SGFN-02: Spain to the Stars

[TheOverseer714]

Heya Sercer, welcome to the gang! And welcome back to the game, Anax. I have an idea for our next SG. How about a Conquest on a 60% land Pangaea? Leave all standard VC's on, and choose a traditionally weak 3rd tier tribe, someone with a sucky UU and a poor trait combo. Portugal or England come to mind. Any other ideas are welcome, just tossing one in for consideration.

 

[anaxagoras]

I wasn't able to play last night, but I should be able to tonight.

What difficulty level for the next one? Stick to Emperor, or crank it up a notch?

If anyone has any strategy suggestion, get 'em in this afternoon.

 

[Tad Empire_0_o]

im thinking Demigod... the AI was a pushover


when you get in the MA I think you should switch the palace prebuild to the ToE & get computers ->
Miniturization & use the SGL for The Internet.

Be care full to be resurching Computers when you finish ToE
I think w/ comps we should be able to buy Fission-Ecology-Rocketry.
because cash alone is terrible...
it usually costs 16k for computers w/ cash & some gpt so we should make comps a monopoly if we get lucky

 

[TheOverseer714]

If played right, we can have all the useful modern age wonders, and the one that can sink us too. We could set up where we get Computers, gift everyone up that we want to, get all first tier techs, finish ToE next turn, rush the Internet and then get the UN and SETI built by scratch. Of course that's if all goes perfectly. We could try DG level for our next SG if everyone agrees. I have never won at DG level, but being an SG helps.

 

[Whomp]

lurker's comment: If you guys are looking for the best training civ play the Americans. They honestly have nothing that distinguishes them. Being expansionist on pangea is near worthless, industrious doesn't give anything more than faster worker tasks and their UU is a joke so you can't use a golden age as a crutch. No cheap buildings or benefits of ag, commerce or militaristic traits. My .02 and good luck.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Hello? Is anybody out there? I know it's a holiday weekend and all, but do we have any updates? I guess RL is rearing its ugly head again. Thanks for the suggestion Whomp, America sounds good if we choose our opponents. I am so sick of seeing the Mayans, Iroquois, Incans and Aztecs in every stinking game! It must be some kind of bug in the system. Maybe I will roll some starts and see what I can get.

 

[gmaharriet]

I am so sick of seeing the Mayans, Iroquois, Incans and Aztecs in every stinking game! It must be some kind of bug in the system.

You're right! There IS a bug. If you have checked the box for "culturally linked start locations", you will get the various American tribes in every game. Uncheck the box to get random civs. It's a well-known bug.

 

[anaxagoras]

Hello? Is anybody out there? I know it's a holiday weekend and all, but do we have any updates? I guess RL is rearing its ugly head again.

It is, indeed. I know I'm up and I posted a "got it", but I just haven't had time to play, and I don't foresee that changing in the short term. I regret to say that I'll have to move to lurker status. I'll try to stay up to date with the narrative, but I just don't have time to play these days.

I do apologize for holding things up.

 

[anaxagoras]

If you have checked the box for "culturally linked start locations", you will get the various American tribes in every game. Uncheck the box to get random civs. It's a well-known bug.

It may be well-known, but this is the first I've heard of it. Thanks for posting that. I was getting sick of the American tribes, too, but just assumed it was the RNG going nasty on me.

 

[Othniel]

I'm back from another trip outta town. What's the current state of our roster? I want to finish this thing up...

 

[TheOverseer714]

Updated Roster:

1. The Overseer=>up
2. Othniel=>on deck
3 Tad Empire=>warming up/just played
4. Kumquat=>Quit for personal reasons, slot is open
5. Anaxagoras=>lurking duty

Sorry to hear you are unable to play, Anax. You weren't actually holding things up, what with Othniel on vacation and Tad with his own computer problems. I wonder why so many computers are dying of late? I will play next, and Othniel should be back soon. Hopefully Tad will be able to continue...

 

[Tad Empire_0_o]

im back now... I just notised that othneil was up in the AW game... & they won... congrats... but its time to finish this game... its taking way to long


I think we should grab Internet as it might get us a culture win more than a science win... but it will be helpfull w/ free resurch labs & that will get us 4-5 turn techs in the MA

 

[Othniel]

Agreed on getting this thing rolling. Overseer, any progress?

 

[TheOverseer714]

I am about to finish researching Flight, which brings us to the Modern Age. Should I gift up next turn, or research one Modern Era tech for trade-bait? I wonder what the best course is, I will save the game at the beginning of the next turn and wait for advice. My opinion is to go ahead and begin the gifting turn ASAP and try to get the first-tier techs from the AI's in trade, and then use the ToE for Miniaturization and Space Flight. I'd love to hear from everyone, team members, non-playing team members, and lurkers.

 

[Othniel]

I say gift them up. The worst scenario is that we won't be able to trade for their techs right away, and have to take Computers and Miniaturization with the ToE. That would still mean they lower the tech costs and we can trade for parity using Miniaturization.

If you're going to gift, make sure to hit "Go to the Big Picture" at the Age change screen, and do all the gifting/trading/setting new research path then. If you wait, the ToE will complete ahead of the gifting (provided it finishes this turn).

Best case, of course, is to take two Tier-2 techs for free with the ToE...that would rock.

Is the ToE set to finish next turn (first turn in the Modern Age)? If so, make sure to immediately set research to Computers upon reaching the Modern Age.

Also, what's the status on wonder pre-builds? If they haven't been started already, IMO we should start a Seti pre-build in Toledo and start a U.N. pre-build somewhere else. Then, just rush the Internet with the SGL in some random city as soon as we can.

I'm assuming Seville is building the ToE, but if not have it do the UN pre-build.

Good luck!

 

[anaxagoras]

I am about to finish researching Flight, which brings us to the Modern Age. Should I gift up next turn, or research one Modern Era tech for trade-bait?

I'd go for gifting up next turn. If you can acquire some techs that only some of the other civs know in the process, you can use those as trade bait. I assume we have some gold in treasury still?

I agree with Othniel about pre-builds. Pre-build management is going to be very important in the waning turns.

 

[anaxagoras]

I wonder why so many computers are dying of late?

I don't know about anyone else, but mine died of heat stroke. Literally. We had a stretch of 100+ weather here in the southeast, and we didn't want to pay for A/C to keep up. Ambient temperature in the room where my computer is got to more than 90 degrees. I forgot to turn off the machine during the day, and BLAM! - there went the drive.

I haven't reformatted yet, pending some moderation in the heat.

 

[TheOverseer714]

Good news all! I finally finished what had to be the most grueling turnset ever for me. Everything went about as well as could be hoped for. Here is the turn-log:

Spoiler :

Pre-flight: Programs up and running. Notice lots of moves still available, mostly workers. We are also a turn over, so I may just play 9. Kill Sumerian LB flawlessly with knight on big island. I then make peace with them, no more wars(hopefully) until gifting phase is over, then we wipe out all OCC’s when they are no longer of use. Everything looks good. Press enter.
IBT: TFLB cavalry=>cavalry, Toledo infantry=>Universal Suffrage (pre-build for some future wonder), Santiago cavalry=>cavalry, Zaragoza cavalry=>infantry, TPB settler=>artillery, Smoker Land settler=>artillery
1170 AD: Founded Bay City on Sumerian Island=>artillery Change Quinoto to Harbor, move Shakespeare’s to Toledo, Change Pamplona to JS Bach’s. For kicks I build forts and barricades across both chokepoints. With 32 worker turns, it’s all done, leaving 4 8-worker teams ready made for fast pollution clean up.
IBT: Madrid conquistador=>infantry, Quinoto Harbor=>Commercial Dock, Santander infantry=>infantry, Vallalodid conquistador=>Harbor, Teruel conquistador=>conquistador (note these will be good to wipe out OCC’s if loaded into armies, they can go through forests and mountains with no penalty)
1180 AD: Founded Yellow Brick Road on Big Island=>Temple MM’d to the last taxman to avoid beaker waste. Switched many specialist farms to artillery, we don’t really need any more settlers.
IBT: Motorized Transportation arrives, next is Flight, whoohoo!, 4 turns from the Modern Age! TFLB cavalry=>tank, Barcelona Police Station=> Universal Suffrage (pre-build for some future wonder, the UN or SETI), Salamanca cavalry=>tank, Valencia cavalry=>tank, Asturias infantry=>tank, Cordoba University=>Police Station.
1190 AD: MM’ed all Taxmen back to Scientists. Working on Sumerian land to get it fully irrigated and railed.
IBT: Santiago cavalry=>tank, Zaragoza infantry=>tank, Seafood Galore Factory=>Bank, Valladolid Harbor=>Bank, Leon conquistador=>Bank, Zamora Marketplace=>Police Station.
1200 AD: Workers working. Ottomans begin ToE, but I doubt they could finish in 4 turns. Investigate city of Aydin, it’s more like 54 turns
IBT: Germany signs MPP with Sumeria, Greeks DoW Ottomans , Madrid Conquistador=>Bank, Santander infantry=>tank, Palma Bank=>Stock Exchange, Teruel conquistador=>tank, Lugo Factory=>Bank,
1210 AD: zzzz
IBT: TFLB tank=>tank, Salamanca tank=>tank, Valencia tank=>tank, Quinoto Commercial Dock=>Bank, Asturias tank=>tank,
1220 AD: MM a few scientists to taxmen, next turn is the beginning of the endgame, the Modern Era!
IBT: Korea offers an MPP and an RoP. I graciously decline and trade world maps plus 50 of his gold. Flight comes in, I select Computers next. Zaragoza tank=>tank, The people love us, I add 2nd story connector to east wing.
1230 AD: Gift up Russia, they get Computers, Sumeria-Ecology, Greeks-Computers, Germany-Fission, Byzantines-Rocketry, Ottomans-Computers, Korea-Rocketry. Now I try to trade, no reasonable deals out there. Time to steal what I can from weaker Civs Steal Fission from Germany, Computers from Greece. Trade Byzantines Fission for Rocketry, Computers, Fission, Rocketry and Free Artistry to Sumerians for Ecology. Now to Eliminate all OCC’s this turn if possible Set Pamplona to ToE in 1 turn, Seville to UN in 2. Set tech slider down to 0% for this turn. DoW Russia. 5 Conquistadors take out 1 vSpear, 1rSpear, 1rLB with only 1 death 1 retreat, and Russia is gone! DoW Sumeria next. Cavalry Army kills rRifleman, losing 3hp, rPike clean, rEnkidu -1hp. vKnight takes out rLB-1hp and Sumeria is gone. Germany had an MPP with Sumeria, so they DoWed us. Captured their worker. vCavalry takes out rRifleman, -1hp, vCavalry takes out rSpear clean, vCavalry takes out rSpear -1hp, promotes, vCavalry takes out rLB clean, and Germany is gone! Now the Greeks behind 2 squares of tundra, and they have a rifleman. Our remaining Conquistadors may not do it. I find the . .. .. .. .. . in their armor, 1 square not forested allows our Cav armies a shot. I screwed up, forgot to DoW first, but go ahead, our trade rep will not matter from here. 2nd Cavalry vs rRifleman, -6hp. 4th Cavalry vs rHoplite, -1hp and Greece is Eliminated! Now the boring stuff, workers working
IBT: Santiago tank=>tank, Pamplona finishes ToE with no wasted shields, I take Miniaturization and Space Flight. =>Internet, which I will hurry with SGL. Santander tank=>tank, Almeria Factory=>Harbor. Our people love us so much that they add upper story west wing connector and landscaping to finish our palace.
1240 AD: Get pocket protectors on all taxmen. Still can’t get it below 5 turns even at 100%. I sure hope the Internet helps with research.
IBT: TFLB tank=>mech infantry, Seville completes UN=>Apollo Program, Toledo Shakespeare’s Theatre=>Granary, Salamanca tank=>tank, Valencia tank=>bomber, Pamplona completes the Internet=>JS Bach’s, Asturias tank=>mech infantry, Jaen Courthouse=>Library, Border Patrol Walls=>wealth,
1250 AD: Added 8 native workers to Toledo, gaining About 70 more bpt. Moved Apollo to Barcelona, I suggest starting SETI in Toledo to further boost beaker production there.

Some Screenshots:

Updated Roster:
Roster:
1. TheOverseer=>just played
2. Othniel=>up
3. Tad Empire=>on deck
4. Kumquat=>quit for personal reasons
5. Anaxagoras=>computer problems, lurking

 

[Othniel]

Excellent work, Overseer! Big, big

Very good trading, especially the idea to steal techs from the OCC civs. Brilliant move! That trade sequence puts us in great position for our goal, I think. I'm pretty confident we'll make 1490 now.

Let's see, still to go we have Satellites, Superconductor, Nuclear Power, The Laser, Robotics, and the tech that gives Modern Armor (drawing a blank on the name...). 6 techs left, and conservatively 5-6 turns per tech. That means max of 36 turns left.

I'm 99% sure that when we reach 1300AD the turns switch to 5 years, so if I'm right in all those assumptions...we should have all the necessary techs by around 1445AD...

The only question: is Barcelona still building Seti? If so, it'd be nice to have it in Toledo because of zero corruption/higher commerce tiles, but it might be better just to finish it quickly.

Anyhow, I think my set will be very straight-forward: MM for max science and build space-ship parts. Did we want to get fancy and try to have all the parts be built simultaneously on the final turn, or just do it the old-fashioned way?

Consider this my got it...

 

[TheOverseer714]

I started a granary in Toledo, but probably would switch it to SETI. I think a granary was for growing it, but I used workers for that instead. I changed Barcelona to Apollo Project in 3 turns. I also chose Satellites so we can use ICBM's as a pre-build for spaceship parts. The tech you were thinking of is Synthetic Fibers. I think you might pick that one next because the Casing is one of the 2 most expensive spaceship parts. We could build it either way, piecemeal or all at once.