GOTM 141 Spoiler

[Inkerman]

I went back to the AD500 save and counted my routes: 10D5F (mostly Tenochtitlan!)
Maybe less trade in my game is the most significant difference.

The AD 500 stats compared - Ali's in brackets:
10D5F (13D11F)
18 cities (17)
29 techs (31)
5 wonders (5)
12 settler (6)
13 army (19)
5 boats (4)
5 dips (3)
5 vans (12)
9 other (AI) cities (13).

 

[Ali Ardavan]

Ali @AD500 - not too different from my game. With the nominal deadline quite soon - currently next Monday (and Chief Eidgenossen and his Crowded Europe game waiting) I wonder what ending will be chosen?

I decided early on that this will be a landing game. With a small world this would have been a good candidate for conquest but I enjoy landing games more.

The Swiss in crowded Europe would likely be OCC for me mainly due to lack of time. I will be traveling in May and I am already quite behind.

I played to +1000 last night (will post log soon).

And will the fact that it is a Persian civilization make a difference.

I am not sure what you are alluding to; please elaborate.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

Thanks for the table.

Maybe less trade in my game is the most significant difference.

That and the amount of infrastructure: your cost is 18; mine is 25.

Part of the reason for more trade routes in my game is the fact that my Egyptians survived and yours did not. Egypt has been on friendly terms all along and the target of most of my vans.

 

[Inkerman]

....
I am not sure what you are alluding to; please elaborate.

A landing game can end more quickly with a small spaceship or considerably less quickly in RL time with a maximum spaceship and the creation of a large and splendid civilization. Grand buildings in growing cities, the glowing colours of extensive farmland - such elegant mathematics!

The former may perhaps win the green star if there are no conquest entries (as GotM 140?), but doesn't make as big a score as the latter in the hands of a skilful player, despite the time factor in the scoring formula.

There is a trade-off between RL time and score+elegance.

From the game thread

Did not notice that till you mentioned it. Perhaps a subconscious choice by a Persian.

I just thought there might be a subconscious influence in favour of score+elegance, and hence needing more RL time. I am very sorry if it was an inappropriate comment.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

A landing game can end more quickly with a small spaceship or considerably less quickly in RL time with a maximum spaceship and the creation of a large and splendid civilization...

Good point. I typically go for the middle ground of a max space ship but do not delay its build or launch for more development. Improving all the terrain in the world and maxing your population and Future techs take more real time than I can typically afford.

I just thought there might be a subconscious influence in favour of score+elegance, and hence needing more RL time. I am very sorry if it was an inappropriate comment.

Not inappropriate at all; I just did not get it. If there is an influence, it is definitely subconscious.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

The "Greek containment plan" which started in +420 when Greek Pharsalos was bribed showed its effectiveness in this era. My idea was to take the fight to the Greeks to keep them away from Persia and our valuable trade partner Egypt. Pharsalos has been under attack ever since and while we did have some casualties we are holding up very well. More importantly, Greek incursions into Egypt and outlying Persian colonies have stopped.

+0540 Greek chariot kills my catapult.
+0560 Barbarian legion lands next to Tarsus.
+0580 Greeks kill a caravan; barbarians a warrior. Polytheism -> Monotheism. Greek chariot killed. Deliveries for 2x172. Greek chariot bribed for 156g.
+0600 Greeks lose a unit attacking me. Barbarian legion kills another warrior. Lost a caravel attacking the barbarian. Greek catapult killed. Delivery for 240.
+0620 The barbarian legion finally dies attacking my settler. Monotheism -> Sanitation. Greek catapult killed.
+0640 Delivery for 84.
+0660 Delivery for 132.
+0680 Deliveries for 88, 188.
+0700 Sanitation -> Bridge Building. Deliveries for 150. T3L3S4
+0740 Michelangelo built.
+0760 Bridge Building -> Economics. Sanitation -> Egyptian -> Economics. Deliveries for 222. Four Greek units advancing on Pharsalos destroyed.
+0780 Egyptians build Pyramids. Greeks kill my valiant chariot. -> Magnetism.
+0800 Greeks attack Dezful on the far NW corner of their continent and kill a warrior; Caravel kills attacking chariot. Crusader avenges the death of the valiant chariot turning vet.
+0820 Vet archer in Pharsalos survives Greek chariot. Iron Working -> Egyptian -> Invention. Bam founded. Two Greek units approaching Pharsalos killed.
+0840 Magnetism -> Gunpowder. Peace, and several techs to Greeks to get them to worshipful an still no tech exchange! Mesr founded.
+0860 Barbarian Frigate shows up by Kharg and kills its warrior defender. Deliveries for 150. Greeks still refuse to exchange knowledge.
+0920 Gunpowder -> Chemistry. Kuhposht founded. T4L3S3
+0940 Deliveries for 162, 455. Borazjan founded.
+0960 Chemistry -> Explosives. Deliveries for 160.
+1000 Leo built. Egyptians switch to King Richards. Bridge Building -> Egyptian -> Democracy. Revolution started.

Status at +1000
Population: 9.8M; Cities: 21; Techs: 41; Government: Anarchy
Gold: 119; Cost: 71; Trade routes: 21D19F;
Wonders: Marco, Colossus, Hanging Gardens, Copernicus, Magellan, Michelangelo, Leo
Units: 12 Settlers (2 None), 14 Musketeers (3 None), 3 Crusaders, 4 Galleon, 3 diplomats, 9 vans
Footprint: 10 cities in Persia; 4 on 1; 3 on 8; 2 on 3; 1 on 4, 5
Goals: Continued trade, settling the SE part of Persia, keeping Mongols contained to the SW corner of Persia, Democracy (next turn), Engineers (two more turns), Newton.
Egyptian: 5 cities, 31 techs ; Pyramids
Greek: 6 cities, 28 techs ; Lighthouse, Shakespeare;
Mongol: 3 cities, 28 techs ;

 

[Ali Ardavan]

            Scott    Ali     Inkerman   haleewud   Major
Pop (M)      1.5     9.8         7.7
Cities        10      21          24
Tech                  41          37
Wonders                7           8
Cost/turn             71          29
Govt                 Dem         Dem
T routes          21D19F  
Settlers              12          10
Vans                   9          17
Army                  20          18
Navy                   4           6

Inkerman has more cities, but mine are larger and have a lot more infrastructure. I am slightly ahead in Tech. Inkerman has one extra wonder and enough extra vans to build another wonder.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

+1020 Mongol -> 300g tribute; Greeks declare war when I demand tribute. 3 Greek units killed. Democracy established. Deliveries for 104, 210. T3L3S4
+1040 Greeks steal Banking. Explosives -> Metallurgy. Herat founded. T4L3S3
+1060 Deliveries for 200, 182. Dakyanus founded. Greek chariot killed.
+1080 Egyptians steal Chemistry. I keep the peace. Metallurgy -> Steam Engine.
+1100 Greeks lose a chariot attacking me. Deliveries for 128, 145.
+1120 Steam Engine -> Feudalism. Astronomy -> Egyptian -> Feudalism. Deliveries for 120.
+1140 Greeks build Great Library. -> Conscription. Deliveries for 165.
+1160 Egyptians build King Richards. Conscription -> Theology.
+1180 Barbarian crusader lands near Bactra and is killed. Deliveries for 564. Greek catapult killed. Bampur founded.
+1200 Rifleman survives Greek chariot and turns vet. Theology -> Electricity. Deliveries for 486.
+1220 Electricity -> Chivalry. Deliveries for 237. Mongol engineer bribed for 448g and turned None.
+1240 Mongol Samarkand subverted for 2x635g. Got 126g, temple, 2 soldiers, and a settler. Greek catapult killed.
+1260 Chivalry -> Leadership.
+1280 Tureng Tepe founded. T3L3S4
+1300 Leadership -> Refrigeration. Deliveries for 492.
+1320 Refrigeration -> Tactics. Greek legion killed.
+1340 Deliveries for 297, 147
+1360 Egyptians deliver to Kish. Tactics -> Railroad. Lost my vet Rifleman attacking Greeks. Deliveries for 186.
+1380 Newton and Bach built. Railroad -> Industrialization. Shush founded. Greek chariot killed. Deliveries for 244, 72. T4L2S4
+1400 Industrialization -> Amphibious Warfare. Deliveries for 145.
+1420 Deliveries for 95.
+1440 Greeks kill an Engineer. Amphibious Warfare -> Corporation. 3 Greek units killed. Aswan founded.
+1460 Greeks build obsolete Great Wall. Egyptians steal Polytheism. I keep the peace. First pollution appears. Corporation -> Steel. T2L2S6
+1480 Steel -> Genetic Engineering. Deliveries for 128, 205, 168. Kandahar founded.
+1500 Genetic Engineering -> Refining. Deliveries for 365, 512. Greek catapult killed.

Status at +1500
Population: 22.3M; Cities: 29; Techs: 58; Government: Democracy
Gold: 1734; Cost: 177; Trade routes: 45D24F;
Wonders: Marco, Colossus, Hanging Gardens, Copernicus, Magellan, Michelangelo, Leo, Bach, Newton
Units: 18 Engineers (3 None), 15 Riflemen (3 None), 3 Cavalry, 5 Transports, 4 diplomats, 10 vans
Footprint: 15 cities in Persia; 6 on 1; 3 on 8; 2 on 3; 1 on 4, 5, 11
Goals: Further settlement of the SE part of Persia, bribing Mongol Bokhara once I cannot deliver to it anymore leaving Mongols with just Karakorum in the SW corner of Persia, Cure (in 4 turns), miniaturization (offshore platform), automobile (superhighway) (3 turns).
Egyptian: 5 cities, 39 techs ; Pyramids, King Richards
Greek: 6 cities, 31 techs ; Lighthouse, Great Library, Great Wall, Shakespeare; war with me
Mongol: 2 cities, 50 techs ;

 

[Ali Ardavan]

+1510 Pharsalos survives Greek chariot. Refining -> Combustion -> Automobile. 2 Greek units killed. Deliveries for 182.
+1520 Automobile -> Electronics. Deliveries for 162.
+1530 Greeks kill a van. Electronics -> Machine Tools. Deliveries for 2x160.
+1540 Machine Tools -> Mass Production. Cure built. Deliveries for 404, 800.
+1550 Mass Production -> Mini. Deliveries for 278.
+1560 Pharsalos survives 2 Greek chariots. Mini -> Computers -> Recycling. Deliveries for 354, 938. T3L2S5
+1570 Recycling -> Nuclear Fission -> Nuclear Power. Deliveries for 240, 175.
+1580 Pharsalos survives 2 Greek attacks. Diplomat foils Egyptian espionage attempt. Nuclear Power -> Mobile Warfare. Nishapur founded. T4L2S4
+1590 Egyptians build Liberty. Mobile Warfare -> Robotics. 2 Greeks killed.
+1600 Greeks build Eiffel. Robotics -> Laser.
+1610 Laser -> Flight. T7L2S1
+1630 Senate hands cease fire to Greeks.
+1640 Flight -> Radio. T4L2S4. Deliveries for 68, 70. Bunyan founded.
+1650 SETI built. Radio -> Advanced Flight.
+1660 Advance Flight -> Combined Arms. Deliveries for 132, 187.
+1670 Combined Arms -> Rocketry.
+1680 Rocketry -> Space Flight. Delivery for 364.
+1690 Space Flight -> Environmentalism. Bokhara subverted for 2x240g. Got 201g and a Phalanx.
+1700 Environmentalism -> Fundamentalism. Deliveries for 277, 184.
+1710 Fundamentalism -> Plastics. Delivery for 250.
+1720 Mongols steal Space Flight. I declare war. Egyptians build Suffrage. Plastics -> Superconductor.
+1730 Superconductor -> Communism. Delivery for 362.
+1740 Communism -> Espionage -> Stealth.
+1750 Accepted Mongol offer of 350g for peace. Hoover dam built. Stealth -> Fusion Power.

Status at +1750
Population: 42.1M; Cities: 32; Techs: 85; Government: Democracy
Gold: 5025; Cost: 501; Trade routes: Full-9;
Ancient Wonders: Colossus, Hanging Gardens
Medieval Wonders: Marco, Copernicus, Magellan, Michelangelo
Industrial Wonders: Leo, Bach, Newton
Modern Wonders: Cure, SETI, Hoover
Units: 25 Engineers (3 None), 16 Riflemen (3 None), 3 Cavalry, 1 Armor, 5 Transports, 4 diplomats, 9 vans
Footprint: 17 cities in Persia; 6 on 1; 3 on 8; 2 on 3; 1 on 4, 5, 9, 11
Goals: Further settlement of the SE part of Persia, Apollo (next turn), Adam Smith (5 turns)
Egyptian: no embassy; 5 cities, ? techs ; Pyramids, King Richards, Liberty, Suffrage
Greek: no embassy; 7 cities, ? techs ; Lighthouse, Great Library, Great Wall, Shakespeare, Eiffel;
Mongol: no embassy; 1 cities, ? techs ;

 

[Ali Ardavan]

+1752 Apollo built. Fusion Power -> Future Tech 1. Delivery for 206.
+1754 Future Tech 1 -> 2. Barbarian Rifleman, turned None, for 82g.
+1756 Greeks steal Plastics. None Rifleman survives 3 barb attacks. Future Tech 2 -> Guerrilla warfare. Delivery for 204. Greek embassy established. Bactra maxes out at size 33.
+1758 Guerrilla warfare -> Labor Union. Charsadda founded. Delivery for 705. Egyptian chariot bribed for 243g to get it off my island 8. Greek Corinth bribed for 1534g. Lost spy. Got 379g, Great Library, 5 soldiers, 1 settler, 4 structures. Barbarian artillery, turned None, bribed for 102g.
+1760 Labor Union -> Future Tech 3. Adam Smith built. Space race starts with a module and a structural. Delivery for 200, 260.
+1762 Greeks steal Space Flight; Mongols sneak attack and kill my Armor and raze size 1 Samarkand supporting 2 engineers; Egyptians seal Superconductor., I declare war. Future Tech 3 -> 4. Delivery for 528. Mongol diplomat killed. Egyptian explorer killed. 2 Greek units killed.
+1764 Barbarian partisans near Nishapur. Future Tech 4 -> 5. Mongol marine killed. Greek Argos bribed for 289g. Spy turned vet. Got 101g and 2 units. Egyptian cannon killed. Delivery for 196. 2 barbarian partisans bribed for 2x102g. Barbarian leader for 50g.
+1766 Future Tech 5 -> 6 -> 7 -> 8. Darwin built. Ionia founded. 2 Egyptian diplomats killed. Last of the barbarian partisans bribed for 102g. 2 Mongol units killed rendering Karakorum defenseless. Delivery for 282. T2L2S6
+1768 Future Tech 8 -> 9. Greek Delphi subverted for 2x428g. Greek Sparta bribed for 766g. Lost vet spy. Got 455g, 3 structures, and 5 units. Senate hands cease fire to Mongols.
+1770 Greek destroyers kill a rifleman. Future Tech 9 -> 10 -> 11. Deliveries for 378, 194, 334. 3 Egyptian units killed. Samarkand refounded.
+1772 Future Tech 11 -> 12. Delphi relocated. Senate hands peace to Greeks. Deliveries for 195, 634, 475, 360.
+1774 Egyptians join the space race. Future Tech 12 -> 13. Marathon founded. 2 Egyptian units killed. Delivery for 126.
+1776 Future Tech 13 -> 14 -> 15. Sidon founded. Senate hands peace to Mongols.
+1778 Future Tech 15 -> 16. Deliveries for 144. Sardis founded.
+1780 Greeks break cease fire and kill 2 units losing 1. Future Tech 16 -> 17. 33s8c3m Space ship launched. 1 Greek unit killed. Mongol embassy established.
+1781 Future Tech 17 -> 18. Deliveries for 648. 2 Greek units killed.
+1782 Greeks kill 2 units. Future Tech 18 -> 19. One Greek and two Egyptian units killed.
+1783 Future Tech 19 -> 20. Egyptian embassy established. Deliveries for 122.
+1784 Future Tech 20 -> 21.
+1785 Greeks join the space race. Future Tech 21 -> 22 -> 23. Deliveries for 668, 266, 435, 257, 44. 3 Greek units killed.
+1786 Greeks kill a unit. Future Tech 23 -> 24. UN built. Samaria founded. Greek destroyer killed. Deliveries for 500.
+1787 Future Tech 24 -> 25. Hamadan founded. Deliveries for 30, 84. T1L3S6. Reached peace with Egyptian and Greeks.
+1788 Future Tech 25 -> 26 -> 27. Oracle, Manhattan, and Sun Tzu built. Genoa founded. Deliveries for 235, 308. T0L10S0
+1789 Space ship arrives