GOTM59 Spoiler

[Ali Ardavan]

I started playing last night. I knew I did not want to do OCC, but I was not sure what strategy I wanted to pursure.

I founded London on the original spot and started producing settlers. Huts gave me a supported archer, nothing, 50g, Warrior code, and two advanced tribes.

It is now -925. I just finished Marco. I have 8 cities, one archer, one warrior, a caravan, and 3 settlers. I have not built any infrastructure or any other wonders. Warlord level has caused my tech advance to be quite ahead of what it usually is at this point.

My rivals have 2-3 cities each, 3-6 units each, and about half as many techs as I do. I have exchanged maps with all but the Japanese. I ran into a Japanese warrior a few turns back so I have a rough idea where they are.

This is a good time to make a decision on how to proceed. Realizing that, I saved the game and went to sleep

 

[Peaster]

This game seemed about as long as two turns of GOTM 58, the same feeling I had in GOTM 51. I probably could have finished in 500BC, to tie with Grigor for the Green Star [according to the Crystal Ball]. Except that he thinks he can do better than that, and now I agree with him.

I built the Pyramids again, for score. They seem to help with EC on very big maps, but the extra growth doesn't pay off until about 300BC. By then the grandmasters are already having their second post-conquest drinks on small maps like this one. I kept the Persians alive for a growth phase, and finished in the late BC years. I lost a few turns because I couldn't get Republic or Monotheism when needed (2/3 tech rule).

Only one English casualty in this game, with an all-rookie army !

 

[Sharkbait]

Finished about 520 AD. Had begun to build cities incl SSC but once I got MPE it was clear that there wasn't much brainpower in the other civs so would be just a slog, so changed to conquest and wiped them out. Russians had been taken out early by the Sioux, and no civs had more than a few cities. Built about a dozen wonders and that was that. A fun one session type of game.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

I decided not to go for a conquest as the rival civs seemed too pathetic for any real challenge.

First, I decided to get rid of Russians and Japanese and keep Sioux and Persians while I shoot for the space. After I made a few crusaders for the conquest of two-city Japan I realized they are at the corner of my home island and there is a choke point. Why bother? I get more value from trade with them than having two additional cities.

Sioux and Russians have been fighting from early on. I am allied with the Sioux who are my key civ and have given them all my techs repeatedly. I took Minsk and killed at least half a dozen Russian units. Despite all that the pathetic Sioux could not hold on to Kiev when they took it and have since lost Cedar Creek to Russians as well. I have hesitated in destroying Russians because I am too busy with buidling wonders and infrastructure but I may have to do it if the Sioux are threatened further.

Nobody is bothering with wonders in this game either. Persians started Great Library a few turns before I made it obsolete and then changed it to Pyramids. No one else has even started a wonder.

I am in early 700s now. It is hard to keep up with the building when techs are so cheap. I have all the wonders I need up to the industrial age. Hoover dam just got started and will be the first modern wonder. Flight is only a few techs away. I am shooting for launching before 1000 but I am not sure it is possible yet.

 

[Ali Ardavan]

I just passed 1000. Apollo was finished in 1000 and the space race started immediately. I am building a full ship so it is going to take a few turns.

The pathetic Sioux lost another city to Russians and were down to their capital. I have given them every tech there is. I had to interrupt a freight delivery and grab a mechanical infantry to deposit on their land for defense against Russian chariots and cannons.

 

[mr. Y]

And now for something completely different.

My first try for EC; I normally play for landing.
Could have made it in the BC's, but decided to build some wonders, this was just too tempting.

 

[URUWASHI]

Like Ali, I persued the same kind of game.
First Hut returned a Horseman , and send him to scout the Polar strip.
He ended in the left Island and got 2 advance Tribes.
My Scouts in the Main Island found 1 free Settler and 2 Advance Tribes , I had 5 cities by the time usually you have a second city...so I figured ...go for the Space Ship!
Decided London will be my Science City. Built 4 Extra Cities in the nearby forests that provided me with needed Caravans to build all wonders in SC.
Cities got dismanteled after SC got finished.
By 500 AD Science City had over 17 population , Discoveries every 2-3 Turns
Finished Apollo a few turns after 1000 AD ...
Taking a Break for now......will resume game later
SS Ready to take off 40.000 settlers by Late 1100- or Earlier 1200.
ETA-1250-1280
20 Wonders Built.5 Future Techs .
By Launch will have 30-35 Extra Caravans- Last 10 Turns will be Building all missing 7 Wonders - Expect All wonders built by the time SS gets to Centaury.
Yes, It could be a quick Conquest game ....But this was Fun!

 

[AncestralSpark]

I'm pretty much a rookie at this so my effort is poor by anyones standards. I started well and had an explosion of settlers and cities. Met the Japanese straight away, but waited for ages to build up my infrastructure. It got to a point where I knew I should have started attacking ages ago. I switched to producing my army and proceeded to wipe the entire world out! The hardest thing to do at this point was find the enemy, no one seemed to want to share their world map with me!

Very easy, a nice intro to GOTM, but should have done much better!

AS

 

[Ali Ardavan]

AncestralSpark, welcome to the game. Congradulations for finishing up. This was a warlord level game which is the lowest level we have ever played around here. Typically we play at King or Emperor level. Make sure you read around the forum for tips. There is a lot to learn about this game.

I finished yesterday. Like Uruwashi I launched a full space ship in the late 1100s. A turn after my launch the pathetic Sioux turned back stabbing and used a paratrooper to take an undefended city of mine in a nearby island. It immediately got surrounded by my partisans. It happened to be a day before an Oedo year so I threw my worthless senate who just handed Sioux a cease fire out and took the city back using my partisans. I also used the opportunity to get rid of a few Russian units which were pestering my border. The next turn I went after St. Petersburg which the Sioux have recently taken from Russains with the aim of capturing it; but I ended up razing it instead. Went back to Democracy immediately and used the partisans to beef up my defense. There were no more incidents till the end.

In retrospect, I wonder if I should have juts let it go. The recapture of the city cost me an entire turn's worth of production, science, and tax money. It was a large city with population in teens but it was otherwise insignificant.

 

[mr. Y]

AncestralSpark, welcome & congrats.
A tip about the maps: If you really want maps, give away stuff to the AI. I usually give some techs until their attitude is at least Cordial, and then they might trade maps. On higher levels you need to reach 'Enthousiastic' before they want to exchange maps.

Now, you might not like the idea of giving away techs. Neither did I. Learn to live with it, because usually it's worth it.

 

[AncestralSpark]

Ali - Thanks! Yeah, I realised it was set to an easy level when I found out the other civs only had a few cities when I had about 20. I might go back and have a look at some of the older GOTM's and see how I do. I've been playing Civ II on and off since I bought it way back in '96/7 (I can't remember exactly), there are loads of great tips on this site, but you are right - I still have alot to learn!

mr. Y - Thanks! Great tip - I'll have to try that next time, it would definately save alot of time searching for the enemy AI's.

Also, I forgot to mention that I finished with conquest in 670 AD, (mutters to himself - must do better).

AS.

edit: just thought I'd better mention the mode of victory for added clariity

 

[Old n Slow]

I'm playing this game as if I were on vacation (hey wait -- I play that way with most of my games!), maybe with one eye closed. I'm in the early 400's and only have a few cities offshore -- have about 40 techs, a few wonders, everybody's map and have yet to decide how I want to play this from here.

 

[Ancano]

Whew, I finally finished the game. I'm glad it was only at warlord level, because I am quite rusty on my Civ2 skills. I got a spaceship victory in 1885, I'm sure I could have gotten a conquest much earlier than that if I had wanted, I had the AI on the run the whole game. I spent most of my time just creating large cities all over the map.