[BTS] News: BOTM 131: Ragnar, Immortal - Starts 24 May

[DynamicSpirit]

BOTM 131: Ragnar of Vikings.

[img=right]http://gotm.civfanatics.net/civ4games/images/botm131civ.jpg[/img]

How skilled are you at dominating the oceans? This game puts you - Ragnar - against three other renowned seafaring civs, all crowded together on a tiny map! I anticipate that the immortal difficulty will deter some people from playing, so to make sure there is some reasonable competition for the awards, only four victory conditions are enabled: Conquest, spaceship, diplo (which includes religious).

By the way, all your opponents can be reached by galley. Keep an eye out for the magical land of Lilliput (which might or might not be reachable by galley) - you'll find it very useful. If you are capable of taking it, that is...

(Thanks to pixabay.com for the game image)

Game settings:
Playing as: Ragnar of Vikings
Rivals: 3 AIs
Difficulty: Immortal
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: No barbarians, no goody huts, no random events
Victory Conditions: Conquest, Spaceship, Diplomatic

Map settings:
Map: Islands
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Mapsize: Tiny
Climate: Temperate
Sea level: Medium


Ragnar is Financial and Aggressive, and you start with Fishing and Hunting.

The Financial trait gives +1 commerce on any plot that already has at least 2 commerce

The Aggressive trait gives free Combat I promotion for melee and gunpowder units and double production speed of Barracks and Drydock

Unique unit: Berserker (replaces Maceman)
The Berserker benefits from: free promotions: amphibious, and 10% city attack bonus. This compares with the Maceman which has: 0% city attack bonus.

Unique Building: Trading Post (replaces Lighthouse)
Besides the +1 food for water tiles that you get from the lighthouse, the trading post gives a free navigation bonus for naval units built in the city.

Starting screenshot

This is the start of the game (click for a bigger image):




Note that in this game, any espionage-culture victories will be counted as cultural victories.

To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 24 May 2017, server local time (UTC-6:00). From that date and time, you'll be able to get your chosen starting save >>>here<<<.

Submit the save after your victory (or defeat) here, by 24 Jun 2017.

Here is a link to a list of the differences between Vanilla, Warlords and BtS.

Software Versions

Windows: This game MUST be played in Beyond the Sword (NOT Civ4 Vanilla or Warlords), patched to version 3.19, and with the BUFFY mod version 3.19.003 installed. You can download the BUFFY mod here. Players using Windows Vista or Windows 7 are encouraged to read the notes on Vista fixes here.


Macintosh: This game MUST be played in Beyond the Sword (NOT Civ4 Vanilla or Warlords), patched to version 3.19, and with the Mac BUFFY mod version 3.19.003 installed. You can download the Mac BUFFY mod here.

While playing...

Remember - for your entry to be accepted, it MUST be your first attempt to play this game, and you MUST NOT replay any turns. If you make a mistake while playing, you have to live with it, learn from it, and carry on the game without replaying.

We will open 'spoiler' threads during the month for players to discuss what happens in their games. Do not discuss any details of your game outside those threads.

 

[LowtherCastle]

Looks like a good game. Islands should nerf the AIs a bit. Only 3 AIs nerfs us a bit. Financial helps us. I love trading posts. Berserkers are fun too. Those forests are well placed so we can only look east, west, or south on t0. Door #1, #2, or #3?

 

[Ronnie1]

Move the scout to either the hill 2N or the forest 1NE of the settler to see about more seafood and decide from there I guess.

 

[High King J.J.]

Note that in this game, any espionage-culture victories will be counted as cultural victories.

That's good to know?
Anyone interested in a challenge: who will build/conquer the most cultured city? It doesn't really help you to win but it may distract the ace players and give the mortal ones a chance to win at least a shield or an ambulance.
Fine print: the culture must be your culture, it doesn't count if you conquer the ultimately cultured city if you have no culture there. Culture flipping cities may be rather hard on this map?

I'm too to go hiking so I may SIP unless something juicy is revealed by the scout. Oh yes, we get a scout and there are no goody huts . At least we're , congrats to Sweden for the IHWC gold medal .

 

[LowtherCastle]

Oh yes, we get a scout and there are no goody huts .

And to add insult to injury, we're probably on a small island with a small handful of tiles to scout.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

If you guys don't like the scout, I don't mind quickly editing the map to remove him, so you just start with a settler

 

[LowtherCastle]

If you guys don't like the scout, I don't mind quickly editing the map to remove him, so you just start with a settler

That's okay, you needn't bother, I can do that myself. But if you do happen to open up the WB save, please switch mine for a GE.

 

[Pangaea]

That's okay, you needn't bother, I can do that myself. But if you do happen to open up the WB save, please switch mine for a GE.

Then misclick and build a monument

Looks like an interesting start. SIP looks fine to me on first look. River, forests and GLH chance. Reckon I'd move the scout to the forested hill, unless one north dictates NW or NE.

Frustrating that you can't grab both fish. Hope there is more food.

 

[LowtherCastle]

Frustrating that you can't grab both fish. Hope there is more food.

And interesting choice between settling in place for the 3c fish or 1W for the 1c fish. The island settlement will immediately get the 3c fish but have to wait for border expansion to get the 1c fish.

 

[Pangaea]

By then the capital will have 100 though, so should engulf the 2nd fish. Will take some time to get off to the islands anyway.

I'm struggling to finish some previous games, so don't know if I have time to play this one. But it does look interesting. Apart from invading across the seas. That is always a hassle.

 

[kcd_swede]

I am thinking Blood Eagle when I see you set up a Viking game. Beware world, angry Viking coming at you.

 

[sirdanilot]

Yay I will give this a try. I only play at prince though so I might not win.

Move the settler to the hill in the east then decide whether to settle in place or not would be my strategy.

 

[sirdanilot]

Is there a trouble shooting thread for the patch if it doesn't work?

 

[MeowZeDung]

Yay I will give this a try. I only play at prince though so I might not win.

Move the settler to the hill in the east then decide whether to settle in place or not would be my strategy.

You almost always want to move your other unit, whether scout or warrior first. Generally you want to move them to a tile that will either A) confirm that your suspicions that moving before settling are correct or B) confirm your suspicions that SiP is best. Moving the settler to the hill first on this start eliminates the possibility of option B and sets you back a turn if SiP is the best option.

 

[sirdanilot]

You almost always want to move your other unit, whether scout or warrior first. Generally you want to move them to a tile that will either A) confirm that your suspicions that moving before settling are correct or B) confirm your suspicions that SiP is best. Moving the settler to the hill first on this start eliminates the possibility of option B and sets you back a turn if SiP is the best option.

Woops yeah I mean move the scout there, not the settler.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Is there a trouble shooting thread for the patch if it doesn't work?

There isn't a specific thread. You can just ask on this thread if you have trouble. Basic procedure is: 1. Install the patch. 2. Install the mod. 3. Set the Civ BtS executable to run with admin privileges. You'll know if it works because if the mod and patch don't install properly, you won't be able to open the starting save. If you you install the mod and patch OK but don't set up admin privileges, then you'll be able to open the starting save but it'll pop up a warning dialog to tell you the game isn't valid for HOF/GOTM submission. If you can open the save and start playing without any warnings, then it's set up OK.

Good luck and enjoy the game!

 

[sirdanilot]

There isn't a specific thread. You can just ask on this thread if you have trouble. Basic procedure is: 1. Install the patch. 2. Install the mod. 3. Set the Civ BtS executable to run with admin privileges. You'll know if it works because if the mod and patch don't install properly, you won't be able to open the starting save. If you you install the mod and patch OK but don't set up admin privileges, then you'll be able to open the starting save but it'll pop up a warning dialog to tell you the game isn't valid for HOF/GOTM submission. If you can open the save and start playing without any warnings, then it's set up OK.

Good luck and enjoy the game!

Thanks, I got it to work already.

 

[Deckhand]

against three other renowned seafaring civs,

My boats are faster than theirs.

Oh yes, we get a scout and there are no goody huts .

At high levels, huts help AIs more than the player.

Frustrating that you can't grab both fish. Hope there is more food.

I hate that.

And interesting choice between settling in place for the 3c fish or 1W for the 1c fish. The island settlement will immediately get the 3c fish but have to wait for border expansion to get the 1c fish.

Is this really a hard choice?

SIP seems no brainer. Fresh water, fish, turn one, hills, forests.
Hard for me to think of a reason to move. Maybe move scout 2N to look for gold/gems.

 

[Pangaea]

I'm probably just being stupid, but who is the third seafaring civ? Portugal, Netherlands, and..? Suppose it could be Spain. They certainly acquired enough colonies, and stole more gold than you can shake a (very large) stick at

Really appreciate no barbs on this map. Barb galleys is a nightmare on watery maps. Anyway, since I managed to complete the last two maps, this gives me a reason to keep postponing other mundane tasks... *gulp* so will give this one a crack as well. I see a handful of people have invented a time machine and already finished the map Darn quick young whippersnappers!

 

[Deckhand]

I'm probably just being stupid, but who is the third seafaring civ? Portugal, Netherlands, and..? Suppose it could be Spain. They certainly acquired enough colonies, and stole more gold than you can shake a (very large) stick at

Could be England.
DS would be justified to have a bias toward England, as Swede does toward Vikings.
What other special units or buildings related to seafaring? US Marines?