Inquisitors

[omurtag]

Great job Cosmic and Krockel I really like to play after Krockel, because he leaves everything in a very good order. Thank you!

I found enough time to play now, so I decided to do it, and thus three of us managed to play in little more than 24 hours. Great! Of course the strategy for my turns was pretty straightforward, otherwise I would have waited to discuss a little, and then play.

Those were very queit turns, I was building units, mostly cats, and a couple of longbows to secure our backyard from unexpected attack from Alex (am I too paranoid?) He's still pleased with us, but we have -3 "Close borders" penalty and it wont get better, because of his two cities in the east.

My immediate goals were:
-- Build a city in the east, before Alex does.
-- Direct research towards CONQUESTadors as per Cosmic's request. I must admit, I don't have much experience with them either, but 50% vs Melee units sounds good
-- whip some stuff in our new cities

The first thing that I've changed were the priests in Seville, I made them scientists, because we don't really want another GProphet, also added an engineer to the mix in a couple of turns. The prophet that we had sleeping in Madrid was offering us 1200 beakers for Divine Right, but I decided to settle him in Seville instead.

Seville will be our Wall Street city one day... (The Gold from the shrine and the prophet is multiplied by wall street, right?)

The most amazing thing happened on my first turn: Peter saw the light, and became christian. He's on the other continent This was so surprising that I forgot to take a screenshot

On the next turns I was spreading the word in Germany. We will try to convert Bismark before we attack him, wont we? Few turns later Alex built Chichen Itza. In the year 1280, we founded Santiago - very nice city indeed, denying a lot of territory to Alex.

We finish Guilds, hooray for the conquistadors! Research set to Civil service (for the irrigation) Adamlan you will have to plan our irrigation lines, btw

There is still one barb city left in the east:

and Alex is sending an army there to capture it. If he fails, we have a sword nearby, that could capture it. I should have sent more units there but I was concentrating our offensive units on the western border.

As Krockel noted, Mecca is an amazing city, lots of food (the borders will pop in 2 turns.) Our future GP farm.

And here are some screenshots from the last turn:

I didn't change the civics yet, because slavery is still very usefull in our new cities. And vassalage is too expensive. However, Adamlan, you might want to make some changes. It's time to crank out some conquistadors, let's see if they can live up to their name!

 

[adamlan]

great turns both of u i dont think i will atak anyone in my turns i will just build alot of conquistadors 4 foolonthehill

 

[adamlan]

where's the save

 

[omurtag]

Oh, stupid me, forgot to post the savefile I am sorry Adamlan. It must be the troll, who nuked Adi's computer, and then screwed Cosmic's copypaste. Teammates, beware!

 

[Cosmichail]

later it will have 5(!) sea resources, so it could be our GP-farm.

Got to like that.

Seville will be our Wall Street city one day... (The Gold from the shrine and the prophet is multiplied by wall street, right?)

Should be

We finish Guilds, hooray for the conquistadors! Research set to Civil service (for the irrigation) Adamlan you will have to plan our irrigation lines, btw

Oh goody we get to try out those conquistadors. They'll be a lot better than knights. Civil Service so we will have bureaucracy which will really help in the science department. I have always found vasslage too pricey as well and with running theocracy we have enough XP.

We will try to convert Bismark before we attack him, wont we?

Yes that is part of the new variant so some building and nice Peter is Christian now. So he probably is on his own.

Watch that troll/gremlin he's a sneaky little bugger.

Great turns btw Krockel/Omurtag

Roster:

1. Cosmichail --> --> gave the infidel a bloody nose
2. Adi --> skipped (lost in the twilight zone)
3. Krockel -->just played --> Finished off the infidel.
4. Omurtag -->just played--> Got us conquistadors
5. Adamlan --> --> UP --> A nice building turn maybe some markets.
6. Foolonthehill --> on deck -->Convince Bismarck the error of his ways

 

[adamlan]

turn 1- theatre dun in seville it starts on a grocer.

turn 2 - i capture the barb city nd keep it as it will hav 2 sea food recources and it stops alex from settling there

turn 3- nutin happens

turn 4- cs is dun i strt on banking as we need banks

turn 5- nutin happened

turn 6- first coquist dun in madrid

turn 7- nutin happens

turn 8 - bankning finishes i strt on philosophy

turn 9 nutin happens

hamburg completes angkor wat soz cudnt do a more detailed report i only had 5 mins to do this one

 

[Cosmichail]

No problemo Adamlan it keeps the game moving. You had a peaceful set so that makes "Foolonthehill" up.

Roster:

1. Cosmichail --> on deck--> gave the infidel a bloody nose
2. Adi --> skipped (lost in the twilight zone)
3. Krockel --> --> Finished off the infidel.
4. Omurtag -->--> Got us conquistadors
5. Adamlan --> --> just played --> Hit enter a lot and some building
6. Foolonthehill --> UP-->Convince Bismarck the error of his ways

 

[FoolontheHill]

I see it. Should be able to play tomorrow.

Edit: Now I've got it.

 

[FoolontheHill]

This turn I found the variant a little limiting. I hope I understood it correctly. Since it had been at least 10 turns since the last war, I started the war with Bismark, even though we really weren't ready. He had a ton of units in Narjan, with reserves in Berlin and Hamburg.

Inherited Turn -1410- I plan the war. First, I move our forces to Narjan to take out the big stack. Then plan then will be to move to Hamburg and capture the pyramids and then Berlin to take out the capital. (Overly ambitious as you will see).

Turn 1 - 1420 - Alex wants banking for optics and 130 gold. Since he is a brother in the faith, I don't refuse.Philosophy finishes, start Gunpowder. I stop research at this point to start building some gold for upgrades.

Why are we building a Buddhist Temple if we are the Inquisitors???

Peter completes Notre Dame.

I load up Conquistador builds everywhere as Bismark has refused to convert and therefore must die.

War is declared. Captured a worker.

Turn 2 - 1430 - Attack stacks in place around Narjan, Biz loses 4 units killing one conquistador. Knock Najran's defenses to 0%. Attack, lose a couple of units and knock defense down to three injured units. Rest of force will be ready to attack next turn.

Alex and Peter both decline to aid in our crusade.

Turn 3 - 1440 - Peter wants map, we agree. He will probably get the circumnavigation bonus.

Lost a couple of units (bad die rolls, no attack was at less than 70% odds). So I turtle up to heal. Biz has stacks moving to counter attack at Medina and Narjan. Start upgrading swords and axes in cities near the front.

Turn 4 - 1450 - Absorb counter attacks with some losses. Biz loses more than we do, but it is preventing the big stack from healing. I push his forces away from Medina and move defensive units into the forests NW of Medina. I Switch to Vassalage to get the extra XP. Costs 30 gold per turn for the change in civics.

Turn 5 - 1460 - Start research back up, Gunpowder in about 7. War weariness is already starting to show up. Absorb more counterattacks.

Turn 6 - 1470 - Fight off his pesky stacks.

Turn 7 - 1480 - Alex offers gems for silk, we comply with the request from our brother in the faith.

Turn 8 - 1490 - Conquistadors start to come in. By the way, I have them on goto orders that will extend beyond my turn. There should be about 4 Conquistadors in Narjan in about 3 to 4 turns. Check each out if you want to change the rally point.

Turn 9 - 1500 (I'll stop here to get us back to an even number) - Narjan is fairly safe now. Most of Biz's offensive units have been killed. Our remaining catapults (probably need to build more), are on there way to Hamburg with maces and conquistadors (and maybe a spare elephant or two). I didn't make as much progress as I'd hoped, but the power graph shows that we hit Biz pretty hard. He dips, then we do as we absord the counterattack, then we jump back up significantly as the Conquistador builds come in.

Alex has gunpowder by the way. He won't trade it. We have a great scientist sleeping as well (he will give us paper which doesn't seem worth it).

My suggestion would be to keep building military until at least Hamburg and Berlin are captured, after that, about half the cities can go back to building banks.

Save is attached.

 

[Cosmichail]

Roster:

1. Cosmichail --> UP--> Will continue to attack Bismarck now
2. Adi --> skipped (lost in the twilight zone)
3. Krockel -->on deck --> Will he finish off Bismarck too
4. Omurtag -->--> Who's left to kill now
5. Adamlan --> --> --> Another builders round
6. Foolonthehill --> just played-->Tried to convince Bismarck


Consider this "I got it" and will play tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Krockel]

Nice turns there boys! We'll get Bizzie soon.

Have we built any national wonder yet? Although we're only able to build Heroic Epic and National Epic I think it's important that we discuss were to put all wonders.

According to me are Mecca the best place for Naional Epic. Heroic Epic is harder, maybe Barca or some city in old arabia. It's good to have military production close the the front. Seville is our holy city and as Omurtag settled our GP there (which were the right call IMO) Wallstreat would go there.

 

[Cosmichail]

Turn 0

Contact Peter and sell Pigs to him for 4 gpt.

Turn 1

Cuzco finishes conquistador start another
Toledo finishes conquistador start another
+10% in culture to deal with WW still at 6 gpt.
Worker stuff/Troop deployment

Turn 2

Everywhere I look Bismarck is well defended.
Troop deployment to Hamburg (first target holy city)

Turn 3

Hamburg CAT attacks and withdraws.
Hamburg Knight attacks and dies
Barcelona finishes bank start Maceman
Mecca finishes galley to protect sea resources
Start barracks. Worker stuff/troop deployment

Mecca is a great city pumping out military very fast and could be a good candidate for HE.

Turn 4

We discover gunpowder start Chemistry. Basrah finishes conquistador start another. Mecca start globe theater as there is major unhappiness. (As I write this might want to veto this for HE/West point)
Cat attacks Hamburg dies, Cat attacks Hamburg withdraws, Cat attacks and looses.
We loose one Conquistador but can’t take out all the defenders. Down to 1 lbm/1 cat left for next turn. Worker stuff/troop deployment

Turn 5

Peter asks for gunpowder but refuse. (variants state we do not have to give it away but trade for it) Bismarck offers PT plus 20 gold refuse of course. Madrid getting unhappy start Coliseum. Barcelona finishes Mace start musket. Elephant takes out knight at Hamburg. We take Hamburg and raze it as per the variants about razing holy cities. It means loosing the Pyramids.
Troop deployment/Worker stuff

Turn 6

Cordoba finishes market start conquistador. Tiwanaku finishes conquistador start market. Cuzco very unhappy start/whip theater. Chehalis finishes library start lighthouse.
Worker stuff/troop deployment.

Moving some troops towards Berlin many still are healing.

Turn 7

Troop deployment. Whipped Coliseum in Madrid. Switch Olly to theater due to unhappy.

Turn 8

Cuzco finishes theater start cat. (unhappy gone)
2 stacks building getting ready for Berlin.
Madrid still 2 unhappiness start cathedral.
Worker stuff/ troop deployment

Turn 9

Toledo finishes conquistador start cat. Troop deployment/worker stuff.

Turn 10

Cuzco finishes Cat start another. Huge stack one tile away from Berlin. It has the Parthenon, we should be able to take it, Stack so big it doesn’t fit on the screen ………..

There is a Christian missionary on the way to Santiago and another being built.

Our current power level which is good.

Now that we destroyed Bismarck’s holy city we could try to convert him but need CM’s to do that too which I meant by conversion as well. It doesn’t hurt to take him out though since he can be a real threat later in the game for victory conditions. I think we should have at least one city spreading the faith to our cities not converted to Christianity and foreign civs like Alex/Peter.

That makes you up Krockel and Mecca is still building Globe theater because of unhappiness but go ahead and change it to HE since it is one heck of a production city and with all that food even good for specialists.


EDIT: Here is the save:

Current save

 

[Cosmichail]

Roster:

1. Cosmichail --> just played--> Destroyed Bismarck's holy city
2. Adi --> skipped (lost in the twilight zone)
3. Krockel -->UP --> Lots of soldiers waiting for his command
4. Omurtag -->on deck--> Will be fighting Bismarck too maybe
5. Adamlan --> --> --> Another builders round??
6. Foolonthehill --> just played-->Montezuma in his plans?

 

[FoolontheHill]

Peter asks for gunpowder but refuse. (variants state we do not have to give it away but trade for it) Bismarck offers PT plus 20 gold refuse of course. Madrid getting unhappy start Coliseum. Barcelona finishes Mace start musket. Elephant takes out knight at Hamburg. We take Hamburg and raze it as per the variants about razing holy cities. It means loosing the Pyramids.

This variant really hurts. I'm glad you caught that though, I had missed that Hamburg was a holy city and probably would have kept it if I had captured it. Whoops.

 

[Krockel]

'Got it'

I'll take a look at the save after I got some f00d in my stomach. Then I can make a comment about what to do with Mecca.

 

[Krockel]

Isabella’s Inquisition – 1550 – 1600 AD

Pre-turn
A Great Scientist hangs around in Madrid. We could settle him there, but I rather save him for a useful tech. He gives Chemistry right know and after that Paper I suppose, so I save him for Education and maybe we could have a shoot at getting first to Liberalism.

Turn 1
Ollantytambo finishes theater and starts pre built conquistador.

Turn 2
Chemistry comes in, as mentioned above is Paper up next. A proud conquistador manages to pillage German iron north of Munich. To bad that two others get lost in the process, killing a pike and a knight though, plus that Bismarck have another iron north of Frankfurt, which I missed.
Catapults bombards Berlins defense down to 18 %, so the German capital will get charged next turn.
Barcelona finishes a Christian missionary and starts another one. Cuzco and Toledo finish catapult and starts Bank and Courthouse respectively.

Turn 3
Berlin is now ours, 10 turns of resistance though. Only one catapult is lost in the process, we are so superior in numbers and quality of our troops so one suicide catapult is enough to give combat odds above 75 % for our attacking units.
Conquistador fortified on German iron is lost in the field, killing of a mace and a cat before loosing to a longbow.
Santiago builds courthouse and starts granary. An inquisition force that teaches its people the wonders of Christianity also visits Santiago.
Due to war wariness culture slider goes up to 20 %. We need to build coliseums in our larger cities for more culture happiness.

Turn 4
We now know the secrets of paper, whatever that could be good for in this modern IT-society. I burn our GS on Education; one more turn is still needed to finish of the tech though.
Barcelona produces another Christian missionary and starts a third. They are all sent down to old Incan land, which need to be thought some good Christian values. J
Seville and Cordoba begins coliseums, after had finished bank and conquistador respectively.

Turn 5
Education comes in and Liberalism gets started. I think we’ll get first to it and regarding tech to choose my vote goes for steel.
Tiwanku finish market and starts our first grenadier.

Turn 6
Bismarck suicides two catapults in our troops by Munich, well jolly good I’d split up the stack.
A lot of cities finish it’s builds this turn; Barcelona: missionary -> grenadier, Ollantytambo: conquistador ->coliseum, Santiago: granary -> forge.
To improve cash flow and save some coins on civics I revolt out of vassalage and into bureaucracy. With barracks and theocracy we still get 6 exp from scratch to our troops and that is more then enough ATM. In retrospect I could have choose to revolt from theocracy to organized religion instead, since we’re building a lot of buildings, which will get more cash then bureaucracy in the long run. Feel free to do so Omurtag.

Turn 7
Munich now belongs to us, one conquistador and one elephant is lost in the process.
Manchu Poncho finish bank and starts forge.

Turn 8
Toledo finish courthouse and starts a catapult. Our missionaries begin to approach their destinations and Cuzco get to know our fate.

Turn 9
Baghdad finish courthouse and start bank.
Madrid finishes a marvelous Christian cathedral and our god is so happy. University is up next in our prime science city.
Mecca finish a huge theater and happiness disappears, catapult is up next.
The people of Manchu Poncho get to know Christianity.

Turn 10
Christianity is spread to Ollantytambo and Chehalis is the only city of ours that does know our faith yet.
Baghdad gets two chops and a bank, theater next.
Toledo finishes a catapult and starts a forge. Toledo is a good city for military production, a candidate for heroic epic?!
Regarding national epic I believe Madrid is a fine choice for that, a lot of food from the lake and already some wonders there.

Troops are approaching Frankfurt, so take it away Omurtag.

 

[Cosmichail]

Roster:

1. Cosmichail --> --> Destroyed Bismarck's holy city
2. Adi --> skipped (lost in the twilight zone)
3. Krockel -->just played --> Brought down Bismarck's numbers nicely
4. Omurtag -->UP--> Inquisitor continue the fight.
5. Adamlan --> --> on deck --> War is likely this time around
6. Foolonthehill --> -->Montezuma in his plans?

 

[omurtag]

Thanks for this comprehensive report Krockel!

I spent last hour thinking about our cities and their specialization. I normally try to avoid this kind of distraction in a war time, but that's the reason why succession games are great - they give you a lot of time to think, while others are playing

Warning: the following suggestions for city specialization were made under the have influence of cold tea and lack of caffeine, thus they might be pure

Since we built the Globe Theatre in Mecca, this makes the option Heroic Epic + West Point impossible, due to the two national wonders per city restriction. IMHO we should build the National Epic there, and start cranking out great people. The high productioin of this city will allow us to build some wonders, thus increasing the GP rate even more. Here's a picture of Mecca:

Mecca - Great People

OK, the next city's specialization is a no-brainer, it's Santiago, Iron Works and 3GD go there. We can build a lot of lumbermills and watermills, while the two food resources cover the food deficit from the hills.

Santiago - Production, IW, 3GD

Our next candidate: Cuzco! We need a good spot for HE and WP, but I don't see many high-production cities that have enough inland tiles. We need inland tiles, that could be improved, IMO. Water tiles will only hurt the production in the long run. Cuzco has four forests (lumbermills) and a river for watermills, I believe it has the potential to turn into a very productive city. Of course we'll have to sacrifice some of the cottages there. We can even move the palace here...

Cuzco - Military, HE, WP

And last but not least - Berlin. This city could be our late-game science city, with Oxford inside. It has plenty of grassland for cottages. Madrid has too many water tiles for a science city I think, and the Collosus will be obsoleted one day... Madrid is not a good late game city, imho.

Berlin - Science, Oxford

Eagerly waiting for your opinions and ideas

EDIT: Forgto to mention Seville, I think we all agree, that it'll be our Wall Street city.

 

[FoolontheHill]

City specialization is not my strong suit, so I'll defer to (and learn from) the group on this. The suggestions omurtag has make sense to me.

 

[adamlan]

cum on guys lets keep this game moving i agree with all the specialization ideas