Have you lost? If so, how?

[Lyoncet]

So while most of us seem to agree that (aside from early rushes and barb problems) Civ VI is pretty easy right now. But I've seen some people mention losing.

My question is: how have you lost (and what were your settings)? Religious Victory? Barbarians? Domination? If Domination, was it an early rush, long grinding war, or other? Can you explain a little bit of how it happened? Any games you didn't play out all the way but were effectively knocked out of?

I'm curious just to see in what ways the AI is outmuscling the players, and in what circumstances. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[redwings1340]

I'll post this here: http://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/the-game-where-everything-went-wrong.601359/

Basically, a massive comedy of errors on emperor difficulty. I didn't lose or win in the end (my kitties unplugged my computer and then I decided to start a new game), but by that point England/Germany got all the techs necessary for the space victory and had several spaceports, while I was still about 10+ techs back, getting my first spaceport online.

 

[RohirrimElf]

Ok, here is how my last 2 games ended.

The first real game (after a couple succesfull and unsuccesfull starts) on king i played with Gorgo. And still diddn`t know much what i was doing. Still at the end of ancient era i was ahead against all AI`s by score. I havent attacked anybody just expanded and focussed on faith/writers.

My second game as Russia i played on tundra with only 1 real AI opponent (America). I managed to survive an attack by a coalition of America and Egypt. Egypt diddnt really participate in the war. But america send out 3 units. Which could have taken my unprotected expansion. Instead the chariots drove towards my capital where they met 3 archers. I picked one of and this pretty much ended the war. I stopped playing with Russia at about turn 200. By score i was about average out of 12 ai`s, epic game speed, emperor.

My third and forth game ended in disaster in about 40 turns (also emperor). I was on a packed continent with 5 opponents all around me. While i was attacking a barbarian camp on my first save i was out of position. Sumeria attacked me with 4 war carts and a barbarian. My capital was taken in 2 turns and the game ended.
When i rerolled the safe and instead went for military and settler instead of wonder (hanging gardens) as my last game. I still did not have a chance. I build 2 warriors and 2 slingers (did not have time to reach archery). And they could only put up a pathetic defence against the war carts who had 2x as much melee strenght.

Congratiolations Sumeria. You totally humiliated me.
I`ll play on prince on my next game. Build a wonder early on and take it easy. I`ve found that on emperor that going early wonder or faith really is not an option if you want to take care of more then a barb camp or 2.

 

[criZp]

"Lost", as in gave up, against Teddy on king difficulty on this map. I did get a religion with religious community and defender of faith, but the map was just too bad. Only 1 decent expansion spot (north) and no chance at taking out Teddy in sight. I mean just look at my science and culture.

 

[slyone14]

I just lost a game as Kongo. It was my own fault really. My first game on King difficulty Continents map, 14 civs I was playing as Arabia and I went all the way to Modern era, had a small military and was surrounded by civs. For the entire game nobody ever came after me one time. Not a declaration of war, Denounce, nothing. Was very peaceful.

So fast forward to my lost game. I was Kongo, had 3 cities was at the start of the Medieval Era. I was surrounded by Japan and France. Both were friends of mine since the start so I figured I was safe. Well, France decided to backstab me and bum rushed me with like 13 units. My poor 2 archers were wiped out and I lost all my cities. It was sad. MY own fault, but I thought hell the last game nobody touched me and I had more civs around me. Lesson learned, NEVER trust France!!

 

[Timally]

Sumaria is terrible for this. 6 warcarts can appear from nowhere and besiege you completely

That was my loss anyway

 

[Larsenex]

Never ..ever..trust her. I am building an army now to invade her.

 

[CaiusDrewart]

I've lost twice, both times on Immortal. Once as Germany I got an early joint DOW from Rome and Sumeria (ouch). War carts are pretty tough to deal with. Rome was less of a problem but the Roman AI spammed so many warriors (at least 15, plus maybe 5 chariots) that it took forever to kill all of them and fight my way to the gates of Rome. By that time legions showed up. With the horde of war carts still destroying my economy and Rome itself impossible to take, I quit.

The second time I lost as Russia. There were 8 barbarian units--most of them cavalry--inside my borders within the first 15 turns. So that was that.

But once I survive the hazardous early game, it's smooth sailing. On Immortal I'm equal with the leading AIs in pretty much all metrics by turn 100 (with the exception of army size, but that one doesn't matter). I'm way ahead by turn 150.

Personally, I like how fraught and dangerous the early game is. It's fun. City defenses are so weak, wars are so frequent, barbarians are so plentiful... it's great stuff. But the late game challenge needs to be improved. How many people have late-game losses? In Civ IV it was possible to stabilize early yet lose late. If you got stuck at 4-6 cities while some Deity AI got 20+ cities, it became really tough to beat that AI to space. I'm not getting that kind of dynamic in Civ VI.

 

[slyone14]

Never ..ever..trust her. I am building an army now to invade her.

Yeah, it took me by complete surprise. Her and I were getting along so well. She invited me out to her place. We had a nice long talk about each other. We talked often and declared ourselves close. She would provide me open access to her place and free cattle, iron and other odd gifts. I really thought we had something special.

We just declared us exclusive, then in one fell swoop, she crushed my hopes and dreams and slaughtered me.

 

[Cronos]

Yes I was Eagle Rushed by the Aztecs. Despite building nothing but military units, they were not strong enough to hold out and I got squashed.

 

[Lyoncet]

I just lost a game as Kongo. It was my own fault really. My first game on King difficulty Continents map, 14 civs I was playing as Arabia and I went all the way to Modern era, had a small military and was surrounded by civs. For the entire game nobody ever came after me one time. Not a declaration of war, Denounce, nothing. Was very peaceful.

So fast forward to my lost game. I was Kongo, had 3 cities was at the start of the Medieval Era. I was surrounded by Japan and France. Both were friends of mine since the start so I figured I was safe. Well, France decided to backstab me and bum rushed me with like 13 units. My poor 2 archers were wiped out and I lost all my cities. It was sad. MY own fault, but I thought hell the last game nobody touched me and I had more civs around me. Lesson learned, NEVER trust France!!

Thank you for the info! What sorts of units did France throw at you, and what units were you teched up to?

Yeah, I'm nosy.

 

[Zeusmoltar9]

Sumeria came with about 30 war-carts, my own fault i was unprepared at the time as he was friendly when i met him. prince difficulty.

 

[Fred_Bear]

First Game random Civ on King difficulty, I rolled Rome. All victory conditions active. Lost by 1 turn to Russia, who had the highest score on turn 500 by about 25. Would have won Culture victory the very next turn and science about 15 turns after that. It was an enjoyable game, completely neglected what turn it was all game and was all exited to see the victory movie. Then instead came the defeat 1. Was thinking well that's not very good victory movie, then it clicked....Dohw!

 

[lamaros]

I lost a Russia Immortal game after I had almost nowhere to expand to with decent production.

Well, I didn't lose so much as give up. I was planning on Religion victory and Ghandi had like 3x the faith per turn and was just spamming the rest of the map. It way very probably salvageable if I just wiped him out and converted the rest, but I wasn't feeling it...

 

[mazz0]

"Lost", as in gave up, against Teddy on king difficulty on this map. I did get a religion with religious community and defender of faith, but the map was just too bad. Only 1 decent expansion spot (north) and no chance at taking out Teddy in sight. I mean just look at my science and culture.

View attachment 456415
View attachment 456416

How did you turn the camera?!

 

[dgcat]

First game I played on King as Rome. Plodding along happily to a slow science victory. Internally moaning on how bad the AI was, and then defeat screen appeared -Gandhi achieved a religious victory and I wasn't even playing attention. Had to smile and it did give me more appreciation for the game.

 

[ExemplarVoss]

"Lost", as in gave up, against Teddy on king difficulty on this map. I did get a religion with religious community and defender of faith, but the map was just too bad. Only 1 decent expansion spot (north) and no chance at taking out Teddy in sight. I mean just look at my science and culture.

I don't get it. You could have taken at least Philadelphia with what you have on screen in that first shot. It'd be easy, 3 archers would shred that city. Washington would be more of a core, but totally doable, especially if you give them the bonus vs districts promotion after the defensive one (which you should have after cleaning up the various units and philly itself.

 

[criZp]

How did you turn the camera?!

Hold alt and left mouse button, drag the mouse sideways

I don't get it. You could have taken at least Philadelphia with what you have on screen in that first shot. It'd be easy, 3 archers would shred that city. Washington would be more of a core, but totally doable, especially if you give them the bonus vs districts promotion after the defensive one (which you should have after cleaning up the various units and philly itself.

I was dealing with the barbarians, which were spawning like one dude per turn

 

[Mustakrakish]

"Lost", as in gave up, against Teddy on king difficulty on this map. I did get a religion with religious community and defender of faith, but the map was just too bad. Only 1 decent expansion spot (north) and no chance at taking out Teddy in sight. I mean just look at my science and culture.

View attachment 456415
View attachment 456416

WHAT?! First you have 3 warriors and 2 archers, Teddy is dead basically. Then you have 3 swordsmen with a battering ram and 4 archers, Teddy is very dead. All that was required is to make him suicide a few units at your impenetrable wall of swords backed up by archers and then move in.

 

[mazz0]

I haven't lost, but I did have to do some serious save scumming to keep a city. Teddy (who's supposed to want peace on the continent!) declared war on me in the ancient era, had a decent army of about 3 catapults, a couple of swordsman and a few warriors, and he did all the right things: brought his melee units up to the city, bombarded with his catapults, pulled back injured units and replaced them with fresh ones.