Paradigm Shift Reboot! Queen of Culture 2

[ParadigmShifter]

Yes! That was why I kept Hatty around to 1205AD! To make it a more entertaining game! Honest Anyway, glad you like it. Off to work soon and I'll post the update tonight. I might also play another round as well since not much is going on except buildings.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Are cultural victories nerve-wracking? Let's find out with the latest installment of

Cathy Queen of Culture 2 - round 7 (to 1585AD)

I switch civics to Free Speech and Pacifism. I'd just been looking at the city screens and such as well, so this was a stroke of (non-)genius.

Because...

It had 1 turn lleft to go... So I did this next obviously...

Thebes is 1 turn away from hitting 5000 culture. So next turn I will have an idea of when I can hit legendary.

This is my 2nd best culture city

And next turn I see that at this rate I will hit Legendary Culture for Thebes in 161 turns if I don't improve my culture output at all.

I want more than 1 city building Taoists so I go for a monastery here as well. It will take 6 turns.

And another Great Artist is born

I finish optics

And it's a toss-up between Printing Press

And astronomy

I go for astronomy, I only have a few villages and towns, and a quick caravel from Moscow to find the rest of the AI. My scout from 4000BC is ready in Moscow to look for adventure again!

I get a random event. Do I want a couple of hundred beakers twards divine right, or do I want +4 culture for a monastery in my 2nd best culture city... hmmm...

So here it is, my super monastery, +11 culture and +2 beakers.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2: Round 7 part 2 (to 1585AD)

I've just built a market here, and start on the Hermitage. It has better production than Moscow. I run a priest as well to get a whole extra hammer, which does make a bit of a difference to the build time. This is a mixed bag GP city anyway, so if it does produce one it may be one of the 2 I need for a second golden age.

Monastery finished in Yaroslavl', back to finishing the missionary.

I start the Taj in Thebes.

And I also notice that Moscow and Thebes are due to pop a GP on the same turn, I'd rather Moscow produced one first (not sure if it checks the capital first or not or if it just depends upon the amount of GPP overflow), so Captain MicroManagement decides to drop by. Also, I have been lying about Novgorod being my 2nd best culture city, Moscow is ahead and produces more culture per turn

So I slow Thebes' GP rate down to make sure Moscow pops a Great Artist next (it has a 100% chance of that).

I need at least 3 more missionaries to spread Taoism to all 9 cities.

So I get to work on more

And more...

This is where the cool cats hang out, aka 8000 culture.

I want 9 Taoist temples as well...

I've been cottaging this city a bit so I go for a market.

I finish 9 Jewish Temples this turn so I can build my 3rd Synagogue (in Moscow). I am aiming to build this city up to high pop and run a load of artists to squeeze out another GA from a non-GP farm city. It's growing so fast I don't even need a granary yet...

Thebes grows, so more micro is required to make sure Moscow pops the next GP.

Lots of GM's get born around about now so I think I am beaten to Economics.

Kublai is offering this deal, I need it for banking and guilds, so I go for it.

My first missionary fails to spread Taoism.

And Kublai will do this deal...

But I don't go for it, I'd rather meet some more civs first.

Other missionaries are successful

But I finish the university here before I start on the temple. I gave a mine in this city's BFC to Thebes to speed up the Taj, and look! I made a big arrow shape with my worked tiles too.

I think I should build some troops now though, so go for a maceman. I have no idea why I didn't go for a longbow.

I fail to circumcise the globe with a giant clipper

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2: Round 7 part 3 (to 1585AD)

Moscow becomes influential, but has a long way to go to being legendary. I need to build 2 cathedrals here and grow the cottages.

So I start on cathedral #1

Arrowtown starts on a caravel, to go in the general direction of the big arrow.

And my scout, after having nothing to do for thousands of years, jumps aboard my first caravel.

Just for a laugh I have a look at the power graph...

That's not good!

I chopped the forest outside Thebes' BFC (to the Northeast, it has spice) to get some more hammers into the Taj.

Just when you thought "This thread isn't as smutty or double-entendre filled as his dominatrix Cathy game", Willy pops up.

That's 4 creative civs in this game so far (Hatty is dead now however).

Anyway, another missionary

Tech situation, pretty good for backfilling

Diplo situation.

This is a pretty good deal, so I go for it.

And we discover Holland

Kublai is still 2nd place in culture so Willy hasn't been doing much of that it seems. Thebes is just racing ahead here.

I go for another caravel here

I start a Taoist Temple here

This is the sort of thing Willy has guarding his city

And my next great artist will arrive next turn.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2: Round 7 part 4 (to 1585AD)

I have horseback riding and guilds now, Knights are pretty good for dealing with small pillaging parties, so I build a stable

Another great artist is born

And I meet Super Mario!

So more diplo screen action

He'll do this deal, I don't go for it

I go for this instead, 2 useful techs

And I learn Hammy is at War with Wang, another chance for a smutty gag later on I think.

And Hammy's map shows me the Vikings are about as well.

I adjust my EPs so I can at least see some demographics

12000 culture on this tile now

And Thebes is due another GP in 2 turns

I concentrate on production in Moscow to get the Synagogue finished quicker

Astronomy is discovered

I go printing press next

Because I think the GM has gone for discovering Economics first.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2: Round 7 part 5 (to 1585AD)

I stop playing after this turn because some stuff happens.

First, I miss the Taj, Wang has built it.

Second, Kublai won the Economics race so no GM for me, so if I want Sushi I'll have to sacrifice 4000 culture from an artist to get it.

Gunpowder is pretty cheap anyway

I do this trade with Willy now astro has arrived. I wish I had marble when I was building the Taj. The wheaty goodness is good for health however.

Culture update

Next GP is due here

If I go max culture without running a loss

Here's the save...

 

[Killroyan]

Bummer on the Taj. I guess you are saving national Park for Thebes then? Or did Thebes already get two national wonders? Too bad about the GM from economics. Well, can't be helped now. Maybe it will be better to start spamming some units to get the power rating up. When I see Kahns power graph then I start to fear a little for your little country. But overall the land is shaping up and it shouldn't become to much of a problem to get it. Did you already switch to mercantalism?

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Thebes already has 2 national wonders (national epic and moai).
Haven't switched to merc yet, I think a few civs have so it is probably a good plan.

I should get open borders with Kublai and Willy anyway.

Once the Taoist temples are built I'm going to spam longbows I think, and build a few galleons for coastal defence.

Ragnar is a bit of a worry too.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Well I played another round (to 1685AD). Finished all my cathedrals and raised a lot of cash so I think the win is in the bag due to everyone else being at war with everyone else.

I'll post the update tomorrow though I think.

EDIT: Of course, my main aim is to beat The Me in Team's 1920 win. I think I will

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of CUlture 2 - round 8 (to 1685AD)

Goal for this round - stay out of trouble, finish all the temples and cathedrals, raise lots of cash for the endgame.

Kublai has some cash to spare...

Everyone has "enough on their hands", but no-one has astronomy yet.

He'll do this deal... but I decide to wait a bit.

Everyone I know is running mercantilism, so it is probably a good idea to change to that soon. Willy's favourite civic is Free Religion, so I'll probably gift or trade him liberalism soon so he goes for it cancelling my heathen diplo penalty.

I do this trade with Willy anyway

And because of the extra happiness I can grow Moscow a bit more

Taoist bloke is finished here, time to build some longbows for defence.

In fact, I have 3 missionaries now. I only have 1 city without Taoism though so that's what happens when you drink and play civ.

Hmm, I get a Great Prophet from Thebes. I save him for now, if I get another non-artist (that isn't a priest) I can have a golden age. I could also build the Taoist shrine for +5 culture and +9 gold. I got 305 gold for failing to finish the Taj by the way.

This is my best bet for a non-artist GP.

I've just finished a stable here, more troops then, a Knight.

I encounter Ragnar

He's pretty backwards, and hasn't got optics even so his feared navy shouldn't be an issue.

He doesn't like me because I have traded with his worst enemy.

He's also running mercantilism.

I skip the lighthouse for now here and get to work on the Taoist temple instead.

More troops, my plan is longbow/crossbow/longbow/pikeman/repeat until rifling

And here's Wang, the current score leader. I have met everyone now.

He doesn't like me much either.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2 - round 8 part 2 (to 1685AD)

The whole world is in mercantilism, so I join them.

Cities that aren't going to get a GP run merchants as their free specialist.

Other cities run extra artists or work cottages as appropriate.

I go for a quick galleon here

Current diplo situation

More defence

I change my EPs around since I forgot to do this after meeting Ragnar and Wang

So I can't see everyones power rating yet

So more troops are built

I build a workboat here to grab the whale

The other coontinent is having a big war it seems

And still no-one has astro

And then the unreasonable requests begin...

Even although Ragnar hasn't got astronomy, I don't go for it.

Next tech arrives...

Which is pretty healthy for my economy

Replaceable parts next, I have some forests to lumbermill and I can easily get gunpowder in trade.

Another Taoist temple is started

And more troops

Another temple is started

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2 - round 8 part 3 (to 1685AD)

Dodgy dealings in this section.

I haven't built a court here yet so I do that

This is the current best gunpowder deal

I take the deal. And then I trade liberalism to my pals...

Willy gets a great deal here

Which improves my diplo standing

And Hammurabai gets the best deal ever!

I get open borders with Willy too, also to improve diplo relations.

Kublai is prepared to trade me copper, but at a high price. I'm about to build Pagodas though which are built twice as fast with copper.

I lower my science slider to get more GPT available to trade, and Kublai offers this more reasonable deal.

It's worth it, so I take it. I will cancel after I have built the Pagodas.

Tech situation after the big liberalism trade/giveaway

And Kublai is next with his unreasonable proposal, I decline.

Time to put the copper to use

Ragnar comes along and insults my civ, so I tell him to take a hike.

I go for another stable here

And grab the whale resource

Willy has his UU, which can spark a surprise invasion, so it's good to try and keep good relations with him.

Everyone is still at war, good.

Another knight here

And a longbow here

And I am building the 3rd and last Pagoda now

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2 - round 8 part 4 (to 1685AD)

I need a court here as well

Mongolia is here

I use one of my spare missionaries to spread Taoism to Willy. (Jedi mind trick: change to Free Religion!)

Next great person is about to arrive

It's another great artiist. Willy changes to Free Religion as well!

So Cathy has pleased Willy. That means I'm probably safe from the Dutch backstabbing me.

Thebes will pop the next GP as well

I chopped a forest to speed up Moscow's Pagoda

Ragnar's turn to be unreasonable

I can get rifling in 9 turns

A quick grocer here to help with the cash accumulation

Latest tech news, no-one is close to rifling

So I drop the science slider to 0% to accumulate gold. I'll still be first to rifles I think. I build a knight here

Power, a little better now

Over at culture hill, the 4th artist waits. I'm earning 128 gold per turn while at 0% science.

And I work as many cottages as I can at Moscow

The first Pagoda is built

 

[Frank327]

Civilised jewelers might be worth founding. You've got 5 of the resources (4 gold without the trade and gems), which means it should produce as much culture as sushi. It also gives a small return on the maintenance fee. If you want to found sushi, you'd better start one of your no-culture cities to run lots of merchants. If you're going to run one or more of the corporations, don't forget to only spread it to your 3 legendary culture cities. And to a civ that doesn't go for a culture win of course.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2 - round 8 part 5 (to 1685AD)

I go for an aquaduct here

Then change my mind and go for a forge. I will probably build culture here in a bit so the forge will help

I go for a grocer in Thebes for health reasons

I get open borders with Hammy so I can use my other missionary to spread Taoism, to see if he falls for the Jedi mind trick

I am chopping all my forests not in BFCs now. I will buid lumbermills on forests in BFCs from now on.

Not again...

Yawn...

I still haven't built a lighthouse in Moscow, so I start one now

I start running more artists here

If I were to go 100% culture, Moscow would be done in 111 turns

And this would be the Novgorod situation

And Thebes

I can only afford to do that for about 10 turns at the moment though.

Anyway, I have built all my Pagoadas now, so I cancel the copper trade to Kublai

If I go 50% culture

And I have 4 artists for 16000 culture from great works, with more to follow presumably.

That's where I stopped.

Here's the save...

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Civilised jewelers might be worth founding. You've got 5 of the resources (4 gold without the trade and gems), which means it should produce as much culture as sushi. It also gives a small return on the maintenance fee. If you want to found sushi, you'd better start one of your no-culture cities to run lots of merchants. If you're going to run one or more of the corporations, don't forget to only spread it to your 3 legendary culture cities. And to a civ that doesn't go for a culture win of course.

I don't think I'll need corps to win here. I think Chemistry would be a better bet so I can build frigates for naval defence.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Well this game is over now.

I'll do the write up tomorrow.

Lurkers may want to speculate whether I won or lost, and the date of the win or loss.

If I won, did I beat TMIT's shadow game of 1920?

If I lost, choose the manner of the loss!

Brownie points awarded to whoever gets the answers right!

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2 - 9th and final round!

I dropped my scout from 4000BC off in Mongolia towards the end of the last round.

And everyone else is still busy warring.

Another Knight starts here

And a longbow here. This city's cottages are coming along nicely as well.

Since I am running the culture slider now, health is more important than happiness so I do this trade

And this one, with a grocer sugar is +1 health

And I can afford to sell off some of my luxury goods as well

Another longbow or two

World news: Ragnar capitulates to Hammy and is forced into war against Kublai

I look for more trading opportunities

And do this deal

Disaster! More peace breaks out

Ragnar has been hoarding his pennies

Another pike

The only culture buildings left to build in my big 3 are Taoist monasteries and universities (and castles, but rifling will obsolete walls so I won't be able to build them)

Kublai techs democracy and goes for emancipation. The happiness penalty wont bother me obviously with my culture slider shenanigans

And my, what a lot of boats you have Kublai

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2 - Round 9 part 2

This city is just spamming Knights

And another monastery starts here

And in Moscow

A university in Thebes

Longbow spam everywhere else

Homer Simpson is born in Thebes

And wThebes will produce the next Great Person as well

Tech situation, 3 AIs have replaceable parts now

Another Knight from stable HQ

Less than 100 turns for Novgorod, it starts a university next

I start a longbow, it will magically become a rifle after I discover rifling next turn

Same here as well

Homer joins the rest of the artists, who now have a Knight to protect them

Rifling is discovered

I go for Chemistry next, Frigates should be enough to discourage an AI invasion

I find an Island which still has barbarians

William offers this deal... it's a bit /meh

So I renegotiate and this is a better offer

Which I take, Willy is pretty chuffed with Cathy now

I pick economics next

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Cathy Queen of Culture 2 - round 9 part 3

I start my latest hi-tech military defence unit

Hammy offers to trade world maps, but I'm feeling generous so I just give it him for free

I have some rifles now, but more can't do any harm

Last culture build in Moscow. It's going to take a while

I start another frigate here

Thebes has built all it's culture buildings now

So I hire more artists and build a frigate

WOOHOO! A hut! This could be a job for Stoneage Steve the scout who is currently keeping tabs on Kublai's boats

More peace breaks out

Kublai and Wang are my main worries, but they are still at war with each other so good news there

Hammy is first to communism and changes to state property/free religion

Which cancels my heathen penalty with him, so he is pleased with me now as well

Yes, more rifles

Although with all the cottages here I build a bank

I tech economics and then go for Miltary Science so I can build bigger and badder boats

But until then, frigates are my boat of choice

No, I don't care to help you in destroying the evil Koreans

Kublai also offers me a deal, but I don't want to spend any money on techs

And the next GP is... a great prophet. Downer. I already have a prophet near Novgorod so I will use him to build the Taoist shrine there.