Memorable losses

[NickGabben]

Do you have any memorable losses to share? I can imagine at least some of us just quit playing when it's obvious a win is not possible (or at least would take too much work), but sometimes you stumble upon a loss. Here are my losses that are close to my heart:

1. Suryavarman domination win
I was playing my own game in a corner of the map when all of a sudden I got the message that Sury had won a domination win. Apparently, he'd been owning some serious face over on the other side of the world without my being able to do much about it (with my skill level...). It came as quite a surprise!

2. Saladin diplomatic win
This was my own fault. I didn't really read the AP popup and assumed it was the resident vote, but the trickster had called the AP win and I voted for him instead of abstaining - game over!

3. 4000 BC loss
Instead of clicking Regenerate map, I clicked Retire and instalost the game.

 

[Kaitzilla]

I've done some of those.

Voted the AI to win AP and they barely won.

Left+Right click at the same time on the scoreboard, DOWd a super power.

Control+Q trying to put down a sign.
Instant game over.

 

[Lennier]

I’ve definitely done the accidental retirement when trying to quit.

 

[NickGabben]

It's not one of mine and technically it wasn't a loss either, but I remember one of TMIT's games on Youtube. I think it was one of the Hall of fame challenge games where he had to win a space race and PAd Ramesses (I believe) only to have him sneak a cultural victory almost unnoticed. TMIT noticed at the very last moment (like a turn or possibly two before) and the people in the comments were all disappointed that it didn't come as a complete surprise. While it was a valid win, it still wasn't any good for the restrictions in play.

 

[ArchGhost]

Of the games I've stayed in to actually lose instead of throwing in the towel when it was clear I could not win/would not be fun to keep trying, they were all diplomatic losses

-Once had Sitting Bull as a neighbor and I was trying to AP cheese myself to win that game, not really knowing what I was doing (I built the AP in the world's most popular religion instead of like, Christianity from beelining Theology myself). He makes a resource demand and DoWs over refusal the same turn the vote was called. Not realizing that AIs actually *would* DoW instantly over a demand back then, I reloaded and gave in instead. Cruel irony: SB won the Religious Leader vote.

-Playing a NC game here on the forums. Don't remember a lot of the specifics but HC and Hannibal were the big players. HC built the AP, called diplo vote and I figured giant Hannibal would never vote for him as Hannibal had been in an opposing religion all game. Except Hannibal snuck in building the Shwedagon Paya and went Free Religion just turns before (it had to only be like 1-3 max for me to not notice on the scoreboard) and it changed his attitude toward HC to vote for him. Instant loss.

-On one of the many Earth18 games I've played, it has happened more than once that a loss comes about like this:
> I am playing a weak and/or slow civ on the map like Inca, Japan or England
>Someone weak and usually unable to win but able to tech and loves wonders like Mansa, Freddy, or Hatty builds UN
> run off is between them and super-AI Qin with several vassals
>vassals vote Qin Diplomatic Leader.
>impotent rage on my part

 

[SittinDown]

Had a couple that stick with me.

1) My first deity game, was a forum game here, on a pangea map, and I got boxed in and DOW'ed early by Ragnar. Good learning experience.
2) BOTM 200 - fun game, I thought I was playing pretty well, took over my continent in a relatively reasonable date, but rival AI on another continent was way ahead, and was going to space. I tried going space, but knew it wasn't going to happen in time, so I nuked them, and that failed, and I lost about 1/4 of my empire, and they got to space anyway. Wound up getting lowest scoring defeat.
3) My first time playing monarch (ca 2014). I was shocked by how fast the AI developed compared to prince that I was used to at the time. So I started reading the forums here a lot more and got way more into the game and created an account, and started playing for HOF.
4) Not a loss in the game, but doing the SGOTM, and playing on the last-place team twice in a row, but pulling together a 'Successful Finish', despite being distantly in last place in both games against the other teams. Still a very fun experience.

Most of my forgettable losses are early-game losses where I YOLO, and DOW someone and find out they have metals and I brought too few units, and bail out.

 

[NickGabben]

Here's another one for the ages: I was fooling around with the Worldbuilder to see what you can actually do there.

"Hmm, change all plots - interesting, I wonder how that works?"
*Add Ocean - click*
"Ah, it puts ocean everywhere and now I have no land. No undo, you say? I'd better not save then and just go back to the game. I believe the Vikings had it coming."
*You have been defeated!!!*

 

[krakenn]

I’ve definitely done the accidental retirement when trying to quit.

Same here.