OCC Always War

[cripp7]

Following in the OCCC tradition, I thought I'd resurrect this OCC challenge.

This is in BTS. You are Hannibal of Japan. There are the standard 6 AIs, all aggressive (Boudica, Genghis, Hammurabi, Montezuma, Shaka, and Tokogawa), with random civs. Since there is just one continent, they will all attack you with huge SODs throughout the game.

The challenge is to win by conquest (space would be too easy). The AIs are allowed to win by any method.

Is this impossible? With a random map, absolutely. Your city will get pillaged relentlessly and there is nothing you can do about it. To make it sporting, I borrowed an idea from the Age of Ice scenario. There is a mountain wall isolating you in a small protected valley in the NE corner of the map. There is a single pass through the mountain. Hold the pass and you can develop in peace. Lose the pass and you effectively lose the game.

You also start will a super city location with 11 resources plus 10 flood plains. That may sound like it would make the game too easy, but you will need it against the deities. The valley has copper, iron, horses, elephants, coal, oil, and aluminum so you will be able to build any non-nuclear unit.

Here's the start

Spoiler :

Spoiler settings :

Here's the original save and the WB save allowing you to play any level


edit: I accidentally put the wrong start WB save, that was one I was playing around with. Also fixed the MaxTurns=0

 

[kossin]

If my memory serves right, it should be harder in 3.19 because the mapmaker (who managed to win) (ab)used hammer overflow into gold to upgrade troops.

Anyway, good luck to challengers

 

[Framesticker]

Oh, this brings back a lot. After like 20 tries I beat it with only one cheat (WB'ed Civil Service). Here are some tips for you challengers:

Spoiler :

The Oracle->CS and a Liberalism->Biology slingshots are absolutely essential for winning this game. Buearacracy (couldn't spell that to save my life) is amazing for OCCs, and National Park will boost growth tremendously. Also, try to hold the pass with quality, not quantity. The creator of the challenge did it with 4 Axemen (which he obviously upgraded as time passed) by using a careful use of promotions. I did it with 6. Try to do someting similar.

 

[Halt]

I am trying to find that German Forum challenge that a bunch of us played a few years ago. Hmmm... I can't find it using the search function... sorry I forgot what it was called.

Grrr... The first thing to go is the memory... which helps when everything else falls apart.

 

[Jman5]

Spoiler :

4-6 axemen you say? Shaka just annihilated me with about 10 catapults, and a massive amount of elephants, horse archers, swordsmen, etc. And I had a lot more than 6 axemen on that tile.

If a hill is forested like that one spot, should I leave the forest up or replace it with a fort?

 

[Halt]

The fort will add to the forest not replace it.

 

[lymond]

Hmmmm...I learned something I hadn't quite known before...I think. The fort defense bonus does not go into effect until enclosed within your borders.

anyway...a little update

Spoiler :

It's freakin' hilarious how many units have died against my little stack on the hill fort. I've popped at least 5 or 6 GGs by 500AD. I'm actually teching pretty decent and may win Lib.

I build Mids as fast as possible as I like rep in OCC. Although I haven't been able to run too many specialists yet due to health. I still was able to get the academy, settle a scientist, and have popped a couple of engineers. I settled one for extra hammers/beakers and will save the second for rushing Ox.

The macemen with drill and woodsmen have been very effective. I have one macemen that is close to completing the full promo line. Drill 4, WII, C4, March, Cover, Shock, Formation - everything. Woodsmen in generally has been very useful in defense here, especially since I avoided archery for sometime. I am spitting out a few crossbows though with G and CG promos.

National Wonders:

Heroic Epic (I often don't build this in normal OCCs but seems quite apt here)
Globe (in process)
NE (in process)
Ox (will rush soon - teching Edu right now)
NP ( really need for health if I'm ever going to grow - I think it will be worth more than IW in the long run)

Although a few cottage flood plains are useful, I think ultimately workshops and/or watermills will be better since production is somewhat limited outside the 1st ring BFC.

Goal here is to use Lib to get a strong military tech lead and finally break out of this stalemate. Not sure if that will really happen until modern warfare comes.

This is pretty fun.

 

[lymond]

yeah...forest does not destroy the forest. You will get a 100% defense bonus on that tile once you pop your borders that far.

 

[cripp7]

@lymond

Spoiler :

key is getting archers/axes out early. The AI doesn't mess around!

 

[lymond]

@lymond

Spoiler :

key is getting archers/axes out early. The AI doesn't mess around!

@crippman

Spoiler :

yeah...i ignore archery and focused on axe/spear - mainly axe. I was able to get through the initial waves. Actually my woodsman warriors actually took out some axemen before I got my axe up there. The woodsmen promo in generally has been extremely helpful in defense. I used one GG on a supermedic warrior which is great too.

ARchery is definitely another route to go there - but I generally avoid the tech early. On a normal deity game I might not though.

 

[Killroyan]

Ha, this one I am going to try. Getting drill IV archers and a good axe will be the most important thing I guess. Especially with the AI bringing out siege like mad.

 

[nishant1911]

ai just keep stacking up units next to pass until it thinks it can win

 

[nishant1911]

wow , this is really fun
thanks for resurrecting this game.

 

[The_Insomniac]

Always war.... I love it, gonna give it a try for sure

 

[nishant1911]

2nd try

Spoiler :

killing units is fun

 

[nishant1911]

winning by conquest is a nightmare
i am very uncertain whether it can be done

some tips for map

Spoiler :

1.get 2-3 warriors and start scout killing, upgrade woodsman3 warriors.
2.cs slingshot ,globe theater, biology liberalism are must
3.chop forests outside BFC while building research before oxford and park
4. get to drill 4 asap ,catapults won't matter a bit
5.don't bother archers

 

[White Dragon]

Thanks Cripp for the renewed post, as well as to the original people involved.

This was great fun until I remembered that the following could happen in an Always War Scenario.

Spoiler :

5 of the other 6 AI for a SOD.

I was worried that these defenses would hold.

Spoiler :

My 6 great general Samurai held up during the 4 turns of onslaught with no casualities. I was quite worried that this would be game over.

Only playing on Emperor/Marathon and I don't have any idea how I am going to create a large enough army to win. I have about 9 Cuirassiers in 1200AD but I think I will need at least 30 before I dare to wander out after Shaka the Viking. I thought about pre-building the army with HA's but remembered that the Economics Great Merchant wouldn't do me any good, even if it got it.

 

[Kid R]

Great fun!

winning by conquest is a nightmare
i am very uncertain whether it can be done

I vaguely remember the originator of the map won it with

Spoiler :

Mech infantry

So I'm going to give that a try. All the AIs are poor techers so perhaps the OCC city can keep a lead till then.

The carnage at the pass is going to generate enough GG's for maybe 20 super-promoted warlord units by the end, and they should be able to do a lot of damage when breakout time comes.

I suspect blitz will be important as there are going to be thousands of AI units swarming around by then too

 

[cripp7]

@Dragon

Spoiler :

Key is to get to Mech Inf, once you get the HE built you can build chariots which the overflow of turns into , more than just build . You'll need it to upgrade your samurai, start building those around Plastics. You'll need about 30000 to do it. Checkout the original thread for some pointers.

 

[Killroyan]

This map is seriously fun but when the turns are taking 10 minutes for the AI to attack it becomes a bit boring. Had to start a couple of times over since the AI came with knocking on my door with too many units grmbllllll.

Spoiler :

Initially I went worker first while teching hunting/mining/BW/masonry/agr to get stuff going. Got lucky in my game and popped mining and agr so off to a good start. Build the Great wall and pyramids and blocked the entrance with about 10 units. All went well and got 2 great generals. Then the big attack came. 30+ attacks later my 2 great generals died. NOOOOOOOOOOOO. GRRRRRR, but I lived. Teched math quickly to get the fort up and rebuild the army again. Got some super defenders again and have 6 GG settled. 2 GG are guarding my pass with about 25 other units to soak up collateral damage.

I thought I was going well and could postpone liberalism. Bad idea. Got beaten to it. Stupid me for not checking the tech screen. Got nationalism and started to build Taj Mahal but apparantly a GE was saved for this. Missed it also. Working towards rifling now and not knowing how this is going to end. I could remember the mech inf strat so I was planning to build them all late game, but if that will work???? This is going to be tough and I am not even a deity player. My tech is pretty solid though with 750 beakers at 950 AD (liberalism went at 900 AD)