GOTM133 Zululand - First Spoiler: Middle ages and all local contacts

[mad-bax]

GOTM133 Zululand - First Spoiler: Middle ages and all local contacts

This is the first spoiler for GOTM133 Zululand, which covers the period up to your entry into the middle ages. Additionally you must have made contact with all tribes on your home continent.

Please do not post about anything that takes place in the middle ages or later.
Please make judicious use of spoiler tags when posting maps. As a guide, maps should be restricted to a 20X20 tile square centered on the starting tile. Minimaps should not be shown.

So - Diplomatic Zulus eh? How can that happen?

 

[milr]

Dip Vic, my favorite victory condition! Entered MA 170AD. Only China left on 'my' continent. As soon as I finish them off, I'll seek out the rest of the CIVs (Don't want my warrior reputation to spread overseas). Then I'll focus on building Lib's and Univ's to help research. No more wars if I can avoid it. Once I get tech superiority, I'll milk the AI's for gold to further accelerate research.

 

[tR1cKy]

I moved the scout S-SW and decided to settle there. Settler SW revealed also the 3rd wheat. In the very first interturn i saw Greek units showing up and Greek borders materializing. Alex agreed to sell Alphabet. Interesting setup

Zim was founded in 3900 BC. It started with a worker, followed by a settler, a warrior and another settler. The scout proceeded to explore the western coast, the southern area and the eastern coast. By 3500 BC i've already met Egypt and China.

Cities were built at RCP 4, with Athens perfectly fitting in the ring. That inevitably put Alex in the top of my list. I founded city 2 Ex3 - MOAR FUD! - but then China beat me to my planned dye spot, and i barely managed to hook up incense on the east coast before another Chinese settler could steal that luxury as well! At that point it was evident that i could build only a handful of cities before being forced to start expanding with the pointy stick. Not that i'm complaining, actually.

On the research side, i went for a min run on Writing, followed by Map Making and Code of Laws, all at max except for a few turns run at zero. Then Literature, Philo (half bought from China) and finally Republic. As Writing was complete, i built embassies immediately and bought Iron Working from China. Iron was located and a strategy was set: first, fill up the remaining space with two cities on the west coast, one Wx2-SW and one NWx3; the first one would build a temple, helped by chops and a poprush, to counter Greek pressure; the second one will focus on building boats; the others will produce barracks followed by warriors for a future upgrade.

The plan was carried on smoothly and without incidents, but it took a while to amass a decent-sized force and a few turns at zero research to collect all the cash for upgrading. Remember, it's everything under Despotism and the AS will poprush defenders. Fortunately they were also building culture, so i could avoid autorazing in most cases. Meanwhile, a pair of galleys are sent exploring the coast. Alas, no western continent, just a tiny island covered with jungle, but important anyway because of the unique gem source.

In 1250 BC, a stack of swordsmen is at the gates of Athens. Next turn, the Greek capital falls and becomes a perfectly placed core city. Enemy hoplites cut their slice from my attacking forces, but the numbers are simply too big. In 1100 BC, Greece becomes OCC and i turn immediately against Egypt. Two Egyptian cities are captured before the QSC mark is reached, with the following stats:

- 11 towns, 31 pop units;
- 2 galleys, 8 swordsmen (6 elite), 6 warriors, 1 scout, 8 workers, 7 slaves;
- 1 temple, 4 barracks;
- missing too much techs

Here is a shot of my empire in 1000 BC:

With all those elite promotions, fishing for an early leader becomes a worthy attempt. However, i need to pause for a little while in order to assemble a healthy all-elite stack to strike at Thebes. Meanwhile, gem city (Intombe) has been founded. To hook up gems in a reasonable time, it will grow at 1 spt/1 fpt and then poprush the remaining 20 shields to build a harbor.

In 850 BC, an all-elite stack is outside Thebes. Next turn the Egyptian capital is captured and a leader is generated. The leader travels to the NW coast and rushed the Great Lighthouse in the galley town. My goal is to meet the AS abroad as soon as possible, because Greece and Egypt can no longer be of any help in research and i'm going to give the same treatment to China as soon as i'm over with Egypt, therefore i have to rely on the unmet AS to get some assistance in the final phases of the AA.

Originally, i just wanted to conquer Egypt and then move on China ASAP, but then Egypt founded Pi-Ramesses on the small south-western rock, in a place that is way better for the Greek OCC, because the current one (Corinth) blocks the spot of a city at RCP 8, the second ring. In 710 BC the Egyptian state was reduced to just 2 cities: the newly built Pi-Ram and the current capital that, alas, didn't have any cultural growth and had shrunk from size 3 to 1. That's why i decided to change my plan.

I made peace with Egypt, extorting Pi-Ram and letting them live as OCC for 20 turns. A few turns later the grace period with Greece was over and i donated them Pi-Ram, declared war again and took over Corinth. Pi-Ram became the Greek OCC for the time being. Later on, Corinth would be razed and rebuilt to fit in the RCP 8. It was now time to move on China. Honestly, this wasn't the fastest way, because some units need to stay in the captured cities and further reinforcement are necessary. I could have simply razed everything and resettled later, but every spot was settled by that time, including islands, and i didn't want to give China any hope to toss a settler on a boat and try to snag another town somewhere.

In 650 BC, the lone survivor of a suicide fleet finally makes contact with the AS oversea. None of them is doing great and the only tech i'm able to buy is Math. However i manage to rake a few extra bucks and a complete map of the world. Contacts between continents aren't sold.

In 530 BC Republic is researched. I revolt immediately, roll 7 turns of anarchy and reroll 3 turns In 430 BC i sell Republic to China for a song (i've had enough of poprushed defenders!) and then war with China finally begins.

In 370 BC a veteran impi kills a regular archer and starts the Golden Age. Two turns later, i complete Construction, trade for Poly and Currency and finally enter the Middle Ages. Greece and Russia are both sold/gifted to the MA. Russia draws Engineering and Greece gets Monotheism. No problem in buying both the techs thanks to Republic (still a monopoly oversea) and the lack of contacts.

At this point China is reduced to 2 cities, Bejing and a small settlement on the west coast. Beijing is about to complete the Pyramids and i'm going to let it live long enough to capture the wonder, and that's also the only reason why Beijing wasn't abandoned and resettled in spite of its UGLY location. The truce period with Egypt is about to end so they'll be dispatched quite soon. Meanwhile, a galley fleet is being built on the east coast with the goal of invading India later. My plans for the far landmass is to take over India and France while Russia and Carthage will be my good buddies forever. With big cities and the Colossus in Paris, France could be of better help in research, but i want that place for my 2nd core.

On a side note, hut fishing wasn't great at all. I got two conscript warriors (both still alive as swords), a not-so-useful tech (Mysticism) and an even less useful map.

Here are some logs:


Techs up to MA:

4000bc: Warrior Code, Pottery (prerequisites)
3950bc: Alphabet (trade, Greece);
3650bc: Masonry, Ceremonial Burial (trade, Egypt); Bronze Working (trade, Greece);
2070bc: Writing (research); Iron Working (trade, China);
1575bc: Wheel (trade, Egypt);
1550bc: Map Making (research);
1425bc: Mysticism (hut);
1075bc: Code of Laws (research); Horse Riding (trade, China)
_925bc: Literature (research);
_850bc: Philosophy (trade, China);
_630bc: Mathematics (trade, Russia);
_530bc: Republic (research);
_330bc: Construction (research); Currency (trade, France); Polytheism (trade, Carthage);


Cities up to QSC:

3900bc: Zimbabwe
2710bc: Ulundi
2230bc: Bapedi (incense);
1910bc: Hlobane
1675bc: Isandlwana (dyes);

1225bc: Athens (captured);
1175bc: Sparta (captured);
1100bc: Thermopylae (captured);
1075bc: Elephantine (captured);
1075bc: Intombe (gems)

1000bc: Alexandria (captured);


Meetings:

3950bc: Greece
3650bc: Egypt
3500bc: China
_650bc: Russia
_630bc: India, Carthage, France

 

[Lanzelot]

Very similar game to tR1cKy here, with Athens ending up as my RCP4 town, Beijing building the Pyramids for me and Russia and Carthage remaining gracious until the end of the game.

A few modifications, however:
- Instead of one town in the NW, I had one on the horse tile and one on the dyes. Made my RCP a bit cramped, though.
- Instead of going for Greece, I went for China first. Seemed like an easier target than the Hoplites. Drawback of course was that completion of my first ring took a bit longer...
- Instead of for Map Making, I went Writing, Literature, Phil and then CoL + Republic with the help of 2 or 3 libraries. This meant later overseas contacts, but an earlier Republic (800BC). I figured that 3 local contacts would be enough to finish the AA quickly, and that more contacts would not be necessary. I think, this was the right decision: I was able to trade for Map Making not much after finishing Literature around 1300 BC. (Another positive point of not attacking Greece first: Greece gave me MM...)
- You don't mention the Great Lighthouse, so I assume it didn't play a role in your game?! I had given MM to Egypt, as Thebes was on the coast, and for once in my live I got lucky: when a cascade was broken on the other continent (I think for the Great Library?!), Thebes switched to Lighthouse and got it next turn...
- Nevertheless my exploration was too slow for a game like this. I remember I stopped research for like 10 turns after finishing the AA (in 410 BC), because I hadn't met Russia yet. In the end it turned out, that these 10 turns where more or less wasted, because Russia got the same tech as Greece... However, they were not really wasted, because I used the cash for rushing some important infrastructure, e.g. courthouse and market in the planned VP town.
- I did not build my VP overseas, but in former Egypt: when Thebes built the Colossus (another stroke of luck) I formed the plan to place the FP in such a way, that Thebes would be in the RCP4 around the FP (where Alexandria is located on your map). However, in this regard I was a bit unlucky: I was hoping for an MGL in my conquests ot China, Greece and Egypt, but in fact I didn't get one in the entire game. So I ended up building brick by brick. In that regard it was good, that the planned FP town was not too far from Zimbabwe, just a bit outside the second ring, so with a cash-rushed courthouse and marketplace and then pushing it to size 12 with workers, I got it to over 10spt during GA and finished the FP in 520AD. (With an MGL I could have had it like 400 years earlier, but what can you do...)
- I didn't trigger my GA with an Impi at the end of the ancient age, but by building the Hanging Gardens in the middle of the middle age. (In fact: I did not build a single Impi in the entire game...) But that is a story for the next spoiler. Suffice it to say here, that I think that in a research game the earlier the GA is, the better, so you will probably have the better game here. But I just couldn't bring myself to triggering the GA before the second core couldn't get at least a bit benefit from it as well.

 

[greatbeyond]

I hope I'm not the only one who avoided near disaster, though I did manage to do so successfully.

I sent my scout to the top of the hill to the SW and was able to see the surrounding wheat. I settled 1SxSW with a plan to share the wheat with a ring of cities. I too was surprised by seeing the Greek borders just two tiles away. A couple of turns later I meet the Chinese and infer that the challenge in this game will be close neighbors.

The first near miss comes when just before my Warrior is finished, Alex steps a Warrior onto the tile next to my capital. All it takes is for him to attack and it is game over before I can even build a unit. I trade with him to hopefully get a positive attitude. Thankfully he turns away.

I build a warrior and then start an Impi. I rethink my production, as Impis aren't much good versus Hoplites. With neighbors this close, I switch from an Impi to building a settler. He is sent to the SW to settle on the coast and claim some floodplains and block Alex from expanding that way. Meanwhile China builds a city just to the north of Zimbabwe next to the Dyes, four tiles away! Things are getting crowded way to fast. At about this time I meet Egypt and have seen enough of the area to realize it is probably the four of us on one land mass and the rest on at least one other landmass.

I have another Settler being built in Zimbabwe and my second city has started a warrior. I see 2 Chinese warriors step out of the newly built city and head south toward Zimbabwe. This catches my attention and seems a little unusual . Next turn they move 1 tile closer and hoping for the best , but believing in being prepared, I pop rush an Impi. A warrior wouldn't have cost any population, but I didn't want to trust the game to 1 warrior versus 2. Sure enough China attacks. The Impi kills the first warrior and the second declines to attack but fortifies right next to the city. So, the game is saved (so far) but I have now lost the ability to decide when to use a golden age for maximum benefit. I manage to pop rush another Impi and a warrior or two. Mao won't settle yet. I build a settler and position this city to the NE of Zimbabwe, getting the cow when it expands. Mao will now trade peace at no cost, but I want to go one more turn hoping to get his settler traipsing around to the NE. I can't get to it in time and now that we both have 3 cities, Mao wants money for peace. I pay him off and plan to bide my time as I see I have Iron nearby.

I was able to keep the AIs from building any cities to the west and north. A major setback comes when Alex borderpops his capital and it is infringing on my second city. Because of the war I haven't been able to complete a temple for culture. Just before I am able to do so, it flips to Alex. He has just made himself target number two.

From here things stabilize. The Iron is connected Swords are built and the attack on China proceeds. I take his dye city, make peace for his other city and a tech, and it is just his capital. My army of 18 Swords steps across the border and Alex is on the way out. He makes peace for all but his capital and the two island cities. He has been at war with Egypt so they are next. I take peace with some techs from them and then finish off China. It is back to Greece. I take his northern island city and get the isolated island city for peace and a tech. It is back to finish off Egypt, then Greece goes as well. I am trying to fill cities in when France lands in former Egyptian lands. I manage to block his settler and the continent is mine. I meet all the other AIs, but they are technologically advanced by a few techs. It is time to rush to the UN.

Great Leaders? several elite swords with many victories produce zero Great Leaders, Not one the whole game.

Hut fishing?! The only hut I saw was on an isolated island far away. Perhaps someone forgot to put them in my save

 

[Lanzelot]

It is back to finish off Egypt, then Greece goes as well.

I kept Greece alive in a far away jungle town (which I had planted and gifted to them the turn before DoWing precisely for that purpose). As the AI was still ages away from Astronomy, there was no risk in the other continent meeting Alex and learning about my bad reputation... But in retrospect, it was in vane: Russia and Greece again got the same tech, and on top of that it was one that I didn't even need for the UN: Nationalism...

But I did get some help from the AI in the middle ages: Russia finished a tech on the lower branch, while I was researching the upper branch, which really surprised me.

 

[tR1cKy]

- You don't mention the Great Lighthouse, so I assume it didn't play a role in your game?!

I do mention it actually. I built the Great Lighthouse with my first leader, on a coast city NW of the capital, and it was very helpful in crossing the oceans.

I got 3 leaders overall, which is normally a pretty low number considering the insane amount of elite victories i had. But i see someone got far worse rolls so i suppose i cannot complain.