Minor Gauntlet Six

[Tone]

@Denniz: I don't think that I've managed 4 turn research on early AA techs. IIRC Theo and Edu were taking 6-7 turns each. I've archived the game I mentioned as I didn't get the tech luck that I needed upon entering the IA. I'll go back to it for an improved runners-up spot if I can't get anything better.

Hut probabilities are 20% for tech and 35% barbs, but I wonder if it is different for Sumeria. I haven't popped a single skilled warrior (I guess that with our UU that's impossible?) and I have popped just one horse. That doesn't fit a 1 in 10 chance, although it could just be an example of the variation of possible outcomes with small probabilities of success.

 

[Tone]

I've just posted a 500AD election win. It only beats killercane's date by one turn but I'm proud of it as I didn't get any early SGLs so no early Pyramids. I did manage to get a good site for a FP prebuild though and completed this as 1100BC dawned.

My rivals were Ottomans (early access to Masonry and good for Polytheism), Persia (Masonry and often useful for IW), Byzantines (Alphabet and useful for MM), Germans (IW and early access to WC) and Babylon (early CB and often useful for MM). I dumped korea as they were often too late for maths research and were giving me little towards a fast date. I went for the Wheel for an early SGL chance and then straight for the Republic slingshot, trading for all the other techs as I met my rivals. Unfortunately I didn't meet anyone with Alpha until it was too late.

It was a battle to keep the research level up and I didn't hit four turn research until around Chemistry. However I did get good luck with free techs. I picked up Invention after trading inter-turn for all first tier techs upon entering the MA and I got Industry after getting Steam and Medi from the AI. My GA was timed just nicely to give my research a boost for Electricity, kicked off by Newton's with an earlier HG build that was only for the GA as it was completed after steam.

Resources were no that easy to come by either. I ended up with four luxes but some of those were well inside what would have been AI territory on higher levels. My iron was beyond Persia's capital but at this level the AI culture is weak and I kept them all poor with constant trades so I suspect that many buildings were lost when they couldn't pay for the upkeep.

It was during my GA that I finally got an SGL.

However I had already planned prebuilds for ToE and the UN so I didn't bother using him-it was a victory without using an SGL!

I entered MT in 500AD and had my prebuild set. Heart in mouth, I started gifting the AIs into the next age and luckily the Byzantines got Fission. They wouldn't trade it for all my gold, gpt and resources (including those that I only had one of) so I went to the other AIs and started trading for their techs. Using the fact that X-man didn't know of either the Germans or the Byzantines, I managed to pick up Computers and Rockets for a reasonable price but these were still not enough for a Fission trade. Only when I had the full set would she trade.

I then converted my prebuild and got elected that turn.

 

[superslug]

I've just posted a 500AD election win. It only beats killercane's date by one turn....

It was enough, as no one snuck an unreported submission in. Congrats!

If anyone has a game in progress from this Gauntlet, feel free to finish and submit it, as it'll still be potentially applicable towards the HOF tables.

 

[killercane]

Congrats Tone, I hate you beating me but thats a much more "pure" win without a Pyramids SGL.

 

[Tone]

Thanks guys! I've been amazed at how powerful the Sumerians are for this type of game. Thanks also to Mistfit for planting the suggestion in one of his threads. I used them to regain a few number 1 spots in levels/map sizes to improve my QM standing. The trouble is that the games from this thread show that many of the other #1 spots for Diplo and SS are vunerable. Put all the 'lucky' componants together into one game and this date can be beaten by a fair margin.

C-IV was delivered to my doorstep yesterday (along with AoE III) so I'm now back to a state of complete ignorance as far as gameplay goes. I can't see me dropping III though-there's the SGOTM and I'm currently having fun with Diety domination to improve my warring skills so I won't be finished here, although no doubt the number submissions I make will decrease.