Guess the Settler Leader

[iggymnrr]

Darius currently holds the record for a settler space colony game. On a huge settler highlands map at marathon, he launched the ship at 390 BC. I wanted to explore a different leader at these same settings. As far as strategy is concerned, the game would feature an environmentalism + Cereal Mills finish with a pre-chopped space ship. That is, the ship will be built while every city, save one, is in wealth/research mode. That should suggest an appropriate leader. However, testing revealed some problems.

I'm a hard REXer and the Taj is a bit tricky. So, after some thought, I concluded I really need to stop REXing. Ain't ever gonna happen. Is there a plan B? Well, I planned on using the Hagia Sophia again ... so ... an early prophet can bulb a tech that opens a path to the Taj tech ... There is also a wonder that prophet can access that might help pay off the mortgage on a huge land grab ...

Makes a person wonder how well a certain leader can do with this strategy. Can you guess the leader?

I leave the answer in a spoiler. I also want to say that the enviro+CM finish was spectacular. In the space of 15 turns, marathon, the beaker rate went from 5300 bpt to over 10k. At that pace a person REALLY wants to collect the pre-chopped ship.

Spoiler :

Gandhi launched the ship at 370 BC, a mere 2 turns slower than Darius.

 

[vranasm]

oh well... I guessed right...

Spoiler :

ok first I thought you used some financial leader which makes enviro much much better and then paid closer attention to the prophet thing...

I thought it has to be someone who starts with mysticism, I admit it was very lucky call be me though, since I didn't choose ghandi for philo, but more he was the first one to come to mind when thinking about good leader starting with mysticism...

Can you please elaborate more on the REX thing... you confuse me there a bit. Does it mean you will milk AI cities or goody huts, combination and never build settler? or some stop point where you say "screw this no more settlers".

 

[shakabrade]

Spoiler :

Who is Phi leader for GP and can chop the best... Mhm. Some Phi leader with fast workers. Gandhi...perhaps?

Gandhi indeed.

Although, wouldn't Asoka be a great choice because of organized for heavy rexing?

 

[joanne]

Spoiler :

When I read about how you planned to build Taj my mind immediately went to either of the Indian leaders, so I guess I'm only half right - seems fitting though, historically speaking. (the Indians building Taj, not the ancient wooden spaceship)

 

[strijder20]

Spoiler :

I guessed it was a Phi leader, but couldn't get a clue about the other trait.

 

[iggymnrr]

Can you please elaborate more on the REX thing... you confuse me there a bit. Does it mean you will milk AI cities or goody huts, combination and never build settler? or some stop point where you say "screw this no more settlers".

42ish cities by 1800 BC, looking for grain and, ideally, double food sites with trees. The Darius game had 20 popped settlers, this one less than 10. So ~2100 BC cities were geared towards settlers with a worker sent out in advance to pre-chop the new city's 2nd worker. (AI were all dead, save one, by 2050 BC.) A non-financial leader will have severe economy problems. Things that help some are: windmills; HG->caste merchant, DR->SM, a golden age (MoM), etc. The tricky thing was playing for 4 golden ages in a short time period. A scientist (non-artist) is useful for the first GA but committing to a 2nd GA via GP is funky where the national epic is at work. A person wants the Taj for the 2nd GA. The problem with philosophy is that 1 scientist will bulb all of education (think settler) and teching philo is off path from RP/biology. Basically, I get to theo/machinery while retaining cash to get the new wave of settlers out and settle them when I can just barely survive until that first GA. The first GA was ~1750 BC, the Taj ~1350 BC.

 

[blitzkrieg1980]

This is the kind of thread that lets you know when a Civ game is aging past its prime ;-)

 

[iggymnrr]

@shakabrade
Bingo.
@joanne
You caught that reference.

@strijder20
Theology, Divine Right.

 

[BornInCantaloup]

After MoM is built, is there a time that is too early to launch a Golden Age ?
How do you time the first ?

Off topic, yes, I guess

 

[iggymnrr]

After MoM is built, is there a time that is too early to launch a Golden Age ?
How do you time the first ?

Scientist. They are the easiest to produce and needing 2 and 3 of different types they are the most flexible. On settler a person may or may not get music in the hut popping phase. If the goal is 4 quick GAs (1 via Taj) it seems to be a mistake to use the music artist for the 1st GA. There is a tacit assumption that communism is not in the strategy. If SP or 1 less GA is the goal, a music 1st GA may be okay. (Gandhi did not need the communism GP. Hence the dalliance in DR to open up nationalism. He also used religion civics and wonders.)

If that wasn't very clear, my 4 GAs were at ~ 1750 BC, 1350 BC (Taj), 1110 BC and 800 BC. The strategy doesn't need a GA finish. From 550 BC to the 370 BC launch, GAs were obsolete. A chopped spacehip doesn't need them and evriro+CM did it's thing. BPT went from ~5300->10k+ without a GA. (Some of that from FR.)

 

[vicawoo]

I think an imperialistic leader might compete very well on the lowest difficulties.

 

[iggymnrr]

I think an imperialistic leader might compete very well on the lowest difficulties.

I've been looking for an excuse to play Vicky. You might consider another trait when you learn that I finished with 200 workers for 44 cities. Joao anyone?