Immortal University XXI: Asoka

[TheMeInTeam]

@ Jbossh

If you are going to use only warriors vs barbs then it really does work better imo if you grow to your happy cap and make enough to get some fogbusting done while there are only animals around. I had like 7 warriors doing the job for me. I just stole a worker from Khan and camped out on a forest hill and stopped him from expanding for a rediculous amount of time - which I used to get some good spots before I went for him.

It's harder on normal speed. The distance is pretty large, you'd have to know exact spawn locations on normal speed + the distance to even have a chance of getting there before the AI settles its 2nd city (which is pre-3k bc).

The archers seem to beat the warrior choke rapidly, too.

After using your game as a metric, I've been experimenting offline on IMM/normal random fractal maps. What CAN be pretty effective is a 3 archer choke. The AI has trouble taking that down with archers. It will still expand, but not in your direction. It will also send attack forces toward you, usually some mix of chariots/archers, chariots/axe or whatever, however the stacks are manageable to 4-6 archers, so you can pretty much just expand and archer camp a good # of cities with a lot of starts, with the price of a pissy AI.

However experiments using warriors have led to me losing warriors, either to barbs or more commonly 5 or so archers attacking them, and it's prohibitive to try to warrior spawnbust AND still hold off barbs with only warriors...whereas archers still do pretty well.

I need to practice more before I get used to it. I think it would fail pretty badly on deity.

 

[JBossch]

@ABigCivFan:

Spoiler :

Yeah I may have been thinking in Deity mode a bit since thats what I've been playing lately. Crusher1 seemed to have pretty good luck with the axe rush. The choke seemed a bit risky as I've had these go bad before where the AI just starts cranking archers until they have massive stacks of them. Also I just wasn't that worried about GK because it took him so long to hook up metal. A handful of spearmen in Bombay were plenty of defense in case he brought chariots or even Keshiks.

@Crusher1

Spoiler :

You are probably right. I was really intent on grabbing the 3 early spots to block out GK which worked but it meant sacrificing a bit. I would not have succeeded in getting all three spots if I had even built one more warrior. I will update soon with my elephant attack and we can compare, though I'm sure your way is better in the long run.

 

[JBossch]

Round 2: 1000BC-475AD

Spoiler :

Between 1000BC and 500BC I get libraries in Delhi and Bombay and I turn research back on after switching it to Alpha. No one has it yet and I am teching really fast.

525BC: After signing OBs with GK he sends a small stack to take out the barb city in the NE. The barbs shred his stack and foolishly go on the offensive leaving only one wounded archer to defend. My warrior takes the city and is promoted to Woodsman III!

450BC: I am first to Alpha which I trade for AH, IW and sailing. Peter is WHEOOHRN and GK is annoyed with me. I gift him mysticism though I don't think he gives a crap.

325BC: GK builds the Mids. He goes WHEOOHRN and I am definitely the target.

250BC: My first GS is born and he builds an academy in Delhi. Not sure this was a good move as Bombay will probably soon be a better science city. Oh well.
Peter founds Confucianism and GK soon converts.

175BC: I saved Alpha for this inevitable demand.

I acquiesce, buying ten more turns of peace.

100BC: For some reason GK has yet to pop borders in Turfan and it has an Indian revolt.

25AD:

Haven't flipped a city without a cultural civ in a while. Oddly, GK built Moai here and I still have it. Is this a bug? I didn't think you could get national wonders this way. Its a terrible spot for it since it only has two coastal tiles. Oh well. (Also note that I got a War Elephant from it. Nice.)

75AD: Our peace treaty ends and GK predictably DoWs me. No prob, I'm ready. I have been brutally whipping catapults and recently WEs in all my cities. GK has miscalculated badly.

225AD: Karakorum is captured, along with the Mids, and I revolt to Representation.

325AD: A couple trades:

475AD: After taking a couple more cities I accept peace with GK for compass and calendar. I can mop him up soon as long as he doesn't vassal to anybody like a punk. Everyone is Confucian so I jump on the bandwagon.

With all my luxury resources and the Rep bonus I have more happiness than I know what to do with. Most of my cities will soon be working all of their cottages plus Rep scientists which is good because Pete and Joao are finally starting to tech fast.

Things look to be in order so far. I have the mids and really good land so the other AIs should be manageable. Not sure if my plan was the optimal one, Crusher's strat seems to have worked out well, but I feel ok with my position. Comments are welcome of course.

 

[Crusher1]

@ Jbossch

Spoiler :

A lot of my success was luck dependent too, and I played Epic as well. Remember, in my game not only was I able to slow down Khan by stealing his worker, I slowed his expansion, and barbs gave him a fit so he had nothing but Archers. After all, the previous Stalin game I played, I won, however, it was a very difficult game - whereas others made it look easy. Just the way it works sometimes! Cause this didn't feel like an Immortal game at all ^^, more like Monarch. But it was fun putting workers on automate after I build the Mids and chopped some units

 

[JBossch]

Anyone still playing this one? No wins posted yet....

Round 3: 475AD-1440AD

Spoiler :

520AD: GK vassals to Peter. Of course.

640AD: Time to trade paper around.

I revolt to CS to get some use out of my Rep specialists and Org Religion.

720AD: I use a GS to bulb the rest of Edu.

840AD: I didn't want to foudn Taoism but I couldn't put off Philo any further.

The tech screen looks pretty good and I shoudl be able to postpone Lib for something good.

920AD: GK foolishly declares independence and I DoW the next turn.

1110AD: 1 turn before I take steel from Liberalism.

Up until this turn I could see Peter and Joao's research from time to time. They were both really close to Lib so I have been starving my cities to run Rep scientists.

But it worked.

1120AD: Someone really wants gunpowder.

1190AD: GK is down to one island city and I sign peace with him.

1220AD: Time for a bribe.

Also this turn I start meeting the rest of the world which is JC and Napoleon on their own islands. Nappy appears to have wiped out Pacal at some point and he hates me. JC is cool with me though.

1230AD: I am the first to prove the world is round!

1250AD: Lame!

I paid good money for that war! Stupid AP!

1340AD: The tech screen is looking pretty good.

1410AD: Napoleon has demands!

Or what? You'll paddle over here in your galleys? F you buddy!

1420AD: Lets try this again.

1440AD: And here I come too!

Admittedly, my cannon/rifle build up was slow, partly due to neglecting the aesthetics-drama line and never really setting up a draft factory, and partly due to the need to whip stuff like universities and other infrastructure after a long period in CS. I don't think it will matter though as my bpt is pretty sweet when I turn it on. I thought about taking Peter first because he's a bit stronger but I decided to preserve our friendship a bit longer. It shouldn't be a problem even if I need infantry to finish Pete.

 

[Comrade-Deux]

I am having trouble unzipping this file. Is there somewhere that explains how to do it properally?

 

[JBossch]

I am having trouble unzipping this file. Is there somewhere that explains how to do it properally?

Download, doubleclick the file, click "extract all", then in the "extract to" box you need to paste the path to your BtS worldbuilder file. This is probably found by going My Computer-> Program Files-> FiraxisGames-> CivilizationIV-> BeyondtheSword-> Saves-> Worldbuilder or something like that.

If that doesn't help someone more technical will have to answer or you could get someone with the 4000BC save to just post it. I tried to but I don't have the file anymore.

Good luck.

 

[Comrade-Deux]

I've unzipped it, and then i coppied the resulting file into the worldbuilder folder. This did not work. So I tried it as Jossch suggested and unzipped while redirecting the folder to my worldbuilder folder. This also did not work. Can someone help me?

 

[JBossch]

I've unzipped it, and then i coppied the resulting file into the worldbuilder folder. This did not work. So I tried it as Jossch suggested and unzipped while redirecting the folder to my worldbuilder folder. This also did not work. Can someone help me?

Are you getting an error message?

 

[Comrade-Deux]

No, it just doesn't show up when i try to load it in the game. It says, at this particular moment, that I have 3 different copies of the Asoka file in my worldbuilder folder, and it won't let me load them.

 

[Learningciv]

Try exiting Civ4, going to where the file is saved then click "Open with" and choose civ4. Civ will load up and the game will start

 

[Learningciv]

Checkpoint 1 - 1A.D

Spoiler :

Sort of similiar to Crusher1's game though I didn't have it as easy. I started teching towards hunting, followed by BW. Went to build a worker first but switched to warrior spam after I stole a worker from GK.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS!!!!

Spoiler :

I hooked up Bronze, he hooked up Horses. CR axes with a spear defending stack worked well, in fact well enough to wipe out GK. I made peace once late in the war when he had a single city left due to having to make a decision about 1) Lose my very highly promoted Axeman 2)Lose a new city 3)Make 10 turns of peace. My 25/26 promo axeman ends up 26/26. Does this unlock Westpoint? I can't seem to recall since I rarely have an early oppurtunity to build that. That lone axeman won a ton of 65% battles and single handily turned the tide of the war (well he made it run smoother). In the end though GK is doomed:

Spoiler :

Something to note though is if it is a Civs final city and it is size 1 it gets auto razed (similiar to a barb city). I was assuming I would be able to capture it.

From that point on I have focused on economy. I chopped SoZ in Karokorum to secure my cultural borders. Glib is almost done in capital. Bombay has a settled GG but is building towards Parthanon. Unsure if I will continue it or leave it as is for cash. Peter had DOW'ed Joao earlier but now they are at peace. I am thinking I want to use my GG city to spam units to help keep away Peter's aggression.

Empire at 20A.D (went 1 turn past 1 A.D.)

Spoiler :

 

[JBossch]

No, it just doesn't show up when i try to load it in the game. It says, at this particular moment, that I have 3 different copies of the Asoka file in my worldbuilder folder, and it won't let me load them.

Yeah I just double-clicked the actual file and Civ starts up.

 

[Comrade-Deux]

Got it! Thanks much!

 

[Rogozhin]

First post!

4000 BC - 3700 BC

Spoiler :

4000 BC
Move warrior 1S. Reveals Corn in the current BFC..
Delhi founded in place
Tech path: Hunting > AG > BW
Queue: Warrior > Worker > Warrior

3800 BC
Contact with GK from the south. There shall be peace in our time.

3700 BC
Contact with Peter from the north. There shall be peace in our time.

 

[Rogozhin]

^^^ Forget this start, ok?

4000 BC - 20BC

Spoiler :

4000 BC
- Move warrior 1S. Reveals Corn in the current BFC.
- Delhi is founded in place.

Tech path: Hunting > AG > BW
Queue: Warrior > Worker > Warrior

3800 BC
- Contact with GK from the south. There shall be peace in our time.

3700 BC
- Buddhism is founded in a distant land.
- Contact with Peter from the north. There shall be peace in our time.
- Scouting to find stone, gold and GK borders.

3425 BC
- Lost exploring warrior in bear attack.

3350 BC
- Hinduism is founded in a distant land.

2775 BC
- BW discovered! A copper tile shines next to Delhi borders.
- Indian society revolt to Slavery.

Tech path: TW > AH > Writing

2750 BC
- Explorer warrior nearly lost in lion attack (0.1 hp left). Warriors stop exploring. Now they shall cohort settlers, hold barbarian invasions and protect .

2400 BC
- Bombay is founded! (copper, pigs and wheat in ring, ivory in BFC).

1875 BC
- Going fondly to settle in the gold (floodplains), then mongol cultural just pops in my face.

1425 BC
- Writing discovered!. Science slider to 0%. Queuing libraries in Delhi, Bombay.
- Vijayanagara is founded! (silver and horses)
- Pataliputra is founded! (stone and block GK)

Look mongol chariots plague and Bombay "escalating" with spearman.

1400 BC
- GK offers Open Borders. Sounds like a deal!.
It's time to recon his lands with impunity.

1050 BC
- Judaism is founded in a distant land.
- Karakorum (GK capital) is sigthed on a hill. It has Stonhedge and Pyramids! It also has walls (60% defense). A raw axeman/spearman rush becomes less attractive.

1000 BC
- Peter offers Open Borders. Sounds like a deal!. Now I know where he is, not north of me but south of GK.
- Contact with Joao II from east of GK lands. There isnt a Open Borders agreement between them. There shall be peace in our time.

950 BC
- Libraries ready on Delhi and Bombay. Slider back to 100%.

Tech path: Aesthetics.

650 BC
- Joao II offers Open Borders. Sounds like a deal!.

575 BC
As there was a GK settler cutting in I must settle.
- Varanasi is founded! (marble / shared pigs)

485 BC
- Aesthetics discovered!

Tech path: Masonry > Mathematics > Construction

440 BC
- Only Joao II has Alphabet. He accepts trading Fishing, Pottery, Archery and Masonry for Aesthetics.
I need those cheap techs (specially Fishing -for my crappy coastal cities- and Pottery -to pay for maintenance of idem-)

425 BC
- GK smashes 2 chariots and 1 archer against Phoenician (barb city). I was waiting for more axemen but i take advantage of this opportunity. I unlikely lose 1 axeman, pillage 89 gold and conquer the city.

With this 6 cities the frontline with GK is "closed", now is time to explore the retagarde, the tundra.

395 BC
- GK demands cancel deals with the vile portuguese! You're right, we can't stand them neither!.
- A Great Scientist has been born in Delhi and builds Academy over there.

335 BC
- Greatest civilizations.
1) Peter
2) GK
3) Unknown
4) Rogozhin
5) Unknown
6) Unknown
7) Joao II

275 BC
- I ask GK his gems for silver of mine. He accepts the terms.

230 BC
- GK discovers Alphabet. He accepts trading Sailing and Iron Working for Aesthetics. Eventually he is WHEOOHRN, and pleased with Peter, cautious with me and annoyed with Joao II.

185 BC
- Bombay finishes the Statue of Zeus. +10 bomb.

80 BC
- Ainu (barbarian city) was found in the tundra (not the richest area of the map). After sacrificing 4 of my axemen, I pillage 34 gold from there and autorazes.

35 BC
- Alphabet discovered!.
I was supposed to beeline to Construction but finally i decided to finish Alphabet myself. Peter accepts trading Mathematics, Meditation and Priesthood for Aestethics and Alphabet.

Tech path: Construction.

20 BC
- GK builds the Great Library.
- GK DOWs Peter.


DOMESTIC

TECHS

EMPIRE

 

[JBossch]

@Rogozhin:
Welcome to the forums!

Spoiler :

Having Gk fighting Peter is huge bonus for you. I think everyone else had bad relations with him due to culture pressure. I think you should take the opportunity to dogpile GK and grab his land. You were a little late with your early settlers and so you don't have a ton of territory. Rush through construction as fast as possible while growing your cities, whip catapults everywhere, and attack with whatever you can muster. War ellies woudl be great but I don't know if you will have time for HBR.

Good luck!

 

[TheMeInTeam]

@Rogozhin:
Welcome to the forums!

Spoiler :

Having Gk fighting Peter is huge bonus for you. I think everyone else had bad relations with him due to culture pressure. I think you should take the opportunity to dogpile GK and grab his land. You were a little late with your early settlers and so you don't have a ton of territory. Rush through construction as fast as possible while growing your cities, whip catapults everywhere, and attack with whatever you can muster. War ellies woudl be great but I don't know if you will have time for HBR.

Good luck!

Not everyone. Definitely take his advice though. You don't want to allow a runaway AI like I did.

 

[Dirk1302]

^May be not , but since it's immortal you should somewhere be able to outtech/just conquer him.
I know early launch like GK is hard but it would have been normal date on deity and of course since you're expecting it you should have been be ready to take his cap if it's inevitable. Can you give a save when all the warring has been done and you have the land to see if we can do better from there?

 

[TheMeInTeam]

^May be not , but since it's immortal you should somewhere be able to outtech/just conquer him.
I know early launch like GK is hard but it would have been normal date on deity and of course since you're expecting it you should have been be ready to take his cap if it's inevitable. Can you give a save when all the warring has been done and you have the land to see if we can do better from there?

I think I sank my ship before then by not targeting him directly (a backstab would have been delicious), but if you wanna have a look after I launched my invasion I'll post it:

View attachment TheMeInTeam AD-1705.CivBeyondSwordSave

A comment about the war:

Spoiler :

Normally a 20-some turn war is decent but hardly great. IMO launching one across the map with a wooden navy and still getting it done that fast is ok.

But at this point GK is pretty far ahead, and pure science alone wouldn't cut it. Perhaps I could have won anyway If I'd just gone mass military and tried to stab GK here (his SoD would be in the water somewhere, meaning I could take a lot of his mainland, although it would be over 2 vassals' dead bodies.

But since he's GK, I didn't think I'd actually get beat to space. By the time I realized, it was in fact too late.