GOTM101 - First Spoiler

[civ_steve]

GOTM 101 - First spoiler, the Ancient Age

Reading Requirements:

1. Must be able to research a Middle Ages Technology.

Posting restrictions

1. Feel free to discuss distant contacts and trades, but be discreet about locations or directions of any AI.
2. No discussion of middle-ages (or later) including resource locations.
3. AS ALWAYS, do not post Spoiler information for ANY other 'X'OTM contest.

I'll be out the next week (starting Saturday), so I thought we'd better get the first spoiler out! This game is almost a mirror of the last one, GOTM100. Small map (vs large), 5 AI (vs 13), isolated start (vs, well, a pretty isolated start but connected). Early UU and highest Difficulty rating. How's your game going? Did contacts come pretty quickly? And are any of the AI challenging you at this Deity level?

 

[Megalou]

Open - I like luxuries!

I'm enjoying the game play more than in GOTM 100. This game requires some patience, even if a 4-turn settler factory could be set up fairly quickly.

I researched Bronze Working before Writing. I think this was a proper choice because warriors are poor defenders against the barbarian hordes at these settings. In the end I was not pillaged, lost no workers and only one settler - fairly late into the game, not hurting so much. A lot of the turns wasted on the cheap BW tech were regained as I had a slightly more developed core when researching Writing and Literature.

3950 - Founded Carthage 1 NE. This was a very obvious choice. Carthage soon became a 4 turn settler factory and towns were built at RCP 3 and RCP 6.
3900 - Roading wheat.
3500 - Warrior 1. Stays put because of imminent growth-pop.
3450 - Popped W_O_R_K_E_R! Incredible!
3400 - Popped 3 barbs.
3350 - Warrior survives unscathed and is promoted to elite. (This warrior survived a long time and popped some camps but found no contacts.)
3300 - Gave up some food to get Pottery in one.
2800 - Elite warrior walks along istmus, is redlined by barb.
2270 - Interrupted settler factory (going to size 7) for the sake of barbs.
1725 - Trade CB and 60 gold.
1575 - Lost settler to barb.
1450 - Wines connected.
1400 - Gems connected.
1025 - Furs connected.
975 - Traded MM finally.
530 - Upgraded 8 warriors.
510 - Now a dozen.
450 - Revolt to Monarchy. Get 8 turn anarchy, reroll and get 4+1.
370 - Invading Scandinavia.
350 - GA on interturn.
290 - Leader on interturn.
270 - Currency (1) from France. Construction from Zulu, giving only 5 gpt, currency and an alliance against France, tied to peace. Enter MA.
Hurried Hanging Gardens. (No place to hurry FP yet.)

Some other techs: Pottery 3300 - Bronze W ca 2800 - CoL 650 (trade)

 

[Memento]

settler NE
3950 settled
built settler,because the hut
3200 2nd town 2 SW-Prebuild for GL
2550 meet Scans,trade Pottery+BW+35g for ABC+Masonary
2110 3rd town 6 SW
1625 4th town 2E
1350 5th town 2NW 1N
1200 6th town 4W 1N
1175 Scans will Literatur,i give not->war
1 Archer+1 Horseman land by Leptis Manga
1075 GA
950 GL
meets Zulu->war->2 worker
Round change and all Civs(except2)contact me
GL gives TW,WC,CB,IW,Mystic,Mathe,Philo,CoL,MM,HR and Poly
Enter MA ca 700bc

Now,i´m in 530bc and have no fun with this Game,to many Barbs
lost 2 worker+1 settler

I do not know yet if I play more

 

[Megalou]

2550 meet Scans,trade Pottery+BW+35g for ABC+Masonary

That's an awesome trade. You got the two most useful techs in the early game.

Now,i´m in 530bc and have no fun with this Game,too many Barbs

Yes, the game description doesn't tell the whole truth about the barbs. The rapid expansion of the AI on this limited archipelago landmass pushed most of the new camps onto our island. I researched BW just to have some useful defenders and camp poppers, which has hardly happened since I learned to play this game properly. The barbs could be an interesting detail to discuss further. Anyway, why quit? The games where the AI (incl barbs) pose a real threat are the best ones imho.

 

[Memento]

That's an awesome trade. You got the two most useful techs in the early game.

If u don´t build the GL it is.But in this Game is Pottery not intressted for me.I build no Granarys.
2nd prebuild for GL,so the first Town have no Time for Granary.Must build warriors or NS to protect Settlers and Towns.
Not the best way,but necessary for the GL.

Anyway, why quit?

I don´t stop.
But its nevertheless some boring.Build many Galleys,research MT and make a grand tour.

Now ,i´m 390ad and know that i would have a good Result,because i make to many mistakes and I´m inattentive.

 

[Megalou]

Yes, I agree, even in challenging games the later phases can be a bit tedious because of slow fighting and many units. I don't really know how to define a good game in GOTM 101. Obviously there are obstacles that are likely to delay victory for us mortal deity players.

 

[Memento]

now I can say that the game at the moment is anything but boring.
i don´t believe on a good result,but It is a real challenge similar.
I know,i change my opinion very fast.

next time,i will be waiting

 

[Lanzelot]

Late as usual, and I didn't take notes for this one, so I can only contribute a few general observations.

I went Pottery first and then went for Writing -> Philosophy, but was beaten by 2-3 turns! Also the turn before I finished Republic, it was discovered by another civ and traded to a second, so no monopoly on that one. (Also I overran research by more than 100 beakers, because the price on Republic had dropped so much! Should have researched slower... BTW the same happened on one other tech (can't remember which; Monotheism?!), where I was beaten by the AI and wasted around 200 beakers because of the price drop. BTW: did anyone ever notice: even if CivAssist says the current price of a tech is let's say 800 beakers, and you have already collected 1000 beakers, you don't get that tech the next turn, if you set science to 0% You need at least 10% or a lone scientist.)

Nevertheless I was able to do some good tech trading. I think I became Republic around the same time as Megalou became a Monarchy, and entered the IA around the same time as him. (Don't know the exact numbers any longer.)

The barbarians never were a problem for me. (Lost a worker once due to carelessness.) In the uprising I was lucky: there were about 3 barb nests on my continent at that time, but one my horsemen took care of (got like 5 elites out of that), the other one was close to a Scandinavian town that they had settled on my continent, and I was able to watch a horde of barbarians destroy 2 Scandinavian spears and then "vanish" inside their town. Wasn't that the perfect implementation of the "party town strategy"...? Shortly after that, the Scandinavians demanded gold, I refused, they declared and I took that town for free...
And the third barb camp was far away down at the isthmus, so that only single barbs arrived at my doorsteps once in a while.

Currently I'm 6 turns from Chivalry. The plan is now to take over the Scandinavians (they are still providing war happiness), then two more civs (the nearest and/or weakest ones), then keep good relations with the remaining two, hoping they can help with research, and finally set up the usual MA for the vote.

I'll try to establish a second core in Scandinavia. However, the GA will probably be triggered during the invasion of Scandinavia as I will need Numidians for the landing?!

Despite being Deity, this game goes quite smooth so far and is highly interesting. (Originally I thought, "oh no, not the same civ again, how boring..." But it's a completely different game.)

Lanzelot

 

[Lanzelot]

templar_x, where is your entry?
(You better get a couple of games submitted now, before the baby arrives... )

 

[Megalou]

I went Pottery first and then went for Writing -> Philosophy, but was beaten by 2-3 turns!

So what?

It surprises me that you had no barb problems. Even if every new town went warrior-worker or even warrior-warrior as their first builds, I surprised if it was enough to stay out of trouble. Anything to add about that, noble chivalrist?

 

[Megalou]

templar_x, where is your entry?
(You better get a couple of games submitted now, before the baby arrives... )

Yes, I'm a little worried about that too. Even civ junkie priorities can be messed up by toddlers, at least for a while.

Clarification (from my last post): What were you going to do with Philosophy?

 

[templar_x]

i really like "noble chivalrist". it was the term i felt i needed to use in my gotm100 post, but it did not come to my mind

sorry guys, i won´t be able to participate in this one. it´s not the baby (yet), but i got a bit ill, thus have to sleep a couple of hours per day now (i tell you, i hate it), while i still work long hours in the company, where we have to get a very big job done. and yes, sometimes i have to get home and see the mother of my unborn child or pick her up from her parents´ place.

so who else is going to deliver the noble chivalrist and the retired grand signeur a good competition, at least in self-irony?

templar_x

 

[templar_x]

Even if every new town went warrior-worker as their first builds, I don't think it should not have been enough to stay out of trouble.

is it just me (i´m taking different drugs at the same time, so very possible) or is there one "not" too much in that sentence?

templar_x

 

[Lanzelot]

So what?

Ähhmmm. Yes. Hmm, can it be that I'm getting old...? I actually tried getting a free tech from Philosophy
(I remember that during the game I was actually debating with myself, whether I should risk going for the full slingshot or better play it save and shoot for Philo directly... ) I guess the discussions we had in our current C3C succession game completely confused me...

It surprises me that you had no barb problems. Even if every new town went warrior-worker or even warrior-warrior as their first builds, I surprised if it was enough to stay out of trouble. Anything to add about that, noble chivalrist?

I remember I had a few early horsemen and Numidians that I sent scouting the unsettled areas constantly in search of barb camps. It was meant as a means for funding my deficit research (which it did quite effectively: for a while I had like 25g coming in every 3-4 turns). Perhaps it had the little "side effect" of busting all barb camps, before they were able to spawn any units?!

Get well soon, templar_x!

 

[Megalou]

@Lancelot
Then I suppose you traded BW quite early? By the time I had Numidians (and certainly horsemen) I was in control of the barbs too, but I self-researched BW very early and I'm wondering if it was worth it. Memento traded it so maybe the answer is no.
@t_x
Too ill to play civ? Then I certainly hope you get better soon.

 

[templar_x]

@ Megalou - no, too ill to work all day AND civ at night.

templar_x

 

[I. Larkin]

Open. Looking for ConDom…

As usual, time is very limited to write but got a msg:

Hello I. Larkin, it appears that you have not posted on our forums in several weeks.
Why not take a few moments to ask a question, help provide a solution, or participate in a discussion in any one of our forums?

Moreover, something weird had happened. Look at the picture:

This is not a color glitch: indeed, I am at war with Zulu (WH!+) but have RoP with them and MA vs France… And pay 7 gpt. And it is real deal: as I checked later, if I cancel it I’ll loose my rep. Also, I wonder, how RoP works when at war? Edit: Yes, it works! Sword moves on Zulu land as with RoP. I remember, Calis PBEM game, probably the same bug?

In other aspects game was normal: Settle NE, research on max: Pottery, Writing(1950 BC), Mmking (1375 BC), Literature (1100 BC), Republic(800 BC). At some point Vikings declare (WH) and I start GA at BC. Revolt at the middle of GA, as recon that republic better then Despotic GA.
Got conscript from GH, scout west and east. Use 4, 6, 10 RCP. Two RC6 towns near lake.

Come to MA at 530 BC. Uprising was not an issue, but I have lost 2-3 UUs vs barb camps.

Main problem was how to share war for two remote fronts.

Turn 2 : 3950BC
-- settled --

Turn 22 : 2950BC
-- settled Utica

Turn 45 : 1990BC
-- settled Leptis Magna

Turn 51 : 1750BC
-- settled Theveste

Turn 53 : 1700BC
-- settled Hippo

Turn 58 : 1575BC
-- settled Leptis Minor

Turn 62 : 1475BC
-- settled Sabratha

Turn 66 : 1375BC
-- settled Rusicade

Turn 70 : 1275BC
-- settled Oea

Turn 75 : 1150BC
-- started golden age

Turn 91 : 750BC
-- settled Hadrumetum – future FP city...

Turn 92 : 730BC
-- captured the Viking city Bjoergvin

Turn 95 : 670BC
-- ended golden age
-- captured the Zulu city Ngome

 

[I. Larkin]

(I remember that during the game I was actually debating with myself, whether I should risk going for the full slingshot or better play it save and shoot for Philo directly... ) I guess the discussions we had in our current C3C succession game completely confused me...

Sometimes at PTW Phylo reasonable: cheapest Tech give a chanse to monopoly...