Realyn's Let's Play - Huge, Fractal, 18 Civs, Epic, Immortal

[Realyn]

Hello,

please let me introduce myself. My name is Björn, I'm 25 years old and study engineering management in Germany.
I remember playing Civ 2 on the first playstation, but my first "real" Civ game I fully understood/had fun playing was Civ4.
Since I am a really competitive person who likes large and complex games, I started on emperor or immortal and got beat up sooo hard. Even tho I don't have alot of posts I lurked around for a long time. Long before "Let's Play" were born the Civfanatic's forum had a fantastic series from a guy which name I sadly can not remember. He played every Civ once and those threads were immense. Bet the first guy posting here knows who I am speaking of .
Anyway, those threads helped me alot. And since I got a new cpu/ram (yeah!!) I thought - why not record it and maybe help out a person or two ?

This series will be a combination of screenshots with analysis and youtube videos for two reason.
For one, not everybody wants to/has the time to watch 50 mins of someone else playing. I will play about 25-50 turns per session and post the most important events as screenshots. Of course I hope to find some people to discuss them with too.
My sessions will be recorded with fraps and uploaded to youtube. Right now I have played 100 turns and encoded them in 720p. 1080p is possible too, if people are interested.
Also there will be no commentary. I have no need to speak it on a daily basis, so it isn't as fluent as it was 7 years ago . Instead I'll simply record the music I'm listening to and hope that youtube won't around about copyright. In case some music isn't your thing - just mute and play your own please .

So yeah ... Hope I covered everything importang. As far as the game goes, the settings will be:



-Patch 1.511
-Huge map
-Fractal
-18 Civs, 28 City States
-Epic speed
-Immortal Difficulty
-Quick Combat
-No mods
-No reloading

I can't stress the last two points enough. I really have no respect for people who reload. Not only in Civ, but also in other games like Skyrim.
But especially in Civ 5 I don't understand it. Just look at the G&K forum. Everybody says how bad the AI is. And they are right. But if it is so bad ... why do people need to reload or play with mods heavily favoring the human player ... ?
Be honest to yourself and drop down on difficulty if you keep loosing .


Chapter 01 - Initial build up
Chapter 02 - War with Rome #1
Chapter 03 - War with Rome #2
Chapter 04 - Battle for Rome #1
Chapter 05 - Battle for Rome #2
Chapter 06 - Battle for Rome #3
Chapter 07 - War machine is rolling
Chapter 08 - War with France #1
Chapter 09 - War with France #2
Chapter 10 - War with France #3
Chapter 11 - Let's get the party going
Chapter 12 - **** gets real
Chapter 13 - Another 2 Civs join the party
Chapter 14 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #1
Chapter 15 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #2
Chapter 16 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #3
Chapter 17 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #4
Chapter 18 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #5
Chapter 19 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #6
Chapter 20 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #7
Chapter 21 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #8
Chapter 22 - Sevenhundredfortyandthree Years' War #9
Chapter 23 - PEACE

 

[Realyn]

Stupid save game . Should work now.

 

[Realyn]

Link to video.​

Aaaand we rolled Ramses. Not only that - we rolled Ramses with Marmor . Personally I'm not the builder kind of guy. Especially since its very hard to pull off on Deity/Immortal, unless you get far ahead thanks to a good start. But we HAVE TO go with Stonehenge/GL/Oracle here.
I settled in place and chose a scout as first unit/building. Some people might prefer a monument, but in my opinion scout followed by a worker lets you snowball far better. I also start with a scout on not so crowded maps.
Tech priority: Mining > Masonry > Pottery > Calendar



It didn't take long to find my first neighbour. It's allways important to keep track of where you first meet a new Civ. Since France is most likely to the south I'll scout to the right, even tho its near my capital and huts are unlikely.


I popped a culture hut and chose Tradition for the 3 Culture. Next 2 points will go into Liberty to get the free settler. The third into Tradition again for the wonder policy. It should time out just right.
I also revealed abit more. The city spot "1" looks really sweet. I really want that city. Since Rome has allready settled his second City I should be able to grab it.


France is going to declare on someone in the next 3 turns. Either me, or some civ to my left. I finished my worker and started on a monument. My Scout popped a hut and got promoted to an archer.


Got it! Building a monument, followed by an archer for defense. France indeed declared on Denmark ... so I should be pretty safe for the moment.
America and Russia declared on Rome, but settled for peace again very quickly. Thats not good for me, because Rome spammed units and will most likely declare on me soonish.


The happyness helped quite a bit. I will have to reveal the second one later on. Calendar finished soon ...


Starting on Stonehenge.


Oh, really? You will regret this.


Last turn of the session. Unless france backstabs me, I should be safe. America is at war with Rome, too.
Right now I'm selling every luxury I got. My Capital is size 4 and working on Stonehenge. I'll keep City 2/3 at size 1 until they have built a monument/granary and some units.
Tech wise the next target is writing so I can sell my open borders to ... every single Civ out there.

 

[Heerlo]

One time Agustus betrayed me, and I think that's the same thing he told me.

This should be an interesting game.I like huge maps and Fractal, so I'm kinda interested.

Also, how did you know France was going to declare on someone?

 

[Realyn]

Also, how did you know France was going to declare on someone?

Because of the (I think so) missing 2nd city. In my experience the AI would have settled to the east. Instead he moved out with 4 warrior.

 

[Heerlo]

OK.

Good luck defeating the evil Romans!

 

[Realyn]

Not much happening this chapter. Just some fighting here and there.

Link to video.​

We stopped here. So far 3 warrior are visible next to Heliopolus. I assumed he would throw those +3-4 more at me. Nevertheless I bought one archer in Memphis and one in my capital. Better safe then sorry.


No real danger.


Cleared the left side. But Rome settled a third city, got iron and showed a Ballista. i would be dead if he uses that ballista in a good way ... but its the AI - so he prolly wont.


Got it! Built a scout afterwards and started GL when the scout finished.


Oh dear ... Writing finished. So I traded my borders to 10-15 Civs and got some good money.


Monty ... who? Well, whatever. I don't even know where you live.


Focused on the Ballista.


Founded Elephantine for 2 luxurys and thats it allready. Like I said, nothing special happened.

Nex targets are: Settle on the war with Rome. I can't beat iron units right now. I will use the GL for IW if I get it.
Also I will keep the next luxurys I get and start to grow Thebes and Memphes.

 

[Heerlo]

So now Montezuma too, ay?He doesn't seem to really be attacking, though.

 

[Realyn]

Link to video.​

Picked up here. Killed the Ballista and some minor units.


Settled for peace 5 turns later, not bad hum? Lost 1 warrior for 1k cash.


Finished GL and picked IW.


I have 2 Iron only .


Diplomacy is very important. I keep checking who France is at war with.
Also, if I see a Civ denounced by 5+ other Civs(that allready happened to you I guess ) I denounce them as well.


Allright, go ahead. I will let the units walk off and intercept them, when they come back. Sneaky!


Turn 101 and end. I'll finish the warrior and start on The Oracle.
I'm researching The Wheel and bring my workers into place.
Thebes will stay as a wonder building city with some trading posts added in. Memphis my real Capital, growing large. Heliopolis will mostly build units.

 

[DevilHell]

This is really interesting! Already saw the first video, really nice timing and really nice catch on france.
I don't know how you gonna defend from Rome I was like -.- dude, Rome's gonna you -.- but seen the video I'd say you got it covered.. I'm busy right now, I have to shower but I will catch up in like 5 hours, good luck till then
Nice post

 

[DevilHell]

Link to video.​

Text version for this chapter will most likely be added tomorrow. Recording for the first time, setting up this thread and so on took quite some time.

You will need proxtube for the video. I'll change it tomorrow.

://// so bad, because of the music the video is blocked in my country (

 

[Realyn]

You can use the Firefox plugin "Proxtube" to unlock those videos. Nevertheless I changed the third one, it should work now.

 

[Realyn]

Edited Chapter 3 and played the next set.

Wow, 1 hour of playing for 30 turns or so. "The battle for Rome" will be edited into this post.

 

[Realyn]

Link to video.
​

Sooo, what happened last? I made peace with Rome and they decleared on Washington. But as you can see they allready made peace and Rome's units will soon come back and I will try to intercept them.


Not good. I denounced England like 7+ Civs before me.


My position isn't very good. I might get sandwiched. Still, I want to kill the units on the retreat and declear on them.


Building roads because my cities start to grow. It is not really worth it to connect lvl 1 cities if you have to spend more than 3 roads.


No threath for Memphis. Even if the Legions will attack they would be slaughtered in 2 turns.


. Stupid Legion catches my Archers. I try to retreat to the east.


Lost 1 Archer.


Rome suiciding units.


The highlighted Archer is my prior Scout. He's sitting on a very strong position right there. Gonna try to take down as much units as possible before I go in.


2 iron soon. Really need them for Catapults.


Moving into position to assault Rome.


War plan and end of the session


Besides the war you can see my cities starting to grow. Best check the video for a detailed view of them.
After the war each city will focus on happyness buildings. Don't forget Egypt's UB. 2 culture, 2 happyness for no maintenance? I want! 3 of my 4 cities can build a circus as well.

 

[Realyn]

Link to video.​

Turn 1 of the invasion


I will use my bottom unit and attack the legion on the hill, since there is no archer in range to finish my guy off.


End of turn 2


Used the heal promotion. As much as I love a highly upgraded military ... most won't survive this war.


This guy is dead. So I suicide him into the legion below him.


Picking up the GE, so I can use it on the Hagia Sophia.


Since some iron units died I bought backups.


Backups arrived.


Poor lads. Nobody likes them. Neither do I.


Nothing to add .

I'll focus the next post in city development and what else happened.

 

[Realyn]

Link to video.​

Look at the capital. Looking good so far. The next citizens will get put into the soon to come workshop and the 2 river trading posts.


Newly won Rome. High production and river as well. You can see the production queue ... afterwards prolly water mill / granary


Taking the last city of Rome. It has no building when I capture it. I'm gonna keep it nevertheless. I never understood the whole "raze raze and settle" thing. For one look at those culture borders. Also I don't have the production capacity to build a settler. Add the fact I have enough happyness and production in the captured city to build a courthouse.


Yep. Backstabbed him. Like .. 5 or 6 other civs who declared in the next turns.


Denounced France and so did 3-4 other civs after me. Looks like im getting good respect.


Memphis is my real powerhorse. I'll grow it once I get CS and ...


... I've killed France or Russia. I'm highly thinking France, because he is at war with 2 other nations and Paris should be empty. Also, Russia's good cities are far far away

 

[Civman33]

Following this Let's Play. Really good

 

[Heerlo]

I'll probably get back on this when you make the text version of the last ones.Sometimes I just don't like watching such long videos!

Nice Let's Play, though!

 

[Realyn]

Very nice to hear . I did two somewhat quick write ups. I'll add the next video and do the text tomorrow.

 

[Realyn]

Link to video.​

Lets this this off with something to laugh at. Poor guy.


I forgot to mention that I indeed got the oracle and thats why I have a GE sitting and waiting to build the Hagis Sophia.


There won't be much happening this turnset. I decided to go for France and moved my army into place. Besides I built some infrastructur in the newly captured cities.
Thebes will build Angkor Wat. It is not amazing, but still nice to have. Also I do not need happyness right now.


Overview. Memphis and Helioplis will build swordsman and catapults non stop for the next 30 turns. Don't get confused by the colosseum. Changed it to a catapult. I also bought ALOT of units. France has a of units(see next screen) and I need to strenghten Rome. Russia will attack at some point - just a question of time.


Mission. Abort. South of Paris no option to fight at. New plan is to get two catapults on the "x" spots and starve him out.