[BTS] News: BOTM 192 - Tokugawa, Deity - Starts 8 May

[DynamicSpirit]

BOTM 192: Tokugawa of Japan.

Deity against rather more oppenents than usual! Can you survive? Will you even manage to get more than one city before the land is taken?

Game settings:
Playing as: Tokugawa of Japan
Rivals: 8 AIs
Difficulty: Deity
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: No vassal states, no goody huts, no random events
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Custom continents
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Mapsize: Standard
Climate: Temperate
Sea level: Medium
Map latitudes: -90°S to 90°N


Tokugawa is Protective and Aggressive, and you start with Fishing and The Wheel.

The Protective trait gives free City Garrison I and Drill I promotion for archery and gunpowder units and double production speed of Castle and Walls

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

Unique unit: Samurai (replaces Maceman)
The Samurai benefits from: 2 first strikes, requires access to iron, and free promotions: drill1. This compares with the Maceman which has: 0 first strikes, and requires access to copper or iron.

Unique Building: Shale Plant (replaces Coal Plant)
Besides providing power, the shale plant gives +10% hammers. And, unlike the coal plant, it doesn't require coal.

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:
You play on Prince level - but beware because the AI still starts with deity level starting units, so they will still expand very quickly in the early game

To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 8 May 2020, 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 8 Jun 2020.

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.

 

[MarleysGh0st]

Starts June 8?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Starts June 8?

Oh sorry that should be May 8, finishing June 8. I'll get that fixed

 

[shakabrade]

No challenger saves?

Toku is a tricky guy to play, basically no traits and definitely no Unique building. Agg is most useful early, but rushes on Deity are highly speculative play. If you have use for Pro, you are not in a good spot already. But those gems could support an early rush, and there is a good chance of metal 1N of settler.

 

[MarleysGh0st]

I'm still on a quest for a conquest award, so I'll give the Contender/Deity save a try. Then I'll go back to the Challenger save (for fun) to assuage my wounded ego, after I get crushed.

I don't see any reason not to settle in place. It's too bad there's no way to share any of that food with a second city that takes the gems.

 

[Powerfaker]

Also no vassals….. So no easy tech trade pets once you've managed to break out.

At least it sounds like barbs will not be an issue.

 

[shakabrade]

At least it sounds like barbs will not be an issue.

Yup, 8 AIs. That increases a chance of having AI without an early metal.

 

[bcool]

What about settling 2W of the settler. That way you have early access to the gems (still have the clams and the cow in the city radius). Can share the clams and cows with a 2nd city that settles on the river near the corn. And you can skip researching agriculture and go for mining and bronze working early on. Chopping and presumed early access to the hoped for copper 1N of the settler should give you a chance to fight off the barbarians.
Yes you lose 2 turns moving the settler, but early tech rate from the gems makes up for it.
warrior might reveal something that makes moving the settler even more attractive.

 

[zbgayumn]

so I'll give the Contender/Deity save a try. Then I'll go back to the Challenger save (for fun) to assuage my wounded ego, after I get crushed.

I suppose that's the way to do this. Not much point in taking the Adventurer save to start. I just hope the neighbors don't turn out to be Shaka/Monty/Brennus.

 

[Fine_Distinction]

No challenger saves?

Toku is a tricky guy to play, basically no traits and definitely no Unique building. Agg is most useful early, but rushes on Deity are highly speculative play. If you have use for Pro, you are not in a good spot already. But those gems could support an early rush, and there is a good chance of metal 1N of settler.

I never played on deity - what do you mean by "gems could support an early rush"? Like faster research to key military tech? which one? BTW, any condensed tips on how to survive on deity?

 

[MarleysGh0st]

BTW, any condensed tips on how to survive on deity?

That's a subject too long for this thread, if condensed tips are even possible. I've been reading the GOTM spoiler threads for a decade, and all of the reports left me scratching my head. "But how could you do that???"

The one condensed tip I can give is to watch some of Lain's deity-level games on YouTube. It's a big time investment to watch several hours of video for one game, but it's been the only way for me to figure out how this level is even remotely possible.

Being able to put those lessons into practice is another matter, of course.*



*It's not too early to ask for spoiler threads, is it?

 

[shakabrade]

I never played on deity - what do you mean by "gems could support an early rush"? Like faster research to key military tech? which one? BTW, any condensed tips on how to survive on deity?

The problem for an early rush is that your economy can't support all the units needed for the rush. They cost money. If you work the cottages, you are way to slow with production and you also needed to wait for techs. Even after the successful rush, you are in trouble as you now have relatively far-away cities which cost maintenance and can totally suffocate your economy before becoming net positive. Having a commerce power tile easily accessible with one early tech is a great help. Let's say that this was an Axe rush. In case you were going for HA rush the gems will definitely make the attack date much closer, or you will be able to support more production cities for the military unit production, and then, again, help with maintenance. One more thing which is extremely helpful is an increased happy cap which allows for at least 2 more whips per city until the rush. I mean, those gems help with all the problems you will, could face.

Condensed tips are definitely Lain's videos. He is the only one playing true Deity with high win rate and making videos. But, I am now boring to myself as this is something I have said many times, I have skipped from Emperor to Deity by just playing and losing more than 30 games in a row while reading S&T articles. It has taken a month while I was still at the university, so a lot of time . The problem is that you can't really grasp the subtle stuff until you have had some experience. Focus on the early game. I have probably finished less than 10% games simply because I like the early game so much more than the late game and because if you have strong position early, you'll only get stronger as time goes, so no point wasting time on one experience when you can play 4 more starts at the same time. What makes the most difference on Deity is, Focus (you need to have a goal in mind, not start stuff you don't need and then change the mind, and build stupid stuff that will never pay off), Diplo (to avoid getting killed) and tech trading (to use the AI bonuses against them). You could get a feeling from some great micro guys that knowing all the underlying mechanics is absolutely necessary, but nah, I sucked at Micro and probably still don't know many mechanics behinf stuff and still manage to be consistent on Deity. But to perform better than the other Deity guys, you need to be great at everything, like @Fippy.

 

[Fine_Distinction]

The problem for an early rush is that your economy can't support all the units needed for the rush. They cost money. If you work the cottages, you are way to slow with production and you also needed to wait for techs. Even after the successful rush, you are in trouble as you now have relatively far-away cities which cost maintenance and can totally suffocate your economy before becoming net positive. Having a commerce power tile easily accessible with one early tech is a great help. Let's say that this was an Axe rush. In case you were going for HA rush the gems will definitely make the attack date much closer, or you will be able to support more production cities for the military unit production, and then, again, help with maintenance. One more thing which is extremely helpful is an increased happy cap which allows for at least 2 more whips per city until the rush. I mean, those gems help with all the problems you will, could face.

Condensed tips are definitely Lain's videos. He is the only one playing true Deity with high win rate and making videos. But, I am now boring to myself as this is something I have said many times, I have skipped from Emperor to Deity by just playing and losing more than 30 games in a row while reading S&T articles. It has taken a month while I was still at the university, so a lot of time . The problem is that you can't really grasp the subtle stuff until you have had some experience. Focus on the early game. I have probably finished less than 10% games simply because I like the early game so much more than the late game and because if you have strong position early, you'll only get stronger as time goes, so no point wasting time on one experience when you can play 4 more starts at the same time. What makes the most difference on Deity is, Focus (you need to have a goal in mind, not start stuff you don't need and then change the mind, and build stupid stuff that will never pay off), Diplo (to avoid getting killed) and tech trading (to use the AI bonuses against them). You could get a feeling from some great micro guys that knowing all the underlying mechanics is absolutely necessary, but nah, I sucked at Micro and probably still don't know many mechanics behinf stuff and still manage to be consistent on Deity. But to perform better than the other Deity guys, you need to be great at everything, like @Fippy.

Thanks a lot shakabrade, very helpful! Will watch couple Lain's videos. So far not much success with my test games, played 3 to T50 when I can barely defend 1-2 cities against barbs and AIs have 5-6 cities already ;(.

Looks like researching archery is a must on deity? I normally skip it, even survived without it OK in the Gilgamesh BOTM, my first immortal game .

 

[Fippy]

Merci for the compliment Shaka, i would say everybody who plays and wins a deity gotm can get gold, often there are not many players submitting.

 

[shakabrade]

Thanks a lot shakabrade, very helpful! Will watch couple Lain's videos. So far not much success with my test games, played 3 to T50 when I can barely defend 1-2 cities against barbs and AIs have 5-6 cities already ;(.

Looks like researching archery is a must on deity? I normally skip it, even survived without it OK in the Gilgamesh BOTM, my first immortal game .

Actually, I am in the camp of players who almost never research Archery. Not sure, but I think @Fippy as well. In most of the maps, you can get away with spawnbusting warriors. Now you know the keyword - spawnbusting (and its cousin fogbusting). But there were also deity players who advocated researching Archery or protect with Axes to farm the xp and unlock the Heroic Epic. I guess both things work if you execute them properly.

Merci for the compliment Shaka, i would say everybody who plays and wins a deity gotm can get gold, often there are not many players submitting.

It is a fact, so no compliment. Hehe.
I don't have any real Deity GOTM yet (as in AIs starting with 2 settlers). They used to be ultra rare and my RL would come into way, or last summer, that GOTM never came while I had 3 months of willingness to play. The only official Deity game I had was NHNE Deity domquest HoF #1 slot with totally random start. But people found a great classical start exploit and erased my name from the list.

This time I'll play with one kid and one toddler around my neck as wife is getting back to work, but I'll submit no matter what. I feel like community is awakening a bit and want to contribute. If nothing, we have learned during these work from home times that if you can work with crowded home, then you can also play with the crowded home. (Quality can vary, though. )

 

[shakabrade]

Are all people supposed to be dead before 1AD and that is why there are no spoiler threads?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Are all people supposed to be dead before 1AD and that is why there are no spoiler threads?

Ooops haha, yes you got it in one! Sorry, spoiler threads are now up.

 

[Fine_Distinction]

Are all people supposed to be dead before 1AD and that is why there are no spoiler threads?

LOL, good one I was also looking very much to the spoiler threads. Not that I have anything to brag about, but I am clueless as to how we were supposed to play it? I mean, to succeed?

 

[Fine_Distinction]

No challenger saves?

and there is a good chance of metal 1N of settler.

Is there anything special about this grassland? Or the chance is as good as for any non-forest, no resource grassland?

 

[MarleysGh0st]

Is there anything special about this grassland? Or the chance is as good as for any non-forest, no resource grassland?

The theoretical idea is that when there are open squares in the middle of a large forest, it's because there's a resource under them. If not something visible, like the corn and cow, then it's something we don't yet have the technology to see.