LK81 - Exploring RaR, Monarchy, a new civ

[rrau]

Preflight (550bc) looks good

ibt:

Carthage wants to sell us Republic. Will pass right now (Can't remember if this is a required tech or not)
Adulis hpioneer => rax

turn 1 (530bc)

Start hpioneer to claim the dyes to the N. Woke one of the javalineers in the capital to send as an escort.
See another Jumbo to the N and IRON in the jungles to the NE.

turn 2 (510bc)

See some grapes north of the Jumbo to the north - we need to get some more settlers out.
ibt: Zulu want a trade embargo vs Souix, I decline.

turn 3 (490bc)

nothing exciting

ibt:

Matara hpioneer => hpioneer
Carthage is building the Sphinx.

turn 4 (470bc)

See some exotics woods.
Currency in 1, but can't lower research rate.

Ibt:

learn currency and enter MA in the DARK AGES (7 turns) - that's longer than I usually see. It's usually 3 turns
Adulis rax => Elephant Rider.

turn 5 (450bc)

Bah - most other civs know currency, too. It wasn't known last turn.
Increase research rate to get through Dark Ages in 4 turns (-29gpt)

ibt:

Aksum water mill => Javalineer.

turn 6 (430bc)

nothing exciting.

turn 7 (410bc)

see some exotic fruit in the jungle near some rice, game and alligators - would be a nice spot for a couple cities if we can get it. I don't think we can get all 4 in one city.

ibt:

Aksum javelineer => Pioneer
Samidi galley => serf

turn 8 (390bc)

Settle Gabaza => warrior
Decrease research.

ibt:

Leave the Dark ages. Start researching Warrior Code
Matara hpioneer => rax

turn 9 (370bc)

Settle Sabat

ibt:

Aksum pioneer => javalineer

turn 10 (350bc)

see some gold in the jungle but it's closer to the Zulu than us.

I'm sending the Hpioneer from Matara North. Maybe use them to trek through the jungle after the Javalineer in Aksum is built and claim the iron for us. We can always fill in later on the coast near Matara and Aksum.

 

[LKendter]

I am glad to see our first elephant on the way. I still would really like to get the capitol to size 14 and becoming a troop pump. If nothing else we want to take Babylon out of the picture.

The good news is another luxury (dyes) have been secured.

We can always fill in later on the coast near Matara and Aksum.

You trust the AI more then me. I always expect that to grab anything possible.

Signed up:
LKendter
Rrau
Pfeffersack (currently playing)
Please make the below changes
Please change Gabaza to shrine to get the fish and other shellfish in range. After that a harbor will really let this city grow.
Please move a good defender to that city.
Meldor (on deck)
Microbe

Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Got it; will play today if I found time, otherwise tomorrow.

 

[Pfeffersack]

350 BC (PT):
- changed Gabaza to Shrine (18t)
- sending Jav form Aksum to Gabaza
- MM Aksum to pull out the next Jav in 1t
- is there a special reason why we have slowed down research? I think it would be better to increase our tech lead...increasing sience to 70%, Warrior Code now in 4t

IBT:
- Carthage starts Pyramids
- Egypt has conquered the Babylonian capital Babylon

330 BC (1)
- Aksum: Jav.--> Jav.(1t)
- Adulis: Elephant Rider --> Elephant Rider (6t)

310 BC (2)
- Aksum: Jav. ---> Elephant Rider (4t) (MM to speed growth)
- Matara: Barracks ---> Elephant Rider (4t)
- Samidi: Serf ---> Granary (20t)
- switched Adulis to Shrine, since we have a happiness problem here
- increased lux for 1 turn to 30% to solve it
- using our ER to road some tiles towards Babylon border to make it easier for our troops to advance

IBT:
- the Zulus complete The Sphinx in Zimbabwe
- the Germans start Stonehenge
- the Egyptians start The Great Wall and Slave Trade

290 BC (3)
- Zeila: Bazaar ---> Barracks (5t)
- Adulis: Shrine ---> Elephant Rider (6t)

IBT:
- Carthage starts The Pyramids

270 BC (4)
- researched Warrior Code; new project Vassalage(4t)
- Trade with Zulu: Got 421 gold <---> for Warrior Code
- Trade with America: Got Lateen Sail, Poetry and 4 gold <---> for Warrior Code

250 BC (5)
zzz

IBT:
- trade embargo between America and Babylon against us ends
- Egypt razes the middle Babylonian city.Bab is now down to its new capital Ashur.IMO, we can take Ashur, if the Egypts aren't too fast, but then I think we can get more out of peaceful expansion.I will build some more Pioneers.

230 BC (6)
- Aksum: Elephant Rider ---> Jav (1t)
- switched Adulis to Hardy Pioneer (3t)
- switched Zeila to Pioneer (1t) (city has stopped growing!)
- MM and switched Matara to Water Mill (2t)
- raised lux to 30%

IBT:
- Carthage starts The Great Wall

210 BC (7)
- Aksum: Jav ---> Jav (1t)
- Zeila: Pioneer ---> Barracks (7t)

190 BC (8)
- researched Vassalage; new goal: Theology (4t)
- Aksum: Jav ---> Jav (1t)
- Matara: Water Mill ---> Elephant Rider (3t)
- Trade with Zulus: Got Invention and 179 gold <---> for Vassalage

IBT:
- Babylon wants us to sign a trade embargho against Egypt - declined.

170 BC (9)
- Aksum: Jav ---> Jav (1t)
- Adulis: Hardy Pioneer ---> Pioneer (3t)
- lowered lux to 20% again

IBT:
- Zulu start The Great Wall
- Egypt sends two War Chariot against Ashur, I guess they will attack next turn

150 BC (10)
- Aksum: Jav ---> Elephant Rider (2t)

End notes:
- We have 4 settlers with defense moving around.The one at the coast of the lake N of sabat has reached a spot where I would suggest to found a city.No overlap, access to wine and elephants and access to all coastal installations, since it is salt water lake...
- one of the two Jumbos E of Ashur has movement left and is fortified

 

[LKendter]

I think I am pretty much in sync with Pfeffersack for the settlers.

I would move the settler south of Sabat onto the rubble. This keeps it out of overlap with Babylon and eliminates overlap with our cities.

I would move the settler by iron one north. The AI will overlap a second ring, but not a first. This will lock us the iron permanently.

The one at the coast of the lake N of Sabat has reached a spot where I would suggest to found a city.

I agree with this spot. I would start a shrine to quickly get the wines into our borders. Luxuries are not as power in RaR since you don't get the marketplace multiplier, but it can't hurt to get them. We are doing great with 2 active and dyes to be connected shortly.

I don't see a clear spot for settler #4 other then to claim land.


Summary:

Signed up:
LKendter
Rrau
Pfeffersack
Meldor (currently playing)
Microbe (on deck)

Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.

 

[YNCS]

Lurker's Comment:

Carthage wants to sell us Republic. Will pass right now (Can't remember if this is a required tech or not)

Neither Republic nor Democracy are required techs. If I'm not playing a religious civ then I ignore Republic/Democracy and stay in Monarchy until I can switch to Feudal Monarchy in the Middle Ages.

 

[meldor]

150 BC (0)
Not much to do.
(I) I watch the Egyptians kill one defender and would the other. Matara Elephant->Elephant.

130 BC (1)
I move the two settlers as suggested. I found Koloe on the lake and start a shrine. The last settler move to claim land north of Sabat and east of Koloe. Lower science.
(I) We finish Theology and start Feudalism due in 4 at -50gpt. Aksum ER->Jav Adulis Pioneer->Pioneer

110 BC (2)
Build two cities. Move the Pioneer to go with its escort.
(I)Aksum Jav->ER, The folks want the Forbidden Palace.

90 BC (3)
We found a city on the edge of the jungle. The new pioneer is headed to found on the coast and complete for the second iron. It looks like Egypt is ready to make a second shot at the last Bab city.
(I) Matara ER->ER, Zeila Rax->Serf

70 BC (4)
Mostly movement.
(I) Askum ER-Jav, Adluis Pioneer->Jav

50 BC (5)
Declare on Babylon and 4 ER move into range of their last city. Turn Science down.
(I) We get Feudalism and start Crop Rotation. We revolt, not. Zeila Serf->ER, Samidi Granary->Forge. Egypt finishes the Great Wall

30 BC (6)
Egypt get Feudalism for Republic, Milling, Stirrup and 47g.
Zulu get Feudalism for Monasticism, Barding, Athletics and 90g.
Carthage Feudalism for Horsebreeding and 121g.
America Feudalism for Mounted Archery and 35g.
(I)A Bab archer attacks and rewards us with a slave. Aksum Jav->ER

10 BC (7)
We kill two defenders getting a slave and capture Ashur with another worker. It seems the Babs just sent out a pioneer. One of the ER grab a worker and the last one moves in to kill the pioneer escort.
(I) The Egyptians beat us to the last Bab and they are no more. Matara ER->Horse Archer, Gabaza Shrine->Forge

10 AD (8)
MOve some units around.
(I)

30 AD (9)
Lower Science.
(I) We get crop rotation and start SciMeth. Aksum Horse Archer->start pre-build, Adulis Jav->Hardy Pioneer.

50 AD (10)
Crop Rotation and 160g gets Alchemy.

 

[microbe]

I got it .

 

[LKendter]

start Crop Rotation.

We will finally be able to irrigate.
We will want some more workers now.

Elephants can lay roads. Please don't simply leave them fortified.
We have enough of them to let them lay all the roads including getting paths to our remote cities.

We kill two defenders getting a slave and capture Ashur with another worker.

Don't forget to spend the $27 to upgrade the slaves to greatly improve their worker speed. The worker should also be upgraded.

I notice that Ashur will claim us another luxury of cotton.

There are *3* total FP in the game. Adulis is a good spot for the first one. Perfect placement isn't that critical for the first one.

=============

Signed up:
LKendter (on deck)
Rrau
Pfeffersack
Meldor
Microbe (currently playing)

Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.

 

[microbe]

preturn: I switch Tekondo to harbor to get iron faster.

Switch Matara to Wind Mill. Aksum to Wind Mill.

(1)70AD: Etchmara founded to claim the gold. Start on peasant as we badly need more.

Remember what Lee said and start roading with the elephants. One turn road, terrific!

I switch Adulis to FP due in 18 turns.

(2)90AD: HP cannot move onto jungle so found two tiles away from iron.

Upgrade a serf.

IBT Matara Wind Mill -> Town Clock.

(3)110AD: Aksum WM -> Angkor Wat in 12 turns. Engineering is known.

(4)130AD: I switch all shrines to other builds.

(5)150AD: Scientific Method to Zulu for 637g. Scientific Method + 116g to Egypt for Engineering. Scientific Method + 142g to Carthage for Fundamentalism which enables first 3-move units. Scientific Method + Engineering get us Alchemy+Naval Spirit+16g from America.

We do have saltpeter at Tekondo, the iron city. Also outside Zeila.

I am curious, why didn't we try to build Great Library? Just for the fun of self-research? It was only 360 shields. Now it's too late.

I set to Scholasticism in 4 turns. AI is likely researching Gunpowder?

(6)170AD: more roading.

(7)190AD:

(8)210AD:

IBT Zulu demands 69g, I cave in.

(9)230AD: Scholasticism in, set to Education. We connect gold.

To Zulu for 633g.
To Egypt for 290g.
To Carthage for 264g.
To America plus 143g for Heraldry+Castle Building.

IBT Zulu destroyed Sioux.

(10)250AD: not much.

Note: we may want to capture Babylon at some point, but now we are not building military and there are about 2 horse archers, 2 WC and a couple of warriors I can see around the border, so we need more offense (our elephants are busy roading).

FP in 4 turns. Angkor in 6. (Do we want Stonehenge? We have granary in all our core cities anyway) After that we need to build some science improvements to improve our research ability. Then build some crusaders and wage a quick war against Egypt? In this mod war needs to be fast the decisive, since offense is stronger than defense, and movements are slow. So hit them quick and hard and make peace before they can respond.

We will get wines and cotton in 16 turns.

 

[LKendter]

Signed up:
LKendter (currently playing)
Rrau (on deck)
Pfeffersack
Meldor
Microbe

Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.

 

[LKendter]

250 AD
I switch Gabaza to harbor to give us trading possibilities and gain 3 more food from the ocean.
(IT) Germany completes Stonehenge.


280 AD
(IT) The forbidden palace is complete.
Carthage completes the Hanging Gardens.


290 AD
Education goes to Egypt for Guilds, Usury, Siege Warfare and $25.
Education goes to the Zulu for Chivalry and $65.
Education goes to Carthage for $322.
We have tech parity again.
I start research on banking.
(IT) We complete Angkor Wat.


300 AD
Everyone has Drama, so I get it from Germany for Stirrup.


320 AD
(IT) America completes Knights Templar.


340 AD
Haghero-Deragweh is formed. It simply claims some tiles.
I sell Banking to the Zulu for Astronomy, Literature and $200.
I sell it to Egypt for $360.
I sell it to Carthage for $310.
Research begins on Political Philosophy and that allows military alliances .



==========================

Summary:
I have one settler with delayed escort for the yellow dot below to claim more cotton and territory. I wasn't real sure what to do with the other settlers.

I am trying for the Oracle to get 2 free techs. This would pretty much lock us into the tech lead.

I snuck in some military, but we still are light on units.

Did I mention elephants are great for building a road network?

Please keep the two workers near Sabat moving irrigation closer to the city.

Signed up:
LKendter
Rrau (currently playing)
Pfeffersack (on deck)
Meldor
Microbe

Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/LK81-350AD.zip

 

[meldor]

Angkor Wat was the prebuild for that but I guess you decided to let it complete...

 

[microbe]

Angkor Wat is essentially Temple of Artimis obsoleted in Industrial Ages, so it's one of the best wonders to have. I expect us to win around that time it goes obsolete anyway.

Not sure how expensive is oracle. If it's cheap we can try, but since the techs are so much cheaper than in a regular game, I don't consider it as good.

Stonehenge is another good wonder (pyramids which expire in industrial ages too).

 

[microbe]

I have finished a solo RaR game at emperor, so here are some additional thoughts about armies.

Armies are pretty useless in this mod, until you can build pentagon. Since you can only load 2 units, it's very easy to redline and get killed in counterattack. I've lost 2 or 3 before I could get pentagon.

Instead, I would recommend using it to rush small wonders. There are quite some useful and expensive small wonders (more expensive than some great wonders), so it's definitely better than creating a 2-unit army.

Also, a defensive army might be worth more than an offensive army, since you can use it to cover fast units when attacking cities.

I would probably use the first MGL to create army just to have a victorious army, and use all the remaining ones to rush, until we are close to pentagon, which is thousands of miles away (Refining).

 

[rrau]

Before I get started, I looked at the tech tree and I want to get thoughts on which free techs to take when the Oracle completes. Ideally, the AI will research gunpowder so I can buy it and then take matchlock and Absolutism - for summer palace. Otherwise, I will probably take printing press and physics. Does anyone have any other suggestions before I start playing?

 

[rrau]

preflight (350ad)

increase research to 70% to get political philosophy in 5 (when Oracle completes) so we don't "waste" one of our free techs to complete the last 2 turns of political philosoply. We're now at -67gpt.
Is there a reason for the tax collector in Zala-Bet-Makada? The town's not growing with the tax collector, so switch to regular happy cit.

ibt:

Egypt asks us to remove our troops, we agree.
Zulu built Voyage of Discovery
Egypt building Leo's and MoM

turn 1 (360ad)

roading and moving.

ibt:

Carthage demands Olive oil. We refuse. No war.
Carthage building Leo's
Egypt building Lighthouse

turn 2 (370ad)

The AI's have cooperated and researched Gunpowder and sold it so it's not a monopoly anymore.
Settle Yeha. Start harbor.
Trade Carthage Olive Oil, Dyes, and 90g for gunpowder.
Sell Astronomy to America for furs and 16g.
Confer with Military Advisor and our army is currently Strong compared to Carthage. I think we need to build troops the next 20 turns then declare war on them.

ibt:

Zulu are building Leo's
Zulu built MoM - hopefully there's not a cascade.
Germans are building Colossus and Leo's

turn 3 (380ad)

Roading, moving, and irrigating.

ibt:

We had many border expansions
Carthage building Leo's

turn 4 (390ad)

moving, roading, irrigating.
Research rate down to 10%
We will get the Oracle on the ibt.

ibt:

Egypt Demands Elephants. Their military outnumber us, so ok.
Germany Demands cotton. They are weaker than us. No. No war.
Complete Political Philosophy, start researching Matchlock.
Complete Oracle.
Learn Matchlock.
Absolutism doesn't come up next on the list. Check big picture and you have to know navigation first. Instead chose printing press so we can start Gutenberg's Bible.
Got Printing Press
Start research on Navigation.
Start Gutenberg's Bible in Aksum

turn 5 (400ad)

Trade Carthage Political Philosophy for Physics + 521g.
Trade Egypt Political Philosophy for 443g
Zulu are broke, but trade them Political philosophy for Incense and 1 gpt.
Aggressively settle Dergouah on grapes.

ibt:

Germany completed Colossus.
Germans are building the Great Library.

turn 6 (410ad)

not much

ibt:

Carthage built the Pyramids.

turn 7 (420ad)

Darn - AI beat us to Navigation. Still have 3 turns. Buy it for 373g. Start maximum on Absolutism.
Settle Henzat.

ibt:

Egypt is building Silk Road.

turn 8 (430ad)

Trade Zulu Matchlock for 1024g
It devalued fast. Traded Matchlock to egypt for 163g and to Carthage for a measly 32g
upgraded 8 Javelineers to pikemen with our cash.
Settle Maryam Kedih.

ibt:

Egypt asks us to move our troops, agree.
Egypt completes SunTzu's
We seem to have lost the ability to build elephant riders.

turn 9 (440ad)

Double check and we still have elephants. Hmm. It must be making us build more modern units. Start a horse archer (vetoable) as a fast, good attacker.

ibt:

Zulu are building Leo's

turn 10 (450ad)

Settle Anza.
roading, moving, irrigating.

Notes:

There's a Hardy Pioneer heading for the hill just north of the mountains near Maryam Kedih.

We still have a monopoly on Printing Press. I didn't want to trade it with all the cascading that was happening.

 

[LKendter]

We still have a monopoly on Printing Press. I didn't want to trade it with all the cascading that was happening.

I agree on hording it. 50% science boast and 1 happy face everywhere is a nice wonder.

upgraded 8 Javelineers to pikemen with our cash.

Good work of the initial upgrade. I would start moving the spare to other cities to upgrade the rest.

Aggressively settle Dergouah on grapes.

We already had a source of grapes. This city only annoyed the AI for no gain.

Signed up:
LKendter
Rrau
Pfeffersack (currently playing)
Meldor (on deck)
Microbe

Remember 10 turns per round - STRICT 24 hours got it, total 48 to complete.

 

[Pfeffersack]

Sorry, I will have to skip this turn (and depending on how long it will take to make it running again perhaps one or two more) - my computer doesn't work anymore; I will try to repair it asap and check then in again.Good luck for the game until then!

 

[meldor]

OK, I have it and will start on it tonight.