GOTM 169

[Inkerman]

By kind permission of our normal game setter Ali_Ardavan, I invite the group to take on this composition. It is named for Red Cloud, the able late-19th century Native American chief of the Oglala Lakota branch of the Sioux.

Civilization: Sioux, 1 city, 1 settler, 1 warrior.
Starting techs: None, currently researching horseback riding, initial discovery costs increased.
Difficulty: Deity
Total players: 7.
Restarts: On
Barbarians: Barbarian Wrath (+50) Some barbs present on map at start.
75x120 flat, known.

Deadline: Nov. 17th, 2015

Further Comment (added 14th August)

Oops, it turns out that the Sioux are not currently researching horseback riding - the player is free to choose e.g. Alphabet.

Sorry, I loaded the wrong version of the save file. My excuse is the outage for the server change meant I couldn't do the load when I expected and I was away from Civ2 capable computers when the time came. I have only recently been able to check.

(August 15th) We are staying with the original posted file and players can choose what technology to research first.

You can download the game here.

 

[Inkerman]

You are leader of the Sioux, in a Deity level game.

Your tribe is in central North America, a land of plains cut by rivers. It is a large and quite empty continent, ripe for the growth of civilization, especially as more technologies become available. There are other Native American tribes represented by barbarian cities and units, some fortified. You will see some of these cities appear in the Top 5 list in the earlier part of the game. There is a rich civilization to the south, the Aztecs. Your main long term rivalry is perhaps more likely to come from the Europeans, however - the French and English, or possibly the Asian powers of Russia, China and Japan.

The map is a large flat one, 75x120. It is an amended version of the North America map of that size in the Civ2 Fanatics library - sorry I do not know the creator to credit. There are enough sites for the maximum number of cities if you would want to take the game that way.

The known map condition means the starting save may (and should) be opened in the map editor to better understand the situation. Please - this is not an invitation to investigate the map by using the cheat function.Apart from the locations of your own units a few other patches are visible at the start. These may help to locate things, and will turn out to be where some of the other Native Americans can be found.

You will see that whilst North America is as you might see on a map the overseas areas are symbolic rather than accurate. The temptation to create France as the hexagon shape for which Metropolitan France is known was just too great!

Using the map editor coordinates:

In North America,
The Aztec city of Tenochtitlan is at (26,108).
The French city of Montreal is at (48,12).
The English city of New York is at (47,42).

Further afield,
Beijing is at (3,112).
Kyoto is at (7,71).
Moscow is at (5,12).

The Aztecs have Ceremonial Burial and Bronze Working. The French have Pottery. The English have Mapmaking. The Chinese and Japanese have Warrior Code. The Russians, like the Sioux, have no starting techs, but two fur-trappers (warriors) are exploring the north-west.

Barbarian activity is set to the higher than usual "Barbarian Wrath". This will probably mean you experience one or more significantly large outpourings of barbarian units in a nearby wilderness area at some point in the game. It is believed that pirates and rebel bands happen with the same frequency as with restless tribes and raging hordes. Pirates are normal numbers of units, but rebel bands comprise many more units. Barbarian leaders are worth 200g. Also, as you might expect given the strong loyalty of native American tribes, it is not possible to bribe Barbarian cities or units. In testing, the Sioux have sometimes been attacked by a large horde before 1000BC; it is not likely but it is possible. Please see GotM 148 for some further discussion of Barbarian Wrath.

There are no huts. There are some roads and fortifications.

You start with the settlement of Little Bighorn, a warrior and one settler, and knowledge of Irrigation, Mining and Roads. The settler is some distance away at a place called Chicago. This may be a rather magical place (please check the continent number.)

To compensate for the extra strength at the start compared to a normal 4000BC start, technology discovery costs are advanced compared to a normal game. Which technologies are hidden when choosing the next one to be researched is also advanced one step (so Monarchy is hidden for the choice after four techs are discovered.) All the AI civs have had their discovery costs increased to a similar or greater degree.

 

[Inkerman]

Testing has shown that the pattern of chance events, such as the approach of AI units, the way the other civs develop, and even the large barbarian revolts, varies a great deal from game to game.

So good luck.

There may be one or two unusual things with the initial barbarian units - please manage as best you can.

It may be worth noting that although there are no huts and the map is known, exploring could still be useful because the approach of barbarians is picked up earlier. You may also wish to send messengers in the direction of Tenochtitlan, New York, Montreal or maybe even the Russian fur-trappers. But don't count on an easy journey or an immediate friendly welcome; the continent is more hazardous than in usual games. Having said that I'm sure y'alls will get on just fine and dandy.

Inkerman

 

[Ali Ardavan]

Thank you Inkerman. Looking forward to this game.

 

[Inkerman]

Oops, I have realised I did not load the intended version of the game save file.

The visible difference between what was intended and what is actual are that the Sioux are not researching HBR - the player is free to choose.

(Edit) We are staying with the file as originally posted.

Any other problems?

 

[catalin72]

Victory conditions,spaceship and conquest ? Good luck all !

 

[Ali Ardavan]

Oops, I have realised I did not load the intended version of the game save file.

The visible difference between what was intended and what is actual are that the Sioux are not researching HBR - the player is free to choose.

I imagine we should stick with the incorrect file rather than

If that is the only difference, then yes stick with was originally posted. It is hard to make sure everyone gets the update and this change is too small to worry about that.

Victory conditions,spaceship and conquest ?

As a rule, unless a victory condition is explicitly disallowed both are allowed.

 

[grigor]

Is it obligatory that we choose HB when offered?

 

[Inkerman]

Is it obligatory that we choose HB when offered?

Hi grigor,

No it is not, you may choose freely from the technologies offered.

The thing is, as Ali points out, people may have downloaded and started playing already, and we can't introduce a stipulation about the research choice nearly two weeks after the game was posted.

I think I am not giving anything away to this audience to suggest a choice different from HBR will lead to monarchy more quickly. I think this is very likely to make a game stronger....

....but not necessarily as interesting, which is why I had fixed the choice of HBR in the version I had intended to post.

The advantages of HBR are the ability to explore more, the 20 pt intermediate build, and defence if you get hit by a barbarian horde early on. The advantages of monarchy are of course many, and a player may particularly benefit in a position where food is tight and food specials are available.

For my game I will make HBR the first choice. Of course I cannot "win" my own game and a weaker choice here fits with that, but in any case I don't find it too difficult to play worse than others, even without trying!

If anyone has by chance started, and picked HBR thinking it was obligatory, sorry. Please start again if you like and are not too far in.

Inkerman

 

[Major Advantage]

Also, as you might expect given the strong loyalty of native American tribes, it is not possible to bribe Barbarian cities or units.

Well, actually my barbs have chosen to switch to Despotism, so I am able to bribe their cities and units, which would make things much easier. Did this happen to somebody else? If yes, what did you do?

 

[Ali Ardavan]

Deadline extended to Oct 30th.

 

[Inkerman]

my barbs have chosen to switch to Despotism

Good luck to you!

I don't know why that might be. I think of course you can take advantage of this, and so bribe units and cities.

Assuming it did not happen in the early game I do not think it will make a lot of difference.

By the way, I do not understand the messages about barbarian tech discoveries either.

 

[Jokemaster]

I'm guessing that's because there's a flag that makes it so Barbarians are not supposed to "keep" techs despite getting research done, much like the Axis were unable to keep Parliamentary Democracy in GOTM167 in my game despite getting traded by the Italians.

So the Barbs just end up researching the same 7-8 entry-level techs over and over again... again, just a wild guess.

 

[catalin72]

I need 2-3 days to finish this GOTM,is OK?

 

[Ali Ardavan]

I need more than a few days. I really like to play this map. Deadline extended by two weeks.

 

[grigor]

Yes. this was an especially satisfying map.

 

[catalin72]

Game submitted,late conquest ...

 

[Ali Ardavan]

I just realized the deadline for this was nearly two weeks ago. Is anyone (besides me) still playing?

 

[Inkerman]

I just realized the deadline for this was nearly two weeks ago. Is anyone (besides me) still playing?

I think not as recent forum posts have been more on later games.

But this game has not yet entered the scoring cycle, which is on the previous game 168 (and about which you have a private message from me!)

GotM170 - deadline was extended to today Dec 8th, now some more days too after request by grigor.

GotM171 - deadline December 15th.

GotM172 - deadline January 12th.

GotM173 - deadline February 9th.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

If you guys do not mind, I am still playing. I just got past +1000 last night. I need several more days to finish.

Given how recently 171 became active, I think an extension is in order for that one as well.