GOTM105 - Spoiler #2

[civ_steve]

GOTM 105 - second spoiler, Korea, The Middle Ages

Reading Requirements:

1. Must have contact with All remaining Civs.
2. Must be able to research an Industrial Age Technology.

Posting restrictions

1. No maps showing Industrial or Modern resources.
2. No discussion of Industrial Age (or later).
3. Absolutely NO Discussion of any other active 'X'OTM contest!

I'll have some mercy on you and get the Middle Ages spoiler out now as well. Final Spoiler in a day or two. You are isolated so there are some logistics to sort out to resolve any aggressive actions; how did these go? Did you find use for your Hwach'a UU? Are any of the AI establishing themselves as a challenge?

 

[Megalou]

Spaceship attempt

You are isolated so there are some logistics to sort out to resolve any aggressive actions; how did these go?

We founded Taejon in 690 BC, just before entering the Medieval period, by the gems to have a safe foothold on the continent. From there we started chewing up Chinese towns and founding some new ones. But with just swordsmen and the odd horse, progress was slow and it was not until 300 AD, in a second Chinese war, that we could hurry FP in Beijing. In 400 AD I eliminated China and got a leader to hurry Copernicus.

I failed to settle the four-tile ivory island, occupied by two barb camps - a brilliant touch in this game by the way - before the uprisings around 700 BC, and was unable to find the resources to do so even before the end of the Middle Ages.

Did you find use for your Hwach'a UU?

No, I haven't built any. I have to devote the main part of the shields to city improvements. The Middle Ages is a time when you can earn a lot of money by trading per turn, so I'd much sooner spend shields on horsemen for later upgrades to knigts and cavalries. Artillery units are mainly useful in defensive wars and don't agree well with fast attack units. In the Middle Ages I started attacking civs who have mainly spearman defenders (China, Zululand and USA) I will continue to attack civs who don't have salpeter in the future. Hopefully there will be enough cavalries to attack the fearsome Japanese Samurais. There are useful Japanese towns as close as 5 tiles from Beijing, so this is a must.

As for the Golden Age, I have built Copernicus and will undoubtedly capture Colossus and Great Lighthouse in Zimbabwe, so all I have to do to start my Golden Age is to build one more wonder after the capture of Zimbabwe. This wonder will hopefully be Newton's University in Seoul.

Are any of the AI establishing themselves as a challenge?

It's more a question of finding a research partner and this partner is Persia. I make sure I don't bankrupt them and give them all my luxuries to increase their potential. I also try to remember to renew peace treaties with Persia. The area around Beijing is pretty vulnerable so we don't need hordes of cavalries wrecking it.

As with the Ancient age, I was hoping to make up for my rather poor tech potential by trading techs. This worked fairly well. I don't have time to verify exactly which techs I traded but IIRC it was Engineering, Feudalism, Astronomy, Invention, Chivalry, Gunpowder, Magnetism(3), Printing Press, Navigation, Music Theory, Economics. It was perhaps strange that I researched Military Tradition myself but firstly, I was waiting for Persia to research Magnetism, and secondly I could build few units and so I needed those units to be strong.

We have the fastest tech pace by far now and the main challenge will be to see if/when we can reach the domination limit.

Incomplete Timeline

690 BC - Republic comes in. Only one other civ has it. Naturally, we trade first with Nitwit Japan, owners of The Great Library. Then we get Currency from Zululand. Enter Medieval Age.
Our free tech is Monotheism. Persia's is Engineering and we trade it. We revolt and get 3 turns of anarchy. We do not reroll.
670 - Found town next to gems.
630 - Captured Tsing-Tao, our first captured town.
We are now a republic.
390 - Theology.
350 - Connected gems.
210 - Researched Education and traded Invention.
50 BC - Researched Banking, traded Gunpowder.
90 AD - Traded Chivalry. Researched Chemistry, traded Astronomy.
170 AD - 2nd War on China.
250 - Physics.
300 - First Great Leader # shows up as Beijing is captured.
310 - Hurried FP (safely) in Beijing. War on Mongols - too late to get a large piece of the cake.
320 - ToG.
400 - Eliminated China and got Leader ##2. Leader hurries Copernicus in Beijing. It's too far to Seoul.
440 (ca) - Military Tradition.
460 - Traded Magnetism(3) from Persia. Enter Industrial age. We get Medicine, they get Nationalism.

Check out my pics,
(1) some tax return for playing predator
(2) my modest territory

 

[Raliuven]

First, I should learn to keep good notes of my games. I don't have a timeline like all the cool kids. I will do better in the future! Sorry to everyone that put a lot of time and effort into that part!

You are isolated so there are some logistics to sort out to resolve any aggressive actions; how did these go?

My biggest starting problem was the barbarian uprisings. I gambled on a sparse military to start and paid for it. Killing 20+ barbarian horses and countless warriors took a long time and cost me in terms of warriors, gold and tile improvements.

The barbarian island was more frustrating than anything - they had it covered the entire time. The fact that there was ivory laughing at me didn't help my composure. I lost 2 total galleys to that island. Luckily I got an elite galley almost right away and used that to protect my shipping lines.

Did you find use for your Hwach'a UU?

Yes and no. I did build a lot of them. Nice hit average. I probably had 40 of them going into the industrial age. One thing - I thought they had lethal bombardment? I couldn't make that work. Anyway, I was behind Persia in techs, so the bombardment helped me even the odds till I could catch up and helped with leader fishing. With walls and a few Hwach'a, Persia didn't really have the chance to take my cities.

Are any of the AI establishing themselves as a challenge?

By the time I reached the mainland, the Mongols had wiped out China and Persia/America/Japan had devoured India. I never even met them. The Zulu never managed to gain much of a foothold either - they were pressed by Japan, China and the Mongols. By the time I arrived, they were an afterthought. What I was left with was a powerful Mongol hoard at my landing site. The Mongols dispatched the Zulu shortly after I arrived.

I landed near the flood plains and built out from there. After eating the Zulu, the Mongols declared war on me (silly Mongols) and so I allied Japan and America against them. I didn't bring in Persia because they were already scary big and I didn't to give them more land. Then for some reason Japan suddenly turned on America and wiped them out.

Somewhere along the line I must have broke a deal because I was forever after branded as untrustworthy. Not sure exactly what I did. Better notes might help. I'll talk with the secretarial pool.

In spite of my efforts to keep Persia out of the war, they decided that a weak Mongolia was looking good and nearly wiped them out. It would have worked if they hadn't declared war on me in passing. They razed two cities and then I stopped them cold, allying both my old enemy the Mongols and then Japan against them. They didn't raze another city after that. My allies and I did all the razing. The Mongols began to grow again and then we all entered the industrial era hand-in-hand . . .

 

[CKS]

One thing - I thought they had lethal bombardment?

Hwach'a only have lethal bombard in Conquests.

My game is suffering from a lack of focus, and this post is suffering from a lack of notes. In real time, this game is playing quickly, which is good since I put off starting it. In the game, I'm headed for either 20K or diplomacy. Which I pick will depend on the amount of time remaining to submit when I get to fission. I've been involved in no real wars and have done nothing except research along not too speedily as I'm not very big. None of the AI have done much of anything either. I think I'll be okay if the game continues to play out this way; I don't need any excitement this time around.

 

[Lanzelot]

Hwach'a only have lethal bombard in Conquests.

Interesting! So that would mean Korea can't start their GA via unique unit??? That would be quite a handicap!!!

 

[Raliuven]

Interesting! So that would mean Korea can't start their GA via unique unit??? That would be quite a handicap!!!

It was not a happy time for me. I was counting on the Hwach'a to start my Golden Age. I was going to time it for my entrance into the IA, but yeah, that didn't happen. Up to that point, I was not the dominate tech leader and the limited number of Civs made trading nearly impossible. I was going to use my GA to push ahead and keep the lead. So, moving into the IA, I couldn't trigger my GA and I didn't have a backup plan.