Napoleonic Charm

[krc]

Spoiler :

As 1953 starts, the French Expeditionary Force begins landing on the coast of Persia. French intelligence agents also report that the Siamese have completed their Manhattan Project. It's hard to imagine how this will be of much use to them, since the Persians and the French are the only civilizations with access to uranium.

Spoiler :

A French modern armored division has crossed the western ocean to arrive in China. More French agents report that the Arabians have completed an important component of their spaceship. Instead of relaxing with another round of parties, I must spend my time poring over intelligence briefings.

Spoiler :

The armored division moves into position to support the Chinese city of Shanghai, which remains in jeopardy if the Arabs can only find a way to get ground troops into position to storm the city. We also note that a Chinese infantry division has entered Arab territory; the Chinese seem to think that this one division can make a serious assault on the city of Khurasan.

Spoiler :

While the citizens of Shanghai continue to suffer terribly from aerial attacks by the Arabs, the FEF starts crossing Persia.

 

[krc]

Spoiler :

Our scientific progress is amazing, with a rate of 1918/turn. Unfortunately, there are only "future technologies" to research. Our annual rate of cultural progress is now up to 887; for the first time, we can expect a new policy in less than 10 years. The improvement came in 1959, when the French adopted a new consitution. This doubled the cultural contributions of French cities that contain a world wonder.

Spoiler :

Four French cities contain wonders: Paris, Orleans, Lyon, and Troyes.

Spoiler :

We are going to need every cultural advantage we can get, since the Persians are still two social policies ahead of us.

Spoiler :

In the latest news from the war front, Shanghai has (barely) managed to hang on. And the FEF has arrived on the Chinese shore. The plan now is to get the entire force ashore and in position along the Chinese-Arabian border. Then we'll give control over to the Chinese and let them eliminate the threat from Harun al-Rashid. It's hard to imagine that even the Chinese leaders cannot obtain victory with this much firepower in their hands at once. You might also note that I have signed an open borders agreement (for a few pieces of gold) with the Siamese in order to speed up the travel time of reinforcements.

 

[DragonHead]

!!!!!!!!

 

[clearmurky]

Awesome.

 

[krc]

Spoiler :

The FEF has moved into line along the Chinese-Arabian border.

Spoiler :

We hand control of all troops (except one helicopter that we retain so we can watch what happens) in the FEF to our Chinese allies.

Spoiler :

The Chinese assault Khurasan.

Spoiler :

Khurasan falls to the Chinese liberators.

 

[krc]

Spoiler :

We have been giving small gifts to the Siamese along with the large gifts of troops to the Chinese. As a result, their relations with France are now friendly.

Spoiler :

The Arabs and Persians (as well as the irrelevant Iroquois) remain guarded, but they are still willing to trade luxuries and help keep our happiness at high levels.

Spoiler :

We get another social policy, and select Free Speech. We are accumulating 919 culture points per turn, which means that new policies are expected about every seven turns.

Spoiler :

However, the Persians are still two policies ahead of us; we are going to have to do something about them soon....

Spoiler :

Meanwhile, the Chinese are annihilating the Arabs. They have recaptured Rio de Janeiro, and have added Baghdad and Kufah to the booming Chinese empire.

 

[krc]

It is now 1983.

Spoiler :

Six turns ago, I paid Siam to declare war on Persia. They only wanted 142 gold pieces and a luxury resource (silver); a real bargain. I also gifted them an initial force, which has reduced most of the Persian standing army.

Spoiler :

I also bribed China to declare war on Persia. Here the main point was to keep them from deciding that Siam would be a good target; I don't want my (proxy) allies distracted.

Spoiler :

We have accumulated two more social policies, and only have two more to go before we can construct the utopia project for a cultural victory.

Spoiler :

Darius, however, is only one policy away. I hope the Siamese can demolish the Persian empire soon....

 

[krc]

Spoiler :

I have assembled a Second French Expeditionary Force (FEF2) in the eastern ocean, where it has embarked in order to go support the Siamese war against Persia.

Spoiler :

One portion of FEF2 files into line near the Persian city of Ecbatan. The remainder prepares for a landing in Siam proper to move up to support the assault on Tarsus.

Spoiler :

Although weakened, the Arabs continue trying for a science victory; they have constructed another component of their spaceship.

 

[krc]

Spoiler :

The native Siamese force appears to consist primarily of infantry and artillery. The French forces going to their assistance include much more sophisticated weaponry, including a giant death robot. Just as the first FEF gave the Chinese an overwhelming advantage against the Arabs, we expect FEF2 to swing the war strongly in favor of the Siamese.

Spoiler :

And so, we hand control of FEF2 over to our Siamese allies.

Spoiler :

Tarsus falls.

Spoiler :

[pre]
And strange at Ecbatan the trees
Take leaf by leaf the evening strange
The flooding dark about their knees
The mountains over Persia change
-- Archibald MacLeish
[/pre]

 

[krc]

Spoiler :

Arabia may still be a threat; they have constructed another SS Booster. I suspect that they have the technology to build the rest of the components; I may need to encourage China to pay them another visit.

Spoiler :

After the latest news arrives, China may not need much convincing. The Arabs cannot seem to keep focused on the goal of a scientific victory.

Spoiler :

The French adopt Universal Suffrage; only one policy to go.

Spoiler :

But the Persians have completed all five of their policy tracks. Can the Siamese stop them before they construct their own utopia project?

 

[krc]

Spoiler :

Siam has captured Persepolis, and their forces are now attacking Pasargadae.

Spoiler :

Pasargadae falls! Only Susa remains safely in Persian hands; but for how long? And can they construct the utopia project in Susa before I can finish my policies and build my project?

 

[krc]

Spoiler :

In 1998, the French people complete their fifth policy track.

Spoiler :

We review our economic output, and identify Tours as our most productive city. As you may recall, Tours was constructed initially as a filler between the conquered cities of Gao and Delhi. Now it has the opportunity to play a critical role in French cultural domination of the world!

Spoiler :

We start a golden age using a great engineer who has been standing idly by (in case the Arabs got too close to a science victory and we decided to cash in on the diplomatic victory that has always been possible).

Spoiler :

With the golden age in place and Tours switched to production mode, it will take 19 years to complete the utopia project. Is that fast enough?

 

[krc]

No, it is not fast enough.

Spoiler :

Sharp-eyed readers will have noted another event that occurred in 1997. The Arabs are simply unable to focus on a single goal. They have been steadily building spaceship parts, whenever they weren't denouncing the Chinese or fighting a war with them. I am safely allied with all 16 city-states, and have more than 20,000 gold pieces to ensure that I stay allied with them. So, I am the only civilization that can possibly win diplomatically. And yet, the Arabs decided to go ahead and construct the United Nations. Why? Why? Aren't they supposed to be trying to win, and not force someone else to win?

Spoiler :

I could, of course, declare war on enough of my long-time city-state allies to prevent myself from winning diplomatically. But I don't, and so, inexorably, unavoidably, inevitably, the UN vote comes to pass in 2006.

Spoiler :

And I sadly accept the congratulations for a diplomatic victory.

Spoiler :

Actually, I think I did quite well diplomatically. I manipulated two civilizations into fighting wars on my behalf. Each war prevented someone else from winning the game. And during those wars, even though I was supplying troops to one side, I remained on good terms with the other side. (Persia even went to "friendly" status during the Siamese-Persian war!)

Spoiler :

Eight years later, in 2014, I completed the utopia project. Persia had been eliminated by Siam, and so could not get its own cultural victory. Arabia had not completed any more parts for its spaceship. I would have gotten a cultural victory -- if only the Arabs had not forced me to take the diplomatic victory that I didn't want.

 

[Sparthage]

lurker's comment: Good win even if it wasn't the way you intended it to end.

Delurking to share my popcorn as I exit the theater

 

[clearmurky]

Very interesting ending. The FEF was a success with your allies and friends.

 

[DragonHead]

Masterly played, I iwll look forward to your next story

 

[islandmaster]

Very nice story, I really enjoy it!
But maybe you can sell some uranium to Rammy to relief your work. Or scretly gift some nulear weapon to Wu Zetian? (I wonder if this could be done. I will try to load Nuclear Missile on an Missile Cruiser, and gift the Missile Cruiser to my ally next time I start the game.)