[BTS] Shadow Game: Monarch w/ Charlemagne

[Peteyboy]

First off, with such REX (either peacefully or militarily) Currency is almost always a priority, it allows you to build gold, alongside alpha trade for gold (or GPT) and saves on COL (Must admit had never tried the GM approach with Caste - Very nice if you have the time to blitz it, and have the city with initially enough pop)

From here I'd probably hit Nobamba but raze (being size 5, probably worth some much needed funds) - Then do whatever is necessary to get Currency. Max out any gold tiles - ensure any / all cottages are built, optionally if you have any redundant units, remove to save gold.) Given the strength dominance, you can probably stop units for now, not sure your worker count, but get your economy going. Once that's resolved, you can return to finishing off Lincoln / Shaka.

 

[MrBungler]

Thanks Fippy and Peteyboy, good tips, I'll have some time tomorrow to try them out.

 

[MrBungler]

Spoiler T93 :

• captured uMung-
• razed Nobamba - Great General popped
• lost a few units, then removed a few more, economy is rough but sustainable til Currency
• switched all cities to building Research? with slider at 0%, currency in 17 turns
• Ulundi is poorly defended; I'm planning to snatch it up, unless wiser minds say otherwise
• see below three pics, showing all 8 current cities: how are my tiles looking? Have I made many mistakes with improvement choice? What could be done better?

worker count

is 9 currently

 

[lymond]

Don't be afraid to raze crap cities. Uma coulda been destroyed. Also, don't forget to pillage as much as you can, especially plains cottages, farms, and mines for some extra dosh

 

[MrBungler]

raze crap cities

is Uma crap? river tiles, wheat and crab in the BFC, can share cows?

 

[lymond]

Not total crap, but the crabs are annoying (the city is not coastal) and you need border pop for any food. You can always resettle later.

 

[Fippy]

Food is actually not problematic (floodplain farm), but size 1 and IMP Charlie..yup can resettle such cities when you are ready.
Bulawayo is different i.e. you can work 3 tiles so gold can be added right away if needed.

 

[Peteyboy]

My instinct says destroy and keep Ulundi - Just make sure you take enough - If Shaka whips 1 or 2, with Hills, 50%, it could be a little awkward. I would think 7-8 HA should get you through.

Given the importance of the need for currency, I would spend as much of that gold you have on researching that, along with Ulundi gold you should be fine.

9 workers is very solid, just max out cottages and make sure they're being worked.

Completely agree re Umun - You don't need it right now, and it just adds to your cost (can't do anything about it, and won't break you, but just consider the impacts before holding cities. It would have been better to build 1NE of it's current location.)

As for building research - can be done for now, but once you have currency, I rarely find it beneficial to build research, ordinarily building wealth allows a greater % (if suitable) - switching only to finish a key research (I.E CS)

 

[Mr_Trotsky]

Agreed with take Ulundi and use gold to get currency as quickly as possible.

Do you have foreign trade routes? I can see a bit of Indian territory on the map so I guess you might. If not, worth uncovering the coast. Foreign trade routes could be about +1 commerce per city immediately and +2 post currency.

Also, how are the tech trades looking? Probably not very exciting but worth checking

 

[MrBungler]

Spoiler T99 :

• Took Ulundi, peaced Shaka for Iron Working
• Finally finished Currency, CoL next?
• Healing the HA horde, then sending them to knock out the barb city - after that, how many to keep?
• @Mr_Trotsky - Now with Currency I've got 2 routes with Egypt - should I still uncover the coast to Delhi? Also, tech trades moot - nobody got nothin'
• What should my cities be building?
• Overarching goals for the next 10-20-30 turns?
• Anybody want to see more/different info? I realize it's tough without access to saves

 

[lymond]

I would not delete any HAs if I don't have to....look to finish off Murica and Zulu soon. If you do not have foreign trade routes with India you want to facilitate that asap. Really shoulda done that earlier. Simple wb scout will suffice or have a visi chariot or horse scout coast down south.

I'd build currency (edit: wealth, if that was not clear) in cities for now and let the economy recover a bit. Not sure where it stands at the moment as you have the research slider at 50% for some reason.

 

[Peteyboy]

Further to my point in my previous post, I disagree with the mass Research cities - I think you'll find that if you change them to Wealth and ramp slider to a high level, that your research will be better. (The Slider % gets bonuses re libraries etc.) - Not always huge, but will mean you can manage your economy and research better.

Might as well finish off the 2 weaklings, removes motherland unhappiness.

With that done, you're pretty much at the point where at Monarch level, within reason, you can do what you wish and it'll be probably be fine. You can scout out Gandhi, and possibly destroy if you wish to continue the military route. Alternatively, with a stabilising economy and up to 12 cities (Shaka's and Lincoln's included) - You can just sit quietly and tech to vast superiority (After Col, normally CS follows, then normally with enough strength banked, go through to Paper - Education OR Aesthetics - Literature - Music, alongside Philosophy for GA / GP route.

Lastly, probably look at England re espionage focus - Egypt is going to be irrelevant re 2 cities, but might as well learn about your only realistic rival. You know you are vastly stronger than you local neighbours.

 

[danjuno]

Can we get a better look at Hurrian to see if it's worth keeping or razing?

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

@MrBungler

What technologies do you have? Do you have fishing [I hope the answer is "no"]?

 

[MrBungler]

research slider at 50% for some reason

disagree with the mass Research cities

fair points - both were set to get me to Currency asap, but weren't intended to stay so. When Currency teched, I paused for input from the forum.

better look at Hurrian

Can do

What technologies do you have?

I'll post a pic. Fishing teched very early, 2nd or 3rd? A Fippy recommendation, allowed Aachen to grow faster

For next goals, I'm hearing

• stabilize economy with building wealth and adjusting slider
• scout india including coast to open trade and decide between military or builder strategies
• snipe Lincoln and Shaka
• adjust espionage focus towards England, as biggest rival

at the point where at Monarch level, within reason, you can do what you wish

that was my guess - so, is the forum still interested? For sure I would still learn, and I'll finish the game regardless. But, if it's basically a foregone conclusion, do y'all still want updates and input?

 

[coanda]

If you're looking to conquer everything in the short-term, Feudalism is your priority tech; you want to unlock vassal states so you can chain-capitulate enemies instead of needing to fight through all their cities. After Feudalism you don't really care that much about further technology; with a big empire and production advantage, you've got all the tech you need to conquer the AIs before they get past longbows.

For a more long-term game, you're looking to mop up America and Zulu of course but also grow cities up to size, develop some cottages, get a couple cities going on Great Scientist generation, get your calendar resources hooked up, finish filling out the land you secured with more settlers. I'm not sure how developed the land around your capital is, so it's hard to say how useful Bureaucracy would be. You got Marble from conquering America, so you might opt to make a play for Museum of Maussollos and/or Great Library.

 

[Nick723]

To add to Coanda’s point, my suggestion would be to beeline Guilds whilst mopping up the others and developing your land a little.

Whilst knights can be rather underwhelming at higher levels, here they should clean up the map nicely.

 

[sylvanllewelyn]

Sorry another question @MrBungler

How many great persons have you generated so far?

 

[MrBungler]

Spoiler hurrian pic :

@danjuno unless that tile NE is amazing, looks pretty raze-able

Spoiler tech tree pic :

@sylvanllewelyn questions welcome two great generals, one attached to a HA as super medic, the other settled to improve new unit experience

thanks coanda and Nick, definitely leaning towards dominance, great to have an action plan

 

[Mr_Trotsky]

I might go calendar next. I can see you’ve got happiness issues in some of your cities. It’s hard to tell without the resource bubbles on but, given all the jungle you’ve got I suspect there are enough happy resources to remedy that and unlock some good commerce tiles too which will help you get the last few techs you need.

I’d be interested in what more experienced players think about trading for monarchy. It seems a shame to tech it - to get to feudalism more than for hereditary rule - when the AI trade it even when it’s a monopoly tech.

I wouldn’t plan to go deep into the tech tree. This is an excellent opportunity to practice fighting your inner builder.