GOTM94 - Final Spoiler

[civ_steve]

GOTM 94 Final Spoiler - Game Submitted

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Babylon doesn't have the best UU around, there's lot's of jungle and space to cover to get to the AI, and the Emperor level AI will probably generate one or two strong civs. OTOH, the SCI trait is really nice for late victories. How did you pull this one out? (Or did you ... )

 

[Più Freddo]

Entry class: Predator
Game status: Conquest Victory for Babylon
Game date: 430 AD
Firaxis score: 9576
Jason score: 11170
Time played: 26:14:16

 

[MeteorPunch]

Just wanted to say I enjoyed this game a lot. Though it was Emperor, it felt more like Demigod to me.

I didn't do the math before settling, just went instinct 1NW and had a 5 turn settler factory...would've preferred 4 turn oh well.

I think in retrospect building a FP in the core and jumping the Palace would've been nice, but instead built it by hand after gaining Republic and cash rushed courthouse.

I had big problems during this game aquiring both Iron and Saltpeter, so my initial wars were with Longbows and Bowmen. I had to avoid fighting Persia first because they were already so strong and fought Carthage first.

Zulu and Persia became very strong, so much so that I gained domination without trying to attack them, killing everyone else. I would've loved for those two to go at it, but I screwed up my rep badly in the beginning, and couldn't get anyone to do anything for me all game.

Entry class: Open
Game status: Domination Victory for Babylon
Game date: 1365 AD
Firaxis score: 5658
Jason score: 7921
Time played: 25:03:49

 

[MinutiaRules]

Babylon doesn't have the best UU around, there's lot's of jungle and space to cover to get to the AI, and the Emperor level AI will probably generate one or two strong civs. OTOH, the SCI trait is really nice for late victories. How did you pull this one out? (Or did you ... )

As others had done moving NW to get the cattle early was probably better. I settled in place but things went slowly. Yup w/o a fresh water contact you can't get a 4 turner because 5 to 7 is not possible. Wish I had figured that better. I tried to gang workers to gain access through the jungle but it still didn't go fast enough. And of course I didn't build nearly enough workers early. (Can't shake the feeling that I'm not getting settlers out quick enough. Maybe next game.) I was aiming at one of the iron sources that the AI didn't seem to care about. (Persia never did connect any iron) I did remove Persia and Rome with horsemen then knights. But carelessly ruined my rep. (trading and alliance) and couldn't get anyone else to join me so I gave up on an early conquest. Also I didn't want to continue conquests with cavalry vs. riflemen either. However first Carthage them the Mongols forced my hand. I thought it would go easier but artillary didn't do so well against infantry fortified in hill towns. I managed to eliminate the Mongols (nukes helped). Carthage finished Japan and Zululand. But in the end I had the larger nation and a sizable reasearch lead and took a SS victory in late 1800s. By the end of game I had managed to clear all jungle in my territory.

 

[Più Freddo]

w/o a fresh water contact you can't get a 4 turner because 5 to 7 is not possible

A factory at 4 to 6 was possible if all food bonus tiles were mined.

 

[Megalou]

Predator

My notes became increasingly sketchy and incomplete, as the game became increasingly alike many previous ones. A palace flip could have done me some good too. After my bad start of the MA I would have needed more beakers. I did get a fairly early leader, who I used for the comfortable Sun Tzu wonder, but as often happens, the second leader took a long time to show his face, until 430 AD.

My decision-making was sloppy. After getting Engineering I considered going for Military tradition and wasted valuable turns on Invention, before I realised that knights were a sufficient weapon - I've never seen the Mongols or Persians so weak at this level - and turned back to Monotheism. On the good side, I sent workers well in advance to road the jungle for future routes. But the two turn worker factory could have been set up earlier with, again, quicker decision-making. The same goes for the late libraries in the strong towns.

Here are the notes, for what they are worth. At least there is a nice comment from Xerxes which I'm sure not everyone has read.

825 - Embassy in Japan. Republic (monopoly). Enter MA. Get crappy Engineering.
Peace with Persia. Allied Japan against Carthage.
Gift Persia and they get Engineering too!
Republic.

MA
750 BC- Lost 2 horsemen but triggered Zulu despotic and maybe somewhat anarchic GA.
670 - War with Mongols. Great Leader Agum emerges.
650 - Allied Rome against Mongols - for nothing! You've gotta love the most will-powered AI.
510 - Peace with the disgusting Zulu impis for Engineering.
Learned Monoteism. Traded Feudalism from India. Hurried Sun Tzu with Agum. Next is Chivalry.
350 (ca) - Built some libraries. (Late.)
230 BC - Demanded World Map from Persia and got it.
"You have Persia at a temporary disadvantage,
and you seek to profit from her discomfort.
I have no choice but to agree, I suppose,
but do not expect this unfortunate state of affairs to continue forever..."
We then demanded Tyre many times, asked an archer to leave and were declared on.

210 - Captured Gordium. Like Tyre, it was very poorly defended. Lack of unit support?
IT: Invention.
170 - Captured Bactra. Poor defence again.
Stopped worker factory.

90 BC - Perspolis taken.
170 AD - No Persian towns left. Peace for gunpowder.
270 ad - Karakorum taken (pyramids.)
350 - Dehli captured. Bowman wins battle. Golden Age started (without an FP.) I will not
have victory in 20 turns, but almost, so there is no point waiting for a better GA time.
430 - Great leader #2 spawned. FP.
440 - Short play time due to battery failure.
460 - War on Zulu.
480 - Leader hurries Sistine Chapel.
600 (ca) - RoP rape on Carthage. I ended up taking about half their core. I also snatch a few Japanese towns after they had declared on me.
630 - Romans gone. Zulu townless.
640 - Domination, 61 tiles over the limit.

 

[Optional]

Entry class: Predator
Game status: Diplomatic Victory for Babylon
Game date: 1290 AD
Firaxis score: 5243
Jason score: 7981
Time played: 38hrs + 8s.

Actually, the first time the victory screens passed and I got the question 'Are you done or 'couple more turns?' I pressed 'I'm done', followed by 'Oops! I need to submit a save!' So I had to replay the last turn from the autosave, came out a point lower on score the second time (on the submitted save).
I don't know if the guys that check a save can spot a replay of a turn, but if they do; this was no cheat, just a noob mistake.

So in the IA I continued to play peacefully. India and Persia looked the most likely candidates to help me now and then with a tech. I sold them any techs I got immediately, and set them up against weaker foes, in the hope they would become bigger and better researchers. It didn't quite work; they helped me with their money but almost never researched a decent tech.
Zulu became quite strong as they were taking over most of Carthaginian territory. It was clear they would be my rivals for the diplo victory. They had been warring for long spells, so I was amazed when I spotted in the replay their GA had only started in 1280 AD! No impi must have won a battle before that.

Only 4 turns before the end I declared war for the first time in the game. Against the Zulu, of course. There were 6 civs left, Shaka had destroyed the Carthaginians and Tukogawa had destroyed the Romans. I knew I needed 4 votes. It was crucial that I got everybody on my side against them. The Japanese declared on my a few turns before the end, they ended up abstaining, but I got my 4 votes no problem.

 

[CKS]

Open, 20K

I played a sloppy game, but muddled through. I had lots of elite victories but didn't get a GL until about 1750 AD, though I ended up with three.
Game status: Cultural 20K Victory for Babylon
Game date: 1800 AD
Firaxis score: 3399
Jason score: 4769