[C3C] How do people play one-city games?

Takhisis

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Hello, everyone! On regular (epic) games I have finally managed to successfully conclude a few games on Emperor almost consistently.

Now somebody has… let us say enticed me to play a one-city game¹ and I would like to ask other people about their experience with such a peculiar game mode.


(1)with words to the effect that that somebody would eat his hat if I ever won a one-city challenge
 
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At what level are you planning to play? At or below Regent, I think they are reasonably easy to win. Monarch and Emperor are trickier, and I've not won above that.

I like 20k victories, and they go pretty well as OCC games. Spaceship and diplomatic games are also well suited to OCC. Conquest wins are hard unless the level is low.

For me, I play nicely - I give into demands and trade a lot. Buying resources is cheap, since you only have one city. Make sure you settle in a good spot. If you have a good city spot, you can research quickly through the ancient age, but you'll need to trade after that (if you play on a low level, you can go further, of course). Research things the AI doesn't, so you can trade. This will probably get you through another age and a half. Then you'll probably need to be a tech broker. You need contacts with everyone. If you have more than one land mass, you really want a coastal capital.

Don't upset your neighbors, because if someone declares war on you, you'll want them to do the fighting. Be careful of runaway AI - don't let them get close to the domination limit before trying to stop them.

If you get an SGL after the ancient age, you may want to save it for the UN if you are considering a diplomatic win. You may be late to learn fission, and you'll not have much of a prebuild.

The Pyramids are not so useful in OCC games, except for culture. Shakespeare's Theater is a particularly useful wonder in OCC games if you get it early in the middle ages, but getting it can be difficult if you have AI who go for it.

Pick your opponents carefully at higher levels - starting next to an aggressive AI can spell doom quickly. At least OCC games go quickly, so you can start another one will little time investment.
 
What you propose seems to match my latest run of near-pacifist games that have all but secured diplomatic wins at Emperor level.
Yes, I already figured out that I should have the one uber-city to end them all, including, of course, having access to the sea on my own. I have already mostly worked out the path towards getting those techs which the AI won't touch if it can help it, i.e. going straight for Alphabet derivatives to search for the SGL.

What wonders should I definitely try to get? Obviously the ones which say ‘provides x to all cities’ are weakened, but still there's quite a few to choose from. Great Library for great culture and free techs, Mausoleum of Mausollos for game-long happiness, Colossus for more money, and the two unit-producing ones for greater ease of mind.
I'm not sure that Shakespeare's Theatre is that important at the moment compared with science-boosting wonders like Newton's University and Copernicus' Observatory, because usually in my games I only get free artistry when I am about to be able to build hospitals - I try to get to democracy and start the railroad revolution fast.

I suppose a granary would be in order, as well as a harbour for trade (and growth).

The one thing I'm nearly sure of is that access to the sea is crucial and a free tech per era is paramount so maybe my first attempt should be with the Byzantines. Unless, of course, I try with Greece which has better land troops. In any case either civ has a second trait that isn't as effective while Babylon has two downright mighty ones (and a lot of half-price culture buildings).
 
Assuming you win this way... :p
  1. The Oracle, if not available turn 1, wealth until available
  2. Courthouse to build next buildings quickly
  3. Temple for happiness, since luxuries are too expensive
  4. Wealth until iron is hooked
  5. 7.6 units of swordsmen
  6. Barracks to upgrade army
  7. Wealth until med inf are available and to afford expenses
  8. Upgrade swordsmen to medieval infantry, sell barracks immediately after to save money
  9. Disband all medieval infantry to build cathedral quickly
(Courtesy of our dear friend, Dumbo!)
 
How would a Courthouse in the capital make next buildings built quicker, unless you mean as a prebuild?
 
OCC is usually aiming at 20k. So you need to optimize culture. Shakespeare is a must have. Statue of Zeus and Knights Templar tend to be more useful in an OCC.
 
I'm not sure that Shakespeare's Theatre is that important at the moment compared with science-boosting wonders like Newton's University and Copernicus' Observatory, because usually in my games I only get free artistry when I am about to be able to build hospitals - I try to get to democracy and start the railroad revolution fast.
If you are headed for democracy quickly, then free artistry is only one tech away. Get it soon. However, you don't need speedy workers if you are playing a OCC, as you only need to rail a few tiles. Don't switch to democracy; stay a republic.

An early Shakespeare's Theater is better than Copernicus' Observatory or Newton's University, as the extra tiles you work give you extra commerce which means more science and also extra shields (and extra unit support comes from being size 13+). The extra shields give you a better chance at Newton's University, too. (The Observatory comes at about the same time as the Theater, so if you aren't playing at a low level you probably won't get them both.)

The AI often don't research non-required MA techs with wonders, so pick them up after you have a factory and coal plant. Gift up any AI with tradeable coal if you can't get it otherwise.

The Byzantines are a great choice. The alphabet, a coastal start, and free techs at age changes are great. If you play continents or archipelago, the dromon is a terrific UU with its lethal bombardment. Generally, commercial is good, but for OCC it doesn't help, so I'd not pick the Greeks. Babylon seems like it would be good for a culture game, with half-price religious buildings, but it only saves you 110 shields and a couple of anarchy turns in OCC games, so it isn't a huge difference. For me, getting alphabet for free is worth more.

For a 20k win:
First tech = ceremonial burial, both for the temple and as an easy SGL chance (provided no one starts with it)
Then beeline Republic, then literature, then free artistry, then railroads and factories.
AA Wonders: Colossus, SoZ, MoM, Glib makes a reasonable set
 
An early Shakespeare's Theater is better than Copernicus' Observatory or Newton's University, as the extra tiles you work give you extra commerce which means more science and also extra shields (and extra unit support comes from being size 13+). The extra shields give you a better chance at Newton's University, too. (The Observatory comes at about the same time as the Theater, so if you aren't playing at a low level you probably won't get them both.)
Still getting all 3 of them is quite preferable. Research is highly important. Researching with +300% instead of +100% with only library and uni is a huge difference. And of course the extra commerce from the Colossos is worth a lot, unfortnately it becomes obsolete with flight.

In the long run tourist attractions may contribute a large portion of your income. Any valid wonder older than 2500 years will give you 14 base commerce. 5 such wonders make a base commerce of 70. Add the mentioned +300% and it is 280 beakers per turn just from commerce.

 
Oh, most definitely. And on Regent and below I think you have a good shot at getting all three, but at monarch and above I have trouble getting both the Observatory and the Theater. If I have to pick between these two, I want the Theater. Newton's comes along late enough that you can usually get it regardless of what happens with the other two.

In a 20k OCC game, I may not research into the modern age, so obsoleting the Colossus isn't something I have to worry about that often. And, of course, the tourism money doesn't go away even if it is obsoleted.
 
THIS IS THE POSTER WHO SHALL EAT HIS HAT SHOULD I EVER WIN A ONE-CITY CHALLENGE
Assuming you win this way... :p
  1. The Oracle, if not available turn 1, wealth until available
  2. Courthouse to build next buildings quickly
  3. Temple for happiness, since luxuries are too expensive
  4. Wealth until iron is hooked
  5. 7.6 units of swordsmen
  6. Barracks to upgrade army
  7. Wealth until med inf are available and to afford expenses
  8. Upgrade swordsmen to medieval infantry, sell barracks immediately after to save money
  9. Disband all medieval infantry to build cathedral quickly
(Courtesy of our dear friend, Dumbo!)
I'm going to take the specific advice that barracks are only necessary upon upgrading.
Why build a courthouse is completely beyond me, though.
 
Does anybody think that I should play at a lower difficulty level than I am usually playing? The only real obstacle is that point where the AI sends massive stacks of cavalry in death-or-glory charges and ends up conquering half a pangæa, which is why I don't play pangæa maps anymore.

I'm thinking that if I go for a cultural win then even the colosseum is worth building, unless I keep it as a pre-build for wonders (After all, I won't have the palace and forbidden palace for prebuilding). A courthouse/police station could help by taking the colosseum's place.

In a 20k OCC game, I may not research into the modern age, so obsoleting the Colossus isn't something I have to worry about that often.
This is an interesting approach, but it would leave me quite vulnerable to the forces of invading AIs who'd see my city as flush pickings.
First tech = ceremonial burial, both for the temple and as an easy SGL chance (provided no one starts with it)
Then beeline Republic, then literature, then free artistry, then railroads and factories.
AA Wonders: Colossus, SoZ, MoM, Glib makes a reasonable set
Ceremonial burial for an easy SGL? That's only if I prearrange the draw of AI civs so that nobody's religious. Otherwise it's wasted time. For my first SGL I always try to rush straight for philosophy + 1 tech (mathematics sometimes if ivory's available, but more often literature or mapmaking, depending on the layout of the game).

Regarding the late middle ages wonders, obviously the science ones are a must just to stay competitive in the tech race, but losing time on democracy if I'm not going to switch to it is a bit of a waste. In my latest game (Ottomans - Emperor) I never switched from Republic to democracy because there was always something to do, which included accidentally triggering a golden age and then building our tribes. I have to say that being industrious meant I already had faster workers, but other civs don't have that trait.

I suppose I'd better time the one-time switch to Republic just right, between wonders, and then BOOM.
 
Does anybody think that I should play at a lower difficulty level than I am usually playing?
For your first OCC going down to Regent seems sensible. After that increase the difficulty setting only one step at a time, if at all.

Regent + house rules like OCC can make for an interesting game.
 
For an OCC smaller maps are arguably easier as research costs are considerably lower. This might be a major consideration when choosing the difficulty setting.
 
For your first OCC going down to Regent seems sensible. After that increase the difficulty setting only one step at a time, if at all.

Regent + house rules like OCC can make for an interesting game.
I'd already been at it for a while when I read that… it is an eminently winnable game without OCC rules even on Emperor, but I know I'm not going to win it.
Still, I have to say that it was a spirited display. If I could repeat every single circumstance but the difficulty level I would have a shot at this.

Also I think that Archipelago is a good setup for this but it should be 80% water instead of 60.

I managed to build quite a strong Constantinople, so when I restart it I'll first develop the city (blocking the isthmus six tiles away) and then proceed to settle my half of the peninsula before going to war with the Egyptians on the other half - neither queendom has iron!
 
Does anybody think that I should play at a lower difficulty level than I am usually playing? The only real obstacle is that point where the AI sends massive stacks of cavalry in death-or-glory charges and ends up conquering half a pangæa, which is why I don't play pangæa maps anymore.

I'm thinking that if I go for a cultural win then even the colosseum is worth building, unless I keep it as a pre-build for wonders (After all, I won't have the palace and forbidden palace for prebuilding). A courthouse/police station could help by taking the colosseum's place.
Yes, if you go for 20k, you should build the colosseum. A marketplace is almost as good a prebuild until you learn banking; then you'll want to buy the marketplace and use the bank as a prebuild (unless you luck into an army prebuild).
This is an interesting approach, but it would leave me quite vulnerable to the forces of invading AIs who'd see my city as flush pickings.
I didn't mean that I didn't bother researching, just that I won before I got into the modern age. The industrial age is pretty empty of good wonders, so after I get a coal plant I'll pick up optional wonder techs in the middle ages rather than trying to get myself into the modern age as fast as possible. If playing at regent or below, the AI may not ever research the optional techs for you - every so often I end up in a game where no one is interested in Music Theory at all, for example, and I learn it after electronics.
Ceremonial burial for an easy SGL? That's only if I prearrange the draw of AI civs so that nobody's religious. Otherwise it's wasted time. For my first SGL I always try to rush straight for philosophy + 1 tech (mathematics sometimes if ivory's available, but more often literature or mapmaking, depending on the layout of the game).
Yes, that only can give you an SGL if no one else knows CB (either by prearrangement or luck). However, you want CB early anyway, often before you meet anyone. If you are not religious and you have a couple of forests to chop, building the temple before the Colossus can work well, though if you have no forests to chop I'd build the Colossus first.
Regarding the late middle ages wonders, obviously the science ones are a must just to stay competitive in the tech race, but losing time on democracy if I'm not going to switch to it is a bit of a waste. In my latest game (Ottomans - Emperor) I never switched from Republic to democracy because there was always something to do, which included accidentally triggering a golden age and then building our tribes. I have to say that being industrious meant I already had faster workers, but other civs don't have that trait.

I suppose I'd better time the one-time switch to Republic just right, between wonders, and then BOOM.
If you are playing a 20k game, Shakespeare's Theater is the most-needed MA wonder. PP, Democracy, and Free Artistry can't be that many more beakers than Sanitation (I haven't counted them), and all of them are valuable to trade. It isn't that big of a waste to learn them.
If you are playing a diplomatic game, then maybe don't bother researching any optional techs. In a regular game I definitely would not; I'm not sure how it would play out in an OCC game.

Looking at the "helpful" advice:
Assuming you win this way... :p
  1. The Oracle, if not available turn 1, wealth until available
The Oracle is low on the list of ancient age wonders. Build the Colossus instead.
  1. Courthouse to build next buildings quickly
Useless in OCC
  1. Temple for happiness, since luxuries are too expensive
Temple for culture. Luxes are very inexpensive in OCC games, since they give so few happy faces, so buy all you can.
  1. Wealth until iron is hooked
Don't build wealth. Also don't count on hooking up iron. You'll probably have to buy it.
  1. 7.6 units of swordsmen
Build a few units, but not a lot.
  1. Barracks to upgrade army
  2. Wealth until med inf are available and to afford expenses
  3. Upgrade swordsmen to medieval infantry, sell barracks immediately after to save money
  4. Disband all medieval infantry to build cathedral quickly
Upgrading units only to disband them is a big waste. If you are playing 20k you need to build lots of other stuff before the cathedral (which you should cash-rush, possibly disbanding some Ancient Cavalry if available). If you aren't playing 20k, you don't need a cathedral.
If you have ivory (or can trade for it), you want to build the Statue of Zeus. If you have the SoZ, you might want a barracks, depending on whether you are going to disband the AC for shields or go to war with them.
 
Build a few units, but not a lot.
With some luck 2 warriors for military police during despotism may suffice. Going to war seems like really bad idea. You need to make friends, not enemies. Also a balance of power between the AIs is desirable. So once you have an abundance of ancient cavalry or crusaders some military action may be on option. But it is not without risk.
Upgrading units only to disband them is a big waste.
Very much indeed.

Until you have an abundance of gold despite researching at 100%, spending gold is not preferable. Building wonders tends to be preferable to constructing regular buildings that may be bought later with money. You need to weight your options there.
 
Repeat after me, Pelo McSoy:
If I withhold the truth, may I go straight to hell, where I will eat nought but burning hot coals and drink nought but burning hot cola, where fiery demons will punch me in the back, my soul will be chopped into confetti and strewn upon a parade of murderers and single mothers, where my tongue will be torn out by ravenous birds…
 
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