Most Frustrating Game

[Elephantium]

I'm playing as the Dutch on a Continents game, thinking I'm going to have a really sweet setup; sail out, meet everyone, cruise to the Middle Ages via trading, and then kick off my GA with a Swiss Merc.

Unfortunately, the game gave me a map where there's no iron on my continent!

What bad luck! Now I've just learned Gunpowder and discovered that Muskets upgrade to Swiss Mercs!

 

[scoutsout]

You'll have to learn to win without the resource... but if you're going to play it to a late era victory, it's time to go out and acquire some iron. I recommend a combined arms stack of Trebuchets, Longbows, and Muskets if you have saltpeter.

Post a screenshot or save... I wouldn't mind looking at this one.

 

[Bucephalus]

Now I've just learned Gunpowder and discovered that Muskets upgrade to Swiss Mercs!

Why would anyone upgrade a sixty shield unit to a forty shield one with worse stats?

 

[civverguy]

I'm playing as the Dutch on a Continents game, thinking I'm going to have a really sweet setup; sail out, meet everyone, cruise to the Middle Ages via trading, and then kick off my GA with a Swiss Merc.

Unfortunately, the game gave me a map where there's no iron on my continent!

What bad luck! Now I've just learned Gunpowder and discovered that Muskets upgrade to Swiss Mercs!

Where's the nearest iron tile? Maybe you can fight to get it.

 

[sercer88]

Why would anyone upgrade a sixty shield unit to a forty shield one with worse stats?

maybe to get a golden age??

 

[Rodrig0]

You haven't played long enough, if not having iron makes your "most frustrating game"
Still, don't quit. That's what we call here "a challenge", not always will your start location will be perfect and your territory have all you need, but that's why you have to make wars and play the game aaaaall the way

 

[lucashp]

If you cant get iron, Then atleast make sure you have horses!

Nothing thats iron beats cavalary!

 

[Bucephalus]

Hey, Tusker, can you post a save?

BTW, what is the level of difficulty?

 

[AutomatedTeller]

I remember, way back when I was a newbies, reading that Persia was awesome and immortals kicked ass. So I tried playing as Persia. I would almost never get iron

 

[scoutsout]

I remember...when I was a newbies...playing as Persia

I recall being woefully addicted to Egypt when I was a newbie playing Vanilla...

 

[Elephantium]

You'll have to learn to win without the resource... but if you're going to play it to a late era victory, it's time to go out and acquire some iron. I recommend a combined arms stack of Trebuchets, Longbows, and Muskets if you have saltpeter.

Post a screenshot or save... I wouldn't mind looking at this one.

Oh, winning won't be a problem. I have a commanding tech lead, a secure position on my continent, and easily conquered neighbors. I keep dithering about whether I want to own the whole continent or play "make nice with the AI neighbors" to make the game a bit more of a challenge

Why would anyone upgrade a sixty shield unit to a forty shield one with worse stats?

I'm not sure - I thought it was a pretty strange upgrade path! I might end up doing that in order to facilitate a GA though.

Where's the nearest iron tile? Maybe you can fight to get it.

The nearest iron tile is on a mountains-only island to my south, far out of reach of any culture borders. The next nearest iron is on the rival continent. I still haven't decided whether to get it via conquest or trade once Navigation or Magnets come in.

maybe to get a golden age??

Precisely

You haven't played long enough, if not having iron makes your "most frustrating game"
Still, don't quit. That's what we call here "a challenge", not always will your start location will be perfect and your territory have all you need, but that's why you have to make wars and play the game aaaaall the way

"Most frustrating game" is a bit of hyperbole, I'll admit...actually, it's quite an amusing situation.

If you cant get iron, Then atleast make sure you have horses!

Nothing thats iron beats cavalary!

Horses, check. Salt, check. Cavalry...eh, I'll need another hundred turns or so to research to the end of the MA.

Hey, Tusker, can you post a save?

BTW, what is the level of difficulty?

Emperor.

I'll attach a save.

 

[AutomatedTeller]

well, they upgrade to rifles as well.

But you have the reason - so you can get some swiss mercs.

Actually, if you have iron, I don't think you can build muskets anymore if you are netherlans. I'm not sure.

 

[Elephantium]

Since there's been a fair amount of interest in this thread, I'll post an update after the next time I play. For the moment, though, I've been distracted by my Emp Pangaea game playing as Carthage (maybe I shouldn't have clicked 'random landforms' when I chose to play Carthage ).

 

[Da Bilge Troll]

Emperor.

I'll attach a save.

It may be my imagination, but it sure seems that resources become scarcer as you climb the difficulty level. Since I've been playing at Emperor, I have NEVER gotten all the early resources. It's usually EITHER horses or iron but almost never both.

 

[Elephantium]

It may be my imagination, but it sure seems that resources become scarcer as you climb the difficulty level. Since I've been playing at Emperor, I have NEVER gotten all the early resources. It's usually EITHER horses or iron but almost never both.

Oh, I wouldn't have been surprised if, say, the French had a supply of iron while I lacked it.

What surprised me is that my entire continent lacked iron. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Come to think of it, I think I had to import my horses from an island just off my southern coast. I have resources, but they're definitely not plenteous.

 

[Bobv2]

Maybe it'll randomly appear on your continent... or youll finally get control of the current iron tile and it will disappear the next turn.

 

[Marsden]

It may be my imagination, but it sure seems that resources become scarcer as you climb the difficulty level. Since I've been playing at Emperor, I have NEVER gotten all the early resources. It's usually EITHER horses or iron but almost never both.

This really isn't totally a coincidence because the AI expand faster at higher levels and do grab up the resources. But randomness of the map is involved, because you can start with iron in your starting nine and not even know it til later on any level.