Monarch Student II - Climbing from Prince (Joao II)

[assass1n]

The Mahatma and not Ashok please

 

[Single Malt]

I chose red, as it ain't present among opponents. I always like Catherine's shade, so that was taken

 

[gcm4738]

Ok - I've got the file from Single Malt. Thanks for that SM - Cathy's red is perfect.

I made a couple of tweaks to it. It seems to work for me, so I'll put it up in a day or two.

It's nearly impossible to set this up without seeing *something* about the game that you don't want to. I did it quickly and tried not to look at anything I didn't need to. I will say this though... It looks like a real firecracker!

 

[Single Malt]

gcm, thats part of hosting a series. You know things about the map. I am still looking forward to playing it, despite I know what all the starts look like.

 

[assass1n]

I won it in 1932 Space Race with a score of 40k+
I could have gone Dom but didnt want to micromanage billions of units on my super slow computer

 

[nanomage]

hello.
gcm, do i understand correctly that you are going to host a new learning game, with some indian leader this time? if it's correct i'd be glad to join in.

 

[gcm4738]

Hi nano. Da.

There's a few of us around lately that are playing at Monarch level. Or (like me) trying to win on Monarch level - so we've started a new series: "Monarch Student". The save games are setup so that you can choose any level or speed though.

The next one we're playing is as Asoka/India. I'll put it up tonight for those that want to start in. Please join us and let us know how you're doing.

 

[nanomage]

thanks.
i'm in and eagerly waiting the save.
thanks to the forums, i feel quite self-confident recently and maybe even will add up a level, if i like the start

 

[Trynthlas]

I'm far behind everyone but Brennus (bottom of the pile) in tech, economy is improving but still in the pits due to a small number of cities supporting a large army which may or may not even be able to face off against a tech-superior Hannibal. Oy. Take a look...

Spoiler :

Help? Anybody see a light at the end of this tunnel?

 

[assass1n]

Never let those Fin Al's to last long otherwise they are a pain in the butt and I feel you should have beelined Currency and traded it around would have allowed you to build wealth

 

[Ai Shizuka]

Skipped this one, but I'm playing it now.

Monarch/epic to 55 AD:

Spoiler :

Techs: agri - masonry - bw - wheel - ah - myst - poly - mono - pottery - writing - iw - alpha - hunting and priesthood (brennus) - sailing (suleiman) - researching currency

I usually ignore the religious techs, but Brennus's fav civic is Org Religion, so I researched mono early. Reason is different religions between my neighbors and I picked Brennus as my best bud. He's already at friendly from shared religion and fav civic, and I'm Hannibal's worst enemy. No problem, as I want to wipe him out early, as he tends to become a late-game powerhouse.


4000 - Settled 1E for more production.

3700 - Brennus.

3250 - Hannibal. He's buddhist and Brennus is Hindu. This means no big happy religious family and I have to pick my side. Both Hanni and Brennus are no jerks and don't declare at pleased. But usually Brennus is busy with his religions, while Hannibal can become a dangerous late-game opponent. So Brennus will be my friend and Hannibal will have to go at some point. We'll see when. Looks like there is a huge chunk of land to settle, so no need to rush him.

2650 - Oporto:



2575 - A mine pops gems in Lisbon's BFC.

2275 - AH reveals horses in Lisbon's BFC. Would have missed them if settled in place.

2150 - And my favorite early wonder. I think my GW to Pyramids building ratio is 5:1 at least, especially in maps like this one, with huge unsettled continents:



1725 - Guimaraes:



1600 - Switch to OR to please Brennus.

1350 - Meet Suleiman.

1300 - Coimbra:



925 - I convert to Judaism. Brennus switched from Hindu to Judaism when he founded Judaism.

525 - Evora:



335 - Razed a couple barb cities, but I keep this one:



125 - And after 4-5 turns of WHEOOHRN, Hannibal makes his move:



His stack and my counter. A couple spears and more axes are coming soon behind:



20 - Lagos. 1 off the coast, but it claims bananas and gold. Main purpose of this city is blocking brennus in his corner:



55 - At some point Hannibal's stack turned back home (I whipped walls in Guimaraes and Lisbon), apparently uncertain about the best move to do. I decided to counter-attack, ignored Leptis (hill and defended by his stack) and went straight to Utica and the Hanging Gardens:



Declared peace in the same turn.

Tech situation isn't bad, but my economy is in terrible shape right now:



Continent:



Cities:



Diplo, with details on my pal Brennus:




The land is very good and I have good enough cities to keep pushing my expansion. Hannibal has to go at some point, probably with elephants/catapults. Nobody likes him anyway, so no diplo hits.
I need to hire some scientists where possible to finish currency, research CoL and fix my economy.

 

[Ai Shizuka]

Part II, to 1345:

Spoiler :

Peaceful round of expansion.

Techs: currency - col - math, archery and meditation (Brennus) - calendar - monarchy (Sulei) - aesthetics - literature - hbr (Sulei) - CS - MC (Brennus) - machinery (Sulei) - construction and feudalism (Brennus) - compass (Brennus) - paper - edu - drama (Sulei) - eng and optics (Sulei) - liberalism + nationalism - researching gunpowder

220 - Hannibal is in WHEOOHRN mode again and will be to the end of the round.

235 - First GS settled in Oporto for the short-term benefits. My research rate is pitiful at this point.

460 - Braga. Junk city with no food, just to fill that gap and connect my empire:



835 - Leiria, another commerce city:



980 - Completed in Coimbra:



1020 - Philo bulbed with another GS.

1130 - Meet Zara.

1250 - Faro settled all the way across the continent. Future (late) Moai city:



1255 - Suleiman's world is round.

1290 - Meet Washington.

1320 - Meet Hammurabi and found Santarem:



1345 - First to Liberalism:




Tech situation. Nationalism from Lib was probably a mistake, as a lot of people are researching it right now. Could have taken PPress and traded it around:



Continent. I have to settle 2-3 more cities to fill the gaps:



Other continent. Quite balanced, no superpowers so far:



Glance. Me and Brennus are still best buddies and I'm Washington's and Hammurabi's worst enemy, thanks to the "you traded blabla" bs.
Hannibal still hates me and I'm eagerly awaiting for his DoW:



Cities, building Universities for Oxford:

 

[Ai Shizuka]

Part III, monarch/epic, 1345 - 1665

Spoiler :

Falling behind in techs with a growing empire.

Techs: music and theo (Brennus) - gunpowder - chemistry - guilds (Sulei) - ppress (Mao) - steel - constitution (Bren) - banking (Mao) - economics (Mao) - rep parts (Zara) - mil science (Bren) - researching biology


1410 - Braganza, another commerce city:



1420 - Hannibal has been in WHEOOHRN for the last 1200 years, but never declared. I think it's time:



1425 - Done in Lisbon:



And the first carthaginian city falls:



1440 - 1 turn late to save Utica, wich is promptly recaptured:



1445 - Sagres, just to fill that gap:



1470 - Washington spawns Mao as a colony.

1480 - Hannibal's capital falls. Future prod city. Chichen Itza, Shenge and Mahabodhi (generating 15ish gpt) inside:



1515 - Kerouane captured.

1550 - Hadrumetum captured.

1570 - Hippo captured.

1625 - Thapsus captured and Hannibal is dead:




Continent:



Continent n.2, still balanced:



Tech board isn't good, but I'm researching Biology, usually ignored by the AIs:



Cities:



Glance:




Washington is in WHEOOHRN mode and his worst enemy is Brennus. Speaking of Brennus, he's still my BFF but I don't think he will be a valuable trading partner in the future with his tiny empire.
I may backstab when Washington attacks him and get a new best friend. Washington likes free speech, wich I'm going to adopt as soon as I have democracy for US and emancipation. At that point I may switch to free religion as well and lose both religion and civic bonus with Brennus.

I'm behind at this point, but I will catch quickly in cottage-mode with my huge empire. Oporto has generated a couple GS and two GM so far. One will be used for Sushi, not sure about the second.

Still not sure about the victory. Probably a chain of quick capitulation wars when Brennus is dead.

 

[Single Malt]

Shizuka

Spoiler :

If Bren outlived his usefulness, then don't wait for Washy. Chances are he has a lucrative shrine, that can put you well on your way of outteching everyone

 

[Ai Shizuka]

Part IV, epic, 1665 - 1900, end:

Spoiler :

Not reporting the tech path. A couple more trades with Brennus and all the way to satellites/composites.

1670 - Mao breaks free.

1675 - Washington wants me to stop trading with Brennus. He's my next target and not that useful anymore, so I agree.

1722 - I trade biology around and huge revolution (5 turns of anarchy) to switch to US, FS, emancipation, FM and FR.

1764 - Aveiro:



1772 - When I realized Washington was stuck in WHEOOHRN without doing anything, I started amassing troops to backstab my old pal Brennus:



1774 - And his first city falls:



1786 - Tolosa captured.

1800 - Vienne and Jewish shrine captured. Wall Street is almost completed in Guimaraes (future Sushi HQ), but still a nice income:



1818 - Camulodunum captured.

1828 - Sushi quest completed. Goal was to spread it to 8 more cities:



1834 - Durnovaria captured and Brennus is dead:



1853 - After a couple centuries of wheoohrn mode, Washington makes his move:



He captures Utica, defended by a longbow and a musket, and I recapture it in the same turn:



1855 - Interesting move by Washington. He had a grand total of 3 non-siege units, promptly suicided at Leptis. THEN, he lands his siege:



Washington's artillery is destroyed, time to board my stuff and counter-attack.

1868 - Ouch. Environmentalism succeeds as global civic. Corp manteinance goes from -25% to 25%. Painful.

1872 - I capture Washington DC with tanks and marines:



1874 - New York razed.

1876 - Nukes banned by the UN. American stack easily repelled by CG paratroopers at Washington.

1883 - Chicago captured and war is over:



I gift him his 3 cities back.

1886 - Zara is next. He's going for a culture win:





1887 - Aksum (over 80k culture) razed.

1896 - Qohaito razed.

1897 - Debre Berhan razed and Matara captured.

1900 - Suleiman bribed by Zara:



But in the same turn:





Demographics:



Stats with marines spamming:



Power:



Score:



Continent:



Somehow I was still behind. Forced switch to environmentalism didn't help in this regard:



Moving 1E turned Lisbon into a production powerhouse. HE+Ironworks:



Wall Street city:



Moai city:



Carthage, another good production city. West Point here:




Prime example of a map where an easy axe rush isn't the best approach, imo. Rushing Hann leaves the whole continent open to Brennus. Rushing Brennus isn't safe, as Hannibal is kinda blocked and bound to declare war before getting him to pleased.