HNDY08 - AWDG Babylon - Small Pangaea

[handy900]

Good job by Greebley as usual.

I agree this was a great map, the kind of start we could have won at Diety.

Being down in the corner of the map with lots of food was a big boost this game. Only one front, and a relatively narrow front at that, definitly worked to our advantage. The T_McC01_AWM game where we had a 270 degree front with loads of plains to irrigate took longer and was harder to tip than this one. But then again, I just remembered we had to kill all captured slaves and build all our own cities in that one which slowed us down. Still this was a very nice start compared to that one.

OTOH, an AWDG Pangaea win means we played this one pretty darn well.

And those bowmen turned out to be pretty good AW units.

Given how cheap our temples are, and since we are depots, we can rush temples in our newly captured cities to get culture and bump our tile count.

grs can gran the game unless Yom posts a got it. Ususally Yom can only play on the weekends since he is buried under an avalance of AP class homework. AP was easier back when I was in HS, we only had to learn the age of disco tech tree, Yom has to go all the way thru the modern age.

Roster and Order of Play
Handy
Sir Bugsy
Greebley
Yom
grs is up
Northern Pike

 

[Greebley]

The biggest problem with rushing temples in captured towns is leaving enough units to supress resistance (they tend to get enthusiastic and rush off and take out other towns). On the other hand, there is no reason to rush for 10 turns (to get the shields to 20), so a unit can usually manage by then. Big cities may need 2 units.

I would still be care not to leave armies in cities over size 1. The flip risk is not zero for that case (it should be zero for Persia if the city is size 1).

Sumeria has 5x our culture so raze all his cities.

 

[grs]

I will be able to play tomorrow unless Yom posts a got it first.

 

[grs]

Sorry, I won't make it neither today nor tomorrow I have a very important business appointment tomorrow evening and had to work for all day (it's almost 23:00 here). I can promise to play on Friday, so you could skip me, but I would prefer a swap.

 

[Greebley]

Swap sounds good to me. We have been pretty flexible in our game about swaps (one game was a bit too flexible as the player order changed mid-game).

NP can grab it then if he so desires.

 

[handy900]

Sorry, I won't make it neither today nor tomorrow I have a very important business appointment tomorrow evening and had to work for all day (it's almost 23:00 here). I can promise to play on Friday, so you could skip me, but I would prefer a swap.

Swap is good. We run these games pretty laid back. As Greebley will attest, in one game each leader (me, greebley, T_McC, barbslinger) would drastically shift the strategy. We do try to avoid that now.

Northern Pike can jump in for a swap.

 

[Northern Pike]

Sure--got it.

 

[Northern Pike]

350 AD, end of turn

 

[Northern Pike]

250 (0): We refuse a Sumerian request for talks.

Avaris temple --> Bowman.


260 (1): We advance on Umma and Persepolis.

We found Carchemish in the empty spaces to the east.

El Amarna temple --> barracks.

The Sumerians complete the Great Lighthouse.


270 (2): Our sword armies take Persepolis from its garrison of four spearmen (4-0), capturing two workers and the Oracle.

We destroy two Sumerian archers outside Antioch, but the RNG is perverse and we lose an asterisked elite swordsman (6-1).

We destroy a Crusader and two Enkidu Warriors in Umma, but don't have quite enough attacks to take the city when a veteran swordsman fails against another EW (9-2).

Our settler/sword team in the east repulses a Circassian attack (10-2).

The resistance in Bactra ends.


280 (3): We defeat two more Enks in Umma (12-2) and raze the city (total haul of three slaves), though I'm briefly tempted to keep it for the sake of Knights Templar. Our looting parties collect 66 gold, so the Sumerians must be sitting on a lot of cash for this point in the game.

We destroy a settler/Enk team outside Persepolis (13-2).

We disperse the Circassian camp in the far east (14-2) and found Mari on its site.

Science rate down to 30%, Feudalism still due in one turn.

Feudalism --> Chivalry, due in ten turns at 70% science.

Ellipi temple --> MDI.

The resistance in Arbela ends.


290 (4): We defeat a Sumerian longbowman outside the ruins of Umma (15-2). This game would be a lot harder if the AI ever gave these guys defensive escorts.

A little more barb-bashing (16-2).

We get our first MDI, via upgrade.

Arbela temple (rushed) --> galley, Agade temple (rushed) --> Bowman.


300 (5): We disperse another barb camp (17-2).

Our sword armies move next to Gordium.

The Persians and the Hittites are still at war.

Antioch temple (rushed) --> pikeman, Nippur temple (rushed) --> barracks.


310 (6): We take Gordium from its garrison of two spearman and an archer (20-2).

We defeat a Hittite settler/spear team outside Gordium (21-2).

We found Larsa, completing the Forbidden Palace's first ring.


320 (7): We move adjacent to Lagash and Pasargadae.


330 (8): We take Pasargadae, held by two spearmen and an archer (24-2), and eliminate the Persians.

We defeat Lagash's garrison of three Enks and a longbowman, losing a swordsman (27-3), and raze the town, destroying the Great Lighthouse. We gain 59 gold and a slave.

We defeat a Sumerian longbowman outside Harran (28-3).

We found Nimrud near the ruins of Umma.

The Hittites are building Sistine Chapel.


340 (9): We raze Harran, held by two Enks and a longbowman, without loss (31-3), gaining 58 gold and two slaves.

We found Zamua, as we continue to fill in the eastern lands.

We defeat two Sumerian units, a longbowman and a horseman, near the ruins of Harran (33-3).


350 (10): Our fully healed sword armies begin the march to Kish. Apart from that, mostly a healing turn.

Our enemies didn't attempt any landings from the sea this round.

Six elite victories didn't produce a Great Leader.

 

[Northern Pike]

This is just about over. There are only seven enemy cities left, and we have 66% of the world's population and 58% of its land.

I've started three galleys--two of which will have to be rushed to play any role in the game--in case we want to take the apparent Sumerian island city in the far east.

Watch out for the barbarian warrior near Hattusha. The nearby elite spearman can get to the city in time to keep the barb from sacking it, and it should go there regardless of what the barb does, to quell resistance and make a temple rush possible.

 

[Northern Pike]

The northern front:

 

[handy900]

Fantabulous Round NP

You guys have taken a good start and whipped some serious AI arse.

Roster and Order of Play
Handy
Sir Bugsy
Greebley
Yom
grs is UP
Northern Pike (swapped with grs)

 

[Sir Bugsy]

So do we know where the Hittites live?

 

[grs]

Got it. We go Domination or Conquest? If we do Domination I will shut of research rush settlers and temples and that should be it.

 

[handy900]

Got it. We go Domination or Conquest? If we do Domination I will shut of research rush settlers and temples and that should be it.

You can decide.

 

[Greebley]

I believe we can see the borders of a Hittite city to the East.

On domination/conquest, I think we should try for the earliest win we can get which would be domination. A win by 450 AD for AWDemi would be an accomplishment for sure.

I agree that you get to to choose Grs. If you want to do conquest, then go for it.

 

[Northern Pike]

I favour the quickest possible win too.

 

[microbe]

lurker's comment: Nice game..Always War in Demigod

 

[Greebley]

Handy, I think it would be fun to try this variant (limit on pillaging) on a standard map - perhaps continents though and with a decent civ (Ottomans?)

Do you feel up for such a game as the next one?

 

[Northern Pike]

Handy, I think it would be fun to try this variant (limit on pillaging) on a standard map - perhaps continents though and with a decent civ (Ottomans?)

I'd like to try this, although a start when HNDY09 finishes would suit me better than an immediate one.