PH05: THe Honorable Emperor Spaceman

Robo Kai said:
We will be able to upgrade Frigates to Destroyers soon, when Fission is done, but feel free to veto Fission if there are any more pressing concerns.
Fission lets us use Uranium to build modern navy (Scimeth only lets us build mines on Uranium). It seemed like the pressing concern at that time during the war with AC.

Also, Elevator requires Satellites.
 
Robotics has the same pre-reqs. But mouse over the Elevator and you'll see it needs Satellites. Only the Elevator needs Satellites, Robotics does not.
 
Ok...apologies for the delay in posting. Insert standard (American) holiday-related excuse here. On with the show.

Inherited Turn - 1850: Let's take a look around, eh?
  • Apollo in 5 turns. Good.
  • Losing 26 gpt @ 90% science. Not bad. Keep an eye on it - we only have a few turns at that rate.
  • Sleeping GM. At first I wanted to send him to settle in Washington (Wall St will be done in a few turns), but I decided on NY instead. It's severely unhealthy, and I want to put some more unhealthy buildings there, too. With a settled GM (+1 food), it will balance if I add a factory, coal plant, and aqueduct. Oh, and he'd lightbulb part of Fascism....big whoop.
  • MM Washington for hammers rather than science, and to max Engineer GPP. Shaves a turn off Wall Street.
  • Steal the mined plains hill from Washington to work for Atlanta, and queue a Factory before the Market. It'll make sense in a minute.
  • Boston: Cancel the SEAL and start a Coal Plant. Our largest cities are only happy because we're running Representation, so I want to nab Rock & Roll ASAP for a happy and to trade for more happies. Sooner or later we will want (or be forced) to switch to US, and we need to be ready.
Why all the switching? A few reasons. First, we have to start getting ready for the big switch from research to production. We're going to use MOST of our cities to build SS parts. Second, we are trying to get the Elevator. We may not need it to win, but we need to deny it to Peter.

The problem is that we won't be able to build the Elevator anywhere good. I predict that Atlanta is the only city we've got that is close enough to the equator to build it - and it has lousy production. So...I'm (a) trying to boost Atlanta's production, and (b) trying to pop a GE in Washington. The GE is a stretch, but Washington needs better production to fit in with the SS building program, and if the gambit pays off...

Turn 1 - 1852: Seattle finishes Observatory -> Courthouse
Settle the GM in NY (which starts growing slowly). And as workers finish up RRs on lumbermills, I start sending 'em to Atlanta to RR the whole place, in case we want to workshop it in a hurry.

Turn 2 - 1854: Boston finishes Coal Plant -> Rock & Roll (9 turns). I MM Boston to starve slowly, but finish R&R in 8 turns. I'd hate to lose it by 1, and I can finish it before Boston starves.
Camulodunum (d-mn Celtish names) finishes Library -> Wealth. Nothing better to do until it can start a Casing.

IBT: GE born in Paris. Wonderful. At least we're up Radio to the creep. Let's hope he can't get the tech in time to steal R&R from us.

Turn 3 - 1856: Snore. Washington grows, and I MM it again for more hammers.

Turn 4 - 1858: :coffee: ( <--- should be coffee icon. What's up with the wonky smilies recently? )

Turn 5 - 1860: Finally, some action:



And Tolosa finishes Apollo, too. Shame there's no movie for that. So...here's my plan for the SS build.


  1. Boston is our top hammer producer. It gets the toughest build or two - probably the cockpit.
  2. Vienne, Tolosa, Washington, and NY get the other tough builds. I suspect they will all be building the five big parts at the same time, so choose which ones to employ wisely.
  3. Atlanta is reserved for the Elevator attempt.
  4. Seattle, Thracian, Bibracte, Camulodunum, and Philadelphia will build Casings. They will be slow (30-40 turns), but who cares? They will finish ahead of the other parts, and it leaves the big hammer cities for the tough stuff.

New York has some work to do to get infrastructure up to snuff, and manage health/food. Similarly, Boston is chasing Rock & Roll. Therefore, I 'push the button' and switch a bunch of builds:
  • Tolosa starts a Thruster (14 turns).
  • Washington will finish Wall St next turn, then start a Thruster.
  • Vienne will finish West Point in 5 (not sure we need this, but it won't really cost us anything), then start a Thruster.
  • Thracian postpones the University and starts a Casing (37 turns).
  • Camulodunum stops building Wealth and starts a Casing (37 turns).
  • Philly postpones the Bank and starts a Casing (37 turns).
  • Seattle will finish a Courthouse in 4, then start a Casing (~30 turns).
  • Bibracte will finish an Observatory in 2, then start a Casing (~34 turns with MMing).
As you can see, this gets us the 5 Casings in 37 turns max, and the three thrusters should all be done in ~20. Then we just have to get the big 5 builds done. And the research, of course.

To speed things up, I MM Vienne for hammers. WP now in 4.

I also check diplomacy. All good, 'cept Biz is Annoyed. Since a war would be a big distraction, and I could use a little cash, I sell him Democracy.



Highway robbery, but he goes to Cautious, and I get a few more turns at 90% science. I also renegotiate some trades with Brennus that didn't make any sense - We now get the same gpt and Marble for just cow (rather than cow & aluminum).

IBT: We be large.




And AC want to play Deal or No Deal.



Hmm...no deal.

Turn 6 - 1862: Washington finishes Wall St -> Thruster (14 turns).
NY finishes Factory -> Coal Plant.

Hmm...Biz has 9gpt all of a sudden. That's not right.



Now we have it. :) He shouldn't be a SS competitor (Peter is the real danger, AC a distant second, and Louis back there somewhere), so just keep an eye and make sure he doesn't trade it to AC. We're at -17gpt @ 90%.

Turn 7 - 1864: Bibracte finishes Observatory -> Casing (40 turns). MM some Scientists to Priests, and now it's 34 turns.



Things are lining up nicely so far.

Turn 8 - 1866: Chicago finishes Factory -> Temple. It's not really going to play much of a role from here out. MM the useless Citizens to Engineers, and give the mined hill back to Washington.

From the Tech screen, I see that Peter and AC have been busy researching Fascism. Glad they have a hobby.

IBT: Peter gets a GM.

Turn 9 - 1868: Vienne finishes WP -> Thruster (12 turns).
Seattle finishes Courthouse -> Casing (30 turns).

IBT: GA born in France.

Turn 10 - 1870: Play that funky music, white boy.



Boston finishes Rock & Roll -> Eiffel Tower (10 turns). Might miss it, but it'll really solve any happiness issues if we can get it. And all the SS parts are taken care of for now.

Isca finishes Library -> Workboat (for offshore oil).

Continued in next post.
 
Turn 11 - 1872:



New York finishes Coal Plant (and is starving) -> Aqueduct.

We get a GM in Washington. :sad: Only a 33% chance for a GE, but I was hoping. I settle the GM right away in Washington (for +18 gpt), which in retrospect may have been :smoke:. I could have saved him for a trade mission if we need to try to BUY part of the Elevator. Sorry.

IBT: Louis likes our iPod.



I take the deal. AC also gets a GE. :aargh: That was MINE!

Turn 12 - 1874: Bagacum finishes Courthouse -> Research. Why not?

Turn 13 - 1876: New York finishes Acqueduct -> Laboratory.
Washington and Tolosa pause on Thruster -> Laboratory. Vienne pauses Thruster -> Observatory (then Laboratory). Should have done these a couple turns ago. :hammer2:

Turn 14 - 1878: Work, work.

IBT: Toku AND PETER get GEs! :gripe:

Turn 15 - 1880: Whole lotta nothin'.

Turn 16 - 1882:



Start on Robotics, due in 7, so the next player gets to see if I'm right about the Elevator.

Isca finishes WB -> Wealth.

GS is born in NY. He'll lightbulb 2169 beakers toward Fiber Optics. I save him for now. There is a sign showing that he's still sleeping in NY.

And that b-stard Peter steals Eiffel Tower from us. At least we'll get paid.

IBT: AC builds the UN. So now we know what HE's been up to.

Turn 17 - 1884: Boston can't continue Eiffel Tower (+756 gold) -> Observatory (looking towards a Lab).

Turn 18 - 1886: New York finishes Lab -> Wealth (for now). The lab here may have been :smoke: - I forgot that it adds +1 :yuck:, so I have to pull a specialist to work ocean to balance food.
Boston finishes Observatory -> Hydro Plant. Boston will starve if we build a Lab, and it only has 1 food in the tank, so we nix the unhealth from the coal plant first.
Tolosa finishes a Lab, resumes Thruster.
Atlanta finishes Factory, resumes Market.

And we have our first UN election:



I pick Toku, mostly 'cuz he's less of a threat to us.

Turn 19 - 1888: Washington finishes Lab, resumes Thruster.

And it appears Toku is the BMOC. Popular guy.



IBT: AC wants to trade again:



Mmm...no. AC also completes the Three Gorges Dam. I never bothered trying for it because I knew an AI would beat us there.

Turn 20 - 1890: Boston finishes Hydro Plant -> Lab (3 turns).

Summary and save in next message.
 
(Bah. CFC went down for maintenance last night before I could post this.)

State of the world, or at least the space race:




Here are the big five builds:
  1. Docking Bay (Robotics) - 2000 hammers, 1/2 price with Aluminum
  2. Cockpit (Fiber Optics) - 1000 hammers, 1/2 price with Copper
  3. Engine (Fusion) - 1600 hammers, no 1/2 price resource
  4. Life Support (Ecology) - 1000 hammers, 1/2 price with Copper
  5. Stasis Chamber (Genetics) - 1200 hammers, no 1/2 price resource

We only have one SS tech on Peter (Computers). He has several techs on us, but they're not SS techs. The builds are coming along nicely, and we will have our top three hammer cities available to start the Docking Bay one turn after Robotics finishes.

Suggested tech path after Robotics: Fiber Optics (Cockpit) -> Fusion (Engine & Free GE) -> Refrigeration -> Genetics (Stasis) -> Ecology (Life Support). Not only does this unlock the most expensive (comparatively) SS parts soonest, but we get the free GE from Fusion ASAP to help build the Elevator if needed. Note that Peter already HAS a GE (see my report above), and he ought to be able to build the Elevator in Novgorod, maybe even St. Petersburg. We may be able to trade for Refrigeration at some point, too, which will save a few turns.

I think Boston should build the Engine (when Fusion comes in). I'd put the Cockpit in Washington, even though it's a 1 turn delay, and save Vienne for Stasis & Tolosa for Life Support. Thus, the Docking Bay, while expensive, goes to New York, which can start on it right away when Robotics comes in (and thus has plenty of time to build while we finish research).

I have not run all the numbers to see if this is the optimal placement, so please discuss. (The biggest potential savings I see is that it might make sense to put Vienne on Stasis (sooner) and Boston on Genetics (cheaper, but later) if we have to research Refrigeration ourselves. It'll depend on final hammer output in Boston (when the Lab finishes) and whether/when we get the Elevator.)

FYI, we make 1202 gold/turn at 10%, so if we have to BUY the Elevator, we can, but it's going to cost us quite a few turns (15-20, IIRC). I'd wait at least until Fusion comes in (for the GE), then see how many hammers we'd have to buy. We are currently running 100% science (and losing 33gpt) - there's a substantial profit at 90%.

That also brings up the question of when/if we want to switch to Univeral Suffrage and possibly State Property. An extra hammer per town will actually be useful in Atlanta, NY, Washington, etc. However, we are getting a good research boost from Rep & Mercantilism, and we can't buy SS parts. If we bail on the Elevator, I'd pass on the switch. If we play for it...I think it's mandatory. Also keep in mind that we don't have Communism, and it's not a SS tech, but State Property would be nice to have if we decide to workshop over some towns.

Finally, check this out:



Something happened when I wasn't looking - the food bar went to zero, and there's a 5-6% chance of revolt. Keep an eye on this, 'cuz it's building a Casing. We could take the Casing away and have Boston build it after the Lab - it ought to be done before Fusion comes in, so we don't delay the launch at all. Your call.

I doubt I'll get another turnset - this should all be over in 50 turns, if we do it right. So make me proud.
 
OK, all seems to be Hunky Dory here :goodjob:.

The GS should be stored for future GA, problem is that next Great Person is 65% GS as well. So I fire 2 scientists in Thracian and hire 2 merchants. Switch a merchant to citizen in Camulodunum to shave 2 turns of SS Casing.

I also switch some merchants to artists in Bibracte (the city where we're under cultural pressure from Brennus).

There are still mines that haven't been railroaded (including 2 near Boston) so I wake the sleeping workers and get them back to work.

PRESS ENTER

Decide that this is the way to go to protect against Augustus style happenings.



Robotics comes in and we go for Fiber Optics (in 5).

We can only build Space Elevator in 3 cities: Chicago (6 hammers), Atlanta (18 hammers) and Isca (7 hammers). :cry:. Atlanta it is, in 67 turns. We should get the GE from Fusion as Peter still doesn't have Computers.

I vote yes to this not because we really need it yet but it is a free civics change we will need eventually.



Atlanta now has 27 hammers and Space Elevator is 44 turns away. New York and Washington get unhappy but we throw Augutus "Shaddappa Ya Face" for some silk :lol:. Problem solved.

Our first two parts (thrusters) are built in Boston and Vienne. Boston starts on the SS Docking Bay.

I vote no on this one as if any AI is stupid enough not to be in here already they deserve their unhappy faces.



Fiber Optics comes in and Fusion is picked (in 7). Washington completes our last thruster and Tolosa is put on Cockpit duty.

Tokogawa and Bismark go mano y mano (again) adn our DP is cancelled.

I give Brennus Electricity and Biology and he switches to Free Religion and gives us 60 gp. Worst trade ever, I hear you say.



Well he will now research Refrigeration for us in 10 turns.

I get to the end of 10 turns and then remember I'm up for 20 now :goodjob:. So lets keep going shall we?
 
Peter and Louis now have Computers but lack Fiber Optics (to threaten our GE) and Robotics (to threaten our elevator).

Bismark wants open borders but I see no use in it for us so no thanks.

SS Casings built in pholk City and Thracian.

Fusion comes in and we go Ecology (in 4). The GE burns 720 hammers off Elevator (still in 16 turns though :mad:). I drop research 20&#37; to 80 (keeps Ecology in 4) to build up some money to buy it later.

SS Cockpit is built wherever I built it :confused: (can't remember) and Boston builds the Docking Bay and switches to Engine.

I'm liking this...





Diplo victory anyone :lol:?

SS Casing built in Seattle.

Ecology comes in and Brennus researches Refrigeration same turn.



Ah, for f**k sake, we are your masters :mad:. Give it to me.

Oh well, what is it they say about best laid plans of mice and men :lol:

And in case you were wondering, yes worst trade ever. :lol:

Anyway, Vienne starts SS Life Support.

Well I played 20 turns to 1925. Refrigeration in 1 and just Genetics required. Space Elevator still in 10 and costs over 6000gp to build, we have 1622 in the bank. It will only do a little good anyway.

I probably should have kept Boston off the Engine and left the Stasis Chamber for it but the 2 turns it would have saved won't be critical and its only because Brennus is a prick!





Peter is short Ecology Fusion and Robotics on us.

I reckon over in 20.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/uploads/88650/HonEmpSpaceman_AD-1925.CivWarlordsSave
 
good stuff, Ozbenno!

Go ahead, Robo Kai, sling the metal bird up on the air!

If you need more than 20 turns, dont bother saving and passing the game on.

Just launch the mother. So we can get on with prepping for SGOTM3 :P
 
I settle Great Sci in Boston for more hammers.
I notice we can build Nukes and Peter built Manhattan. Rectify this by passing Nuclear non-Proliferation.
Culture bomb Bibracte and add garrison to lower revolt chance to 0.
Wreck towns in Boston to speed up building (changed to Watermill and Workshop). Take silver mine tile from Tolosa.
Buy Space Elevator.
Unfortunately our reign in the UN is over as Tokugawa beat us in population. Toku also gets elected. :eek:
Build SDI in Vienne.
Toku and AC complete their own Apollo Programs.
Build Church of the Nativity in Vienne :lol:
Trade techs to increase score.
Tokugawa reigns with an iron fist and pluges world into catastrophe (votes in Environmentalism)!

So the Americans manage to build the spaceship, escape Tokugawa's world of evil, and go where no turtle has gone before.

Ziggy Stardust (or rather his ancestor who's lost count of what iteration of Ziggy he is now) makes his speech at the U.S.S. Enterprise launch.

"I am proud to present to you, this spaceship that will send our children and our children's children to the stars, just as my great great great grandfather predicted. Never would my great ancestor, the first Ziggy, have imagined this day, when we would finally leave this cradle and explore the wild blue yonder."

Just then, a ghost of the first Ziggy appeared.

"Hey you, what are you talking about!?" the ghost said. "We already had visions of this day! Don't your dare lie to the people and take the credit away from me!"

After a few moments, after the crowd recovered from the shock of seeing a ghost, Ziggy's ancestor replied: "Yes, you have dreamed of this day O Great One, but you merely imagined flying like a bird above the sky, not specifically a metallic floating hotel, complete with jacuzzi, gym, Japanese restaurants, and a viewing deck of the New Frontier that will put your concert in Stonehenge to shame! Look at this demonstrational Powerpoint presentation:"

ph05final1bq1.jpg

Space is better than a movie theater. Love the pretty lights.

ph05final2gi4.jpg

ph05final3tv0.jpg

A supercomputer shows us detailed data about our history. Even all the files about you! Wait a minute, is this computer saying America's capital is not in the top 5 cities in history? Blasphemy!

ph05final4ct5.jpg

"Hey, wait a minute? Why does Augustus Caesar get the credit for your hard work? He did nothing! Shouldn't it say we had the leadership abilities of Ziggy Stardust?"

Ziggy's ghost was enraged. "That's it! I'm haunting Augustus Caesar!" he declared, storming off.

THE REPLAY:
 

Attachments

Congrats, all. Good job, well, done, all that. :dance:

I really enjoyed this, and it was my first Emperor win as well. Couldn't have done it without the rest of this crew. Thanks. :)
 
good grief ~ you're away for the holiday and this is what happens?! Awesome! :woohoo:

A great win all! I wasn't sure we could do it on Emperor w/o war in the new patch, but we did! This was my first non-war Emperor win (the other being PH02: Eight Angry Men). Thanks all to a great game; it was really a fun ride all the way!!
 
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