News: BOTM 87 --Starts February 15--

[kcd_swede]

BOTM 87: Joao II of Portugal in a crowd

[img=right]http://gotm.civfanatics.net/civ4games/images/botm87civ.jpg[/img]

In this game you will play as Joao II of Portugal. You may win any way you choose. The game will be played on a crowded Terra map, with 8 AI opponents hand-picked for your enjoyment. Well.. ok, MY enjoyment. Note to the high XP crowd, a DEITY-Level Challenger save is available for this game.


Game settings:
Playing as: Joao II of Portugal
Rivals: 8 AIs
Difficulty: Immortal
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: no goody huts, no events
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Terra
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Mapsize: Standard
Climate: Temperate
Sea level: Medium


Joao II is Imperialistic and Expansive, and you start with Fishing and Mining.

The Imperialistic trait gives +100% great general emergence and +50% production of settlers

The Expansive trait gives +2 health per city.
Double production speed of Granary and Harbor.
25% faster production of Workers.



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 as Joao II on Monarch setting. Play at Monarch level... if you struggle at Immortal, you will also struggle at Emperor, so to give you a fighting chance, you play at Monarch level. The usual score devaluation and restrictions on awards will apply.

Challenger Class Equalizers:
To give the gods of Deity level something to bite into, there is a challenger level save available to play at Deity level. If you only play Deity level nowadays, you have no excuse not to join us this month! you will be scored as Immortal, though, and its just a matter of if you are ready to man up.... or not.


To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 15 Feb 2015, 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 15 Mar 2015.

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 3.19.003 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.[/QUOTE]

 

[Xcalibrator]

Thank you for giving us ample time to ponder such a harsh starting screenshot! Dude, where's the food? Dry rice? And Fishing will be so helpful here. I dunno what to do and await suggestions from better players.

By the way, what does "Standard" size for Terra mean? I seem to recall it's pretty big. Not sure I'll be able to afford the time for this one.

 

[kcd_swede]

Thank you for giving us ample time to ponder such a harsh starting screenshot! Dude, where's the food? Dry rice? And Fishing will be so helpful here. I dunno what to do and await suggestions from better players.

By the way, what does "Standard" size for Terra mean? I seem to recall it's pretty big. Not sure I'll be able to afford the time for this one.

With 8 AI capitols on the starting landmass, there should be plenty of food... for the taking.

 

[Folket]

Feels like an early post. Do they usually come two weeks before it begins?

If I play the game I think I will settle on the plains hill. It would allow for a 10 turn worker. Can make a move W or SW with settler before going to the hill.

After a fast worker it will be a slow start.

 

[kcd_swede]

Feels like an early post. Do they usually come two weeks before it begins?

If I play the game I think I will settle on the plains hill. It would allow for a 10 turn worker. Can make a move W or SW with settler before going to the hill.

After a fast worker it will be a slow start.

We used to try and get a notice out 10 days before. I'm a bit early. Hope nobody minds.

 

[Folket]

You are welcome to Eritrea notices half à yrar in advance so I can plan My life.

 

[WastinTime]

Challenger save, when there is a difficulty jump, usually says something like "starting units are unchanged" True this time? or the AI gets 2 settlers each?

 

[kcd_swede]

Challenger save, when there is a difficulty jump, usually says something like "starting units are unchanged" True this time? or the AI gets 2 settlers each?

Starting units are (presently) unchanged in the challenger save: (AI start with 3 archers, 2 scouts, a worker and a single settler).

Sorry about that. Not to late to fix them to Deity level units if that's what Deity players want. Shall we take a vote?

All those who want to play the Deity save with Deity level AI starting units, say so (or say not).

Don't vote if you aren't going to play Challenger anyhow.

 

[WelshGandalf]

About the game...

SIP as every starting location has food and it can't be any worse than moving for dry rice? OR settle 1S for the extra hammer, potentially useful for early settlers?

Followed by.... cottage up and hope for the best?

 

[Xcalibrator]

I remain uninspired. C'mon, somebody tell me what to do! How about warrior SW, unfogging at least 4 tiles, most of them relevant to settling on the plains hill? SE would show at least 5, but most are forests that block the view and and the probability of any pre-Calendar resources is lower than going SW. The plains hill would be OK if there's more food but otherwise I'm tempted to settle where the warrior is. At least the rice would eventually be irrigated and you'd have 3 FPs, efficiently putting that Expansive +2 Health to work for you. The other option would be to boldly/foolishly wander off west in search of greener pastures until eaten by a lion. Hey, it's just a game.

 

[kcd_swede]

I remain uninspired. C'mon, somebody tell me what to do! How about warrior SW, unfogging at least 4 tiles, most of them relevant to settling on the plains hill? SE would show at least 5, but most are forests that block the view and and the probability of any pre-Calendar resources is lower than going SW. The plains hill would be OK if there's more food but otherwise I'm tempted to settle where the warrior is. At least the rice would eventually be irrigated and you'd have 3 FPs, efficiently putting that Expansive +2 Health to work for you. The other option would be to boldly/foolishly wander off west in search of greener pastures until eaten by a lion. Hey, it's just a game.

If you are waiting for me to tell you where the horses/copper/iron are... you'll be waiting a looooong time.

 

[Dhoomstriker]

Challenger Class Equalizers:
To give the gods of Deity level something to bite into, there is a challenger level save available to play at Deity level. If you only play Deity level nowadays, you have no excuse not to join us this month! you will be scored as Immortal, though, and its just a matter of if you are ready to man up.... or not.

I'm not sure whether I'll have time to play this game, but I'd take the Challenger saved game if I were to play. If you're going to offer a bold challenge like that, you'd better be certain to make it really Deity by providing Deity-level starting units, with the proper scripts set on said units (I'm not sure what the proper scripts are, but you can check in a test game).

Otherwise, it will just be "Immortal plus," or "Immortal +," as I have heard it called.

 

[Folket]

I'm inclined to say add the extra settler to the deity game, but then I'm not certain I have the energy to play two deity games back to back.

I will download the challenger but since I last time did not finish the immortal+ game I will not vote on anything.

 

[Xcalibrator]

If you are waiting for me to tell you where the horses/copper/iron are... you'll be waiting a looooong time.

Actually, I'm guessing that settling on the plains hill will give us some good resources, because you're well known as a big softie underneath the evil exterior.

 

[kcd_swede]

Actually, I'm guessing that settling on the plains hill will give us some good resources, because you're well known as a big softie underneath the evil exterior.

True... it would be sort of an embarassment if NOBODY could win the game. OTOH, that would put me in the history books.... so.... we'll see.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

True... it would be sort of an embarassment if NOBODY could win the game. OTOH, that would put me in the history books.... so.... we'll see.

Actually, I'm afraid it wouldn't - you've already been beaten to it: WOTM 18 back in May 2008. 13 conquest losses, 7 spaceship losses, 7 retired games. Nobody won. I think that's partly why we tend not to do deity level Warlords games much now

 

[nocho]

One would assume some resources must be in the fog, even the rice is not in the settler's BFC right now.

Before starting this one, could you confirm whether this BOTM will eventually get an actual results thread? EDIT: hmm just saw it (BOTM85 results), but not stickied yet

 

[kcd_swede]

One would assume some resources must be in the fog, even the rice is not in the settler's BFC right now.

Before starting this one, could you confirm whether this BOTM will eventually get an actual results thread? EDIT: hmm just saw it (BOTM85 results), but not stickied yet

My diligence is your guarantee (FWIW )

 

[Deckhand]

...
Before starting this one, could you confirm whether this BOTM will eventually get an actual results thread? EDIT: hmm just saw it (BOTM85 results), but not stickied yet

Yes, I was quite late with the BOTM85 results.
We will see if I can improve next time.

My diligence is your guarantee (FWIW )

Likely better than mine.
or perhaps not

 

[RavenousX]

I have a newbie question. Why do these competitions require the buffy mod? I generally just use the BAT or BUG mod. What's in buffy that makes it a requirement?