Introduction
This is the first part of the detailed description of my huge-Sid game.
The first two posts on this thread describe the pregame plan and the map settings so I won't repeat that information here.
Opening Moves
My capital produced two settlers and then a worker. My second city produced a worker and then a settler. Each of the first four towns was on a river and quickly had an irrigated cattle, so they each gained five food per turn. This resulted in the most rapid opening I've ever had, looking like this at 2630BC:
At this date I had four towns, 3 workers, and 2 warriors.
Next I produced five more workers and one more settler. The workers at this time to hurry granary production; the settler for a coastal town to build curraghs for exploration.
After that my first four towns each built a granary. Salamanca, the capital, became a two turn warrior+worker factory. The other three towns each became a four turn settler factory. In 1700BC they were all operational - from that point on these four core towns produced 3 settlers, 2 warriors, and 2 workers every four turns.
Early Development
I met the Aztecs, my first contact, in 2470BC. It was already too late to trade, I had nothing of interest to them.
In 1750BC I learned Writing, at the fifty turn rate. The Aztecs had already known it for 8 turns by then so I still had nothing to trade. I started research of Philosophy at the maximum rate I could afford.
In 1400BC an Aztec Horseman and Jaguar Warrior landed on my coast. The Aztec presence did not seem friendly. Since I had a few warriors near their landing site I requested that they leave. They declared war. War this early with a Sid AI was a bit scary but I figured I might be ok because there didn't seem to be a land connection between us. As long as the Aztecs landed just a few invaders at a time I could probably handle them with my warriors. That's how it worked out. I killed off a few invaders and paid 60g for peace in 1200BC. A relatively uneventful war, except for launching an Aztec Golden Age (I lost some warriors while destroying invading Jaguar Warriors and presume that launched their GA.)
In 1375BC I made a second contact with Arabia.
And in 1350 I met the Incas. This was my first opportunity to trade for tech. I traded Alphabet to get Masonry and The Wheel. I saw some horses I'd be able to claim, and I could finally start a prebuild of Palace for the Great Library.
I was worried about my chance of building The Great Library. I'd hoped to trade for Masonry and to start a prebuild well before this date. But the game was looking very good in all other respects and seemed well worth continuing.
In 1275BC I finished researching Philosophy, chose Literature as my next tech, and got it immediately - hurray, I'd been first to learn Philosophy! I traded Writing to the Inca for a few techs plus their cash, setting up to trade for Horseback Riding later on. I flipped my prebuild to Great Library and started another prebuild right away for a Forbidden Palace, northeast of my capital to extend the productive region in that direction. Here's how my empire looked at this date (you can see the effects of the war with Aztecs near the northwest coast):
In 1175 I met the Mongols and traded them Writing for Iron Working. Didn't see iron anywhere which made me a bit nervous.
At 1000BC my status was:
23 towns
6 settlers
16 workers (had produced more but some had joined towns)
9 warriors
4 curraghs
4 granaries
24 turns from Great Library
16 turns from Forbidden Palace
4 contacts, embassies with all
945g in treasury
I have horses and one luxury available but don't have either connected yet.
In 875BC I had a nice trade opportunity - I sold Philosophy to the Inca for 328g + 21gpt.
I met a fifth rival, America, in 775BC. And then in 710BC I received welcome news - the Zulu completed The Great Wall! This was the last incomplete Ancient Times wonder except the Great Library. Since none of my five known rivals had learned Literature yet, there would be no wonder cascades. My prebuild of Great Library was safe unless an unmet rival knew Literature.
My rivals seemed rather aggressive despite the "less aggressive" map setting I'd used. At this point the Aztecs were at war with Inca, and Arabia was at war with America. And in 670BC America declared war on me. She destroyed a Curragh but that was it for action in this war - she was too far away to reach me.
In 510BC I completed The Great Library! I did a bit of final pop rushing, expecting to learn Monarchy and begin a revolution inter-turn. As I mentioned earlier on this thread, the decision to go to Monarchy was a difficult one. I anticipated long and difficult wars, an unusually high ratio of troops to cities, and few luxuries for some time. So Monarchy seemed a necessary choice.
In 490BC The Great Library gave me many secrets: all Ancient tech except Republic! As planned I began my revolution.
Amusingly, after paying America 80g for peace in 490BC, I was able to sell her Currency for 39gpt + 230g
I had 16 Chariots built by this date. Having learned Horseback Riding I immediately upgraded them to Mounted Warriors.
In 450BC I learned Feudalism from the Great Library.
In 410BC I became a Monarchy and opened this thread. Phew, I'm finally caught up to the beginning of the story
It was time to plan for my first serious war. This seems a good breakpoint, I'll continue the story in my next post.
I'm hoping Firaxis will tone down Communism in a patch.
I'm also considered weak vs. two of the other Civs.
