G-Minor I

[WastinTime]

You mean that Alpha+Drama+Music is cheaper than the number of beakers the Great Artist would give me towards MassMedia? I have to try that.

You need Monarchy and Literature too, but yes, the artist is more beakers.

 

[godotnut]

OK, so I trimmed it down to 290 AD. With a two settler pop start, I could have done much better. Hopefully, I'll have time for another try at this.

Re: the artist conversation. More beakers, yes, but more turns of research? I don't think so. I researched mass media in about eight turns. I'm sure that researching alpha, drama, music, monarchy, and literature will take more turns. I say skip the artist. Liberalism, though, is worth the detour.

One of my problems is that I assumed that alphabet wasn't worth it, because I didn't think the AI would have anything to offer. I see now that was a mistake, and that researching alpha alone may have gotten me into the B.C.s if I were able to trade for all of the techs that WastinTime did.

Are you B.C. finishers building the Great Library? This game I only built the Pyramids and the Oracle. I received two Scientists and one Engineer in this game. I would be curious to know what the B.C.ers are receiving in the way of great people.

 

[Sumorex]

I keep hitting 290AD (3 times now in a row), just haven't gotten the right combo to push it earlier.

I've had problems with the Artist wanting to research techs off the line. Need to figure out what is causing him to want to detour.

 

[WastinTime]

Re: the artist conversation. More beakers, yes, but more turns of research? I don't think so. I researched mass media in about eight turns. I'm sure that researching alpha, drama, music, monarchy, and literature will take more turns. I say skip the artist. Liberalism, though, is worth the detour.

One of my problems is that I assumed that alphabet wasn't worth it

Now that you're getting alphabet(like you should), I can guarantee drama, music, monarchy, and literature are worth it. You will save ~1 turn. It's easy to see that. Just save them until the end. You'll see the artist cuts off about 5 turns. You spend 4 turns getting those 4 techs. Maybe thru some miracle the AI will research one of them for you. Just gift them the pre-reqs early.

Re GP: I usually get just 1 GS and 1 GE. However, last game I did get 2 GS and 1 GE. The GS came exactly on the turn I could use it for Electricity (along with the free Physics one) Sadly, that game did not finish before 300 BC because I only got 1 settler.
I think 2 settlers is required to get 370 BC or earlier.

 

[WastinTime]

I've had problems with the Artist wanting to research techs off the line. Need to figure out what is causing him to want to detour.

The artist prefers Drama, Literature, and Monarchy. If you don't get monotheism (you can't get Monarchy), so the Artist will take Mass Media.

 

[Sumorex]

Thanks. I see I was misinterpetting this tech preference list.

 

[davelisowski]

Is there anything wrong with eliminating one of the AI? Or destroying all their cities and leaving them with only one?

I'm testing it now, but I doubt I can finish in BC on my first try. Anyone try it before?

 

[Dianthus]

Is there anything wrong with eliminating one of the AI? Or destroying all their cities and leaving them with only one?

It's not against the rules, if that's what you mean by "wrong". Whether or not it's a good tactical decision I'll let y'all discuss .

 

[WastinTime]

Is there anything wrong with eliminating one of the AI? Or destroying all their cities and leaving them with only one?

I'm testing it now, but I doubt I can finish in BC on my first try. Anyone try it before?

Odds are they only have 1 city. If you destroy them (or even take 1 of their cities), you don't get to trade much tech. However, you get a free city, so it might be worth it. Let us know how it turned out.

 

[fdl9]

I just played my first game... 1676AD finish. i guess i have a lot to learn. I'll definitely be looking for better starting positions, not just the first map that gets generated.

 

[davelisowski]

Well, I was stuck on an "island" (small continent) with HC and I wanted to take him out with a swarm of macemen. Problem is, by the time I could build a sizeable army of macemen, I was already in AD. I had 4 cities and he had 1 with two PoS cities. I took him out, but I'm a long way from having the UN, and I haven't even met Monty yet.

I want to finish just to see what happens. I think eliminating one of the other civs might prove useful if: the war does not impede your research and expansion; you have no other way to limit that AI's growth (keeping their votes down). I'll keep trying.

 

[jesusin]

In my games taking out HC has been very easy. In my first game I killed his 2 archers with 2 Cats. In the next, I found his capital in the tenth turn undefended, so I razed it. In the next games I have been focusing initial exploration in finding him. His first unit is always exploring, so I find his capital defenceless. I declare, approach and wait until around 3400BC for his city to reach pop2, yet undefended, then I take it.
Settler difficulty is so puny that I feel bad about taking a city this way.

 

[WastinTime]

I declare, approach and wait until around 3400BC for his city to reach pop2, yet undefended, then I take it.
.

I thought only cities size 1 with NO culture were destroyed. Since the city has a palace, couldn't you capture it at size 1, or not?

 

[Sumorex]

I thought only cities size 1 with NO culture were destroyed. Since the city has a palace, couldn't you capture it at size 1, or not?

Once borders expand, the city has 20% cultural defense?

If so, the city is auto-razed if you attack it at size 1.

Seems mostly a toss up to me on capturing, razing, or leaving them alone. Capturing it is like getting a free settler, but the position might not be ideal. Razing allows settling the land how you want, protects the unpopped goody huts, and no border concerns. Letting them live gives you a few techs in trade like hunting (if you need it to develop) or polytheism, and if you're lucky you can spur them research something you want like mathematics or literature.

Finally broke into the BC's last night with a 1 settler goody pop. Unlike other games, I found slavery to rock because I had 2 cities sitting on food bonuses with massive amounts of floodplains. I came in at 10BC with ONE vote to spare. Health was always a problem, which is why I opted to whip almost everything. It came close to costing me though because Huayna abstained and I eek'd it out with 1 vote more than needed.

 

[davelisowski]

Is there anything wrong with eliminating one of the AI? Or destroying all their cities and leaving them with only one?

I'm testing it now, but I doubt I can finish in BC on my first try. Anyone try it before?

Okay. I destroyed HC, but Monty was on the other side of the world. I didn't even contact him. I built the UN, and voted myself for diplomatic victory (twice... the first time didn't count for some reason). 53 votes to win, and I had 53 votes. Problem is, I finished in 1590AD or something like that.

The jury is still out on this strategy, but I think it can be extremely useful depending on the circumstances. A quick, decisive war for voting power (population) seems viable. I'll have to refine this strategy, and hopefully have a contender for HoF.

::edit::
It might be a good solution to eliminate one AI right off the bat, and then try to corner the other AI so that he can only have one city. But it doesn't seem like the BC finishes are running into any problems getting votes for diplomatic victories.

 

[WastinTime]

It'd be great if all your strategy was needed. Unfortunately, you are over thinking it. At 300 BC Monte doesn't even have 10 votes. Without even trying your 4 cities win the vote even if you don't eliminate anyone.

 

[davelisowski]

It'd be great if all your strategy was needed. Unfortunately, you are over thinking it. At 300 BC Monte doesn't even have 10 votes. Without even trying your 4 cities win the vote even if you don't eliminate anyone.

Indeed.

 

[Antoninus]

I submitted a G Minor game, and it was accepted, but I didn't see a special submissions page for Gauntlets. Do you submit them on the general HOF submissions page?

 

[WastinTime]

I submitted a G Minor game, and it was accepted, but I didn't see a special submissions page for Gauntlets. Do you submit them on the general HOF submissions page?

.....yes....

 

[Sumorex]

It'd be great if all your strategy was needed. Unfortunately, you are over thinking it. At 300 BC Monte doesn't even have 10 votes. Without even trying your 4 cities win the vote even if you don't eliminate anyone.

Yeah the closest I've had was a 10BC win, that was 1 vote over the minimum.

Anything later than that and I've had way more votes than needed to vote myself in. Even with both AI's still being alive.