Ruff's Ozzie Game

[ruff_hi]

With the launch of the optional pack of goodies in BAT by Lemon Merchant, I was presented with the opportunity to play a game as Australia (thank you avain). How could I not take that opportunity to lead Australia to a world victory.

My choice of leaders is:

• Menzies (Financial / Charasmatic)
  

  Fellow Australians, It is my melancholy duty to inform you officially that in consequence of a persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her and that, as a result, Australia is also at war.

• Curtin (Industrious / Protective)
  

  On 7 December 1941, the Pacific War broke out. Curtin addressed the nation on the radio; "Men and women of Australia. We are at war with Japan. This is the gravest hour of our history. We Australians have imperishable traditions. We shall maintain them. We shall vindicate them. We shall hold this country and keep it as a citadel for the British-speaking race and as a place where civilisation will persist."

Their traits:

• Industrious
  Wonder production increased 50 percent.
  Double production speed of Forge.
• Protective
  Free Drill I and City Garrison I promotions for archery and gunpowder units.
  Double production speed of Walls and Castle.
• Financial
  +1 commerce on plots with at least 2 commerce.
• Charasmatic
  +1 happiness per city.
  -25% XP needed for unit promotions.
  +1 happiness from Monument and Broadcast Tower.

The selection of these two leaders to represent Australia in Civ4 is pretty good. Their traits are also pretty good but because I think that the Curtin traits are a better match (Australia considers itself the Lucky Country and is always up for a laugh, couple that with the less XP for promotions angle, and it also captures the enhanced fighting abilities of the Aussies), I will be playing Curtin in this game. I had started a game before I fully researched both leaders and now find myself in the position of having to go back and re-start the game. I included one Asian civilization (China) but I feel that I have included the wrong one.

The Unique Unit is blindingly obvious ... The Digger. Their fighting ability was most ably seen in their defence of Tobruk where they earned themselves the name 'The Rats of Tobruk'. Other information regarding the history of the digger is also available.

The Unique Building is a bit of a let down (SportsComplex replacing the Colosseum) in Civ4 terms but it is a very good match in Aussie terms ... aussies are a sports mad nation as is evident every 2nd Tuesday in November when a horse race stops the nation or in Bond's Australia II victory in the America's Cup. I can still remember the quote when they lost the fourth race and fell behind 3-1 in a best of 7 series ... "Nothing changed after today's race ... we still have to win 3 races".

The starting techs ... agriculture and mining ... a prefect pair given Australia's history.

Let me wrap up this game introduction with an insight into the Australian approach to life ... I live in American and some people often try to insult me by saying that Australia's are all convicts. Sure, we have a convict colony past, but no one in Australia views that negativity. Consider the situation in England at that time ... people are starving, food is hard to get, jobs harder ... would you want to populate a new nation with people who just sat down and died, or with people who tried to do something about it.

Finally - another bit of information that I recall but I don't have a reference for it ... Australia is the only nation that was not created via war.

I start the game and straight away see that her Lemoness has had a little fun by adding some useful hints ... "*Lemon's Handy Hint*: Medication makes the game go slower". I look forward to seeing the others.

So ... here is my selected leader ...


I have hand selected 6 civilizations (2 forced leaders) and 1 civ is random (8 in total).

 

[ruff_hi]

And here is where you get some say in the game ... I've rolled up 4 starts ... which would you like me to play? Difficulty is Monarch.

Spoiler :

Top Left: Gold
Top Right: Corn
Bottom Left: Corn Sheep
Bottom Right: Marble

 

[Civ'ed]

I'd go for the top right one as I am sure you can get some fine wines.

 

[Twinkletoes89]

Bottom right is just freakish. You can settle on a plains hill with 5 food resources and tonnes of Forests and Hills for production.

Top Left is a mental triple gold (2 riverside too) start.

I think Top right is most 'Australian' due to the fine wines so it would probably fit best with your plans for this game

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Top left, IMO.

Don't drink too much cough syrup.

 

[Liquidated]

Nothing wrong with Cough Syrup in the morning/afternoon/evening/latenight.

What the heck map script you running where you get 3 gold + recursive grassland rivers or the freakish 3x clams, pigs AND corn with marble close by.

Cheers!
Liq'd

 

[ruff_hi]

What the heck map script you running where you get 3 gold + recursive grassland rivers or the freakish 3x clams, pigs AND corn with marble close by.

Full details of map / settings shown in first turn report .

 

[ruff_hi]

Start vote so far ...

Top Left: Gold (1)
Top Right: Corn (2)
Bottom Left: Corn Sheep (0)
Bottom Right: Marble (1-me)

 

[revengeofmakno]

All of them are interesting but the clam start is uniquely powerful. It screams for an oracle whip and/or go up the other tech route for Parthenon and Great Library. I'll vote for that but it might turn out to be too easy.

 

[Liquidated]

no idea if "first turn" was posted still no clue what map script spits out 5 food starts outside of custom conts.

As for the food marble start, that looks to be noble difficulty as that town alone could win you the game.

Would vote C sheep to to make things interesting.

Cheers!
-Liq

 

[Dem Taqat]

I vote Bottom Right! Just to see how awesome that city can be . It'll probably be a moderately easy game though.

DT
Wonderspamin'

 

[ruff_hi]

Start vote so far ...

Top Left: Gold (1)
Top Right: Corn (2)
Bottom Left: Corn Sheep (1)
Bottom Right: Marble (3)

Ok, that seems like enough to start. Marble start wins . I'll settle the city and post Liq's details.

 

[ruff_hi]

I settled our starting city (Uluru ... don't call it Ayers Rock) on the starting location, start a worker, set the tech to Bronze Working and sent my warrior (Burke) north.

Game settings ...


Starting location ...


Maybe calling him Burke wasn't the smartest idea. Both Burke and Wills died in their exploration of the middle of Australia - see the link above for more information. Here is a quote from Wills' diary:

[tab]My pulse is at 48 and very weak and my legs and arms are nearly skin and bone

Actually - he starts off pretty well





Free XP (Woodie II) and a map showing not very much at all.

I play to I finish Bronze Working, only to find that Uluru just got much much better ...



... but, to bring me back to earth, Burke totally lived up to his name when that lion killed him ...

 

[Omega124]

Uluru ... don't call it Ayers Rock

I'll call it Ayers Rock because it is a legitmite name given by the British settlers/explores. That's like saying I shouldn't call Mexico City by that name, and I should call it Tenochtitlan.

 

[ruff_hi]

I'll call it Ayers Rock because it is a legitmite name given by the British settlers/explores. That's like saying I shouldn't call Mexico City by that name, and I should call it Tenochtitlan.

I read my own wiki link and it seems that this site has two names under a duel naming policy. The aboriginal (and original) name is Uluru while the early (white) Australian explorers called it Ayers Rock. I know that the aboriginals are pushing for the 'Ayers Rock' part to be dropped as well as climbing it to be discontinued but they don't seem to have the required political clout to get it done.

Unlike Mumbai who managed to successfully get their name back after being called Bombay for ages.

Any comments on the game so far Omega?

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Ruff,

Are all of the other leaders also named Bruce?

It's going to get really confusing if they're not.

I can edit the XML for you and post it, if you like.

Nice start, btw.

 

[Liquidated]

I see, just coincidence that the map script placed the pigs and corn there, they weren't part of the capital base level script.

Cheers!
-Liq

 

[ruff_hi]

Are all of the other leaders also named Bruce? It's going to get really confusing if they're not.

I don't think they are ... I haven't met any of them yet . Re confusing ... it should be ok as long as none of them are called Michael.

 

[ruff_hi]

My second warrior finishes (Wills) and he is sent out to see if he can find Burke. I wonder how he will fare ... oh oh



I build another warrior to scout South ... as it turns out, I may as well as not bothered because there is nothing down there. He does find a stranded bear but he isn't about to put his neck on the line to see if there is any seafood out there ...



I select my worker and I'm greeted with ... what the !!!!



On T41, my scouting workboat discovers I find that I am not alone. The first AI turns up ... Its Kamehameha



Hmm - do I mess with this guy? I am pretty sure that I can see a really big ape in the back ground

But, in typically arrogant Australian style ... my explorer must proceed and we cannot get Open Borders ...



... well, that is until I run into ...



... when the question changes from 'do I jump?' to 'how high do I jump?'

So - I'm at war with a little tin pot nation ... a nation that has 2 cities and an archer near my capital (did I forget to mention that?), I've found the greatest nation in the world (England) and I might have found a suitable location for a future capital (Canberra). Everyone will also be happy to know that I have also found some wine!





PS: Burke's hut was gone when I got back there - someone must have stolen it.

 

[Dumanios]

So, Australia's met it's neighbor and it's father...