News: GOTM 26 Pre-game Discussion

[DynamicSpirit]

GOTM 26: Russia

[img=right]http://gotm.civfanatics.net/civ4games/images/gotm26civ.jpg[/img]

Game will open 1 Jan 2008, entries must be submitted by 1 Feb 2008, download and submit game at http://gotm.civfanatics.net once the game is open

This game MUST be played in patch version 1.74, for Mac or Windows. We will NOT accept any games played under any other patch versions, and you can't play it in warlords or Beyond the Sword!

Further, it MUST be played using HOF mod version 1.74.002. - Mac players can download their version of the 1.74.002 mod from this thread.



Game settings:
Civilization: Russia (Leader: Catherine; Traits: Creative, Financial)
Rivals: 6 AIs
Difficulty: Monarch
Map: Archipelago (snaky continents) - but significantly modified.
Mapsize: Medium
Climate: Temperate
Water level: Low (NB. with this maptype this still means mostly ocean)
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Epic
Options: none.
Victory Conditions: all enabled

Catherine:
Catherine is Financial and Creative; starting with hunting and mining. Financial allows +1 base commerce on every plot producing at least 2 commerce. Creative gives every city +2 culture/turn and allows double production speed of theatres and colosseums.

Unique unit: Cossack
The cossack replaces the standard cavalry. It keeps the same strength of 15, with a 50% attack bonus against cannon and a 30% withdrawal chance, but adds to that a 50% bonus against mounted units. Like cavalry, cossacks don't receive defensive bonuses.

The starting screenshot is here (click for a bigger version!)



Adventurer Class bonuses:

1. Worker: You have an extra worker (sharing a tile with the scout).
2. Clever scout: Your remarkably clever scout has discovered that there is definitely copper in one of the visible starting tiles (but he won't tell you which one).

Challenger Class Equalisers:

1. Naughty scout: The scout has chopped down all three of the fully visible forests, and now he's gone missing.

 

[Markus5]

So, does the Adventurer Clever scout imply anything for Contenders and Challengers? Maybe there isn't copper in the visible starting tiles, hm?

This game certainly fits my favorite settings. I'll play some warm-up games. Since the note says that this is still mostly-ocean, I'll maybe play with normal sea-level.

 

[caeru71]

I like the settings and Monarch is my level so I'll play this game even though it isn't BtS. I'm really looking forward to BotM2 though. As for the start I guess I'll settle in place and research AH then BW building a warrior then a worker. It depends on how the game pans out but I usually intend a space race victory.

 

[Niklas]

I'm pretty sure that there's no copper in the starting shot for the non-Adventurers, otherwise it wouldn't be a benefit. Settling in place or thereabout is a likely course of action anyway, so if there was copper there it would be available just as early to all.

 

[jesusin]

Scout moves SE-SE, if he find somethin wonderful, probably move settler to PH, away from the cow. If not, settle in place.

Monach+early gems = CS slingshot.

 

[Htadus]

Since there is a floodplain to south and a mountain next to it, I will settle in place. I hope to go for a cultural game with the CS sling for extra gold and hammers. Second City will build the Mids and HG. Third City will be a GA factory. Worker, warrior, warrior, settler will be the build order and learn AG, AH, and BW will be the current tech plan , but may chase an early religion.

 

[JungleIII]

Here is a TEST GAME for this GOTM...

Not knowing what the powers have "significantly modified", we will have to play with what we know... but, expect anything.

Cheers....

 

[DaviddesJ]

Challenger Class Equalisers:

1. Naughty scout: The scout has chopped down all three of the fully visible forests, and now he's gone missing.

Finally, we can satisfy the people who don't want the challenger start to be strictly worse than contender. On the downside, you lose the forests. On the upside, your scouts can chop forests!

 

[srad]

Scout moves SE-SE, ...

I will do the same, maybe there is some sea food. Then the cow will serve an other town.

Conquest or Domination means probably shipping a lot of units so I will go for a peaceful victory.

 

[BLubmuz]

Scout moves SE-SE, if he find somethin wonderful, probably move settler to PH, away from the cow. If not, settle in place.

Monach+early gems = CS slingshot.

Completely agreed, and if you add "financial" to the equation, and 2 plains hills for production, almost no doubt. I think 1300 BC can be a safe date, with some luck until 1150 or so.

IIRC the cossack in Vanilla has 18 strenght, not 15, being probably the best UU together with the praet.

 

[Niklas]

According to the Info Center, you're right about the 18 strength.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

I think cossacks started out with 18 strength when Civ4 was first released but then got nerfed in one of the patches, though offhand I can't find any confirmation of that.

The info I was using came from the in-game help. To confirm, I've just set up a quick worldbuilder test and set a couple cossacks into combat, and the combat odds the game is displaying are showing strength 15, with +50% if the opponent is mounted.

 

[greatbeyond]

Here are starting saves for each class. As usual they are matched as close as I can get them and I haven't added or deleted any resources/bonuses, just moved if necessary

 

[ainwood]

The info I was using came from the in-game help.

In-game from the help is read direct from the XML - it is the correct value.

 

[classical_hero]

According to the Info Center, you're right about the 18 strength.

We had this issue in the Civ4 MTDG. We had one team as Russia and one team an England and both units got nerfed with the latest patch so we had a long discussion about patching and we eventually did, even though both units were stupidly reduced to normal.

 

[slowrider]

Looks like DynamicSpirit is hosting his first game of the month. Congratulations and I look forward to the game and the discussions.

 

[The-Hawk]

I haven't done a GOTM in a long time (and I'm a Geezer, so I have bad memory )... once the saves are posted, how long do we have to play?

 

[Jove]

I'm looking forward to playing the first Dynamic Spirit-hosted gotm. I think we can all assume he isn't 'evil', but beyond that who knows what he will do? Good times...

I can't decide what do do with the scout's first move. As others have said, this map is a setup for the CS slingshot. I usually go space, meaning a 'long' game. So. Even if there is seafood to the east, claiming it will mean giving up land tiles in the capitol, and they're all pretty good. Cows+fp+fresh water= plenty of food already, 3 hills, gems, forests to jump-start things, both grass and plains river tiles... this can be a production monster. My gut feeling is I'd have to find something pretty special to move.

 

[BLubmuz]

Sorry about the cossacks, but i can affirm that during the long 1.61 era they has 18, as for the redcoats 16.
I remember that warlords, from the start, lowered the cossacks to 15, not sure about redcoats to 14.
In the GotM as Churchill i remember my redcoats were 16.

Perhaps this is changed by 1.74.

 

[AlanH]

I haven't done a GOTM in a long time (and I'm a Geezer, so I have bad memory )... once the saves are posted, how long do we have to play?

Game of the Month, in this case, means what it says. You normally get a month, unless there's a special reason to extend it. The actual deadline will be published on the game release page where you find the start file download links, and you will be able to see how many days or hours you have left at any time by looking at the Submission Page. Please don't leave it to the last minute to submit, though. I hate getting those sad PMs from players who had uploading problems at the last minute, with no time left to sort the problem out.