Raze-less Fury

[krc]

While this stagnation continues, Alexander decides to declare war on me. Apparently, everyone thinks (mistakenly) that my land is fair game for them to settle. Alexander settled Halicarnassus in the region south of Tyre and north of Mediolanum and Taghaza. I suppose this fact contributed to his decision to declare war. But declaring war with an undefended city on my border seems like a bad idea.

Spoiler :

 

[Rik Meleet]

Nice informative writing.

 

[krc]

Nice informative writing.

Thanks; nice to know that someone's reading....

 

[krc]

I offer Augustus peace a couple more times, but he apparently has to see his legions destroyed and has to think that its his own idea before he'll make peace. The gold he offers looks good to me, and since my happiness is still negative, I'm actually rather glad that he didn't try to give me yet another city.

Spoiler :

Things are not made any better for the Greeks when I use the reparations from Augustus to raise Tyre back to ally status, leading the city-state to join the war on my side. My troops proceed to take the undefended (formerly) Greek city of Halicarnassus.

Spoiler :

Even in the midst of a war, my capital continues to build wonders.

Spoiler :

 

[krc]

A review of the overall situation indicates a significant shift in my favor since we last looked at the demographics and economics screens.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

 

[krc]

With Halicarnassus firmly in my hands, the Greeks have a fairly limited region in which to maneuver against me. All of their cities are on the other side of the major mountain range that runs down the middle of the continent. To reach my territory, they have to go through the mountain pass connecting Argos to the Ottoman city of Ankara. At that point, they are arrayed against my ally, Tyre, unless they squeeze into a narrow front between Samsun and Halicarnassus. As long as Tyre holds out (which I can help them do practically indefinitely), the Greeks have no way through.

Spoiler :

A few years later, with their invading troops eliminated, Alexander finally gets the message and sues for peace.

Spoiler :

 

[krc]

It's time to take stock of the situation. I dominate the land west of the central mountain range. Also on my side of the mountains are the remnants of the French and Russian civilizations, both of whom have previously been defeated soundly and pose no threat. Suleiman has two cities (Ankara and Samsun) on this side of the mountains, but has made no aggressive moves so far and continues to trade and sign research agreements with me. The Greek and Roman lands lie just to the east of the mountains. I have fought defensive wars against both Augustus and Alexander, which demonstrated that my borders with them are secure and easily defended.

I also have a powerful and experienced army. I could take that army and try (and probably succeed) to conquer the world. However, my happiness has just gotten back into positive territory. With the house rules that forbid razing cities, a war of conquest is going to mean a constant battle to keep my people happy.

On the other hand, I could simply rest content with the large and defensible area that I have already conquered. Since I have a solid lead in the score and in literacy, I could concentrate on one of the more peaceful victory conditions. Science or diplomacy victories are clearly well within reason.

Even a cultural victory is not totally impossible. I now have seven active cities: the five that I built myself (Gao, Tombouctu, Jenne, Taghaza, and Tondibi), the former French capital of Paris (which I annexed immediately), and the former Russian capital of Moscow (which I initially puppeted but had to annex recently because of the house rules). That's probably a bit high for getting a cultural victory if you haven't been single-minded about it already, but the Songhai UB contributes extra culture points without a maintenance fee....

In addition, I have seven puppet states (Tours, Marseilles, Troyes, St. Petersburg, Mediolanum, Arretium, and Hallicarnassus). The puppets seem to be making sensible constructions like libraries, banks, and happiness buildings, so they can be left to their own devices.

I'm leaning strongly to switching to builder mode and seeing which of the non-conquest victories provides the best chances.

 

[krc]

So, I spend some time peacefully building up my cities and researching Chivalry (in 1090 AD), Education (1150), Gunpowder (1210, from a research agreement), Acoustics (1230), and Banking (1300). Then, in 1320 AD, Augustus and Elizabeth both pay me a visit.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

Isn't it nice how this pair of pious leaders both want to destroy my peaceful land?

 

[krc]

Any action is likely to take place along my previously established border with Augustus. This remains a narrow strip (about five hexes wide) anchored by Arretium on the coast and by my citadel at the foot of the mountains. Even though most of my troops are sill further to the north (where they stayed after the Greek war), the ones that are in place are more than adequate to hold off the first wave of Romans. Note the presence of the escorted settler; this suggests that the pressure to expand is one reason motivating Augustus.

Spoiler :

Not surprisingly, the first wave of Romans evaporates while my troops file back into their defensive line.

Spoiler :

 

[krc]

The first English troops show up, having brought swords along with their muskets to this gun fight. By now, my citadel is defended by experienced musketmen, making it impregnable.

Spoiler :

With support from trebuchets, catapults, crossbows, and the firepower from cities, both the Roman and English troops are doomed to failure.

Spoiler :

By 1535 AD, both my opponents give up the fight; no land has changed hands (only gold), but a lot of Roman and English soldiers died for nothing, I suppose.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

 

[krc]

While the war was going on, I constructed Machu Pichu in Gao and the Sistine Chapel in Paris. My score is twice that of Elizabeth, the leading AI. I'm near the top of the demographics board in everything except approval. In the social policy arena, I have taken Patronage and Aesthetics, with the idea that I can ally with more city-states to increase my cultural growth.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

 

[krc]

Research continued apace, as my clever scientists discovered Chemistry (1430 AD), Printing Press (1440, from a research agreement), Economics (1505) and Military Science (1555). Apparently, the fact that I can now train cavalry deranges Alexander, since he declares war in 1560.

Spoiler :

Almost nothing happens in this war (other than the death of some Greek soldiers who throw themselves against my unbreakable defensive lines). However, I again note that the Greeks (who are trying to attack cannons and muskets with their Companion Cavalry) are also escorting a settler; this seems to be a common theme in the current round of warfare. In 1600, Alexander asks for peace, which I grant without making any demands.

Spoiler :

 

[krc]

The year 1635 AD is a particularly auspicious one for the Songhai people, who construct the Himeji Castle in Gao and the Forbidden Palace in Tombouctu.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

The following years see a long period of peace and accumulating knowledge: Metallurgy (1585), Rifling (from a Great Scientist in 1595), Navigation (1645), Scientific Theory (1680), Archaeology (1710), Biology (1750), Steam Power (1785), and Fertilizer (1800).

The Taj Mahal is constructed in Jenne in 1790; the Brandenburg Gate in Tondibi in 1806; Oxford University in Taghaza in 1808 (yielding knowledge of Dynamite); and Big Ben in Tombouctu in 1810.

 

[krc]

In 1812, I complete my first policy track: Patronage. There is an awfully long way to go to try for a cultural victory, even though I have built the Mud Pyramid Mosque in all my cities, allied with a bunch of cultural city-states, and am building almost every wonder that becomes available. Science, however, is proceeding steadily. However, with the completion of the patronage track (along with a steady supply of gold), a diplomatic victory looks most likely.

Spoiler :

 

[toccoto]

Good Writing.

 

[Civ'ed]

Good writing.
If you are planning to capture anything else, may I suggest the Songhai UU? (I'm 99% sure it gets a bonus versus cities)

 

[krc]

If you are planning to capture anything else, may I suggest the Songhai UU? (I'm 99% sure it gets a bonus versus cities)

That's correct. The Songhai UU is the Mandekalu Cavalry, which replaces the knight. They get a 30% bonus when attacking cities. They were visible in a couple of screenshots above; one of them was temporarily holding the citadel when Augustus and Elizabeth attacked, since they were the first unit to return from the north. They held the middle of the defensive line during the battles with Rome and England, coming out to destroy wounded units and then retire. Here's a closeup from that period.

Spoiler :

Since I decided to simply hold my lines and try for a peaceful victory, I didn't get an opportunity to take advantage of their extra strength against cities. Given the fact that the Songhai also get triple gold from pillaging (capturing) cities, the strategy I adopted did not benefit from most of the unique characteristics of the Songhai.

 

[krc]

With the AI nations too cowed to try anything, I continue peacefully dominating the world. I build the Kremlin in Moscow in 1822 and the Louvre in Paris in 1878. I wonder if there should be bonus points for building wonders in their proper city? Since there don't seem to be, I build the Eiffel Tower in Moscow in 1886, the Statue of Liberty in Gao in 1892, and Cristo Redentor in Jenne in 1905.

Meanwhile, my scientists discovered Replacable Parts (1810), Railroad (1826), Electricity (1840), Radio (GS, 1842), Telegraph (1856), Refrigeration (1872), Plastics (1890), Penicillin (1904), and Ecology (1913).

On the social front, I added policies along the Liberty and Piety tracks.

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

Spoiler :

Completing the Piety track by taking Free Religion gave two free policies, with which I started on Freedom and drew up a Constitution.

 

[krc]

With the discovery of Globalization in 1923, along with the birth of a Great Engineer, I faced one final decision. Should I use the GE to hurry the Sydney Opera House and try for a cultural victory? Or should I instead hurry the production of the United Nations and take the diplomatic victory?

Spoiler :

 

[krc]

I adopt another policy (Free Speech) in 1924, which gives an opportunity to review the situation. I need to get 11 more policies (2 in Liberty, 3 in Freedom, and 6 in whichever track I select for my fifth area. The Sydney Opera House would give one free policy. The best case scenario is that policies accumulate every six turns (which is how long is estimated before the next one), so a cultural victory would take 60 turns plus the time needed to construct the Utopia Project. That is certainly possible, and would likely be completed around the year 2000. On the other hand, I have cash reserves of more than 5000 gold and am already allied with seven city-states, so the diplomatic victory can happen much sooner.

Spoiler :

So, I use my GE to hurry the United Nations.

Spoiler :

Victory follows on the first UN vote in 1936.

Spoiler :