So you think you can OCC, Sitting Bull?

[Irgy]

Emporer, normal, space victory in the early 1900s (I'd have to check the date from home, and when I get home I'll be too busy). Apologies for the lack of screenshots for the same reason.

Spoiler :

My first ever OCC. I followed the advice in this thread and went a level lower than my usual, which seemed to be good advice as it was a good close game. Quite enjoyed OCC on the whole, it's a lot quicker and simpler.

Grabbed the pyramids, starting them as soon as I had the stone hooked up (as I had nothing else I wanted to build at that stage anyway). Stone was going before I even researched the wheel, thanks to the river. Grabbed a lot of other wonders along the way too.

Civics for the game, as soon as they were available, were representation (available quite early of course), beaurocracy, caste system (I didn't really need it, but nothing else was better. Also used slavery a little earlier on of course), free market (this whole line was fairly useless though as well) and pacifism. Used Christo to switch to US a couple of times for rushbuy, although never found a use for most of my cash in the end anyway.

Settled all the great people except for an academy (of course), a golden age from the music artist, a priest to build the Taoism special building, and the first engineer from the pyramids who I should have settled but left around for rushing a key wonder. Never put him to good use though in the end, rushed Christo just to give him something to do but would have got it anyway as I was two techs ahead in that line at the time. I worked out I'd have got more hammers by then by settling him from the start anyway (never mind the (3+3)x(3 or so multiplier) = 18 or so beakers per turn). Oh and I culture bombed with an artist or two in the late game just out of spite as I had spare and they weren't that useful to settle anyway.

Didn't actually realise at first that there was still a limit on National Wonders. I built Oxford (of course), National Park (popular choice for occ it seems), National Epic (goes well with national park and representation, although with pacifism and philosophical it's only really a 33% increase in gpp production rate) and Globe Theatre. I regretted the theatre in the end, as with the national park I could easily have traded health resources (and spare musicals etc.) for happy resources and kept the happy cap above the food cap anyway. Food cap was quite low anyway as I had no farms (except on the corn of course). Not sure what I would build instead though, ironworks is bad without coal (thanks to national park removing it), the military ones weren't so useful when I didn't really go to war, wall street is useless as I had too much cash anyway.

Diplo-wise, Brennus founded two religeons, and somehow Roosevelt picked a different one to Brennus. I sided with Brennus, and had him friendly most of the game. Roosevelt's lands were hopeless anyway so I never got much trouble from him. Went to war with Germany for diplo points with someone else, never saw any units of theirs though. Shaka was busy fighting Germany the whole game (despite being on the other side of the world just about). Peter vassalled America without actually taking a city, probably because they'd been dogpiled by the rest of Peter's continent.

Had so much culture it was ridiculous, with 3 cathedrals, two of the +50% wonders, hermitage, and tons of early game wonders. I reckon you should be able to get a culture victory via 150k culture in one city in OCC, but that's just me.

On the whole I just peacefully teched my way into space with settled great people (mostly scientists). Had enough time between techs to build 5 casings and 3 thrusters without delaying the launch, so I was only short an engine and 2 thrusters when I gave it a 16 turn launch. Peter's culture was close. He was going to win by 1 turn at one stage, but I bribed him into 3 civic changes (should have done 4), and between the anarchy (3 turns!) and the loss of free speech he fell behind. Which was a shame really, because as soon as I launched I built the Manhattan project and rushbought enough to get an icbm each turn, and I was looking forward to an excuse to launch them.

 

[cas]

@Irgy

Spoiler :

IMO, the only reason to build the Globe Theatre on OCC where you spam forest preserves...it makes you immune to the UN defy -5 happiness/each. The UN imposed civics are not good for a OCC pyramids/forest preserve city. If the UN head strings 3-4 votes together which you have to defy it can lead to happiness issues and make you lower your tech rate for culture-happiness. But most of the time that doesn't happen.

cas

 

[Gliese 581]

Events are easy to disable post-map creation. Huts require find and replace text editing of the WB save.

More importantly, high-level OCC is just about impossible unless you're willing to go for the abusive version of diplo wins or permanent alliances .

Unless you're only refering to deity I have to disagree, it's possible to win space on at least immortal without depending on luck. On deity would be an interesting challenge.

 

[MyOtherName]

@cas:

Spoiler :

Two other reasons for the globe:
* If your research is strong but you don't have aluminum, I've found it useful sometimes to tear down your parks for workshops.
* If you are doing the representation/culture slider thing pre-biology, globe lets you put the slider back to 0.

 

[MyOtherName]

@irgy:

Spoiler :

Settling great artists is still useful -- they still give with representation. And if you've managed to get nearly all engineers/scientists, then the small income is nice.

And for late game: golden ages!



Also... don't forget that you can build research....

 

[Irgy]

@Irgy

Spoiler :

IMO, the only reason to build the Globe Theatre on OCC where you spam forest preserves...it makes you immune to the UN defy -5 happiness/each. The UN imposed civics are not good for a OCC pyramids/forest preserve city. If the UN head strings 3-4 votes together which you have to defy it can lead to happiness issues and make you lower your tech rate for culture-happiness. But most of the time that doesn't happen.

cas

Spoiler :

In this game though, by then I had 8 preserves in BFC, 3 from representation, 5 natural happy cap, religeon and 3 temples, all resources at +2 thanks to all the buildings and at most 23 population to support. That would mean I only needed 2 happiness resources without defying, and 4 with (it's maximally +5 unhappiness, right?). Not hard when you have both broadway and rock&roll.

You make a good point though in general, a farm-heavy high population specialist approach and/or difficulty securing resource trades would make the defial really hurt. And I certainly was defying a lot of resolutions, having no votes and running absolutely none of the bottom line civcs. Plus I could at least sell my useless resources for 6gpt each, so it was earning me cash in that respect - possibly more cash than wall street would have been.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Unless you're only refering to deity I have to disagree, it's possible to win space on at least immortal without depending on luck. On deity would be an interesting challenge.

Yeah, once I realized how effectively taking sistine and 1-2 other marble wonders is at nerfing culture, I changed my mind.

Before that immortal AI would win culture in the early 1800's so denying certain wonders is critical in some OCC, esp if you can't get to another continent to kill off such an attempt.

 

[Gliese 581]

Yeah, once I realized how effectively taking sistine and 1-2 other marble wonders is at nerfing culture, I changed my mind.

Before that immortal AI would win culture in the early 1800's so denying certain wonders is critical in some OCC, esp if you can't get to another continent to kill off such an attempt.

Yeah agreed although I usually play pangaea. You need a lapdog for warring most of the time though on immortal unless the field is really stacked and there's no techwhore to worry about as you funnel all your resources into military, but those games are usually easy once you survive the bcs.

 

[CivilizedTiger]

Uiii.... this was funny.
Noble normal 2022 CE Noble victory (because science is one of the noblest pursuits of humanity , and Space Race vicky is a science vicky)

Spoiler :

Worker first, teched mining, bronze working right away. I decided to hold on the pasture, so no AH at first. Worker built farm, city built warrior, then I decided to do something which I probably should regret now, but I thought, at the time, that it would be a good GP rate boost and a nice blow to rivals, so I teched mysticism and built stonehenge. Then teched AH, the road, then meditation, then priesthood, then pottery. A few turns later, pottery was done and in the same turn, the Oracle was built, so I took metal casting as freebee after which I built forge in city. Teched masonry afterwards, then started on the pyramids. Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to get a GE, but I used the GP to start a golden age and finished the Pyramids faster this way.

Next were writing and pottery, I don't remember the order, but I usually go for writing first, so it might have been the case here as well. Then I made a mistake, being to optimistic, and teched alphabet. Unfortunately, both Roosevelt and Brennus were incredibly backwards, so... that was a waste. But at least I had the ability to build research. Anyway, then came aesthetics, with which I built the Parthenon, then polytheism, the literature, after which came the GL. Then I built the national epic, I think, though I may be off with this by a few hundred years.
I used my GPs to study the techs with which I founded all three abrahamic religions, then I teched IW, then paper, built the University of Sankore, then I went for CS because if an OCC game isn't fit for bureau, I have no clue what is. From here on it gets kind of blurry , I think I took education next, then philo, founded taoism, then teched gunpoweder and the likes, at some point I took maths, calendar and currency as well, then optics, astro, then teched all the way till just before rifling, which I took as my free liberalism tech. I took liberalism in the 15th century, btw... very late.

From there on, just teched onwards, the only other wonder I've built was the Pentagon. (and Oxford, of course, and later Ironworks, but these are national wonders)
I did build my Apollo project, the Internet (I currently love this wonder... I understood it differently in the past, I didn't know that it was active for the rest of the game, it's definitely great, and I think it's a must for an OCC)

During the game I autorazed 3 cities thanks to culture.
Didn't go to war, but got attacked right before being able to launch the rocket, and I defended well. I had mech. infantry, they used SAM and paratroopers, for some strange reason.
Peter proposed himself as diplo ruler of the world, but failed by a very slim margin. He was also close to cultural victory, but still too far away.

A last note: I was getting CRUSHED espionage-wise. 5 or so techs were stolen from me, the pig pasture was constantly getting destroyed, sometimes on the very same turn that my workers rebuilt it, and I even had my city poisoned by their spies. Do you people deal with this any certain way?

As for improvements: I've cottaged almost every tile that didn't ask for a mine or a resource-specific improvement. I've only built a lumbermill somewhere, thinking that one forest for at least some health was welcome. (Oh... I was in big trouble health-wise; next time I'll know to prioritize maths and build the gardens; I think that not building the gardens was actually one of my biggest mistakes... it even offered GE points, it's bad to miss those)

I got the score of about 3800.

For the next OCC:
I should not shy away from the artistic wonders. I did so during this game because I didn't want to add more GA chances to the GP pool, I was getting too many prophets anyway, in stead of the so much desired engineers and scientists. But I think I'd have had an easier time if I had built more wonders. I could have used being the guy with the hit singles and movies, and I'd have worried less about Peter culturally. Also, I was able to run representation until I voted no on the US resolution (thought you could defy the resolution after, as well; silly... next time I'll know), and running representation meant that even GAs and GPs could be helpful, if settled. With multipliers, any specialist offered more than 10 beakers.

Well, thank you for the game, it was definitely fun!
I want to try out the next leader. Please keep this series!

 

[MyOtherName]

@CivilizedTiger

Spoiler :

Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to get a GE, but I used the GP to start a golden age and finished the Pyramids faster this way.

Settling the GP gives you almost as much as the golden age! Okay, not quite -- it gives 2 whereas your GA probably gave 4 or 5... but settling means you keep getting hammers (and gold!) for the rest of the game.

 

[deep64blue]

I know this is an old thread but I thoroughly enjoyed playing this.

Spoiler :

I lost with Peter recording a Cultural win 3 turns before my space ship arrived! I nuked Novgrod which slowed it down but didn't seem to lose any culture :-(

Was a basically peaceful game with Brennus founding Hinduism and it spreading throughout our continent, I ended up with a DP with him.

Any other OCC games out there like this I can try?

 

[Cam_H]

deep64blue,

Welcome to CivFanatics!

There are a few other "OCCs" floating around, with a bit of a resurgence lately. I suggest using the 'search' facility (see the horizontal menu bars at the top of the page), and run a search for threads started with the phrase "OCC" in the title, confining searches to the Civ4 Strategies and Tips Forum.

 

[Marvinlegend]

Lately there's even a new OCC Club, the latest game

And the Bullpen (list of all games) with Links to older OCC Games on the Forum, ~10

 

[deep64blue]

Thanks guys.