Immortal Portugal Photojournal (of an amateur)

[amateurgamer88]

Chapter 9: Progressing Steadily

Spoiler I. Austria and Carthage :

Austria has met literally no resistance from Korea as her horsemen were plenty to take those cities. I can't do much about this since I still have some preparation to do. I don't want to go into war too hastily since WW rises sooner now and I don't have as much time to work with. Meanwhile, Carthage got a Reformation belief that allows her to purchase culture buildings with faith. It's a good belief but it seems to come a bit too late and the faith costs are expensive.

Spoiler II. Goodbye Korea :

I never expected Korea to last against the likes of Austria and I'm kinda saddened with one fewer trading partner. Regardless how weakened Korea is, he still has some gold that I can get through trades. Austria will pay dearly for this as I will avenge Korea (though I doubt I'll be reviving them from death). I hope Austria is ready to face a similar fate as Korea. It's definitely not anything personal.

Spoiler III. Ready for War Soon? :

I have 15 turns before I get Compass. The Nau is going to be a nice addition since Austria is behind in tech and will still have only Dromons and Triremes. Nau will also have good CS to help take cities faster. Even the Austrian capital will have a tough time against my navy at this point. However, I do need Galleas since I need a stronger ranged ship in my navy. What I'm doing differently this time is that I will have some land units helping with the attack.

Spoiler IV. Another Stalemate :

Another stalemate is reached between Sweden and Carthage but you would think one of them is slowly building up an edge. While I don't want to, I am willing to bet on Sweden to come out victorious eventually. All those cities traded hands (not all shown through my screenshots) are Carthaginian cities so Carthage is hurting more. I don't think any Carthage units managed to take any Swedish cities in any of the wars.

Spoiler V. Enhancing Religion :

Since I cannot get my Reformation belief yet, I have to keep up somehow and enhancing religion is my solution. I decided that I needed to transition into war focus as I will be fighting some extremely difficult foes in the mid to late game. I chose Iconography as it seems to help me the most as I do want some Wonders and policy requirements can be such a hindrance given my current culture output.

Spoiler VI.New Policy :

Trade Confederacy seems like a no brainer since it will help me secure CS alliances much easier. The extra yields can be quite useful this early on and TR are a priority for me whenever I get a new one unlocked. I have to admit that faster Great Diplomats and more CS quest rewards increase are nice but they don't help me immediately and I'd rather have something that has more benefits now but wanes later in the game.

Spoiler VII. Let's Renew the War! :

My preparations are ready and war against Austria is renewed. Austria will be facing some bad odds given my tech lead on them. Being stuck in Classical Era, Austria still has horsemen, spearmen and archers. These won't fare too well against my Knights and Longswordsmen. On the seas, I definitely have an edge despite only having three Nau and two Dromons.

Spoiler VIII. Taking One City :

Pyongyang is certainly not a city to boast about but Austria wasn't in a position to defend it. Linz is really the bigger prize as it has nasty chokepoints both north and southeast of it. If I can take the city, then Austria will struggle to retake it given how narrow the land is between the city and Salzburg. With a citadel, Austria might as well forfeit the last city between their capital and my land units.

Spoiler IX. Wishing Carthage some Luck! :

Carthage has renewed her war so hopefully her units are in good position. I wish them luck to may keep the wars in a stalemate. I have a feeling that, in these wars between the heavy weights, one just need a tiny bit of momentum to eventually overwhelm the other side. If it's two human players, then we will likely see some very interesting developments. Imagine if I managed to conquer Austria to set the stage for three roughly equally powerful nations on this continent.

Spoiler X. The Forbidden Palace :

I didn't have a lot of competition (at least on my continent) for this Wonder but I don't want to delay it. It's pretty good with the gold reduction as my economy is doing pretty well at this point and I can save a fair bit with the Wonder. While this doesn't necessarily help my war now, I think it's going to be a must for later. The reduction in Poverty is nice too since I find it harder to deal with early on.

Well, that's it for our update! Will I take anymore Austrian cities?

 

[amateurgamer88]

Chapter 10: The Rise of Goliath

Spoiler I. Fall of Linz :

Austria has surprisingly lost all of their archers to either my Knights or my Galleass so they only have melee units basically unable to move very efficiently through their rough terrain. Linz took awhile to take down and I basically just rotated my Nau to attack the city with my Galleass. I have one Nau repairing in Pyongyang, one Nau at standby while the third Nau is attacking the city after my Galleass attacked. I used my Knights and Longswordsman to hold the land chokepoint in the meantime.

Spoiler II. Peace for Now :

I decided to talk peace with Austria because pushing through all of those Austrian units to the next Austrian city was going to be a nightmare. Instead, I will push them all out of my borders and get ready for the next war. The timing is perfect as Gunpowder is completed soon and I'll be ready to speed up the fall of their cities with a sieged unit. Poor Austria doesn't stand a chance but I couldn't care less with how things are developing on my continent.

Spoiler III. Sweden Becoming Goliath :

Remember when I said that Sweden was going to eventually gain enough edge to defeat Carthage? Well, it has happened and I'm terrified of them. At the rate we're going, I might have to face Sweden during his pinnacle as the Swedish UU will be up for our wars. I absolutely hate the fact that Sweden came out on top since Carthage is more or less on the same playing field as me in the mid to late game. This is going to get rough.

Spoiler IV. Austria will Fall Quickly :

With the capture of Linz, I decided to put down a citadel which serves as two purposes. First, it gives me access to Salzburg and, with a cannon in range from the very start, it shouldn't last too long. Second, I have a canal through this strip of territory so my Nau and Galleass can go along the other side to harass Austria ships and any units foolish enough to embark. I don't think Austria will last too long in the next war.

Spoiler V. To Make Matters Worse :

What's scarier than Sweden possessing lots of cities? Sweden possessing lots of cities and units having more promotions seems a lot worse. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this development given how many Wonders Sweden built personally. I really should conclude my conflict with Austria in the next war because I need to prepare to fight the abomination known as Sweden.

Spoiler VI.Sweden Pushing for Carthage? :

Sweden certainly has the momentum to push onward to Carthage but the Carthaginian capital won't fall easily. I'm hoping that Sweden is satisfied with their conquests for now and end the war soon. I need time and time isn't a luxury I have if Sweden continues going on their conquest spree. Sweden is going to have so many cities once he defeats Carthage. I wonder if I can even stand a chance.

Spoiler VII. A Small Breather :

Sweden ends the war for now but we all know that he won't stop until all of Carthage is under his control. I really need to get Gunpowder so I can promote my Longswordsman into a Tercio and get a Cannon within range of Salzburg. I want to conclude the upcoming war as soon as I can. Then, I have to worry about how I'm going to deal with Sweden.

Spoiler VIII. New Policy :

Foreign Service is a nice policy to pick up as I'll need more embassy to hold greater sway on the WC. The extra reward is nice too since I believe it also applies to influence. I need to secure more CS alliances and then send TR to them. Overall, I need everything I can get so I can fight Sweden without hurting my empire too much. I wish I attacked and conquered most of Austria sooner. However, I doubt I was ever in a position to challenge Sweden either way.

Spoiler IX. Getting a Golden Age :

I grabbed Notre Dame for a few reasons. First, I need a Golden Age to help me get more ahead (I'm actually leading in tech against Sweden but not by much) while catching up in things like policies. The extra happiness is a much needed boost too since the wars with Sweden are going to be rough. The Cathedral isn't a bad addition but it's more like a small bonus.

Spoiler X. Preparing for War! :

Against the overwhelming forces Sweden possesses, I need some bonuses for fighting in friendly territory. Since Defender of the Faith is already taken, I guess I'll go with Himeji Castle then. It gives me more Supply Cap and that 15% boost isn't too shabby. I hope that it will suffice once I do war with Sweden. I expect a long and painful conflict to take place and only one victory will eventually emerge...hopefully me.

Well, that's it for our update! Will I finish off Austria next update?

 

[chicorbeef]

I am not experienced with Portugal at all. But, could you maybe use your Naus to launch a naval assault on Sweden once you're cleaned up with Austria? Pushing in land-wise would probably be suicide, but naval-wise you have effective dominance. Feitoria count as canals too, correct? The nature of your terrain makes a canal on the spot by your capital important, I would assume.

I wonder if Orders was the best choice here, considering how the puppet cities closest to Sweden would have to be annexed in order to establish Orders. Your homeland empire seems safe to me and don't forget that Feitoria do provide defense. However I am not sure what else could have been viable to pick...Synagogues maybe?

You could have explored the rest of the world with a Nau or two to found World Congress quicker. The Nau should pay for themselves. And then you could maybe do things like pass Treasure Fleet, or World Religion etc.

I notice you still don't have Roads. I understand that Lighthouses can be more profitable but I lost a Polynesia game in Industrial once because I neglected Roads and thus my empire rolled over and died when it was invaded. Roads can be very important for troop mobility/defense, and will give you the option to build buffed Villages along its path. You could at least build Roads in your conquered cities.

I assume you will vassalize Austria?

 

[amateurgamer88]

I am not experienced with Portugal at all. But, could you maybe use your Naus to launch a naval assault on Sweden once you're cleaned up with Austria? Pushing in land-wise would probably be suicide, but naval-wise you have effective dominance. Feitoria count as canals too, correct? The nature of your terrain makes a canal on the spot by your capital important, I would assume.

I wonder if Orders was the best choice here, considering how the puppet cities closest to Sweden would have to be annexed in order to establish Orders. Your homeland empire seems safe to me and don't forget that Feitoria do provide defense. However I am not sure what else could have been viable to pick...Synagogues maybe?

You could have explored the rest of the world with a Nau or two to found World Congress quicker. The Nau should pay for themselves. And then you could maybe do things like pass Treasure Fleet, or World Religion etc.

I notice you still don't have Roads. I understand that Lighthouses can be more profitable but I lost a Polynesia game in Industrial once because I neglected Roads and thus my empire rolled over and died when it was invaded. Roads can be very important for troop mobility/defense, and will give you the option to build buffed Villages along its path. You could at least build Roads in your conquered cities.

I assume you will vassalize Austria?

I don't believe that Feitoria count as canals. At least, they don't seem to do that or I'd have easy access for my ships. As for a naval push, I will need to really build up my navy for that to work and it doesn't help that Stockholm isn't coastal. There's only so much I can do with a naval invasion so it's actually better to invest in an army.

As for Order, I enhanced my religion quite late so I didn't have much to pick from. Synagogues seem to go very quickly so they certainly weren't an option. I felt like Order was more ideal given my situation all things considered. As for World Congress, I don't know how much it would've helped. I still don't have enough votes to make an impact and I certainly don't have the production to challenge any of the civs for Treasure Fleet. As for World Religion, I'm already beat by Islam which both Carthage and Sweden adopted.

I am curious how your empire rolled over due to lack of roads. I only have roads between Lisbon and Funchal at the moment. For the Industrial Age, that will change very quickly as soon as I unlock railroads. As for roads, you have no idea how much I had to spam them later on.

I turned off vassalage so Austria won't be a vassal. I actually like this better since it makes the overall game harder.

 

[amateurgamer88]

Chapter 11: The Rise of Goliath

Spoiler I. Let's End This? :

I feel terrible since I'm playing Austria now but we have a bigger threat looming and someone has to play hero. Anyways, I don't expect Austria to resist too much because, for whatever reason, she's still in Classical Era and, even if she reaches Medieval Era during the war, her economy will be in shambles once I finish pillaging some tiles and take a few cities (not that she has many cities to begin with).

Spoiler II. Taking Salzburg :

The single cannon was enough to wreck havoc on Salzburg so the support of Tercio, Knights and Nau resulted in the city falling very quickly. Unfortunately for Austria, retaking the city isn't going to happen when I command the seas and there's such a horrible chokepoint that Austria must get through to reach Salzburg. My Galleass will quickly whittle down any Austrians units too foolish to move away from the coast and I'll just push my cannon forward and wreck Vienna until I can take it with ease.

Spoiler III. Didn't Want to Build This! :

I didn't want to waste production on the Cathedral of St. Basil but I need it to get my Reformation. Otherwise, it would be such an uphill battle since converting enough followers to my religion gets extremely tough. I also don't have the faith to really make that push now that Islam (thanks a lot, Carthage...) has spread to most of the continent so this is more logical. I already know what I want for my Reformation to prepare for the eventual bout with Sweden.

Spoiler IV. AI Speeding Up Its Demise :

I don't know if there's a way but I hate it when the AI do these sort of things. I can understand if Sweden has the upper hand and declares war. Instead, we have the weakened Carthage attacking a more powerful opponent. I can understand if Sweden is at war with someone else but they weren't fighting anyone (I definitely checked). I guess I better wrap things up with Austria in this war because Sweden is going to be my next war target for sure.

Spoiler V. The Irony... :

Korea's demise was largely caused by Carthage and yet they are liberated by Carthage. Since I turned off vassalage, Korea won't be a vassal of Carthage and that might actually guarantee their survival as Carthage can't pull them into wars. I never even debated about liberating Korea so this doesn't matter to me as well. If anything, I get another trading partner and can get more gold for the war against Sweden. I'm going to need a lot of gold soon.

Spoiler VI.Focusing on Going on the Offensive :

I know that I will largely be defending given how many units Sweden will be spamming once he takes most, if not all, of the Carthaginian cities. When I say spam, I literally spam. It's going to be an uphill battle and I'll have to use everything in my toolbox because I don't think I've ever fought such a powerful foe (until maybe when I play on Diety but I'm not ready for that just yet). However, I must launch counterattacks if I want to chip away Sweden, much like what I did with Mongolia.

Spoiler VII. War Almost Finished :

Vienna took a bit longer due to its higher CS but it fell eventually. I did a lot of pillaging and killed many Austrian units in the process. Most of her units were hiding east of Vienna so it took awhile to pick them off. The tech lead proved to be a massive advantage since there was so little Austria can do against my single Knight and Tercio, My Cannon just attacked the city with literal impunity.

Spoiler VIII. New Policy :

Shadow Network is nice in a few ways. First, I get more spies who can be used to steal tech, gold or just get me more influence in CS. The extra bit of culture in my capital is nice too and I will at the very least be building Constabularies that will provide me with a bit more science. Regarding policies, I'm still one policy behind Sweden and it's just so hard to catch up to him. All his wars and city conquests provide him with a steady boost of culture.

Spoiler IX. Hello, Old Foe! :

Not only do we get Sweden in this game but we also get Russia. From the score, it seems like Russia might be dominating her continent which doesn't sound particularly great. I hope she won't be snowballing out of control on the other continent because Sweden isn't going to fall anytime soon. I expect at least Modern Era before any sort of progress is made. That's a lot of time for Russia to take a very decisive lead.

Spoiler X. How Far Will He Go? :

Sweden is certainly in position to take all of Carthage if he wanted. I guess it just depends on the mood of the AI since it can vary so much. Sometimes, I see them being very merciful while, other times like what Sweden did to the Huns, they leave a single city as an insult. Depending on how many Carthaginian cities remain, I'll know how much time I have to prepare. I just have to take two more Austrian cities before Austria is literally irrelevant.

Well, that's it for our update! Will Sweden control the entire western half next update?

 

[amateurgamer88]

Chapter 12: Three Way Competition

Spoiler I. Located Moscow :

As I'm concluding my war with Austria, I decided to do some exploration of the other continent. The situation should be rather interesting since Russia seems to be doing quite well on the other continent. I expect to find India and two other civs. I will need to get open borders with Russia but that shouldn't be too hard to do. I can always use new trading partners to bolster my economy so the open border pays for itself.

Spoiler II. Taking Kaesong :

I doubt Austria needs Kaesong and I feel like this former Korean city can be a good location for me to hold my ground against Sweden. A bit of a spoiler but, within the borders of this city, we'll have a ton of bloodshed. After all, Sweden has a lots of units and I will have to do my upmost to deal with them all. I will eventually show you what happened to the terrain but that will have to wait.

Spoiler III. End of Carthage :

It should come to no one's surprise that Carthage has fallen to Sweden. At least Carthage lasted as long as she did because I need precious time to solidify my control over my region. I have one more Austrian city to take before I sue for peace and then it's preparations for a bloody war. Right now, Sweden is on fairly good terms with me. How long will that last? Probably not too long once Carthage is wiped out.

Spoiler IV. Taking Graz :

I wanted to grab Graz because I wanted the Silver monopoly and want Austria off the continent. They can chill on their little island south of Vienna all they want but they better stay away from the continent and away from my CS. With one city left, Austria can be a nuisance if they attack but I very much doubt they can be an issue in the long run. Maybe they'll annoy me too much one day and I'll just eliminate them for good.

Spoiler V. Austria Lives :

I'm finally ending a long rivalry between two powers on the east. I came out victorious but I am merciful. Austria will live as long she doesn't cause me too many problems. In the meantime, I will put her cities to good use as a few of them will be very helpful in the long run. I always wondered if I could've maybe taken Austria out sooner but it's definitely hard to tell. Overall, Austria delayed me for quite awhile before I can really make any progress.

Spoiler VI. Carthage Barely Holding On :

This is good news for me because we all know Carthage will declare war on Sweden when she's "ready." I'm currently working on my infrastructure so military production isn't a priority yet. I'm also waiting for the proper techs like Metallurgy so I can start producing some Lancers and Musketmen. As I recall from my old battles with Sweden, I don't recall him ever using Musketmen. He seems to prefer cannons, lancers and some melee units along with a few mounted range units.

Spoiler VII. Annexing Vienna :

Vienna is certainly a very nice city and I like it to be annexed as soon as possible. I know I don't have a ton of happiness but I have enough to get this city. I need another solid city to help with military production and, if necessary, help me with a navy. However, I don't think a navy is a big priority. I might just use what I have now and just use them carefully where they are needed the most. I will need plenty of units reinforcing Kaesong.

Spoiler VIII. A Pointless War? :

Sweden is getting very cocky if he thinks he can just conquer another continent. It's true he's becoming a Goliath on our continent but Russia is becoming the Goliath on the other continent. I see this as nothing more than a pointless war and, fortunately for me, more time for me. Time is a luxury and I have much to do. One thing that I find amazing is how many Great Generals you can get with Portugal. I think I should put them to good use, don't you think?

Spoiler IX. Hello Rome! :

Ah, we meet Rome who is currently fighting Russia. Doesn't look like he's doing too well but I can still root for him. I guess Rome didn't use his UU too effectively because he's not the dominant power on his continent. You'd think that, if Rome can keep all of his buildings in cities he capture, he's be in stellar position. However, I don't know how AI decides if they want to annex a city or not. I find Sweden loves to do this but some civs like China avoids it in general.

Spoiler X. Great, We Have Work to Do :

What's the current situation? We have Sweden becoming a military nightmare for me to deal with. Russia is growing out of control on her continent. I'm this tiny nations that wanted peace but, for the sake of survival, is forced to fight a Goliath. I don't have that much of a tech lead and Sweden is leading in policies. Overall, we have quite the mess and Portugal has a steep hill to climb.

Well, that's it for our update! Will we fight Sweden next update?

 

[amateurgamer88]

Chapter 13: Sweden Preparing for War Too

Spoiler I. RIP India :

I was wondering why I haven't met India yet. Look at Delhi under the control of Russia and you feel a bit of sadness. After all, we all know India is the most peaceful civ until he gets nukes. Then, he makes civs like the Huns and Zulu look very tamed. Meanwhile, Russia is trying her best to take Calcutta from Rome and who knew a Catapult can survive an age when Knights are almost obsolete.

Spoiler II. Meeting America :

I have met all the civs and another trading partner. America doesn't seem very powerful but they have Defender of the Faith to help them hold off Russian invasions. Eventually, I expect America to be conquered by Russia but at least they are putting up a fight for now. For now, I'll squeeze as much gold as I can from America to help fund my war against Sweden.

Spoiler III. No Use Being Nice :

Alright, Sweden is going to feel the pain. There's no point trying to befriend him. Our continent is too small for two major empires. I don't know how much that sanction will do since Sweden is making a massive GPT. The fact that he will soon get his second policy in Imperialism means that his puppets will give him a lot more gold. Luckily, the sanction will help me get on Russia's good side.

Spoiler IV. Washington is Somewhat Safe :

There are a few (by few I mean 2) cities standing between Washington and Russia. I also noticed that America hasn't expanded very much. They seem quite boxed in if you look at where Antium is. It's obvious that Rome forward settled America and America didn't get his full expansive potential. I have to assume that Russia had more room to expand and turned her sight on India. Now, it's mostly a cleanup operation.

Spoiler V. Sweden and His GA :

So what other edges do Sweden need? Of course he goes for the Chichen Itza to get longer Golden Ages. I don't know what sort of bonuses AI get regarding GAP but they seem to get Golden Ages quite often. I guess I should be glad this isn't Persia because those extra movements for their units are going to be hell to deal with. Still, Sweden will be spamming units like no tomorrow.

Spoiler VI. Grabbing a Wonder Myself :

I know that this Wonder seems very odd given I went Progress and Statecraft. I find that, for this game, my focus is all over the place. I have military focus with my Orders and Crusader Spirit. My Religion also helps me get more Wonders while Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Mandir in my capital is specialist focused. I sometimes think I just go all over the place and just want everything.

Spoiler VII. New Policy :

Exchange Markets seems more useful than Consulates. I can make use of that TR to get me more Great Generals because those Citadels are going to be vital to my defenses. Some extra happiness is also nice since I don't feel like I'm doing too well in that compartment. I expect an extended war with Sweden so I want to, at the very least, stay positive in happiness.

Spoiler VIII. War Over the Horizon? :

Sweden has finished his war with Russia. Who will he attack next? He can finish off Carthage or Carthage might be the initiator again. Who else can he attack? Considering that he fought Russia while Rome is fighting Russia, they get a pretty good relationship boost. That leaves me and, I'm being honest here, I expect a declaration from Sweden literally every turn at this point.

Spoiler IX. Just What I need... :

I know this isn't something I should be worried about right now but a Swedish capital with a Red Fort is going to be a pain to deal with until I get units like Artillery and Bombers. Given that Sweden built Red Fort, I have a feeling that Sweden is heading towards Rifling and that changes my priority immediately. I need to get my Fusiliers or my defensive line isn't going to hold very long.

Spoiler X. RIP Carthage :

I would normally curse this but it benefits me. I'm building up my military as you can see in the screenshot. Cannons and Lancers are both necessary for what I need. One to support from a distance while the other flanks and picks off wounded units. The Nau you seen in the middle of the ocean is being sent to a CS so I can unload the Exotic Goods. Once I get a TR with that city state, we are going to have some very nice yields.

Well, that's it for our update! How long will Carthage last?

 

[LukaSlovenia29]

Uff, Sweden and Russia look very powerful. It'll be interesting to see how you tackle this situation! Looking forward to seeing more of your photo journal.

 

[amateurgamer88]

Uff, Sweden and Russia look very powerful. It'll be interesting to see how you tackle this situation! Looking forward to seeing more of your photo journal.

Thanks! I can tell you that it's a pretty rough situation and these games are reasons why continent isn't great. I will later show how I fought my first war against Sweden. I definitely prefer Pangea a lot more.

 

[amateurgamer88]

Chapter 14: Preparations Getting There!

Spoiler I. Sweden Gets Another Capital :

Sweden took Seoul from Carthage and I can see his units now due to having an alliance with Brussels. I wonder how AI upgrade their units because I've seen Russian Catapults and now there's a Swedish Swordsmen. I do see a few ranged Swedish units but we'll see if they contribute anything to our future wars. I usually see siege units as the only ranged units Sweden use against me until Gatling Guns are available.

Spoiler II. Carthage Barely Holding On! :

Somehow, Carthage still lives with two more cities left. I honestly don't know why Sweden stopped as you can see Hippo Regius with less than half health and Panormus doing only slightly better. If I allowed Vassalage, Carthage would've been a vassal much sooner and I think my war with Sweden would've taken place far sooner. While no vassalage makes it harder for me, it does also give me a chance by buying me more time than otherwise.

Spoiler III. New Policy :

I completed Statecraft and now have a few more votes and get tourism when I complete my TR. As I'm not going CV, I don't find this especially powerful with the tourism being mostly irrelevant. The votes are nice but most of my votes will come from embassy, CS alliances and a future tenet. However, I don't mind finishing the tree as the Palace of Westminster is pretty good for DV and I get more GPT by getting the last policy.

Spoiler IV. Now It's Personal! :

Sweden just has to be a problem by capturing Brussels. I'm not too happy about this but I'm not exactly in a position to challenge them, especially given how quickly they were able to take that city. My defensive line is drawn as you can see in the screenshot but I quickly realize that it won't suffice once Swedish units come and overwhelm me. I will need some better strategy and make use of the terrain around me.

Spoiler V. Grabbing the Sistine Chapel :

I'm behind in policies, at least compared to Sweden, so I grabbed this as a no brainer. I also don't want Sweden to get this and build their lead further. It's bad enough that I wasn't able to catch up to them as it is. At least Russia doesn't seem to be too focused on Wonders so I don't expect her to be a big competition. However, my tech lead is slowly disappearing so there might be some fierce race for some Industrial Era Wonders.

Spoiler VI. Wish I Didn't Have to Do This :

Now, I don't normally annex a non-capital city unless it shows great promise. Linz is alright but certainly not high on my priorities of cities to annex. Why am I annexing this then? Well, mountains are apparently fairly rare in my empire and I do want to build the Neuschwanstein to get more culture and happiness. Apparently, most major cities in this game aren't near mountains because even the Machu Pichu was available (I didn't get it as Rome eventually got it).

Spoiler VII. Sweden Loves His Golden Ages :

Sweden can build all of those Wonders if he wants since I have no desire for them and building them would just raise the costs of the ones I need more urgently. Railroad is almost ready but Linz will require some time to finish the Courthouse. That 12 unhappiness drop is no joke as well so I have to finish the Courthouse soon before Sweden decides that I'm the next easy prey.

Spoiler VIII. Anything to Slow Sweden Down :

I'm going all in for sanctioning Sweden and I believe I'll have some support. I'm just surprised by how few votes there are for all the civs. I don't know if this is normal but a total of 18 votes suggests that no one cares about DV. I might care more if I didn't have a Goliath to worry about that can destroy me and is already in the process of swallowing up my CS. This Goliath isn't going down easily, that's for sure.

Spoiler IX. Imagine if Russia Can Help... :

In an ideal situation, I'd get Russia to attack Sweden with me and distract some Swedish units. In theory, that seems like a solid plan. However, the size of Sweden will likely see Sweden possessing a massive army that will mostly attack me. If Russia does somehow capture a few Swedish cities because I'm the distraction, then she'd snowball harder than Sweden and I have a bigger issue. I guess having Russia voting with me on sanctioning Sweden is good enough then.

Spoiler X. Casus Belli :

I can never quite understand Casus Belli and Global Peace Accord. Usually, the civ that's snowballing is already seen as a warmonger like the Sweden here. Making them get more warmonger penalty isn't going to stop them and, given the bonuses AI have in terms of income, that increase in maintenance isn't going to make much of a dent (Sweden is making around 800 GPT at this point). Meanwhile, the human player always benefit from Casus Belli as it lowers the maintenance which allows the player to field more units or have better income with a smaller but more quality units.

Well, that's it for our update! How much longer before we have the David versus Goliath fight?

 

[YukiN]

I've found Global Peace Accords tends to create more war as everyone hates one another permanently. Cassus Belli allows normalized relations with warmongers, and Sweden would benefit as well. If you want to punish Sweden, proposing sanction would probably have been better. That way you tank his trades and happiness, and get reduced warmonger score for warring him.

 

[amateurgamer88]

I've found Global Peace Accords tends to create more war as everyone hates one another permanently. Cassus Belli allows normalized relations with warmongers, and Sweden would benefit as well. If you want to punish Sweden, proposing sanction would probably have been better. That way you tank his trades and happiness, and get reduced warmonger score for warring him.

Casus Belli is going to help me a lot more than Sweden. He's swimming in gold while my GPT will drop steadily as I field more units. I feel like it's a net positive for what I need to fight Sweden. As for sanctions, I feel like happiness for AI doesn't get that bad unless you really decisively win wars against them. That won't happen against Sweden, at least not for awhile.

 

[YukiN]

Casus Belli is going to help me a lot more than Sweden. He's swimming in gold while my GPT will drop steadily as I field more units. I feel like it's a net positive for what I need to fight Sweden. As for sanctions, I feel like happiness for AI doesn't get that bad unless you really decisively win wars against them. That won't happen against Sweden, at least not for awhile.

The lack of luxes and trade routes do matter, especially with the way war weariness works now. Everyone has met everyone due to WC, so that's easily more than 10 happiness from 3 lux trades. A bonus would also be the diplomatic favour gained from sanctionining a warmonger from everyone else.

 

[amateurgamer88]

Chapter 15: War! War! War!

Spoiler I. Let's Get This Started! :

I find it odd that Sweden is quite friendly towards me. I don't think I want him to tech up more and get better units for our war. I should start the war now when I still have some edge with my terrain. The moment field guns are aplenty on the battlefield, all that terrain no longer poses any serious issues for Sweden. Since I declared the war, I have no chance to turn back. Time to fight Goliath!

Spoiler II. Still Nabbing Wonders :

I still have lots of CS to ally with so the Summer Palace is a must. It also give Chancery some really nice yields with the extra gold and culture. As I'm going the diplomatic route, I will be building Chancery in all of my cities. Of course, I need some unit production now as war with Sweden is draining and I won't be replenishing anymore units once WW hits me hard enough to give me a supply deficit.

Spoiler III. Adopting Rationalism :

I'm still debating when is a good time to take Industry but my gold situation is looking quite good and, while production seems nice, I need to keep my tech lead or, at the very least, keep on part. I doubt I'll get into unhappy territory unless the WW hits me extremely hard. Rationalism should be decent in that I'll get a science boost that might pay off in the long run. Imperialism makes no sense given how few puppets I have but some policies in that tree can benefit me for sure.

Spoiler IV. Navy is Useful! :

The Swedish land units are mostly preoccupied with Kaesong as they try to encircle it. Luckily the terrain is very helpful for me with those desert hills to the south and my new defensive line to the west and northwest. I had a few land units east of Busan to help defend Wellington and it was indeed a bloody fight. Eventually, I dealt enough damage to the Swedish troops in the area to make my own push and Busan is mine. I do think it switches hands a few times but I don't mind that too much.

Spoiler V. New Policy :

I chose Enlightenment to get that free Golden Age and a bit more growth and cities in all of my cities. With so few mountains in my empire, observatories don't seem stellar. However, I do have a Great Engineer almost completed as seen in the screenshot so the extra yields can be useful. I might save him for some other Wonder I need to keep up with Sweden. However, I'm already happy that I took a city from Sweden in this war.

Spoiler VI. The Game Changer? :

Normally, I don't showcase a tech because it's not that special. However, Dynamite is one of those techs that can make a huge difference for my current and future wars. How? First, I can upgrade my Frigates to Cruisers and they get extra range. That range can help me defend Busan with fewer land units as Cruisers hurt a lot. That will allow me to deploy units elsewhere. Let's not forget about the Gatling Guns because they are a terror of its time and I can use them to properly support my other units.

Spoiler VII. America Being a Problem :

Of course I don't want Scholar in Residence to pass since it doesn't help me one bit. I want to keep my lead and, if I do fall behind, I think I can eventually catch up with the extra yields from Great Scientists. At this point, I'd like the status quo with how much tech costs and just go with it. America will have to continue lagging behind because I have no intention of letting any other civ catching up. At this point, I think Russia is too strong for even a coalition of Rome and America to beat though.

Spoiler VIII. Barely Passed Casus Belli :

I'm glad I got this passed because I need the extra income given how expensive upgrades are when you're at a supply deficit. Meanwhile, the war is going well with Seoul being quite helpless against my navy. The funny thing is that this isn't even a particularly large navy but it's getting the job done. Once I get Cruisers, defending Seoul shouldn't be a problem, especially once my Cruisers get Logistics.

Spoiler IX. Securing CS Alliances :

Since I can't think of any other good proposals due to my low production compared to...Sweden and Russia, I chose to start doing SOI with CS. First, I want to get Wellington as this CS was being competed over by Sweden and I don't like that. I'd rather secure them and be done with it. After that, I will want to SOI all the CS or at least as many as I can get away with. Little did I know you can SOI CS you're at war with as well.

Spoiler X. What a Bloody Affair :

I know I didn't show the demographics at the start of the war but I can assure you that Sweden was first in soldiers. The fact that they no longer hold that position means I have really ground them down through a lot of attrition. In the meantime, I'm also taking his cities so that isn't going to help him much. With the way things are going, I might eke out a small victory in this war. However, we all know Sweden is far from collapsing.

Well, that's it for our update! With Goliath lose anymore of his fringe cities?

 

[amateurgamer88]

The lack of luxes and trade routes do matter, especially with the way war weariness works now. Everyone has met everyone due to WC, so that's easily more than 10 happiness from 3 lux trades. A bonus would also be the diplomatic favour gained from sanctionining a warmonger from everyone else.

Well, what you say are true but I still see Sweden with tons of happiness once he adopts his Ideology. It take much more to cripple an AI at this difficulty but every bit helps. As for the bonus with other civs, it's not that relevant given that the only way to resolve future issues are through war, at least with Sweden.

 

[YukiN]

I am shocked you didn't go for Imperialism. I feel Rationalism is a huge mistake here.

Rationalism is a growth, science and specialists tree. I don't expect much in the way of specialists since you have been building units instead of buildings. Growth adds to unhappiness and you are at war. Without lots of specialist slots the extra pop is also not that useful. Only the science is really good.

Compare with Imperialism. It is a war tree and you have already conquered Austria and will be at war with Sweden for the forseeable future. There is a total of 35% more production for units and -35% reduction to unit upgrades there. If you nab the Pentagon it's another -33%. That is a huge amount of gold.

You have a lot of coastal cities, and Exploiation is massive for water tiles, giving science and production. Those suboptimal settles you made for whales? They have as many good tiles as they need. The buff to other tile yields is also really powerful. Water tiles are also strong growth tiles so that helps make up the deficit in growth compared to Rationalism.

Colonialism is 10 science and 4 culture per city from barracks and armouries. Forts and Citadels giving good yields make them a tempting replacement for villages. It also has synergy with exchange markets for monopolies. Just with Whales and Silver though, it is already 10% science and quite a big chunk of culture. This together with Exploitation may just give you more science than Rationalism.

Regimental Tradition is a general buff to combat, which will be naturally useful in the wars to come. Also has synergy with your UA.

Civilizing mission gives gold and a big boost to getting your conquered cities up and running. Even when they are up to date, it's still a solid 10% to buildings for a big chunk of your empire. It gives you incentive to advance eras, which you want to to boost your UA anyway (though happiness may be a problem)

Martial Law is a little happiness to deal with war weariness, more puppet yields, and savings from garrisons (minor). It makes puppeting first and annex later to help with unhappiness better. It is the weakest of the bunch and it is still good.

As a closer, you get more luxes from using a GAd for discovery. As Portugal, this provides synergy with your UA, and can be sold for gold if nothing else. You should have no shortage of buyers as they are unique. I'm not sure if they give a monopoly. If so, that's even more powerful with Colonialism.

 

[LukaSlovenia29]

A nice set of turns, but I agree with YukiN, I would have picked Imperialism in a heartbeat, because at this point, warring with Sweden for the majority of the remainder of the game seems to be necessary to win this game.

 

[amateurgamer88]

I am shocked you didn't go for Imperialism. I feel Rationalism is a huge mistake here.

Rationalism is a growth, science and specialists tree. I don't expect much in the way of specialists since you have been building units instead of buildings. Growth adds to unhappiness and you are at war. Without lots of specialist slots the extra pop is also not that useful. Only the science is really good.

Compare with Imperialism. It is a war tree and you have already conquered Austria and will be at war with Sweden for the forseeable future. There is a total of 35% more production for units and -35% reduction to unit upgrades there. If you nab the Pentagon it's another -33%. That is a huge amount of gold.

You have a lot of coastal cities, and Exploiation is massive for water tiles, giving science and production. Those suboptimal settles you made for whales? They have as many good tiles as they need. The buff to other tile yields is also really powerful. Water tiles are also strong growth tiles so that helps make up the deficit in growth compared to Rationalism.

Colonialism is 10 science and 4 culture per city from barracks and armouries. Forts and Citadels giving good yields make them a tempting replacement for villages. It also has synergy with exchange markets for monopolies. Just with Whales and Silver though, it is already 10% science and quite a big chunk of culture. This together with Exploitation may just give you more science than Rationalism.

Regimental Tradition is a general buff to combat, which will be naturally useful in the wars to come. Also has synergy with your UA.

Civilizing mission gives gold and a big boost to getting your conquered cities up and running. Even when they are up to date, it's still a solid 10% to buildings for a big chunk of your empire. It gives you incentive to advance eras, which you want to to boost your UA anyway (though happiness may be a problem)

Martial Law is a little happiness to deal with war weariness, more puppet yields, and savings from garrisons (minor). It makes puppeting first and annex later to help with unhappiness mich better. It is the weakest of the bunch and it is still good.

As a closer, you get more luxes from using a GAd for discovery. As Portugal, this provides synergy with your UA, and can be sold for gold if nothing else. You should have no shortage of buyers as they are unique. I'm not sure if they give a monopoly. If so, that's even more powerful with Colonialism.

I guess I wasn't aware of all those bonuses. I will know in the future if I have a strong coastal start because this does make more sense. Like I said, I'm still learning on Immortal and there are plenty of things I can improve upon. However, at least you get to see how my sub-optimal strategy will play out in the long run.

The luxuries from Great Admirals don't give monopolies. Otherwise, that would be so OP.

A nice set of turns, but I agree with YukiN, I would have picked Imperialism in a heartbeat, because at this point, warring with Sweden for the majority of the remainder of the game seems to be necessary to win this game.

Well, you don't always see a Rationalism Portugal fight a powerful AI so I guess it's a treat. I will in the future go that route to optimize my play. And things are getting interesting because even I was shocked by the turn of events that will be revealed in the upcoming updates.

 

[YukiN]

I feel that maybe I'm coming off as too strong, especially criticizing your play on multiple threads. I apologize if I have been demoralizing you. None of it is personal and I write thiese comments to help me clarify my own thinking and in hopes we can improve together.

 

[amateurgamer88]

I feel that maybe I'm coming off as too strong, especially criticizing your play on multiple threads. I apologize if I have been demoralizing you. None of it is personal and I write thiese comments to help me clarify my own thinking and in hopes we can improve together.

I don't see you as coming off too strong. I don't mind constructive criticism as I learn from them more. For example, you are putting effort in explaining how Imperialism helps me more and I really appreciate that. I still have much to learn and these posts help me as much as the gameplay where I often have to dig myself out of a less than ideal situation. You can keep this up and I'd happily improve from these things I tend to overlook.