RBD5 Succession - French Musketeer Artillery Variant

[Jaffa Tamarin]

Or, we could just carry on and finish conquering the world after gaining a cultural victory, if we wanted. For caricature and just playing about with radar artillery purposes, it doesn't matter that the game's already been won

PS: my preference is to see how much of the world we can conquer before Athos wins the game for us, without taking any special efforts to delay victory. And then stop and go play something else

 

[Charis]

I knew if I waited a day my posting would be superflous. I echo Jaffa's sentiments exactly, well, some other folks too...

Parking all and next turn would be unglorious in the extreme, please no

Attempt the conquest, see if we can hit it without delaying a culture win, but... knock yourselves out doing it. Try some fun things, in particular, investigate copters and paratroopers!

If we don't finish before the win, finishing it up, ideally with Radar Artillery, is in the cards (for me and anyone else still up for it)

We've got this far to get to Modern era and still have a lot of work to do. It will be a while, if ever, before I see a game reach this stage, be in control but have so much to do, with the possibility of seeing 100 Radar Artillery bombard the final enemy cities

One option not ruled out competely yet is if we're *real* close to conquest just before culture victory, is to go Anarchy for a very brief period. We would be transitioning to a new, glorious form of government, Musketeerism, but since the game doesn't support it, we would have to conquest first I don't want to see it come down to this, but mention it as an option that doesn't massively insult Athos and which has a plausible 'spin'

"Got it" -- expect to see Paratroopers and copters start to play a huge role (well, as big as 5-10 turns can produce). I have a glorious five step plan in mind, and several parts benefit greatly from glorious air support

Charis

EDIT -- ETA to culture win? Athos in 1852 has 13,661 gaining 81 per turn. There may be a higher rate later if 1000 yr bonuses kick in, but otherwise the culture win would be no later than 79 turns, in 1980. The earlier 1950's projections were for whole-civ win, not city. so... we've got *MORE* time than we thought
75 turns is seven to fiften player rounds of 5-10 turns. A LOT can happen in that time

After Persia and Russia, defeating Greece before Rome would kick in the "100K and your culture more than double next closest civ". With Greece alive the second condition is not met.

 

[Charis]

1852 AD (0) - Glorious... GLORIOUS!!! Jean Paul d'Charis was most pleased
for the glory of France upon seeing the recent turn of events. Since he
was last at home, Madagascar, once lost, is almost liberated, there is but
one Persian city left. (( 1. Secure Madagascar ))

Cod Island, home to some of the bravest defenders on the planet, has almost
repulsed the Russian invaders. Finish the task (( 2. Secure Cod Island ))

We have a beachhead for operations against Russia, in Minsk. (Ah, that
explains it, I was picturing a sea-invasion beachhead, this makes more sense)
We have not one but TWO glorious M'eer armies at that front, one advancing
on Moscow and the other Kiev. "Omnia Russia duae partes dividus est..."
All of Russia is divided in two parts. The northern half has five cities,
the lower half ten. (( 3. Capture Moscow and Kiev, focus on North ))

There has been a thorn in our side for some time now, at Murmansk island.
It's been shelled for aeons but for some reason the defenders hp do not
want to drop. It's time to end this one. (( 4. Liberate Murmansk ))

There is one last strategic outpost would should be secured. From Tureng
Tepe we can paradrop onto the microisland of Borazjan and take it, which
can be a launch point for paradrop onto their MAINLAND. Who needs navies?
With our glorious (etc etc) M'eer pilots, and their comrades the Meeratroopers,
we can dominate by land and air. (( 5. Secure Bora Bora island ))

BTW, in looking at Greece, they have no oil, no rubber, and no mass production
yet... muhahaha! Rome has no horses, no salt, no iron, no coal, no rubber.
I'm tempted to give them iron and coal so they can build a rail line to
ease our later invention, but keeping them at no resource levels will make
it an easy task, rail or no. 50% sci, +180 surplus, thank goodness a wise
Musketeer got us out of Communism
BTW2, just caught the shore patrol outside Athos! Heartwarming

For several of these objectives we'll need copters and paratroopers.
So I start half dozen of one and dozen of another Have to cut back
on sci for a turn or two to rush an airport or two.

1854 AD (1) - Roman longbow takes out a Russian infantry
Ah, THERE is the stack-o-doom. Kiev-19 becomes barracks-less Kiev-12.
Moscow-10 becomes Moscow 6 Golly! What an air force we command!

A chink in the armor... New Perseopolis hit by bomber run puts defender
at 1 hp. Ah wait, another defender. A (cough) spearman. Good thing we
researved our 'elite' tank for this horrific duty. Now our remaining
tanks, and all forces on Madagascar, are able to go against the polyglot
ragtag crew that showed up via transport this turn. Short on tanks, it
turns into the battle of the UU's - glorious M'eer vs vile Immortal.
Not only do we win, we become elite! An inf takes out the last
longbowman and... (Objective 1 is complete!)

Another chink! Murmansk, after pounding, sees the defenders hurt... 2...
1 hp. In we go! Cav wins first battle with 1 hp left, infantry wins
the second. Murmansk island is liberated!! And...

... the city is renamed M'eermansk!! (Objective 4 complete)

Kazan on Cod Piece is now completely surrounded. The coup d'grace will
surely come next round. A Lt.Colonel M'eer is brought up with a most
glorious artillery piece for this moment...

Wow, rail net (and Greek RoP) extends square into Tureng Tepe! We bring
a platoon of paratroopers and copters and rush an airport there...

Oh wow, *another* army at Moscow hidden?! Glorious!!
Minsk area, we lose one tank on first assault on Moscow, then win about
next eight battles. Pop a trooper right behind the city, next to their
workers (First time EVER used, neat animation!)

Newton's University, along with Moscow, is captured!
Ooh! Sistine too

1856 AD (2) - The Greeks take Yakutsk and have a not-so-small cav-stack-o-doom
prowling around. With Sistine in our hands, DOZENS of glorious French
cities rejoice and celebrate "Musketeer Day!!"

Satsuma oil source dries up. We see none appear...

Kiev is pounded. Not just pounded, but glorious stack-o-doom pounded.
Buildings fall like leaves from trees, and when under size 7, push!!
We still have about 30+ yet to fire

On Madagascar, the Persians aren't done, but... their two transport ships
heading up did NOT reach the shore and are in the water. Dead in the
water to be precise as our navy moves in for the kill.

Back on Cod... reduced to size 6 then mauled.

Coe Piece Island is liberated!! (Objective 2)

At poor Kiev, a tank is lost early, but we win the rest. Kiev Falls!!
(Objective 3).

The storming of Borazjan begins! Copters drop infantry on a mountain
outside the city. Paratroopers fly over as a whole platoon of seven!
A glorious M'eer is airdropped to oversee operations, as forward 'sighter'
for the bombing runs. We'll soon see how many defenses they have, or if a
loaded transport is in range to save them...

1858 AD (3) - A cav of ours with two artillery test the water outside
Kiev towards Odessa. A cossack kills it and (gasp) captures the artillery!
Do they fire on us?! Nay!! The glorious artillery of the French is
far beyond the grasp of their impoverished brains... who but the elite can
fire such a marvel?!

The Greek horse horde runs past Kieve down south toward Odessa or deeper.

Persian Ironclads attack us and try to sneak away but we hunt them down
and sink them. On the key assault city of Tureng Tepe, the Persia battle
ship and armada combine their forces to take out... a road leading to
nowhere and an irrigation, leaving the sole *rail* that leads into the
penninsula untouched. Go figure. There *is* a transport in the area.
Empty. It *LEAVES* the city about to die!


We start straight up with the key action of the round, the para-invasion
of Borazjan. Planes strafe it endlessly, revealing ONE (modern) defender.
Our first trooper dies and promotes the defender. Eep. Glad we left a couple
planes left to bring him back down, that cycle could get ugly. Fortunately
our second trooper administers the coup!!

Borazjan and the whole island is liberated and renamed... Bora Bora.
(Objective 5, the last one, now complete... wow, just started turn *3* )
We take it, fortify, spread units all over the island to prevent invasion,
and will rush an airport after resistance over. These same troopers can
land on the Persian MAINLAND several squares from Herat. Alas, it's pure
mountains over there. With their rail we may not be able to take a city,
at least not as quick as Bora Bora. A carrier in the area would rock, one
is being built in Orleans. (Our one carrier is not far from Bastille, under
a Battleship)

With recon we see the cavs are near Krasnoyarsk, our next target. Our
glorious artillery stack of doom engages the city... Rax destroyed,
harbor destoryed (and 7 others) and city reduced from 24ish to 13, then
on the last shot... 12! (Less defensive bonus). At least five modern defenders.

To our next glorious leader...
- From above you can figure out a lot, plus, it's not many years since your
last reign
- We have a ton of tanks on Cod Island, which need airlift out sometime
(or transport now that seas in better shape)
- Turn end not quite done, about a dozen plane you can rebase where needed.
Also several tanks. All the paratroopers except maybe 2 are in the old
Persia staging city, Tureng Tipe. (Rename that as "Trooper town" if u like )
- There's a settler lost near Cajun Village. Fill in our culture hole where
he stands or get him out from the hot sun!
- We actually seem a bit short on 'vet infantry' with all the city taking here
- There are armies outside THREE north Russian cities, and one approaching
Odessa, along with a "whompin' stack". The stack of doom itself is outside
Krasno.
- Fission is due in 6, and a leader is waiting to rush the UN. Do *NOT*
build it in Athos unless you want to have the culture win earlier. (Since
we still have dreams of conquest, not good) Tech after that? 5 away from
Radar Artillery, or we can 'backup' and snag Amphib assault.
- Greek RoP due up in 1 turn, I think we want to renew it. Avoid giving him
Mass Production if we can. Rome due too - with the RoP, Rome is the whipping
boy of the Russian theatre, heaving longbow after longbow to destruction.
- In some cases you see units left on the rail - if not, Greece cav go
and block our paths 8-\
- Feel free to scale back the paratrooper production or change any orders.
* I may be light in garrison in the Russian cities, beef up and bring more
conscripts perhaps if you get a chance. (All for One, One for All, Aramis,
Milady, Rheims, all have their airdrop left for this turn. Don't leave
Kiev with light garrison, it's way too close to capital.

Charis
Jaffa <<< up
Sirian <<< on deck
Cy

Good luck, take your time Jaffa, I see you're up in a few
Charis

 

[Sirian]

M'eermansk!!

A MOST impressive victory, that. Jaffa and I spent ages trying to crack that nut and never even scratched the shell.

Flew one in as a spotter!!!

Beat an immortal and promoted to elite! :shotgun: Never bring a knife to a gunfight, X-man!

Cod Piece Island! :fish: That name shall live in history! Now if only poor Mad King Louis ever found his glory...


"The glorious artillery of the French is far beyond the grasp of their impoverished brains... who but the elite can fire such a marvel?!" :crazyeyes

Et cetera, Et cetera!


- Sirian

 

[Jaffa Tamarin]

"How goes the war?"

"Gloriously, Lord Musketeer. Truly gloriously."

 

[Jaffa Tamarin]

Most of the 1870 turn still to play.

And I didn't do anything by way of city management

 

[Sirian]

IT1870AD: Still about half of this turn left to play. Most significant events: Our Paratroops advance on Herat. Our copters are massed at Athos. I drop four Paratroops from the island onto mountains near the north tip of Persia, with that port city in that upper desert region.

1872AD: Our Glorious Paratroops capture Herat! (Sea bombardment softened the infantry on defense). No resisters! I disband a conscript infantry, then immediately rushbuild the remaining 138 shields on an airport. I move ALL of our fighters and bombers to Herat. I load a vet M'eer onto a copter and rebase to Herat. OUR ATTACK WILL FAIL UNLESS COORDINATED BY PEPE LE PEW, OUR M'EER COMMANDER! Once he is in place and fortified in Herat, it's safe to bring in more copters. (They would probably have all crashed otherwise). I load vet infantry galore into the copters and rebase all of them to Herat, then unload and fortify all of that infantry. Hello foothold. (Glorious, etc). Our ships move into range of that north desert city and our paratroops move closer.

1874AD: X-man moves THE biggest AI stack O doom I have ever seen onto the mountain west of Herat. We are talking about 20 infantry (mostly vet), about 20 longbow, and about 30 immortals. Our bombers soften up every last inf unit. Airport completed (under the glorious supervisian of LE PEW, etc), and airlift begins. Tanks. Every last airport we own on the mainland airlifts a tank into Herat. The last batch of paratroops from the mainland drop into the desert on the north tip, next to that city, as our other Paratroops in the region close in from the south, on the mountains. NOW THAT PEPE IS ON THE SCENE, it's safe to drop paratroops into the deep mountainous regions of Persia, where we seek incense! (They need Pepe to show them how to "fire" those complicated parachutes, or they would all drop like stones to the earth and die, when pushed out of the planes).

1876AD: Our glorious bombers pummel an incense city, then beat down the injured infantry units in the Big Stack, too. Our glorious (etc) Paratroops capture two more cities, including Dakyanus, city of incense! I airdrop more paratroops next to the other incense city, of Dariush Kabir. Our tanks then attack, and obliterate, all of the Persian infantry on the mountain WITHOUT ANY LOSSES. All! Another round of tanks airlifted into Herat. Got a major major force there now.

1878AD: Xman, smelling the coming loss of his Big Stack, valiantly sends the whole bloody lot of them (or nearly) on a suicide mission into Herat. Our infantry in the town are all (ALL) promoted to elite. The stack of more than forty attackers does kill a tank one infantry and one defending paratroop. We score a great Leader (Napoleon) but I am tired and too slow to react on the PrntScrn key. Still got a cool screenie, but too late to show the leader emerging.

Our bombers are mostly unsuccessful, lots o failed runs, but we manage to beat down the defenders at Dariush, and then our glorious Paratroops capture a fourth city on my turn! And ALL of these captures came as a result of using their special ability, in combination with bombardment support/softening. None were carted up to the battle on rails, all airdropped into position. This brings incense online for us!

I finish the rest of the turn, including advancing on the next target. I left a few copters in Athos, and two paratroops activated in Herat, for next player to get a chance to use them as he sees fit.

Mission accomplished: foothold established in Persia (and how!), and troops put into position to attack. Please no more deals with Rome or Greece after this, though, as we will need to start thinking about attacking them, too, if we're going to make our deadline.

The war in Persia is some great stuff, don't miss out!


- Sirian

 

[Sirian]

Here's a shot of our Glorious (etc) Paratroopers in action! Also our infantry at Herat all promoting to elite, and this taken just after Napoleon II arrived on the scene. (I used him to rush a wonder in Herat, so... better defend that city well! ).

Remember, if you need any artillery (etc), the catch phrase for where to find them is "Hey You, Come Here!"

Oh and by the way, I held a UN Vote. Rome voted for us, but Alex voted for himself! (Imagine that! After all we've done for him! I think this insolence ought not to go unpunished! ). X-man didn't show up at the polls. (Guess he was too busy weeping over the TOTAL loss of his stack o doom, which managed to kill three French units, hand us Manhatten for free, and promote a big ole batch of our troops to elite!).

 

[Mavfin]

What happened to the Zulus??!!

I hope you guys are having as much fun playing this game as I am reading about it!

Well, back to the Germans in my own game at home. I expect to see the Persians in even worse shape when I come back!

 

[Charis]

Woo!! GO Pepe!!

Glorious!! [dance] :jump:

I'm eatin' this up, tnx! Who would do this in a 'normal' game?


Charis

 

[Cyrene]

oops, I'm up 8-0.

got it.

--Cy

 

[Sirian]

If they would get rid of the "requires airport" nonsense on the Para's they would become more than forgotten caricature units. They are actually quite nice for busting those cultural borders (their historical role) but generally it's too wasteful to keep rushing airports wherever you might want to use them.

- Sirian

PS: Charis, there is a shipment of something new and complex called "chewing gum" being airlifted into Herat. MAKE SURE PEPE IS ON HAND to show everybody how to unwrap the pieces and teach them not to swallow immediately, or we'll have TENS OF THOUSANDS of choking deaths on our hands, thousands of men bleeding to death from paper cuts, and God Himself only knows how many tummy aches. Be a shame for half our units to disband mysteriously, and the rest to hole up for two turns and do nothing because they attempted to use new technology without proper M'eer supervision.

 

[Charis]

Please, oh please, let them not try to WALK and chew this dreadful purveyor of doom!!!!

Charis

 

[Sirian]

We didn't even THINK about the complexity of WALKING at the same time as chewing! Oh this is a most depressing development indeed. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO???

I've let the troops down!

I don't think even brave Pepe :shotgun: can handle an operation THAT complex!

I have GUMMED up the works!

Only Thinks-Outside-the-Wrapper "Cyrene" can save us now!


- Sirian

 

[Cyrene]

Charis built the door into Persia. Sirian wedged it open. I took it as my duty as the Leader of the Glorious Monarchy of France to break the Persian’s back. It was hammer time! Our motto for this turn? All for one, one for all, and drive the Pernicious Persians from the mountains of their homeland. I took 5 turns.

I begin on the continuation by playing with the Muskatrooper that Sirian left me with a movement point. My first ever Civ3 Paratroop drop occurs (cool graphic). What is this? A Paratrooper has to start on an airport, drops, and cannot fight in the same turn? What kind of weed is this? What good is a reduced-defense, high-mobility force if it cannot achieve the tactical initiative? Cavalry gets high-mobility, withdraw ability, and the ability to move and attack in one turn, yet paratroops and other air-cavalry (helicopter troops) gets no retreat and no attack? Sid needs to talk to someone from 1Cav. What is this? I have found the problem. Some imbecile has issued my Muskatroopers gum! Sacre bleu! They are sitting around chewing instead of fighting! The gum is taken away from all troops in Persia. To cheer up the infantry, I give them fun helicopter rides over the scenic mountains. For some reason, bad weather always blocks their return to base and the troops are landed, for safety’s sake, in the Persian rear . The Muskatroopers are relegated to riding the rails, where they can move and attack in one turn. Later, I start pulling them out of Persia for a nice rest in Pisae. By some strange coincidence, an Airport is also rushed into Pisae, which, in strange coincidence number deus, is within dropping range of the immediate rear of Antium, the one city blocking our path to Rome. That all our Helicopters find their way to Pisae by the end of my turn is simply astounding. You would almost think I was plotting an invasion of our good friend Rome, n’est-ce pas?

After the gum incident was resolved, things in Persia went most violently . Our glorious bombarding ships and planes, under the supervision of Pepe, pounded the Persians apart like pulpy pomegranates. We took 8 Persian cities, and Xerxes is broken. We have taken his Rubber, and his counter-attacks now consist of longbowmen (why not riflemen?). He is down to about 2 Infantry per city and trash troops. In an awesome display of stupidity, denial, or bravura, he has invaded Madagascar AGAIN 8-0! I think I have a block in place. The most glorious moment of our Persian-Pounding came in 1884, when, upon taking Ergili, we captured Persian artillery! There was much rejoicing! Pepe was summoned from his gum-deprived funk and set to work doing the job he lives for—commanding our most glorious artillery! With him in command, we quickly took Tarsus and Pasgadae, liberating even more glorious artillery to serve the French cause! With the heroic efforts of Pepe and our glorious bombadiers, we have cleared the mountains of the Putrid Persians and have them by the throat.

Persia: Bactra and Samaria are set up to go down next turn. The air force can re-base to Pasgardae which will bring the next 4 cities under our heel, including the capitol. I took Antioch with minimal bombardment as I wanted the airport intact, and we got a Barracks too. With Bactra taken, we will probably get open rail into Antioch, and you can heal my two badly wounded center columns up in one turn. Persia should cease to exist in 5-10 turns. Pepe and his artillery would love to have a role in the sack of Persepolis . He has 6 arty now and a cat that can upgrade when it can get to Antioch.

Rome: Yeah well, I’ve set poor Caesar up for a fall . The arty stack-of-doom and enough tanks to do the job are stashed around Hayu K’meer (by Sirian and others). I contributed the stack-o-armor in New Chartres just ready to rip into Jerusalem and the buildup in Pisae. Have fun . Oh, and I mis-clicked and we have a lone tank near Rome, please get it out of there next turn 8-0. After a turn to get him out and set up your assault your way, you should have one more chance to use you glorious Muskatroopers .

Computers in 3 turns; Seti pre-built in Toulouse.

--Cy

Charis <<< up
Jaffa <<< on deck
Sirian
Cy

 

[Sirian]

What is this? I have found the problem. Some imbecile has issued my Muskatroopers gum! Sacre bleu! They are sitting around chewing instead of fighting!

Ah but X-man better watch out now! PEPE HAS GLORIOUS ETC ARTILLERY!!!

Sid needs to talk to someone from 1Cav

Sid needs to talk to a bunch of guys! Still, all in all, the game is fun to play, and could be further improved yet with a little more polish. It might be too unbalancing to allow paratroops to drop and attack. After all, this IS a turn-based game, and on that level nothing at all is realistic. However, if bombers can fly out of any mud village, it's absurd to require an airport for paratroopers to operate.

You would almost think I was plotting an invasion of our good friend Rome

By all rights, Rome has redeemed itself. However... there IS still that matter of their declaration of war against us oh so long ago! You do the crime... you do the time!

The arty stack-of-doom and enough tanks to do the job are stashed around Hayu K’meer

Ya know, for a jokey mudhole in the middle of the desert, positioned not at all strategically, but rather because it was close to my fighting that turns, and a convenient place to stack some spare units where I could find them...

...that place has built the UN and become a world-famous center of French culture and focus of French military prowess.

And the saddest part of all is... I LOVE IT!

Eep. Maybe I'm catching Charisitis after all.


- Sirian

 

[Charis]

:jump:

Most glorious!

And the saddest part of all is... I LOVE IT!

Well THAT went well! I was picturing more resistance, but our firepower is just too withering. The 'rebase' of bombers in any mudhole is... uh, 'nice' but that one doesn't make sense for me. The paratroopers not being able to do anything the round they land sounds rough, but the alternative is very likely overwhelming. Yet... for late in the game, how dominant can slow attack 6 offense be? To be consistent, the rule should be that they can paradrop out of any city, not just one with airport. Hmmm.... would an "airstrip" outside of town that the workers can make in about double the turns to make a fortification make sense? Only on grass or plains. Capacity '1' on the planes, can rebase there, paratroop from there (airlift out?). Downside would be how cheap that would be compared to a full airport. But it doesn't connect cities, no vet-plane building, low capacity, no superiority missions (lack of radar tower).

It seems I'm up?! I'm going to have to ponder the Rome situation.

Charis

 

[Cyrene]

Well, if the patch hadn't added the "J" key group move command, I would have had to have dropped this game long ago .

As it is, you just haven't lived until you have moved a stack of around 100 arty with the group command over non-rail squares. You click, go feed the dogs, get something to eat, come back, and it is still moving--"squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak, squeak-rumble-squeak...).

Now a stack this size is pointless, as one 1/2 that size can take a city from 20+ to a size 1 with no improvements and every defender down to 1 hp, but you just have to move it once for the fun of it. It puts a whole new light on the phrase "stack-o-doom".

What a hoot.

 

[Mavfin]

Well, I guess it depends on your computer

I pulled up one of my save files that I hadn't deleted yet that was just before a diplo victory (which I did because the game was already won...), and built 100 artillery, and tried it...takes 25 seconds to move them all with the j command

 

[Sirian]

Hey it gets worse with Radar artillery. The animations are longer, especially the firing animation.