Quickest Way to Space

[yanner39]

Last night, I finished a space victory on Monarch at 1912AD for a score of +43K.

What is the best way to achieve a space race victory? ie tech path, civics, number of cities.

In this game in particular, I peacefully expanded to 10 cities, got cannons and rifles and took 4 cities from the Incans. Maybe I should have taken more. He had Rifles but I still had a nicer stack.

I used cottages to fuel my early economy and once guilds and chemistry were in, I workshopped my farms (that were used for rapid growth). In the end, I had 5 nice production cities to build the parts quickly. I didn't build the Space Elevator btw.

I tried to tech the necessary technologies that gave me labs first, and Industrialism for Aluminium.

In the meantime, I had my big production cities building Wealth/Science with the help of coal plants/Factories (cheap factories due to the ORG). Even so, the highest my tech rate was 2000/bpt.

A few things that worked against me:

- 1 had 2 junk cities early that were not productive. One to block so land (this city never grew higher that 6) and one to access marble (for the GLib). These were both farther away from the capital. So for most of the game, I really only had 8 productive cities.

- even with MM as my friendly neighbour, the AIs tech so slow on Monarch. So trades were pretty rare.

I can post my final save if needed but I'd just like in general what the best way to space is.

 

[whats a navy]

Well, if you really want to know playing settler on marathon is the fastest way to space .
On Monarch though a rilfe/cannon or cavalry war to take over your continent is key in order to tech like a monster and get some great production sites. You said that you only took 4 of HC's cities but for a strong run you should've kept on chugging or built more units if you were stalling. If you stall because of an AI's stack then bring a lot more cannons for the collateral damage.

 

[OKScientist]

Even when I am going for a space win, I find that it comes much faster with a lot of land and therefore warring. So I always try to at least conquer the whole of my continent, if possible. Also, the faster I get a lot of cities, the better.

I used to think that I should avoid expanding early if my science rate is going to take much of a hit, but I was wrong. Practice has shown me that expansion really pays off later, even for space race wins. When I don't expand as much as I can, I find that this hurts my science output later in the game, even if my science slider is at 100% (which really doesn't mean much, other than that I should have expanded more).

 

[TyranusBonehead]

so my peace loving ways are working against me when it comes to spaceship victory, damn

 

[joanne]

iggymnrr once did a 90 BC space win for HoF not a long while ago, with these settings:

Spoiler :

Also, in another (serious but still humorous) thread he talks about pre-chopping the space ship

 

[Amao]

Last night, I finished a space victory on Monarch at 1912AD for a score of +43K.

What is the best way to achieve a space race victory? ie tech path, civics, number of cities.

In this game in particular, I peacefully expanded to 10 cities, got cannons and rifles and took 4 cities from the Incans. Maybe I should have taken more. He had Rifles but I still had a nicer stack.

I used cottages to fuel my early economy and once guilds and chemistry were in, I workshopped my farms (that were used for rapid growth). In the end, I had 5 nice production cities to build the parts quickly. I didn't build the Space Elevator btw.

I tried to tech the necessary technologies that gave me labs first, and Industrialism for Aluminium.

In the meantime, I had my big production cities building Wealth/Science with the help of coal plants/Factories (cheap factories due to the ORG). Even so, the highest my tech rate was 2000/bpt.

A few things that worked against me:

- 1 had 2 junk cities early that were not productive. One to block so land (this city never grew higher that 6) and one to access marble (for the GLib). These were both farther away from the capital. So for most of the game, I really only had 8 productive cities.

- even with MM as my friendly neighbour, the AIs tech so slow on Monarch. So trades were pretty rare.

I can post my final save if needed but I'd just like in general what the best way to space is.

2k/bpt is a little low. For sapce win, you have to have your own continent and going cottage spamming. And save a GE and GM for the corps. I just tried one on Monarch/Normal with SP approach. It didn't work well. Only won by 1812. SP probably works better for a military win.

 

[Gumbolt]

2k/bpt is a little low. For sapce win, you have to have your own continent and going cottage spamming. And save a GE and GM for the corps. I just tried one on Monarch/Normal with SP approach. It didn't work well. Only won by 1812. SP probably works better for a military win.

Overall have a look at previous series games of the month. Last month with the map covered in fallout teams managed 1750ad space wins. I suspect a much earlier date is possible. Look in the GOTM too and hall of fame for space wins.

 

[Amao]

Overall have a look at previous series games of the month. Last month with the map covered in fallout teams managed 1750ad space wins. I suspect a much earlier date is possible. Look in the GOTM too and hall of fame for space wins.

if you mean the Christmas one, the game date was non-standard. But I do follow the standard/normal setting records for HoF. And iggymnrr is the new legend on lower levels. I'd certainly like to hear from him.

It seems to me that a good bureaucratic capital which works well for a normal game is not enough for a quick space win. You need many cities pumping 100+ beakers so that you can get through the end of the tech tree quick enough.

 

[yanner39]

2k/bpt is a little low. For sapce win, you have to have your own continent and going cottage spamming. And save a GE and GM for the corps. I just tried one on Monarch/Normal with SP approach. It didn't work well. Only won by 1812. SP probably works better for a military win.

Yeah, but 1812 is alot better that what I got. I think my biggest problem was not getting enough cities.

I've seen it done both way. You still need alot of city either/or. 14 cities just won't cut it.

Plus, I must be getting better if I think the Monarch AI techs too slow. Trades were few and far between.

 

[Gumbolt]

Yeah, but 1812 is alot better that what I got. I think my biggest problem was not getting enough cities.

I've seen it done both way. You still need alot of city either/or. 14 cities just won't cut it.

Plus, I must be getting better if I think the Monarch AI techs too slow. Trades were few and far between.

You can quite easily out tech emperor too on the right map.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

People out-tech deity on the right map.

A long time ago pauliskhan advocated massed marathon conquest followed up with a heavy dosage of mining inc...that allows for some very competitive times on deity.

You won't get the super early finishes unless you play marathon. It's that much of a broken advantage.

 

[iggymnrr]

Somebody mentioned a game of mine, that was marathon speed. I'm assuming the OP intends normal speed. I'm a big fan of using an early UU and getting land early. A leader like Darius has a large digestive tract for land. I try to push the limit with him but I'm not sure I've hit the limit yet. His ability to handle large volumes of land seems limitless. In fact, my games with him question the need for Oxford. Lately, I've been experimenting with hitting "critical mass" with him before acquiring education. "Critical mass" is simply the target number of cities a person deems necessary for a fast launch. This approach leads to interesting teching (and a ton of workers) resulting in a "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" philosophy. Often machinery preceeds paper and apothecaries preceed unis. Workers need to be kept busy setting up the endgame and more cities will get apothecaries than will get unis.

The big caveat is that I like state property for the quick food boost everywhere (made possible by the ton of workers in advance.) Hence, I avoid markets and banks like the plague, making apothecaries (grocers) the only money building in play.

Of course the map must support this style of play. But the bottom line it that a map with a lot of rivers is likely needed for the fastest possible launch.

Edit: On diety, an OCC/PA is very fast.

 

[Amao]

@iggymnrr

That's very informative. I'd like to know your favorite number of city for the fast launch. Also, i take it that once you hit the number you stop expanding?

 

[iggymnrr]

That's very informative. I'd like to know your favorite number of city for the fast launch.

Depends on map, level, leader and game speed. My target in a monarch rainforest with Darius is 20-21 cities, about half from the UU wars.

Also, i take it that once you hit the number you stop expanding?

Correct. Batten down the hatches, pedal to the metal, giddy'ap go. (Except for coal/aluminum)

I've tried Elizabeth with some luck. (RNG hates me when I use her for space VC for some reason.) Takes a little bit of finesse. No "satrappy" empire.

 

[Zx Zero Zx]

Iggymnrr you should do a LP walkthrough type game of how you do HoF Space wins. Personally I tend to think that most people aren't the greatest at getting fast Space wins, myself included. I can get stupid good win times with Muskets and Cannons, but can never get decent Space times.

 

[pigswill]

The problem I have with space wins is that by the time I've got an army together to capture 10+ cities its usually easier just to keep on fighting and go for domination/conquest. On the other hand I very rarely play continents.

 

[TheDS]

Yeah, that's the problem I've got. Conquest/Domination is too easy, I have to actually stop doing it if I want something else. May as well keep conquering and be done 200 turns early.

 

[iggymnrr]

Iggymnrr you should do a LP walkthrough type game of how you do HoF Space wins. Personally I tend to think that most people aren't the greatest at getting fast Space wins, myself included. I can get stupid good win times with Muskets and Cannons, but can never get decent Space times.

That may be interesting. Currently, I'm in "rest mode" with no real objective that stands out and say, "try me." But attempting some kind of Oxford-less space game is appealing. I'm confident I can uncork a pre-1750 AD win at emperor normal speed and standard map size with such a condition.

 

[A_Hamster]

Iggymnrr you should do a LP walkthrough type game of how you do HoF Space wins. Personally I tend to think that most people aren't the greatest at getting fast Space wins, myself included. I can get stupid good win times with Muskets and Cannons, but can never get decent Space times.

I second the motion! While I play at Noble/Normal, I can't get a Space Victory before the 20th Century, and I'd like an earlier victory if only for the amusing mental image of (for example) Sumerians in Space!