[C3C] News: COTM 168 Greece Demigod

[AlanH]

Welcome to conquest game of the month 168, created by LaSalle. In this game you will play as the Greeks who are scientific and commercial, and already know the alphabet and bronze working. The Greeks can produce the Hoplite, a very strong early defender that requires no special resources. This is a demigod level game

You, Alexander find yourself far to the north of your homeland in a large chain of islands. It is much colder than you are accustomed to, but food seems plentiful. There is abundant wild game and fish available and even some farming might be possible. It is up to you to discover what riches these islands hold.

This map is a bit unusual for a game of the month, but hopefully you will find it interesting and challenging. The north edge of the map is bordered with mountains rather than ocean. There is no real need to explore these mountains, there is not much here

The normal changes to the Conquests rules apply to this game: Iron locations are fixed, and Workers instead of Settlers can be popped from Goody Huts. In addition to this, the following changes have been made to terrain causing Disease in order to limit the impact of chance on the competition:

Flood Plains do not cause Disease
Jungles and Wetland have their Disease level lowered from 50% to 25%
Knowledge of Sanitation cancels Disease in Jungles and Wetlands

Scope of the Game:

Normal size world
7 opponents, pre- selected
Archipelago/Coast Line
Cool, wet climate
Roaming barbarians
Normal rule changes for cotm will apply

Time Plan: The game is released on July 1, 2024. Submissions are due by September 30, 2024.

Game Release Page: http://gotm.civfanatics.net/games/index.php?month=30168

 

[LaSalle]

Starting Location

 

[Più Freddo]

Depending on what else there is, I might just consider to take a chance on The Colossus. Bad with the Golden Age, though... unless the Sling Shot comes first. The idea being (for both events) that this location has been hand edited, whereas the opponents might have normal archpeligial starting locations.

 

[Quintillus]

Something's fishy about this setup...

I like the Colossus idea, but I also wonder if the "coast line" map will have plentiful chokepoints for our Hoplites to secure. Better to secure economic prosperity, or to potentially secure more land for the future? The fog-gazing oracle tells me the waters to the north are likely a bay, and maybe the better part of that land can be secured for Macedon?

 

[MrRandomGuy]

The screen shot of the starting location is different than what we are given. Is that intended?

 

[LaSalle]

The screen shot of the starting location is different than what we are given. Is that intended?

No this was not intended at all. It looks like you are in a completely different starting location. Try downloading the file again from the gotm server and re-start. I just down loaded the sav file from the server and everything seemed ok. Let me know what happens. Here is a screen shot of the start that I just downloaded:

 

[LaSalle]

The correct name for the starting sav file is: cotm_168_open.SAV. Be sure that you are opening the correct file. The screen shot you posted does not look like anything on the map for this game.

 

[MrRandomGuy]

Figured out the issue. I had made my own Greece map for this COTM and forgot about it

 

[LaSalle]

Whew! Thought I accidentally changed the start location when I submitted the game file. I was kind of in a hurry.

 

[MrRandomGuy]

I began this game with the goal of going for diplomatic victory because I'm not good enough to where I can keep up with the AI for a 20k culture victory or keep up with their technology pace. So, I peacefully built while also making sure my small empire had troops in every city to cover it.

Went for philosophy first to get code of laws and traded techs along the way as I met different civilizations. I thought I was alone on my little archipelago but then met who my neighbors were and was like...dang. For a while I kept my focus on making sure the Vikings were happy. I managed to avoid getting into wars and by the time I got out of the Ancient Age, I considered setting my research to zero and buying technology from other civs. But wait! Greece is scientific! Just before I went to the next turn I remembered that I get a tech for free. So I sold my free technology, Monotheism, and traded with other civs for luxuries boosting my happiness.

Then, I did a thing you never ever should do that I know better but always seem to do because of laziness...automated workers. "Everyone's happy with me" I said, "I can get this game to the modern age no problem and probably get to where I can build the UN before anyone else!" Indeed, the Vikings and the Dutch were the only two civs who were able to keep up with me in the tech race. All the other civs were behind. And because I was able to sell Monotheism for gpt with a few civs, I kept my research at 90% and was pretty confident that I could race my way to the end.

But then I saw the Vikings make a worrisome move. A whole bunch of Berserk were coming close to my borders. So, I made a few deals with the Vikings to make them gracious towards me while preparing for the inevitable attack. The attack came and I got the whole world to declare on the Vikings, and their reputation is now in the toilet.

The sheer number of Berserk the Vikings are throwing at me is insane. Thankfully, riflemen and cavalry can easily beat them one by one. And that's what I'm going to do, attack the invading hoard one by one until the invading armies are dead. Then, they will be in trouble.

 

[templar_x]

1000bc stats:
34 pop; 1 city, 9 towns
1 Settler, 15 worker, 4 warrior, 2 curraghs
Republic, know all civs, WH from Japan
Know all AA techs except Con, Curr + Mon
Iron, horses, 1 lux connected
1 rax, 1 temple, 1 lib, 2 grans; FP in the making
182 culture
497 gold

not at all sure whether I will be able to finish this game, but we´ll see.

t_x

 

[MrRandomGuy]

The Viking invasion was repelled, and I got an MGL out of it! I created a cavalry army, built up my forces, and attacked. Strangely, the first city I captured only had two soldiers in it. Is it really going to be this easy? Did they stupidly make only their UU along with a few defensive units and send everything at me? Just about! Unfortunately, the easy war campaign didn't last. Viking cavalry quickly entered the war. Why they didn't start making cavalry before I have no idea. And I forgot about WW. WW was fine at first because of course I was repelling the invading hoard, but as soon as I switched to offensive my people started getting mad.

Then a few cities I captured flipped back to the Vikings and I realized this would be far from easy. I could either divert my entire focus towards defeating the Vikings, or I could continue to focus on getting to Fission so I could build the UN. I knew I couldn't do both. So, I checked to make sure making peace wouldn't break any deals. Only France was the one who was left with a MA, and it was for 4 more turns. I did as much damage as I could do in 4 turns, cancelled the MA with France and asked the Vikings for peace. Thankfully, the Vikings didn't want anything attached to the deal. Likely because they were still at war with most of the world.

Just after I made a peace agreement with the Vikings, the Dutch landed on my continent, destroyed one Viking city, and captured another. I'm like..."really you couldn't have been here a few turns earlier..." But I wasn't about to destroy my reputation with breaking a recent peace agreement in a war that would be very difficult to win. I needed my rep to do a diplomatic victory.

My tiny empire was at peace once more, but the political stability of the rest of the world was chaotic. I made a line of soldiers protecting my core cities just in case the Vikings decided to attack again. They didn't for the rest of the game. I wasn't worried about a sea invasion because I could see Dutch frigates moving about. The chaos was in my favor as it slowed down the tech race enough for me to be able to get to the modern age first. My free tech was computers, so I prebuilt SETI and switched it over to the UN once I got Fission. The turn before I built the UN, I gifted everyone but the Vikings Fission and it was enough to get me on (gracious) status with everyone but the Romans. So, I signed a MPP+ROP for it and prayed that nobody attacked the Romans in the interim. Thankfully, no one did.

It was a low score, but it's a good accomplishment for my comfort level of Emperor to have survived and won on Demigod. (Of course, I won the Inca one multiple times but I don't really count that because I created the map in the player's favor and gave the player an extra scout.)

 

[SayHayKid]

I have never played a game of the month (or in this case conquest of the month) and never played demigod. So, this may be a stupid question. But do I simply download the file and play the game? Then submit on the website linked? Are there other expectations? I never paid much attention to this section of the forum and I have been so much time working on and testing my epic mod, that I wanted to mix things up and try something new. I'd have to make a separate install without the flintlock patch though, but that should be easy enough.

 

[Lanzelot]

Welcome to our little competition!

The answer to your question is basically "yes". There are a few rules, though. Take a look at this short summary, especially the list of banned exploits linked there: http://gotm.civfanatics.net/games/1st_visit.php#rules

 

[Più Freddo]

First of all: DO NOT RELOAD!

 

[SayHayKid]

Sounds good. We shall see how much I get my butt whooped on demigod. I haven't played an umodded game in a long time and never tried demigod, but I do play a lot at Emperor.

 

[LaSalle]

Sounds good. We shall see how much I get my butt whooped on demigod. I haven't played an umodded game in a long time and never tried demigod, but I do play a lot at Emperor.

You should have no trouble with this demi game if you normally play on emperor. I have set up a prime starting location to help get you through the early game.

 

[SayHayKid]

So, I hadn't played a non-modded game in a long time. I had forgotten some of the vanilla stats. Playing a little sloppy I lost two workers relatively. I had gotten used to hoplites being 2/3. So, I attacked a barbarian horse and lost with lower attack. He then swooped in and got two of my workers. Doh!

I was a little behind early, then I managed to get two Curraghs out scouting. I read that the Republic slingshot was hard on Demigod, so I went for Philosophy and got it (skipping Code of Laws). That gave me something to trade with all of my contacts, which helped to make up for losing the two early workers. I am sure it is going to cost me down the line, but things are looking ok as I am getting close to finishing my research on The Republic.

I had also forgotten how long it takes to check all of the trade options without Flintlock's patch. You can switch between civs from the trade screen. You have to exit out.

So far I am not getting worked at Demigod, we shall see if I can stay in the mix once one of notorious neighbors starts to get aggressive and gets their powerful UU.

 

[Spoonwood]

I had also forgotten how long it takes to check all of the trade options without Flintlock's patch. You can switch between civs from the trade screen. You have to exit out.

Try the utility program MapStat. It makes trading much quicker.

 

[templar_x]

Welcome to conquest game of the month 168, created by LaSalle. In this game you will play as the Greeks who are scientific and commercial, and already know the alphabet and bronze working. The Greeks can produce the Hoplite, a very strong early defender that requires no special resources. This is a demigod level game

You, Alexander find yourself far to the north of your homeland in a large chain of islands. It is much colder than you are accustomed to, but food seems plentiful. There is abundant wild game and fish available and even some farming might be possible. It is up to you to discover what riches these islands hold.

This map is a bit unusual for a game of the month, but hopefully you will find it interesting and challenging. The north edge of the map is bordered with mountains rather than ocean. There is no real need to explore these mountains, there is not much here

The normal changes to the Conquests rules apply to this game: Iron locations are fixed, and Workers instead of Settlers can be popped from Goody Huts. In addition to this, the following changes have been made to terrain causing Disease in order to limit the impact of chance on the competition:

Flood Plains do not cause Disease
Jungles and Wetland have their Disease level lowered from 50% to 25%
Knowledge of Sanitation cancels Disease in Jungles and Wetlands

Scope of the Game:

Normal size world
7 opponents, pre- selected
Archipelago/Coast Line
Cool, wet climate
Roaming barbarians
Normal rule changes for cotm will apply

Time Plan: The game is released on July 1, 2024. Submissions are due by September 30, 2024.

Game Release Page: http://gotm.civfanatics.net/games/index.php?month=30168

This might sound quite premature, but may I already now ask for 2 or even better 3 additional weeks for this one?

You might have heard about the floodings in eastern Austria... those of us who do not help with their own hands, do try to help the helpers. It is totally crazy (and it is in lots of other places, too). No way I could get those hours reserved for playing these last many demanding terms in my game for the destined VC...

Thanks and best from Vienna,
t_x