Paradigm Shift

[Randylama]

I never used to be that aggressive with my city locations until I began reading the threads that you mentioned (Orion, Obsolete, MadScientist, Aelf, etc.) in your opening; that's one of the tricks that needs to be learned when going up to a new level, the need to be more efficient and bold (in terms of your economy and tech choices too, etc.)...just making those tweaks enabled me to bump up from Noble to Monarch to Emperor (where I now win most of my games); I spend a lot more time now contemplating my tech paths, deciding which ones I need and which ones I can do without; and esp. thinking about which ones will be good trade bait...along the same lines, I no longer build a wonder just because I can (although Obsolete shows it can still work), but rather only if the effect it gives will be suited to my situation (like you not building stonehenge with creative leader)...and lastly, only building the units that I actually need to keep the cost at a minimum...

 

[Groogaroo]

I think its agreed that sury has to go, he's just way too close, as he's blocked in regardless of the first city placement I think you made the right choice, St.peters is a nice city spot.

I'd watch out for mansa though, there's alot of jungle below him so he's gonna expand upwards into your lands.

I kind of like the idea of you and izzy ganging up to take out the guys. With her on the otherside of mansa maybe you could dogpile him later on!

 

[grandad1982]

Are you going to change the tiles worked in Mosco so hat the grannery is done before the pop grows?

It was nice of Sury to build the marble city for you!

 

[ParadigmShifter]

I never used to be that aggressive with my city locations until I began reading the threads that you mentioned (Orion, Obsolete, MadScientist, Aelf, etc.) in your opening; that's one of the tricks that needs to be learned when going up to a new level, the need to be more efficient and bold (in terms of your economy and tech choices too, etc.)...just making those tweaks enabled me to bump up from Noble to Monarch to Emperor (where I now win most of my games); I spend a lot more time now contemplating my tech paths, deciding which ones I need and which ones I can do without; and esp. thinking about which ones will be good trade bait...along the same lines, I no longer build a wonder just because I can (although Obsolete shows it can still work), but rather only if the effect it gives will be suited to my situation (like you not building stonehenge with creative leader)...and lastly, only building the units that I actually need to keep the cost at a minimum...

I think Sury is blocked in enough for the time being. That was why I grabbed the copper city 2nd though. EDIT: Or he would be, if I cancelled my open borders with him... might have to do that next round.

Are you going to change the tiles worked in Mosco so hat the grannery is done before the pop grows?

It was nice of Sury to build the marble city for you!

Probably not, I'll keep working the cottages. I'm not going to whip it either I don't think. When I grow in pop I am going to run a scientist.
I might not build a granary straight away there either (another temp build decision before I quit), could build an axe.

 

[J4Ck]

crazy start i must say. This is gonna be interesting domination. Hopefully at ~1800AD the whole continent will be one huge red light district!

Cheers and play on.

 

[madscientist]

Very nicely played. Textbook block of the AI!

You are Imperialistic, and have an agressive neighbor who is creative and boxed in, and without a military resource while you have iron and horse.

Any reason Sury is not dead yet? Or are you waiting for him to get lucky and pop iron from a mine. KILL the damned freak and get yourself a GG to settle. Then build some 2 promotion Swords (CR II) and take Mansa Musa out (look at his ranking, he's Gotta be struggling). Let Isabella and Pacal fight out which religion is superior, wipe up the winner after you rebuild the economy.

You've wasted enough Hammers on Settlers, now go and take someone elses cities

Also I do not see anyone running off to the GL right now as I fully expect Isabella to be harassing Pacal.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Thanks mad. Sury has iron in his BFC but he doesn't know it yet.

He'll be rushed as soon as I can get some troops together in the next round. Both his cities on hills meant chariot rushing wasn't really an option (although I could have got the marble city, defended by warriors only, but it has never been above pop 1 yet, so it will auto-raze, not good).

I might knock another quick settler out to settle north of Mansa's city, that should force him south towards Spain.

Pacal and Izzy will definitely kick bits out of each other, no doubts about that.

 

[madscientist]

Then definitely get rid of Sury. He is one of the worse to corner like that. And don't leave any cities with just warriors, he may actually try an archer rush on you.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Right, I'll make another cup of tea and get cracking with round 3.

Probably be a shorter but very violent round this one. Cathy is getting impatient, she needs to dominate someone.

Plan for the round: build an army of axes and swords, beat up Suryavanam. Do a bit of trading (I'll probably get archery off Mansa, start buttering him up), hopefully trade for sailing or masonry as well, although since they both enable wonders that might be tricky.

If I get some time I will try and get a settler to complete the Mansa block off.

If Suryavanam builds a wall in his capital, I might have to let him live until catapults

 

[ParadigmShifter]

OK played the round, it's shorter than I thought it would be, to 625BC. I'll get uploading my screenies now.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Dominatrix Cathy - Round 3 (to 625BC)

Right, enough messing around, time to build an army and attack Suryavaman.

Change research to sailing first, I need that to connect the stone city to the capital without having to build a road. I change builds in Moscow and St. Pete to axes.

First though, trade for archery from Suryavaman before we attack him. I give him pottery for it, build granaries if you want.

Mansa asks for open borders, but I refuse. I still want to block him off. He hasn't got writing yet anyway.

Izzy has 2 Hindu missionaries on the way, she is quite predictable

Workers start building a copper mine at Novgorod

Can't whip an axe for 2 pop at St. Pete with a turn of hammers contribution, so I slow growth. I'll whip a sword for 2 pop next build.

Mansa is now prepared to trade sailing, I give him writing for it.

Sury has built walls in his capital, may have to let him live until catapults. I'm researching horseback riding, with archery I can build horse archers. They are pretty good all-round units, immune to archer's first strikes, and pretty good against axes. They get withdrawal prootions as well which helps them survive a bit more.

1040BC, Pacal wants open borders. I refuse. Izzy is about to convert me to her religion, and you are her worst enemy.

I don't change religion straight away, Izzy will be along soon asking me to change, and if I agree then I get a nice diplomatic bonus.

Sury has built another city, he had a settler disappear in round 2, this is where it went.

Copper mine built at Novgorod, with the cow and the desert hill this should be an OK production site. Moai statues will probably go here as well.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Dominatrix Cathy Round 3 part 2

Sury has built another settler. We can't have that, I cancel open borders with him.

He still hasn't got Iron Working.

Someone builds the Great Wall.

Sury's settler is on the way to the gold site, I should have been a bit more bold and declared war this turn, since it only has a warrior escort, and he can settle on the next turn if he likes, losing my chance to grab a free worker, but that would leave my chariot open to counter attack.

I whip a swordsman for 2 pop in St. Pete after the axe is finished.

I get a random event (first one), do I want to help Sury out? Nah...

I DoW instead. He did settle this turn, missed my chance for a worker steal. Fortune favours the bold...

He has an archer on the way to the city so I have to attack now with my chariot.

Chariot takes no damage either, the city is razed. It was in a dreadful spot anyway.

Diplo after the DoW. Pacal is chums with Sury. He's not going to like me anyway when I become Hindu.

Mansa offers me a really bad deal. Take a hike!

Sury has an archer on the way back to Harryhilarious. I attack with my chariot. I only have 1 axe on a hill next door.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Dominatrix Cathy Round 3 part 3

The chariot defeats the archer. I move a worker from Novgorod back to St. Pete to build a road so I can move troops out from there quicker.

As predicted, Izzy comes along asking me to become Hindu. I agree.

Pacal comes along later with a demand, which I refuse.

Reinforcements have arrived near Harihiralya, I'm going to attack next turn.

First swordsman is defeated, everyone else wins

Chariot finishes off the last defender, and I have a swordsman I can move into the city as well

So the marble site is mine! We'll march towards the capital next to see whether we can take it.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Dominatrix Cathy Round 3 part 4

Hariharalaya is a pretty good city. I was going to settle here eventually but Sury was kind enough to build it for me. It has access to horses, rice and the marble. I think I'll have to call this city HH from now on.

Important development, Sury has Iron Working now, not good.

So what does he have his workers doing? That's right, building a road to nowhere on a pretty useless tile. What a stoner.

Advantages of being pals with Izzy, I noticed she was willing to trade mysticism, but when I asked "Could you spare this for a good friend", she said this...

LOL

What has Sury got his workers up to now? That's right, building a road before building a mine for extra production. He'll build a mine pretty soon though, lets hope he builds lots of spearmen instead of axes.

If he doesn't reinforce his capital I might be able to take it if I can suicide some noob swordsmen against the archers, then mop up with the experienced city raiders. I have no idea where that galley is going, I didn't spot him loading any troops into it.

This worker is going to chop a forest and build a mine when it's pyramids building time. We'll have to get our skates on if we want that wonder.

Researched masonry, I want maths next so I get extra hammers from chopping the pyramids (stone will be hooked up soon as well), and I'm going to need construction for cats. I'm building Horse Archers in Novgorod and St. Petes. I built a quick settler at Novgorod to try and block Mansa more when I chopped the forest with the spices there.

Sury has reinforced his capital. He also whipped an axe the next turn

I'm going to have to get a peace deal I think, I could march my small stack up to his other city on the northern coast, but that will take alot of turns and he will probably counter attack.

I stopped playing here.

I'm pretty disappointed about how this round went, will have to get catapults to finish Sury off. I had no choice but to start the war with a small army. At least the marble city is a good one, and Izzy is my friend.

Pacal might be a worry I may have to bribe Izzy into DoWing him.

Let the constructive criticism begin!

EDIT: Here's the save as well...

 

[Bleys]

Great stuff PS. I really enjoy your presentation style. Some guys over-do it or under-do it, if you will, but you are spot on for my tastes.

I wont attempt to offer critique, my level of play isnt nearly strong enough. I do enjoy seeing the thought process as you make your moves. We have a lot of style in common.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Bleys: Thanks for the support! I was a bit worried I am overdoing it with the number of screenshots, but I am not making notes while playing so they help me remember what I was doing

Good points this round:
* Got the marble city. Great Library is a must-have wonder now.
* Diplo relations with Izzy are good (she is pleased, could get her to firendly no trouble). I can probably bribe her into attacking Pacal as well, and then perhaps join in in a phony war, I'll have to send some defenders to the stone city then, I think Pacal is around there somewhere.
* I didn't get a screenshot, but the barbarians have built a city claiming the pigs and rice on the northeast part of the peninsula. If I get peace (likely), I can get some more XP by capturing it. It's in an OK spot, it limits Mansa's expansion as well. Mansa may try and take it as well, and if it is size 1 it will be razed. I'll have to have a look, I have a swordsnan from St. Pete's that can do that job.
* I have another settler which can go to the gold site.
* Got a state religion which increased happiness in every city except St. Pete. I'm building a monastery in Moscow to send a missionary up there. EDIT: I'm also running a scientist in Moscow, it will be a while before my first Great Scientist appears though, he'll build an academy in Moscow.

Bad points... where do I begin...
* I built too many swords, axes would have been better now Sury has iron.
* Should have DoW'd before he settled Angkor Wat, attempting the settler capture/worker steal move
* Perhaps I should have gone for Sury's northern city before marching to the capital
* I need construction before warring with Sury again. Not a big problem. I'd better build some boats as well in case Sury tries a naval invasion. Also, if I land a chariot and an axe via the sea on Sury's iron later, I can cut it off as soon as I restart the war. He can probably build lots of axes in the meantime though.

 

[mystyfly]

first off: nice read I love how you wrote your report

some (hopefully productive) comments:
I think someone has pointed this out (didn't read everything... lazy me) but you should've attacked sooner. A civ only defended by archers is an easy target. Now you could've tried to take the other city and pillage the iron (stupid map takes ages to reach the iron...). I hope you didn't take the peace treaty but a cease fire. A cease fire still allows you to reDOW anytime you want. And sury definitely won't counterattack. He just got his first non-defending unit (axeman) and certainly won't move it out. This would make it too easy to take the cap tbh.
I would: build 2-4 more Axes. His cap still is mainly defended by archers. So swords will be lots of use. Use your stack outside Khmer cap to pillage his pigs so he won't be whipping that many axes.

* I have another settler which can go to the gold site.

Try to block off MM completely first, if you haven't done this anyway.

Is MM hindu? If not, help izzy convert him. Having him as a pal does wonders to your economy

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Thanks, glad you like the report.

Normally I don't REX as quickly and would have attacked Sury sooner... with a bigger army as well (I normally play Monarch or Emperor games, so you can't afford to REX or have a small army). I'll still need quite a few axes to soften up the defenders before I can realistically take it... it's 50% culture defence (with the walls it now has) and is on a hill.

Mansa is blocked off enough for the moment, there is a barb city to the north of him, he might be able to squeeze a city in there but it won't be a very good one. I've got a sword going over to investigate the barb city.

I haven't taken peace yet. I probably will just take a cease fire, he hasn't got anything to offer (unless maybe I can get him to give me his other city... seems very unlikely though! I'll take that city next - it is in a good spot with 2 fish).

My plan was, yes, pillage the pigs and get a cease fire. He might attack at any moment thereafter though, so I'll have to be ready.

I'm building a monastery in Moscow, to build a missionary to send to St. Petersburg, but if Hinduism spreads on its own first (which might be quite likely, that always seems to happen just as the missionary arrives at the gate in my games!), the missionary is going to Mansaland.

 

[Bleys]

I almost always skip Swords at levels below Monarch. I think the jump to CS and Machinery is too easy to squeeze in (especially since I usually take MC from the Oracle and bulb Machinery with my first GE). Swords just dont last long enough at that level IMHO, since CS is always an important tech. Maces are strong for a while, though. In fact, thats exactly what I did in the Noble Club game, never built a single Swordsman.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Swords are better against archers and warriors though, and they hold their own against horse archers later. They are also handy for taking barb cities which are usually just defended by archers. I quite like them but should have built more axes. I'll upgrade them to maces later.