News: COTM 95 Results and congratulations

[AlanH]

Here are the results of the C3C game from January. Egypt, Deity. Seven players took this one on, and only three came out alive! Lanzelot's bronze-winning entry was a tad late, but is included to make up the numbers

Well done to those who tackled it.

Summary of Medal Winners:

Neo666: 590 AD Domination Victory, 11,098 points.

templar_x: 460 AD Domination Victory, 11,041 points.

Lanzelot: 710 AD Domination Victory, 10,260 points.

Other Award Winners:

supersova_SU: 1560 AD Cultural 100k Loss, 1,959 points.

donsig: 170 AD Conquest Loss, 169 points.


>> See the full results here.
>> See the QSC results here.
>> See the updated global rankings here.
>> See the latest Pantheon of Heroes here.
>> Award symbols are listed here.

 

[templar_x]

what a table. i do not think i have seen one like this one before.
i am still happy about that dom award, i really played it for the date and found this was a very fun game. and it is *never* easy to finish any game before Neo...
t_x

 

[Lanzelot]

Six players took this one on, and only two came out alive!

How about mine?! I mean, only a few hours past the deadline, when for new games and results we have to wait months...

 

[AlanH]

How about mine?! I mean, only a few hours past the deadline, when for new games and results we have to wait months...

Did you send me a message? If so, I apologise, I can find no record of it.

 

[Lanzelot]

I probably should've. I attached it to the COTM95 Pre-Game thread, when the clock had run out. (For lack of any better ideas...)

 

[AlanH]

OK, I'm feeling generous. I've added it. You have gained a bronze medal, and only "robbed" templar_x of a blue shield.

 

[templar_x]

i fear i have to put in a caveat in that case...

Spoiler :

of course that is fine with me, and it also would be if Lanzelot came to lie before me. what again does the shield do?

t_x

 

[Kulko]

i fear i have to put in a caveat in that case...

Spoiler :

what again does the shield do?

t_x

Declare you biggest looser. (lowest scoring dom victory)

 

[templar_x]

the first part of your post could refer to both my first or my second line, with very difficult meanings

but seriously, what was the original idea of the shield awards? is there a story behind it?

t_x

 

[AlanH]

In the heady days when we had a hundred or so players each month, there was a drive to increase the number of awards. I think the shields and ambulances were supposed to be a light hearted way to give newcomers some "reward" for their efforts. They are only pixels, so their manufacturing cost is relatively small.

 

[Lanzelot]

They are only pixels, so their manufacturing cost is relatively small.

I do hope you are using only recycled electrons for them, though?!

But anyway: hey, great! Thanks a lot! (So my effort is not completely wasted...)

 

[AlanH]

We only ever use recycled electrons. I understand that all the electrons that have existed still exist, in one form or another.

 

[Lanzelot]

Well, better don't start a discussion with the guys from CERN about that...

 

[CKS]

the first part of your post could refer to both my first or my second line, with very difficult meanings

but seriously, what was the original idea of the shield awards? is there a story behind it?

t_x

I think they originated because some players got tired of playing to maximize score and went to the other extreme, having an informal contest to see who could win with the lowest score - 1 city games, settle late games, that sort of thing. Some of the spoilers are pretty interesting. Long ago, when I had time, I read through all the spoiler threads for the early games; I have no idea which early games this came up in, though.

 

[vincentf]

I downloaded the 3 winners's saved games. Congratulations! I tried the game but my computer crashed and I lost it. I was pretty well surviving to the AI tanks but I don't think I would ba able to submit a winning game at the end.

Anyway, congratulations one more time.

Looking at the saved games, I found some points that are very strange to me :
- lots of cities without defensive units
- very few defensive units
- very few city improvement
- almost no science research...

I have to try this way to play...

--
Vincent

 

[vincentf]

I just tried a few turns with my daughter.

When I was able to attack with War chariot the Babylonians to take their Iron, I faced Knights! I took easily a city and they took it back a few turns after and I had no more troops ti retake it...

I tried to go to Philosophy until I understood while searching Writing that my neighbors had it already...

How can you manage to survive the Ancien area at that level??

--
Vincent the Dead

 

[Più Freddo]

- lots of cities without defensive units
- very few defensive units
- very few city improvement
- almost no science research...

Defensive units are less useful than offensive ones. You can defend by attacking the attacker, if there is one. This changes only at ridiculously high difficulty levels. There are interesting articles in the War academy.

City improvements after the Barracks are not needed in most cities a military game.

Science research can be turned off (a) after having reached The Republic and the technology level of the needed military unit, e.g. Knights, Medieval Infantry or Cavalry and (b) at high difficulty levels where there's no way to keep up with AI research.

Hope this helps!

 

[AlanH]

I just tried a few turns with my daughter.

When I was able to attack with War chariot the Babylonians to take their Iron, I faced Knights! I took easily a city and they took it back a few turns after and I had no more troops ti retake it...

I tried to go to Philosophy until I understood while searching Writing that my neighbors had it already...

How can you manage to survive the Ancien area at that level??

--
Vincent the Dead

The early game is absolutely crucial at higher levels in order to get a fast start and create a sound foundation for whatever victory you want to achieve.

It is important in the early game to concentrate almost entirely on growing your empire. Find and use every food resource to maximum effect, and build settlers fast. This is specially true at high levels where the AI gets more settlers to start with.

Typically, the good players pack their cities closer together than the AI does - 3 or 4 tiles apart. This allows you to defend your cities with fewer units, share food resources around, and move workers fast to improve the terrain.

There's a Replay option for GOTMs where you can see and compare how the different players developed their cities in each of the completed games.

Find articles on Settler Factories, city placement, and efficient use of workers, and have a look at Cracker's article on the early game. It was written over a decade ago for vanilla Civ3, but most of the lessons, and all of the philosophy, are still relevant in C3C today.

 

[vincentf]

Thank you Alan and Più for your answers. I know almost everything you wrote and (alone at home) I considered my self as a good Civ player, but I discover that it is not that true... ;-)

There is some differences between knowing and doing it right and when I play I fall back to some habits even if I plan to stick to some new strategy, I must admit.

In this particuliar case, should I :
- still go the The Republic as soon as possible, or prefer going to Wheel or Iron Working?
- build a settler pump in Thebes or find another spot with cow or wheat?

I discovered the replay link. very interesting! Thank you again.

I'll retry and learn.

--
Vincent the Phoenix

 

[Più Freddo]

Going directly to The Republic, possibly over Pottery if needed, has many advantages. Republic is much better than Despotism and you can trade for the other techs, as the AI goes the other way. And since you're only building Warriors and Settlers, you don't need the other techs just yet.

Building a Settler Factory in the Capital has the advantage that there's no corruption (except the tenth shield on a small map). Another location needs even better tiles. A second food-rich location in the core can often be better used as Worker Factory under Despotism and then Settler Factory after the Capital has left this stage. Don't be afraid to build more than one Granary and masses of Workers.