Pursuing domination victory from an isolated start?

[futurehermit]

I trade for math, calendar, masonry, sailing, ironworking. Self-research compass, alpha, metcast (usually).

Oracle gives prophet gpp which can mess things up a lot. Pyramids is expensive and GW only gives 1 GE Gpp so it's very slow. GSs also give more beakers when lightbulbing.

 

[kniteowl]

I trade for math, calendar, masonry, sailing, ironworking.

You trade for them??? Aren't we isolated here? Who are we gonna trade with? The barbs? LOL

 

[futurehermit]

You trade for them??? Aren't we isolated here? Who are we gonna trade with? The barbs? LOL

Good point

I think a better approach then would be to just farm the heck out of GSs.

Math, Compass, Calendar, Machinery, Optics...

Oracle-MC might be the best idea if going for oracle...

 

[lilnev]

I played an isolated start recently and lost to the Oracle->MC. I spent my time filling in Alphabet, Math, Calendar, etc, so that my GSs could do useful things like Machinery and Optics. When the third Great Prophet was born in 450 AD, I quit in disgust. Now I remember why I don't build the Oracle any more.

peace,
lilnev

 

[kniteowl]

I played an isolated start recently and lost to the Oracle->MC. I spent my time filling in Alphabet, Math, Calendar, etc, so that my GSs could do useful things like Machinery and Optics. When the third Great Prophet was born in 450 AD, I quit in disgust. Now I remember why I don't build the Oracle any more.

peace,
lilnev

You just have to time it right... You have to Build the forge assign an engineer in a different city from the Oracle City before the Oracle accumulates 32GPP or more

If your going for a GS and assigning two Science Specialist you have to build a library and assign them to a city before the Oracle Accumulates 66 GPP

Obviously the 2nd Great Person will most likely be a Great Prophet because it'd be accumulating GPP.

Although our goal 1st goal in the Isolation game will be to Beeline to Optics by light-bulbing Machinery hopefully with a GE... but a GS is also optional.

Even if we do get Great Prophet We could save him for a Taonist Shrine if we're the 1st to Philosophy and we need Philosophy if we're gonna beeline to Liberalism for the Free tech (Astronomy)

Btw - who will be the best Leader for this Isolated Start with the Goal of a Domination Victory?

Ragnar
- Agg/Fin - Agg good for Domination wins which require war/ Fin is good for Teching and supporting our war effort for longer

- UU Berserker - starts with Amp Promo so Effective for an Early Overseas war once we discover Astronomy for Galleons... and ungraded units keep the AMp Promo

- UB Trading Post gives all naval units free Navigation 1 so our fleet will travel quickly to the other continent when going to war.

Roosevelt
- Ind/Org - Ind allows for us to get nice early wonders especially in isolated starts where we don't have to immediately spend out hammers on military or Settlers for expansion/ Org allows us to expand easily because of lower Civics cost and Cheap courthouses

- UU Navy Seal - the Marine replacement is also nice for over seas wars and it's a late UU which we will definitely use because we're having our wars late and the only possible victory for us is Domination.

- UB - Irrelevant (You can add you own ideas or opinion if you wish)

Freddrick
-Phil/Org - Phil allows us early and quickly produced Great People which mean we can Light bulb those techs early and beeline to our teching goals eg - Optics & liberalism /Org (same as above)

- UU - Another Late UU which will allow us to war effectively in the modern ages.

- UB - Freddrick gets this building cheap because of his traits and allows for quicker production hopefully quicker production of UU.

In my personal Opinion, a domination victory with an isolated start, one of these leader will be the best at it.

 

[futurehermit]

Better to lightbulb Machinery with a GS. We need the prerequisite techs anyways (compass, calendar, etc...). That would mean we'd be better off going for GL and not diluting the gpppool.

 

[lilnev]

I had an isolated start last night (Immortal, large shuffle, Saladin). I could post the start save and/or the current save (1090 AD I think, right after Astronomy) if anyone's interested.

The short version: after a few worker techs and BW, I went for Sailing and Masonry for the Great Lighthouse (my landmass supports seven coastal cities, though some of them are pretty marginal). By delaying Math, I got a GM for Metal Casting. Then Alphabet-Lit for the Great Library, which I got at a rather late date (but I figured I wanted Alphabet anyway to unlock GSs, and probably Lit for the NE, so I went for it, chopping 8 or 9 forests). I farmed scientists while filling in Calendar (good for one happiness) and Compass, then lightbulbed Machinery. Self-researched Optics (not first, but I did manage to fill in Currency, CoL, and Construction via trade), then spent two GSs on Astronomy, which I now hold as a monopoly. I could trade it around to catch up (Philosophy, Feudalism, CS, Engineering, Guilds, etc), but I think I'll hold it for a bit to settle some islands first. I don't think I can reasonably go to war before Chemistry, but after trading that should be at most two techs.

peace,
lilnev

 

[ungy]

I had an isolated start last night (Immortal, large shuffle, Saladin). I could post the start save and/or the current save (1090 AD I think, right after Astronomy) if anyone's interested.

I'd be curious--this sounds like a well played game. Immortal and one of the weaker leaders for this I think and seems like you have good possibilities.

 

[ungy]

Btw - who will be the best Leader for this Isolated Start with the Goal of a Domination Victory?

I would vote for Elizabeth. Phil/fin and I would draft an army of redcoats.

 

[KMadCandy]

Btw - who will be the best Leader for this Isolated Start with the Goal of a Domination Victory?

Ragnar
- Agg/Fin - Agg good for Domination wins which require war/ Fin is good for Teching and supporting our war effort for longer

- UU Berserker - starts with Amp Promo so Effective for an Early Overseas war once we discover Astronomy for Galleons... and ungraded units keep the AMp Promo

- UB Trading Post gives all naval units free Navigation 1 so our fleet will travel quickly to the other continent when going to war.

i don't like archipelago maps but tried one recently and got an early win with ragnar. first time i ever tried him, i liked him and his UU is great for that map. but futurehermit specified "I wonder if it would be impossible to achieve a domination victory (patched warlords/emperor/continents/standard/normal) if stuck with an isolated start?" if we're on continents map, how truly isolated would we be? how much of the conquesting will be from the sea?

i did have one continents map i gave up on in disgust since i was on a worthless island all by myself and didn't feel like dealing with it. so i do know that continents aren't always just two big land blobs, but seems to turn out that way 95% of the time.

 

[kniteowl]

i don't like archipelago maps but tried one recently and got an early win with ragnar. first time i ever tried him, i liked him and his UU is great for that map. but futurehermit specified "I wonder if it would be impossible to achieve a domination victory (patched warlords/emperor/continents/standard/normal) if stuck with an isolated start?" if we're on continents map, how truly isolated would we be? how much of the conquesting will be from the sea?

i did have one continents map i gave up on in disgust since i was on a worthless island all by myself and didn't feel like dealing with it. so i do know that continents aren't always just two big land blobs, but seems to turn out that way 95% of the time.

I just figured on an continents Isolated start, You first war would be by sea so therefore the Viking UU and UB would work well in capturing the 1st few beach head cities after we beeline to Astronomy. Even if the Berserkers become obsolete you can upgrade them to Granadiers and they' still keep their Amp Promotion so it's all good using the Sirian Doctrine

 

[druidravi]

My money goes on Lizzy. With Philosophical you can try the Pyramids gambit from oracle-metal casting. Normally i prefer se but if you are isolated you don't need strong production early on except for wonders. So you can afford to cottage spam while keeping 2 cities on max caste system scientists.

You can tech your way to liberalism first taking astronomy and after you research chemistry /maybe steel too you can switch to US stop research for some turns and rush buy yourself a large army of grenadiers , cannons and galleons and take over a continent , switch to free relegion might also be needed for diplomatic purposes meanwhile teching to redcoats etc and try for a domination.

Alternatively Huyana Capac is also good. His cheap UU allows you luxury to go for the early wonders and can also help take a few barbarian cities by themselves till barbarian axemen start showing by which time you will get some resource connected. Industrious helps get good wonders like Pyramids , Oracle , Great Lighthouse, Great Library and also fasten up National Epic construction while Financial lends itself to the early cottage spam strategy.
Then again you can try the US rush buy stategy.

Using Huyana Capac would be safer due to the UU and Industrious while Lizzy opening can be a bit risky with large amount of barbarians especially when you cottage spam. Getting a militray resource early is more important for her. But if you pull of the early game well building Pyramids and stuff she has potentially greater power. Of course you can do it without pyramids as well however it would require you to research democracy slowing up your conquests.

 

[Snaaty]

I just started an open "isolation game" inspired by futurehermits thread.

You can find it here:

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=208028


Feel free to pick the starting save and to give it a shot