RA Free Strategy: Challenge #1

[ifinnem]

I stayed at -9 for 9-10 of turns then started to grow again. This is pretty exceptionnal i think. Usually 4 cities/4 workers by turn 45 is still good.

Thanks very helpful.
Interesting, basically you're saying the early cities are worth the lost benefit of the Collective rule bonus and that you stay very unhappy early
Mmmm

 

[qalsip1977]

I started a game with Babylon this morning that went pretty well. I had Ghandi and Lizzy as neighbors and by turn 50 I had 2 of Ghandi's cities. Lizzy DoF with me and we traded a lot so things were going well. I started GL late so I didn't get it finished until around turn 60. I feel like I went wrong somewhere though, because by turn 80 my gold was -6, and my happy was also around -6 even with traded luxes and such. Lizzy turned on me and I actually ended up DoF Ghandi and fighting Lizzy off for about 20 turns. I turned the game off around turn 140. I had beelined education, then mechinery (to upgrade my bowmen), and was on my way to military tradition (I think I was on economics).

I had 3 GS's (1 free, 2 spawned) and placed them all as academies. Was this a mistake? Also is 4 player controlled cities better in the early game than just placing 1 and puppeting 2?

How was my overall science pace? Economics by turn 140?

 

[ifinnem]

I had 3 GS's (1 free, 2 spawned) and placed them all as academies. Was this a mistake? Also is 4 player controlled cities better in the early game than just placing 1 and puppeting 2?

How was my overall science pace? Economics by turn 140?

My 2 cents
a) If you are going for an RA free game you want to get multiple cities going early with scientists for the and GPP
You could annex or build to get there

b) Hard to gauge exactly as it depends what other renaissance techs you have if any but to me it seems a solid but not fast pace

 

[Tabarnak]

Turn 214 :

Persia got one of my cs located far north but didnt do any more damage, only defended for myself. I made peace some turns later.

Ghandi was bigger than before and clearly wanted to go at war too. I sent some units west and preparing them for an invasion. Good call, i'm repulsing some units and rush some to cut through his newest land(aka Suly's dead city land). After last ren. techs researched, i used a lot of GS to clear techs until Rocketry and immediately started this project. I'm 1 GS short, he should born in around 13 turns from Akkad. This is approximatively the time to finish my last slow researched tech and also to finish Apollo and 3 turns left from Brendenburg Gate(more GA turns).

To cut some turns, i decided to annex, after Oxford, 2 of Suly's puppets and i'm building workshops in them to rush buy factories later. I will try to rush buy some Spaceship elevator in slowest prod. cities(will check that when i will start parts). That make 6 cities for 6 parts at the same time. This should let me finish under 240 turns if everything is ok.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

 

[ifinnem]

Satellites before Robotics?

 

[Vo01985]

I'm at 556BPT at turn 210 but I just barely entered the Industrial Era. What gives? I do have 7GS + Oxford + Scientific Revolution waiting though...

 

[Vo01985]

Just finished at turn 255, victory by science. Possibly could have shaved off a few turns in the end, ie. didn't use golden age when I built Apollo etc. No RAs doesn't play very different to me, it's just a lot slower. I had a lot of money and didn't know what to do with it, lol. I guess one difference is that I don't care about my median science from available techs.
Fun challenge, maybe next challenge should be a predetermined map posted here.

 

[qalsip1977]

So it appears as though 255 turns is the fastest time so far?

 

[Vo01985]

I think Tabarnak will be quite a bit faster. I kind of forgot to use Specialist Slots (besides University/Public School) whenever I got the Social Policy for it. That cost me quite a bit of turns. It's probably the reason why I had ~550BPT at turn 210 but was far behind Tabarnak in the Tech tree.
Attaturk finished at turn 249, he used Keshiks to dominate everything and then left 1 Civ alive, lol. I used Babylon, I think in my next try I'll use Korea.

 

[ifinnem]

Yeah I'm gonna ping a couple of folks that said they were gonna attempt this before we launch the real challenge - challenge #2 with no GS hoarding!

 

[Attaturk]

Yeah I'm gonna ping a couple of folks that said they were gonna attempt this before we launch the real challenge - challenge #2 with no GS hoarding!

Any limits on how many civs am I allowed to conquer?

I think the fastest way still would be to dominate nearly everyone and then finish the space race.

 

[ifinnem]

Any limits on how many civs am I allowed to conquer?

I think the fastest way still would be to dominate nearly everyone and then finish the space race.

Open to suggestions on what rules / restrictions we apply for challenge #2.
Maybe we disallow the Mongols and a few others as a civ choice...

 

[Tabarnak]

Any limits on how many civs am I allowed to conquer?

I think the fastest way still would be to dominate nearly everyone and then finish the space race.

I agree.

Open to suggestions on what rules / restrictions we apply for challenge #2.
Maybe we disallow the Mongols and a few others as a civ choice...

China comes in mind too. Also Aztecs. And every civs that can use longswordmen....hmm wait...

No RAs and GS will ''automatically'' mean massive conquest no matter what for the best time possible.

 

[RD-BH]

Suggestion:

Challenge #2
Force razing of all captured cities.
GS must be used on turn created.
No policy saving.
No Citystates.
Inland sea map.

 

[ifinnem]

Suggestion:

Challenge #2
Force razing of all captured cities.
GS must be used on turn created.
No policy saving.
No Citystates.
Inland sea map.

Thanks for the input - Am going to try and keep it so that any approaches applied are somewhat generally applicable. (so no forced razing and will have city states)

At this stage probably the following parameters will apply

• GS must be used on turn created if you wish to bulb (or move to settling spot)
• No Mongol or China and maybe Iroquois

Keep the suggestions coming

 

[qalsip1977]

I don't think any Civs should be eliminated initially. For that matter...the ideal candidate to eliminate would be Babylon! Bowman rush is VERY effective for early warmongering...and obviously their UA make them well equipped for science VC.

How about we see what times folks are getting and if someone comes along (using a particular Civ) and beats the average by...50 turns or something...we then consider eliminating that Civ. IMO that's the only reason to consider doing that...

 

[ifinnem]

I agree.
No RAs and GS will ''automatically'' mean massive conquest no matter what for the best time possible.

You're probably right about this but bear in mind its not gonna be no GS at all, just no hoarding to zoom through the last 10 techs (see my post above)

 

[Tabarnak]

You're probably right about this but bear in mind its not gonna be no GS at all, just no hoarding to zoom through the last 10 techs (see my post above)

If we can use GS for instant bulbs Babylon will be the winner again. Just delay GS production for late indu. era. Can be done under 270 turns i guess, maybe faster. Higher population due to GS production delay can overcome the lack of raw .

Edit : I will finish my game in approx. 7 to 8 hours.

 

[Tabarnak]

Turn 239 science victory.

My last GS popped later than i tought and had to wait 4-5 turns before completing the last part. Had to build 2 parts from capital only because i couldn't start them all at the same time.

With some more raw , i think it's possible to cut 10 turns and fly with a sub 230 turn win but it's a hard task to do.

Here is the save.

 

[qalsip1977]

Turn 239 eh? Pretty impressive! I haven't been on pace to pull anything like that off yet.