Monarchists' Cookbook I

[OTAKUjbski]

I thought there would be some acknowledgment of my Forge/Barracks combos + Construction + ALL the Wonders, instead I got "you only have 4 cities, and your beaker output sucks".

I was kind of hoping for some acknowledgement of my massive exploration and foothold in the "new world" but so far haven't gotten much of anything from my save (positive or negative).

What criteria are we making our decisions on, the now or the later?

If we're planning a war, then now, because warmongering seems more like a series of "what now?" kinda rounds to me.

If we're planning peace, then later.

 

[futurehermit]

@Otaku: Your scouting was unreal, honestly If going the peaceful route, your city placement is good. I just disagree with that choice. Like I said, I liked your save quite a bit. I am just in favour of attacking now.

@Bleys: Having forges is definitely good and I like the wonders (I think I argued most vehemently for going after ToA in the first round, for example). I am just in favour of attacking now.

What can I say, the expert who influenced me the most I think was Acidsatyr

 

[vale]

In retrospect I wish I had done several things different:

1. Build the Oracle in Berlin with a chop from the worker before he went down to mine Marble cities hill. Delaying Currency (in order to research the wonder enabling techs) to make sure all wonders get done does not hurt the economy as much as I thought it would. I think the earlier GP makes up for the slower currency.

2. Build Copper city second at the same site (instead of third). Forge + Barracks then spam axemen while stagnating at size 2 would have eased much of my lack of garrison issues.

3. Build Fish+Whale city third (instead of second). Too much food to play with until it has a garrison.

4. I still like the original placement for the western southern island city. Room for another city + avoiding settling on a forest + quicker development is worth the possible costs. If that city has a healthy population of 13 by the time we have liberalism, then our tech rate sucks.

5. I wish I had met any AI who had had the courtesy to tech Alphabet for me. Similarly, I wish a hurricane hadn't hit Berlin.

 

[r_rolo1]

What can I say, the expert who influenced me the most I think was Acidsatyr

...and the second should had been Mutineer, that had his cities in before the wars start because of so much whipping/drafting j/k

My gutswere also predisplosed to slash Sal until I saw the OTAKU map..... that IMHO tipped the balance towards REXing and cannon conquest

 

[futurehermit]

Yeah, well, Mutineer and Acidsatyr often played on the same team, so you can see where I'm going here...

I opened one of their deity saves and looked at their in their cities and it was well over 30. I've never been the same since

BTW I'm at my best once nationalism is in my possession

My gutswere also predisplosed to slash Sal until I saw the OTAKU map..... that IMHO tipped the balance towards REXing and cannon conquest

The way the AIs are lined up I think we can knock them down in order and then settle the rest of the land at our leisure more or less. Of course if we are able to settle peacefully successfully and outtech them then beating them down with advanced units becomes a formality. Either way could be successful, but I worry about having a strung-out empire. Not like we're at risk for being invaded, but I am just not a fan of it generally.

Anyways, you guys know how I feel, so it's up to the group to make a decision I guess about which way we are going to go.

 

[Bleys]

I was kind of hoping for some acknowledgement of my massive exploration and foothold in the "new world" but so far haven't gotten much of anything from my save (positive or negative).

I gave you some props, I choose your save if we are choosing Peace. Your a bit behind in the war-techs if we want War though, but even so, that GP farm you already have in Berlin is going to be mega-strong now AND later.

If we're planning a war, then now, because warmongering seems more like a series of "what now?" kinda rounds to me.

And thats why I tried to make my point about my Forges, Barracks, and forests, and my next GP popping, in comparison to other saves. This INSTANT I may not be in the lead, but the race isnt over until we kill Sal, and I think I pull ahead down the stretch pretty easily, with or without the GE popping. If it pops, I jump way out in front, IMHO, anyway.

 

[OTAKUjbski]

BTW I'm at my best once nationalism is in my possession

Me too.

 

[futurehermit]

Gotta love drafting

 

[Bleys]

BTW I'm at my best once nationalism is in my possession

Me too.

Me three. In fact, my games generally revolve around taking Nat from Lib, being close to Rifles, prepping my Taj GA as best I can, and switching into Nat during it and out of it at the tail end (when not playing SPI, obviously). Thats why I love BIG BIG cities in that part of the game, because I often combine Slavery, Theocracy, PS (if I have the Mids) and Nationalism, whipping and drafting til I am REALLY on the brink of being dragged through the streets by my own people, then rolling over the AI of my choice.

I just pulled that move in the KK LHC. Wow, hes a great warmongering leader, even though I never got to use Keshiks. CRE is so good after taking over enemy cities. Seriously, if you guys want a cool GLH type game, check this one out, it has some similarities to our game here.

 

[futurehermit]

KK was the leader whom I had my highest score with in Warlords. He is an excellent warmongerer.

I think aggressive is greatly underestimated on these boards, for two reasons:

1) It helps a lot with axerushing, which is more obvious

but

2) It gives all your drafted rifles/infantry free combat one, which imo is an excellent bonus for warfare during that phase of the game

 

[r_rolo1]

Ok, looks that I'm the only space junkie around here Not that I can't direct a brutal drafting spree ( just look as ICS 02, a SG where we have to settle cities 3 tiles away from each other ( mandatory... raze all the ones that do not fit there ) ... perfect drafting territory ), but I tend to direct my game to a SS launch very often....

....and that is why I'm for peace here. Our new settled cities will pay up ASAP and we still have lots of terrain. I'm pretty sure that we can clean this map with arties and destroyers easily ( in the worst case scenario )... OTOH a war is always a thing that we can lose , and the mace vs archer window on saladin may not hold much time ( some games show that some AI already have Feud, and saladin would not take more than 20 turns to research it ,from what I see in my game ). Maces vs pro longbows is doable , but not that easy, and it would put our eco on hold until the end of the war...

 

[Bleys]

2) It gives all your drafted rifles/infantry free combat one, which imo is an excellent bonus for warfare during that phase of the game

This was key. In Theocracy with a Barracks, drafted units were coming out with Combat I and my choice of a promotion. A few Cover, a few Pinch, a few Combat II, a bunch of Drill I and Drill II (whipped ones), and away we go.

Stupid Zara thought his Oromos were enough, but my Pinch rifles were smoking them, even in cities where I didnt take all his defense down and didnt send in Cannons. If I had 80% chance to win and superior numbers, I rammed em home. Man I love Nationalism, its quickly become my favorite Civic, that and SP in these LHCs. State Property = keep all the enemy cities and never have to touch your slider (which is 20 science, 50 culture anyway, from the angry citizens, LOL)

 

[futurehermit]

I'm not against SS, especially since domination will be tedious on this map. But I am in favour of warring to get a large enough empire. I'm also a fan of knocking out opponents given the chance. The less opponents the less threat to you both in terms of being invaded and also in terms of rival spaceships, backdoor cultural or diplo victories, etc.

 

[r_rolo1]

At least i would let saladin try a stab in the AP and in shrining his capital.... those 2 items would make conquest far more profitable

 

[futurehermit]

Did he build any of the great prophet wonders? I forget.

By the time we build up an invasion force (navy and army) he may have done those things already. It will take us a bit to get ~10 galleys ~10 catapults ~10 maces/etc.

 

[OTAKUjbski]

Did he build any of the great prophet wonders?

Nope .. it might take him a while running just 1 Priest.

 

[futurehermit]

Well, he has madrassas...if he uses them...?

 

[OTAKUjbski]

Well, he has madrassas...if he uses them...?

In my experience, the AI prefers Scientists over Priests except when production is needed.

Give his island is mostly production tiles, it's doubtful he'll ever run a Priest, so even "one" might be generous.

 

[Bleys]

Well, judging by how the computer tends to "specialize" my cities when I click it, he will max food, then a Priest (if a spy isnt available) then put whats left on Mines. I always seem to get those unwanted priest specialists, until I build a Courthouse, then I get those unwanted Spy specialists.

 

[r_rolo1]

My experience is Enginners< - Priests <-spies ( gotta hate that constant spy assignment... hey , if I wanted to run a EE you, would had noticed it Mr Governor ).... this means that maybe mecca has been running a Priest for a while. I would bet in a GP in Arabia until 500 AD