SGOTM8 - Xteam

[leif erikson]

Prebuild is almost perfectly timed, just one turn late to ESP. Leader for UNISUFF became part of my plan too. I'd select New San Diego (I think it is) for it.

See, Gator can count!!!!

Just remember not to gift it away?

Thanks! I'll oversee this propaganda ops personally.

Gotta get my flight to Langley!

Fly Bluebox, FLY!!!!

Good luck!!!!

And tomorrow is Civ IV Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[leif erikson]

Hey Bluebox, you're supposed to be playing, not hanging out in the Civ4 chat room!!

I coudln't stand being in there, it was madness. Couldn't keep up with it at all.

Anything exciting come out of it? Thanks...

 

[WillowBrook]

I haven't been in the chat room, but the Civ IV forums have been crazy enough! I'm reading stuff and just laughing at people getting so worked up about this game!

(I'll get the game only if it REALLY looks worth it AND after the price falls significantly - I paid only $10 for Civ III, including shipping.)

 

[leif erikson]

I haven't been in the chat room, but the Civ IV forums have been crazy enough! I'm reading stuff and just laughing at people getting so worked up about this game!

(I'll get the game only if it REALLY looks worth it AND after the price falls significantly - I paid only $10 for Civ III, including shipping.)

Yes, the hype is amazing. However, I got sucked in and am waiting for a copy to arrive.

Normally, I follow the path you describe but, in this case, made an exception. Now if my computer will run it, I'll be all set?

 

[bluebox]

Hey Bluebox, you're supposed to be playing, not hanging out in the Civ4 chat room!!

Oh, sorry I didn't saw you there. T'was so full you know - needed hours to get to the bar ....

A great day for the forum - 1600 vis. are not bad! : :suicide: :shakehead

I'm in 1320AD - doing a bit of MM as I'm used to do, so turns are not that quick. Rome is just ready to talk to us but all cities are insulting. What shall I do? Make peace for techs and gold, gift cities, re-declare? WE're 3 turns from ESP and 4 turns from the CIA. Ah, and we have universal suffrage.

 

[bluebox]

(I'll get the game only if it REALLY looks worth it AND after the price falls significantly - I paid only $10 for Civ III, including shipping.)

Same with me! As I've told you before, my 'puter isn't Civ4 ready. So no Civ4 for me. But it's always great to see and hear about it.

Especially Sullla's page seems worth a look.

Despite of the quarrels around him (IIRC!) after the C3C public beta, he managed to be in the test team from - virtually day one! lucky guy!

Nice to see that sometimes people being honest 'bout their own point of view are appreciated.

 

[leif erikson]

Oh, sorry I didn't saw you there. T'was so full you know - needed hours to get to the bar ....

A great day for the forum - 1600 vis. are not bad! : :suicide: :shakehead

You did better than me, I couldn't find the bar. Things were moving so fast with so many voices, I completely lost track. Guess my mind is slowing....

I'm in 1320AD - doing a bit of MM as I'm used to do, so turns are not that quick. Rome is just ready to talk to us but all cities are insulting. What shall I do? Make peace for techs and gold, gift cities, re-declare? WE're 3 turns from ESP and 4 turns from the CIA. Ah, and we have universal suffrage.

To use propaganda, do we need to be at peace. If so, we may want to string the Romans along until CIA is complete. I can't remember since I have only done it a couple of times.

If it doesn't matter, then I would do as you say and start the next cycle as soon as possible.

Hope that helps!

 

[DJMGator13]

Have the VIK agreed to talk yet? I have a bad feeling that they may have reached that stubborn end in sight phase where they refuse to talk to us and without boats that could be a game breaker for us.

Don't forget that we can steal techs as well as buying them once we get spies so we may have to finish this one with copters.

Don't know what to tell you about Rome, it may be worth making peace for some techs and waiting to see what Japan offers before gifting and redeclaring.

If we are going to research we may want to start a prebuild for TOE.

 

[jb1964]

It was 28 deg this morn when I left for work

If just refused to go to work then this wouldn't happen. You have nobody to blame but yourself.

 

[bluebox]

If just refused to go to work then this wouldn't happen. You have nobody to blame but yourself.

You mean it would not have been that low temperature when he stayed at home? Now that's what I call 'chaos theory'.

Back to business
We are at peace with ROM but no spy yet. JPN and VIK talk. I could get either Quitaimjörg or Bjoergvin.

But before making peace I'd like to jump the palace again. New Miami, next to VIK capital, has 6 citizens now, and I opened up the route for the VIKs to capture it and then attack their capital again.

Making peace with ROM 'embettered' the trade possibilites with JPN. The AI seems to take into account the nuimbers of wars going on.

 

[leif erikson]

But before making peace I'd like to jump the palace again. New Miami, next to VIK capital, has 6 citizens now, and I opened up the route for the VIKs to capture it and then attack their capital again.

I take it you mean the Viking capital? If you think it'll help, please go right ahead. Please be sure it doesn't go to one of the islands though!!

Making peace with ROM 'embettered' the trade possibilites with JPN. The AI seems to take into account the nuimbers of wars going on.

Interesting?

 

[WillowBrook]

Don't we get WW if a city is captured? (Haven't double checked this....)

 

[bluebox]

Don't we get WW if a city is captured? (Haven't double checked this....)

Yes, it'll slowly sum up.


Turn log

Pre-flight - 1300AD - MM Washington to prebuild -10turns; rushing temple in New Los Angeles; Rushing Library in New Washington; MM to create taxmen.


IBT - 2 JPN fregate bomb near Shimoniseki. A Samurai is unloaded near Nidaros. Athens builds a worker. Philadelphia Cannon. Atlanta Worker San Francisco -> Worker; Pharsalos MRKT -> HRBR; MEmphis -> Worker; New Wahington LIB -> TMPL; New LA TPL -> LIB;

Turn 251 - 1305AD - Pulling the cannons out of Viroconium and New St.Louis to prevent them being lost in case of a flip. Upgrading our 2 catts to cannons im Washington.

vCav : vSam -> vCav(1/4)

Building some railroads across our home continent.

Setting SCI to 70 % and re-assign enuff taxmen to Scientists to maintain the 2turn research pace while doubling god income (143gpt).

Noone will talk.


IBT - JPN Frigate destroys irr at Shimo.; Thermopylae Worker > Aqueduct; Nanking Bank > Cannon; Chicago Worker > Wealth; Matsuyama delays production of settler; Hanchow Worker > Worker; St.Louis LIB > Cannon; Area51 Ballistic Delivery System > Ballistic Delivery System ; New orleans Worker > Worker; Seleucia Settler > Settler; Artaxata Settler > Settler; Sapporo Settler > Settler;

RELOAD

Turn 252 - 1310AD - Shifting around workers. Noone will talk.


IBT Roman and VIK ships. Romans unload a vCav near Viroconium. Being built: Cav, 3 Workers, JPN has Shakespeare's. We discover IND.

Turn 253 - 1315AD - Build a Cav wall around Roman cav, leaving Viro to their discretion. Shooting with cannons and redline. Shifting worker around. Founding New Phoenix. research ESP
@60% and putting all scientists back into tax office. +325g. rushing LIB in New LA. Viroconium all taxmen. Noonne will talk. Sherman is suddenly upset by the patriachial structure of the military and announces in New San Diego he would held universal suffrage to be absolutely neccessary. Nice try! It's 1315AD and he will only get so far.


IBT JPN bombs Pisae from the seaside. A lonely roman 1hp Cav captures Viroconium. Wow! 2 ships enter Viroconium. Build: Cav, 2 Workers, Library. Sherman's unconventional idea stucks America has universal suffrage!

Turn 254 - 1320AD - Viroconium: eCav > vCav(1/4) eCav(4/5), destroys 12(sic!) Galleon. Where is the second? Heating lumber?

Founding New Albuquerque.

Rome is ready to talk! All cities are insulting give.

RELOAD

After getting some advice from my team buddies I'm going to make peace with the Romans, get a MA against VIK to increase pressure and wait until ESP. But for now I'm waiting for another turn. Hurring temple in New Washington.


IBT JPN bombs Pisae, lot of ROM ships. Built: 12 Workers, 3 Cannons, 2 Libraries.

Turn 255 - 1325AD - A city in resistance builds a worker without a citizen! But I think is bug is known, right? Founding New Portland.


IBT Samurai lands near Matsuyama, Resistors are quelled, Territory is expanded, Settler are built.

Turn 256 - 1330AD Rushing cav in Tarentum. When Jerusalem or Tarentum flips we need enough units to get them beck, ROMS will have a rifle in there or two.

Destroying Nidaros and send the settler to the site.

Walling in Matsuyama with Cavs, giving JPN a pseudo-chance.

JPN will talk but refuse to give a some of their cities. Idiots! We'll get them anyway (sometime until 2050AD ). Both JPN and ROM are total defiant (do I use this term right?) to agree to a MA against VIK.


IBT JPN captures Matsuyama, sends 2 (!) ships in. We've ESP. Built: 5 Workers, 3 Cavs.

Turn 257 - 1135AD - Matsuyama: eCav > rSam = eCav(4/5), destroys one ship - is this just the grfx?

Rushing temple in San Diego, restarting prebuilt in Beijing (TOE??) MM through the cities. Net +1144gpt after.

Making Peace with ROM for 19pgt + 17g + WM. ROM has ROP with VIK.

Observations: Trades seem to remarkably increase after peace deal with ROM!

I've Shift+A'ed some workers on the Dover Island. They're are building (rail)roads.

I'm abandoning Jerusalem + Tarentum to prevent flips with ROM. WE need some peace now for our clandestine OPs. starting a temple in Virocon. and some Longbows onthe Island to kepp Viro save from flipping. Same with Cesarea.

We might also have to abandon Palmyra. Rushing Settler there for New Miami.


IBT - CIA built, 3 Cannons, Settler, Workers. JPN has captured Pisae!

Turn 258 - 1340AD - Founding New Minneapolis; trading WM with ROM. Creating Spy in JPN and VIK. Rome has noticed our efforts and killed the spy.
Interesting detail: we can now see their relations to all others, though we're at war with them!

Prop attempt in Quitaimjörg fails. Pisae and Byzantium are pretty costly, so I wait.


IBT ROM gets pisae back by pointy stick. Joining a settler to New Miami and open it to the Vikings.

Turn 259 - 1345AD - Our Roman Spy got caught again.

Prop in Quitaimjörg, Bjoergvin, Norwich unsuccessful.

Can talk to Viks: Quitaimjörg or Bjoergvin are possible. Gonna do the New Miami stunt first.

RELOAD

Will raise pop in New Miami to 12.

IBT Produced: Cannon, Worker. Pisae razed by JPN!

Turn 260 - 1350AD - Rush Aqueduct in New Miami, Settler in Palmyra, Hastings.

Spy got caught by Romans. Unsuccessful attempts in Björgvin, Quitaimjorg, Norwich, Örebrö, Hakodate, Ise. Hurry bank in Tsingtao.

*After* finishing my turn and before posting the save I was playing ariound with the espionage features and lost our spy in Jpn as well as some 1300g. See it as a "Black Project"

To the next player:
Please rush some Longbows on Tientsin Island as flip Control or change them to something you find useful.

Try to put a spy in Rome. Only need to try it once per turn. outcome will always be the same in one turn, except you keep spending the money.

 

[leif erikson]

Good work Bluebox!!

Looks like we'll have to try the espionage approach. Although the Vikings will give Qitaimjorg for peace and through there we can get Bjoergvin. That still leaves Norwich and the Japanese cities of Ise and Hakodate. Too bad the Japanese destroyed Pisae. :thumbdown

Roster:
Leif - UP
Willow - On Deck
Capt.
Nemesis
Gator
Bluebox - Just played!

A couple of questions:
1. Is propaganda cumulative? In other words, looking at the map, I would think it would be best to target a smaller city or town closest to one of our borders and keep using propaganda each turn to try to get it to flip? However, I am unsure this is the best way as I have only used it once before and I was in a commanding position with lots of culture and just wanted to try it out.

2. The cost of using propaganda is expensive. It looks like we'll be able to afford some spies and 1 city per turn, imho. I just checked around and most cities seem to cost around 2400 Gold per attempt.
I guess that makes 1. above even more important.

3. I think we should make peace with the Vikings for Qitiamjorg and prepare to take that island.

4. I wonder if it helps to be at peace when making propaganda attempts. I should go and check the War Academy.

All ideas are appreciated at this point!!

EDIT: 4 days left in the month, I will try to play soon but tonight and Friday are tough for me. Willow, are you available to swap, and if not, can anyone play tonight or tomorrow?

EDIT2 - Didn't really find anything in The War Acedemy!

 

[Capt Buttkick]

Yes, Bluebox.
I'm just a little concerned about this:

*After* finishing my turn and before posting the save I was playing ariound with the espionage features and lost our spy in Jpn as well as some 1300g. See it as a "Black Project"

I hope it's not a game breaker, but as I read it, you didn't save after doing that stuff. Which means we'll get an unfair advantage if the next player doesn't do it.
Can you confirm whether this is the case so the next player can try to reenact the loss of 1 spy and 1300 gcs? That way we should be able to continue anyhow.
I'm sorry if I misunderstood your meaning here

 

[WillowBrook]

I am not able to take the game today; I may be able to play tomorrow afternoon, though depending how things go, I may not be able to play all 10 turns. Let me know if you want me to take it.

And everyone, please post on ideas/advice for the next 10 turns. I think we should take the Viking town they'll give us.

 

[bluebox]

Yes, Bluebox.
I'm just a little concerned about this:

I hope it's not a game breaker, but as I read it, you didn't save after doing that stuff. Which means we'll get an unfair advantage if the next player doesn't do it.
Can you confirm whether this is the case so the next player can try to reenact the loss of 1 spy and 1300 gcs? That way we should be able to continue anyhow.
I'm sorry if I misunderstood your meaning here

Don't mind. Sorry for being unclear. Not a game breaker and surely no advantage on our side here.

I'll be more precise about what happened (also for the staff ): When I was prompted to press 'next turn' I was wondering if there were any spy options left I hadn't used yet. So I went to the 'E' screen one more time, looked through the options, explored the "Steal tech" job, and ended up with a failed attempt, a killed spy, and 1200 - 1300g less.



Though it wasn't purposely done. Whatever. Saved and submitted. I haven't looked into the next turn nor did I do a reload on this.

We're still making 1100gpt and have ~3700g in the bank so no real prob here. Next player can try to install a new spy in JPN if he/she wishes to (no big chances to get a JPN city flip anyway). More propaganda missions can also be funded next turn. With ~4800g you can pay for a lot of leaflets.

I was concerned how we get this spending through the senate and I thought we label it as a black project (alluding to Area 51).

How to avoid such mishaps: I should have explored the spy missions in a test game.

 

[leif erikson]

I am not able to take the game today; I may be able to play tomorrow afternoon, though depending how things go, I may not be able to play all 10 turns. Let me know if you want me to take it.

And everyone, please post on ideas/advice for the next 10 turns. I think we should take the Viking town they'll give us.

I might have some time this evening. I was concerned that we are another critical juncture and I didn't want to rush it, even though we are coming under the gun to finish it soon. As I said above, I am not familiar with using the CIA to its fullest advantage and, at this point, we need to use it so. I didn't want to limit the discussion before starting. Gator often can not read until evening and I haven't seen Bluebox posting since my questions above.

I have come to the conclusion that research is not going to be our path to quick victory, unless someone sees a tech that we have a critical need for (Replacable Parts and Artillery?). I think we should end research and pour all our gold into propaganda, tech theft and units, should we claim a city on the Rome/Japan continent.

Again, does anyone know if propaganda is cumulative?

The only *fast* path there is trying to get a city to flip. If we can get a spy into Rome, then one of the cities near our old English holdings looks like a prospect or, with Japan, one of their former Roman cities. We'll have to concentrate ALL our efforts on Rome and Japan to start, then our effort will need to switch to, good old, Norwich.

@Capt. - I read Bluebox's post to mean that he saved it after losing the spy. I checked the save and there is no spy with Japan at the moment. Whoever starts this will need to try and buy one. I think we're OK. BTW - Rome needs one as well.

EDIT - Crossed with Bluebox. Thanks for the explaination Bluebox!

 

[Capt Buttkick]

Excellent
Thanks for the clarification

 

[bluebox]

Good work Bluebox!!

Thanks, team!

EDIT2 - Didn't really find anything in The War Acedemy!