SGOTM 04 - Trash Team

[Cam_H]

I'm inclined to let Mehmed back in the game and gift him Fusion when he's prepared to talk peace, but we must get rid of Gandhi's interst in Vitoria in the meantime!

Is it true? Could India really be considering taking Kerkouane? The city that's been nestled in Gandhi's striking distance for about 50 turns undefended?

 

[patagonia]

if there's one thing this game has highlighted for me, it's how truly awful the AI is at waging war.

 

[remconius]

This scenario should make the developers of Civ think when they program the next AI!!

 

[pigswill]

'Progress' Report.

I've played 10 turns.

Strategy wise I haven't got the slightest idea what I'm meant to be doing and I suspect that no-one else is really sure either.

I have a nasty feeling that AIs don't actually plan space race but stumble randomly into space techs and then decide randomly to build the relevant part(s).

I have however been getting fed up with reports of Gandhi's (and Mehmed's) constant air pillaging. I also decided (unilaterally ) that we weren't going to be invading the Old World so I got rid of our transports.

Our units seemed a bit disorganised so I spent a few turns trying to get things organised (inf+jet for each city; one stack of marines/arty; 2 stacks of MI/MA/gunships).

I also decided that our army needed updating so I switched off research and have been steadily upgrading units. We haven't lost many ground units but our airforce has been experiencing gradual attrition and our navy ain't doing well at all .

Gandhi hasn't built any new parts but at least has fission and fibreoptics and only lacks fusion and genetics.

We're at peace with Mehmed. I gave him fission out of magnanimity.

To reduce air pillaging I've been attacking Gandhi in the New World. Sicca has been captured and razed, Bengal has been captured and razed, carthage has been changing hands every turn and slowly losing population in the process.

Having gotten into the flow of the game I'm ok with playing another 5-10. If stuge wants to check out his (hopefully) healed mouse hand I'm equally ok with handing it over.

Edit: I've uploaded the 2005 save in progress/results.

 

[remconius]

Regarding strategy.... I doubt there is much we can do. Let's hope G completes the ship in the remaining turns.

Let's finish the game and hope for the best:

Stuge (or Pigs') take it away!

 

[stuge]

I can take it in the next couple days. Got meself a shiny new piece of memory so the machine shouldn't pose a problem. Seems like there's nothing else to do but to ensure that we aren't wiped out.

 

[pigswill]

I'll play another 10 turns I think to bring it up to 2015 (It's really wierd, its not often I get to the 20th century let alone the 21st!)

 

[pigswill]

Actually only played another 5 bringing us up to 2010.

Gandhi is now 2 turns from fusion and only has genetics left to research so its possible that even though he's not built any more parts he could still pull off a space victory before 2050. On the other hand its not certain. I have no idea if anything we do will influence this in any way.

So in the last five turns I wiped out a couple of small cities Gandhi has established in old celtia. Also captured and razed Jaipur and captured Kerkouane in old carthage.

Over the last 15 turns I've built and captured a total of 8-9 workers, there's plenty of rebuilding work for them to do.

I went though and renamed some cities after relevant wonder. If its name is unchanged then it doesn't contain anything special.

We've got a stack of armour near Kremlin (Bibracte), a stack of artillery/marines in Barcelona, a stack of armour in Notre Dame (Carthage) and our airforce is in Boston with a healer warlord.

Main thing we need at this point is a decent navy.

My thought would be to drive Gandhi out of the New World completly then basically wait to see if he builds the spaceship. We may have the occasional seaborne pilaging and invasion attempt which is why we need to improve our navy.

We've got 40 turns left.

Stuge is UP.

The roster has got a bit distorted so I'll go through and try to straighten it out.

It would be nice to get this finished (one way or the other) before sgotm5 starts on July 19.

 

[pigswill]

Having looked through the roster its gone:

cabert

MrMahk

Cam_H

Patagonia

remconius

pigswill

So Stuge is indeed UP

cabert is on deck (if he's back in time)

or else its Mr Mahk on deck.

 

[MrMahk]

Hey guys. Just popping in to say that I will be away in Boston for the next 2-3 days probably without access to the internet and definetely without access to Civ.

Unfortunately I do not have much wisdom or advice to pass along except for prayer and maybe throw in some ritual sacrifice . Let's just take comfort in the fact that the other teams are probably experiencing similar difficulties and the disillusionment we face coming down to the wire with these final turns.

If Stuge gets to playing before I get back and someone else wants to take it, I wouldn't mind swapping if we want to keep this game moving towards its grand finale (after almost 6 months and counting!). If not, I will most likely be able to take it on the 11th or 12th when I get back.

 

[stuge]

I played up to 2525.

The good news:



That leaves the engine and the stasis chamber, IIRC. But since Gandhi isn't building the engine right now, at least not in any big city, our chances seem quite bleak.

Just like in the original version of this variant, the deciding factor isn't the strategy or skill of the players. That factor is the AI's horrible incompetence to grab victory when it's being handed over with f-king chocolate chips on top.

*Sigh* For once a good use for that emoticon.



Let's not sabotage this, it might be amusing to get nuked. At least it would mean that Gandhi'd get some kind of liftoff.

I've amassed jets in Notre Dame. So far they haven't shot down a single stealth bomber, even though Gandhi managed it with a fighter. You know, one of those with propellers and all.

/sigh

Save

 

[pigswill]

Glad to read that you've had an enjoyable and rewarding turnset (with folking chocolate chips?).

MrMahk is Out of Town.

Cabert is no doubt in some exotic location building up a suntan.

Cam_H is slaving in the big city.

First come, first served (with folking chocolate chips on top). Don't forget to post a got it once you've got it (with fcc on top).

 

[Cam_H]

OK ... I'll take it ... with the freak'n chocolate chips and all!

I smuggled my Civ disks up to work this week!


[Edit] Damn - something is wrong with my installation. I'll skip for now. I can't take it for a day-and-a-half, so anyone's welcome to grab it in the meantime. [/Edit]

 

[remconius]

I'll take it for 10...

 

[remconius]

Turned into 13, 12 turns left...

Spied around. G doesnt seem to be building the remaining parts. Delhi is building missionaries, jet fighters, supermarkets...

We have fusion...

Go ahead captain, finish this game, and lets see how other teams did.

THE SAVE

 

[pigswill]

I'm happy for anyone to finish the game (including myself). If anyone has some last minute bright idea that'll enable Gandhi to win the game in 12 turns then carry on.

 

[Cam_H]

There's only two paths that spring to mind, and I'm pretty sure neither will work in light of the timeframe we've got;

(a.) My long-held view that we should help Mehmed to be competitive in the Space Race and get him to give Gandhi some pause about what he's doing. Gift Mehmed Aluminium, Copper, and Fusion.

(b.) Try to prevent Gandhi from winning a Time Victory. He might not be building SS parts because he's coasting to an alternative victory. We therefore could go for the Time Victory ourselves and force Gandhi into an alternative mindset.

Again - both 'unlikely' at best, but we're scratching now.

Over to you Piggy!

 

[cabert]

over to you piggy.
I'm connecting from my exotic suntan building place and have no bright idea to avoid the inevitable loss.

 

[stuge]

(b.) Try to prevent Gandhi from winning a Time Victory. He might not be building SS parts because he's coasting to an alternative victory. We therefore could go for the Time Victory ourselves and force Gandhi into an alternative mindset.

I thought too about that possibility. OTOH, I've seen AIs with massive point leads go hell-bent on space race. *shrug* Well, like you said, it doesn't matter a fig anymore.

 

[MrMahk]

Yeah, what they said. Go ahead cap'n!