Mansa Musa..

[SirBackflip]

...at what difficulty level does it become suicide to attempt a domination or conquest victory with this tech whore?

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Huh? He's one of the best leaders for high levels due to financial and spiritual. The only minus is Mansa isn't in the game to trade with

 

[American Empire]

Huh? He's one of the best leaders for high levels due to financial and spiritual. The only minus is Mansa isn't in the game to trade with

I never really liked him. Not for his tech and specials, but, just, his country. I choose between leaders who have English city names or uniuqe ones.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Timbuktu is pretty unique name, IMO.

 

[BakingTheArt]

I'm pretty sure there's a town called Timbuktu in Illinois...

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I could do without the brown civ color but he's a top leader under a decent civ. Playable, and strong, at all levels.

 

[SirBackflip]

lol, i feel silly now.

just everytime you play him he's mad on religion and techs. religion is a given as he's spiritual tho i suppose.

 

[Joshua368]

just everytime you play him he's mad on religion and techs. religion is a given as he's spiritual tho i suppose.

What? Everytime you play him you play him the way you want to play. I mean spiritual is nice for religion but it doesn't force you to focus on it, and I'd hope you would focus on techs with any leader!

Though I'd say I probably play like him with any leader. Tech whore to everyone and anyone who'll share with me, and sell off outdated techs for gold at every reasonable oppurtunity. Spirital trait makes for extra fun, you can manipulate people's attitudes towards you by temperarily switching religions/civics to gather more trades. Just got to watch out for worst enemies.

 

[SirBackflip]

What? Everytime you play him you play him the way you want to play. I mean spiritual is nice for religion but it doesn't force you to focus on it, and I'd hope you would focus on techs with any leader!

i mean every time he's an opponent, you play against him rather >.<

sorry, not all that clear.

 

[artificialj]

anyone else find it odd that mansa absolutely sucks in the earth 18 civ scenario? i've seen him go all game with only one city, never even trying to build a settler, and the only reason i don't conquer him is so that i can sell him currency for 300 gold when i'm researching future tech (3)...

 

[Matthew5117]

Because he has a terrible starting location. Practically desert all around him.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Because he has a terrible starting location. Practically desert all around him.

This. The surrounding land is pretty awful too. If he can cut hatty from Africa the jungle areas are usable at least. Takes a lot of work and time though, and still has nothing on say Europe or even north america for most of the early game. Coupled with the fact that the AI isn't very aggressive with him and you essentially can't work from that start without knowing how to whip, and its not surprising that the only AIs that get screwed on this map worse than MM are HC and roosy.

 

[artificialj]

and its not surprising that the only AIs that get screwed on this map worse than MM are HC

yeah, btw, what is the problem with ai HC on this map? is it some sort of ai scripting error that doesn't let him see/access the rest of south america, due to being enclosed by mountains? can't say i've noticed it outside of this map, but i've definitely seen him build a settler and then just keep it in one of his cities for hundreds of years, with the rest of the continent unclaimed...

 

[TheMeInTeam]

yeah, btw, what is the problem with ai HC on this map? is it some sort of ai scripting error that doesn't let him see/access the rest of south america, due to being enclosed by mountains? can't say i've noticed it outside of this map, but i've definitely seen him build a settler and then just keep it in one of his cities for hundreds of years, with the rest of the continent unclaimed...

There's a pretty long thread over on strategy and tips about it, but it's basically a pathing error. The AI has serious trouble with same-landmass expansions (and war!) that's blocked by impassable terrain, such as peaks. This is why monty never declares on HC, and also why HC never escapes from his 3 city hell.

 

[artificialj]

There's a pretty long thread over on strategy and tips about it, but it's basically a pathing error. The AI has serious trouble with same-landmass expansions (and war!) that's blocked by impassable terrain, such as peaks. This is why monty never declares on HC, and also why HC never escapes from his 3 city hell.

aah, thanks, just went and found that thread.

why HC never escapes from his 3 city hell.

god, that always makes me so sad for him. you know, because you termed it like this, i am going, right now, and playing earth18civs as HC.

 

[KROL]

i don't even know why he's in the game, to be honest. His uncle, Sundiatta, is the one who built up all that wealth. All Mansa Musa did was spend it recklessly in Cairo, which lead to the financial ruin of the Malinese kingdom, caused inflation in Egypt to skyrocket, and indirectly started the renaissance in Europe due to Italian traders taking advantage of the high prices in Egypt.

That's assuming my memory doesn't deceive me, of course... It's been a while since I read about that particular time period.

If anything, they should have put Sundiatta in the game instead. Putting Mansa Musa in is the equivalent of putting in a knucklehead like Xerxes or Nero.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Mansa has to disagree

 

[Turquoiside]

Actually, Mansa Musa was a great ruler. If I didn't have to go, I'd give you some reasons but.....