GOTM 31 First Spoiler
- Thread starter ainwood
- Start date
Don't really have a lot of experience on standard speed, and have really only played a couple of games on Immortal , but well.. why not give it a go 
Contender save:
Looked like a decent starting position for a cultural attempt, so that's basically what I decided to try for if possible.
I followed conventional wisdom and settled 1N after not really revealing anything to dissuade me from it on inital exploration.
Started off researching AH, then went for pottery, picked up mysticism (because I found obelisks to work ok on this start in testing), then went for alpha.
Second city went down by food and horses (to provide decent barb defence), and third settlement followed quickly north by cows, rice and banana (GP farm). I also settled a 4th city NE (with rice and Ivory). 5th city was founded (575 BC) by copper and fur to the south, but a barb axe penetrated defences and razed it just a few turns later (bummer).. should've been settled north near Iron instead, I guess. Resettled the same location a bit later when Kublai had claimed the Iron to the north.
Founded Taoism in 425BC and also relatively quickly got hinduism(75BC) and conficianism(300BC, yeah.. I was late in researching CoL) spread to me. Tried to get buddism in from Fredrick and Asoka but to no avail. Religions were ok for cultural at this point.
Had some diplo issues here where I couldn't really trade with Asoka or Fredrick since they had formed a nice little buddism block that the rest of the AI did not like. This sort of stunted my research a bit as well, and everyone seemed to be turtling along tech-vise. (I was still ahead by 500AD even with my slow tech rate, and I decided to just monopolize Alpha for quite a while, which probably also contributed to the turtle tech speed in this game)
The way things are by 500 AD:
I'm alive and conditions are about as stable as they can be with Kublai, Toku and Nappy next door. I'm at +3 or better with all but asoka who's at -1 due to being cut off at someone's request.
Research only at 100
, Still ~20 turns off Liberalism.
2 Religions spread, and built temples. 3rd religion about to be spread. Do not have Music (Mao does), so no cathedrals built. NE still ~20 turns off as well. No state religion.
Due to getting my 5th city razed I didn't get to a decent 6th city site in time, and decided to try getting cultural off 1 cottage city and 2 food cities. Not really optimal, but not much I can do. Could fit in a 6th city within cultural boundries later, or just go with this plan.. or improvise
Not looking good for a quick cultural win, looking ok to get a win eventually.
Bugg123
Contender save:
Looked like a decent starting position for a cultural attempt, so that's basically what I decided to try for if possible.
I followed conventional wisdom and settled 1N after not really revealing anything to dissuade me from it on inital exploration.
Started off researching AH, then went for pottery, picked up mysticism (because I found obelisks to work ok on this start in testing), then went for alpha.
Second city went down by food and horses (to provide decent barb defence), and third settlement followed quickly north by cows, rice and banana (GP farm). I also settled a 4th city NE (with rice and Ivory). 5th city was founded (575 BC) by copper and fur to the south, but a barb axe penetrated defences and razed it just a few turns later (bummer).. should've been settled north near Iron instead, I guess. Resettled the same location a bit later when Kublai had claimed the Iron to the north.
Founded Taoism in 425BC and also relatively quickly got hinduism(75BC) and conficianism(300BC, yeah.. I was late in researching CoL) spread to me. Tried to get buddism in from Fredrick and Asoka but to no avail. Religions were ok for cultural at this point.
Had some diplo issues here where I couldn't really trade with Asoka or Fredrick since they had formed a nice little buddism block that the rest of the AI did not like. This sort of stunted my research a bit as well, and everyone seemed to be turtling along tech-vise. (I was still ahead by 500AD even with my slow tech rate, and I decided to just monopolize Alpha for quite a while, which probably also contributed to the turtle tech speed in this game)
The way things are by 500 AD:
I'm alive and conditions are about as stable as they can be with Kublai, Toku and Nappy next door. I'm at +3 or better with all but asoka who's at -1 due to being cut off at someone's request.
Research only at 100
, Still ~20 turns off Liberalism.2 Religions spread, and built temples. 3rd religion about to be spread. Do not have Music (Mao does), so no cathedrals built. NE still ~20 turns off as well. No state religion.
Due to getting my 5th city razed I didn't get to a decent 6th city site in time, and decided to try getting cultural off 1 cottage city and 2 food cities. Not really optimal, but not much I can do. Could fit in a 6th city within cultural boundries later, or just go with this plan.. or improvise
Not looking good for a quick cultural win, looking ok to get a win eventually.
Bugg123
I wasn't going to even bother with this one... immortal is just way beyond my abilities. But then I decided WTH, at least it will be a quick one.
In fact, it was so quick, my game was the 2nd submission.
But at 500AD I had about 6 cities, was slowly being out-teched by everyone leaving me with nothing to trade with, and my only accomplishment worth remembering was to build Stonhenge. My culture is good but that just means our close boundaries are causing tensions. 500AD leaves me with no room to expand, no contemporary military to defend with, and not much besides a pile of moss-covered rocks to show for it. So it can rightfully be called the pinnacle of the Russian civilisation. But its alive, which is more than I expected.
Sorry for lack of details... this one didn't leave much of an impression in my memory.
Technically I don't meet the requirements to post here, but I don't think anyone will mind.
3960 BC - As I discussed in the pre-game post, I decided to put my first city two north from the gold tile. This decision was further motivated when my scout had discovered ivory in the fat cross to the west. Started research on Agriculture with Animal Husbandry as the objective. The archer fortifies in Moscow, the worker starts a mine in the hills one tile north, and the scout goes exploring. I send him from west of Moscowaround to the northeast. Moscow starts production on a second worker.
3800 BC - Moscow's borders expand. Now I have gold, pigs, and ivory all within city limits. Furthermore, my scout has discovered cows to the northwest, rice in the north, and two more ivory to the northeast. I am starting to think my position isn't half bad.
3720 BC - Napolean's scout stops by for a chat. Peace was declared, and there was much rejoicing. I notice the edge of his empire just the other side of the lake to the west. Meanwhile, my scout has explored to the east of Moscow and discovered more cows and some stone.
3680 BC - Buddhism gets founded somewhere.
3640 BC - Agriculture discovered. Research on Animal Husbandry begun. The worker has finished the first mine and is now working on mining the gold. Ths scout circles around the the southeast of Moscow and finds some sheep and later some deer in the tundra.
3480 BC - While exploring the area south of the lake to the east of Moscow, my scout is attacked by a wolf. The scout wins, but is badly mauled, so he will need to fortify until healed for a while. Whew, that was close. The worker is a turn away from completing the gold mine and will be sent to camp the ivory next.
3400 BC - While healing, the scout gets eaten by another wolf.
3360 BC - Moscow produces a worker and starts a scout to replace the one eaten by wolves. In retrospect, this was probably a bad choice, but I wasn't seeing much of the map and I thought I needed a "fast" exploration unit.
3320 BC - Mao Zedong says hello. Peace is declared.
3280 BC - Animal Husbandry discovered. Research started on The Wheel. Need roads for trade network and defense. The first worker has finished the ivory camp and is now headed over to corral the pigs. The second worker is making a farm on one of the desert tiles.
3080 BC - Moscow grows to size 2. Despite the slow start, I am still convinced I can make this position work out.
3000 BC - Moscow produces a scout and starts on a settler. A second city would be helpful.
2960 BC - The Wheel discovered. Research started on Bronze Working. Maybe I can chop trees to catch up my production somewhat. Meanwhile, I have noticed the French have put a city three squares southwest from Moscow. Fortunately, it doesn't steal any of my tiles (yet). I notice it is defended by an archer(!).
2800 BC - Tokugawa and I have tea. Peace is declared. My scout gets killed by a barbarian warrior while exploring south of the new French city.
2760 BC - The French adopt slavery, which means they have BW already, and I start to realize that I am in big trouble.
2680 BC - Hinduism founded somewhere. Time to start thinking about grabbing a religion.
2560 BC - Moscow produces a settler and starts another scout. In retrospect, I probably should have gone for an archer. I am thinking of sending the settler up north to where the rice and ivory is. Moscow is looking well-developed by now, with all the resources improved, plus an extra mine, three farms, and a bunch of roads.
2480 BC - Bronze Working discovered. Started research on Fishing. I was speculating here that with a lakes map, there would be lots of water tiles, hence lots of water resources to be exploited by work boats. Meanwhile, the Chinese have adopted slavery.
2440 BC - While looking for a suitable city site in the north, my settler discovers a barbarian city, then is immediately killed by a barbarian warrior. Moscow has finished the scout and starts work on another settler.
2400 BC - Kublai Khan shows up and peace is declared.
2280 BC - Fishing is discovered. Research on pottery begun. I really need cottages more than farms.
2200 BC - While exploring north of the lake to the west, my third scout is killed by a barbarian warrior.
2120 BC - The Mongolians adopt slavery. So far, I have not gone for slavery because I have not had the need (or even the ability) to pop-rush anything.
2040 BC - Judaism founded somewhere. Now I am really starting to worry about religion.
2000 BC - Pottery discovered. Research begun on Mysticism. Moscow's borders expand again, stealing a tile from the French. Moscow finishes a settler and starts yet another scout. Meet Frederick and peace is declared.
1960 BC - Moscow grows to size 3.
1880 BC - St. Petersburg finally founded at the nothern tip of the lake to the west. Only cows in the fat cross, but I didn't know where else I could safely build, especially with the barbarian city directly north of Moscow near all the great resources. St. Petersburg starts a scout with the theory that if I have two of them, maybe somehow one will survive. Moscow finishes a scout and starts another settler.
1800 BC - Mysticism discovered. Started research on Masonry, in order to get Monotheism, Walls, Aqueducts, and maybe The Pyramids someday. Wishful thinking, that. The turn before, I start thinking that St. Petersburg is in a far worse position militarily than Moscow, so I sent my sole military unit, the archer, from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
1760 BC - St. Petersburg is attacked by a barbarian warrior. It is undefended and is razed to the ground.
1720 BC - Moscow, defended by a worker who is trying to hide from the barbarian horde, is attacked by a barbarian warrior, and razed to the ground.
Game over - insert coins.
Well, the good news is that, with a final score of 100.3, I think I have a lock on the award for lowest scoring loss.
3960 BC - As I discussed in the pre-game post, I decided to put my first city two north from the gold tile. This decision was further motivated when my scout had discovered ivory in the fat cross to the west. Started research on Agriculture with Animal Husbandry as the objective. The archer fortifies in Moscow, the worker starts a mine in the hills one tile north, and the scout goes exploring. I send him from west of Moscowaround to the northeast. Moscow starts production on a second worker.
3800 BC - Moscow's borders expand. Now I have gold, pigs, and ivory all within city limits. Furthermore, my scout has discovered cows to the northwest, rice in the north, and two more ivory to the northeast. I am starting to think my position isn't half bad.
3720 BC - Napolean's scout stops by for a chat. Peace was declared, and there was much rejoicing. I notice the edge of his empire just the other side of the lake to the west. Meanwhile, my scout has explored to the east of Moscow and discovered more cows and some stone.
3680 BC - Buddhism gets founded somewhere.
3640 BC - Agriculture discovered. Research on Animal Husbandry begun. The worker has finished the first mine and is now working on mining the gold. Ths scout circles around the the southeast of Moscow and finds some sheep and later some deer in the tundra.
3480 BC - While exploring the area south of the lake to the east of Moscow, my scout is attacked by a wolf. The scout wins, but is badly mauled, so he will need to fortify until healed for a while. Whew, that was close. The worker is a turn away from completing the gold mine and will be sent to camp the ivory next.
3400 BC - While healing, the scout gets eaten by another wolf.
3360 BC - Moscow produces a worker and starts a scout to replace the one eaten by wolves. In retrospect, this was probably a bad choice, but I wasn't seeing much of the map and I thought I needed a "fast" exploration unit.
3320 BC - Mao Zedong says hello. Peace is declared.
3280 BC - Animal Husbandry discovered. Research started on The Wheel. Need roads for trade network and defense. The first worker has finished the ivory camp and is now headed over to corral the pigs. The second worker is making a farm on one of the desert tiles.
3080 BC - Moscow grows to size 2. Despite the slow start, I am still convinced I can make this position work out.
3000 BC - Moscow produces a scout and starts on a settler. A second city would be helpful.
2960 BC - The Wheel discovered. Research started on Bronze Working. Maybe I can chop trees to catch up my production somewhat. Meanwhile, I have noticed the French have put a city three squares southwest from Moscow. Fortunately, it doesn't steal any of my tiles (yet). I notice it is defended by an archer(!).
2800 BC - Tokugawa and I have tea. Peace is declared. My scout gets killed by a barbarian warrior while exploring south of the new French city.
2760 BC - The French adopt slavery, which means they have BW already, and I start to realize that I am in big trouble.
2680 BC - Hinduism founded somewhere. Time to start thinking about grabbing a religion.
2560 BC - Moscow produces a settler and starts another scout. In retrospect, I probably should have gone for an archer. I am thinking of sending the settler up north to where the rice and ivory is. Moscow is looking well-developed by now, with all the resources improved, plus an extra mine, three farms, and a bunch of roads.
2480 BC - Bronze Working discovered. Started research on Fishing. I was speculating here that with a lakes map, there would be lots of water tiles, hence lots of water resources to be exploited by work boats. Meanwhile, the Chinese have adopted slavery.
2440 BC - While looking for a suitable city site in the north, my settler discovers a barbarian city, then is immediately killed by a barbarian warrior. Moscow has finished the scout and starts work on another settler.
2400 BC - Kublai Khan shows up and peace is declared.
2280 BC - Fishing is discovered. Research on pottery begun. I really need cottages more than farms.
2200 BC - While exploring north of the lake to the west, my third scout is killed by a barbarian warrior.
2120 BC - The Mongolians adopt slavery. So far, I have not gone for slavery because I have not had the need (or even the ability) to pop-rush anything.
2040 BC - Judaism founded somewhere. Now I am really starting to worry about religion.
2000 BC - Pottery discovered. Research begun on Mysticism. Moscow's borders expand again, stealing a tile from the French. Moscow finishes a settler and starts yet another scout. Meet Frederick and peace is declared.
1960 BC - Moscow grows to size 3.
1880 BC - St. Petersburg finally founded at the nothern tip of the lake to the west. Only cows in the fat cross, but I didn't know where else I could safely build, especially with the barbarian city directly north of Moscow near all the great resources. St. Petersburg starts a scout with the theory that if I have two of them, maybe somehow one will survive. Moscow finishes a scout and starts another settler.
1800 BC - Mysticism discovered. Started research on Masonry, in order to get Monotheism, Walls, Aqueducts, and maybe The Pyramids someday. Wishful thinking, that. The turn before, I start thinking that St. Petersburg is in a far worse position militarily than Moscow, so I sent my sole military unit, the archer, from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
1760 BC - St. Petersburg is attacked by a barbarian warrior. It is undefended and is razed to the ground.
1720 BC - Moscow, defended by a worker who is trying to hide from the barbarian horde, is attacked by a barbarian warrior, and razed to the ground.
Game over - insert coins.
Well, the good news is that, with a final score of 100.3, I think I have a lock on the award for lowest scoring loss.
Harbourboy
Deity
Technically I do not meet the requirements to post in this thread either, but when Napoleon and Kublai Khan both declared war on me, it was all over in 125 BC. I did not stand a chance against the huge stacks of chariots and swordsmen that engulfed me.
Given that this is my first civ game in over a year, and that I have never won on immortal, I'm not actually aiming to win here, more just to survive.
After scouting with the other units, I founded Moscow 1S of the starting spot, with lots of floodplains and hills (though not the gold) I figured it was as good a location as any.
Found out very quickly that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the other civs research wise, so I went straight for Alphabet to try and trade my way out of trouble.
This almost got me in trouble, with the barbarians a constant source of trouble, but one I got it I was able to keep my tech trades up and stay fairly current.
After gettting alpha I thought I'd go for some of the more advanced religions to try and get the culture boost, and without expecting it, I managed to found the holy city for Taoism and Confusism (the latter with a great scientist) - however have not taken any religion up for fear of upsetting people, something I can't afford to do.
Also managed to build Angkor Wat and Chicken Itza, and am currently half way though Notre Dame. These were built not because I really want them, but more because there was not much else to build.
That's all the good news. The bad news is that whilst I managed to found 2 other decent cities, one NW of Moscow (Rice, Gems, Cow) and one N (2x Elephants, more Rice), I delayed getting another city out due to upkeep, and before I knew it I was completely surronded by other civs, France to the west, Mongols to the north, Germans north-east, and Indians to the east. In fact, just as I was thinking of building a city south of Moscow in the Tundra, India beat me to it, building 2 cities south of Moscow.
Equally bad is that there is no copper anywhere near Russia, and whilst I can see one iron resource, it is just out of my grasp, as the Mongols built one of their cities right next to it.
Tech wise I have just researched paper and am going to try and go for Education, Liberalism and then get military tradition for free to get my military back on track, as without any source of iron I might be in trouble if anyone decides to invade.
Whilst I think victory is very unlikely, I'm going to hope for a long stretch of piece (or ideally war between the AI) and try and snatch a spaceship victory, its my only hope!
After scouting with the other units, I founded Moscow 1S of the starting spot, with lots of floodplains and hills (though not the gold) I figured it was as good a location as any.
Found out very quickly that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the other civs research wise, so I went straight for Alphabet to try and trade my way out of trouble.
This almost got me in trouble, with the barbarians a constant source of trouble, but one I got it I was able to keep my tech trades up and stay fairly current.
After gettting alpha I thought I'd go for some of the more advanced religions to try and get the culture boost, and without expecting it, I managed to found the holy city for Taoism and Confusism (the latter with a great scientist) - however have not taken any religion up for fear of upsetting people, something I can't afford to do.
Also managed to build Angkor Wat and Chicken Itza, and am currently half way though Notre Dame. These were built not because I really want them, but more because there was not much else to build.
That's all the good news. The bad news is that whilst I managed to found 2 other decent cities, one NW of Moscow (Rice, Gems, Cow) and one N (2x Elephants, more Rice), I delayed getting another city out due to upkeep, and before I knew it I was completely surronded by other civs, France to the west, Mongols to the north, Germans north-east, and Indians to the east. In fact, just as I was thinking of building a city south of Moscow in the Tundra, India beat me to it, building 2 cities south of Moscow.
Equally bad is that there is no copper anywhere near Russia, and whilst I can see one iron resource, it is just out of my grasp, as the Mongols built one of their cities right next to it.
Tech wise I have just researched paper and am going to try and go for Education, Liberalism and then get military tradition for free to get my military back on track, as without any source of iron I might be in trouble if anyone decides to invade.
Whilst I think victory is very unlikely, I'm going to hope for a long stretch of piece (or ideally war between the AI) and try and snatch a spaceship victory, its my only hope!
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