Rat 40 - Introduction to CCM

[Civinator]

The amount of land that will have to be monitored is too great to have detectors in all the required places. Being able to move 2 tiles undetected is a bit of annoyance. You really cannot spare holymen to sit in all the places you would need them.

It´s true, that you cannot have holly men in all places that are necessary in your empire - but a holy man in a roaded empire can move 6 tiles (3x2) and that is a lot that can be covered. So if something happened in your empire there is a good chance to detect the unit soon. It´s enough when the invisible HN attacker is detected, as that attacker can be killed by each other unit. BTW it seems that the AI also uses this methode.

 

[Civinator]

The lack of armies is what makes invasions harder for the human, not the AI having lots of ships.

Yes, this is the most important mechanism to stop too early naval invasions. There is no army-cheating in CCM.

 

[Northern Pike]

@Civinator:

Thanks for your thoughts about granaries and government changes. Certainly the fact that good players learn to ignore most goverment options and make only one change per game is a flaw in Conquests, and it's good that CCM does something about that.

I'm glad to hear that there's a rationale behind the castle and catapult ships. For the moment I would have to agree with Vmxa that their main effect is to handicap the early opponents the player can reach by land, but perhaps the overseas part of the game will change my mind.

 

[vmxa]

Alright starting now finally. We are only making troops in three places right now. Given that we are not going to have a great kill ratio that could be an issue. Looking at the map of our land, we do not really have as many towns as I thought we had.

I hope that a number of towns are on the last structure they need for a time so they can make attackers.

 

[Northern Pike]

I think you can definitely switch over to more military production. Since the Carthaginians have Gunpowder that war may be an ugly exchange of roughly equal casualties.

 

[vmxa]

I got in three turns so far. Going to have to take a break for a honey do item. I should get in another couple late tonight and finish tomorrow.

India is gone, last town gave over 7200. One boat just outside of Tlacopan, Aztec. We have a lot of cities with happy issues and one or more happy structures they could have, so it will not be quick to get them into military production.

Going to speed it up some with a few rushes using the 10k Ghandi gave us in the last two towns.

 

[vmxa]

Going to stop for the night, but putting up one screenie. I got in three session, so managed to start on the 6th turn.

The pix is a look in Carthage at 1410AD I think.

 

[Northern Pike]

That's an encouragingly light garrison for their capital, anyway.

 

[vmxa]

That is what I was thinking. They are making a bank and iirc about 9spt, so they will not be cranking ouot troops super fast.

 

[vmxa]

Here is the save such that it is:

 

[vmxa]

1380AD (1):
I try to familiarize myself to the game and what various units should be doing, but it is nearly Greek to me. Some units look like they are meant to cover others and some look to be on their way to a town or the front. I am especially unsure of what the best thing to do with hidden units.

They may be on their way to some spot or they could be intended to serve as detectors where they have just arrived, not sure. If it was a std C3C game or any variant, I would have good idea. In CCM, I am not positive as some units I just do not recall using in my limited play of the mod.

Got the usual ship bombardments, mostly ineffective. Henry did not try to boot ours out, so I will move to a safe spot to cross.

I think the workers are the ones that are the most unclear as what I should be using them for right now. Two gangs off of Da Nang and one I hope was moving towards Ulsan clearing as it goes.

Kyoto wants to riot. I decide not to switch the Windmill, rush it and make a science. Will get a happy build started next.

I find a small stack of workers near Karachi I do not know if they were retreating back to our lands to work or if they were to make a road on the spot. I would guess not to make a road there as it is next to a volcano and is not needed for movement.

I proceeded to not comprehend the best play for Karachi, namely I moved a big stack thinking no one could hit the town this turn. I then realized I had some units that could attack, duh. Anyway 3 knights retreat, 1 dies and then 3 win and we take it for 2361 gold. (3-1-3)

I culture bomb Karachi. It has granary, market, castle, BC, HC, Mandir and Windmill. Size 1.

EK (Eastern Knight) kills LB next to Lahore, which is the last town I think. (4-1)

we still have the wines deal with Spain? Is it just to ensure no DOW right now so are flank is not exposed.

1390AD (2):
Karachi can build supply center for Gems.


Treb retreats from rArqebusier. eEK retreats from one. EK retreats. eEK kills one. eWE retreats from one.

eEK kills the second rArqebuier. eWE kills the LB (3-0-3). Captured Lahore for 7241 gold and a slave.

India is gone.

Lahore had granary (not checking to see which structures are from wonders like the Buddhist Community), market, walls, BC, HC, Mandir, MoM. Size 1. Start Nat symbol.

Rush the the Nat Sym in both captured towns for about 140 gold total.
Forgot to mention Bien Hoa created last turn. I rush its Nat Sym for 36 gold.

I see a Yogi is red, so that usually means it has captured a supply train! It probably is not the unit for that job as they have to go back to the capitol to cash it iirc.

Now what to do about Carthage? Brahmin tried one of the African Pikes near Karachi and retreats. The Yogi with the Supplies kills Henry's chariot and is red lined. (4-0). [8-1]

1400AD (3):
Carthage ends our deal.
Volcano near Karachi erupts.

1410AD (4):
Start on Physics in 11. None of the big cities can start on a pre as they would finish uni in 5 to 7 turns. Angkok will go ahead and buillt a uni for the beakers now. It has a bank that it can use for a pre later of 160. Osaka will hold off as it only has the uni for a pre. Will start it in about 5 turns.

next player see if I remembered please. It will be very close to the end of the set.

Aztecs have been met and I made an embassy. The capitol is starving at size 12 and building a Windmill. It has tons of structures. I pop in embassy with all that we did not have them with already. Montie wants two lux and Theo for dyes.

I call him back up after checking on the techs. Dutch already know Theo and all on our land do, so I make this deal:

Theo for Dyes. Then I sell a lux (silks?) for 5gpt and 50 gold. The money is not important, but I wanted to try to get Montie to not break our Dyes deal.

I send the boat to the north east to contact Persia as we can get there without any risk of being in Aztec waters.

No need to give them a reason to boot us.

DOW Carthage. I did not try for leave or declare as I did not want to have them leave. Start off on the wrong foot as the Brahmin dies on a 2hp pike. Yogi kills it (1-1).
Yogi kills a fortified pike in Rusicade and gets a monk (2-1). So unfortified and damage no go, fortified fine.

Knight kills pike and captures Rusicade for 8 gold (3-1).

eEK drops pike to 1hp and then lost 5 straight rounds, not even a retreat (3-2).
eEK kills it (4-2). Our land is cleared now and no towns in the middle. We have the borders all the way across to both coast delineated by Canada.

Now I am not sure, send in the attack on the Carthage units near Leptis or let them attack my stack?? I am guessing the odds are they will not attack the stack and will go around for the town of Karachi. Then I have to fight them on the moutains. I decide I cannot afford to risk attacking right now.

I only have one defender and not enough units. If I get on their land, they will grind the stack down.

IBT:
3 attack the stack and die (3-0) [11-1]

 

[vmxa]

1420AD (5):
9 units enter the empire near Karachi, 2 not in the borders.
Knight kills endslaver (carth) between Mandalay and Vien (1-0).

I notice I actually do not have any defenders in the stack. I mistook a name for a pike. I realized when the game put up a WE on defense, something was in error. No wonder they did attack.

We go 5-3 on bunch of WE and a lone AC. (6-3)
Send out the Yogi on the 1 hp WE and he kills it and gets a monk (7-3) [18-4]

I let one alone as I cannot attack and get back.

IBT:
A mulla or yogi type attacked our yogi that could not get back. I figure it was safe from phants, anyway we lucked out and staged a come back to win. (1-0) [19-4]

I think I made two possibly large mistakes.
1) starting the war too soon.
2) not moving the stack back towards Karachi.

They are now cut off by a small stack. 11 units in the borders, between the stack and Karachi.

1430AD (6):
I just remembered, Henry ask to do peace again.
eTreb kills Sabre or some such and goes red (1-0).
Treb kills WE cleanly (2-0), shocking.
Treb goes down to WE, given and taketh (2-1)
EK kills Sabre (3-1).
eEK kills the WE (4-1).
EK kills Chariot, clearing the cut off and I sent it to heal (5-1).

Two EK kill a pike and Sabre on the ground in Carthage land and move back to the stack (7-1).

This is what I wanted to do, attack them on the ground as they pass.
EK from Karachi kills either an Afican Spear or Pike (8-1).
Man I hate that one. EK attacked spear and dropped it to 1hp and then lost 4 in a row to die (8-2).

EK kills sword and goes elite (9-2).
Brahmin kills sword (10-2).
Yogi kills 1hp spear (11-2). [30-6]

I leave two WE in the spot as the last turn.

IBT:
Not a good one. 5 attacks on the stack (2-3). [32-9]

1440AD (7):
Cat kills WE (1-0). Send a few units to Karachi to heal faster.
EK dies on knight (1-1)
EK kills the 1hp knight (2-1).
EK kills 1hp knight and goes elite (3-1) [35-10]

Got one defender to the much smaller stack. Will have a few more coming out and a some EK's. The 2 WE units left and there is one 1hp knight just outside the border. I hate to let it go, but cannot kill it and get back.

IBT:
More bombing on the coast.
Canada boots us.
4 units enter the lands, but do not attack the stack now.

1450AD (8):
eEK loses redlining a WE (0-1).
EK dies on WE (0-2).
EK kills Sabre, yeah something we can beat (1-2).

Yikes a tough WE as it adds two more EK to its tally (1-4).
eEK from stack kills knight and get a leader (2-4).
EK kills 1hp WE (3-4).
EK kills 1hp WE and a leader Himlcar (4-4). I guess they got a leader from the WE made of stone.

Sending our leader back, not sure what it can rush (uni?). Leave that for the next player. No units in sight, but low on troops. Lost pretty much all the reenforcements
[39-14]

IBT:
Canada ask us to leave, no auto boot this time.
All ships missed us.

1460AD (9):
Still cannot start bank for pre.
Wow, 3 EK (2 elite) have to retreat and do not even take off 1hp from a Swiss Mer.
EK dies on SM, but does take ONE hp (0-1-3).
Cat kills the SM (1-1).
EK kills Sabre (2-1) [41-15]
5 units to kill a 3 defense merc, ouch. I wanted to not use the cats so they could get to the stack for an attack on a town.

1470AD (10):
Osaka start a pre. Angk can start next turn using a bank.
Contact with Persia next turn.

Upgrade an apprentice.

Not sure what happened, EK dies on what I thought was a spear (0-1).
Next turn EK fights, but I do not see the unit and EK is redlined, so I guess it won
(1-1).
Yogi kills bow (2-1).
Brahmin kills LB (3-1).

Another magical units as 1hp spear kills WE (3-2).
I get a bit angry and send the cat and it goes elite (4-2). [45-17]

There are a number of units nearing Karachi to try and get an offense going.
I did not attack the two pikes as I did not want to reduce the stack any further.

I did not rush anything this turn so Barbslinger can decide on rushing and the builds.
Workers are not on any important task, just doing what they can. I did get Bien Hoa and Rusicade connected.

Boat near Az I was going to send to the SE as we have one going North.

 

[Northern Pike]

Obviously some tough fighting, but it looks as though we've dealt with most of what the Carthaginians can throw at us and can get started against their core soon.

Has there been recent action around Lahore? If not, we've got a large garrison there and some of those units could be sent west into the fighting.

Apparently we're the tech leaders of the known world, though not by much, and if we can get Copernicus and Newton we'll increase our lead.

I'm not sure about the timing of this, but it's possible that we're close enough to the tech that makes slavery obsolete (Enlightenment) that we shouldn't automatically build slavery any more.

I would have lost this post to the "Please Visit Our Sponsor" screen, except that I always highlight and copy before hitting Preview and Submit. It's amazing that that still happens on such a well-run site.

 

[vmxa]

They should be able to go now. They are now all healed, could send the 2 eEK and the treb plus one other unit. That would leave 3 to deal with any intrusions.

 

[vmxa]

Northern Pike
Greebley
vmxa - just played
barbslinger - up
ThERat - on deck

 

[barbslinger]

I'll have a look with any questions tonight and play tomorrow. Can't the leader be used to rush Copes or Newtons? I'm pretty sure I rushed something in one of the games I'm playing though it may have been a FPalace.

 

[vmxa]

The pedia says only SGL, so I would guess it is like normal MGL. It has three moves, so you can get it to the core in 2 or 3 turns from the location it is currently. I was just pointing it to the core.

 

[ThERat]

Good job taking out the Indians and starting with Carthage. Supply lines will be stretched until we can produce workers and RR.

We can't rush wonders with MGL's. If we get quite a few of them, we can even use them to rush universities and other very expensive stuff.

 

[vmxa]

17 lost is depressing. Nearly all were fought on mountains though. If they had a 4 defense unit, it would have been much worse. Lots of them were just 2 defense and still made life hard.

I think they are at least in check now. A few Arques will be on the scene and be able to free up the knights. I would have like to have seen the bombardes in action. Two on enroute.

Uni's is what I was thinking and banks for leaders, till we get something else. We still had about
11k in the bank.

I forget, if I mentioned that the Dutch had run through their cash. From over 700 to under 200 in 3 turns.

 

[barbslinger]

Looks like we want Angkor and Osaka to have to get Copes and Newtons. They have the best science rates. Edo, Tokyo, Hanoi and Kyoto will get Uni's rushed. They have the 2-6 science rates all doing around 33 beakers.
Will be moving the Lahore units mentioned. The other cities will be devoted to military with some short-rushing involved. I'm guessing we want Ballistics next and then jurisprudence to get to Absolutism and on to Military Trad. Those Afrika Spears are going to be tough on the mountains so bombardment units will have to be in the mix. Getting our war road cut would not be good. 50% EKs, 30% artillary and 20% defense. We will need the bombard for Portugal and Canada too.
Did anyone see the Aztecs culture +417 and we are +268
What is the plan for next victim? Though I would love to knock off Spain and close our backdoor It looks like a circling going though Portugal and then pinching Canada between units from a Portugal campaign with new units being commissioned.

Here is a look at the front for lurkers.