GOTM 36 Results and Congratulations

[CKS]

We were only 4 people who chose either of them.

Well, that's not quite true. I chose 20K, but it didn't choose me. They are a lot of fun, but I don't know how to manage the rest of the world very well, yet. Twice lately I've had to bail out of a cultural victory to something else, as I was coming up a few turns late.

I think that pre-game discussion is a good way to recruit people to a victory type. When there are knowledgeable players discussing non-domination victory plans, it makes me think about how I might try to win. Discussion of the pros and cons of various civs, land masses, starting situation, etc., for different victory conditions in the pre-game thread has been very helpful to me. It helps me plan from the beginning instead of muddling along with no clear goal. Plus, knowing other people are trying a cultural win makes me more likely to try it, as I think there is hope.

Congratulations to everyone who played. I'm looking forward to seeing my name in lights next month, next to that nifty red ambulance.

 

[a space oddity]

[...]Good luck on that 100k award Space, although I went 100k in COTM6 also, so I hope you don't have too much luck! [...]

I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, Bradley.. I wasn't very pleased with my enddate, I need to practice more! Hopefully not too much, I agree those games are looong. I'm going to have to learn to make my economy work better, that's where I failed miserably.

 

[Lord British]

Congratz to all players, especially to Lord British who prevented me from getting the Cow.

Thanks Mate, I didn't think it was anywhere good enough to stand a chance!
All the top players were obviously aiming for other victories.

Congratulations to all the other winners.

 

[Xerol]

Third consecutive space race loss to the French...and we're playing France AGAIN!?!?.....Can we not have the french in GOTM 38? Or at least play as them?

 

[Megalou]

Well, that's not quite true. I chose 20K, but it didn't choose me...

Sorry about that, I remember now. Even though I only play GOTM and not the monthly Conquests*, the games and the spoilers become a blur to me after a while.

I think it could help if you just consider 20K attempts as military games, the only difference being that you sacrifice your best city and perhaps some early expansion as a sort of handicap.

*How about that - MC ? You could have your own rap to go with it...

 

[CKS]

I think it could help if you just consider 20K attempts as military games, the only difference being that you sacrifice your best city and perhaps some early expansion as a sort of handicap.

This is probably true. This game I did better, but I'm having trouble finding the balance between starting wars too soon (when I don't have enough troops or they are positioned all wrong) and starting them too late (when it won't help me much). I'm playing some practice games where I'm trying to play purely military games, as I need to develop some more skills. Unfortunately, I'm a builder at heart, and it is easy to fall back on comfort and habit. Maybe by the time GOTM 38 rolls around I'll be better.

 

[civ_steve]

...
fastest victory does not necessarily requires going for domination ASAP and may be achieved through less straight approach.

Well, it does for Domination I think 100K also works well with approaching Domination limit quickly, then cranking out the cultural buildings. 20K and Conquest are not as compatible with achieving Domination quickly. The research Victories (Diplo and SS) are least compatible with reaching Domination quickly, IMO; a civ with 2 solid cores and several strong AI civs to trade with should win fastest victory over a civ at Domination Limit with weak AI civs. This is for Classic PTW, BTW; not experienced enough in Conquests to have an opinion.

 

[Renata]

I would think the effect would be greater the higher the level, too; at the lower levels, the AIs are so hopeless in research that you might as well kill them all off.

Renata

 

[civ_steve]

Well, you can't do faster than 4 turn research, no matter how big you get! Just one Tech from the AI will shave 4 turns off your final Launch date or final UN date.

 

[Dynamic]

Well, you can't do faster than 4 turn research, no matter how big you get! Just one Tech from the AI will shave 4 turns off your final Launch date or final UN date.

But do you get the higher score if you win by Diplo or SS earlier against later win with full territory and big population for a long time?

 

[Dynamic]

If I calculate correctly If I didn't get Domination and go to the SS from 480AD I could launch after 1700AD but with Jason score above 12K.

I miss Gotm37 but in Cotm7 I may be will try other then Dom&Conq type of victory. The main reason will be my free time.

 

[Megalou]

"This game I did better"

Are you saying you're doing 20K in GOTM37? I'm not sure, but you've got a lot of guts if you do. On deity you definitely need to reach the domination limit to be able to pull it off. (Or at least marginalize all other civs.) It will be very interesting to see if anyone pulls this off in GOTM37.

Let me share a trick for culture 20K: If you're not ready to invade another nation flat out, find a mountain near this nation's territory - I don't think it should be IN their territory but in the territory of a neighbour with which you have ROP - and place a stack of mounted units there along with a musketman or two. The enemy will send a continuous stream of attackers but no SOD. You can easily pick off the attackers and return to the mountain to heal. I find it particularly useful to place this stack on another continent than your own, so you don't have to worry as much about defending your own cities, or distract your enemy from moving where you want them to move. I used this method in a deity game (continents) and got 5 or 6 leaders from this stack alone and claimed all medieval wonders except Sun Tzu, plus Universal Suffrage and Theory of Evolution. I actually got 10 leaders in all before 1000 AD which was a clear personal best.

The victim was Babylon and I think it helped that they had a lonely town close to the mountain I occupied, quite far away from their own core. They wanted to protect the city and so sent so many knights that I could have a go at one or two every turn. If this town had not existed, I probably would have placed my stack closer to the Babylonian core, so that they would still have sent troops. Another thing that helped was that the nation that controlled the mountain (Zulu) was not at war with Babylon themselves. Lastly, the mountain that you park on should have a road. If it does not, the area in which you can attack is a lot smaller. This is the smallest problem, because if you see a mountain with a road and a mine in the Middle Ages it is not likely to be occupied by a worker when you get to it.

Whether to send 1, 2 or even more musketmen is largely dependent on whether the enemy has cavalries or just knights, and whether they also have a ROP with the host of the mountain.

 

[civ_steve]

But do you get the higher score if you win by Diplo or SS earlier against later win with full territory and big population for a long time?

No, you don't, and that's the issue! Trading off Score vs Fastest Finish for Diplo and SS GAmes. In PTW, expanding past what you need for two fully developed cores will hurt your finish date for Diplo and SS Victories. In two ways 1.) you have to expend resources expanding the empire vs building the infrastructure you will need, 2.) by taking space and resources away from the AI (beyond your two cores), you hurt their ability to research for you. And if playing for score, you might need a Luxury tax from time to time, which 'may' impact your research ability.

 

[CruddyLeper]

Amazing. I actually got an award...

Lowest scoring Diplomatic eh? Well, I'm just pleased I won at all ... my first 2 settlers were Barbarian fodder and things never really got rolling.

Thanks to the team for a continuing barrel of fun! See you next time!

 

[Redbad]

Are you saying you're doing 20K in GOTM37? ... It will be very interesting to see if anyone pulls this off in GOTM37.

I'm giving that one a try. It got rather tempting when the RNG-gods supprised me with some 6 GLs in a relative short timeframe.

 

[CKS]

Are you saying you're doing 20K in GOTM37?

No, "this game" referred to GOTM 36. I was wiped out early in GOTM 37, and my goal there had been to lose by something other than conquest.

I appreciate your thoughts. I've learned so much from people here.

 

[SirPleb]

Congratulations to all the winners, and especially to civ_steve for beating me to space. He played a great space game, showing the value in focusing on the goal instead of trying for score at the same time. Not that I'm likely to learn the appropriate lesson

 

[Dynamic]

If I calculate correctly If I didn't get Domination and go to the SS from 480AD I could launch after 1700AD but with Jason score above 12K.

Sorry. I made mistake with calculation.
As I now understand getting the high score with late finish date is very difficult.
Thanks to Darkness for explanation.