[BTS] IMMaw on fractal: no trading, random leader, interesting start...

[Tobiyogi]

1410 AD

Yes, got my GS even before another GA! PP can be bulbed but I will finish Economics first, seems like I can get the GM because no-one has Education. Some guys will have Cuirs soon, besides that, no-one is really ahead. Would be great if I could finish the Taj in 5T, not sure if those who don't "want" Nationalism already have it or still miss the pre-reqs.
Again, Muskets are so great in AW games, you wouldn't believe it. They are superior to anything else in that area.

 

[Tobiyogi]

1535 AD
RP is in, 10-12 more turns for Rifling. The only wildcard is JC at this point, I don't even know if he is on another continent, if he has Astro, I just know that he must have huge armies.
I got the Taj around 1480 AD, and had my third GA during which I built up GP points for three more guys. Then Dschingis took a border city, just because I forgot to wipe him out (my guys were waiting on a hill next to the city), so I lost all my GM points from this city. This happens when there is too much military action on several fronts.

4th Golden Age will come much later. Maybe I will switch to Nationalism + Theocracy anyway, when Rifling is in. It is quite powerful and worth 2T of Anarchy.

 

[Tobiyogi]

1715 AD
No, ImmAW is never a cake-walk, and all those juicy plans go to hell at some point. I thought I could roll over 2 of my neighbors just with Rifles, but Madman Ghengis, who is last in score (alternating with Vicky) suddenly pulls out Grenadiers (i'm ok with that) and a bit later cannons! ( i am not ok with that).

So I also need cannons!

Spoiler First real conquest :

Spoiler nice and juicy HE spot :

Joao and JC are on another continent, I have send out a caravel. They do not have Astro yet, but I suppose they have already built 10.000 galleys which can be upgraded in no time. I won't even bother with taking a fight on the water. If I have Infantry until then, I think I can defend. I think.... On my continent, it's 4 guys and Zara is the most advanced.

 

[Tobiyogi]

Strange thing, I wonder if this summit blocked the two AI's from the "other" continent, or rather from the other side of the mountain.

Spoiler :

Maybe it works like a bug, because the AI thinks they can never reach me, so they don't even try it. Some of them have already destroyers, but no-one sent transports.

Anyway, I am tired of this game and I'd like to close this AW chapter. It is exhausting

With a huge effort, I could probably take out my continent, but I am also satisfied with a "draw". It is tech parity, they have more soldiers, but I have much more cities. Third in score and still alive at 1880 AD is good enough for me. No energy left to bring it to the end.

 

[Tobiyogi]

I have done a couple of heavy mistakes here.
- like Libbing Nationalism (just for the Taj) while using the civic only much later and not having horses (so no need to go for MT), better choice would be anything that leads towards Rifling like PP or just taking the GM through Economics (I know that LIB and ECO are evenly expensive, but it's also about denying Lib to the second most advanced player)
- concentrating my military power mostly on Dschingis who has no wonders and medium land (i should have settled another hill city towards him to attract his forces to) and move my active forces towards HC
- letting Dschingis take that city with many GM points just because I forgot to move the units either into the city or to attack his army proactively, I did neither of both....
- not taking care at all of Zara the tech leader who became a real problem later because he got Infantry at the same time as me, so I could never really out-tech him.....

I am tempted to reload from the pre-lib area, around 1200 AD and make different choices....

 

[Tobiyogi]

What a huge difference it can make to replay and older savegame! Highly recommended.

So I replayed from 1230 AD, 5T to Lib. I took PP, mostly because it was the most expensive tech on the beeline to Rifling and I need it anyway. Then I stopped researching, and finished Oxford first in the capitol. With a PHI guy, it is a more natural move to go for Oxford than for the Taj, if you cannot build both (with no forests left to chop). Not only because of cheap universities, but also because you are not so dependent on the Taj-Golden-Age. So I ignored Nationalism completely. With Oxford done, I rushed Gilds, Banks and Eco. Zara and me finished Eco at the same turn, but I got the GM! Never happened before

Switched for OR and Mercantilism and finished all the crap like Grocers, Forges, etc... This is the most vulnerable phase in the game where the existing army has to withstand. I popped another GS in the capitol and a bit later prophet (so enough for a third GA), but I have built the Church of Nativitiy. One AI adopted my religion, so the shrine is worth 20 something gold, not bad. And I also kept in mind that GA should not come to early. 1500 AD for a third GA is too early! So I wait and produce another guy.

So now it is 1505 AD and I already have started on Rifling. In my previous attempt, I had finished RP at 1535 AD and there was even less money left to go straight for Rifling.

More numbers: Now at 1505 AD: +504 and +60 (when slider on 0%) and in my previous game at 1525 AD: +474 and +50

Just wow! If only I could take all those right decisions straight away....

Spoiler capitol :

 

[Tobiyogi]

Lincoln from Sumeria, 1848 AD
oh the fool I am, I had horses all the time, I could have gone for Cuirs and easily take out whole Dschingis Empire who built ONLY Grens + Cannons. It would have been so easy.... I simply ignored the horse because I am not a big mounted-lover. I just built some chariots for early defense and that's it.
My résumé: even after rigorous replaying and rethinking, I simply cannot beat IMMAW, it was a serious and continous attempt, probably won't work for me, the AI gets the upperhand sooner or later, at least 2 or 3 of them always run away, I can at maximum take out my own continent...
Now I can lean back and watch @Lain's Deity AW Inca playthrough, good luck my friend!