[BTS] News: BOTM 259: Monty, Emperor - Starts 1 Oct

[DynamicSpirit]

BOTM 259: Montezuma of Aztec.

Monty... rainforest... do I need to say any more?

Game settings:
Playing as: Montezuma of Aztec
Rivals: 6 AIs
Difficulty: Emperor
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: No goody huts, no random events
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Rainforest
World Wrap: None
Mapsize: Standard
Climate: Temperate
Sea level: Medium
Map latitudes: -15°S to 15°N


Montezuma is Aggressive and Spiritual, and you start with Mysticism and Hunting.

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

The Spiritual trait gives no anarchy and double production speed of Temple and Cristo Redentor

Unique unit: Jaguar (replaces Swordsman)
The jaguar is cheaper to build than the swordsman (35 against 40 hammers) but weaker, having a base strength of only 5. However, it requires no resources to build, and it starts with the Woodsman I promotion. That promotion gives +20% jungle and forest defence, but also unlocks the powerful Woodsman II, which enables faster movement.

Unique Building: Sacrificial Altar (replaces Courthouse)
The sacrificial altar is a very powerful building: It reduces the anger duration from whipping to half it's normal value (5 turns on normal speed). And it costs less than the courthouse - 90 hammers vs. 120 hammers on normal speed.

Starting screenshot

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



Challenger Class Equalizers:
You play on deity difficulty (but the AI still starts with emperor level starting units)

To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 1 Oct 2023, 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 6 Nov 2023.

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.

@Blake00 @The_J

 

[LowtherCastle]

Yummy. I was hoping for a richer start.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Yummy. I was hoping for a richer start.

If you start being cheeky, I might decide to take the silver away!

Should've mentioned - this start is exactly what the map generator produced. I have not changed this map in any way (yet...).

 

[High King J.J.]

Monty Zuma and the holed grail? Ni!-id I say more? Why is this emperor level, it's the Count of Monty Cristo?
Please don't consider this cheeky.
I think I'll scout E then climb the silver, just to make sure no seafood lurks there. Took me a while to notice it's salty water there.
Coast makes me think Vikings and Aztecs will probably face Izzy for historical heart-warming reasons (roasting someone over fire will certainly warm said person's heart and other internal organs). Any guesses who else might we face and why?

 

[ariosto]

It would be great to see six others monties

 

[Powerfaker]

I think I will scout south to see if there's no bad stuff that could withhold me from settling more river + silver and 3 pigs. A 2nd city can get the corn. Can go AH-Mining before Agri.
Looking forward to play this map. Rainforest usually rich with river and food.

 

[ariosto]

Haven't played CIV for a while, but I plan to join this GOTM now. Haven't played for Aztecs either.
This setting screams "JAGUAR RUSH", so I will use them one way or another. On the other hand, Oracling CoL should be good for SPI, and we have our UB there.

Right now, I plan to scout NW-NW and SIP unless I find something worthwhile there.

 

[High King J.J.]

Right now, I plan to scout NW-NW and SIP unless I find something worthwhile there.

First NW gets you to the forest tile and the second (next turn) to the freshwater lake. Hygiene is important. Instead of bathing my scout gets shower with the daily rain of the rainforest.

 

[LowtherCastle]

If you start being cheeky, I might decide to take the silver away!

Should've mentioned - this start is exactly what the map generator produced. I have not changed this map in any way (yet...).

Cheeky adds spice but in this case I actually meant this looks like a richer start, which I had been hoping for.

 

[MarleysGh0st]

Spoilers, please!

 

[High King J.J.]

Won't be playing this to the bitter end so who needs spoilers anyway...
Maybe those who are doing better?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Spoilers, please!

Oooops, sorry! They are now up

 

[Tobiyogi]

It's good to see some silver straightaway since this map type is so food rich and you run into unhappiness all the time!

 

[Tobiyogi]

@DynamicSpirit
Can you give away the approximate number of land tiles? I'd like to try it on Deity, but if it's something like 1200 tiles I'll be afraid of jungle barbs

EDIT I have started it on Deity anyway and still alive

 

[DynamicSpirit]

@DynamicSpirit
Can you give away the approximate number of land tiles? I'd like to try it on Deity, but if it's something like 1200 tiles I'll be afraid of jungle barbs

EDIT I have started it on Deity anyway and still alive

You've started the game anyway, but for reference: I wouldn't normally want to reveal stuff after some people have already started the game, but I suspect you already know how to estimate the number of tiles when you open the save: As soon as you've settled, count how many land tiles you have and check your % land on the F8 screen. Do that again after your border pop and after you've settled another city and you'll quickly be able to get a pretty accurate estimate.

 

[Tobiyogi]

You've started the game anyway, but for reference: I wouldn't normally want to reveal stuff after some people have already started the game, but I suspect you already know how to estimate the number of tiles when you open the save: As soon as you've settled, count how many land tiles you have and check your % land on the F8 screen. Do that again after your border pop and after you've settled another city and you'll quickly be able to get a pretty accurate estimate.

Thank you for your answer!
I usually just hover over my name in the scoreboard and there it shows for exemple 900 land tiles for a fractal / pangea and in this case, slightly more
My question was not so much about how to do it, but about the decision if to play deity or not BEFORE I run the save due to the Botm rules not to rerun games