1.27f
Predator
Wow, last month I was done and submitted by the 6th, this month its the 19th and I just qualified for the first spoiler yesterday! We need more blizzards so I can get more Civ time in! I had already typed my post before reading this thread, but after reading other posts, looks like I am in the early war category, but unfortunately I wasnt as prepared as I would have liked
Pre-Game Strategy
I had decided before even starting this GOTM that I wanted to go for a 100K culture victory, because my first GOTM (way back in GOTM8) was with India, on Monarch, and I won a 100K without really knowing what I was doing until half-way through the game. I thought this would be a good comparison to see how much I have improved (if any!). 100K means lots of cities, either by expansion or force. I knew with our UU I would want lots of horses for upgrades, so I decided I would concentrate on the Horse/Religious/Monarchy part of the tech tree, and try to get to Monarchy before my GA (unusual for me, but since we were religious, I could easily switch to republic later). Based on the start, I wasnt even sure about a granary, but after my first move, I saw the cow, so I detoured to Pottery first (only one Expansionist civ, not good odds of trading for it). I also wanted to trigger my GA early with wonders, so I could use it on Libraries and cathedrals sooner, and to speed my early MA research to Education. I would need Colossus, Oracle, or Pyramids for religious, and Lighthouse for commercial, so I planned on an early coastal wonder city.
Early building and exploration
Start by moving worker E to BG, revealing the rumored cow. Settler moves SE to the forest, with the cow and several BG it should be productive, but no other food bonuses. Next turn I found Delhi, start on Warrior. Even though I cant get a 4-turn settler factory, I can get a 6-turn factory with a granary, so I start max research on Pottery (18 turns). Worker moves S to irrigate the cattle. I didnt see the second cattle until after my culture expanded, so I never did get a 4-turn factory. From here I built 3 warriors, then the granary. My warriors explored west to the coast then north, south, and the third north for a bit then back to being an MP by 3000BC. I made contact with a conscript warrior from
Persia in 3300.
Xerxes was up BW, Masonry, and WC, and short my two techs, but I was 1 turn from Pottery, so I waited. Time for trading, I cant get all three techs, the best I can get is
Warrior Code and Bronze Working and 10g for Alpha, Pottery, CB. I started research on the Wheel, but Xerxes got it in 2900, and I couldnt pry it away, so I ended up switching research to Mysticism at max then, wasting about 7 turns of research. By that point I had confirmed I am alone with Persia on this continent, which is not a good feeling.
Warriors from here on out are mostly concerned with barbs.
Mysticism came in in 2270AD, but I still cant buy the Wheel. Maybe Xerxes is researching Myst? About the best deal I can swing is
Bronze Working (which I need for spears and Colossus) and a worker for Myst, 8g+6gpt. Start min research on Polytheism.
Delhi completed Granary in 2850, and I decided to try some strange gyrations to set up a hybrid factory, just as seen on TV
. I first built 2 settlers, and a second worker, bringing pop all the way down to 3, then built a barracks while it grew back, and mined 3BGs. The result was a Spear-Warrior-Settler factory at size 5-6, getting 10-11spt and kicking out vet military. My plan was that it would eventually be a Horse-Settler, but that was not to be, and in fact spent many cycles doing Warrior-Warrior-Warrior-Settler. But it seemed the best use of shields during the 6-turn growth cycle. It did require MM every third turn to take a worker off the forest, where the AI loved to put it after growth, but it was very productive.
Meanwhile, I used the first settler to build Bombay on the coast E of the 2nd cow, which would be my wonder city. After a temple, I started on the Colossus. I sent my next two settlers SW to secure the mountain ranges and sheep, building Madras in 2350 and Bangalore in 1700, just west of the sheep/plain. After a warrior and whipped temple, they both built barracks. By now I was facing swarms of barbs, including barb horses. Delhi is pumping out vet warriors as fast as I can, to keep them from my workers or Bombay. I run 30-40% lux through part of this time, as I cant afford to keep MPs in Delhi, they are out killing barbs. In the midst of this, Xerxes demands 21g. I am tempted to say no, which would give me back my 6gpt, but with all the barbs running around I have my hands full right now, so I cave. My fourth city, Calcutta, is founded SW of the oyster, away from the fray, in 1650. Lahore, my planned Spice city, is delayed until 1500, when it is finally safe from barbs. By 1575 I finally have some cash freed up, and I can by
The Wheel for 40g+8gpt, so I can switch Delhi to a Horse-Settler factory as intended. Except, NO HORSES!
Thats a lot of money down the drain, when I could have bought Writing
Hey, where did the barbs get their horses from, if there are no horses on our continent?
I found a couple more cities before the end of the QSC, Karachi and Kolhapur, filling out 6 cities in my RCP4. Most cities build warrior, worker, then temple. I even pull my troops out of the tundra, to farm a new barb camp or two for my archers to practice on, while I send my elite warriors south to the border. But then, bad news! Vikings get Colossus, beating me by 3 turns!! Swap to Oracle, but I dont really want that one, I will have to hope I can pull Map-Making with Poly when it comes in. This is followed by some unexpected good news, though:
