[BTS] News: BOTM 278: Frederick, Deity - starts 28 August

[kcd_swede]

BOTM 278: Frederick of Germany.

A totally random and almost unaltered Great Plains map as Frederick of Germany at Deity difficulty. For those who like the mapmaker tend to struggle mightily (understatement of the year) at Deity level, you are welcome to instead enjoy the Adventurer save at Emperor difficulty level - though you won't be eligible for awards. Good luck and have FUN! BTW: Sorry we're late with this.


Game settings:
Playing as: Frederick of Germany
Rivals: 6 AIs
Difficulty: Deity
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: No barbarians, no goody huts, no random events
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Great_Plains
World Wrap: None
Mapsize: Standard
Climate: Temperate
Sea level: Medium
Map latitudes: 25°N to 45°N


Frederick is Philosophical and Organized, and you start with Hunting and Mining.

The Philosophical trait gives +100% great people birth rate and double production speed of University

The Organized trait gives -50% civic upkeep and double production speed of Courthouse, Factory and Lighthouse

Unique unit: Panzer (replaces Tank)
This could be the unit to use if you get into a really late game war. It has the same abilities as the tank, but also boasts +50% strength against armored units.

Unique Building: Assembly Plant (replaces Factory)
You might be able to build the assembly plant quicker than a factory: It costs the same number of hammers to build, but unlike the factory, it gets a +50% production boost if you have access to coal. Once you've built it, the assembly plant lets you turn 4 citizens into engineers, against just 2 for the factory.

Starting screenshot

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




Adventurer Class bonuses:
You will play the same game but at Emperor difficulty level, however the AI opponents start with Deity level units (4 archers, 2 scouts, a worker, and 2 settlers).

Challenger Class Equalizers:
No challenger class. (What, deity is too easy for ya???)

To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 28 Aug 2024, 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 30 Sep 2024.

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.

 

[kcd_swede]

Sorry about the lack of a MAC save because with save-maker's computer death we are still lacking the tools to make one.

 

[High King J.J.]

computer death

R.I.P.

Unlike normal I might be tempted by the adventurer save. I don't struggle mightily at deity level. I just quit before or after I die. And since I don't submit those I fail to get even ambulances. So now I can't get anything for my defeat, nothing changed.
Scout E, SE and if nothing catches his eye I may SIP. Or sip some, it looks very dry out there.

 

[kcd_swede]

Oh, I believe-not 100%sure- ambulances and shields are available for Adventurers. Your score does get discounted (to 80% iirc) though. My suggestion is to play whatever save may afford you the most enjoyment. For me, that would be adventurer, and you may ignore the text about having finished well in previous botm's as that is woefully out of date. Play for fun, or take a chance at levelling up. Freedom is good!

 

[Frederiksberg]

Looks challenging. A lot of early commerce from the gold and gems, but very little food. The lack of barbarians makes it significantly easier to expand. It seems we are at the northern end of the map. I think I will roll a couple of Great Plains maps to see what they normally look like.

 

[Falabello]

Wow, back to Civ4 ! I'm trying to play some BOTM, but time is not on my side. But this one I'm going to make an effort to start and finish.
I think SIP is the best choice, or maybe 1S, losing a turn... By the way, does anyone know how I mark the map with that colored cross for future settlements?

 

[antimony]

Wow, back to Civ4 ! I'm trying to play some BOTM, but time is not on my side. But this one I'm going to make an effort to start and finish.
I think SIP is the best choice, or maybe 1S, losing a turn... By the way, does anyone know how I mark the map with that colored cross for future settlements?

It's Alt+X for the crosses, Alt+S for marker notes.

 

[antimony]

Great plains imitates the central US, so you have the Rockies (many plains hills, gold and silver) in the western part of the map, mostly plains in the middle (lots of cow, some wheat and copper/iron), and forested grasslands in the east (resources like fur, among other things). The southern part of the map also has desert/floodplains, and part the Gulf of Mexico in the southeast. It looks on the screenshot that we are on the northern border, and probably around the middle, maybe close to the mountains to the west.

I would probably move the scout E-SE on that hill to get more info and see if settling on the southeast plains hill is good.

- SIP gives us 2 surplus food, 11 production and 22 commerce in the capital at size 4 with 2 cows + gems + gold.
- Plains hill SE of settler gets the worker out 2 turns earlier, but the first pasture finishes on the same time since we have to wait for AH (at least the city grows and the worker can put 1 turn into the gems mine I guess...). At size 2 (cows+gems) that city has +3 surplus food, 6 production and 15 commerce.

The plains hill will more tempting if these are flat grasslands on the other side of the SE river. Otherwise, especially if we don't have great cottage land, a viable strategy with SIP may be to just beeline Alpha (AH-Writing-Alpha).

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Looks challenging. A lot of early commerce from the gold and gems, but very little food. The lack of barbarians makes it significantly easier to expand. It seems we are at the northern end of the map. I think I will roll a couple of Great Plains maps to see what they normally look like.

Yep. It's great plains and looks to me like you're starting in the far North of the map and fairly strongly West, so expect very little food in the neighbourhood but lots of production, and in particular loads of cows. Fog-gazing suggests a possible mountain to the West, which would imply we are quite far West.

I'd probably settle 1S in the hope that brings some additional unseen resources into the BFC, plus get a slightly more central location. Before doing that though, I'd move the scout probably 2W, or possibly 2SW to make sure it doesn't lose anything juicy in the plains tile W-NW of the settler.

An alternative strategy is - as @antimony suggests - to move the scout E-SE to see if there's anything further East. The disadvantage though is that anything the scout does see is likely to take a couple of turns for the settler to get to (but with the advantage tha you probably would be riverside).

Or if you want to be even more ambitious and take a chance, take advantage of no-barbs to walk your settler out of the area. If he heads E-SE, he'll stand some chance of getting to a lusher places with 6-7 turns of walking. Probably only advisable if you're playing the adventurer save though!

 

[lymond]

Gonna miss that Great Plains barb action

 

[kcd_swede]

Gonna miss that Great Plains barb action

Don't worry, there will be plenty of action if my play testing is to be trusted.

 

[LowtherCastle]

Don't worry, there will be plenty of action if my play testing is to be trusted.

Hm. If we are facing six early unit spammers, maybe reconsider that alpha beeline…

 

[Xcalibrator]

Spoiler threads please? Can you get them up before I "finish" this game? Thanks.

 

[kcd_swede]

Oh dang... I tried to remember not to forget, but I forgot to remind myself!

 

[Bemep42]

Can I ask you to prolong the deadline for the end of this BOTM by a week? It may not be necessary, but it's still a deity, just in case.

 

[LowtherCastle]

I’m not finishing this game, but I’m seconding Bemep42’s motion because I’d like to see anyone or more win this game.

 

[kcd_swede]

Can I ask you to prolong the deadline for the end of this BOTM by a week? It may not be necessary, but it's still a deity, just in case.

I’m not finishing this game, but I’m seconding Bemep42’s motion because I’d like to see anyone or more win this game.

Yes, I will not have a chance to publish in the next week. The normal submission system will not allow you to submit after September 30, but if you PM me your save by the end of the day on Oct 6, I can upload it for you before publishing results. That offer extends to everyone.

 

[Xcalibrator]

Yes, I will not have a chance to publish in the next week. The normal submission system will not allow you to submit after September 30, but if you PM me your save by the end of the day on Oct 6, I can upload it for you before publishing results. That offer extends to everyone.

Even with the extension, I wager 7 quatloos that nobody will be able to achieve victory! But I am eager for the spectacle!

 

[Bemep42]

Thank you very much! I was afraid that I would have to play all night today in order to meet the deadline )

 

[Bemep42]

I can't promise anything, but I will definitely try to win this game.