MB4 - GOTM24 Redux [civ3] Roster B

[Peanut]

Well fellow generals, I managed to play 8 turns after all the other distractions but I'll need to hand over to the next player. Sorry I was so slow but that's life sometimes,eh ?

Basically I followed my strategy of a few banks, get to the IA, re-arm like mad and build workers. Productive cities (about 24 of them) will be worked over to maximise production and growth potential. That means a few rushed aquaducts if necessary.

The rest (numbered beyond counting it seems) will churn out workers and can be neglected. A few settlers headed south to fill in the empty spaces. Overall, a rather boring 8 turns ... except for the war that is ... I'll just give the basics rather than list all the dull details.

Preturn : Scale research back to minimum needed for TOG in 1. Swap some towns to worker rather than wait till forever for a Temple or something at 1 spt. Our offensive capability = 9Cavs + 4 Samuri (2 in army) + 29 Kensai. Whoopee. Swap some cities to build more Cavs. Sell Wool+Wine+Dye+WM+60g to han for Incense - got to keep our happiness up even though it will boost Han for a while (maybe this was not such a bright idea after all ...). Upgrade the cats to cannon and head them north.

IBT : Dyes deal with Mori lapses. No need to help his economy along just for a few coins per turn. Mori & Han sign peace.

960 : ToG > Mag. Trade ToG for Nav+WM+3g with Korea. Mag in 5 @ max non-deficit rate - got to get to IA soon and nobody will sell us Mag. Workers are streaming towards the core cities. Cavs are heading to Mori's border.

IBT : Takeda invites us to ally with him against Choso. We fall about laughing and then sell him Music for 20g+4gpt instead. Every bit helps ... and it may stop him getting silly and declaring war.

970 : Workers gathering to groom our core cities. Rush Aquaduct in New Nagoya as it has productive potential. Switch to courthouses in core cities.

IBT : Choso asks our junk to get out. We agree. The Shimazu Horse deal expires. The cheapskate will only pay 15gpt. Bugger off then - see if you can get horses elsewhere.

980 : Yet more workers & cavs & miscellaneous improvements built. Cavs moving east. We now have 15 Cavs & 13 Cannon.

IBT : Wines & Dyes deal with Shimazu expires. We renew for 44gpt - a useful sum. He is now buying horses from elsewhere - Han probably. Poop.

990 : More workers & cavs roll off the assembly line. 17 Cavs & 45 workers.

IBT : Nothing of note. Mori loves to shuffle his troops around.

1000 : We have 20 cavs & 49 workers. More positioning.

IBT : Shimadzu lands 4 Cavs near Kyoto. What the ... ?? Hmmmm... Mori builds Bachs in Yamaguchi - very very tempting - we must go and "visit" him real soon.

1010 : Mag done - we are in IA - only Nationalism is known by the AI so things may not be that bad. Research Medicine or Steam ? I pick Steam as we MUST get production up and there is an army of workers just bursting to build railroads. So I won't chance the trade deal risk on Medicine but they probably won't sell to us anyway on the Emperor weightings and our reputation. By the way, I agree with Gormdragan's tech approach in general - if you can get a tech like ToG just ahead then it could have levered us up the tree nicely. It doesn't always work but it's worth trying.

Oh yes - Shimadzu declares war on us rather than shift. What a surprise. Well, well - all 4 of his Cavs are in range of our Cavs camped waiting to visit Mori. Round 1 results - 4 dead Shimadzu cavs, two elite promotions, no casualties. But where will they land next ? Who will they persuade to join the fun ? I turn on the Happiness Governor in case I miss a key city rioting.

IBT : No allies join Shimadzu, no more troops landed. Shimadzu ships off the SE coast.

1020 : Now 55 workers, 21 cavs, 14 cannon. A few upgrades of Junks to Cannon Kublai (these carry 4, move 8). Oh yes, it looks like Mori is at war with Chosogabe ! A nice distraction for both of them.

IBT : More Shimadzu sailing about near Gifu but no troops landing. Han wants to swap maps for a few coins ... yeah ok.

1030 : More improving & positioning. More workers and Cavs produced. Some cavs and the Elite Sam moved towards the SE coast to shadow the Shimadzu ships.

Conclusion : That's all I had time for folks so on to the next General. We are close to invasion strength for Mori if wanted - he has Leo's and Bach's which might come in handy. I don't think Mori has Nationalism yet so his cities only have muskets. There's still more mining to be done in the core cities to squeeze more production out. Steam will be ready in 9 turns, less if the AIs get there first. Shimadzu is being a right royal pain but not much more. We will very soon have enough cavs to neutralise any landings and sustain an invasion of Mori. There are also Cannon Junks waiting to load troops for next campaign as well (Choso again perhaps ?).
And here's ... The 1030AD Save
edit to clarify a confusing sentence

 

[Alweth]

Okay, I've got the save. I'm thinking that I'll play two turns tonight, to get us to the ten-turn mark, and post the score. And then, if it's okay with everyone, play the next ten turns tomorrow. I expect this week to be a little hectic for me, though, so things might not go as planned.

 

[Peanut]

Alweth - Thanks for finishing the last two turns for me. As for hectic - well it's that time of year isn't it !

 

[Alweth]

Two Turn Round Finish (Part 1)
This is the log for the first of two turns I'm playing to round out Peanut's eight turns into ten turns, so that we can keep playing on the ten-turn mark like Mad Bax wants. I hope that's fine with everyone.

Preturn - AD 1030
Tech situation: About half of our enemies are at the same tech level as us or less, that's good. The other half all have Nationalism, Democracy, and Economics, that's not so good. I don't know about Shimazu, since we're at war with them.

Here's my plan:
I think I'll declare war on Mori, since they're the biggest threat at the moment; Shimazu's over the sea, so I don't think we have to worry too much about them, and if things get ugly we can just sue for peace, I think; and I think we can take Mori, now. I'll plan on accepting peace from them when they're weak enough so that they'll no longer be a problem and when they're willing to give us lots of good techs. I hope to make this war fast, since war weariness will probably become a problem pretty quickly.

It looks like we can afford to start the attack now, so I demand that they remove their military from our land, but they declare war, so it all works out neatly. Hopefully this will keep the war weariness down.

I move and attack. I go for the enemies on our land in the West, and I got for their cities in the East. Overall, I am pleased with the results.

Lose: 1 Calvary, 1 Kensai Oda
Gain: 5 Elite Cavalry, 1 Elite Kensai Oda

Capture: Tsuyama, Takahashi

I'm going to starve them down to one, and then let them build up their pop again.

IBT:
Lose: New Yokkachi, and Matsusaka (because I had accidentally moved the guy defending it out of the city). Also lose a cavalry.

Turn 1 - AD 1040
Kill some enemies.

Gain: 1 Elite Cavalry
Lose: At least 1 Cavalry (forgot to keep track).

Found Ise 2.

IBT: Nagoya 2 (?) is razed.

Well, that's all I'm going to play tonight, because it took a lot longer than I would have thought. (Finding stuff for all those workers to do can be quite a chore.) I hope I can finish the turn first thing tomorrow and post the score, then do the next ten turns that evening (and the next evening, if I can't finish in one night.)

 

[mad-bax]

Well done Peanut. Looks like we have recovered the tech situation. Lets see if we can get an offensive army together. The turns are ticking away...

Alweth. Can you post the score at the end of the 1050AD turn please. Thanks.

 

[Alweth]

Turn 2 - AD 1050
Lost: Samurai Army (Bad luck.)
Gained: 1 Elite Cavalry, 1 Elite Kensai Oda
Freed: New Yokkachi and Matsusaka.

Score: 2655

 

[Alweth]

I'll try and start playing the rest of my turns tonight. However, I'm pretty satisfied with just the two turns I played already, so, mad-bax, if you think that now would be a good time for you to play, please feel free to go ahead and download the save, post a "got it," and take your turn. If, however, you haven't posted a "got it" by tonight, I'll just take my turn as originally planned, and you can just go after me, as usual.

Here's the save.

EDIT - Removed typos and fixed URL.

 

[Alweth]

Okay. I'm starting on the next 10 turns now. I hope I can pull it off.

 

[Alweth]

I'm sorry guys, but some things have come up. They're not major, but they will prevent me from being able to complete my turn. Rather than perpetuate a cycle of odd turn-counts by playing only part of my ten, I'll just forego my turn since I already got to play two turns anyway. Please take it away, mad-bax. I hope this doesn't cause any problems for you. The main thing to keep in mind is that we're at war with the Mori in the North, East, and Far South. The latest save is two posts up.

 

[mad-bax]

OK. Got it. Play tonight. I've been a little preoccupied, so I apologise for the delay in posting.

 

[gormdragan]

In the case of Medicine VS Steam, I would be in the same dillema as well. Since we need both to start on TOE, and as you said, our reputation is "toast-er" than toast , Steam is probably the right way to go. I think at this point, once we secure Steam and start our glorious railroad, we will be in good shape both in production and in research as well. It is time to do our own research. With regards to our deficiency in Nationalism, Democracy and Economics, I say we have no deficiency. With Replacement Parts around the corner, I say we skip Nationalism entirely. Democracy is totally useless since we plan to win by conquest. Economics too is useless as Smiths is already built. The key now is to get TOE and Hoover.

From my experience (which is not much), AI tends to waste their time trying to get Nationalism, Communism, Epionage. This should cut us some slack to pick up Steam, Medicine, and finally Scientific Methods and Electronics. If we have slipped our prebuild on TOE and Hoover, it's time to start it off again. I am sure we will win the TOE-Hoover gambit but the key is to get it AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

 

[mad-bax]

I have played 2 turns. It's horrendous in terms of time, and it's a very difficult situation to play. It would be so easy to say "lets call it a day and go for a Space win".

I won't finish tonight. The turns take too long. Sorry.

 

[mad-bax]

Well, I completed my turns. Took nearly 5 hours. I want to post a couple of pictures and stuff and its 2.20am here and I really should get a couple of hours sleep. I'll post in around 12 hrs I guess.

The Firaxis score at the end of my turns was 2926 if that's relevent.

 

[mad-bax]

1050AD: Pre-turn.
Researching for steam is fine. But we are in a very dicey war ATM and may need to cash rush to save cities and units.
I switch off city governors.
I micromanage some of the important towns to optimise for shields.

I don't like the way our military is arranged ATM. We should be stacking cannon on muskets, and the cavalry should be in nice stacks. We are spread too thin and I expect to lose several units on the interturn.

Fukuyama would not have been my first choice as a target. Kure is much better as it would deprive the Mori of Salt. This will be my aim this turn. I'll Pillage it at least.

We have little defence in the border cities which is where they are most required.

I start to move some units in order to provide us with a fig leaf, but we are going to get slaughtered.

Cross my fingers and press the space bar.

IBT:
Koreans want to exchange Tmaps. I see no reason why I would want to. No.

So... To the damage.
We lose a vet Cav in one attack
We lose an Elite Cav in another attack
We lose 2 workers to a cav
A cav retreats from its canon stack and we lose 3 canon.
We win one fight. A warrior defending an island city defeats a Kensai.

That could have gone better.

Korea and Han sign peace treaty.

We Complete the Military Academy. We don't have the luxury of waiting 17 turns for an army though.

1060AD:
Firstly just tried to get the workers moving back to the core, ready for steam, and to improve some tiles around our productive cities.

Attacked a couple of Mori units to the south that are wandering around. Killed them without loss.

Killed a musket and a Kensai outside Chiba without loss.
Killed a samurai spear outside Chiba without loss.

I don't have enough units to kill Fukuyama, but I decide to try anyway as they will be picked off in the interturn anyway.

Fukuyama
Vet Cav vs Vet musket wins
Elite Cav vs Vet musket retreats
Elite Cav vs Vet musket wins
Elite Cav vs conscript rifle retreats.

IBT:
Lose 2 Kensai and a cav in fighting around Chiba. We are really weak here and it will take a couple of turns to rectify. I have to sacrify units to use up enemy movement points as a means of preventing units getting to cites.

Didn't realise we were at war with the Shimazu.
They land a pair of Cavalry outside New Handa. We can't defend it.

1070AD
Take out Samurai archer and a Kensai near Chiba. The Mori are showing signs of weakening around here now.

Fukuyama Reprise
5/5 cav vs conscript rifle wins
4/5 cav vs conscript rifle retreats
3/5 cav vs conscript rifle wins, generating leader
This leaves a cav in the city unfortunately. Next turn there will be another conscript.

Attack the two stack of cav outside new Handa with our lone Kensai and lose. I abandon the city rather than take the war weariness hit of having them walk into it.

Getting this into shape is turning into a RPITA. None of our 3 cities in the south west are defended or connected. Now a stack of 3 Samurai and a horse turn up 2 tiles from Ise 2. Absolutely no way of defending it.

Kure
Vet cav vs vet rifle retreats
Vet cav vs vet rifle retreats
Vet cav vs conscript rifle wins
Elite cav vs vet rifle wins taking city.

War weariness is going to kick in in a big way next turn, I am going to try to hold out till steam, then revolt to monarchy.

Although things are still in a mess, I am beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

IBT:
The Samurai stack move next to undefended Ise 2 as expected. So I abandon it.

1080AD
Chiba
vet cav vs conscript rifle dies
vet cav vs newly promoted reg rifle dies
Elite cav vs reg rifle wins, taking city.

Moved loads of stuff around.

IBT:
The Samurai stack approaches the next undefended city - Except I am going to have a go at saving this one - maybe.

1090AD:
Fujisawa
Vet cav vs vet musket retreats
Vet cav vs vet musket wins - taking city.

Fukuyama
Vet cav vs Elite cav wins
Vet cav vs vet cav dies
vet cav vs vet cav wins
vet cav vs conscript rifle wins taking city.

Sign Straight peace with Shimazu. That was one war we really didn't need.
There are signs that things may simplify over the next few turns. Still need more workers though. As things stand I can either rail up to the front lines, or rail our core, but not both.

I'm a little worried about this interturn. What the heck... press the button.

IBT:
Learn Steam, research electricity.
Damn. Missed the next stage of war weariness. Really unlike me. Still, I'll revolt this turn so not too much harm done.

We get the iron works message. Hope it's somewhere useful. Well, the only place I can see is Setagaya-ku, which is hopelessly corrupt. Pity.
The Shimazu complete Smiths. Pity, coz we are a ways from dealing with them yet.

1100AD:
No chance of further attacks this turn. Just begin to organise workers into teams for railing. They are not in the right place yet.

IBT:
Oh dear. I missed the fact that a Samurai could get to New Yoshi in one turn. The Mori Take it. Sorry.

Undefended Edo is taken too, I have no idea where that cavalry came from. It sounds bad but it is correctable and both cities were worthless anyway.

1110AD:
Retake Edo without loss.

Kui
Vet cav vs vet rifle loses
Vet cav vs vet rifle retreats
vet cav vs vet musket wins
vet cav vs reg rifle retreats
Elite cav vs reg rifle wins
Elite cav vs vet rifle wins taking city.
I decide to raze Kui

IBT:
New Hikone is captured by yet another phantom cav. Why are they not visible on the map until they attack?
Tatayama is captured. by the Sam stack. I have just about manged to get some units to this part of the map, So I will be dealing with it presently.

1120AD:
Hiroshima
vet kensai vs vet musket loses
Asterisked elite cav vs vet musket wins
vet cav vs vet musket wins
vet cav vs vet musket dies
elite sam vs vet musket wins
Elite cav vs vet musket wins
Elite cav vs vet Kensai wins taking city.
I decide to keep it pending where the new capital goes.

IBT:
Korea and Mori sign trade embargo against us.
Ooh we get a palace expansion.

1130AD:

Finally get some units to the problem area.

Retake Tateyama - no losses
Re-take New Yoshi - No Losses

So we are gradually getting cleaned up. It's just taking a little time and effort.

I won't be able to take out all their size 12 cities on my turn however.

1140AD:
Okayama
The preliminary bombardment was moderately successful.
Vet cav vs vet musket wins
Vet cav vs vet musket dies
Vet cav vs vet musket retreats.
Vet cav vs vet musket wins
Elite cav vs vet musket retreats
Elite cav vs vet musket wins taking city.

Retake New Hikone without loss.

IBT:
We lose an Elite Cav
Aki flips to the Chesogabe for the loss of a Kensai.

1150AD:
Although I didn't have enough units to capture Yamaguchi I decided to soften it up for the next player. I left one 2HP elite musket in the city. Next turn of course there will be a conscript rifle too.


Post turn remarks.

Yamaguchi and Matsui must fall. Once that has been done we can sue for peace.
We want Yonago and Tottori in the peace deal, plus economics if possible. Yonago gives us a beachhead on the Han continent, and Tottori gives us a town on the island I had to give up.

The Cavalry in the south can be used to Clear up the Takeda, and take the last Mori town on our continent.

The leader is for TOE, and there is a Hoover pre-build in Koromo. It is due in 30 turns, which should be about right.

We have a small chance of getting to electricity first. If we do then I wouldn't hang on to it. I'd trade it for medicine and anything else you can get. We don't have to be the first to Scientific method, we just need to get there within ten turns of the AI since we have a leader.

We MUST get after the Chesogabe as soon as humanly possible. We are desperately in need of their silks.

Active deals
We have a lux deal with the Han
We have 14 turns left on a peace treaty with the Shimazu
We have no deals with the Chesogabe and Korea
We have 1 turn left on a peace deal with the Takeda.

I believe we are in control again now. Not because of my play, just because we have steam, and a clear road to TOE and Hoover.

Our score is 2923

Pictures and Save to follow.

 

[mad-bax]

This is the northern front. The Mori have two productive cities left. If we get rid of these and take a coastal city on the Han continent in the peace deal it would be good for us.

This is the southern front. We really do need to take out all these cities and cover this area with culture. We can do without foreign cities springing up around here.

Our military includes 30 cavalry and 20 canon. This is enough to take on the Chesogabe, who we are already strong in comparison to. We need their silks badly. We also need to deprive the Han of their luxes. We should not give any more luxes to the Han.

Finally, here is the >>save<<

 

[mad-bax]

Adrian: You are UP. Enjoy!

 

[gormdragan]

Thank you for pulling us out of the hole I have created.

 

[mad-bax]

You didn't create the hole we were in gormdragan, and I didn't get us out of it. IIRC it was me that argued for an attack on the Chesogabe when we were clearly in no position to do so.

This is a great game, and we are playing it really well IMHO.

 

[gormdragan]

I will be on vacation from Christmas until next year. I hope to play at least 1 more turn b4 I disappear.

 

[Peanut]

Mad-Bax : you did well to manage a complex two-front war against Mori along with those annoying Shimazu popping up every so often. I have no idea why they attacked us while we had trade deals going with them. Straight peace was a good deal to strike, but we will remember their treachery. You have left us in a great position for the future.

Gormdragan : You didn't dig the hole - it was more that the ground we were standing upon subsided a little underneath us. Recall that you took the Choso holdings on our island, had a valiant attempt at the Choso home island which didn't come off, and then skilfully extracted us from that war. Your tech gambles didn't pay off this time but I would have tried exactly the same strategy as it does pay very well when it works. So, c'est la vie, eh ?

Team - to paraphrase old Mr Grace - "You are all playing v-e-r-y well ... ". If the reference eludes you then you are either too young, or you come from a different culture. Just take it as a compliment. I await the next round with interest, and hope that the weather cools a little before my next round (today's forecast approx 37C).

NB. we need Yamaguchi as it has Bach's ! A nice little happiness helper for us, especially since the Hanging Gardens (which we appropriated from Tokugawa) has just expired when we learned Steam. Also, doesn't Hiroshima have Leo's ? Could be handy as well.