Ruff08 - The AI Shuffle

[Meiz]

Got it for tomorrow.

Looks like Zara has enough on his hands and my guess is that he might be planning something nasty against us. I'm thinking we should halt our war against Roosevelt and let Boobs slow him down. Meanwhile we really need to start to grow our cities, work on those cottages and most importantly, build some longbows before it's too late. I'm just hoping that Sid doesn't screw up this plan Any comments from rest of the team?

Edit: Why on earth we are still in Barbarism, especially when we have the great library and academy in our capital. Well, that will be fixed right away

 

[ruff_hi]

good job taking Chicago Rolo! Hope things sort themselves out for you.

Agree with growing cities - not necessarily agree with working cottages. Farms and scientist for us. Sure, work cottages we already have, but farm up, grow and run specialists in the other cities.

I'll see if I can get a read on who Zara hates.

 

[r_rolo1]

Better pick your own save, ruff. Zara was with hands full then IIRC.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

Washington sure looks like a lucrative capital. Though maybe that huge golden pavilion is fooling my eyes.

Is the Napoleon AI usually THIS technologically backwards?

Love the regional unit graphics. Now French spearmen look like barbarians instead of Greeks.

 

[Meiz]

Now is my chance to play, we'll see what happens.

 

[Meiz]

Turn 1

I decide to revolt to Caste System as well as to Bureaucracy. We need to grow our cities instad to whip them down and this will probably save us from another anarchy later.

Turn 2

The hated English continue to make their arrogant demands! This time she wants us to declare war against our ally (and hopefully future lover), Boudica.

This might go against our principals, but I trade Literature to Isabelle for 160 gold. Don't tell this to anyone, but we are desperate for money.

Turn 3

We get a nice advice and I go for it. National Epic started in our capital. This will be speeded by chops as I'm planning to cottage every grassland for Burearcracy bonus.

Meanwhile Elizabeth makes peace with Boudica. That's good as now she can concentrate her forces against America.

We make another cash trade and sell Machinery to Boudica for 175 gold (she had more money so this is the best price possible). Money is used to upgrade our city raiders to macemen.

Turn 4

Well, here's something I didn't expect to happen right now... Not that I'm not happy about it . Our troops start to march towards English cities.

Turn 7

Engineering comes in and I continue to Paper. Zara builds Notre Dame and clearly Roosevelt lost the race as he has over 500 gold in his inventory. Finally it's time to make peace for the best prize possible.

As I mentioned, we need more money so I do what Napoleon knows to do best. Tokugawa gets +1 modifier from giving into our demands

Then I shop Engineering for everything I can. That would be Theology and 70 gold from Boudica as everyone else has the tech . The money is used to upgrade our achers to longbowmen.

Turn 8

One of the mines pop Iron near Marseilles while Paris completes National Epic . Napoleon celebrates by making another demand, this time for Isabelle. Looking at her expression, shes quite used to this (+1 modifier from giving into our demands).

Turn 10

Elizabeth make her move against Chicago, but our defenses hold barely (lost one longbowman and two archers). Mopup earns us a Great General who will become our super medic, attached to a warrior.

Our retaliation comes with costs, but we manage to take one of her cities on the same turn.

Paper comes in and I use my human decision to head towards Education. Paper is used to shop Compass, Drama, 170 gold and Boudica's world map.

Turn 11

Paris generates a Great Scientist and I decide to use him to bulb large partition of Education for us. I think that was the obvious choise in our case.

Turn 12

Isabella declares war against our friend Hammurabi (-2 attitude for declaring against our friend) and then she dares to ask ask us to join (another -1 fore outrageous demand)

Turn 13

Zara completes another wonder, Sistinel Chapel. Something needs to be done to stop this guy!

Turn 14

I stop here to even the turns. Education just came in so the next player can decide were to head next. I recommend Philosophy, we have a good chance to win the Liberalism race.

I also noticed that Zara doesn't have enough on his hands anymore so we most definitely want to continue our war against our arch enemy.

Good luck!

 

[Meiz]

Hammurabi: Pleased (+7)

• shares our religion [+4]
• Open Borders [+1]
• Fair Trading [+2]
• Gave into our demands [+4]
• not French [-1]
• thinks we are small [-1]
• Close Borders bring tension [-2]

Boudica: Pleased (+9)

• woman [+1]
• Hot [+1]
• France has always had a soft spot for the celts [+1]
• Fair Trading [+2]
• Open Borders [+1]
• Shared Military Struggles [+2]
• Shares religion [+2]
• Shares resources [+1]
• Made an outrageous demand [-1]
• not French [-1]

Isabella: Annoyed (-5)

• woman [+1]
• gave into our demand [+1]
• not French [-1]
• declared war against our friend... [-2]
• and then decided to ask us to join!!! [-1]
• different religions [-3]

Zara Yaqob: Cautious (-2)

• thinks I am tall [+1]
• open borders [+1]
• not French [-1]
• Made an outrageous demand [-1]
• different religions [-2]

Elizabeth: Furious (-13) <- Worst Enemy!!

• thinks I am tall [+1]
• woman [+1]
• not French [-1]
• declared war against us [-3]
• declared war on a friend [-2]
• But only just a woman [-1]
• different religion [-3]
• English and for some reason I hate the English [-3]
• Made an outrageous demand [-2]

Roosevelt: Annoyed (-6)

• not French [-1]
• he looks down his nose at me [-1]
• He has a better starting position that we do [-1]
• Made an outrageous demand [-1]
• different religions [-2]

Tokugawa: Annoyed (-5)

• gave into our demand [+1]
• not French [-1]
• he looks down his nose at me [-1]
• hides behind his borders [-1]
• Made an outrageous demand [-1]
• different religions [-2]

 

[ruff_hi]

Nice set Meiz. Lets move to playing turn sets of about 10 turns from here on in - seems like lots of things are happening in 10 turns anyway.

Education just came in so the next player can decide were to head next. I recommend Philosophy, we have a good chance to win the Liberalism race.

What is Liberalism - is that one of the available techs that we can research? I think a more military tech now is in order [checking what is available] ...

ohhhh, unique unit with 2 (2!!!!) movement - lets rock and roll!!

Lets swap Canterbury away from the monument - it has our religion and will border pop soon enough. We should start traveling with some hindu missionaries to spread our religion as we war. Here is the SIT-REP ...

Lots of people hate us! That is ok, we hate them back!!!

We currently don't have horses, so no knights for us or our team. Take a look at the next English city ... yum

Also ... what do you think of this?

 

[Meiz]

Got me!

 

[Ralph_Jackson]

OK got it for tomorrow

 

[ruff_hi]

I updated my post with some pics and suggestions - please take a look.

 

[Meiz]

I actually noticed the same deal with Zara, but forgot to mention about it. I'm still against it, because it would give him a tech that helps his research even more. He's researching astronomy at the moment so that would be Observatories and Universities in his cities...

I'm also afraid that the war would just help him grow his empire bigger as both Elizabeth and Roosevelt have their hands busy and are probably thin on troops.

 

[ruff_hi]

yeah - it does open that option for him, but it will slow him down in the short term ... give us a chance to catch up.

 

[r_rolo1]

The Zara deal is definitely something that the AI would do

 

[Ralph_Jackson]

Well decided that the AI would definitely pursue Gunpowder next so switched research to that. Decided against the Education trade with Zara as he is doing far too well without it and it would mean giving up our chance on liberalism slingshot.

Other than that plain sailing really.

After a bit of healing we pushed out versus Liz

I think she thought her Axeman was safe here to do some Pillaging but with sneaky use of Zara’s roads he was toast.

Stick with the strict Military – Building – Military rule but forgot to screenshot a few!! Luckily the AI was recommending sensible buildings and trebs mainly which I was happy to comply with.

By the time Gunpowder was in we were ready to do Liz some damage.

However she was now ready to counterattack with knights and rather than waste our highly promoted troops took what i could for peace. We can always return with Musketeers if we desire.

Post Gunpowder took guilds which in retrospect may not have been the best decision but the AI follows daft research paths occasionally too.

We have a GS who will partially bulb printing Press and we are still favourites in the liberalism race.

So after 10 turns I would say.
Finish Philosophy in 2 turns and then decide, if we don’t see a fast researching AI with education look at

1. Liberalism till 1 turn away
2. Part bulb Printing Press
3. Hand research the rest
4. Take Replaceable parts from liberalism.
5. Then push onto rifling.
6. In the meantime see if we can get enough Musketeers and riflemen to take down Zara or if he is too strong do him with Riflemen.

Only human intervention was getting a missionary who has spread in York to help with culture pressure.
No attitude changes!!
Hammurabi: Pleased (+7)

Spoiler :

• shares our religion [+4]
• Open Borders [+1]
• Fair Trading [+2]
• Gave into our demands [+4]
• not French [-1]
• thinks we are small [-1]
• Close Borders bring tension [-2]

Boudica: Pleased (+9)

Spoiler :

• woman [+1]
• Hot [+1]
• France has always had a soft spot for the celts [+1]
• Fair Trading [+2]
• Open Borders [+1]
• Shared Military Struggles [+2]
• Shares religion [+2]
• Shares resources [+1]
• Made an outrageous demand [-1]
• not French [-1]

Isabella: Annoyed (-5)

Spoiler :

• woman [+1]
• gave into our demand [+1]
• not French [-1]
• declared war against our friend... [-2]
• and then decided to ask us to join!!! [-1]
• different religions [-3]

Zara Yaqob: Cautious (-2)

Spoiler :

• thinks I am tall [+1]
• open borders [+1]
• not French [-1]
• Made an outrageous demand [-1]
• different religions [-2]

Elizabeth: Furious (-13) <- Worst Enemy!!

Spoiler :

• thinks I am tall [+1]
• woman [+1]
• not French [-1]
• declared war against us [-3]
• declared war on a friend [-2]
• But only just a woman [-1]
• different religion [-3]
• English and for some reason I hate the English [-3]
• Made an outrageous demand [-2]

Roosevelt: Annoyed (-6)

Spoiler :

• not French [-1]
• he looks down his nose at me [-1]
• He has a better starting position that we do [-1]
• Made an outrageous demand [-1]
• different religions [-2]

Tokugawa: Annoyed (-5)

Spoiler :

• gave into our demand [+1]
• not French [-1]
• he looks down his nose at me [-1]
• hides behind his borders [-1]
• Made an outrageous demand [-1]
• different religions [-2]

 

[Meiz]

Nice turns, but cant almost wait for Ruff's comments on your research plan

 

[ruff_hi]

AI Play Rules / Guidelines

• Every second build in each city must be a military unit (building science, gold or culture does not count as a built)
• We can only select techs based on those that we can see, not by considering those further down the tech tree

I have no idea what all this talk about liberalism is. I looked at the techs we can research, and simply cannot see Liberalism. Just to clarify, the 'every second build must be a unit' is meant to stop you building buildings 1 after the other. You can build unit, unit, unit if you want to.

Roster
Ruff <-- on deck
r_rolo1
Meiz
Ralph_Jackson
RRRaskolnikov <-- up

 

[Ralph_Jackson]

I have no idea what all this talk about liberalism is. I looked at the techs we can research, and simply cannot see Liberalism.

Sorry for being dense ruff but I only just puzzled out that we cant look "ahead" to future techs to pick what we research. Had competely forgotten and now realize you are right.

I will try and justify Philosophy (badly) by saying we are running an SE so it helps but basically my bad for forgetting the eminently sensible restriction you did lay out at the start of the game.

Ralph

 

[RRRaskolnikov]

Got it for tomorrow...

Techs choice includes banking, nationalism, PP, liberalism...
If we choose lib, what tech do we want? Nappy would sure be glad to be abble to draft D'Artagnan, Athos, Portos and Aramis... I can't wait to see what the computer want us to tech
Moreover, we want London asap, right?

Cheers

 

[Meiz]

AI seems to go for Nationalism in almost every case so that would be my choise. And hell yeah for London!