[BTS] News: BOTM 163: Kublai Khan, Noble - starts 10 November

[DynamicSpirit]

BOTM 163: Kublai Khan of Mongolia.

I'm expecting lots of early conquests this time... because you start as the mongols on an all-land map with a ridiculously easy difficulty level. Seriously, I'll be very disappointed if half the entries aren't BC conquests! Have fun...

Game settings:
Playing as: Kublai Khan of Mongolia
Rivals: 6 AIs
Difficulty: Noble
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: No goody huts
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Lakes
World Wrap: None
Mapsize: Standard
Climate: Tropical
Sea level: Medium


Kublai Khan is Aggressive and Creative, and you start with The Wheel and Hunting.

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

The Creative trait gives +2 culture/city each turn and double production speed of Colosseum, Library and Theatre

Unique unit: Keshik (replaces Horse Archer)
The Keshik benefits from: not immune to first strikes, 1 first strike, and ignores terrain movement cost. This compares with the Horse Archer which has: immune to first strikes, 0 first strikes, and does not ignore terrain movement cost.

Unique Building: Ger (replaces Stable)
This is like a super-powerful stable. A city with a ger in it gives +4 experience points to mounted units built there (as opposed to +2 for the stable)

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 10 Nov 2018, 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 10 Dec 2018.

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 3.19.005 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 3.19.005 installed. You can download the Mac BUFFY mod here. (EDIT: I'm checking where the MacBuffy link is)

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.

 

[krikav]

This will be fun!
Perhaps I need to play a game at nobles difficulty to get a feel for what it's like.
The AIs doesn't even start with archery, right?

 

[Major Tom]

Thanks for a new game, DS. Is it a random map and opponents?

 

[lymond]

you misplaced the scout, DS

definitely the type of start that opens up some nice debate on where to settle.

3 open spots in fog for potential food..or something, but at least 2 possible bonus settling positions remove 2 of the open spots.

First instinct is to settle on sugar, with scout moving 1NW first.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

you misplaced the scout, DS

Well I did think of putting him in the middle of one of the lakes to give you a good view of some distant land. But then I figured that wouldn't be so much fun because you'd all end up eventually building a boat to sail out and rescue him - and I felt you needed a bigger challenge than that ;-)

 

[Deckhand]

you misplaced the scout, DS

definitely the type of start that opens up some nice debate on where to settle.

3 open spots in fog for potential food..or something, but at least 2 possible bonus settling positions remove 2 of the open spots.

First instinct is to settle on sugar, with scout moving 1NW first.

Why not settle 1E on plains hill?
Another city can use the fogged food 2W
Tech AH first or Agriculture to farm the sugar?

 

[lymond]

Yep, PH or the sugar tile are what I am eyeing here. I like moving scout 1NE then 1NW which reveals two open riverside grass tiles, and I think the fogged tile 2N1W of the settler.

I suspect there is jungle to the NE.

 

[Deckhand]

..., and I think the fogged tile 2N1W of the settler..

That one looks like a hill. Maybe there is a resource on it. A reason to gamble and settle in place?

 

[neilmeister]

I think I would probably settle on the PH and farm the riverside sugar, depends on what the scout would see. Its Noble, so no issue moving the settler a bit

 

[Fippy]

I find that settling on sugar is better than ph, esp. with missing strong food tiles like corn or pigs
(which might be in the fog, and lost by either move)

You would rather have an extra food and watch your city grow quicker.
2 more sugars can be farmed (commerce shows they are also on rivers).

 

[PsyMar]

Oooh, a noble B-GOTM just as I came back to look at Civ! I've never won above Noble (and on BtS it took a terra map, and I only barely avoided time victory with a spaceship... and it didn't count due to ridiculous technical difficulties that I've since solved.)

Here's hoping I can not only win, but maybe not finish in last among winners for a change.

 

[PsyMar]

Um. I have BUFFY 3.19.003, but when I try to start the game it says I need BUFFY 3.19.005, which as far as I can tell doesn't exist yet. Am I the only one with this issue?

EDIT: never mind, I found 005, just the initial post and the links on the GOTM page all say 003 -- maybe that needs updating.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Um. I have BUFFY 3.19.003, but when I try to start the game it says I need BUFFY 3.19.005, which as far as I can tell doesn't exist yet. Am I the only one with this issue?

EDIT: never mind, I found 005, just the initial post and the links on the GOTM page all say 003 -- maybe that needs updating.

Sorry, you're correct. The starting post had a link to the wrong BUFFY version. I've now fixed the starting post (except that for any Mac players ... I haven't yet been able to find the MacBUFFY link. Will update when I have it). Well done for tracking down the 005 mod before I'd posted the update! And enjoy the game...

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Spoiler threads are up!