[RFC] Russia, From the Balkans to Oregon.

[nody]

Hello everyone,

I'm a longtime reader of this forum, since 3 years or so. And finally decided to share a new challenge I gave myself for the Rhye's and Fall Mod which is the only thing I play period on my computer lately.

The Russians which I began playing on RFC as one of the last civs I tried has become my favorite in the 600AD scenario. I almost never play from 3000BC anymore, because I hate the Pyramids in Rome and the Islamic States of America for example. I never play the classical and ancient civs anymore anyway.

So this story will show you my attempt to recreate Russia as it's greatest (and maybe more) territorial extent in real history. The goal is to have an empire from Yugoslavia, maybe Albania to (what is now) California or Oregon before the future era.

I just started the game as I write this, so it's uncertain how it will turn out. My aim is to colonize all the territory and without having to conquer it. So I rather raze a city that's not exactly on the spot that I want it and found a new one nearby.

Few exceptions of cities I keep when I conquer them are Kazan and Samarkant. Those are very good for early expansion and to block the Arabs and Mongols (with
Samarkant).

I also don't use time victory and don't aim at a historical victory although it would be nice to achieve 2 historical goals because it triggers a golden age.
I will aim at achieving no city lost before 1950 and to colonize Siberia (7 cities), because that meets with my own challenge.

I will tell my story mostly with my screenshots and feel free to comment me on my progress.

Every screenshot will be behind a 'spoiler' button.

 

[nody]

How can I post my images that I have uploaded in full size (no thumbnails)?

Please help me.

 

[nody]

The beginning. We found Mokva and change the civics, including slavery and organized religion.

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The villagers from the hut gave me Aesthetics. Which is nice, because they usually are hostile when I approach with a horse archer.

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We meet the Germans, who are already underway to found Riga or Memel, but I will cut them off quick.

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[BurnEmDown]

You can upload the images to a website like photobucket and write the link here and then write after.
Will you raze cities taken in war for example in eastern Europe if they're really crappy?.
Edit: Oh woops, just realized you actually said you'll raze all cities and not keep them.

 

[nody]

Thanks, BurnEmDown.

PhotoBucket is very usefull, better then uploading everything to this site, I guess.


Okay, so we cut the Germans off of the Baltic area and found Klaipeda.

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And there's Saladin, who isn't yet furious with me because I'm not yet converted to Christianity and get a good tech-deal.

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Then we conquer Samarkant with the horse archers. Very nice to have them from the beginning. They're also good for early exploration.

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[nody]

By the way, I'm not razing all cities. Only crappy ones. Germany often found 'Graz' for example on the pigs 1S of Wien. I hate it when AI founds cities on resources, especially food or hammer boosters.

I ones razed Graz and founded Ljubljiana 1S (Laibach). Which I would do now if necessary and possible.

 

[nody]

Our first scout is ready to explore the vast lands of Siberia.

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Thank you Germany for building that pasture for me...

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We need to be carefull not to allow Arabia to capture Merv. We want to destroy that city, it's too close to Samarkant and we need room for Kungrad later...

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This is ugly, Germany and Byzantion have cut me off the Balkans. Germany also is annoyed with me, so no OB yet.

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Finally, Christianity has spread to Moskva. That will help in diplomacy with Germany also.

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Oh oh! I'm afraid this will be the end of Samarkant...

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[nody]

One longbowman against 6 axemen, what are the odds? (Although, he did have garrisson I)

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But two horse archers more proved to be too much...

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We get a royal visit from the three most important monarchs in the West.

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This message always tells me it's 1140 AD.

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Pleasant surprise! Those Uzbeks in the East prove to be loyal.

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I guess Saladin doesn't approve of the (re)flip.

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And there are Russia's most feared enemies. Luckely not at war at this fragile start.

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This new city is just to fill the void.

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Finally, we end slavery... and focus on land improvement.

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And there we finally meet good old Willem, who will prove very usefull if we can trade civil service for engineering.

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We give in, for now. But what goes around comes around, Genghis!

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[nody]

While pooring myself another glass of 'Russian' Earl Grey, I will tell you about a chapter when things are becoming interesting...

We capture Kazan, our stepping stone to the east.

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We meet the Turks and do some trading.

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We meet Mali and get our hands on Divine Right.
Which means: WE MUST GO BUILD THE FORBIDDEN PALACE!
Oh, and we also get Calendar from them, so you can see the year from now on.

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We finally raze that eye-sore called 'Merv'. The Arabs still haven't captured it and still done nothing threatening to me.
Sorry to the people who adore ancient Persian cities.

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We get engineering from the Dutch.

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We meet China in south-Manchuria.

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And then... when we just found the beautiful named city of Odessa (must be a name from ancient Greek times?) the Germans invade and capture it. And the batlle of Odessa begins...

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To focus our attention to this important city that I well NEVER give up we make peace with Arabia for a little price. Anything better then to give up Samarkant... which they would ultimately would have conquered. Uzbekistan is Russian and STAYS Russian.

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Then in east Manchuria we meet 'crazy-eyes' Tokugawa of Japan which still hasn't begun to colonize the 'mainland' of Asia. I hope they never will because otherwise I will have to fight them later on. Because without Vladivostok, Russia isn't complete.

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With a horse archer and a longbowman we quickly recover Odessa.

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Our first Great General. For the glory of Russia!

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Here's an example of a city I'm already planning to raze, normally I would keep Balkhash, but not ON the copper. It's a worthless city on this plot...

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Sometimes you have to take a long-shot, but if I get a GE in time it will work...

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Ahhh... I always appreciate those encouraging updates as I tend to forget to check the grafs.

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Meanwhile Odessa is re-occupied and re-liberated...

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A great engineer from Klaipeda has offered to help constructing the FP in Ekaterinburg!

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The English aren't amused... ooohhh, I'm very scared... NOT!

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Odessa is again captured by the germans, but they still don't have guilds and I'm almost there...
That means: KNIGHTS!
And we finally get to see the mysteriously German city in Poland which is not very well protected. With knights that means: Russian Poland!

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Still a long way to go but with some more chopping I'm confident I will make it...

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Will we finally capture and secure Odessa from the Germans and will we finish the FP in time?

We'll see next time.

 

[Stewie0416]

Nice! I'm looking forward to a "red" america sometime in the future

 

[BurnEmDown]

Yeah, if you get them as vassals they will be named Soviet States of America, very nice alt-history scenario

 

[Danger Bird]

You have a lot of cities fairly close together. Won't this hurt your economy/stability?

(Or, What difficulty are you playing on?)

Good luck expanding east. When I try a similar challenge, I always forget how long settlers take to get to far east Siberia.

 

[nody]

You have a lot of cities fairly close together. Won't this hurt your economy/stability?

(Or, What difficulty are you playing on?)

Good luck expanding east. When I try a similar challenge, I always forget how long settlers take to get to far east Siberia.

Only in the Baltic area and St. Petersburg. I think it is better to have more culture there against the Vikings and Germans.

Also I can't support cities over size 14 yet, so I'll better spread the population over there.

I play Monarch.

I always send a lot of workers before sending settlers and build roads to the east, also on the marsh-tiles which the settlers can cross.
Garrison arives a little later. That's why I'm not gonna upset the Mongols too soon.

But I promise, Kazakhstan will be un-mongolized. Borat will be pleased.

 

[nody]

Yeah, if you get them as vassals they will be named Soviet States of America,

I would call them American Soviet Socialist Republics.

But if I can colonize the west coast, from Unalaska to Mexico it's enough for me.
Personally I don't like to vassalize anyone, because I can never get rid of them. And I will choose resettlement until I'm done colonizing and that will be a while.

 

[nody]

We give Joao an offer he can't refuse. Not all Dutch are cheap... (yes, I'm Dutch)

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We recapture Odessa... again...

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After chopping the last trees near Ekaterinburg, we did it! And that without a forge...

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Odessa is again conquered and re-conquered by me.

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We enter the 1500's...

Finally the Germans recognize our superiority.

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And secure a Russian Uzbekistan and a part of Kazakhstan, Balkhash will have to wait.

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Those large Baltic cities prove usefull for providing great people like this one, who will build me an academy, the first one naturally in Moskva.

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Always equally share the resources of two 'crossing' fat crosses.

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We secure 'our' Black Sea-side and start focusing on the north and east.

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We don't want to upset our future ally and agree.

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Finally, our precious stone resource. This means CASTLES EVERYWHERE!

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Our scouts, which we now could easily upgrade to explorers if they weren't half a world away, have reached future Kamchatsky and the Bering Strait. Also the only whale resource, which is within Russian historical territory, is at the southern tip.

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Our first city on the Arctic coast. First of many more in the future.

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7 workers, serfdom and still most land isn't improved.

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We give in to Lizzy, only to prevent inevitable trade blocks.

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Ramadan just ended and Saladin is hungry...

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THIS is the right tile to settle Magnitogorsk, not ON the iron as the AI ALWAYS does.

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The densely populated Baltics, but still growing...

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Until next time...

 

[nody]

Ever heard of cities like Kustanaj and Kzyl-Orda. Then you need to visit Kazakhstan!

Because Balkhash will be destroyed sooner or later by me I decided to go ahead an found some cities in that area who are not completely useless.

Also some cities to the North, counted I now have 7 cities in Asia, NOT Siberia. I gave that up, since it's already 1670 AD. BTW is Magnitogorsk in Asia/Siberia?

So let's start from the beginning...

The Dutch are willing to trade ones more something I really am going to need to counter the bulkload of maintenance early.

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We found our first Siberian city. Although Ekaterinburg is borderline Siberian...

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We lost the dye from Suleiman, so we trade some smiley-faces with Spain.

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Once again, you need to manage your cities manually if you found cities like this one, otherwise they won't grow. Biology will make everything better eventually.

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We still have an angry mob in the west, where the cities are past size 12. So we ask for some incense. Saladin is still hungry and apparently not choosy...

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This is why I'm still carefull with the Mongols, I need a well guarded Siberia first...

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At least we don't have to worry about angry people here anymore. Also good to culturally push the Germans back.

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Those Mongols never guard their hinterland well, only 2 longbowmen in Balkhash, but I still worry about the hordes of Keshiks counter-attacking my infant Siberian cities.

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Finally, does this count as Siberia? I would have waited to found this city until astronomy ('cause of the 3-sized cities with forges AND harbors), but I need the gems very bad...

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Will I rush to military tradition (cuirassiers) before a new war has begun and will I be ready to crush the Mongols before they have gunpowder? We'll see next post.

 

[BurnEmDown]

Actually you should wait for Cossacks! These replace Cavalry I think.
And yeah maybe I chose the wrong name I just forget how they're called exactly.

 

[killerkebab]

With so many cities you are going to destroy your research rate, surely?

 

[nody]

With so many cities you are going to destroy your research rate, surely?

That's why I build the Forbidden Palace, to counter maintenance costs. And when I'm in central Siberia I will quickly build a Summer Palace.
Later in the game I will adopt State Property. Actually, I will aim my research on that.

But it's all about balance. I build settlers, mostly in Moskva, but also markets, courthouses, banks, etc.

For all the new cities in Siberia I have the same building que: walls, castle, theatre, forge, courthouse. That's what any city MUST have before building anything else.

This game I'm very advanced, because I restrained myself in expansion.
Most earlier games with Russia I managed to settle 7 cities in Siberia BEFORE 1700 AD. At that time I didn't even had banking yet.

 

[emeralddude]

Magnitogorsk and Ekaterinburg must be past the Urals (1 tile E) to be Siberian.