Nobles' Club 321: Mao Zedong of China

[soundjata]

^ yes !
3 pop whip of settlers and 2 pop whip of workers are great in general.

 

[sampsa]

T115 (1AD) demigod

Spoiler :

Obviously the plan is to beeline chokonoobs. Otherwise, why are we here ?

Good question. While I did realize that it's the point of the map (no fishing, thus possible bulbery), I was here to play SimCity™ in the corner. I'm not a massive fan of inland sea, just too much space and the land is always of high quality so simply expanding to 10 good cities is very easy. Tried to be quick but still only 7 cities T75.

1NW. BW-wheel-pot-hunting-archery-AH-writing-alpha and so on. Just played it very safe and had no great ideas. Academy. Won music but lost GLib. Didn't even manage to take the barb cities. Still 2 AI unmet, who have been fighting (early GGs). Pretty horrible, unfocused play so far, but it's won (cuirs ) unless Stalin daggers me.

 

[AcaMetis]

Spoiler :

For the record the map was designed so it could be won even without Cho-Ku-Nu action, considering the last few maps actually have been quite early war heavy (what else would you expect from HC, Julius and especially Monty ). But if you did want to use the UU there's definitely the potential to go that route as well .

 

[soundjata]

T115 (1AD) demigod

Spoiler :

It is nice of Victoria to deliver a spy city like that (Anasasi).
Is a discount on her techs worth the effort ?

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

Question to @sampsa

Spoiler :

Any reason why not to meet all the AIs for tech discounts? It doesn't seem too much of a distraction to train two scouts or two chariots and loop around. Or is it?

 

[Fippy]

I agree with Sampsa, Inland sea = easier Pangaea.

@soundjata it's just easier cos of the compact land
Always 2 directions, can make friends with border AIs (and ignore others if you want), we know where barbs will come from..etc.

 

[soundjata]

@Fippy maybe with the added nations. With standard setting it is different don't you think ?

 

[AcaMetis]

Just to note I have gotten DoWed by AI clear on the other side of an Inland Sea map before , so I wouldn't say you can completely ignore even the distant AIs.

 

[sampsa]

Question to @sampsa

Spoiler :

Any reason why not to meet all the AIs for tech discounts? It doesn't seem too much of a distraction to train two scouts or two chariots and loop around. Or is it?

Agree, should have bothered to build a scout. I thought they'd scout me though, otherwise they can't even dow me.

 

[Fippy]

Keep that habit for always war @sampsa

 

[soundjata]

@AcaMetis I think I know the answer but still...

Spoiler T98 - All AI faces inside :

Did you intentionally put Alex and Boudica close together or is it just luck?

Most of the world is annoyed with the most of the world

 

[AcaMetis]

Spoiler :

I actually don't recall off-hand . My main concern in terms of AI placement was that your two neighbours weren't too difficult to not get DoWed by, since I did want a (at least relatively) peaceful game to be an option. Izzy obviously is very easy to please if you adopt her religion/favorite civic, and I figured even if Stalin falls under the sway of a different religion it shouldn't be impossible to at least keep him busy if not happy. It's not "start right next to Gandhi and Lincoln" levels, but I think keeping Izzy/Stalin off your back is at least a reasonable goal.

 

[soundjata]

T104 report

Spoiler :

We followed the outlines of our plan (beeline Machinery)
We traded MC for Alphabet and Alphabet for IW and Math.
Gold was lacking but we could build research and pillage the barb city #2

Stalin got a great spy a few turns ago but is not spying on us.
Isabella demanded MC last turn. Very good
Greece and Celtia are locked in war.
Victoria started plotting a few turns ago.

Notice that research is pretty much halted but some bulb could happen in 10 turns


No tech trade (or almost)


Question how hard should we whip?

 

[soundjata]

T117 report

Spoiler :

Chokonoobs had to wait for Trebuchets before doing any real action (apart from taking the other barb city)
In other words you can't go stomping with zebras alone. For a good stomp requires zebras and buffaloes.


We have 12 CKN and a number of trebs while Stalin apparently has nothing...

Plan is simple : go south.


Having traded all of Monarchy, Calendar and Feudalism (self research Aestetics and Construction), we are now putting beakers in the general direction of Music.


Victoria stack (she's been plotting) & Stalin face

 

[soundjata]

T132 report

Spoiler :

After losing 4 cities and enough units, Stalin capitulates.


First GG was used to upgrade a bunch of trebs to CR2 (lost 3 of those on St Petersburg)
The good thing about shokonus is they attack AND defend pretty well.


Casualties on our side (9 units) Stalin lost about 40.


Cheap war overall, we did not have to whip much (one round of Chokos, 2 rounds of Trebs)
We focused on growth, wealth and cottages a la sampsa in the meantime.


Research Fishing, Sailing, Priesthood, Meditation
Trade for Calendar, Monarchy and Feudalism
Research CS
Get Philosophy by Stalin (through the peace treaty).


Moscow has Pyramids, Scotland Yard, TGW and TGL
St Petersburg has Parthenon. What's not to love?

Victoria took a city from Liz but is now in a stalemate.

We still have some unused zebras and buffaloes and Washington is near...

But we also have high research power incoming, GS points are stored in a couple of cities and we are ready to trigger a golden age (with Music GA) and do some serious civic switching (rep/bureau/caste/paci ...)

Stalin could be switched to Judaism if it mattered.

Judaism holy city is very close (spanish land) but does not have a shrine. (Isabella shrined the Christian HC instead...Because it was closer?)


Any suggestion on the march forward?
Just go Cuir ?

Edit: i've never used a Scotland Yard before... Should I put a jail now in Moscow or something ?

Now just for historical reference

Spoiler :

Mao in Moscow IRL