GOTM97 - First Spoiler

[civ_steve]

GOTM 97 - First spoiler, the Ancient Age

Reading Requirements:

1. Must be able to research a Middle Ages Technology.

Posting restrictions

1. Feel free to discuss distant contacts and trades, but be discreet about locations or directions of any AI.
2. No discussion of middle-ages (or later) including resource locations.
3. AS ALWAYS, do not post Spoiler information for ANY other 'X'OTM contest.

First, where did you found your capital and why? Next, your starting island is a bit limited ; how much did you do to develop it, and did you look elsewhere for space, resources, etc. How did your contacts go? And how are you doing as you enter the Middle Ages?

 

[Più Freddo]

Predator class, going for Conquest

I moved the Worker N and then the Settler NW. Wanting to escape from the coastline I then decided to found Kyoto on the Hill NNW from the starting location. Without Fresh Water, growth was only 3 fpt. I researched Pottery and built three Warriors before the Granary, which was completed in 2630 BC. Because growth was so slow, I built a mixture of Warriors, Workers and mostly Chariots and Settlers in the capital.

3900 BC Found Kyoto
3400 BC Connect Horses
2390 BC Found Osaka
2190 BC Found Tokyo
1650 BC Found Edo
1450 BC Found Satsuma​

I built a ring of cities at distance four from the capital. These cities built a few Warriors and Workers before starting on pre-builds for Galleys. Research went towards Map Making:

4000 BC Discover The Wheel
3400 BC Discover Pottery
2670 BC Discover Alphabet
1910 BC Discover Writing
1400 BC Discover Map Making​

The first Galley set sail in 1400 BC, the next the following turn. I soon met many other tribes and could trade for all kinds of knowledge. From here on I built Barracks and troops in the Grassland cities in the west. Also the Capital got a Barracks and settled in a pattern of four-turn veteran Horseman, four-turn Settler. I went on to found several cities in the eastern Jungles, which worked the Coast and produced Wealth.

1325 BC Meet Korea
1300 BC Pop Hut Chariot1: Technology
1300 BC Meet Scandinavia
1300 BC Meet Russia
1300 BC Meet China
1300 BC Meet America
1300 BC Embassy Korea
1300 BC Embassy Scandinavia
1300 BC Embassy Russia
1300 BC Embassy China
1300 BC Embassy America
1300 BC War Scandinavia
1300 BC War China
1300 BC PT/A Korea v. Scandinavia​

1300 BC Learn Warrior Code
1300 BC Learn Mysticism
1300 BC Learn Masonry
1300 BC Learn Iron Working
1300 BC Learn Horseback Riding
1300 BC Learn Ceremonial Burial
1300 BC Learn Bronze Working​

Research went towards The Republic and then Chivalry. It might have been unnecessary to go beyond The Republic, especially since the Samurai wouldn't start the Golden Age. But shield production was also very low, so it's not quite clear that quality could have been replaced by quantity. Short-rushing Horsemen is still quite shield-intensive.

Researching Mathematics in order to quicken C&C proved to be a lucky strike, since Russia discovered Code of Laws in the mean time.

1225 BC Discover Philosophy
1100 BC Learn Polytheism
1000 BC Discover Mathematics
1000 BC Learn Code of Laws
_950 BC Learn Literature
_570 BC Discover The Republic
_430 BC Discover Currency
_390 AD Learn Construction​

Contact with France came in very late. I say no more in order not to spoil the fun.

1225 BC War Russia
1050 BC War Korea War Happiness!
1025 BC Pop Hut Chariot3: Barbarians
1000 BC Peace Russia
1000 BC PT/A Scandinavia v. Korea
_950 BC Pop Hut Chariot4: Technology
_670 BC Meet France
_590 BC Establish Anarchy
_590 BC Embassy France
_570 BC Establish Republic 20% Entertainment
_550 BC War Scandinavia
_550 BC PT/A Russia v. Korea
_390 AD Peace Scandinavia
_390 AD Enter Middle Ages​

I was now ready to take on the continental tribes, starting with the Koreans, which kindly declared war in 1050 BC. Another strike of luck was the completion of The Great Lighthouse in Nidaros on the very turn I captured it.

1300 BC Found Kagoshima
1050 BC Found Nara
_875 BC Found Nagoya
_690 BC Found Izumo
_610 BC Capture Seoul
_550 BC Found Nagasaki
_450 BC Capture Nidaros with The Great Lighthouse and The Colossus​

 

[Più Freddo]

In 1000 BC, I had:

_7 towns
18 citizens
_3 barracks
_1 granary
_5 workers
_5 warriors
_3 chariots
_1 horseman
_3 galleys
_5 contacts
_5 embassies
horses
all non-optional technologies except C&C​

 

[greatbeyond]

Open class

Settled in place after using the Worker to Scout.
Committed to building mines all over my Island. It didn't really take that long to have a tile for each citizen to work.

I took a little bit of an alternate approach and decided to not go straight for MM. Instead I wanted Monarchy ASAP hoping the early production advantage of being able to cash rush would allow a victory sooner rather than later. It wasn't for a couple of turns that I realized we were on an island, but even then I didn't change my strategy. I placed a city opposite the Vikings and waited for a border pop for expansion. I very quickly settled my island, then once I knew most of the other AIs, I made tech trades and became the tech leader. I did expand to the landmass to the SW (not fully explored yet, so no spoiler info) and settled three cities, one next to the only source of Iron nearby.

Then it was building Horsemen for the onslaught against one of the AIs. I was thinking the Vikings but as part of my tech trades I had to make a big gpt with Russia. What better way to cancel the trade and DOW against the top dog in score. I used some techs to get most everyone else into the war and let the Vikings take the initial brunt of the war. I followed up and only got two of their four cities. One being Moscow with the just finished Pyramids. Then it was wait a few turns and turn on the Vikings. I had just hooked up my Iron and used Swordsmen to head south through Viking Lands, while Horsemen took care of the two cities to the north. I reached the MA having finished Ragnar and looking toward Korea.

I started to realize that Conquest/Domination was going to be a long haul from the looks of what was revealed so far. I considered other approaches and am keeping an open mind at this point.