King of the World #14: Earth18

[none]

the diplomacy screen got rather complicated

Indeed!

 

[Kev]

Wow, building 4 wonders currently with two near completion.

The one that might worry me, however, us the UN. I'm wondering if Qin holds enough sway at this point to get the votes needed for a victory there...

Did Germany have Rome when you left Lizzie? I think that Lizzie got some revenge beatdown while you were sunning on Japanese shores. One option you might have as Germany would be to take over Europe as a whole and set them up as a true late-game force. As Russia, you might even have to decide to between stalling Qin's expansion or Fred's spaceship...

I wonder if playing Roos might just be you hanging out while one of the Asian or European AI's wins the game. If so, I'd rather see you skip him and go right to a late-game civ with some actual potential.

Probably a good idea to trade some happiness-wonder items for some health items...

 

[Coffee Mug]

Still loving this write-up...

I vote for playing Germany out for the win. It's hard to see what the military situation is, but maybe finish off Julie (do you need the aluminum from southern France?) while beelining the Internet and getting started on spaceship parts.

 

[mtrein]

I would try to set germany up for the space race. I really don't think anyone could even start to compete with Qin's military might at the moment.

 

[Nares]

I really don't think anyone could even start to compete with Qin's military might at the moment.

Setup Germany for the space race while setting up Russia to buy time.

 

[schlaufuchs]

You even have plastics Just roll over some AI with panzers + air support.

I am in agreement. Think of it as the mass German conquest you never got to fully experience in KOTW2

 

[IAM]

But with only 40 turns a military victory seems difficult. A minor Eurpoean war would be concievable while still working towards a space race victory. I wouldn't concern ourselves with Cathy until we are standing naked in front of the mirror.

 

[Coffee Mug]

Think of it as the mass German conquest you never got to fully experience in KOTW2

An in-character reason to not suffer through a Roosevelt end-game!

 

[Civman33]

I vote suicide war in Europe to make Freddy a superpower! Who cares if he has 40 turns! Declare on Russia and England and make Germany as big as possible!

 

[nbcman]

I vote suicide war in Europe to make Freddy a superpower! Who cares if he has 40 turns! Declare on Russia and England and make Germany as big as possible!

If you are going for a suicide war, you may as well declare on America and make it WWII.

However, I would try to set up Germany to win the space race while building some panzers and bombers in case Cathy or Qin get frisky.

 

[Shoot the Moon]

I am in agreement. Think of it as the mass German conquest you never got to fully experience in KOTW2

Hahaha, nice one!

 

[Duke Blackstone]

Finish out with Germany. Pleeeaaase ya know ya wana. And Quin Winning would just not be cool

 

[JammerUno]

Monty seems to be at tech parity with the rest of the world now, that certainly bodes well.

 

[Nares]

And Quin Winning would just not be cool

Which is why you throw Cathy at Qin while leaving a built-up Freddy to blast off into space. I mean to say, it would be kind of anti-climactic if the king of the world didn't throw down with his rival at the end of the show, and instead hid behind several layers of civs and ran away to Alpha Centauri.

 

[Neal]

re: Endgame- I'm thinking that I'm gonna play out these last three Civs as I've played out everyone else: 40 turns apiece, as if they were my long-term choice (except maybe Roosevelt, who might end up being a vacation on the Jersey shore). Then, after all is said and done, assuming nobody's won yet, I'm gonna run a poll listing all the contenders (likely Monty, Qin, Saladin, Frederick, and maybe Catherine, depending on how she fares) and seeing who you all want to see come out on top. Freddy seems to be the sentimental favorite, and he does deserve a win after the debacle that was KotW #2, but, well, I'll leave it up to you.

re: Germany- Yeah, Frederick's being a crazy late-game Wonder spammer, isn't he? I still haven't decided whether to go warrior or to turtle up for the space race. Maybe I'll kill off Lizzy (after all, she's not exactly Little Miss Popular these days) and otherwise be a good guy. I dunno. Either way, I'm gonna try to get the round up by tomorrow. And hopefully it'll be better written than Toku was

 

[Neal]

Neal blinked, once again bombarded by the flashbulbs that had been so absent during his provincial days in Japan. He found himself striding down the red carpet leading into a movie theater in Hollywood Hills, the wealthy neighborhood on the outskirts of Hamburg where the rich and famous came to see and be seen. He found himself wearing a tailored suit of the finest Chinese silks. Frederick's traditional powdered wig was replaced with a conservative haircut. A stunned grin and bashful wave elicited thunderous applause from the gathered actors, singers, and reporters. Neal snuck a glance up at the marquee. "The King of the World: Man, Myth, or Legend?"

"Oh, boy," Neal muttered.

After sitting through the historical documentary (which was eerily accurate in some parts, woefully wrong in others), Neal managed to duck the autograph-seekers and interview requests and locked himself up in the Palace in order to get down to the business of ruling. Needless to say, this sudden change in attitude from the normally gregarious German president set the rumor mill churning. Did Frederick have cancer? Was he making time with a new mistress? Had he become a diva?

The most popular rumor, of course, was that he himself had been overcome by the mysterious King of the World spirit that had supposedly haunted various historical personages. It had led some, like the immortal Qin Shi Huang, to unheard-of heights of glory. But it had left others, such as the ill-fated Genghis Khan, in ruins. Nevertheless, the possibility of a visitation by such an entity fascinated the celebrity-driven German culture.

Neal, for his part, was done grandstanding for crowds. He was tired of bouncing from head to head, and he suspected that only victory would grant him release. He spent his days agonizing over maps and charts with his advisors, who then went on to discuss Frederick's changes in mannerisms and King of the World theory on late night talk shows and political radio. This was apparently not going to blow over any time soon, but Neal had to admit that the task of governance, at least, would be relatively easy. Frederick, for all his vanity, had been a capable, if cautious, ruler, and few tweaks were needed. A few cities changed from producing Science to Panzers and Artillery (victory was rarely a bloodless endeavor, after all), and a venture capitalist by the name of Wang Anshi was recalled from his post in China to kick off a Golden Age back in Europe:



Wang manipulated the Neal mania perfectly, encouraging the population to work and study extra hard just in case the ancient spirit infused the German leader, without ever committing either way. Production and scientific advancement would help more than a smattering of Oriental trade goods, especially since Neal had his eyes on war with the outcast Virgin President Elizabeth.

Caesar's reclamation of Paris was troubling, but it did have its benefits. Rome's Parisian borders touched the city limits of Elizabeth's Madrid stronghold. If German troops could roam freely on those outskirts, but English troops could not pursue, then Neal would hold a significant tactical advantage. Unfortunately, Julius was just as mixed up as Neal was on who was who, so Neal was forced to call an embargo against a whole class of nations:



Let's not think about the historical parallels of the Germans exporting knowledge of Fascism to Italy while preparing for a war on England.

Neal declared a quick "Lightning War," sending submarines to topple Scotland's North Sea oil rigs while troops landed outside of York:



A paucity of Artillery reserves made the conquest of the British Isles more arduous than it needed to be, but speed was of the essence. England was the first step in a long string of wars that Neal had planned out, but he only had 40 turns in which to conduct them.

Sensing war and wanting to get involved, the filthy Aztecs once again demanded a bribe to keep the peace:



Neal reluctantly agreed. A true attack was unlikely, but if it came, it would mean disaster. 310 gold for insurance was money well spent.

As their faith in the English empire waned, the Sicilian city of Cumae assaulted their garrisons, demanding a return to Roman governance. Neal took advantage of this golden opportunity to take what would otherwise have been a heavily-defended fortress town:



Cumae was less than worthless, but it kept the riots away from the city of Rome and denied England a potential stronghold.

London fell in 1934:



Thus bringing the third and final late-game happiness resource wonder under German control. The trade income brought in by these, when combined with the numerous Great Merchants settled in England (and, later, the shrine in Madrid) allowed us to run 100% Research with a gold surplus in excess of 100 per turn.

Madrid was well-defended:



It fell, but not without cost.

But Orleans gave up almost without a fight, being garrisoned by a single unit of Cavalry:



And Hastings, Elizabeth's final redoubt, attempted to hold us off with a single Infantryman and a piece of Artillery:



In five quick years, Neal had reduced England from middling power to the pages of history. The tabloids, seeing the brilliant execution of Neal's coup, ran a new cycle of headlines referencing the "King of the World" theory of history. Neal continued to ignore the rumors and focused on making Germany great, though in these middle days he turned his attention to civic works.

For instance, with the Cristo Redentor completed and with Medicine in hand, German government underwent a number of changes:



Buddhism was, while not exactly denounced, seriously de-emphasized by the new regime, which welcomed the faithful of all stripes openly. And cutthroat Free Market policies were reined in by new eco-friendly advisors. Of course, this concern with the planet itself only caused those who believed Frederick to be possessed to nod knowingly.

A Great Spy was born and sent to St. Petersburg in 1939. His skill in infiltrating Russian airfields allowed German spies to get away with the invaluable secret of Flight:



This was, in Neal's opinion, far more valuable than being put toward another Golden Age. Airport construction began across Europe. Soon, Frederick, despite his lateness to the party, was known as the King of Flight, and engineers from around the globe came to study the innovations of the latest German airplane models.

Saladin, fearing a prosperous Germany, sent an emissary demanding a tribute of gold:



Neal sent him away, chuckling at the old-fashionedness of it all. Who sent emissaries anymore? And, besides, if Neal could goad Saladin into a declaration of war, Germany could retake Paris and Stuttgart without having to endure the censure of the rest of the world.

In fact, the Chinese, of all people, came by seeking a Defensive Pact, which Neal felt compelled to turn down:



"So, King of the World," the Chinese emperor mused over the line, "You are back in Europe, making a mess of things as usual. You should have stayed in Japan."

Neal cursed himself silently. He'd thought that he'd escaped China's notice. "Yes, Qin. And I see that you continue to waltz across Asia, enslaving all those in your path. Now even Persia kneels at your feet."

"And you would be wise to do the same. Stand with me and be strong. The Germans are a weak people, concerned only with their movies and their rock and roll. It would be a tragedy for their decadent tale to end in blood, would it not?"

Stung by Neal's refusal, the Chinese launched a furious assault on the Americas, plunging the globe into violence:



The King of the World did what he could to ignore Qin's ominous warnings, and continued his own projects.

In 1945 Antium, a city surrounded my mountains, opted to build Hoover Dam in a most unusual spot:



At the same time, the United Nations was finished in Cologne. Neal found himself running against, who else, Qin Shi Huang for Secretary General. Neal cursed again when he found the ballots listing, simply, "Neal" and "Neal." The devilish Chinese leader fixed him with a sardonic stare from across the forum. Of course Qin won. Neal wasn't even sure whom he'd voted for.

No matter. There were other issues to attend to. In 1948, it was finally time to initiate the second war on Neal's docket:



With Catherine, too, willingly declaring herself a Chinese vassal, Neal felt safe from a Russian backstab. Qin may be an evil son of a two-legged hound, but he was an honorable man, and he would keep his forces and his slave-states in check so long as Neal remained Friendly with the eastern superpower.

Of course, this didn't prevent Catherine from wreaking some havoc in the chaos of London's Roman revolts:



But that was a minor inconvenience, easily remedied by the hordes of idle Workers lounging around Europe.

Neal got a chance to use Paratroopers to invade North Africa from Sicily:



Athens, Paris, and Stuttgart had fallen, as had the city of Neapolis on Gibraltar. The war was coming along nicely. Foreign intervention was unlikely. Neal could finish gutting Rome and then, perhaps, turn his attention to that Arab cur, Saladin. Then, maybe, he would do a few interviews with some German newspapers, maybe write a tell-all book. Life was good. That is, life was good until U.N. Resolution #438 crossed his desk.

"Resoltion #438, whereby all national governments are to be declared defunct, and all power is to be ceded to the United Nations, under the stewardship of a Supreme Chancellor. Please indicate your choice for Supreme Chancellor: ___ Neal or ___ Neal"

The King of the World could hear Qin's mocking laughter in the silence of his office. Check and mate. Neal abstained, praying that he could make the difference by not accidentally voting for the Chinese overlord, but his votes proved to be meaningless:



"You should have stood with me," Supreme Chancellor Qin said in the private meeting after a sham of a war crimes tribunal. "This... unpleasantness could have been avoided."

"Everything you are, you are because of me," Neal spat, struggling to free himself from his chains.

"Perhaps." The fifth incarnation stroked his wispy beard. "You did, after all, build the ultimate engine of my triumph. And your attack on Japan was a masterstroke. But you, my friend, are a wildcard. And you dare to call yourself the King of the World. No, I cannot let you slip from my grasp yet again. You have no place in my world. Good day."

And, with that, Frederick of Germany, infused with the spirit of the King of the World, was led into a bare medical chamber where he was strapped to a table and injected with a fast-acting poison.

Julius Caesar was returned to power and was given back his previous holdings and much more, being declared Lord of Western Europe. Saladin and Mansa Musa shared the continent of Africa, and the central Asian steppe was ruled by Cyrus and Catherine, joined in a political marriage solely for that purpose. All else was governed by Qin Shi Huang or his personally appointed deputies. The Americas were left to rot in barbarian darkness. There, a minor ruler by the name of Franklin Roosevelt reads and is inspired by books of German origin discussing a spirit known as The King of the World, a spirit that had stood up to the immortal Supreme Chancellor in the past and had, in many cases, triumphed over him. Perhaps, with freedom and a death to tyranny as his rallying cries, he can overthrow the United Nations. But that is a story for another day. This story has reached its end.

 

[Jaaboo]

Doh!!!

 

[IAM]

Awesome!

 

[none]

Unexpected but I enjoyed how you wrapped it up, nice writing by the way.

Any plans for the next game?

 

[WFU03]

Fantastic (if unexpected) ending!