GOTM81 - Spoiler #2

[civ_steve]

GOTM 81 - second spoiler, The Middle Ages

I've got very spotty access to the internet for the next 3 weeks; this hotel has a business center so I thought I'd better get this out while I had a shot!

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!

Clearly an early challenge for this GOTM is to avoid (or delay) an early war with the Russians. If you've made it to the Middle Ages, how are things going? Do you run your continent or do you still have some challengers for your control? And how is the 2nd continent going - any challenge there?

 

[milr]

Open Class – Middle Ages

Our military invaded Russia early into the MA. Not one, but rather three Great Leaders emerged early on in the conflict. One leader built a unified army, one looked to the spiritual needs of our nation, while the third improved our military infrastructure, so that now all our new military personnel emerge as seasoned veterans. While the Russians are now history, their archers left many lasting memories iof their bravery in the flesh of our heroic fighters.

Our first galley went north a bit, than east across the ocean expanse. Three turns later they made it to a sea tile and Americans watching from the shore. Some may say we were lucky sailors, but we Germans engineer great sailing vessels (nor did it hurt that a few of our sailors had a touch of Norwegian blood in their gene pool.)

When Rome declared on Egypt, we took the opportunity to join our Egyptian friends in battle, taking the three Russian cities that had crossed the great continental divide. That left just one Egyptian city on our side of the divide. We quickly sealed the 3-tile border with our military, leading to a long and fruitful peace with our neighbors.

Attention to war came at some expense to our scientific community, allowing the American scientists to grasp the lead in new discoveries. But aided in part by a lucrative luxury trade balance with my near and far friends, we have been able to redouble our efforts toward scientific supremacy.

 

[PrinceMyshkin]

Entry class: Predator
Game status: Conquest Victory for Germany
Game date: 950 AD
Firaxis score: 7645
Jason score: 9936
Time played: 17:06:43

Having entered the MA in 350BC and getting feudalism as free tech, I took a few turns positioning troops for the inevitable war with Russia. Since they had built the GLib, the plan was to capture it and keep research off until the ai's got engineering for me and then research to military tradition. I used cash to rush some MI and started the war in 250BC. I left the other continent alone in this game as the Aztecs and Americans were already at war with the Iroquois. Egypt and Rome were already at war and would stay that way for some time. I allied France against Russia and eventually got a bit of happiness from that, just before Russia was destroyed.

Moscow was captured in 50BC and the same turn, I got my first MGL which I used to rush Sun Tzu's in Berlin. This started my GA and the war went well against Russia. One flip occured against Russia and they were destroyed in 270AD, just after France made peace with them. Just before the war ended, I got my second MGL which I used to rush Leonardo's in Berlin. It also allowed the connection of 4 luxuries which helped quite a bit. Rome didn't want to wait for war and sneak attacked in 90AD. I resigned peace with the Egyptians for an MA, but they would honor the deal.

The ai's got engineering in 10AD at which point, I turned research back on for invention at 60% science with a positive gpt. I hadn't neglected building cheap libraries and also built the FP during the GA. Research was invention in 170AD, gunpowder in 280AD, chemistry in 370AD, metallurgy in 450AD, military tradition in 550AD. I could have cut research off at this point as I finally discovered safe passage with the GLightHouse to the NE and in the west, but I preferred going on to navigation after the GLib expired in 600AD. Research was shut off for good when this was discovered in 670AD.

War with Rome was slow through the jungle and they had many legions coming south in a steady stream, but my MI kept making progress against them with some losses. It didn't help that the Romans had built the Great Wall, either. France was an easier target and I captured the GLightHouse from them in 380AD. They were destroyed in 450AD, just as I captured the choke area from Rome. Losses were high in the war with Rome, however, as a force of 50 MI had been whittled to only 20 by the time I started producing knights. By then, the Romans had muskets and my knights only managed to capture one more town before cavs turned the tide against the Romans. I got my third and last MGL in 500AD and used him to jump the Palace to Antium near the Roman silks, just south of Rome to prevent flips there and help the economy a bit. Once cavs appeared, the war went much quicker and the Romans were destroyed in 600AD.

I held off on attacking Egypt until cavs were in position as I still had a deal with them and didn't start the war against them until 680AD. They had 2 towns on an island, but kindly handed them over when I asked for them. In 650AD, I started war against the Aztecs, chaining cavs to the west capturing their towns on the large, barbarian infested island. War against Egypt was quick and their last town was captured in 720AD. A settler escaped on a boat, however, so I made peace with them and concentrated on the Aztecs.

In 740AD, I captured two towns on the Aztecs continent with troops coming from the Egyptian war. The Americans were also busy capturing Aztec towns, but I captured the majority reducing the Aztecs to two towns and cutting off the Americans. The Aztecs had a one-tile island I need to gain from them in peace. I delayed this since America was still honoring our alliance and sent cavs south to position for an RoP rape, also redeclaring on the OCC Egyptians. The Aztecs gave the island for peace in 820AD and were destroyed on the same turn. The Egyptians were dispatched in 860AD.

I captured 3 American towns on the first turn of the war and also pillaged all of their resources. They were a little stubborn on defense with many towns settled on hills and had enough culture to cause two flips, but cavs were eventually too much for them and they were destroyed after a short peace to gain two island towns in 910AD. War was quick against the Iroquois who were destroyed in 940AD for a conquest victory in 950AD.

I thought this was an excellent map. It was nice to finally see ai's with resources actually hooked up and the 3byo world with many towns settled on hills made things difficult. I also liked the nearby neighbor's as we've had many games lately with no ai's near us. The search for safe passage with the GLighthouse was also a nice touch. Thanks, civ_steve, for a fun game.

Edit: Finally figured out how to make this.

 

[Flak509]

I explored mainly to the north, and let the Russians mess about in the southeast. They went for me rather fast, my defence of Berlin repelled their warriors and as i got horsemen i was able to kick them back into the tundra.
I then settled the north but didnt get to take all the jungle before Rome landed 4 cities in the jungle. The Russians attacked me again and this time i pushed them back even more and took 3 of their better cities. My offensive was stopped by a Roman invasion that i had to fight of costing me alot of horsemen.
Then i had some peace, until i was ready to clear my back and get rid of the Russians for good. They didnt have much chance against my knights and i even got a Leader.

It was my luck that Rome and Egypt went to war and i quickly finished of the Russians to come the Egyptains to aid, and captureing 3 Roman cities leaving just one city in the jungle. By this time however a massive Roman stack came marching and i was forced into a peace.

Then came a time of rebuilding and resetteling the Russian southeast with as many cities as the tundra could handle as many of them can only grow to 2-5 in size.
I was able to build one more army, upgrade my replace my knight and attack the Romans again now for control of the mainland. They had a bigger army than me but thanks to a small army of cannons, musketmen and cavalry stationed on the continental devide they bleed to death on my defence and now i only encounter a few desperate cavalry and am about to lay seige to Rome and its just a matter of time for the Romans, unless my economy is too weak to sustain the huge amount of defensive units need to secure the Roman heartland as i march thru.

Ive been behind in tech for most of the game, but has been able to keep up militarily by the use of limted and well planned offensives.

I was able to get the Collosus in Leipzig, that has really saved my economy, it is still very dependent on trades with other nations and has never run too well, im in a -12 per round and 300gc left, my one hope is that taking Rome will secure me with the funds to keep the war going.

 

[Lanzelot]

Edit: Finally figured out how to make this.

Please tell me! tR1cKy once said in the GOTM74 Final Spoiler that they can be done with CivAssist II, but I never found out how?!

 

[PrinceMyshkin]

Please tell me! tR1cKy once said in the GOTM74 Final Spoiler that they can be done with CivAssist II, but I never found out how?!

No problem, Lanzelot. Just start CivAssist early or at the start of the game and set it to save archived autosaves. Later when you finish the game you can open all the archived saves at once. You can clicky through turn by turn and check all CivAssist stats per turn, including unit moves and worked tiles in World Map view.

To make the mini-map replay just right click on the mini-map and choose export multiple maps. It will create a gif file showing the replay and you can upload to image shack/photo bucket, etc as usual and post. Mike work with easy uploads here.

I've enjoyed your posts and how you learn to do things better. That's why I went ahead and switched to predator long ago even though I wasn't at that level then. I think it helped me learn to play better. Best.

 

[Lanzelot]

Thanks a million! CivAssist is really a heck of a tool! I'm sure I only know and use 10% of it's capabilities, but that already makes a huge difference. I'll try the minimap for the next game I start (probably COTM52). Unfortunately I already started COTM51 two weeks ago (when I was still undecided, whether to abandon GOTM81 or not, and needed a break... )

I've enjoyed your posts and how you learn to do things better.

Well, I have to say, you guys here and the Military Academy taught me lot, so I'm just trying to give something back. Hope that my "trials and errors" or the occasional idea I have will be helpful once in a while, or at least give someone a fresh impulse.

That's why I went ahead and switched to predator long ago even though I wasn't at that level then. I think it helped me learn to play better. Best.

Chamnix has also already tried to convince me to switch to Predator. So I guess I'll have to do it soon... even though I think I'm not in that league yet. Most of my games are just average.

Ok, I won't publish a second spoiler this time, as my game ended just a couple of turns into the Industrial Age. So for a report on how I fared in GOTM81, go directly to the final spoiler. (Or rather: give me an hour to type it in...)

Lanzelot