Role Play Challenge: A Gentleman of Culture II

[CivMcNut]

Wow, you didn't waste any time with this 2nd game. The dust is still settling from the first one and you're about to the Middle Ages on the next one already.

Barbs would be my big concern with a map with so much fog on it. I noticed some barb cities out there that might be good target practice for your military. As soon as your economy starts righting itself you could keep those cities.

The fastest way to code of laws is do meditation (since you have mystism) then priesthood and then code of laws. You could potentially get the oracle this way too if it's not already built. Maybe you'll be the first to Code of Laws and found Confusionism. I would certainly think about having a religion around, if you have to wait till Astronomy to get a religion you're missing out on some bonuses for sure.

There is lots to do, that's for sure. I guess the main thing is being prepared for when you meet up the other Civs, no telling how that will go and what will shake out of it. I would think a lot of cities to help support (build troops and whatnot) your big 3 culture cities would be a good idea once you can handle the strain on the economy.

 

[madscientist]

Wow, you didn't waste any time with this 2nd game. The dust is still settling from the first one and you're about to the Middle Ages on the next one already.

Shaka was ticked and had a point to prove!

Barbs would be my big concern with a map with so much fog on it. I noticed some barb cities out there that might be good target practice for your military. As soon as your economy starts righting itself you could keep those cities.

We got lot's of Horse archers for quickly dealing with barbs.

The fastest way to code of laws is do meditation (since you have mystism) then priesthood and then code of laws. You could potentially get the oracle this way too if it's not already built. Maybe you'll be the first to Code of Laws and found Confusionism. I would certainly think about having a religion around, if you have to wait till Astronomy to get a religion you're missing out on some bonuses for sure.

There is lots to do, that's for sure. I guess the main thing is being prepared for when you meet up the other Civs, no telling how that will go and what will shake out of it. I would think a lot of cities to help support (build troops and whatnot) your big 3 culture cities would be a good idea once you can handle the strain on the economy.

That is what I thought. My chief concern is whether to commit another city to claim the stone and build the pyramids or if chopping them out is enough. I really like the idea of early CoL to found Confiscianism and adopt caste system and representation for a double whammy of artists with an extra +3 beakers, and perhaps a chance at a GE to rush the Sistene Chapel.

 

[Charou]

Good you have a lot of space for yourself, now.
Makes me want to ask have you a question, madscientist.


If you had different neighbours, other than isolationist Toku and cocky napoleon,
would you have considered letting them live after taking their capital.
Seriously do you need all that space for yourself ?
With a common religion,
maybe some leaders could not hold a grudge and be partial tech traders.

I really don't know for myself if it is a viable approach in such a situation.

Any thought ?

 

[madscientist]

Good you have a lot of space for yourself, now.
Makes me want to ask have you a question, madscientist.


If you had different neighbours, other than isolationist Toku and cocky napoleon,
would you have considered letting them live after taking their capital.
Seriously do you need all that space for yourself ?
With a common religion,
maybe some leaders could not hold a grudge and be partial tech traders.

I really don't know for myself if it is a viable approach in such a situation.

Any thought ?

There is never enough land for the Zulu and their Ikhandi UB!!! They can hold and control ALOT of land, just 5% less than the Holy Romans and their UB.

Any other civilization that I took the capital from in this board would very unlikely have kept tech pace with the Zulu. It may have been OK with open borders and some forign trade route income, but not worth it since I would need to build Military to keep them off my lands.

Perhaps I would have considered sparing Gandhi or Musa, but then I would be trading with them and when I met teh oversea's AIs I bet I immediately get that -4 modifier you traded with our worse enemies. Here if I avpid a state religion I cna meet oversea's AIs and start from zero.

 

[Carabodes]

The little general is dead. I am sure many you are cheering in the streets.

There's cheering in Bergen, Norway
Thank you, thank you, thank you, the Tiny One is truely history, and you've given the perfect recipy to take him should he ever reincarnate.

 

[madscientist]

There's cheering in Bergen, Norway
Thank you, thank you, thank you, the Tiny One is truely history, and you've given the perfect recipy to take him should he ever reincarnate.

Shaka's 2 traits are much better than Napoleans that early in the game. ORG is stronge, but not until later. Charismatic get's faster promotions, but only if his troops survive!! Shaka's quickly built and well promoted chariots assured us they wouldn't!

 

[KrikkitTwo]

I'd say

Beelines
Masonry (Stone for Pyramids, and access to both Stone and Marble for Wonder Spamming)
COL (Courthouse/Caste and a religion hopefully... you still need one to benefit from Sistine Fully)
Currency (for economy)
Music [get Drama+Literature though]
Calendar
Liberalism (probably get Nationalism as free tech for Taj)
Gunpowder (for army strength)
Corporation
Medicine+Combustion (for corps)
Assembly Line (for Army Strength again)
Mass Media

Ignore finding the neighbors, just Cottage up and let them come to marvel at your glorious culture.

 

[madscientist]

I'd say

Beelines
Masonry (Stone for Pyramids, and access to both Stone and Marble for Wonder Spamming)
COL (Courthouse/Caste and a religion hopefully... you still need one to benefit from Sistine Fully)
Currency (for economy)
Music [get Drama+Literature though]
Calendar
Liberalism (probably get Nationalism as free tech for Taj)
Gunpowder (for army strength)
Corporation
Medicine+Combustion (for corps)
Assembly Line (for Army Strength again)
Mass Media

I agree except I gotta get currency in there somewhere I think.

Also, I do not recall off-hand the music tech path. Seams like the nAI always goes down that route first.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

Music is

Aesthetics
Drama OR Literature* (I'd get both)
Mathematics [but you'll probably get that going for currency]
Music


*Needs Polytheism.. but you need that for some good wonders anyways

 

[huerfanista]

Hue, I all for shadowing the game. But any observations dating after my post please place in spoilers. I do realize I am probably isolated at this point but still not 100% (If you remeber the Persians in Space game, I thought I was for a bit but found Sal real close by).

Sorry. I didn't think I was giving away any spoilers. I didn't say you were isolated, just that you were alone on this continent (which you must know if you've knocked off Nappy and Toku ). Anyway, my apologies.

I finished with about 50k in 1902. It may look like the victory is wrapped up for Mad Scientist at this point, but not necessarily! There was a big surprise in my game.

Spoiler :

Monty twice came within a single vote of a diplo victory via the AP, before I sent a couple of boatloads of infantry and cannons to raze his capital and holy city with the AP. I was sorely tempted to just wipe him out, but I already had 48% of the pop and didn't want to get a dom victory by mistake! I'm sorry, but the AP diplo victory seems ridiculous to me. He was right in the middle of the pack in score, land, gnp, etc.

 

[madscientist]

Shaka A Gentleman of Culture: Part III

Well alot of infrastructure, wonder building, and 2 religions! Not much action and I could have kept going but I had to save at some point.

First thing is the tech path for the entire segment

Polytheism/Priesthood/CoL/Literature/Math/Music/Drama/Currency/Sailing/Philosophy/Calender

We built the oracle and took Aestetics for free. We got Music first and got a free GA. We also founded Confuscism and Taoism, so we should not be behind in tech.

We did start running low on cash so we attacked some barb cities for cash

After we razed their two cities they started attacking us a bit until we let them settle where they wanted.

At this point we started the pyramids in the capital and the oracle in Paris. Pyramids were essentially chopped out as I did not want to risk losing them and did not want to settle in that horrid stone area.

From Paris

And Ulandi

We took Aesthetics as the free tech figuring we can built ALOT of wonders, and we did!!!

A few turns after the pyramids we finished CoL

And we switched our techs

There are alot of marble related wonder we want so I dropped the only city built in this segment near it

In Paris we Build the SoZ

Yes, every artist we run gets 6 culture and 3 beakers. We spammed artists in Kyoto and popped a GA there which we culture bombed Kyoto with. I used a few culture boms early to help expand the borders and keep the barbs out!

We start the Parthenon in Ulundi, note this city is pretty well farmed to max out the number of artisst we can run, but first we reach the happy cap and build the needed wonders.

In Paris another wonder

Trying to place Prophet and Scientists wonders into Paris.

Soon after we get

In Ulundi and we immediated pop out a GE which we use for

Yep the mother of the cultural win, the Sistene Chapel!



And we find out we are doing fairly well in size

Yep, 4 other civs at each other's throat over there. How do I know, we thos great generals that are popping out left and right are not from privateers, right??


OK, I decide to pack it in for the night. Some views of the land


That stronge gold area, very little food

Kyoto area

Paris Area

And speaking of paris, we actually built another wonder there, one I really delayed a long time but said the hell with it.

Yes delaying the GL because I do not want to pollute the GP farms of Ulundi and Kyoto.

Oh, once we teched off Philosophy we adopted the pacifism civic, see I told you Shaka was a real pussycat at heart!!!


The city screen

And teh victory conditions

OK folks, where do we go from here

Questions
DO we build more cities or construct some markets first?

Techpath, I see three

A) MC/Machinery/Fuedalism/Guilds/Banking/Gunpowder for some military protection

B) CS/Paper/Education/Liberlaism so we can get free speech going and grab nationalism for free.

C) Compass/MC/Optics to see who We can trade with

Note there are several low level techs still missing such as alphabet.


Oh by the way, we have 2 GA's sitting arround in Ulundi and two more just about ready to pop in Ulundi and Kyoto.

 

[huerfanista]

Music is

Aesthetics
Drama OR Literature* (I'd get both)
Mathematics [but you'll probably get that going for currency]
Music


*Needs Polytheism.. but you need that for some good wonders anyways

Yes, I'd go for a drive up the wonder highway (Parthenon, Shwedagon, GLib, Sistine). You should be able to get most if not all of them. You can detour to math/calendar/currency along the way if you research the next "wonder tech" just as you finish building the previous wonders. IMO, these wonders all really give a boost to a cultural victory. You'll need them since you can't use cathedrals.

 

[madscientist]

Sorry. I didn't think I was giving away any spoilers. I didn't say you were isolated, just that you were alone on this continent (which you must know if you've knocked off Nappy and Toku ). Anyway, my apologies.

I finished with about 50k in 1902. It may look like the victory is wrapped up for Mad Scientist at this point, but not necessarily! There was a big surprise in my game.

Spoiler :

Monty twice came within a single vote of a diplo victory via the AP, before I sent a couple of boatloads of infantry and cannons to raze his capital and holy city with the AP. I was sorely tempted to just wipe him out, but I already had 48% of the pop and didn't want to get a dom victory by mistake! I'm sorry, but the AP diplo victory seems ridiculous to me. He was right in the middle of the pack in score, land, gnp, etc.

There are always surprises in these RPC games. Bring them on, old Shaka is ready!!!

 

[huerfanista]

OK folks, where do we go from here

Questions
DO we build more cities or construct some markets first?

Techpath, I see three

A) MC/Machinery/Fuedalism/Guilds/Banking/Gunpowder for some military protection

B) CS/Paper/Education/Liberlaism so we can get free speech going and grab nationalism for free.

C) Compass/MC/Optics to see who We can trade with

Note there are several low level techs still missing such as alphabet.


Oh by the way, we have 2 GA's sitting arround in Ulundi and two more just about ready to pop in Ulundi and Kyoto.

Oops - you beat me to it! Great job.

I vote for none of the above.

D) MC to get forges for and (if you hook up the gold)
CS/Paper/Education/Liberalism for the free tech and free speech
Machinery/Fuedalism/Guilds/Banking/Economics for the GM (for sushi!)

Since you're founding all the late religions and getting every wonder you try for, I'd say it's a fair bet that you won't find much to trade for in the rest of the world. Let them come to you. For the same reason, I don't think you need to worry about military too much. Astronomy is a long way off. You could take a tiny gamble and wait for gunpowder to build modern units quickly when you've got lots more cities and production.

Build more cities and get your production and research over the top. The potential is unlimited.

 

[NintendoTogepi]

I don't have any advice, just want to say that you've done really good so far.

Keep up the good work!

 

[grandad1982]

You know I think representation Artists produce 4 not 3 so even better!

Has the colossus gone yet? If not then I reckon MC for that and the forges, and then back to the more peacefull tech path. I think that you don't need to get that far in millitary tech untill you have contact with the outside world.

Before you expand with more cities you should get some markets down.

Am I right I thinking you can't irrigate from an oasis?

 

[AmazonQueen]

Well played so far
Looking very different from last time
Rather than meet the neighbours I'd turtle, get Banking when you can and run merchantilism
Obviously don't neglect your military but let them slaughter each other on the other continent

 

[ParadigmShifter]

You can use an Oasis for irrigation, it counts as fresh water. You can't irrigate desert tiles though.

Artists are +4 cpt and +1 bpt normally, so that would be +4/+4 under representation.

 

[grandad1982]

If you can't irrigate desert tilles I take it you can't irrigate the oasis itself?

That means the multigold site isn't going to be in full swing till biology guess.

As for the GAs I'd settle some in Ulundi as the 12 culture a turn with some multiplyers is pretty sweet.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

The oasis counts as fresh water and irrigated. You can't improve the osis tile in any way though. You can build farms on grassland/plains next to oasis tiles before civil service. You just can't do anything with just desert tiles (except if they have resources on them).