Let's Play Civ IV - Tokugawa

[Kwik E Mart]

TMIT, thanks for posting your game on YouTube...very informative. I keep hearing references to a "trade cap"...I'm not familiar with this concept...is there a limit to how much an AI will trade with a human player? Also, I notice you trying to get 1 gold from AI's from time to time...reason?

PS - Go Magic!

 

[DampRain]

@ kwik E mart

Trade cap is an inherent cap that a computer AI will stop trading with you, when it normally would otherwise. The cap is based on the number of techs you get from trading from another AI. Every single tech you get counts from trade to this. An exception is if you and your trading partner are both in the bottom half of the global scoreboard (this matters if there are people on other continents smaller than you). Otherwise after a certain number of trades, AIs will stop trading. However, each AI has its own individual trade cap, furthermore they are subject to your relation to them (pleased, friendly, etc.). So it can be highly variable depending on your game.

As for getting 1 gold from AI time to time, it is prevent them declaring war on you, this matters in particular to backstabbers, as you can't ask for a 1 gold gift at cautious (it'll be a tribute demand). If they agree to gift 1 gold, you have a peace treaty for 10 turns.

Hope this helps.

 

[alhill]

Your Boudica game is the most interesting LP you've done yet. You basically got a start that was generally good, but horribly matched with your leader. Combined that with a funky starting location, a strange collection and geographical arrangement of AI's, and some other twists and turns (perfectly placed barbarian blocking cities, ambush capitulations), and you had a really compelling game.

I actually was more engrossed by this than the normal "grab lots of land then nuke the fudge out of someone" approach.

If you could have played the whole game over again, what would you have done differently? Maybe go for a diplo or culture win?

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Your Boudica game is the most interesting LP you've done yet. You basically got a start that was generally good, but horribly matched with your leader. Combined that with a funky starting location, a strange collection and geographical arrangement of AI's, and some other twists and turns (perfectly placed barbarian blocking cities, ambush capitulations), and you had a really compelling game.

I actually was more engrossed by this than the normal "grab lots of land then nuke the fudge out of someone" approach.

If you could have played the whole game over again, what would you have done differently? Maybe go for a diplo or culture win?

A start that allows 2 good cities pre-IW, TERRIBLE food until calender, and nevertheless subpar food post calendar is not "generally good". I didn't even have a decent river! The ONLY commerce resource there was gems, which needed IW to use. That is probably in the "hardest" 1/4 of all possible starts, possibly top 10% ----> lots and lots of open land to high level AI with the quality of the land immediately around the player a total joke.

I did my best, and almost pulled it out, but too many judgment mistakes.

 

[Negator_UK]

I did my best, and almost pulled it out, but too many judgment mistakes.

While watching the game I noted that, midway, you seemed to play like me (building, building...)and then (also like me) you lost - meanwhile I was practising the top-line rifle rush you demo'd and was winning (albeit at Emperor)

So ironic, and so amusing...

 

[TheMeInTeam]

While watching the game I noted that, midway, you seemed to play like me (building, building...)and then (also like me) you lost - meanwhile I was practising the top-line rifle rush you demo'd and was winning (albeit at Emperor)

So ironic, and so amusing...

Rifles don't do well vs infantry, and not maces vs rifle/cavalry either. I was doing everything I could to 1) get to a place where my military actually allowed an invasion and 2) get enough production out of my crappy, food-poor cities to actually field something respectable in terms of #'s.

Once I got there, my window was very very small, and I probably chose the wrong AI to hit first given the circumstances. India and Maya as MY vassals would have been a very different game, as all I'd have to do is plot an end-war vs America, and the target would be heavily distracted by India given their loooong border. I failed that, and thus the game.

 

[Sveon]

TMIT, I really like the fact that you don't regenerate a bad start or abstain from uploading a loss. I also like that you play on even if you make a few mistakes. I watch your your let's plays for two reasons, entertainment and to learn. Both comedy value and learning actually increase with a few mistakes here and there. The Justinian game is comedy gold up until you start invading the other continent with nuke spam, it gets a bit tedious. Maybe it's just easier to identify with the struggle of wheezing your way to democracy...

 

[Negator_UK]

Rifles don't do well vs infantry, and not maces vs rifle/cavalry either. I was doing everything I could to 1) get to a place where my military actually allowed an invasion and 2) get enough production out of my crappy, food-poor cities to actually field something respectable in terms of #'s.

I didn't mean to imply that you should have top-lined the Boudica game - I would probably have lost that map at my own play level too

But compared to other Lets-plays of yours it was noticable that you built buildings a lot more and built wealth/research a lot less, which is how I lose games - so noticable in fact, that I thought "hmm, he's playing like I do" waaay before I knew how it was going to end.

Maybe you lost focus and did what the advisers recommended too many times...

TMIT, I really like the fact that you don't regenerate a bad start or abstain from uploading a loss. I also like that you play on even if you make a few mistakes.

Hear Hear !.. although there was that settler that got eaten by a wolf once a while ago ....

 

[Gary King]

I definitely agree with the messages to beg TMIT to keep the use of nukes to a minimum. Honestly, once you get a ton of nukes, it's game, set, match. Especially if you scout all land in the same turn with Airships so you can see which cities to nuke first.

 

[Negator_UK]

I definitely agree with the messages to beg TMIT to keep the use of nukes to a minimum. Honestly, once you get a ton of nukes, it's game, set, match. Especially if you scout all land in the same turn with Airships so you can see which cities to nuke first.

I think its up to the player to determine the best way to win, and TMIT demos that well. Sure, if he can win quicker then he should go for it, but if nukes are the best way thats what should happen - no need to string out the last few episodes when all the necessary work is done in the first few.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I definitely agree with the messages to beg TMIT to keep the use of nukes to a minimum. Honestly, once you get a ton of nukes, it's game, set, match. Especially if you scout all land in the same turn with Airships so you can see which cities to nuke first.

Nukes are only a win if you get enough of them in time and can avoid getting nuked back, either by your target or someone else.