Rat 22 - AWE RaR large pangaea

[Greebley]

Preturn: Things look good. Make a few minor changes.

IBT: No attacks

660 AD: Our very first attack nets us a leader which I make a Cavalier Army. Clear out the units that I can reach without danger. It is almost impossible to avoid losing units here though - either I attack and lose the attacker or I don't and have to have my Pike defend. I switch some towns to walls. That gives the pikes a better than 50% vs units attacking.

IBT: Defend fairly well. We get Absolutism. I decide to wait for Encyc before revolting. We will also be thin on units. If we got 7 turns of Anarchy we would be really scrambling by the end.

670 AD: Build Zumua. Use some Foreign Workers for border expansions.
Start two shipyards. This is where ships should be built. I would like to destroy some of the Galleys and such in our waters

IBT: Stupid rider is barely injured attacking a Pike on a Mountain. We win the rest.
Vikings Prove a Pike and an Elephant is no sufficient defense and capture a coastal town - Izibia We need to keep 2 Pike in each at a minimum

680 AD: Capture back Izibia.

690 AD: Continue to Defend. These Riders could get annoying very fast.

700 AD: Riders are stupid and we kill the ones Visible. Kill other units and retreat to cities. I am trying to play conservatively here so next player isn't overwhelmed.
Well except after typing that I mismove 2 workers - One has no hope and the other is in Danger from Riders.

Notes:
I have held onto the game long enough so only 5 turns.
Ashur will be building the Encyc in 5 (or 6?) turns. We want to time it right as the palace build is also 5.

Map has notes on attacks.

 

[ThERat]

I think it was a very good decision to wait for the encyclopedia and more troops before revolting. Remember the capital is on a prebuild for the Estates General. Btw, if 5 turns for the palace are too short, we can always switch tiles and slow that prebuild down, not an issue at all

New Roster:
TheRat
Empiremaker - auto skipped for now, need to check back
Mizar - up, can you play this weekend?
plarq
Greebley

 

[Empiremaker]

Hi I'm here, and my mouse issues should be resolved sometime early next week.

 

[ThERat]

good to hear that Empiremaker

plarq, i guess if Mizar doesn't post something, you can just take the save and play

 

[plarq]

Well, 2 of 5 skipped this turn.

I got it.

 

[Tad Empire_0_o]

Lurkers Comment's: I wonder how many other civs you havent met yet , good thing you havent met like 12 at the same time

 

[plarq]

A quick update: (Since the log is lost in the River of Babylon)

I got two cavalier armies in my turnset, yet I lost one...near the Gandasetaigon city. I use the army to clean the invaders to save the city, but they never make it home...(mourning)

No city lost in the turns, but we lost several pikes on defense.

In China front, we lost several workers and slaves in Chinese hunting campaign, we hunt down Chinese units near Moscow with fast units. Since Chinese units can't reach Moscow in one turn, I think it's the best to let them come.

I certainly want to replace the Japanese city on the Iron Hill, nice place for a hub.

On wonder issue: we get Leo. I pick Theory of Warfare and Map Making. The Encyclopedia is being written in Ashur. I don't dare to revolt since our front is still thin.

 

[ThERat]

@ Tad, we don't know how many CIV's we don't know yet, at least I didn't check

@ plarq, how many turns to the encylopedia? I think after that we could revolt
Leo was actually a prebuild for General Estates, but since we did not revolt yet, 2 free techs ain't that bad either.

@ Empiremaker, can you play after plarq?

 

[Empiremaker]

I'm still having issues, so no. I will be gone from June 28 to July 13, with limited internet access.

 

[plarq]

After Action Report, 800AD

The encyclopedia needs 14 turns.

Babylon is now writing Gutenberg's Bible, which will turn into a Real Estate General when Absolute Monarchy is set.

Task forces in Niagara Falls gathered. Hope we eliminate the Japanese pesky iron hill city and replace it with our colonist.

In Moscow-Samarra Front, we met two Chinese Elephants, in this region, we'll defend with pikes, and counterattack with Cavalier armies.

 

[Greebley]

Ok, I got it. I will try to slip this in between GR17 (i.e. before I finish that one)

 

[ThERat]

wow, the encyclopedia sure takes long...I guess it will be during my turns that we revolt

It seems for now, it's down to 3 of us...what to do

New Roster:
TheRat
Empiremaker - away from 28 June to 13 July
Mizar - MIA
plarq
Greebley - up

 

[plarq]

You take my words, RAT. I guess we should recruit new players? But the pool of Civ3 veterans is getting smaller everyday. Soon we'll be playing Singleplayer.

 

[Greebley]

Preturn: Give the Iron Mountian to Ashur - Encyc in 8. Decide to go for Heroic Epic. Instead. We can get that and the timing will be about right for the Estates General if we do that after (may go for slave market before as well for more shields since the city isn't unhappy).

Lower science - I think we can get the Encyclopedia which gives us Metallurgy for free - actually no AI is building a wonder so make that I know we can get the Encyclopedia.

IBT: Cavalier and Pike are attacked we kill 1 unit and retreat 2.
Lose a worker when a Boat drops a Tribal Guard off on top of it.

810 AD: Kill TG with a new Knight of the Realm. Clear other enemy units without loss.
Abort clearing a forest. We can't rebuild them and we don't need more food in those cities. Abort another stack of 15 workers and save the forest. The owls rejoice. A final clearing makes sense as the city cannot grow anymore without it.

IBT: Lose the Knight of the Realm to a landing Viking. Lose a Pike in the forest (but kill 2 units first)

820 AD: Meet the Arabs and Declare war (across the water)
Ah - I forgot I can't reduced our science that much without going over 60%. Apologies - I have troubles remembering that rule if I haven't played RaR as much.
There is still no point in researching Metallurgy. The two techs the AI don't have are Music Theory and Free Artistry Bach or Shakespeare? A city over size 15 might be useful - so I switch to free Artistry.

IBT: Attack near Ancon - We repulse two Cavalier with Pike on a Mountain - Other passes Ancon to go deeper into our territory.


830 AD: We continue to hold our own. Not really Advancing either however.

IBT: More Egypt near Ancon.

840 AD: Repulse current threats. Spot an Orange Border, but don't meet them.

IBT: More advances.

850 AD : Lose Elite Elephant vs Elephant!!! Win the Rest.

Notes:
Had time for 5 tonight so that is what I played. With faster rotation 5 is easier on me anyway.

Encyc in 3. Then I think we should revolt and switch Capitol to Estates Gen.

We are getting Cuirassiers which might help us advance after we revolt. I would continue to defend until we do revolt though - we want to switch Govt as soon as the Encyc comes in and can do so with current units if we play a bit more defensively. [Edit: At least I find it harder to expand at RaR because of unit loss - using the Pike Army might be the best way to expand without losses - We may have enough normal units to use the pike and Cavalier armies together to expand. It would be nice to get rid of those nearby Chinese towns.]

Cavalier near Gandestagian is at some risk - It was necessary to kill a stack of speed 3 units that would have cost us units no matter what - this seemed the least risk.

No pic since the borders haven't really changed. Only difference is we have more defenders now so defense is getting easier.

Check MM - I was tired toward the end.

 

[ThERat]

got it, started to play and am at turn 5...we drew 7 turns anarchy and that will of course be a bit dicey. but we need to revolt. no choice

edit: must have been too tired as we got 6 turn anarchy only

 

[ThERat]

save

Pre-Turn
there isn't that much to MM, things looks good. The only thing I do is to change Sippar to a major port for added growth
knowing that the sphinx might be obsolete sooner than we think, will change some front towns to garrisons later

IT quite a few units stream in, cavalier gets attacked by a camel and promotes elite

1.860AD
start conservative and defeat a mere 4 units
plan to take out St. Regis

IT go 2:0 on defense, the east doesn't look that safe to me

2.870AD
this time, defeat 9 units, move 2 armies next to St. Regis

IT go 1:1 losing a pike
we get the encyclopedia and slave markets give us double unhappiness.
I wait with revolt to see what is happening

3.880AD
gain a prize ship sinking a Russian ship
take out 2 units and raze St. Regis, I want a city on a hill for better defense

defeat 6 units at out front lines
decide to revolt, draw 6 turns anarchy, could have been worse actually

IT lose 2 pikes to those annoying curassiers from Egypt
encyclopedia brings us:
athletics, architecture, juris prudence, metal and physics

4. 890AD
finally get a leader, this will be a currasier army for fast movement

take out a few units and move towards Macao and Caughnawaga
the area around Larsa is clear for once...until next turn of course
upgrade 2 knights to currasiers

IT this time no attacks
we get leadership, magnetism, mercantilism, naval cannons, Newton and ship building

5.900AD
next turn we will get flintlock which obsoletes the shinxs, that means trouble
take out Macao

take out Caughnawaga and found Khosabad on a hill

IT this is bad, AI now shifts attention to Odessa and takes out a pike, our yellow knight army is taken out by an Incan curassier as well
we then at least win against another on defense
we get cavalry tactics, economics, flintlock and enter the IA
we get ToE

6.910AD
we are stripped of all our barracks, this is serious
clear 5 units at the front lines
get a prize ship that rushes a barracks at Ancon

IT many units stream in, China has curassiers as well

7.920AD
need to clear the worst part, but not risk more units
take out 10 units

IT lose an exposed knight (killed a curassier) and go 1:1 at Kish losing to the curassier
we get perspective, Sippar also has a rax now thanks to a prize ship

8.930AD
clear 11 units on our final turn of anarchy

IT more units coming towards us, time to get a new government

9.940AD
since we need to rush a few things here, switch off research with 20% lux (new cap is 90%)
estates general will take another 11 turns
Ashur goes for Mil Academy in 15

swap a host of cities to raxes and where there would be a waste of shields, something else

get a leader immediately, another currasier army for the east

set up attack for Shimonoseki finally

IT quite a few units invande our country again, but no attacks

10.950AD
defeat 3 units and auto-raze Shimonoseki
clear as many units as possible in the north and east (around 10+)
lose a healthy currassier against a templar

discover interesting shape of the Pangaea, which will let us shut off the enemy easier

I think we should go for research again once we feel we don't need the cash
In fact Egypt and Inca are insanely rich

maybe we should beeline to rails, next player to decide (we could get steam in 6 turns)

 

[ThERat]

Roster:
TheRat
Empiremaker - away from 28 June to 13 July + mouse broken
Mizar - MIA
plarq - up
Greebley

 

[plarq]

Steam also gives us an advantage of building adventurers, cannon fodder of our low defense armies.

If no one can take it, I'll be up 36 hours later.

 

[Greebley]

Ya, I love adventurers. Their ability to move quickly to cover other units is very powerful and they are very cheap. Only downside is they don't have the extra hp so tend to lose a bit more often.

[Edit: There biggest power is you don't need to lose Currasier or Armies - the cheaper Adv are lost instead...]

 

[ThERat]

ok, clearly we should go for it then

good part in this game, there doesn't seem to be a lone tech leader, rather Egypt and Inca have the same techs and insane money