predesad & the quartermasters

[predesad]

Im not sure that you can really play for that 2nd popped settler on emperor if you dont delay expansion. The AI probably wont get cities up that fast to allow it, and you might be better off skipping huts after the first settler until youve gained the first tier techs from the other AIs.

On the scientific triple shot with the Russians, Ive tried the rush to democracy (assuming the lucky slingshot will take you to astronomy) and compared it with a straight republic slingshot, and the republic seemed to win out. The 4 techs you need to research in despotism take simply too long. Just food for thought.

I think i can play for the 2nd settler because my capitol will prolly build 2-3 scouts, then a worker, then a granary before starting a settler, so I will kind of be delaying expansion. As soon as every AI plops a 2nd city, I would be eligible to pop the 2nd settler.

I hadn't thought about going to democracy, might give it a thought.

I'm hoping to do just as you said, map out the huts after the first popped settler, until i get about 3 contacts, trade for what I can then pop 'em. I am going to test some of these things in trial runs to see how long I can / should wait before popping the huts.

 

[superslug]

I think i can play for the 2nd settler because my capitol will prolly build 2-3 scouts, then a worker, then a granary before starting a settler, so I will kind of be delaying expansion. As soon as every AI plops a 2nd city, I would be eligible to pop the 2nd settler.

Remember, even if you have a city building a Settler, you can switch the production to something else, pop the hut, and then switch the production back to a Settler, all in the same turn. That way you can be building a Settler and still maybe pop one (assuming of course you have none).

I don't recall who first came up with the trick, but memory associates it with Moonsinger.

 

[predesad]

Yes, you must be correct because you can pop a settler early on in the lower levels when all have one city.

I've played some Emperor games recently and have been able to rely on the AI for virtually nothing! This was on a standard map with 7 rivals so with a bit more room they may be able to help you out but unconvinced. If you are going to try Fuedalism your cities must remain small but it could be worth a try but it may end up costing you the time you saved in getting that far into the AA in that they will all research the government techs but will not research invention and your research capacity could be lower. Still it will pay for all of those workers scurrying around and has given me something to think about.

I seriously doubt I'll try feudalism.

The MA, I think, will be tricky, I have never really got a good handle on the AI research tendency in that age. I think what I will try is if i can actually complete the triple shot, I will save & quit. Then do a little research & experimentation to see what they might research, to see if they go for republic or what before continuing

 

[predesad]

Remember, even if you have a city building a Settler, you can switch the production to something else, pop the hut, and then switch the production back to a Settler, all in the same turn. That way you can be building a Settler and still maybe pop one (assuming of course you have none).

I don't recall who first came up with the trick, but memory associates it with Moonsinger.

yeah, been doing that for awhile, but thanks for the input

 

[superslug]

yeah, been doing that for awhile, but thanks for the input

I had a hunch maybe you were, but it never hurts to occasionally post little tricks for the lurkers.

 

[Svar]

The MA, I think, will be tricky, I have never really got a good handle on the AI research tendency in that age. I think what I will try is if i can actually complete the triple shot, I will save & quit. Then do a little research & experimentation to see what they might research, to see if they go for republic or what before continuing

Take a look at this link .

 

[killercane]

Well it looks like you're right. I tried a standard map, building 3 scouts, mp warrior and a granary, popped a settler, built a 3rd city, then popped a village at 2150 BC. Kind of far away to be useful, but interesting to know that you can get a second free city pretty easily on emperor. i had another settler walking around, doesnt that make it give you a city rather than another settler?

 

[predesad]

Take a look at this link .

I have seen that before, but it is not accurate, it's close but not accurate, especially with respect to the government, of course I might refer to it for the MA & it might help, but I know for certain the industrial age is way off.

 

[predesad]

Huge Monarch 20K - Celts - 1772 AD 4069 points

The real challenge for this game was getting the map I desired, I played a Huge Arch 60%, wet warm 5 billion, no barbs, no SGL. My opponents were the Americans, Inca, Maya, China, Mongols, Egypt, Zulu, & Arabs.

I wanted a 4-turn settler factory for my capitol with a river as a fresh water source vs a lake (increased commerce), using my 2nd city (Alesia) as my 20K city. Getting a 4-turn settler factory for the capitol was a non issue, I got plenty of maps to work with. Next for Alesia, I wanted a site no more than 3 squares away from Entremont that was coastal with access to fresh water (preferably a river, but not necessarily) & a food bonus. However, if the food bonus was the only condition lacking form my map I would be content with adding settlers to Alesia from Entremont to help boost population. The final ingredient to my 20K recipe was the most difficult to find - ivory. Many, many games were played & abandoned when ivory did not show up on my landmass, but finally I received 2 maps to choose from which met all of my conditions, the one had a lot of jungle & no hills, so I abandoned it in favor of another.

I started by building 1 warrior from Entremont the a settler, warrior quickly scouted around & found a coastal river site w/ a food bonus, actually 2 - wheat on grass, the only question that remained about the map was ivory. I researched bronze working first & right before finishing that my exploring warrior stumbled across ivory. Quickly my capitol operating as a 4 turn settler factory sent a settler out to claim it (not that there was any real hurry, I am alone on my island) I also built several coastal cities in preparation to build curraghs after alphabet was researched.

I built a granary in Alesia (20K city) first, even though that was a questionable decision, but I wanted to get to 12 citizens ASAP. Then I built a temple, but did not pop rush it, finishing in 1750 BC, thought that was a bit late. Then started on Colossus, 1200 BC.

After bronze working, my research was alphabet, masonry, math & writing. Somewhere while along this path I sunk many curraghs, but finally made it across at 2 different spots, one in the north after a couple nonsuicide island hops, & one just a little south of me. To the south I found the Mongols on an island alone & the Inca & Chinese sharing another landmass. Eventually I would also be able to find the Arabs off the Mongols coast, they were also isolated on an island.

I traded for mysticism & went for the Oracle. I really wanted to build SoZ next & if I had my way I would have put off the Oracle until even after the GL, but I knew (well, didnt know, but had a very strong feeling from experience) that the Oracle would go fast, so it was build it now or lose the chance. The same goes for pyramids, it would go fast, but since it would have given me an instant GA i had decided to skip it. I got the Oracle in 710 BC then hand built a librbary finishing in 610 BC, then SoZ in 330 BC.

Meanwhile, concerning research I went for literature, code of laws, philosophy and claimed republic for free. After this I traded for iron working & started on construction.

After SoZ I built the GL in 80 AD which instantly (well, not instantly, but the next turn) gave me The Wheel, Horseback Riding, & Polytheism. Meanwhile I was prebuilding for Hanging Gardens & hoping the ToA would hold out and not cascade before I could finish it. After a few turns, the Inca had Monarchy, but nobody else. Since I could be patient with a prebuild going, I was, & didn't try to trade for it. Eventually, the Arabs also discovered Monarchy, I got it from the GL & was able to net Hanging Garden in 290 AD, kicking off my GA.

About this time I think I was finishing up on currency. I should have rushed a colosseum after HG, but I had my heart set on getting Sistines during my GA. But that was a mistake which would have knocked one turn off the my finsih date. It took 19 turns to build Sistine during my GA, so I had the extra turn to spare. I finished Sistine in 470 AD, then rushed a university, cathedral, & coloseum.

I set up most of my cities as fishing villages, having only 3 non coastal cities, they had a barracks & were solely repsonsible for military. It was about this time I decided to do some warmongering. I had my sites on the Inca who owned 2 of the 4 wonders I did not build during this game. I wanted the Lighthouse to aid my exploration, I was still missing 4 contacts and craved luxuries to aid unhappiness.

After Sistine, I wanted SHakes, only my prebuild would not last until I researched Free Artistry, so I got Copernicus in 700 AD, then Shakes in 920 AD. I was far ahead in tech & stayed far ahead, After entering the MA, I never had any competition for any wonders and was able to build what I wanted.

While building Shakes, I got my first MGL, I built an army, got a victory, then got another MGL. Once SHakes completed, I used that MGL to rush Heroic Epic so I could get more MGLs. Then I built JS Bach, finishing in 1190 AD.

WHile working on Bach's, I got several more leaders, which I used to build armies so I could get pentagon, finally I saved one for the FP, which I rushed immediately after Bach's. Then I built Newton's in 1315 AD & Magellan's in 1385 AD.

I believe it was right about here that I got coal & railroaded everything around Aleisia ASAP, i think taking about 3 turns to finish. It was also right about here that I ruined the chance to build the pentagon because I was getting tired of the game & sloppy.

With CHina & INca gone I had started ICS'ing that landmass as well as some other smaller islands, my research rate quicky reached 4 turns per tech. I got tired of ICS so I quit that. Then I invaded the Mongols simply to generate more leaders, but I got 2 of my armies killed off.

After Magellan's I rushed Wall Street. Somewhere in here I rushed a factory & a coal plant then built ToE in 1490 AD, then rushed battlefield medicine, then Universal Suffrage in 1545 AD, then rushed Military Academy.

That was the end of small wonders. I continued to plug along in the game, had brief wars with America & Zulu & a 2nd war with the Mongols, when I had tired of fighting & decided to let them live. I just kind of went through the motions, defending from attacks until the AI would agree to peace, researching to the Modern age, skipping all the optional techs in the Industrail Ages. I only got to Fission, Computers, & Miniaturization in the Modern Age, then turned research off since I needed no more techs.

I finished out the game building Hoover's, UN, Research Lab (rushed) & Internet.

IN Entremont, I had built KNight's Templar, Leoanrdo's & SunTzu's. I only lost 4 wonders the entire game - the Pyramids & Lighthouse to INca, THe Great Wall to CHina, & ToA to America. I didnt want to build any of those wonders in Alesia, so it played out well.

In retrospect, I think on Monarch level I should have tried this on pangaea, the benefits could have been more trading & slightly faster tech pace, which might have made me lose out on a couple wonders. However, there would have been more opportnities for war, thus quicker MGL's to get a few small wonders much quicker.


20K build summary:

temple - 1750 BC
colossus - 1200 BC
oracle - 710 BC
library - 610 BC
statue of zeus - 330 BC
great library - 80 AD
hanging gardens - 290 AD
sistine's chapel - 470 AD
university - 480 AD
cathedral - 490 AD
coloseum - 500 AD
copernicus observatory- 700 AD
shakespeare's theater - 920 AD
heroic epic - 930 AD
js bach's cathedral - 1190 AD
forbidden palace - 1200 AD
newton's university - 1315 AD
magellan's voyage - 1385 AD
wall street - 1390 AD
smith's trading - 1445 AD
theory of evolution - 1490 AD
battlefield medicine - 1495 AD
universal suffrage - 1545 AD
military academy - 1550 AD
hoover's dam - 1605 AD
united nations - 1670 AD
research lab - 1675 AD
internet - 1740 AD

here are the saves, pics to be added later:

 

[predesad]

clean map of my starting landmass, a city screen of Alesia on the last turn, & the minimap

 

[predesad]

Well it looks like you're right. I tried a standard map, building 3 scouts, mp warrior and a granary, popped a settler, built a 3rd city, then popped a village at 2150 BC. Kind of far away to be useful, but interesting to know that you can get a second free city pretty easily on emperor. i had another settler walking around, doesnt that make it give you a city rather than another settler?

I am not sure, but I have popped cities several times when settlers were walking around. I hate popping cities because they are usually in very poor locations. Anyway, I know there's an article about the goody huts somewhere, maybe it has the answer.