Rat 42 - CCM Heading to the Moon

[Northern Pike]

1897 (14): Very dangerous news--we got 1500 VP for Apollo Program, not 1000. That implies we're going to finish with a minimum of 99354 VP, or 99854 if Moon Landing gives 2000 VP as the pattern suggests.

 

[Northern Pike]

The only mission now remaining is Moon Landing itself, but we have to pass through Supersonic Flight to get to that tech.

We get a slight break as Satellites yields only 1300 VP, giving us an unexpected 200 VP of leeway.

Supersonic Flight brings 1400 VP--so we're at 97662 VP, with another 100 VP of breathing room.

 

[Northern Pike]

 

[Northern Pike]

The replay takes exactly an hour—largely because every pickup and delivery of a supply shipment anywhere on earth, for a lavish 25 gold each time, is meticulously noted.

Thus we avoid the VP victory by 628 points. The race between our tech progress and our VP total did add a certain tension to this mechanical process. Anyway, I’m glad to have won this one the way we intended.

 

[Northern Pike]

View attachment Rat42-1912AD.SAV, end of turn

This is the save before we hit Enter to initiate the landing process. As soon as we discover Moon Landing (the tech) you’ll need to use The Big Picture to switch Berlin to Moon Landing (the mission). Then you’ll have to wait through the IT, but at the end the space screen will come up and you can click on Moon Landing (the button) to win.

 

[vmxa]

Lurker:

congrats on the launch. I never built a nuke plant, so I never saw a melt down.

 

[ThERat]

congratulations on this finish NP

I have been sucked into a German online game called Die Siedler online, which is based on the settlers series...thus I have been less than active here.

It's thanks to that dreaded Civ 5, that killed all my passion for the civ series beyond 3. Anyway, are we going to launch another game and who would be in?

NP, Elephantium, CommandBob, myself and who else? Greebely? Vmxa? LK?

 

[CommandoBob]

I have been sucked into a German online game called Die Siedler online, which is based on the settlers series...thus I have been less than active here.

Online Settlers of Catan? With real people or AIs? Do I dare pass that link to my wife?

We have some friends we play 6 person Catan with and just added in the Traders and Barbarians scenario into our 'normal' Catan game. Normal is quite relaxed; 130 tiles with Harbormaster, Rivers and Fish. When our son and his wife are in town we have an 8 player game.

It's thanks to that dreaded Civ 5, that killed all my passion for the civ series beyond 3. Anyway, are we going to launch another game and who would be in?

NP, Elephantium, CommandBob, myself and who else? Greebely? Vmxa? LK?

I know I'm ready for another AI whacking experience.

 

[ThERat]

Commando, it is based on the Germans settlers game from BlueByte.

You got your own Island to build your settlement, then armies and fend off some pirates etc until you clear your own Island which will not be invaded by others. They added adventured recently where you fight more AI on other Islands for rare rewards etc. They plan economic adventures as well as PvP at a later stage.

The whole game is in German though...

 

[LKendter]

It's thanks to that dreaded Civ 5, that killed all my passion for the civ series beyond 3. Anyway, are we going to launch another game and who would be in?

I'm also in the club, as my signature says. I was so turned OFF reading those Civ5 games.

I went back to Civ - (4 that is), and I am in 2 SG of that right now.

I'm even tempted to buy 3 and install again. Don't have my 3 CDs around any more...

 

[Northern Pike]

So we have four definite players and some hope for Greebley, although he isn't checking in much at the moment. Greebley, if you see this, please speak up.

I gather it's the despotism-theocracy-fascism path at deity, then, although as I've said I'm open to AWE if that sounds more exciting.

That leaves the question of which civ we'll play. I think the agricultural/industrious trait pair will do the most to alleviate the consequences of theocracy, and of the a/i nations we haven't already played India is the best because it doesn't need ivory for elephants, so that would be my suggestion.

 

[Elephantium]

What do you think of a random civ choice?

 

[Northern Pike]

To me, a random civ choice is a way of enlivening a game that might otherwise feel like too much of the same thing. Given that we'll be dealing with a tile penalty for the whole decisive period of the game, I don't think we have that problem here.

I'm not dogmatic about choosing India, but I'd rather play a civ we've picked for some concrete reason.

 

[CommandoBob]

Beat up on the world as India. Sounds like 'Revenge of the Wimp'.

India gets cheaper War Elephants than most. I forget the price difference; India: 30 shields, Rome and others: 60 sheilds (going from memory). Maybe it is just the Asiatic civs that have the cheaper Ivory Tanks?

 

[Northern Pike]

The difference is a bit less than that, but still substantial: 40 shields as against 65. And of course not needing ivory would be invaluable even if the shield costs were equal.

India, Indochina, Persia, and Carthage get the good elephants. We've already played Indochina.

 

[ThERat]

India sounds good to me

 

[Northern Pike]

Upon further review, India is not agricultural; perhaps I was remembering an earlier biq. The ag/ind civs we haven't yet played are Egypt and the Maya, with the latter plainly superior due to Javelin Throwers.

India probably remains the best non-ag civ for theocracy, with the commercial/industrious combination and the good elephants.

BTW, for the agricultural trait to moderate the effects of theocracy we'd need a well-watered starting position. The way the tile penalty strikes an ag civ in despotism (and so I assume in theocracy) is peculiar: cities on fresh water retain their third food from the centre tile, but cities without their own water are cut back to two. Bringing water adjacent to the city by irrigation doesn't help.

 

[Greebley]

It has been a while so I would play again.

 

[Northern Pike]

Great, then that's a roster of five with Vmxa perhaps available to pinch-hit. So, Rat, would you like to start the Rat43 thread? I have a feeling it's never going to happen if we dawdle much longer. I can try to look for a suitable start if you're too caught up in Settlers to do that.

 

[vmxa]

Yeah I could pinch hit and I agree the longer the start is delayed the harder it will be to start. I found my Age Of Wonders CD and installed that, trying to remember how it goes. It was 12 years ago that it came out.