News: BOTM 93 Starts Aug 15

[Deckhand]

BOTM93: Return of Beffudlov

Five years after the disappearance of Professor Beffudlov, his niece LizBeth discovers the Project Chronos notes. She too likes the idea of World Conquest. "The world seems unchanged to me, either he failed or there are multiple timelines and worlds. Outdated artillery? Artillery can't even kill units! I know - Mechanized Infantry is the thing to take".

Spoiler :

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=369648
GOTM 56: Professor Beffudlov’s Excellent Adventure

Genius is never appreciated in its own time. In the year 2080 AD, Professor Isaac Beffudlov definitively straddled the infamously fine line between genius and insanity. Accused of having a god complex by the press and ridiculed by his scientific peers, Prof. Beffudlov was denied funding and was forced to cut costs and corners in completing Project Chronos . . . but complete it he did. Disgusted at a global society that failed to recognize and pander to his profound brilliance, Prof. Beffudlov resolved to take matters into his own hands.

For a theoretical physicist, Prof. Beffudlov’s plan was surprisingly simple. Having purchased outdated Russian artillery cheaply on the black market, the renegade mastermind intended to travel back in time to the dawn of civilization, pit ballistics and gunpowder against sticks and stones, establish an unchallengeable global empire, and remake all of history in his own image.

Alas, for all his intellect, Prof. Beffudlov failed to input a minor historical variation in the earth’s rotation into his temporal flight plan. Instead of arriving smack in the middle of the Fertile Crescent, Prof. Beffudlov and his artillery found themselves marooned on a small island. Fresh out of reactor-grade plutonium, but now self-appointed leader of a tribe of island natives, Prof. Beffudlov’s aspirations may be forever lost in time, or does the mad scientist’s scheme still have a chance?

Game settings:
Playing as: LizBeth Beffudlov of Portugal
Rivals: 6 AIs
Difficulty: Immortal
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: Raging barbarians, lead any civ, pick religion, no vassal states, no goody huts, no events
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Islands (Extras with various tiny isles)
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Mapsize: Standard
Climate: Temperate
Sea level: Medium

LizBeth Beffudlov is Philosophical and Financial, and you start with Fishing and Mining.

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

The Financial trait gives +1 commerce on any plot that already has at least 2 commerce

Unique unit: Carrack (replaces Caravel)
The Carrack benefits from: can carry any unit, and can carry 2 units. This compares with the Caravel which has: can only carry spies, missionaries, etc., and can carry 1 units.

Unique Building: Feitoria (replaces Customs House)
+100% intercontinental trade route yield
Water tiles: +1
Requires Harbor

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 at Monarch Level.
Not eligible for Medals or fastest finish rewards.

Challenger Class Equalizers:
Mobile Infantry replaced by Archer and Warrior

To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 15 Aug 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 20 Sep 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.

 

[Deckhand]

Map Maker's notes.
Internet search (Bing & Google) had no results for Beffudlov! He must have disappeared completely from our timeline. Too bad Cactus Pete doesn't play BOTM anymore.
I'm continuing my proclivity to produce hard Noble/Monarch and easy Immortal games.
At Immortal, you will probably fall behind initially, but the Mobile Infantry, carrack ability and map should allow you to catch up.
Lizbeth also brought advanced terraforming technology that changed her starting island tundra to grassland and ice to tundra plus added a couple rivers.
Elizabeth has never starred in a BOTM! Since I needed unrestricted leaders to give her carracks; the other leaders are also different, be careful to note who is leading which civ so you don't make a mistake in your diplomatic interactions.
I'm giving you a few extra days for this game as it is overlapping with last month's game and it is Immortal level. Mac files could be a bit late as Alan only has one day to create them between this announcement and game start.
Beware Raging barbarians. I managed to lose my test game 2960BC when barbarian captured my undefended capital. The Mech Infantry has no trouble killing Barb Units, just be sure it isn't too far away when they start coming. Good news for you and the AIs is that they don't start with any techs.

 

[High King J.J.]

Can't wait. Finally a raging barbs immortal game where I might survive (at least until the barbs get modern armor or nukes...)
How does liberating colonies work without vassal states? Is it still possible and does it give the +10 in diplomatic relations with the unvassaled new civ?

Maybe SIP? At least scout with the Mech first. How much does settling on the spices give on the city tile? I'd guess 3, (spices+river+financial trait)? Settling on spices does not use up a precious riverside grassland but costs the capital a cow.

I'll have to try the original Gotm56 while waiting. Thanks for the link, that was a bit before I started playing Civ4 Gotms.

Have we ever had a Gotm with ? Either with our tank/panzer against barb spears or a barb tank (Humbaba does not count since it does not kill defenders). With a panzer even a raging barbs Deity Gotm might be survivable...

 

[Xcalibrator]

I didn't play GOTM56, so I went looking for the old spoilers for tips on how to play this unusual scenario. Someone has removed them! Looks like fun. I was hoping for a medium-to-hard Immortal game this month but the Challenger save might be a bit too much of a challenge with raging barbs. Oh, and is it Mobile Artillery or Mech Infantry (as shown in the starting screenshot)? This will make a huge difference in deciding what to do.

 

[Deckhand]

I think you won't be able to release colonies with vassals disabled.
Here I think I'm being nice, giving you extra islands that you should be able to beat the AIs to... But you will have crippling overseas maintenance if you put too many cities on them. Oh well. Thanks Dhoom, I used to know that

It is Mechanized Infantry as shown. I will correct any errors in my posts above.

Yeah, the one extra archer might not be enough for raging immortal barbarians. Guess I'm not so nice after all. You can handicap yourself by keeping The Legacy home. Maybe even delete it after you have your land busted.

 

[Dhoomstriker]

For Challenger, it feels as though I would miss out on the fun of an early rampage against the AIs. It's too bad that the Challenger game wasn't simply to repeat the steps of her father (bringing along an Artillery). Oh well, having an Archer to start with is already over-powered compared to a regular game.


Settling on top of the Spice is a decent idea. Sure, you will miss out on the P Cow, but you will pick up a Coastal Crab. And, you'll still keep that Copper/Iron/Coal/whatever on the GH to the SE + S of the P Cow.


With Vassals being disabled, one also does not have to worry about Colonial Maintenance by settling multiple Cities on another island.


GOTM 56 Professor Beffudlov&#8217;s Excellent Adventure Pre-game Discussion
GOTM 56 First Spoiler
GOTM 56 Final Spoiler
GOTM 56 Results and Congratulations

"Cactus Pete celebrates his debut as a GOTM game designer with GOTM 56."

Beffudlov's sounds like a befuddled version of Bill and Ted's.

 

[Minou]

Thanks Deckhand, this is exactly why I love to Game of the Month! The original Beffudlov was long before I played, but I saw it referenced in a discussion and had to play it - one of the most fun games ever. It was surprising how often that Artillery got redlined against Longbows and such and had to rest.

My only complaint - no free Great Scientist?

 

[Deckhand]

Yeah, I enjoyed that game until it got too hard for me (I don't remember now if I quit because I lost the artillery, got too far behind or just ran out of time).

My only complaint - no free Great Scientist?

Well, vanilla is purported to be harder than immortal BtS - I can't make it too much of a cakewalk.
You are Financial and Philosophical - generate your own science and scientists.
Plus it wouldn't be appropriate, LizBeth is no great scientist; she is just reproducing the experiment.

 

[lymond]

Ha...I remember that game. Hard to believe it's been over 5 years ago. I was a much different player and newer to GOTMs. I got cocky with my big fat cannon and ended up losing it to an archer at high odds. I think I eventually retired that game.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Map Maker's notes.
Internet search (Bing & Google) had no results for Beffudlov! He must have disappeared completely from our timeline. Too bad Cactus Pete doesn't play BOTM anymore.

Cactus Pete only submitted BOTMs very occasionally, but he does still play GOTMs. In fact later today I'll be announcing the results of GOTM 116 - for which Cactus Pete has won the gold medal! Maybe he's reading this...

Google does produce results for Beffudlov if you restrict the search as
beffudlov site:civfanatics.com
In that case it produces the current game AND Cactus Pete's original! I suspect the lack of results for Google if you don't specify the site is because Google confuses it with the much more widely searched for 'befuddled'.

On to the game - I do remember starting but never finishing the original Beffudlov game - a very nice idea. Nice to see it coming back. But Deckhand - that game started us with a great scientist too. Where's the great scientist this time round?

Actually I suspect things will be hard even with the mech infantry. As I recall from GOTM 56, the basic problem the artillery had was it could only kill one AI unit per turn and once you get beyond around 1AD the AI has no trouble bringing up more defenders at about the same rate. At least in that game, the artillery caused collateral damage, which mean supporting axemen etc. could help dispose of other units. This time, we have a stronger and faster moving unit, but it won't cause collateral damage - and in BtS the AI is even better at bringing in more defenders. Using the mech infantry effectively will require careful thought - at the moment, I'm not sure how to do that [*]. I foresee prolonged wars of attrition once the AI has longbows (and on immortal level, that'll be about turn 5 won't it... )


[*]For the avoidance of doubt: I mean that I'm not sure how to use the mech infantry effectively - NOT that I'm not sure how to think carefully

 

[Deckhand]

Cactus Pete only submitted BOTMs very occasionally,

They were always very clever, well thought out scenarios and maps. He put as much thought into them as he does his games.

Where's the great scientist this time round?

see my reply to that above

Spoiler :

or maybe I just forgot?

Spoiler :

or noticed it after making the game

Actually I suspect things will be hard even with the mech infantry.

I Agree. That's why I made the Adventurer game Monarch. I think those that take the Adventurer saves aren't that comfortable on Emperor as well and one Mech Inf won't make that much difference in the late game. I want it to be fun.

 

[Dhoomstriker]

A Mech Infrantry is actually quite powerful, as it starts with the March Promotion. Be sure to take full advantage of this fact... it takes some alteration of your thinking to get used to it.

For example, you might normally heal a unit in the field rather than running it back to your territory or into a City, as healing in the field could save you time. But, for the Mech Infantry, it will heal even if it moved, so bringing it back to a City, into your territory, or to a square with a Medic is well-advised.

Also, consider joining your first Great General to your Mech Infantry, but don't make it a Super Medic. Those 20 XP can go a long way on a unit that keeps surviving... add the double XP Promotion and the 30% Retreat Promotion to your Mech Infantry.

If you cultivate it well, your Mech Infantry will serve you quite well... just be sure to expect to lose it in battle at some point and you won't feel so upset when it goes missing.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

That is very true, although I suspect the mech infantry will gain enough experience to get just about every promotion available anyway just by all the battles it wins. Are there any super-useful promotions it can get with a great general that it couldn't get otherwise? I was assuming I'd use my first great general to create a supermedic chariot which would accompany the mech inf everywhere - so that, with the march promotion, the mech infantry will usually be able to completely heal every turn, whatever it's doing.

I was thinking a cunning trick would be to promote it to blitz so it could kill two AI units per turn, but it seems on checking the promotions tree that blitz isn't available to it

As for losing it - I can well imagine: "Hmmm. 99.5% odds of winning against this CG2 longbow. No, better not change it, 0.5% is too much chance of losing the mech infantry"

 

[Deckhand]

I was thinking a cunning trick would be to promote it to blitz so it could kill two AI units per turn, but it seems on checking the promotions tree that blitz isn't available to it

O Nos!
That was my thought. But I didn't check. Sorry, guess I should have given y'all a Modern Armor instead.

 

[Minou]

If I recall, the Islands map script starts us on our own island, which means there will be no early Capital-crushing romp but instead we must sit around teching to Sailing or maybe Optics (big difference!). On the plus side, it should be fairly easy to handle Raging Barbarians on such a small landmass with the M.I.

I've been trying to work out on paper wether a WB for Fish (and grow to 2) or a Worker to chop the WB is the better start and I think the Worker is slightly Faster (probably elementary math for advanced players).

No Vassals also ups the level of slug-fest. This seems like one of the most interesting GOTM in quite a while, hope to start tomorrow!

 

[Dhoomstriker]

Are there any super-useful promotions it can get with a great general that it couldn't get otherwise?

Leadership: +100% XP, which is useful for a single unit that will see a lot of combat
Tactics: 30% Withdrawal Chance, which helps to keep your unit alive when it might have otherwise died due to bad luck
Morale: +1 Movement point, which is great for being everywhere at once

 

[Deckhand]

If I recall, the Islands map script starts us on our own island, which means there will be no early Capital-crushing romp but instead we must sit around teching to Sailing or maybe Optics (big difference!).

At least you don't have to wait for Astronomy.
You are Welcome.

 

[12tn2]

Deckhand, I'd like to know whether you messed up with the 3 starting seafoods or not? I'm planning on Map-finding a game where there'd be fish, clam & crab in sight just like this one, but I'm afraid that it can't happen in nature (in Civ 4 world, I mean )

 

[Deckhand]

Deckhand, I'd like to know whether you messed up with the 3 starting seafoods or not? I'm planning on Map-finding a game where there'd be fish, clam & crab in sight just like this one, but I'm afraid that it can't happen in nature (in Civ 4 world, I mean )

Ah, but it can. See starting screen shot as evidence. I did not change any resources in the BFC or surrounding area. Try generating a lot of island starts.

Spoiler :

IIRC of course. It has been a couple weeks. I agree it is very uncommon.
I did add that "long" river.

 

[Dhoomstriker]

Deckhand, I'd like to know whether you messed up with the 3 starting seafoods or not? I'm planning on Map-finding a game where there'd be fish, clam & crab in sight just like this one, but I'm afraid that it can't happen in nature (in Civ 4 world, I mean )

Disable the Lock Modified Assets option when you create your game, then enter the World Builder (Alt + w, or find it by pressing Esc to get the pop-up menu) and add the Resources yourself.

Let us know if you need more detailed instructions to get started with World Buildering. Every future great Map Maker starts somewhere.