I wrapped up (gave up) on my last HoF milk run back in June. Since then, despite an occasional lull in posting here, I've loaded the game virtually every day, if only to run Mapfinder. I went through 20,000 maps. For a long time, I was sticking with the Netherlands/8ai/monarch, but eventually grew tired of this. Monarch proved boring. Emperor and Demigod proved frustrating in the tech pace being too slow.
I finally moved up to Deity and found a tech pace I was comfortable with, but was getting buried in the initial expansion. I wasn't grabbing enough space relative to the AI, nor enough resources.
Several weeks ago, I changed tactics. I switched to the Iroquois and bumped the AI from 8 up to 15 (basically everyone without Alphabet). After just a few hundred such maps, I came across one that said it started with two cows and a domination limit of over 4400!
This, I had to try.
The start proved not so great. I was on an island by myself with no luxuries, and by the time I got galleys, there was nowhere to go. I kept playing however. Using SirPleb's proven GL elevator, I was able to beat the AI to Philosophy and get build the GL. Combined with nearly two dozen Curragh's, I was one of the smaller nations but wielded free techs and three times as many contacts as anyone else.
I didn't bother signing Rights with everyone, and eventually the Egyptians didn't take kindly to my trespassing and shot down one of my boats. I started handing out techs like candy to Cleo's neighbors, looking for Military Alliances. At one point I had nine AI's against her! By the time I actually got some Mounted Warriors to her border, the Persians sacked her capitol.
290ad and I had wiped out the first of fifteen without firing a shot! I felt good! Especially considering what sweet revenge it was for her costing me a cultural victory during C3C beta testing last summer.
Ah, it feels good to be playing again!
I finally moved up to Deity and found a tech pace I was comfortable with, but was getting buried in the initial expansion. I wasn't grabbing enough space relative to the AI, nor enough resources.
Several weeks ago, I changed tactics. I switched to the Iroquois and bumped the AI from 8 up to 15 (basically everyone without Alphabet). After just a few hundred such maps, I came across one that said it started with two cows and a domination limit of over 4400!
This, I had to try.The start proved not so great. I was on an island by myself with no luxuries, and by the time I got galleys, there was nowhere to go. I kept playing however. Using SirPleb's proven GL elevator, I was able to beat the AI to Philosophy and get build the GL. Combined with nearly two dozen Curragh's, I was one of the smaller nations but wielded free techs and three times as many contacts as anyone else.
I didn't bother signing Rights with everyone, and eventually the Egyptians didn't take kindly to my trespassing and shot down one of my boats. I started handing out techs like candy to Cleo's neighbors, looking for Military Alliances. At one point I had nine AI's against her! By the time I actually got some Mounted Warriors to her border, the Persians sacked her capitol.
290ad and I had wiped out the first of fifteen without firing a shot! I felt good! Especially considering what sweet revenge it was for her costing me a cultural victory during C3C beta testing last summer.
Ah, it feels good to be playing again!
:suicide: 
