Kev
Hired Goon
OK, well, it's been a while since I've done one of these, but being involved with the Civ2 Democracy game has given me a new lease on Civ2 in general. So I decided to download the GOTM 16 and try my hand. With very little time, I though I'd do an OCC.
I did not have the ability to do a complete timeline, but that's probably a good thing given the results. I can use the excuse that I hadn't done one in a while, but there were extenuating circumstances as well.
I thought I would start almost right in the very spot we began. One settler opened up the fish tile nearby, and I thought with one move south I'd have the fish, the coal, the whale, and hopefully a whale I couldn't see yet. Sure, there was a mountain involved and I would not be able to open up all of the squares until I got a ship out, but it saved me some time in looking.
That was really the only good thing that happened. I'll make a list of the bad:
1. My hut popping was horrible. My FIRST one was barbs - though it was only a single horsie, it nailed by warrior and that set me back some time. I did get a horse on my next hut, but I proceeded to get barbs AGAIN on my third. It was my second warrior that did that, and now IT was history. Urgh. I also ended up getting a few useless techs that delayed my research.
2. I ended up with really one horse on the island, and as I neared the Zulus it got trapped. You know, when they put a few warriors about and "herd" your unit toward the coast? I sat still for about 20 turns before I could get a caravan to the area and have the horsie follow that. The Zulus refused all of my efforts to get an alliance.
3. With #2 in mind, I had a terrible time making contact. I ended up having to build Marco Polo's - which isn't a bad idea in any OCC game anyway. It helped, but by the time I built it I still only had regular contact with the Zulus.
4. The Celts forged ahead a bit in the techs and started building Cope's early. Thank GOODNESS they abandoned it for a while and then restarted, but I was all over them to tech trade and they would not comply, and they were the only ones with Astronomy. I had to take the time to send a diplomat over to Celtic lands and finally steal Astronomy. The Celts declared war on me anyway.
5. I am usually a Classic player, but this time I tried the MGE. Now I know what the griping is all about. I mean, the French gave me an alliance right off. 5 turns later I called on them and the FIRST thing they did was cancel the dang thing - no exchange at all. The MGE AI needs to "get some" more often I think
6. Of course, there was no 4th special. I was a bit hamstrung in production until my offshore platform.
7. I NEVER got a wandering nomad. I had to bribe an enemy engineer to get another NON engineer. (I had Leo's which is why I had the first one).
8. I was so put upon at the beginning that I never really established a huge tech trading system. I found I was at the point where combustion was being demanded fairly quickly. Had to do more of my own research than I really liked.
That all being said, I finally finished in 1970. Pitiful. Ah well, I've not done one in some time and it WAS Emperor after all.
I am submitting now, and I probably won't be able to participate in further discussions on this as I'll be on a cruise from the 2nd to the 9th of June. Have a look at my save games if you'd like, and I'd love some thoughts if others have them to give.
I'm sure to see you all around the Civ@ threads.
I did not have the ability to do a complete timeline, but that's probably a good thing given the results. I can use the excuse that I hadn't done one in a while, but there were extenuating circumstances as well.
I thought I would start almost right in the very spot we began. One settler opened up the fish tile nearby, and I thought with one move south I'd have the fish, the coal, the whale, and hopefully a whale I couldn't see yet. Sure, there was a mountain involved and I would not be able to open up all of the squares until I got a ship out, but it saved me some time in looking.
That was really the only good thing that happened. I'll make a list of the bad:
1. My hut popping was horrible. My FIRST one was barbs - though it was only a single horsie, it nailed by warrior and that set me back some time. I did get a horse on my next hut, but I proceeded to get barbs AGAIN on my third. It was my second warrior that did that, and now IT was history. Urgh. I also ended up getting a few useless techs that delayed my research.
2. I ended up with really one horse on the island, and as I neared the Zulus it got trapped. You know, when they put a few warriors about and "herd" your unit toward the coast? I sat still for about 20 turns before I could get a caravan to the area and have the horsie follow that. The Zulus refused all of my efforts to get an alliance.
3. With #2 in mind, I had a terrible time making contact. I ended up having to build Marco Polo's - which isn't a bad idea in any OCC game anyway. It helped, but by the time I built it I still only had regular contact with the Zulus.
4. The Celts forged ahead a bit in the techs and started building Cope's early. Thank GOODNESS they abandoned it for a while and then restarted, but I was all over them to tech trade and they would not comply, and they were the only ones with Astronomy. I had to take the time to send a diplomat over to Celtic lands and finally steal Astronomy. The Celts declared war on me anyway.
5. I am usually a Classic player, but this time I tried the MGE. Now I know what the griping is all about. I mean, the French gave me an alliance right off. 5 turns later I called on them and the FIRST thing they did was cancel the dang thing - no exchange at all. The MGE AI needs to "get some" more often I think
6. Of course, there was no 4th special. I was a bit hamstrung in production until my offshore platform.
7. I NEVER got a wandering nomad. I had to bribe an enemy engineer to get another NON engineer. (I had Leo's which is why I had the first one).
8. I was so put upon at the beginning that I never really established a huge tech trading system. I found I was at the point where combustion was being demanded fairly quickly. Had to do more of my own research than I really liked.
That all being said, I finally finished in 1970. Pitiful. Ah well, I've not done one in some time and it WAS Emperor after all.
I am submitting now, and I probably won't be able to participate in further discussions on this as I'll be on a cruise from the 2nd to the 9th of June. Have a look at my save games if you'd like, and I'd love some thoughts if others have them to give.
I'm sure to see you all around the Civ@ threads.
