GOTM #10 *Spoilers* Thread

[phishphanatic]

I'm one of the unlucky ones with tons of barbarians under the huts. I have lost 3 workers due to those annoying barbs, but since I got GL, I have gained 6 techs (man was I behind). The lack of rivers is tough to deal with, as only 3 out of my 10 cities so far can irrigate. I have figured that this is going to have to be an early warmonger game in order to take over some strategic resources. This is my second chance at regent, and the first one was much easier. Maybe the 1.29 patch has something to do with it. however, I don't plan on losing, as I usually start slow.

 

[WoundedKnight]

Cartouche Bee:
>I guess it depends on if you actually want to win or not. Your >map is pretty similar to mine at 700AD although the Americans >did not take out the English on the main continent and I don't >have modern armor yet.

How did you do it that quickly? You always seem to have one of the top scores. What's your strategy? How do you start your game, first 30 turns or so?

Admittedly, I warmongered late in the game when I developed industrialization and realized I had no coal, but there was some just over the border in Iroquois land. Since I was in Democracy, I went ahead and started a war with 3 nations at once planning on about a 6-7 turn war, in order to avoid dragging out war with different civs at different times. I also was able to gain the last 2 luxuries I needed. I didn't really plan on warmongering. I was thinking about space ship or diplo victory (all the civs *used* to like me) until I hit industrialization and realized I couldn't lay down railroad tracks because of no coal. It wasn't a planned war, although it went okay (if I had planned it, I would have built my FP further east).

The luxury layout in the game was great. I was able to get 5 luxuries before fighting anyone, and so I was able to build libraries right off the bat without worrying about temples and happiness. I like to warmonger late, once I have an imposing tech lead, and can sweep through vast territory quickly with little resistance. Tech lead=military superiority.

 

[Cartouche Bee]

Originally posted by WoundedKnight
Cartouche Bee:

How did you do it that quickly? You always seem to have one of the top scores. What's your strategy? How do you start your game, first 30 turns or so?

Well I probably do different build sequences than most.

I usually do something like scout/warrior,scout/warrior, scout warrior, granary/settler. Search the territory and find other civs and good building sites.

Actual building queue depends on the civ and if you can build a granary, it also depends on the exact terrain that you have, like cattle or haystacks. But after that it is settler, settler, settler ....; my new cities build scouts/warrior, scout/warrior, worker, worker,worker; scout/warrior. I build alot more workers than most. I use the workers to build roads back to the capitol and then join them to the capitol and make improvements like mines. When my worker production is greater than my need at the capitol then I start building settlers in my next best city also and send workers their way. Usually after 5 or 6 cities are built I pick one that I will use for military use.

Building on good building sites is probably the most important thing you can do. If you try to build a city every 5 squares or so there is no over lap etc., you generally build on sites that are less than great. It takes a mix and each map is different, I try and build for the terrain.

Of, course you also have to shift gears once in awhile, you need other improvements, but things like how many luxuries you have or how big a city is governs that and the type of government that you use.

Usually, I have trouble deciding what to research first. Not with the French though, it's writing and if it takes you 40 turns to get it, that can work out just right many times. Then, you have enough cash for embassies and are able to buy some techs for good prices. That's just what I did, early on.

CB

 

[tmarcl]

Well, this was my first GOTM. not to mention my first time playing above warlord (well, my second. On my first time doing it, I got my butt kicked so bad that I stuck with warlord from then on.) Surprisingly (at least to me), I did quite well. I didn't quite manage to settle around the lake, but managed to keep ahead by one or two techs throughout the entire game. By selling to other civs (generally the Americans and English), I was able to keep my science at 80 or 90 % the entire game.

I only managed a few wonders-the Pyramids, Leo's Workshop and the Great Lighthouse. Also, by keeping tight with the other nations, I was able to call on all of them to help me defend against the Aztecs in the late Middle Ages (I lost one city, retook it, lost it again, but before I could take it back, the Americans took it from the Aztecs. I didn't retake it until much later when it culture flipped.

My second war was in the late Industrial Era, after I had discovered Motorized Transportation. The only oil closest to me was owned by the Germans-who had an MPP with the English (the second most powerful civ) and the Russians (number three). I managed to secure an MPP with the Americans (the most powerful civ) and with the other two. When I had about 30 tanks (I traded oil with the Americans) ready, I tried to place a spy in Berlin, and was fortunate enough to have them declare war on me.

The war went incredibly well-I took two cities with oil, and ended up in the number one slot for military might. I also captured five several other cities before I stopped fighting.

I managed to win a Space Race victory in 1818 AD, but a fairly good margin (America and England, my two main rivals were still two techs behind me-techs which I avoided selling to them).

As I said, I feel I did surprisingly well (though not as well as most vetrans, I'm sure). More than likely I won't play on anything less than Regent any longer.

Marc

 

[MadScot]

At least this GOTM I don't fear for my very existence...unlike last time.

Lots of babrbarians - never got settlers but a few techs And lots of dispersal gold.

By about 500BC I'd claimed almost all the land round the inland sea = one Aztec settler made it to the very end of the sea. I was tempted to leave them there, see what kind of nacy they might build

Nasty scare in 370BC - horseman uprising in the little tundra area. My valiant spearman held about 10 of them off, and the other 16 got polished off a turn or two later. (He got to elite, but died of course)

By 10BC I was first in power, score and culture. With the Hanging Gardens and Colossus the French GA started in 50AD, gave me a good run up to the middle ages, although I missed Sun Tzus and ended up with Sistine Chapel and Leo's.

Spent the 9th century sending a few intrepid galleys out across the seas, in the hope of finding something interesting. One galley made it all the way over to England, then sailed back around the continent. There's no much other land!

I'd love that English island, just east of the main continent - it has a beautiful iron works location, but the English cities aren't set up for it

Killed off the Aztecs in 1100AD, got most of their lands - the Russians got nothing, despite joining in

Trundled through to the industrial age in 1500AD, decided the time was right to wipe out the Germans before the get Panzers. War started in 1550AD, I talked the Romans into joining in, which brought in Russia via MPP. Later on the others all piled in too, but Germany was dead by that stage anyway. The Americans took one German city, I got the rest. Major war weariness started in about 1590AD, and we staggered through to 1610AD before wiping out the Germans on the little 4 tile island.

Managed to get Universal Sufferage and ToE built during the war, now part way through Hoover Dam. If/when I get it those nasty coal plants will be gone. The Germans had the Pyramids, which will make the post-hospital expansion faster.

Despite 2 wars now, and trying my damndest to use elites to win battles, I still have no Great Leader. The FP is 60% built by now anyway. It's not in a good place any more - over by Berlin would be better - but I'm not restarting it now!

Who do I kill next?

 

[gunning1]

I just can't get my cities to produce anything. I make a settler (yay) I send him out with a spearman to go make a city, they get destroyed and then about 20 turns later, the same thing happens.
It sucks.
But everything else is good.

 

[Michael York]

I don't quite recall when pulled ahead, but i had modern armor shortly after the arrival of enemy infantry. No one could compete with me so i slaughtered everyone else. The mighty germans fell in three turns (mountains slowed me), and that left england (my eternal ally) who arbitrarily declared war on me. I removed them from the pangea and made peace. I was trying to dominate, conquer, and space race all in 2050. Unfortunantly, i decided to take a break around 1900 and when i tried to reload it, the auto saves were gone

 

[Cruise]

Very odd game sofar. I was conquering a lot, but never got a GL from battles. Then when the aztecs, iroquis and romans were slain i decided to take out germany. In about 10 turns i got 4 Great Leaders!!!
One of those constructed Leonardo, and to my great surprise that triggered the GA.... but hey the manual says it may trigger the GA for militaristic civs, which France is not.... A bug??

Anyway this is my map in 790 AD, i am moving my troops to the east to get washington to secure the 8th luxury. I also expect to have cavaleries soon by the time my 50-some knights are ready to spread out on the American territory. Perhaps i might even try to milk the game out, something i have not done before.

 

[FACEMAN]

as said I had a pretty good start. Settled not all around the lake, but grapped all key ressources. Had all key wonders early on though first leader only appeared in the 500s AD. Never in this game did I trade for anything... no tech no luxury no ressource. I was ahead all the time. Took out the aztecs with knights by raze&resettle, and spared my GA till the industrial age, when I triggered it with a saved up musketman. Took out Russia with Cav, crippled America and just took out Berlin. Dont remember why Rome is gone ...
Anyway, im leading by 8-9 techs@ the start of modern ages and just thinmking about how to win this game. As Im lazy, I have close to a hundred workers set on Auto... and my turn mainly consists of pressing ENTER.
Im too lazy to micro another war so ill build a SS I think

looking forward to September....

FACEMAN

 

[Pygzilla]

Well I made some stupid mistakes and had some bad luck. Popped the 1st goody hut and got angry warriors. They killd my firt warrior and worker.

Sent off a settler unprotected, dead.

I've recovered now and am leading in techs. Cavalry vs. pikeman (Great Library works wonders) and have killed the aztecs and Germans. Should get a domination victory.

I'll probably win the low score challange by mistake.

 

[graeme]

I think this was a great GOTM. I had a lot of fun playing it.

I'm not sure how much 1.29 changed the game, but I am sure the AI played very differently this time. First of all, I had big problems with barbarians. They killed a couple of my workers and a settler, this sets you back pretty far early on. Also, my cities got ravaged from 3 different sets of 20 horsemen!

The big difference was that early on Germany just up and declares war on me, ok normal enough, but then proceeds to sign alliances with EVERYONE ELSE!

The good news, of course, is that it was very early and so the far civs are not effective in war. Anyhoo, I survived, prospered, and eventually destroyed the Aztecs and then the Russians.

Then the next interesting thing, I had a huge empire with very few defensive units or even offensive units and this caused the Iroqouis to follow Germany's example (and I just wanted peace... ). They immediately took about 7 cities (most of my cities were undefended). Of course, with my money (saved by not paying for military), I signed alliances with everyone and destroyed the Iroqouis pretty quickly. All the while I used settlers to regain and expand my territory. Rinse and repeat with the Romans who didn't learn the lessons of the Germans and Iroquois.

With a huge lead in score and culture, I sprinted ahead to tanks and finished with a domination victory in 1838.

My thanks go out the the Americans and English who so helped to make this victory a great one.

HOO HOO!

 

[Gargouille]

In 1060AD, I declared war to Romans (Pyramids in Rome),
they were defeated in 1140AD.
In 1150AD, I declared war to Iroquois (large Civ but weak), peace in 1285AD. I left them on 2 small Islands.
In 1320AD, America declared war after refusing to give them Theory of Gravity.
I signed a RoP with Russia and sent 50 Cavalry towards Buffalo. GL Richelieu in 1335AD for ToE (1385AD). The treacherous Russians declared war in 1345AD having an Alliance with America. New-York reverted back to America in 1390AD. Russia was defeated in 1430AD.

According to MapStat, I was 97 tiles from Domination. I abandoned all my Tundra / Mountains Cities and rechecked MapStat with a result of 410 tiles.
5 American Cities (100 tiles) and 10 English Cities (200 tiles) for a total of 300 tiles.
With 110 tiles for Culture expansion, I will have to be careful not to trigger Domination.

 

[nbarclay]

I decided on a two-step approach to world domination. (1) Build up a massive tech lead and get cavalry. (2) Stomp. They say a picture's worth a thousand words, so I'll let the score graph at the end of the game tell the rest of the story.

Nathan

 

[NanoShane]

This is my first GOTM and I have to say I liked the experience. I had been experimenting with Deity level but keep getting battered and bruised...still learning.

I have read many postings in the War Academy and was prepared (overly so) for encroachment. I had built a Maginot line along my entire southern boarder with fortifications using my best defensive units.

I was able to secure MPPs and ROPs with all other civs except the Iroquois (they seemed to have a death wish which was eventually granted). With the line of forts, the other civs would walk up and turn around, . They didn't get mad, they just went away leaving me the time to exand within. That is a tactic I learned in the forums (use worker-defensive unit combos to build roads and explore, build settlers and move three tiles to the best locations always extending as far as possible). Of course, you have to maintain choke points.

I too got lucky with the first goody hut (a settler; my jaw hit the floor). I also got an early lead on tech and only hit a couple of barbarian encampments. Unfortunately, I did not have communication with all civs at the time and could not coax much gold or luxuries from the Russians, Germans, and Aztecs.

Oddly enough, the Romans were out early (I think it was around 750 BC). I attacked the Aztecs early to get some resources (namely salt peter). There was salt peter east of the lake in the desert but the pesky Russians plopped a city there and it took 400 years for it to flip! Needless to say, I could not upgrade my Pikemen for a while and was using Knights for a long time; just took more of them to take a city.

I got the Diplo victory in 1922, reloaded and won the space race in 1948. Those rival civs will pay a lot for tech when they get behind. Also, I found it very easy to keep all civs Polite or Gracious just by giving them small amounts of gold; I guess they are greedy. Only took 25 to 50 gold to get them from Annoyed to Polite), and about 100 to go from Polite to Gracious.

Anyway, this was my first GOTM and it was good fun. I think I have a better understanding of trade and diplomacy. It seems critical (and maybe this is obvious to most) to have as many luxuries as possible. Early trade helped me a great deal.

 

[Cartouche Bee]

Well, 900AD and I'm just under the domination limit. So from here on in when I take American or English Cities I will have to abandon tundra cities. I have the German down to one city on the tundra peninsula north of Paris, I will probably keep them there to the end. I have control of a small island of to the far east of the main continent so I won't have to do an Island chase later. I have just discovered Military tradition so after a turn or two of upgrades of the forces on the American and English borders will spell a quick end to both of those Civs existence unless I keep them to the end for a diplomatic victory. I have not broken any deals or razed any cities so the diplomatic option is still open.

CB

 

[Barker]

This is my first GOTM, and I can see that my game has been going somewhat differently. I have engaged in a number of limited skirmishes when necessary.

War 1:
I started off by attacking the Russians when they tried to put a settler up by the horses on the Northwest corner of the inland sea. I declared war, took my 2 free workers, and proceeded to get America, the Axtecs and Rome to beat up on them too. This resulted in Russia being in the state shown in the screenie. I ended taking 3 cities on the northern coast.

War 2:
I decided that the Aztecs had some luxuries that I needed, and I wanted to complete my ownership of the south end of the lake. I declared war, took their capital (which had built the pyramids) and 2 of their outlying cities, and then took some gold per turn. I got the Romans, Iroquois and Americans in on the action. Aztecs are no longer a threat to my domination.

War 3:
England and America were beating me to all the techs, and had about a 4 tech lead. They were also stringing the Romans along. I decided it was time to take the Americans down a notch, espescially when I saw that their city close to me (Cincinnati) was a potential site for Iron Works. As soon as I noticed this after researching Steam Power, I took about 20 cavalry and blazed through 3 of their cities. They quickly sued for peace, and gave me lots of money.

I am looking forwars to Cincinnati being a great productive city, since I am building the FP in Tenochtitlan which is one city to the west of it.

I now have a commanding lead in points, and finally have the lead in tech. (Feels great to get Lizzy and Abe to cough up 30+ gold per turn for my science know-how)

I've noticed others having the game wrapped up much earlier than I have here, but I have been having fun using diplomacy when fighting all my wars.

 

[nbarclay]

Cartouche Bee, assuming you don't go for the early domination victory (it sounds like you're planning to milk), once you take out America and England, I'd be interested to hear your best calculation of when you would have gotten a domination victory if quick domination were your priority. I wouldn't ask publicly if a medal were involved, but if you aren't planning to go for the "fastest domination" medal, your performance won't give away anything about the current year to beat.

Nathan

 

[MadScot]

Originally posted by MadScot
Despite 2 wars now, and trying my damndest to use elites to win battles, I still have no Great Leader. The FP is 60% built by now anyway. It's not in a good place any more - over by Berlin would be better - but I'm not restarting it now!

Who do I kill next?

Well, I did decide to move the FP build after all. It was going to be across the inland sea from paris, and with Germany added to my domains they were both in the same part of the country. Since it was only building at 2 shields per turn, I decided to convert it (to a marketplace, I think) and start again in Berlin.

I had Berlin grow to size 12, while building cathedral, marketplace, factory - all rushed at 100s of gold. I had Hoover Dam too, so that gave me a pretty high potential. Then I mined all the grassland around Berlin to get all 12 citizens producing max shields - got it up to 4 shields per turn. Still 50 turns but better than 200.

The I had to decide whther to do the communism thing to speed it up, or try another war and pray for leaders. Since going into and out of commie would cost 12 turns, I decided on war.

America and Russia had MPP, as did England and iroquois. So that rather made Rome the obvious target! I got two of the others in alliances, to try to drag everyone into the war.

We attacked in 1695, and in 1705 our first great leader, Napoleon, led his Cavalry of the Guard to victory, capturing rome itself. By his magnificent example, he spurred the German people to complete the Forbidden palace in record time. (I reckoned I needed the FP more than anything else).

In 1715, the Curassiers Royale captured Pompeii, throwing up the hero Richelieu. He quickly withdrew to Rome, where he formed the Cavalry of the Guard into a great cavalry army, which swept south, capturing Hispalis.

As word of these deeds sweeps France, our soldiers become bolder and our organisation notes their great examples (i.e. Heroic Epic and Military Academy will be built next turn or two).

The Romans are now reduced to one city; the Americans stand between it and our armies, so we may be denied the final assault.

I think the Americans have one Roman city (and one German) and the Iroquois one Roman city. Other than that the spoils of war have gone to the French.

Once the Romans are dead there will be a period of consolidation - already we hear talk that wondrous new weapons lie only just in the future. With these "land ironclads" the French armies will sweep the world clean of unbelievers. Especially the Russians, who twice now have failed to join in wars despite having MPPs with warring states. catherine is clearly not one who keeps her word.

This is fun. I love being able to name the elites.

 

[falsfire]

Hi all, as this is my first Game of the Month that I'll have enough time to finish, I thought I'd post my experiences with this game so far. I starting settling around the north side of the great lake, and also setup a couple cities southward; but as soon as I saw the iron round the other side of the lake I made a beeline for it and planted a city there.

As soon as I met the Aztecs and the American/Russian scouts, I set science to 0% and proceeded to merely buy technology rather than trying to keep up.

The Aztecs were my first target, as they were puny, weak, in my way, and their Jag's had pissed me off in ancient times by constantly popping goody huts and raiding barb villages just before I got there. I hit them with about 5 knights, that war only took 4 turns

Just as I was consolidating my newfound lands in the former Aztec empire, the foolish Germans attacked one of my southern Aztec towns (I *hate*, I mean REALLY hate, how the AI always knows precisely how many defenders and what types ALL your cities have, even centuries before espionage...so they always know which city to attack). Anyhow, I made military alliances with everyone else vs. the Germans, and within about 15 turns they were finished. Still no G.L. Oh, and in the wonder race I was losing badly. I'd only made one wonder, the Pyramids, merely b/c the English finished the GL 2 turns before I would've, and I switched it to the Pyramids.

Just as I'd finished putting the horseshoes on my 5th Cavalry unit, the idiotic yankees attacked one of my frontier towns with 8 knights. Yup, that was their entire attack force. Again, military alliances with everyone else against them. I was in Democracy by this time, so I crossed my fingers the war would be over relatively quickly. I never sign peace when I have an active military alliance with other AI's cuz they'll hate you for the rest of the game. Anyhow, that war lasted 25 turns. My democracy was on the brink of collapse from war weariness when the English finally finished off the last American town on an island. I had to stretch it out 5 extra turns like that cause the English signed peace with the Americans after about 8 turns of fighting and losing two of their towns to the yanks. I re-opened military alliance with the brits, but I'll remember that.

Next target was the Russians, I again got military alliances with the remaining 3 civs (Iroquois, Brits, Romans), simply because the Russian empire was dividing my empire in two pieces. That war took 4 turns, thanks to my droves of cavalry, and the droves of Iroquois cavalry (yeesh! where'd they get all those...better watch out for them)

So the way it stands now, in 1565 A.D., I'm into Modern Times researching ecology. All my advances come at 4 turns, income around 1200-2000 gold/turn thanks to selling my tech to the English and Iroquois. (The Romans are hopelessly behind...have been all game) Heading for either a diplomatic or spaceship win, diplo may work cuz the remaining three civs have all been polite or gracious towards me for the whole game. My score sits just over 2000, the next is the Iroquois at around 1100. Got the Hoover Dam, now I have 15+ cities with > 75 production. Churning out tanks in 1 or 2 turns in many core cities. Dunno if I'll ever use them, but they're there in case the Iroquois attack. I control almost exactly half the continent, plus a little peninsula of land that separates the English from the Iroquois empire. Screenshots to follow when I get home tonight and edit this post.

 

[col]

Finished - could have won in 1600 or so but was desparately trying to get my score down! Regent a bit too easy.
Going for lowest score win, I'm sure I over dominated trying to wrap up the win before disbanding everything. Score was dropping nicely over last few hundred years.

(What IS the inverse of milking??)

Anyway finished in 2050 with a score of 2***. Would have liked to have been down around 1500.