[BTS] News: BOTM 174 Isabella of Spain starts 20April

[Deckhand]

BOTM 174: Isabella of Spain.

Isabella, Conquistadors, and Citadels - how nice. You start with a Citadel (but no conquistadors). Map unedited (except for your city tile). You also start with 50 gold. There is an Adventurer save at Emperor difficulty if you aren't comfortable with Deity difficulty.

Game settings:
Playing as: Isabella of Spain
Rivals: 5 AIs
Difficulty: Deity
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: Permanent alliances, no goody huts, no random events
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Big and Small
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Mapsize: Worldsize_standard
Climate: Climate_temperate
Sea level: Sealevel_medium


Isabella is Spiritual and Expansive, and you start with Mysticism and Fishing.
The Spiritual trait gives no anarchy and double production speed of Temple and Cristo Redentor

The Expansive trait gives +2 health/city and +50% hammers for worker production and double production speed of Granary and Harbor

Unique unit: Conquistador (replaces Cuirassier)
The Conquistador benefits from: gets defensive bonuses, and 50% combat bonus against melee units.

Unique Building: Citadel (replaces Castle)
A Castle that provides +5 experience to siege engines.

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.

Adventurer Class bonuses:
Emperor Difficulty. No starting techs for Barbarians. AIs still have deity starting units.


To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 20 Apr 2019, 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 27 May 2019.

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 3.19.003 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.

 

[Deckhand]

from the GOTM home page:

The current games are listed below, with their submission deadlines and links to their forum discussion threads:

CIV3
GOTM 174 74 days 12 hours

C3C
COTM 147 74 days 12 hours

BTS
BTS 174 3 days until release

Games number 174 for both Civ3 and BTS; C3C #147; and 74 days to finish those two games remaining.

oh and today is 17th of 4th month.

Spoiler What does it mean? :

Nothing.

 

[pomthom]

I think I'll settle in place

 

[lymond]

Yay, Izzy! Good leader...look forward to this one. Presettled city is a bit disappointing even with Citadel.

 

[Deckhand]

Yay, Izzy! Good leader...look forward to this one. Presettled city is a bit disappointing even with Citadel.

Don't think it is possible to give you a citadel without presettling the city. Looking at screenshot, I definitely should have moved it one north. oopsies

 

[shakabrade]

Deity it is!

Big and Small on standards size. That is one huge *bleep* map.

It will need at least 20hours at a decent pace. Dunno will I be able to finish it in 5 nights I'll have at my disposal in this period.
And those gems are totally placed in a sadistic fashion.

Edit:
Expect barbs from that jungle!

 

[Kaitzilla]

An interesting capital.
10 turns for a Worker?

+3 per turn instead of +2.
+5 per turn instead of +4.
2 trade routes instead of 1.
Enough hills to churn out endless 8xp Catapults.

The 50 is appreciated.

Gonna be a fun space game.

If a nutjob with high unit courage is nearby, might goad them into a war and see if they will sacrifice a few stacks against Madrid.
Good way to accidentally die though.

5AI instead of 6? Lot of islands and seafood on a big and small map.

Permanent alliance is a good tech boost, but then the partner always tries to build a space part in one of their 5 hammer cities denying it to the player.

 

[BornInCantaloup]

I'll try to play this game. It's an interesting start. Isabella is the man. That jungle riverside makes me
I appreciate the settled capital, it's an extra factor for equality between players.

Also appreciate the fact that the city has actual production beyond food tiles, as barbarians may prove troublesome.
5 AIs has an impact on both Barbs and wonder dates. A lot of things are possible with 50g, Oracle or Alphabet, possibly both.

Pre-exploration : settling first for gems or corn is an interesting conundrum.

What does Permanent Alliance do ?
Is it the setting that makes you a team with the AI, same tech researched but twice the cost ? Is that ever really worth it ?
How does it affect win conditions like Diplo or Domination ?

Perhaps it isn't the game to found Judaism but it's funny how the Citadel actually stands outside the city...

 

[lymond]

What does Permanent Alliance do ?
Is it the setting that makes you a team with the AI, same tech researched but twice the cost ? Is that ever really worth it ?
How does it affect win conditions like Diplo or Domination ?

Perhaps it isn't the game to found Judaism but it's funny how the Citadel actually stands outside the city...

PAs results in being in a team with an AI. You share research. AI partner will generally switch to what you are teching. You do no share resources but partner will trade freely with you. GPP is separate.

I think for Domination it does not change much. You share the land 100%..I think..unlike say a vassal at 50%. Diplo is interesting though, as I don't think I've ever done a PA diplo game. I mean basically you and your partner are headed to the same victory, but if the partner does not vote for you then that is a conflict indeed. (If I recall, the team does not receive diplo malus for relationship, regardless of what others think of you or the partner, unlike...say.at the point you are in a defensive pact, or vassals. But how an AI views you or your partner is still combined.)

Problem with Space games, like Kait mentioned, is that Ais sometimes do stupid stuff when building parts ..like building an Engine in a 1H ice city..ha. And PA Culture is bonkers. Key is whether the partner goes Culture mode or not. You can gift partner GAs but they will only settle them at best. (I've done Culture PA a few times in the past, including OCC, and find that eventually an AI will go culture mode but it may or may not be sooner than later. Key here is partnering an AI who favors Culture, if a willing one exists)

PA requires a defensive pact (MT) or shared wars for 40 turns, which I think can be combined, and either Communism or Fascism. (not sure if there is some difference between what those techs enable as far as PAs, as the descriptions differ...I've always just done Communism since I like the tech anyway, and it is earlier, then manufactured the eligibility for the PA...ideally from a much earlier point in the game)

Anyway, its worth is probably relative to what VC you go for, but one needs to consider that if you take the game late then there are bound to be other teams established with the PA option enabled. Those teams may have a significant advantage on Deity unless you neutered the AIs by this point anyway.

edit: Note that De Gaulle, Peter, Qin, and Ramses are the only AIs that will accept a PA at Pleased, the rest at Friendly. However, of those 4, only De Gaulle accepts a pact at Pleased. Peter, Qin, and Ram accepts a Pact at Friendly.

 

[BornInCantaloup]

Thank you, lymond
So you can dip in some of the AI bonuses... bleh... Hadn't thought about opposing teams.

Extra fast granary ? Size 3 settler, grow to 4 on Gran ? Farm, mine, mine, road, pasture. Perhaps.

 

[Fippy]

Don't think it is possible to give you a citadel without presettling the city. Looking at screenshot, I definitely should have moved it one north. oopsies

Nopes, why? Not every capital has to be perfect for gotm
If we get this setup in a standard game, nobody would move off the plains hill and gems are not visible from this posi.
Citadel

 

[jerza]

I was just wondering if there is any particular reason why this is played with BUFFY 3.19.003 while previous BOTM games were played with 3.19.005?

 

[Deckhand]

I was just wondering if there is any particular reason why this is played with BUFFY 3.19.003 while previous BOTM games were played with 3.19.005?

It is 3.19.005. I forgot to update that text in the announcement.

Spoiler Always something :

I almost always make some mistake in the process. This time it was really minor. Fixed.

 

[krikav]

I like the pre-settling, saves me the headache.

+25% Espionage right from the bat seems like it could have some uses. TGW might be considered if stone is found, (I'm guessing there is stone SE of the sugar!!)

With EXP that is indeed a 10T worker, but I'm not sure any tech would be finished in time?
An interesting option would be to first churn out a 3 turn warrior extra for quick scouting.

If stumbling upon a fitting AI, perhaps warrior-choking could be on the table.

 

[Frederiksberg]

I will be aiming for space like Kaitzilla and probably also Shakabrade. Would be fun if others join in so that we can compare space notes afterwards in the spoiler threads. If we are not all dead before 1 AD . Deity is hard and a bad start has often ruined my chances of winning on this level. And getting a GE for Mining Inc. is always a struggle

 

[shakabrade]

@Frederiksberg, Big and small is made for Sushi and Mining Inc. space games, but the medium sized one is the size of huge Pangaea (at least is seems like that to me). Plus you need to micro the navy more than usual if you want all the fish and spread execs, need to use galleon chains due to maximum exec limit. A lot of work. I will be away from home for weeks and some quality space game is not feasible in the time remaining. I'll just try to finish the game with the least RL effort. Really sorry I'll not be able to join you and Kaitzilla (I somehow think he will try space). It would really be fun. But generally having an agreed aim before the game starts sounds fun. A bit more competition and motivation. What do you think?

 

[pomthom]

My personal motivation will be to survive

 

[Kaitzilla]

Sounds like fun.
First one to space wins!

Don't forget archers have 9 in Madrid before fortifying or promotions.

 

[LowtherCastle]

If a nutjob with high unit courage is nearby, might goad them into a war and see if they will sacrifice a few stacks against Madrid.
Good way to accidentally die though.

Are you playing a one-city one-tile challenge?

 

[Pangaea]

First one to space wins!

Isabella of Spaice?

A little sad about the gems, but it doesn't have to be a HoF-type capital either, and the starting Citadel should really help out, for instance if we get mauled by barbs early on. Suppose jungle can spread to that gem as well?

Anyway, if I decide to play this and happen to survive past turn 50, I'll just try to win any way possible, not necessarily aiming for space. That could be a pretty brutal game time-wise since it's big and small. Oh, and Deity AIs will probably spam cities on the island very soon - especially if this is one of those score-boosting settings with tiny islands and islands mixed in, so they can easily reach them with galleys.

Double-food is always nice, but Isabella's starting techs suck. Some hard decisions may need to be made.