CivFanatics.Com interviews Deckhand about his just completed BOTM15.
CivFanatics.Com: Did you say that SirDrake was your inspiration for this game?
Deckhand: No, SirDrake was my inspiration for this post.
C: Then who was your inspiration for this game?
D: Adama. Her willingness to put on her big girl pants encouraged me to put on my big boy pants.
I’d propose to her except I’m already married and I think she might be a Cylon.
C: You submitted your game on March 12 – what took you so long?
D: It was a long game with almost constant war. It took me nearly 43 hours.
C: You realize that TMIT could have played more than ten games and kcd could have played 7 in that time?
D: OK, mostly I’m really slow. But I have done some things to speed up my play. Like fast combat, disabling pop-ups, etc.
C: Is it true that you had several Firsts in this game? What were some of them?
D: First Game at Emperor Level
(I started feralminded’s, The Pyramids based SE but haven’t continued since my first session). Also First Win at Emperor Level
First sabotaging of Spaceship Components
First Capture of a Capital after the Civ launched its Spaceship
C: What were some other memorable things that you did that weren’t usual for you?
D: Used lots of Guided Missiles.
Fort in NW corner of Continent to allow ship passage. Two Forts at bottom of Continent to allow ship passage.
Completed circumnavigation with Scouts exploring the New World.
(Almost required by map).
Cities in the ice near game end to claim all land for land percentage.
Others certainly, but this post will be long enough without mentioning them.
C: Where the canals useful?
D: Somewhat. The first one in the North let me send a trireme to fight the barbarian pirates and then a workboat from my production city on the East to the fisheries on the west. The Southern Canal was only used twice.
C: Speaking of cities, you have been part of some of the pregame discussions regarding city placement. Where did you build your first cities and what are some of your fears about moving from the starting location.
D: One of my concerns has always been that I would settle on a resource. I believe the starting location is never a resource.
Yasodharapura, 3975 BC, “Suryavarman settled the Khmer tribe on a rocky hill betwtixt the rivers Yaso and Pura.”
Oxford, Wall Street, Sid’s Sushi Co, Mining Inc
Hariharalaya, 2900 BC, on the West Coast, with access to two Fish, Pigs, (Uranium), and (to my surprise)
on Horses.
National Epic, Globe Theatre, Scotland Yard
Angkor Thom, 2125 BC, on the East Coast, North of Pigs near Stone.
Pyramids, Heroic Epic, Moai Statues
Angkor Wat, 550 BC, N/NE of Gems.
Ironworks, West Point, Military Academy
C: Those are certainly some impressive sounding city names. Did you rename any of them?
D: Not this game, but I will in the future.
C: Other posters include pictures. In fact, the pictures are often the best part of the posts. Why don’t you include pictures?
D: Perhaps you mistake me for someone that is computer literate.
C: Did you build any world wonders?
D: I already mentioned The Pyramids (230 BC), didn’t I?
C: You said it was almost constant war? Tell us about them.
D: The initial peace lasted well over a thousand years.
Kublai Khan declared on Gandhi in 525 BC. At Kublai’s request, I joined. (KK peace w/ G 235 BC)
440 BC - 700 AD = Cold War:
between Kmer and India. No actual fighting IIRC.
595 AD – 820 AD = Mongols join in and continue fight against India (real blood this time).
970 – 1275 = Border War:
declare on KK, take two cities, lose one of them, return other for peace
1390 – 1838 = Long War,
KK declares on S’M. For 300 years it’s a defensive war of Ball’Phants vs Keshiks. Overall, Built 21 Ballista Elephants and lost 19. Killed 20 Keshiks, 19 War Elephants, and 25 Knights.
Then in 1720 I go on the offensive. Cannons, macemen, musketmen, rifles. KK loses much of his empire and sues for peace in 1838.
C: How did you feel when cities you captured from the Mongols revolted and joined the Indians?
D: How did I feel? What kind of question is that? How would you feel? Actually I’m more experienced now and I took it in stride. I knew it would only be temporary and eventually they would be part of the Kmer.
1900 – 1950 = Proxy War.
In 1896 Huayna Capac (and his vassals Brennus & Charlemagne) and Kublai Khan declare on Ghandi. I wait a few turns to be invited to the party, then join in unasked. The new world forces never even show up. (HC is probably scared of Justinian) During the war, KK continuously begs to become my vassal.
“Vassals? We don’t need no stinkin’ vassals!” I’d rather have the UN votes for all his land and population, so no thanks. KK makes peace with Ghandi a few times, but I bribe him back in. After the end of the Indian civilization, there are three years of peace.
1953 – 1956 = It’s my continent now!
The final war to unify the Eastern Continent is quick and the Mongols join the Indians as a memory.
C: So, your plan is a Domination Victory?
D: No. Justinian built the United Nations in 1933. I’m the Secretary General and propose a diplomatic victory at every opportunity. Charlemagne and Brennus vote for me but Huyana Capac abstains. I was hoping the diplomacy points for shared war would get him to +10, but it never happened.
Justinian and Huyana Capac each have about twice my power rating.
Justinian now does me a favor and declares on HC in 1958.
I declared in 1961. But even this shared struggle doesn’t get HC happy enough with me.
Pretty sweet, watching their power ratings go down as they beat on each other and Justinian takes some HC cities that remain surrounded by Incan culture. I start to really build up my military with a whole continent of production, and lots of Sid’s Sushi and Mining Inc. They are way ahead in tech though. (And my slider is like 70% Cash to stay solvent.) Justinian probably could have won by space if he hadn’t DoW’d HC. I’m behind in espionage too, but start to put a lot of points in it and build spies. Twice sabotage Justinian space ship components.
Now I’m ready to join the battle. Plan is to capture enough of Byzantium to win the Diplomacy victory. Except Justinian launches and I have to capture his capital to keep him from winning (had at least 3 turns to spare
). Now HC has more population than Justinian and his vassals will vote for him, so Diplomacy win is out. So, I take the rest of Byzantium by 1989. Only 28 years of war, but 56 turns and maybe 8 hours of real time.
I captured the Space Elevator (and lots of other wonders) from Byzantium; planned to turn off tech after capturing Teh Internet. Did you know you can’t capture the Internet?
C: Of course not, it is a Project.
D: Oh Yeah, I knew that.
I have over 60% of world’s population but only 59% of the landmass; so I will need to take some more territory. And the Incans are getting closer to launching their spaceship.
I plan for a two front war: Naval landings to capture Charlemagne’s 2 cities with my remaining forces invading Inca. DoW in 1992 and the Holy Roman Empire is no more; however, my tanks and gun ships invading Inca are destroyed just as quickly. What a disaster! I hope they did some damage to their attackers. Adding HRE to my empire only gets me to 62+ percent. I have overwhelming forces now and am airlifting in Modern Armor and Mechanized Infantry every turn, plus lots of Fighters and Guided Missiles. It only takes four more years to take 3 Incan cities and end the game.
C: Anyone you didn’t attack? And why not?
D: Well, Brennus he was Huayna Capac’s vassal and so we were at war in the end but we never really fought. Maybe because he reminds me of my buddy Yamps.
C: Other posters have provided some very interesting statistics; do you have any to share?
Unit Type Units Built Units Killed
Army 307 625
Navy 69 78
AirForce 23 43
Missile Corps 42
Settlers 15
Workers 10 10
WorkBoats 34
Great People 14
Great Generals 9
Spies 30
Sushi Chefs 40
Miners 16
C:
wow! Thank you, that’s really interesting.
C: You don’t provide any information about units lost?
D: I’m sorry, that’s classified information.
C: Which units did you build the most of?
D: 48 Tanks and I only lost 3!
C: Ahem, what about Modern Armor? Is it true that you lost 42?
D: I don’t see how that would be possible; we only built 37 of those.
C: Oh, I see. But the Cavalry Fiasco is public knowledge, isn’t it?
D: Yes. I built a lot of cavalry with eleven promotion points when they were obsolete. The plan was to eventually upgrade them to gunships. It seemed a good idea at the time. They waited around for a long long time before I finally learned advanced flight (I mean, what’s the hurry to hear Sid’s voice again?) So finally, they get upgraded and shipped over to the war. Unfortunately, they were in the army group that invaded Incan Lands and were all wiped out, mostly by modern artillery. In total, I Lost 10 gunships – only built 3 and had 3 at the end.
C: Which building did you build most?
D: 45 Theaters
C: Would you care to discuss any of your mistakes?
D: I was planning a reference to the thread about weak part of our game play and claiming all of them – but this post is long enough. I don’t chop enough forests early enough and develop too many buildings in most of my cities; etc etc. Assuming 3 mistakes per turn, 644 * 3 = 1932; Assuming one per minute, 2567. But those are mostly minor mistakes. I doubt I made more than 70 Major Mistakes (pwns SirDrake).
C: Did you have any difficulties with lawyers or ambitious ivory merchants?
D: Not that I recall.
C: Attacko advises us that one of the most effective units is the Amphibious Ballista Elephant. Did you make many of those?
D: We can neither confirm nor deny.
C: Are your grandchildren the cutest in the world?
D: They sure are cute, I don’t know about the cutest; but they are the smartest.
CFC: Did you know that you’re my hero? You are everything I wish I could be.
DH:
Well, it doesn't matter... For once, at least, even the question of stupidity stands irrelevant -- completely overshadowed by eloquence. Bravo! 
But Balthalion also hit the nail on the head, such a great write-up could discourage every other player from posting their spoilers here, as they would pale in comparison with one of the best write-ups ever in GOTM history. 
That was real fun and a great thing for a hammer economy imo to get more than plain wealth. I would have spammed more, but I finally stopped when hammers started decaying. I didn't know that wonders decay too, well at least the national wonders do. Does somebody knows about world wonders?
