KA01 - A Simple Deity Space Race

[Tomoyo]

Battlefield Medicine completes in 2 in Entremont. Think I'll slow it down, use as pre-build for Apollo.

Stealing from the OTTO is also an option. IIRC they have space flight.

EDIT: We'll want some fighters/artillery/bombers too.

 

[DJMGator13]

Keep the artillery together and just go 1 city at a time. It may be worth parking one of our MIs on a mountain as bait and seeing if we can thin out the OTTO troops a bit. The AI likes going after single troops.

 

[Mistfit]

More or less what I'm thinking the comming war is going to be good for is Leader Production. At this point additional cities will be nice but the leader possibilities will finish this game quicker than the slightly bumped up tech pace from a few corrupt cities. I'd wage this war as a mostly defensive one and try to get some leaders out of it to rush some space parts.

 

[nikof]

Aw, crap. (No, this isn't election commentary. )
I've had a lousy couple of days and couldn't get to the turnset. Would somebody else pick this up? Karasu mentioned maybe playing on Thursday. I may just not be cut out for the rigorous schedule of SGs.

Hey, so that's what this button is for!

Sorry!

 

[AlanH]

Are you available Karasu?

 

[Karasu]

Yes. I'll give it a go tonight.

 

[Karasu]

Well... ...I got sucked into a meeting for a project I *no longer* belong to (but go explain it to these guys).
I'll try to post something later tonight, or tomorrow morning at the latest.

 

[DJMGator13]

Not a problem.

 

[Karasu]

Pre-turn
Well, it looks like our warring spirits are taking over...

I sell a few luxuries to gain 18 meager gpt from America and Iroquois. The AI is almost useless.

The Ottomans won't talk with us -but we are lucky and manage to steal Space Flight from them for about 1600 gold. I switch research to Satellites, hoping someone discovers Fission in the meantime.
For this reason, I gift Aztecs and Americans into the Modern Age.

Switch Entremont to Apollo Program and press Enter.

We get some bombardments in former Zulu territory.
Our pillaging Spanish Missionaries are hit by Cruise Missiles and Mech Inf attacks. Not their lucky day, I'd say...

War Weariness and drafting start creating the first happiness problems

Turn 1 - 1305 AD
We engage in some counterattack on the Ottomans, but I would take peace as soon as reasonable.
We capture Isandhlwana, but four Veteran Mech Inf fortified in a size 12 cities take a high toll on our attacking Tanks.

Hire some taxmen and -I hope you forgive me- automate many workers

IT
Ottomans and Iroquois sign an alliance against us. We loose our Gems and riots start almost everywhere.

Ottomans attack at Chartres and Ulundi, killing a few units.

Turn 2 - 1310 AD
Neither Ottos nor Iros will talk peace yet.
I need to raise lux to 30%, loosing one turn on Satellites. See that war is never a good thing?

Can I get our Artilleries not to miss their target for once? Oh, well... we remove the trespassing ottoman units and move our tanks next to Umfolozi.

Now look at this. Ottomans will talk, and they already have... Satellites!

IT
More unhappiness.
Ottomans keep on attacking.
We have Apollo now and we start building the first SSS parts

Turn 3 - 1315 AD
Hire more entertainers and taxmen/scientists.
Remove more Ottoman troops. He still won't accept straight peace, and has some 2000 gps that I would like to get...

IT
Several Ottoman Mech Infs, Tanks and Cavalries march next to Chartres
Order restored in almost all cities.

Turn 4 - 1320 AD
Kill more Ottoman units. I move some tanks next to Umtata.

IT
Chartres, Grenoble and Leon riot again. I was sure I had fixed them...

Turn 5 - 1325 AD
The attack on Umtata fails due to the reinforcements that the Ottos had brought there. Bapedi is menaced but resists.
I kill what Ottoman units I see around and knock at their door again. This time peace is available, and I take it.
I also sell some more luxes around for a handful of pennies per turn.

Notes
Sorry, mates, but I really haven't got enough time for five more turns -and I already played these ones sloppily enough.

We are currently researching Ecology (I am still betting that Fission is being researched by the AI), which is due in 5 at 90% science. No way to complete it in four unless reviewing our cities and turning back entertainers into scientists gives us the extra beakers that we need (and btw, sorry that I left a bit of a mess there...).

We have Verulamium on a Palace prebuild and Tomoyoton on Battlefield Medicine.
The Iroquois still won't talk.


The save

 

[Tomoyo]

Good. Nice to see that my city is going to build a spaceship part! [dance]

Is there any way we can get more luxuries?

 

[Mistfit]

I think that playing together here has really helped me in the GOTM series (even though I typically only play the COTM) I now have proof that even the GoldWingers have been improving since playing this game.

I checked the Global rankings starting at COTM-04 (My 1st xOTM - and about the time this game started) The rankings were as follows

Global Rankings after COTM -04
Karasu - #20
Gator - #29
AlanH - #61
Mistfit - #210

Global Rankings after COTM-05
Karasu - #14 (up 6 spots)
Gator - #26 (up 3 spots)
AlanH - #45 (up 16 spots)
Mistfit - #134 (up 76 spots - I'm slowly creeping up on you guys )

I don't believe Tomoyo plays the xOtm's and nikof hasn't played since GOTM-32 so I did not include them.

In short (not really) Thanks for the Learn'ins guys.

Edit: Oh yeah, Congrats on your games!

 

[Tomoyo]

Nice rankings! Kinda makes me feel honoured playing with you...

 

[Mistfit]

Playing with 3 of the top fifty players in the world...not bad company

Edit:
nikof would have easily been with in the top 100 had his world tour not taken him away from important things like civ.

 

[AlanH]

Thanks for the encouragement. My improvement is much more about playing more games than playing better.

Who's up? I've lost track!

 

[DJMGator13]

My game has drastically improved since I started playing SG's, especially the SGOTM. Being able to team up with akots, grs, and the Xteam guys has taught me a thing or two.

Although the single biggest improvement to my game came from following the TDG. Before then I played without settler & worker factories and could still manage to win on Emporer. Learning how to play during the QSC time period is the key to almost every game.

Now I just need Alan to teach me how to fight using combined arms, like archer and cats. See the Xteam SGOTM4 thread for proof.

EDIT: Since Nikof did not actually play before Karasu does he want to try to grab it again. Maybe the weekend will allow him some time to play, even if he just grabs 5 turns.

 

[AlanH]

Now I just need Alan to teach me how to fight using combined arms, like archer and cats. See the Xteam SGOTM4 thread for proof.

I assume you jest You'll have to find someone else to teach you how to use cats. I build them approximately as often as I do spears, because I can never get them near enough to the action to make a difference, and I have very little trouble disbanding them if I capture them. I'm a one dimensional fighter - archers or swords for early warfare until I can have horses, then horses, knights, cavalry. IMHO artillery only starts to be useful when it can hit things further away or move fast. Industrial artillery is the first standard unit that fits the bill, and I dont play that far very often. GOTM's special Mongol units were an interesting way to combine bombardment with attack and kill capability in fast units, as in Jumpmasters 1B.

EDIT: Since Nikof did not actually play before Karasu does he want to try to grab it again. Maybe the weekend will allow him some time to play, even if he just grabs 5 turns.

Sounds like a plan

 

[Mistfit]

In C3C they make a bit better of a unit with the defensive bombardment on. I have found that having one in a battle frontline town can sometimes injure an attacking unit enough to make it worth while to build.

 

[nikof]

You are all very forgiving! Okay, GOT IT. No, really this time!

@Mistfit: I'll be playing the GOTM starting Nov. 6. A little bit of catching up to do in the rankings . And it's Deity, I hear!

 

[nikof]

Hey, I'm actually playing. On turn 3, things are going okay I think.

From turnlog: Turn 2, (JAP and IRO have allied against us.) IRO still won't talk. OTTO wants 450g for an MA against JAP, we only have 1087 and are running -203 with research. I pass. OTTO also has tech parity, and all the gold (2126). Don't know how that happened, but hope it means others can't bribe him to war with us.

Turn 3, OTTO have SS Docking Bay. (Note-JAP has all our tech except SAT. Nobody else has SF.)

[The spy in OTTO is great. I believe if we keep a tech lead, however slim, over the others, we should be okay since we can prebuild to finish & launch as soon as we research the last needed tech.]

 

[nikof]

Goody, a triple post! I played 10 turns, it was fun. Here ya go:

Turn 0, 1325 AD
Redeem flakiness of last non-played set by switching all entertainers to scientists. Ecology still in 5 turns at 100% - okay, new plan. Science at 90%.
Cycle through cities. Maximize food - scientists won't help much for this research cycle. Anything with production slower than about 30 turns (ETSS) gets changed, some to workers, some to wealth. Banks get switched too (we'll be in high research mode the rest of the game).
Change a few tank production lines to bombers, to harass IRO ships.
Switch Almeria to Settler.
Eboracum was somehow 2 turns from completing a research lab - although it already had one. ???? Switch to SS Thrusters in 9. City is a good candidate for attention to increased population. Pamplona was on Lab too, switch to Battleship.
Oxford Marketplace switch to Library - tsk, tsk.
Gain about 70gpt overall, to be switched back to scientists as necessary for next tech being researched.

Trade - COMP to USA for 49gpt, 40g, WM.
Establish embassy in JAP (108g, only gold I plan to spend). Thought it would be helpful for avoiding more wars.
Move arty to bomb passing IRO ironclad. Move some units to NW coastal cities in case IRO gets frisky with marines.

IT
IRO bombards a couple places from sea. OTTO mad about troops (?), I leave.
Paris lib-wealth. Rheims worker-wealth. Build 1 destroyer, 3 MI, 4 workers, 2 tanks, 1 arty, 1 settler.
Disease in Bombay.
Lost our Silks.

Turn 1, 1330 AD
IRO won't talk.
For Silks, JAP wants 3 luxes + 900g; or SAT. I'd rather keep the gold for research deficits, and not bring them to tech parity this close to SS launch. We can MM the 7 cities that have become unhappy; and maybe IRO will come back on side for Gems.
MM a number of cities. "Locate City" is great!
Found "Infilldell" NE of Mohacs, there was a blank spot with unworked tiles.
I don't automate any workers, but I don't take personal command of any that had been automated . Except one I caught mining an irrigated tile. Bad worker.

IT
JAP and IRO ally against us. So much for my embassy! So much for our luxes.
We lose Spices. For some reason, nobody riots.
J battleships sinks our destroyer off SW coast.

Turn 2, 1335 AD
IRO still won't talk. OTTO wants 450g for an MA against JAP, we only have 1087 and are running -203 with research. I pass. OTTO also has tech parity, and all the gold (2126). Don't know how that happened, but hope it means others can't bribe him to war with us.
Arty redlines an IRO ironclad/caravel combo, another 2 IRO inclads, several JAP ironclads, destroyers, and a battleship. Our ships are playing turtle.

IT
Some ships bombard us.
SS Cockpit complete.
Build 2 workers, 2 bombers, 1 destroyer.
OTTO have SS Docking Bay. (Note-JAP has all our tech except SAT. Nobody else has SF.)

Turn 3, 1340 AD
JAP, IRO won't talk.
I seem to have built a destroyer to patrol our inland lake.
Bombard enemy ships.

IT
OTTO has GEN, is building CC and LONG. OTTO Completes SS Thrusters.

Turn 4, 1345 AD
Slider has to stay at 90% sci, -212gpt, to complete ECO in 1.
Note: OTTO would sign an ROP with us. May be useful later, if he gets the edge in SS.
I shift-P a handful of workers to clean pollution.

IT
JAP lands some troops on W coast. (I didn't redline their galleon last turn, so they could waste some troop production on our shores.)
We complete ECO.
Build 2 tanks, 1 MI, 2 arty, 1 bomber. Switch builds to more tanks.
Global warning continues.

Turn 5, 1350 AD
IRO gives us 20g for peace. JAP still won't talk.
Slider to 100%sci, SF in 5 at -360gpt. We only have 484 in the bank now.
Trading: IRO offers Gems, 150g, 143gpt for MINI. I try to throw in Dyes so he's getting something from us ongoing, but he refuses because we've "hosed over India!" Take the deal. USA gives 67g + 92gpt for MINI. AZTEC gives 16gpt for Iron and Saltpeter.
OTTO would give 2760 + 140gpt for ECO. But we may need ECO to trade for FIS, and it would give him tech parity. I agonize over it, but don't trade. Swap maps instead.
We now have SF in 5, at -103gpt, with 701 in the bank. Nowhere near doing SF in 4, so I don't fiddle with taxmen/scientists, but fire a few entertainers now that we have Gems.
Redline JAP invasion force (2 tanks, 1 MI, 1 cav). Promote tank killing 2. Lose an MI! Argh. I was trying to promote a conscript, but he lost to a redline tank. Finish off with tanks.

IT
Our destroyer off SW coast ambushed, but kills attacker and promotes.
Entremont completes SS Engine.
Chartres riots.
Build 1 bomber, 4 tanks, 1 MI. Switch production to solar plants (may want to switch back to MA once we get SF).
IRO building UN!

Turn 6, 1355 AD
Great news - OTTO and JAP have FIS too!
Trades - Dyes to IRO for 24gpt, in hopes he won't attack to break the next deal: SAT to IRO for FIS, 2150g, 143gpt.
We now are researching SF in 4 (100%) at +60gpt, with 2750 in the bank.
JAP has found something better to do than harass us with his boats.
Herman Cortez rushes UN in great city of Misfitzia.

IT
Build 2 bombers, 1 arty, 1 battleship, 2 tanks
OTTO starts MANPROJ
Decline to hold UN elections.

Turn 7, 1360 AD
Not a whole lot, really. Other than my mouse freezes AGAIN so I play a turn without it.

IT
Build 1 MI, 3 bombers, 1 destroyer.
OTTO completes SS Engine, and has ADVFLIGHT. Not, you know, NUCPOW which would have been useful.

Turn 8, 1365 AD
Bomb pesky JAP ships.
Slider to 90% sci, SF in 2 at +196gpt.

IT
Roads blown up near Calcutta.
IRO building MANPROJ.
Build 1 transport (just in case), 1 tank.
A couple minor cities riot because my finger slipped at the end of last turn.

Turn 9, 1370 AD
JAP will take peace, and gives us 50g. World is at peace.
You can find our troops on the coasts and the OTTO border if you need them.
JAP has 185gpt to spend. Gives it to us, plus Silks and Spices, for SAT, Furs, Dyes, Incense, Saltpeter.
AZT gives 36gpt for COMP.
Slider 80% for last SF turn, +543gpt.

IT
Peaceful fishing expeditions.
OTTO completes CC, SS Cockpit.

Turn 10, 1375 AD
SUPER at 100%, 5 turns, +245gpt.
Switch from prebuilds: SS Exterior in 1, Verulamium, 164 excess shields; SS Statis in 1, Toyomoton, 54 excess; SS Storage in 1, Mohacs, 222 excess.
Switch military builds to MA.
Highest-pop cities are working on Mass Transit.

Over to you!
- only 3 techs to go, 15-16 turns.
- no pre-builds are set up now, might want a couple.
- no other civs have ECO, let alone SF - so we look home free.
- I didn't check if scientists would get us to SUPER in 5 (not too likely, but you could look).

Save for the next, better player