totally asking for it (in which cases, almost any leader will attack you). He has no problems becoming your best buddy after a long war against him ends. I also love how his frequent conquests of City States give you great opportunities to liberate them and get instant big ally status with the liberated CS.

I have stopped using Portugal in Standard and smaller sized games. More often than not, Maria I is a good opponent to have as far as friendliness, ability to be pushed around, etc., but when some things click for her, she can become a juggernaut, even on lower levels. There have been some Prince-ish level games where Portugal builds the key wonders way early and steamrolls in some way.

3 city nc t83 2 more expos settled for luxes with the workers waiting - happiness ok, barely - some religious CS allies made me take pagodas and the shrine belief for happiness to keep growth / tilthe / IP's

education t113, renesans acoustics t125 (with oracle for secularism) then astronomy (meet everyone) get some lux trades to pp t156

t160 5 cities 73 pop 12 wonders (GL, Col, Oracle, HG, Hagia, C.Iza, Macchu Petra in Expo, Notre ToA Borobodur and Parthenon) Trad full, 3 in Rationalism - teching Industrialization for Big Ben with next policy opening commerce - world fair in the congress
2 more cities after oxfording modern planned (on site - waiting)
the merc city states are solving their own barb camp missions

Looks like it is going pretty well!

Interesting to see you running a 3 city NC with later expansion. Kudos to you for making it work well!

I think sometimes in hindsight I would be better off having done it, but my timing of things always gets way off. I tend to wait long on the NC these days, going Liberty wide immediately to 6-8 cities before getting the NC done. If the map dictates Tradition, I can sometimes do the first 3 expos, NC, then get the last expos up if they are on the coast, but even then I don't like it . My last expos just feel too slow unless they have really serious growth tiles or readymade cargo ships to run food to them immediately.

Thanks for the writeup! I got a victory in early in the month, and haven't had much time to play recently. I may reopen my win screen to remember how my game went and jot some thoughts.
I do remember the Hun Horse Archers being awesome as always in whatever you want them to do.

 

[dinanipedro]

I tend to wait long on the NC these days, going Liberty wide immediately to 6-8 cities before getting the NC done. If the map dictates Tradition, I can sometimes do the first 3 expos, NC, then get the last expos up if they are on the coast, but even then I don't like it . My last expos just feel too slow unless they have really serious growth tiles or readymade cargo ships to run food to them immediately.

I assume you are getting straight to the mercantile city states for happiness, I abandoned a second attempt with delaying the NC to go wider earlier (5 cities plus 1 conquered) but hitting into that period bee-lining education prior to construction just gave two too many happiness & lack of cash issues. I stuck with the gradual expo-ing, 3 NC - 5 OX - 7 or 8 depending on terrain and similar.

Genghis is probably my favorite opponent on most settings

Genghis keeps the opponents pretty level and en-guard

More often than not, Maria I is a good opponent to have as far as friendliness, ability to be pushed around, etc., but when some things click for her, she can become a juggernaut, even on lower levels. There have been some Prince-ish level games where Portugal builds the key wonders way early and steamrolls in some way.

Oracle and Maria is always that gamble, but yes she is not on my constant opponent list for the same reasons, I like to throw in Isabella and disable start bias to possibly get some NW near expo 1

Been playing some quick speed games recenty / looking forward to testing out a game for the Major with emperor Haile Selassie born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael Ras Tafari 420 peace

 

[zenmaster]

I assume you are getting straight to the mercantile city states for happiness, I abandoned a second attempt with delaying the NC to go wider earlier (5 cities plus 1 conquered) but hitting into that period bee-lining education prior to construction just gave two too many happiness & lack of cash issues. I stuck with the gradual expo-ing, 3 NC - 5 OX - 7 or 8 depending on terrain and similar.

I can sometimes squeak by with combos involving pagodas/road connections/resource diversity/circuses, but yes, the higher the level the more vital mercantile CSes are for going wide

I like to throw in Isabella and disable start bias to possibly get some NW near expo 1

That is a great idea! I have noticed Svinopes pretty much always includes Spain in his games. Perhaps he came up with your idea too...

Been playing some quick speed games recenty / looking forward to testing out a game for the Major with emperor Haile Selassie born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael Ras Tafari 420 peace

Haha, you always make the best observations on the leaders. I concur on Catherine, by the way.

 

[Denniz]

Gauntlet Results:
G-Minor CXLXIV - Science, Prince, Standard, Continents, Standard, Huns (Attila)
1st vadalaz - 1515 AD T-213
2nd zenmaster - 1600 AD T-230
3rd dinanipedro - 1690 AD T-248

 

[dinanipedro]

great gauntlet exquisite finish times lot of participants
vadalaz, zen congrats early fifteenth sixteenth century

 

[BlackWizard]

Oracle and Maria is always that gamble, but yes she is not on my constant opponent list for the same reasons, I like to throw in Isabella and disable start bias to possibly get some NW near expo 1

Spain doesnt have bias to start near natural wonders. She never has had that bias.

 

[dinanipedro]

Spain doesnt have bias to start near natural wonders.

Maybe so. Like Krakow(AI) does have bias for Lake Victoria.
poland continues to claim that piece of Africa....