Rat37 - Very Random AWE

[Greebley]

Settings:
Size: Random
Shape: Random
Civ: Random
No Barbs since ThERat really doesn't like them
Emporer
Aggression: Unknown
Standard AW: Must declare war as soon as we have contact with no trades, but we can look at our opponents, their techs, etc.

The Roster
ThERat
Greebley
AndrewN
TheOverseer
M60A3TTS

Mathias may also join us if he wishes and has the time (was on auto-skip in last game).

--------------
We ended up with the Zulu.

I kept the first start that is very dry. We met Carthage fairly early and survived a number of Warriors thrown at us. Looks like we have only one opponent early on so have a chance. Note that a second civ might be behind Carthage.

Carthage sent an unprotected Settler out which is now retreating back.

Note I do see an irrigated Carthage square so there is water. We just have to survive until we get it.

To get this to work on my new vista computer I made a scenario with no changes to the rules and this appears to work. It is probably worth trying to load it in Civ to make sure it works for you especially if you have an odd set up (like a mac or something). I think it will be more cross-platform rather than less however.

 

[AndrewN]

TheRat put me down for the next set of turns in the other thread, so if there are no objections I have got it.

 

[M60A3TTS]

That's a pretty challenging start. I wouldn't mind joining in on this one if there's room. I never played one through with the Zulu.

 

[Greebley]

ThERat posted in the other thread that there was room for for more people. It'll be good to have you back and playing. I will try to figure out the Roster and put it in the first post.

 

[Greebley]

The Roster: [Edited -see below]
ThERat
Greebley - Just Played
AndrewN - Up
TheOverseer - On Deck
M60A3TTS

Can everyone guess the map size? Note that we have the default number of opponents for the size.

 

[ThERat]

that's a challenge I hope.

By the way, the impi's are great pillager early on. We should use them to suppress enemy worker action. It's pretty effective usually.

And Andrew, I think you can play next if you want.

 

[ThERat]

No Barbs since ThERat really doesn't like them

that's pretty true

 

[Greebley]

If Andrew is playing next should I change the order of the roster?

 

[TheOverseer714]

AndrewN can go ahead since he wants to play and can. I can go next, I'm open right now. Yes, I'd say change the order. BTW, welcome aboard, M60A3TTS. I've seen your work in other SGs, I can learn a few things from a top-notch player like you.

Edit: Looks like a small or even tiny map.

 

[Spoonwood]

I would have guessed Tiny. The F10 screen gives me 5 opponents, so it's a Small map.

 

[AndrewN]

Tea, biscuit, game; let's get this show on the road.

Start position:
30 turns into the game, we have one (1) city, size 3 and growing, one (1) worker, one (1) scout, three (3) warriors and one (1) Impi. Currently we are building an archer due in 4 and researching masonry due in 19.

I don't think we need the archer at the moment and we are suffering for unit costs so I swap to a settler.


Nothing much happens until 2430BC (turn 3) when the retreating settler meets up with a Numidian Infantry and advanced again . In 2390BC (5) our Impi reaches Carthage and starts pillaging Carthage has no rivers, just a fresh water lake. 2310BC (7) we complete out first settler and start an Impi.

We start a new era of the mighty Zulu empire when we found Ulundi in 2190BC (9). We start a barracks, not sure if this is the best we need some more workers. In fact we need more of everything but workers especially.

By the time 2150BC rolls round the Carthaginians want to talk, it looks like the pillaging of their lands has them suffering. I refuse to even receive their ambassador. Ah, I miss CivIV; all this pillaging would have earned a small fortune in cash there, here nothing

Sorry, I hit enter once to often and started my 11th turn. We completed the Impi this turn and I started on a worker although that can be changed. I have moved no units and adjusted no sliders.

An archer has appeared out of Carthage this turn presumably to do something about our pillaging. I have been moving our scout around a bit, although we might want to disband it as it is probably useless and will cost us money at some point.

Are we going for the GL? It could be possible but difficult and there might not be any other AI's around. I thought the land we had in the previous game was poor. I can now see the error of my ways and I apologise for being so rude about the start we had there

 

[TheOverseer714]

Got it, will play tomorrow. Don'cha love the stark beauty of tundra?

 

[M60A3TTS]

I would withdraw the impi for the moment so we don't trigger the GA just yet. As far as the GLib goes, we could probably pass on a small map at emperor.

 

[AndrewN]

I would withdraw the impi for the moment so we don't trigger the GA just yet. As far as the GLib goes, we could probably pass on a small map at emperor.

Good point. Carthage is pretty well pillaged now, I think they have only one improved tile left, a mine on the far side that I hadn't got to yet, I took out 3 mines and 2 lots of irrigation plus the roads and Carthage only regrew to size 2 last turn.

 

[ThERat]

good job pillaging their capital. That should give us some edge.

I agree that we don't need to get the Glib most likely.

 

[thetrooper]

lurker's comment: What a horrid starting position and ditto wrt the surrounding terrain! Pathetic on both commerce and food. You guys are nuts.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Paint dries verrry slowly.... I'm done with a nowhere turn-set. I had 1 victory, on defense. My exciting turn-log:

Spoiler :

Pre-Flight: CivAssist 2, Word running. Open the save, look things over.
Pull the Impi out of Archer range. Head Scout back home. Switch Worker build to an Archer.

Civilian units:
Scout 1
Workers 1

Military units:
Warrior 3
Impis 2

Unit Support:
Total units: 7
Allowed: 8
Support cost: 0 gpt

Press enter=>

IBT: Archer chases Impi.

Turn 1, 2070 BC: Retreat away from Archer.

IBT: Further Archer pursuit.

Turn 2, 2030 BC: Further Impi retreat.

IBT: Carthage pop-rushes another Archer.

Turn 3, 1990 BC: disband Scout.

IBT: eWarrior on a hill defeats an Archer.
Zimbabwe Archer=>Archer.

Turn 4, 1950 BC: Continue game of tag with Archer.

IBT: nada

Turn 5, 1910 BC: nada

IBT: nada

Turn 6, 1870 BC: nada

IBT: nada

Turn 7, 1830 BC:

IBT: Zimbabwe Archer=>Worker.

Turn 8, 1790 BC: Finally, I pillage the last developed Carthage tile.

IBT: zilch

Turn 9, 1750 BC: bupkus.

Civilian units:
Workers 1

Military units:
Warriors 3
Archers 2
Impis 2

Unit Support:
Total units: 8
Allowed: 8
Support cost: 0 gpt

Sliders
80% tech/20%taxes/00%luxury

Research:
Iron Working, 18 turns, 0gpt. (12 in the bank)

The save:

 

[M60A3TTS]

1750BC- Pre-turn looks ok. Zimbabwe worker>archer. Ulundi rax>archer.

1725BC- Silks are connected to the capital. There is a Numidian in Carthage. Get low treasury message.

1650BC- Our elite warrior forted on a hill is killed clean by a reg archer. Zimbabwe archer>archer.

1600BC> Forest chop completes archer in Ulundi.

1575BC- The cash is about gone, so back off science to 50%. Carthage has 2 reg archers now just north of the hills by Ulundi.

1525BC- The Carthaginian archers are outside Ulundi, so they have to be attacked by our 3 archers forted on the hill north of there. Lose our first vet archer, so now we’re 0-2. Tie the score in the bottom of the inning by killing the 2 archers with ours.

1500BC- Move worker into woods outside Ulundi to forest chop. Currently due settler in 12. And done.

Post-turn: Despite the 2 losses, we’re ok military at the moment, but we need to get another town up and running with the weak cash flow. Next up can decide if they want to start the GA. Iron in 13, but only 10 hills so we’ll have to be real lucky to see iron. The Numidian mercs will be difficult to dig out without a good number of cats.

 

[ThERat]

ok, got it for the weekend

 

[ThERat]

Pre-Turn
the land is indeed not really that great...actually it's terrible
we need more cities for our unit support

1. 1475BC
decide to swap our capital to a granary
move 3 units to go after the archer

2. 1450BC
lose an archer but take out the archer eventually
we can increase science to 80% now

3. 1425BC
continue our impi to go after Carthage

4. 1400BC
our impi steps into their land

IT Carthage archer turns back most likely trying to go after our impi

5. 1375BC
pillage a roaded mine

IT we defend againts an archer and enter our GA

6. 1350BC
send out a new settler
pillage a tile and run into anpther archer

IT our impi gets red but retreats further into Carthage land
we get IW

7. 1325BC
the game might get harder than we like it, there is no iron anywhere around
our impi tries to flee

IT well, our impi didn't make it, but we will get replacements soon as Zimbabwe is making 10spt now

8. 1275BC
found Bapedi starting walls

9. 1250BC
zzz

I even out the turns now
We are 5 turns from alphabet and have no choice but to go for maths
we will need plenty of cats to take out Carthage or a lot of archers
I am sure our pillaging has been very useful. Carthage has a mere two cities with little population



The Roster
ThERat
Greebley - up
AndrewN
TheOverseer
M60A3TTS