Infantry#14
Emperor
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2006
- Messages
- 1,601
wow, barbarian actually built a wonder! They are practically asking you to take that city
GOTM 17 First Spoiler
- Thread starter ainwood
- Start date
Im playing with the Contender setting. Looking for something a little different this time out, I decided to play a cultural game that would hopefully get a lot of mileage out of Alexanders Philosophical trait. My early-game strategy was to use the Oracle to get Code of Laws, and then make use of the resulting Great Prophets to get big head starts on Civil Service and Philosophy. To accomplish this Id have to avoid Masonry and Alphabet for awhile. If it worked I would have at least two religions founded, early access to Bureaucracy, and some good tech trading bait. Id also be well-positioned to go after Liberalism.
I spotted the Corn with my scout and decided to settle in place, build a Worker, and research Agriculture.
A Singleminded Slingshot
Moving Out
Civil Service
But Now What?
State of the Empire: 500 AD
I spotted the Corn with my scout and decided to settle in place, build a Worker, and research Agriculture.
A Singleminded Slingshot
Spoiler :
Moving Out
Spoiler :
Civil Service
Spoiler :
But Now What?
Spoiler :
State of the Empire: 500 AD
Spoiler :
Heathcliff
Tactician
Heathcliff
Contender.
Hi guys, this is my first post here and I have never submitted a game yet. But I have played through the other GOTMs and I have had great fun reading your different strategies.
Settled in place, the capital looked like a very good productioncity with all those hills. It would have been very good at building soldiers and have an early war, but with the small island it was good for building wonders instead. Athens Built:
Worker workboat worker warrior - warrior settler (chopped) galley (chopped) warrior - settler (chopped) pyramids
Tech: Agri, Mining, Bronze Working, Sailing, The Wheel, Masonery, Mysticism, Pottery, Library Alphabet, Litterature and Construction .
I sent the workboat north rounding the island to northwest, I like to get preferably marble, but stone is also okey. Seeing the stone I decided to go for the pyramids, which I consider to cost to much to build if you dont have stone. Then its better to go for the Oracle. I built my second city just south of the stone, timing so that I started to built pyramids when the stone was hooked and another settler/warrior ready for the island to the southwest with the gold and the diamonds that the workboat found on its next trip.
I never use to adopt a religion unless I have a very good reason, its not just worth to delay the Alpahbet to get the religious Techs. As you can get them by trading if you reaches alphabeth first. The Egyptians went down the religiouspath in my game with an incredible techspeed, thanks to those 3 goldmines next to their capital. They had founded nearly all of them after they finished the Divine Right Slingshot in 245BC.
Its often considered the best strategy to cottage every square and never farm, and I agree its often the case. But both in the capital and the treasure city I farmed instead, thinking that one farm can feed one mine. I planned to build a lot of wonders in the capital and use it as a great person farm, which it had decent of food for. Lots of grassland and two specialfarms.
I havent apprieciated the philosophical trait until this game, but if it is used right its very powerful. So how do the perfect GP look like? The pyramids to get representation for +3 breakers and 2 happy guys are nice. I built the pyramids around 700 BC. Its important to get it up early, because the best thing with the pyramids is that it generates a great engineer which you can use to get Great Library.
I belive it was the right thing to wait to build a city south on the main island. I only built it around 100 BC, because 3 cities is enough to not stifle your economy, and it dont really give you any big benefits. Like the stone with the other city and the gold from the goldcity.
Here is the situation around 0AD. Working all the 4 mines at the same time.
When I got the Great Engineer -> Great Library, too have a chance to get GS for academies. It would be strange if Greece won´t get any of Socrates, Plato or Aristoteles.
I thought, when I have stone I should use it. And with stone the hanging gardens is very cheap, so I built it, also some nice Great Engineer GPP. Of course The National Epic is the key to high GP growth rate for its +100%. But I dont think Parthenon is worth building, its expensive and just not worth it for +50% in all cities when you have to specialize one city for it anyway. Also pacifism is great for another +100%, converted to budism and to pacifism upon researching philosophy. I also built in 800 AD a wonder I have never built before, the Ankor Wat. Its quite nice to get the chance to get 3 more priest working. So you dont have to adopt Caste System to get enough spots for scientists. Of course priests are worse because you cannot lightbuble technologies with them later on, but I thought about employing them instead making full use of representation. I havent calculated on it which is more effective.
Here is Athens 935 AD with sweet +132 GGP/turn. Im still only 3rd in score but has a solid techlead which will increase when the GGP start to come.
Its about time to think about how to win the game. Cultural is easiest but its not the most fun. Ill have to think about it.
Contender.
Hi guys, this is my first post here and I have never submitted a game yet. But I have played through the other GOTMs and I have had great fun reading your different strategies.
Settled in place, the capital looked like a very good productioncity with all those hills. It would have been very good at building soldiers and have an early war, but with the small island it was good for building wonders instead. Athens Built:
Worker workboat worker warrior - warrior settler (chopped) galley (chopped) warrior - settler (chopped) pyramids
Tech: Agri, Mining, Bronze Working, Sailing, The Wheel, Masonery, Mysticism, Pottery, Library Alphabet, Litterature and Construction .
I sent the workboat north rounding the island to northwest, I like to get preferably marble, but stone is also okey. Seeing the stone I decided to go for the pyramids, which I consider to cost to much to build if you dont have stone. Then its better to go for the Oracle. I built my second city just south of the stone, timing so that I started to built pyramids when the stone was hooked and another settler/warrior ready for the island to the southwest with the gold and the diamonds that the workboat found on its next trip.
I never use to adopt a religion unless I have a very good reason, its not just worth to delay the Alpahbet to get the religious Techs. As you can get them by trading if you reaches alphabeth first. The Egyptians went down the religiouspath in my game with an incredible techspeed, thanks to those 3 goldmines next to their capital. They had founded nearly all of them after they finished the Divine Right Slingshot in 245BC.
Its often considered the best strategy to cottage every square and never farm, and I agree its often the case. But both in the capital and the treasure city I farmed instead, thinking that one farm can feed one mine. I planned to build a lot of wonders in the capital and use it as a great person farm, which it had decent of food for. Lots of grassland and two specialfarms.
I havent apprieciated the philosophical trait until this game, but if it is used right its very powerful. So how do the perfect GP look like? The pyramids to get representation for +3 breakers and 2 happy guys are nice. I built the pyramids around 700 BC. Its important to get it up early, because the best thing with the pyramids is that it generates a great engineer which you can use to get Great Library.
Spoiler :
I belive it was the right thing to wait to build a city south on the main island. I only built it around 100 BC, because 3 cities is enough to not stifle your economy, and it dont really give you any big benefits. Like the stone with the other city and the gold from the goldcity.
Spoiler :
Here is the situation around 0AD. Working all the 4 mines at the same time.
Spoiler :
Spoiler :
When I got the Great Engineer -> Great Library, too have a chance to get GS for academies. It would be strange if Greece won´t get any of Socrates, Plato or Aristoteles.
I thought, when I have stone I should use it. And with stone the hanging gardens is very cheap, so I built it, also some nice Great Engineer GPP. Of course The National Epic is the key to high GP growth rate for its +100%. But I dont think Parthenon is worth building, its expensive and just not worth it for +50% in all cities when you have to specialize one city for it anyway. Also pacifism is great for another +100%, converted to budism and to pacifism upon researching philosophy. I also built in 800 AD a wonder I have never built before, the Ankor Wat. Its quite nice to get the chance to get 3 more priest working. So you dont have to adopt Caste System to get enough spots for scientists. Of course priests are worse because you cannot lightbuble technologies with them later on, but I thought about employing them instead making full use of representation. I havent calculated on it which is more effective.
Here is Athens 935 AD with sweet +132 GGP/turn. Im still only 3rd in score but has a solid techlead which will increase when the GGP start to come.
Spoiler :
Its about time to think about how to win the game. Cultural is easiest but its not the most fun. Ill have to think about it.
Poping resources:
This is one of the reason I dont like low difficulty levers, poping silver of copper/iron in your capital makes the games incomparable. Especially in this games when copper/iron is not automaticly avialable (as you see, some people did miss out the needed island).
Is it possible to disable this resourse poping? Or at least make it less likely? That would make GOTM better in my opinion.
Do I need to say that nothing popped in my game
Great Library:
Do not trade away alpha if you want it, AI does not prioroties alpha so thats the way you can easily grab GLib (I usually have no problem to get it at immortal even without marble).
Best move read about:
Invading egypt as early as possible, I think this is gong to be huge. Looking forward to the final spoiler to see how it worked out.
Spoiler tonight when I'm home from work if I have the time.
This is one of the reason I dont like low difficulty levers, poping silver of copper/iron in your capital makes the games incomparable. Especially in this games when copper/iron is not automaticly avialable (as you see, some people did miss out the needed island).
Is it possible to disable this resourse poping? Or at least make it less likely? That would make GOTM better in my opinion.
Do I need to say that nothing popped in my game
Great Library:
Do not trade away alpha if you want it, AI does not prioroties alpha so thats the way you can easily grab GLib (I usually have no problem to get it at immortal even without marble).
Best move read about:
Invading egypt as early as possible, I think this is gong to be huge. Looking forward to the final spoiler to see how it worked out.
Spoiler tonight when I'm home from work if I have the time.
Resource popping cannot be influenced without a mod...and I don't think the chances are different based on difficulty level....I think the chances are set upon creation of the save...which is why I think there are so many this time around.
Ronnie1
Deity
When I first saw the game parameters, I thought I would play for either Conquest or Domination. The AI's generally stink @ water maps so it should be pretty easy, right! 
The Early Years (T1-100)
Explore and Expand (T101-200)
T101
All 3 cities building Libraries! Researching Mathematics.
At this point I haven't met anybody. Thoughts of an early war are fading and I feel that research will be hard to maintain as I expand away from Athens. I have only seen 1 of the Gems in the SW and have not explored around that island at all. I decide to make a push for the Great Lighthouse to fund more research since it looks like all cities will be coastal for a while. I change research to Pottery on T101 as my worker is standing around Thermopylae with nothing to do.
The Autolog
515AD
The Early Years (T1-100)
Spoiler :
Explore and Expand (T101-200)
T101
All 3 cities building Libraries! Researching Mathematics.
At this point I haven't met anybody. Thoughts of an early war are fading and I feel that research will be hard to maintain as I expand away from Athens. I have only seen 1 of the Gems in the SW and have not explored around that island at all. I decide to make a push for the Great Lighthouse to fund more research since it looks like all cities will be coastal for a while. I change research to Pottery on T101 as my worker is standing around Thermopylae with nothing to do.
Spoiler :
on T151 and founded Corinth that turn in the only great spot getting all 5 resources.The Autolog
Spoiler :
Is that me? (I don't remember to have read about another invasion). I don't consider my invasion to be an early one at all. 500AD! I regret not having invaded with axes, but the thought that Egypt is creative and thus has cultural defenses made me pee my pants. At least, I should have beelined to Construction from the beginning.
Welcome, Heathcliff. Thanks for telling your strategy. As I said, Pyramids must be great in this map. Good luck.
I am looking forward to reading your final spoiler, Vynd. Your strategy is brilliant, you know what you want and the consequences of what you are doing.
I wouldnt have followed that plan if I were playing cultural, though. I have developed an obsession with 100% artist probability, so I consider Oracle a mistake (highly debatable opinion of mine). Yes, you are enjoying a free tech and you know what to do with your early GP, but you will feel the pain when you have shut down research and a GP is born instead of a GA. Looking at your techpath I think you could have been first to CoL anyway.
Also a GS lightbulbs a 50% better than a GP, so I would have preferred some GS for Academy/Philo/Education rather than some GP for CS/Philo/shrine.
Choosing Parthenon looks like a wise decision. I have always thought that it is much better than Pyramids for a cultural game.
Now, making a shrine out of your second GP is a big mistake, IMHO. It adds another source of prophet GPP.
Also the iron city doesnt look like the perfect culture city, wasnt the stone city a better place? Maybe it came too late. It is a pity, because the iron one was a perfect military/missionary center.
Anyway, Vynd, please, dont read too much into my criticism, I really admire your strategy. You have decided to get a free tech and a religion out of the Oracle. You have pondered the cons of that decision (getting prophets). You have found a good use for them, and you have modified your techpath accordingly (avoiding Alphabet!). My hat is off to you. I wish you the best of lucks.
I might be the one he's talking about too...I invaded Egypt before 500AD, but not by much...I had taken 2 Egyptian cities at 500AD.
Mitchum
Deity
Ive been lurking on these Forums for a while and have never posted. Ive decided to post my progress so far since I had a different strategy than most.
Im playing the Contender save. My plan was to leverage my traits (aggressive and philosophical) which meant great people and war. I did some reading in the Forums about the specialist economy and thought that I would give it a try. The SE works best with the Pyramids, so I was hoping that there would be stone close to our capital. So, my early game goals were:
Build the Pyramids
Get the circumnavigation bonus
Build Colossus (extra commerce from the sea)
Build Great Library (almost necessary for the SE)
Plan every city to have at least a food resource (namely seafood) for specialist and whipping purposes.
Go light on defenses/military early and focus on expansion.
I moved my scout to the NW hill and saw Corn, so I decided to settle in place (lots of food in the capital is good for the SE). I quickly scouted the starting island and saw that there was no stone, but there were plenty of trees, so I decided to try for the Oracle > Metal Casting > Forge > Great Engineer > Pyramids gambit which I had read about and pulled off once in a practice game.
The build order in my capital was: Worker > Settler > Work Boat > Work Boat > Work Boat
My second city was founded just three squares away from the capital to improve my chances of pulling off the Pyramid gambit. This was less than an ideal location for the second city, but it would pay off if I got the Pyramids.
I didnt need a defense to speak of (no barbs, isolated start), so I built work boats and sent them off in different directions to get the lay of the nearby land, to find our neighbors, and to get the circumnavigation bonus. On my way to circumnavigation, I met all of my neighbors:
Saladin > 1180 BC
Isabella > 940 BC
Hatty > 925 BC
Cyrus > 835 BC
Caesar > 625 BC
I saw many huts during my exploration. During the course of the game, I loaded my scout on to a galley to pop as many of them as I could. I was able to pop a total of five of them for a little gold (4 times) and a map. I was hoping to get a free tech, but it never happened
Research path: Agriculture > Mining > Mysticism > BW > The Wheel > Meditation > Priesthood > Pottery > Sailing (for galleys) > Masonry (for the Pyramids)
The build order in my second city was: Worker > Obelisk > Warrior > Oracle
I had pre-chopped and pre-roaded all of the required forests around both cities and I started chopping as soon as I could start building the Oracle, which I completed in 970 BC. I chose Metal Casting as my free tech, and then chop rushed a forge in 940 BC in Athens. I assigned an Engineer specialist and then checked the math to make sure that a Great Engineer would appear before a Great Prophet popped from the Oracle.
Imhotep was born ion 565 BC and he built the Pyramids in 550 BC. Once I had libraries built in my cities, I would switch to Representation and hire scientists wherever I could.
I built the Colossus in 475 BC for the extra water commerce. That coupled with a lighthouse would make the water tiles worth working.
I finished the Great Library in 155 AD and my specialist economy was off and running.
Since I spent most of the early years focusing on wonders (Pyramids, Colossus, Great Library), I was worried that I was quickly falling behind in expansion, so my next order of business was to start settling some of the nice land around my capital.
I settled the following cities:
Thermopylae in 550 BC
Corinth in 370 BC
Delphi in 40 BC
Pharsalos 140 AD
I had been planning to settle the island to the SW with the gold and gems. Unfortunately, Hatty got there before me and I had to have that spot, so I began building up my military to unseat her from my back yard. I built up an army of phalanxes, axes and swords. I had also researched Construction, so I decide to throw a few cats into the mix. I had my army assembled and was getting ready to attack when 500 AD rolled around
I was also one of the unfortunate ones not to pop a resource in my capital. Luckily, my scientists under Representation will allow me to keep up or pull away in techs.
Im playing the Contender save. My plan was to leverage my traits (aggressive and philosophical) which meant great people and war. I did some reading in the Forums about the specialist economy and thought that I would give it a try. The SE works best with the Pyramids, so I was hoping that there would be stone close to our capital. So, my early game goals were:
Build the Pyramids
Get the circumnavigation bonus
Build Colossus (extra commerce from the sea)
Build Great Library (almost necessary for the SE)
Plan every city to have at least a food resource (namely seafood) for specialist and whipping purposes.
Go light on defenses/military early and focus on expansion.
I moved my scout to the NW hill and saw Corn, so I decided to settle in place (lots of food in the capital is good for the SE). I quickly scouted the starting island and saw that there was no stone, but there were plenty of trees, so I decided to try for the Oracle > Metal Casting > Forge > Great Engineer > Pyramids gambit which I had read about and pulled off once in a practice game.
The build order in my capital was: Worker > Settler > Work Boat > Work Boat > Work Boat
My second city was founded just three squares away from the capital to improve my chances of pulling off the Pyramid gambit. This was less than an ideal location for the second city, but it would pay off if I got the Pyramids.
I didnt need a defense to speak of (no barbs, isolated start), so I built work boats and sent them off in different directions to get the lay of the nearby land, to find our neighbors, and to get the circumnavigation bonus. On my way to circumnavigation, I met all of my neighbors:
Saladin > 1180 BC
Isabella > 940 BC
Hatty > 925 BC
Cyrus > 835 BC
Caesar > 625 BC
I saw many huts during my exploration. During the course of the game, I loaded my scout on to a galley to pop as many of them as I could. I was able to pop a total of five of them for a little gold (4 times) and a map. I was hoping to get a free tech, but it never happened
Research path: Agriculture > Mining > Mysticism > BW > The Wheel > Meditation > Priesthood > Pottery > Sailing (for galleys) > Masonry (for the Pyramids)
The build order in my second city was: Worker > Obelisk > Warrior > Oracle
I had pre-chopped and pre-roaded all of the required forests around both cities and I started chopping as soon as I could start building the Oracle, which I completed in 970 BC. I chose Metal Casting as my free tech, and then chop rushed a forge in 940 BC in Athens. I assigned an Engineer specialist and then checked the math to make sure that a Great Engineer would appear before a Great Prophet popped from the Oracle.
Imhotep was born ion 565 BC and he built the Pyramids in 550 BC. Once I had libraries built in my cities, I would switch to Representation and hire scientists wherever I could.
I built the Colossus in 475 BC for the extra water commerce. That coupled with a lighthouse would make the water tiles worth working.
I finished the Great Library in 155 AD and my specialist economy was off and running.
Since I spent most of the early years focusing on wonders (Pyramids, Colossus, Great Library), I was worried that I was quickly falling behind in expansion, so my next order of business was to start settling some of the nice land around my capital.
I settled the following cities:
Thermopylae in 550 BC
Corinth in 370 BC
Delphi in 40 BC
Pharsalos 140 AD
I had been planning to settle the island to the SW with the gold and gems. Unfortunately, Hatty got there before me and I had to have that spot, so I began building up my military to unseat her from my back yard. I built up an army of phalanxes, axes and swords. I had also researched Construction, so I decide to throw a few cats into the mix. I had my army assembled and was getting ready to attack when 500 AD rolled around
I was also one of the unfortunate ones not to pop a resource in my capital. Luckily, my scientists under Representation will allow me to keep up or pull away in techs.
@Mitchum, I'm interested in how your game will turn out. I thought about going SE as well since maps like these have insane food. I don't have enough experience with it so I thought I'd take the "safer" (for me anyway) road and get my research from the sea.
Yes, it is Thrallia's move to invade Egypt directly after taking the gems/gold island I am talking about.
About the resource popping I thought level effected it, I have never popped anything early (before say 1500 AD on a normal games on Immortal, but in the (low level, monarch?) highland GOTM it popped like crazy. But I guess I am wrong. I always play normal speed, maybe thats the reason?
About the resource popping I thought level effected it, I have never popped anything early (before say 1500 AD on a normal games on Immortal, but in the (low level, monarch?) highland GOTM it popped like crazy. But I guess I am wrong. I always play normal speed, maybe thats the reason?
Cities:
Athens, on the staring spot has Glig
Sparta, sheep/fish has GLib (+28 scientist GP point per turn)
Cor., on to of the coppar
Ther., gems/gold
Delp., fish/clam/wheet NW.
Im mot sure Delphi is such a good idea, could not resist all that food and grassland, but I considered grabbing stone or horses or elph/suger instead.
Izzy has the iron island
Troops/was:
No, just city guarding worriers
GP:
GM (MC) and GS (Philo)
Egypt is running away in tech, but I am way ahead of the rest, not a great start but not a bad one either.
Resource popped:
None
Athens, on the staring spot has Glig
Sparta, sheep/fish has GLib (+28 scientist GP point per turn)
Cor., on to of the coppar
Ther., gems/gold
Delp., fish/clam/wheet NW.
Im mot sure Delphi is such a good idea, could not resist all that food and grassland, but I considered grabbing stone or horses or elph/suger instead.
Izzy has the iron island
Troops/was:
No, just city guarding worriers
GP:
GM (MC) and GS (Philo)
Egypt is running away in tech, but I am way ahead of the rest, not a great start but not a bad one either.
Resource popped:
None
In my game they got Hanging Gardens...
Htadus
A and L's dad
132 GPP/turn. This is simply awsome. Learned some thing new today. Thank you. I have never built a National Epic before and see the importance of it for the first time.
Welcome to the forum Mitchum. Your slingshot to Metal Casting to get the Great Engineer to build the Pyramids was very slick, especially since it set you up to get the Colossus as well. Sounds like you're off to an excellent start.
This game goes pretty good compared to last when I was conquered.
Playing adventurer. Scouted mainly to the east with work boat. contacted Spanish. After getting slavery kept it till 500AD, I hurry a lot... Minimal army. Got Stonehenge, Great Lighthouse, Colossus, but lost Great Library. Good balance between health and happiness. I was also first to circumnavigate - work boat got some east, then a galley sailing on southern hemisphere got west.
Used initially Buddhism for Athens, but then found Taoism and Islam. Running Taoism in more than half cities.
Playing adventurer. Scouted mainly to the east with work boat. contacted Spanish. After getting slavery kept it till 500AD, I hurry a lot... Minimal army. Got Stonehenge, Great Lighthouse, Colossus, but lost Great Library. Good balance between health and happiness. I was also first to circumnavigate - work boat got some east, then a galley sailing on southern hemisphere got west.
Used initially Buddhism for Athens, but then found Taoism and Islam. Running Taoism in more than half cities.
Adama
Warlord
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2007
- Messages
- 137
Looks like this thread has slowed down now that most have finished … I’m a little slower. I’m a ‘noob’, this is my first GOTM, my first Monarch, and I’ve only owned Civ IV a month or so. Played Civ II years ago.
I prepared for the game by reading the pre-game thread and reviewing the ALC Alexander game #8 (Have read a few ALC games and other threads; these forums are great!).
My game not unlike many others; settled in place and researched
Ag->Min->BW->Sail->Wheel->Write->Alpha
Plan: What’s that? I’m a noobie, remember? Actually, I went for Alpha to try and trade techs to ‘keep up.’ I am aiming for Liberalism as first civ to get free tech, and not anticipating warmongering until Macemen and finishing off any campaign as I would later head for Musketeers and gunpowder (first?). My real plan? Since this is my first GOTM, I’d like to try and just “win” at some point, somehow, or at least stay alive as long as possible.
I had founded cities on the NW island (not by horses though; instead on grasslands between ivory and sugars), between the gold and gems (which meant I could not build a lighthouse there, for instance), and on top of the copper on Copper Island. Cyrus founded Pig Island.
I didn’t switch to Slavery civic until about 760 BC. I didn’t find my first hut until 430 BC, and I have NOT circumnavigated by 500AD yet. Rome was antagonistic toward me the whole game (maybe I rejected an early tribute demand) and has maintained closed borders.
I have ignored religions, trading for those techs when I could. Started with libraries for culture instead of obelisks (was very slow).
Building infrastructure without hills/hammers/mines threw me as a noobie quite a curve and I struggled starting about 1000 BC. Sometime around 600-700 BC my research rate was dropping downward to 40%. I struggled through and got it back up to a constant 60%-70% after finding my first hut in 430 BC with a little gold in it.
Unique items in my game perhaps, I did not get my first Great Scientist (GS) until about 200 AD and he lightbulbed Philo for me. It was about this time that Isabella declared war (DOW’ed me). I was surprised as a galley unloaded two archers at Athens who began to pillage. I had one axeman and a warrior in the capital and an axeman “security floater” on the island who headed over there, and you guessed it, defeated one archer but was killed by the other one. Hmmmm… I said to myself, “Self, why doesn’t my other axeman finish off that second archer …” Not to be. Isabella’s archer defeated my Axeman (odds are how Jimmy the Greek makes his living) and one turn later attacked Athens with my lone warrior. He managed to defeat the archer narrowly and save my entire game !
Some say the warrior was the son of Alexander. Some also say that the archers were his half-brothers by Alexander’s tryst with Isabella (the Wicked Witch of the East). Anyway, I have plans to build Heroic Epic and National Epic shrines to that Warrior who defeated those Sons’-of-Witch in Athens and Sparta.
I have trailed in scoring (fourth or fifth place most of the time). I skipped the Great Library (figured a noobie like me wouldn’t beat the other Civs to it; However, it has not been built by 500AD and now I regret not going for it. ) I went for the ‘low hanging fruit’ – pun intended – in the Hanging Gardens (not yet complete), and the Great Lighthouse. By 500 AD I am fighting for second place in scoring.
I have enjoyed the above posts enormously, and appreciate everyone who took the time to do so. Sorry my first post is so late; just been busy and utilizing what available time I’ve had to play the GOTM. Looking very forward to the next spoiler threads to compare notes - I am up to about 1200 AD area in my game now. [It takes longer when you're a noob and you have to stop and read your research and the rule book every turn ... hee hee and I tend to want to micro even though I am still learning].
I prepared for the game by reading the pre-game thread and reviewing the ALC Alexander game #8 (Have read a few ALC games and other threads; these forums are great!).
My game not unlike many others; settled in place and researched
Ag->Min->BW->Sail->Wheel->Write->Alpha
Plan: What’s that? I’m a noobie, remember? Actually, I went for Alpha to try and trade techs to ‘keep up.’ I am aiming for Liberalism as first civ to get free tech, and not anticipating warmongering until Macemen and finishing off any campaign as I would later head for Musketeers and gunpowder (first?). My real plan? Since this is my first GOTM, I’d like to try and just “win” at some point, somehow, or at least stay alive as long as possible.
I had founded cities on the NW island (not by horses though; instead on grasslands between ivory and sugars), between the gold and gems (which meant I could not build a lighthouse there, for instance), and on top of the copper on Copper Island. Cyrus founded Pig Island.
I didn’t switch to Slavery civic until about 760 BC. I didn’t find my first hut until 430 BC, and I have NOT circumnavigated by 500AD yet. Rome was antagonistic toward me the whole game (maybe I rejected an early tribute demand) and has maintained closed borders.
I have ignored religions, trading for those techs when I could. Started with libraries for culture instead of obelisks (was very slow).
Building infrastructure without hills/hammers/mines threw me as a noobie quite a curve and I struggled starting about 1000 BC. Sometime around 600-700 BC my research rate was dropping downward to 40%. I struggled through and got it back up to a constant 60%-70% after finding my first hut in 430 BC with a little gold in it.
Unique items in my game perhaps, I did not get my first Great Scientist (GS) until about 200 AD and he lightbulbed Philo for me. It was about this time that Isabella declared war (DOW’ed me). I was surprised as a galley unloaded two archers at Athens who began to pillage. I had one axeman and a warrior in the capital and an axeman “security floater” on the island who headed over there, and you guessed it, defeated one archer but was killed by the other one. Hmmmm… I said to myself, “Self, why doesn’t my other axeman finish off that second archer …” Not to be. Isabella’s archer defeated my Axeman (odds are how Jimmy the Greek makes his living) and one turn later attacked Athens with my lone warrior. He managed to defeat the archer narrowly and save my entire game !
Some say the warrior was the son of Alexander. Some also say that the archers were his half-brothers by Alexander’s tryst with Isabella (the Wicked Witch of the East). Anyway, I have plans to build Heroic Epic and National Epic shrines to that Warrior who defeated those Sons’-of-Witch in Athens and Sparta.
I have trailed in scoring (fourth or fifth place most of the time). I skipped the Great Library (figured a noobie like me wouldn’t beat the other Civs to it; However, it has not been built by 500AD and now I regret not going for it. ) I went for the ‘low hanging fruit’ – pun intended – in the Hanging Gardens (not yet complete), and the Great Lighthouse. By 500 AD I am fighting for second place in scoring.
I have enjoyed the above posts enormously, and appreciate everyone who took the time to do so. Sorry my first post is so late; just been busy and utilizing what available time I’ve had to play the GOTM. Looking very forward to the next spoiler threads to compare notes - I am up to about 1200 AD area in my game now. [It takes longer when you're a noob and you have to stop and read your research and the rule book every turn ... hee hee and I tend to want to micro even though I am still learning].
Fishies!
I started by moving my settler to the hill NW to see what was there, and of course saw the fish. I then spent a long time agonizing over the relative advantages of rice plus a very good science city (starting position) vs settling by the fish. The fish won out so I moved the settler a further 1N to settle on turn 2. Poorer long-term spot with lots of sea tiles, but with a massive short term benefit of a fat food bonus without needing to research agriculture, and building a first worker much faster.
I think my decision gave me a big step-up over the people who settled in place, which I then proceeded to utterly throw away over the next 50ish turns.
Saladin's Softer Side
I started by deciding to try for ye olde slingshot-that-must-not-be-named (coz it's so boring) (clue: It gives you bureaucracy), and proceeded to start my research with animal husbandry, en route to writing. With AH discovered I then tried out the shrewd tactic of changing my mind and deciding that I really needed pottery, not AH, so I researched that as well. Then I thought I really needed to see where the copper was so I researched to BW. Then I realized I was getting a bit behind with my slingshot-that-must-not-be-named and went back to teching towards it. As you can tell, sophisticated long-term planning is a fundamental feature of my GOTM17 strategy.
By this point I'd realized that that slingshot was probably out of reach and perhaps I should focus on the COL one. However, Saladin thoughtfully eased my decision making by completing the Oracle himself just after I'd discovered priesthood. The kind soul!
A Tribute to my Deity-ness
Meanwhile, I'd filled the starting island with 3 cities and was building workboats like there was no tomorrow, mostly because I didn't actually have any techs to let me build anything useful! A nice consequence of this was that I became first to circumnavigate in I think it was something like 1000BC. By this point I'd met everyone except Caesar. A not-so-nice consequence was that it encouraged me to research alphabet early, thinking of all the tech trades. Forgetting of course that on a sea-map like this, noone would've met anyone else except me and therefore noone would be willing to trade anything. Since the main alternative to alphabet would've been to research sailing, which would've been unbelievably useful, I suspect that decision wasn't exactly the wisest one I've made in my capacity as leader of the Greeks. Still, on the up side, once I did eventually have sailing and had built a settler, I decided the island E of the starting point was the best bet for a next city. I actually had my settler ready to embark for it on the turn I discovered iron working, revealing iron right next to the spot that I was going to plonk the city on anyway! Clearly the Gods favour me! (Hang on. The Gods? Aren't I, Alexander, a Great God anyway?)
More Careful Planning
I think it was round about this time that I decided to check what Alexander's traits were and realized that with philosophical, the pyramids just might have been a good idea. Oh well. Too late now. It was also around this time that I actually bothered to read Ainwood's GOTM17 announcement properly, and realized there were only 5 opponents, thus explaining the mainfest failure of my workboats to locate the 6th one. But look on the bright side. At least it meant I had very good geographical knowledge of the area East of Cyrus, where I'd imagined the 6th AI must have been, and where my workboats had therefore been roaming.
That Gold is Mine!
Meanwhile Hatty settled on the juicy gold/gems island to the South, just as my settler was about to set off for there.How on Earth .? I'd assumed there was no rush to head there because it was too far away from Hatty or any other AI for anyone to be likely to go there before me. Hatty, you'll pay for that. That settles it. I'm going for domination in this game. At the rate I'm playing, I may even manage to win domination as early as 2049AD. Perhaps 2048AD if I push it! That'll surely put me in line for a fastest finish award
Wow, am I that handsome?
But I cannot leave this spoiler without revealing my one big success, down entirely to my wit and cunning and general handsomeness. When most of the AIs were finally willing to trade techs, the only one they wanted from me was alphabet. But I refused. Even at the cost of not getting any techs myself, I held on dearly to the sacred treasure of alphabet. Why? Because sometime around 300AD an omen happened (I think it was that I turned on the tap and water came out. Something like that anyway). The omen told me that the Greeks, under my great wisdom, were destined to build the great library. (Great wisdom??? Yes I know the Greeks are in 6th place out of 6 civs in the game ranking. That's just part of my cunning plan to lull the AI into a false sense of security. Be patient ) So anyway with this aim in mind, I made sure that I got to literature first, and I can report that in 500AD I am but one turn away from completing the great library. The restrictions imposed by this spoiler mean I cannot of course reveal what actually happened on the next turn, but given that the human player goes first so my remaining turn would happen before any of the AIs got their turns, I think you may be able to draw your own conclusions.
I started by moving my settler to the hill NW to see what was there, and of course saw the fish. I then spent a long time agonizing over the relative advantages of rice plus a very good science city (starting position) vs settling by the fish. The fish won out so I moved the settler a further 1N to settle on turn 2. Poorer long-term spot with lots of sea tiles, but with a massive short term benefit of a fat food bonus without needing to research agriculture, and building a first worker much faster.
I think my decision gave me a big step-up over the people who settled in place, which I then proceeded to utterly throw away over the next 50ish turns.
Saladin's Softer Side
I started by deciding to try for ye olde slingshot-that-must-not-be-named (coz it's so boring) (clue: It gives you bureaucracy), and proceeded to start my research with animal husbandry, en route to writing. With AH discovered I then tried out the shrewd tactic of changing my mind and deciding that I really needed pottery, not AH, so I researched that as well. Then I thought I really needed to see where the copper was so I researched to BW. Then I realized I was getting a bit behind with my slingshot-that-must-not-be-named and went back to teching towards it. As you can tell, sophisticated long-term planning is a fundamental feature of my GOTM17 strategy.
By this point I'd realized that that slingshot was probably out of reach and perhaps I should focus on the COL one. However, Saladin thoughtfully eased my decision making by completing the Oracle himself just after I'd discovered priesthood. The kind soul!
A Tribute to my Deity-ness
Meanwhile, I'd filled the starting island with 3 cities and was building workboats like there was no tomorrow, mostly because I didn't actually have any techs to let me build anything useful! A nice consequence of this was that I became first to circumnavigate in I think it was something like 1000BC. By this point I'd met everyone except Caesar. A not-so-nice consequence was that it encouraged me to research alphabet early, thinking of all the tech trades. Forgetting of course that on a sea-map like this, noone would've met anyone else except me and therefore noone would be willing to trade anything. Since the main alternative to alphabet would've been to research sailing, which would've been unbelievably useful, I suspect that decision wasn't exactly the wisest one I've made in my capacity as leader of the Greeks. Still, on the up side, once I did eventually have sailing and had built a settler, I decided the island E of the starting point was the best bet for a next city. I actually had my settler ready to embark for it on the turn I discovered iron working, revealing iron right next to the spot that I was going to plonk the city on anyway! Clearly the Gods favour me! (Hang on. The Gods? Aren't I, Alexander, a Great God anyway?)
More Careful Planning
I think it was round about this time that I decided to check what Alexander's traits were and realized that with philosophical, the pyramids just might have been a good idea. Oh well. Too late now. It was also around this time that I actually bothered to read Ainwood's GOTM17 announcement properly, and realized there were only 5 opponents, thus explaining the mainfest failure of my workboats to locate the 6th one. But look on the bright side. At least it meant I had very good geographical knowledge of the area East of Cyrus, where I'd imagined the 6th AI must have been, and where my workboats had therefore been roaming.
That Gold is Mine!
Meanwhile Hatty settled on the juicy gold/gems island to the South, just as my settler was about to set off for there.How on Earth .? I'd assumed there was no rush to head there because it was too far away from Hatty or any other AI for anyone to be likely to go there before me. Hatty, you'll pay for that. That settles it. I'm going for domination in this game. At the rate I'm playing, I may even manage to win domination as early as 2049AD. Perhaps 2048AD if I push it! That'll surely put me in line for a fastest finish award
Wow, am I that handsome?
But I cannot leave this spoiler without revealing my one big success, down entirely to my wit and cunning and general handsomeness. When most of the AIs were finally willing to trade techs, the only one they wanted from me was alphabet. But I refused. Even at the cost of not getting any techs myself, I held on dearly to the sacred treasure of alphabet. Why? Because sometime around 300AD an omen happened (I think it was that I turned on the tap and water came out. Something like that anyway). The omen told me that the Greeks, under my great wisdom, were destined to build the great library. (Great wisdom??? Yes I know the Greeks are in 6th place out of 6 civs in the game ranking. That's just part of my cunning plan to lull the AI into a false sense of security. Be patient ) So anyway with this aim in mind, I made sure that I got to literature first, and I can report that in 500AD I am but one turn away from completing the great library. The restrictions imposed by this spoiler mean I cannot of course reveal what actually happened on the next turn, but given that the human player goes first so my remaining turn would happen before any of the AIs got their turns, I think you may be able to draw your own conclusions.
Welcome to C-IV and to the GOTM, Adama!
From what you've said so far, I believe you'll win this game, as the AI at this difficulty level will seem to stagnate a little as it gets later in the game, whereas your economy will flourish later in the game.
From what you've said so far, I believe you'll win this game, as the AI at this difficulty level will seem to stagnate a little as it gets later in the game, whereas your economy will flourish later in the game.
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