Soirana wants to be a god - 01

[bestsss]

Very well done!

>>If i get rid of Huyana this looks at least playable to some chance...
I think you can't lose the game from now on. Actually I think you will have to put some effort to lose.
The best thing is that you have the same religion as the zealots (they have the same religion), for that reason in my shadow I had to build the Shwedagon Pagoda and stay in free religion till the rest of the game, no sweet pacifism. Finish HC off and you will be set.

On a side note: if Izzy founds either Taoism or Islam she will spread and adopt it, so you might have to switch to free religion. I hate when Izzy gets late religion and she is a neighbor of mine. Doh my bad I thought Saladin founded Hinduism, not Izzy. Even better.

 

[Duckweed]

You may start another game now. Imo most games are determined ~1AD.

 

[JBossch]

Very nice job but I disagree that the game is over. Coming from someone who is still pretty spotty on Deity, I have lost games even after a good rush. If an AI takes out another, they will easily be competitive with you. If not, maybe you are set but it happens on Deity all the time.

 

[Soirana]

Well, Saladin is up to 12 cities already... and looks like expanding [probably on barbarians]. I do not feel save here [if i ever do on Deity], but i definetely can stop posting saves each hundred years and cut a bit on images...

 

[obsolete]

Whilst a city with 3 food might be nice on this level i think go for commerce and settle in place.

LOL, counting a cow-plot as a whole food source is not really an advisable tactic. Also, I'm surprised with all the input the OP was getting, no one mentioned to him he had one of those infamouse bugged-starts. I bet you he was using the latest patch.

 

[Dirk1302]

Why is the start bugged? Well at least the go for phant attack advice was sound. Agree with Duckweed that the game is probably won here. If you're as big as the biggest ai at this point in the game you should be able to win it.

 

[Soirana]

I'm surprised with all the input the OP was getting, no one mentioned to him he had one of those infamouse bugged-starts

From that i understand on starting location mechanics - if you see no river games considers it be good.
Which means 5+ resources. Well, i guess it might be plain cow, plain cow, alumnium, coal, uranium... Still have not seen such thing...

 

[Freedom]

LOL, counting a cow-plot as a whole food source is not really an advisable tactic. Also, I'm surprised with all the input the OP was getting, no one mentioned to him he had one of those infamouse bugged-starts. I bet you he was using the latest patch.

Fresh water, 4+ resources, at least 1 food resource (actually 2)... doesn't look bugged to me

 

[Soirana]

To 225AD:

225BC- finished CoL, start working towards music beeline [thinking back straight for CS could have been better]
100BC redeclare on incas
50BC- get more cities

Spoiler :

25AD- AP gets built, okay i must put reminder to myself build some hindu temples, monasteries once i am done with granaries and half priced curthauses.

50AD-get GA from music- remove mysticism in order to start trades on religion part, well HC did not built Great library, but he built great lighthouse instead.

Spoiler :

Huyana in ensuring i won't get broke. Well, i have les and less doubts about mine chances...

75AD- get marble in trade from Issy.... maybe Great Library still can be done...
125AD- Literature - put Cuszco from wealth to GLib [i built wealth few turns in order not top worry about of chops dropping a bit early].

150Ad- capture NE barb city
200AD- Glibrary in Cuszco.... Izzy vasalizes under Saladin.... Mmmm, that is a problem. First they have 20cities together, second i will have harder time getting them to friendly due to vassal garbage. [Probably i either need to do some 'fair' trades or consider theocracy, i currently have +10 on spain which is not enough...].
225Ad- burned Vilcas since it was neither good nor coastal, and that stone was in my culture zone anyway. Called peace with HC once again this time taking CS... [i actualy teched a bit in it on zero slider before HC had it...]

Since most of mine cities come out of revolts use artist for golden age and fix civics into beareau and oorganized. I am at -2 turns to philo...

Next plan is university of Sankore and start working towards lib seriously...

The only problem is I am about to hit Izzabella's limit of fearing of mine advancement... Not very good time as I think it is clearly time to swap Aesthetics-Music line for something good.

Tech situation:

Spoiler :

 

[Soirana]

To 1130Ad. Scrapped some notes from few playing sessions.

I went on with teching Philo and on 275AD- founded taoism in that ex barb city. DR went to Saladin but he nicely stayed hindu.

350Ad- get prophet [few others followed later, bad HC diluting my GP poll] out of Cuszco, after some thinking settle him in shrine city.

400AD- finally get Issy to friendly through vassal crap. [Well, she was on +11 rather long time, simply Sal took time to feel religious brotherhood deep enough].

425AD- Brennus sailed in picking me as he deadly enemy. Meh, will need to see if he gets full hands.

500AD- exited Huyana from his poor existance. Refounded city obn cape, and it is still fighting for clams vs Spain [currently 48% mine]

520Ad- get GS [will bulb liberalism tad later]
580AD-Sankore [whipped since both Sal and issy had paper and they seem to be in love with religious economy...]

590AD - lib into nationalism, not very creative, but i wanted golden age and really ws not sure how long marble will last [that trade is still active, actually so i am building few hindu mandirs]

800AD - Taj done, Issy gets circumnavigation bonus [at least not somethone like brenus, i got england on map and on that moment they seem be religiousless so contacting them seemed to be okay, especially in hopes obtaining Astro rather soon]

After that i went PP>Constitution>Demo to get towards emancipation. [I had zero wish to go on sailing rampage, rather prefering peacefully play space instead] Did not worked as good as i hoped as Sal went close route reaching Demo few turns later. Somehow no one wanted to tech SM despite i believed they will go for it...

Well, i binned hopes of getting SoL and built it basically as better variant of commerce, when after all these prophets i got GE... Afterwards i thought about saving him for corps. Still making 13 specs swing [13 for me and 15 not working for Sal] is not that bad. [Rushed SoL in cae you doubt].

Currently i am finalising Communism for Great person and hopefully Kremlin [in case i will need to invade someone on later day, although i have some hammer city with HE].

Tech wise i ma keeping up via some trinagular trades. [Stupid AI's moved into mercantilism once again and difirently from my hindu buddies i am not spiritual].

Guess after cottages kicks in [and probably after moving capital] I should be able to breath a bit easier. I also built a bunch of espionage buildings forseeing need to stop Saladin launching at some point. So far it does not look like someone aiming for culture.


Few pics:
Saladin land - surprisngly very little cottages which makes me happy:

Spoiler :

Techs - after trading communism should crawl back to parity [surprisngly 800 beakers i pull now seems to be barely enough to stay in]

Spoiler :

Statue of liberty [probably wasted GE]:

Spoiler :

Demo:

Spoiler :

mmm... second in gold and production. Good enough i guess.

Edit: Well, since churchill decided to be taoist and brenus likes his own religion, i signed defensive pact with hinduists. [Although Sal send few privateers on mine coast]

 

[Dirk1302]

Time to mobilize and kick some weaklings.

 

[bestsss]

very early liberalism.
have you decided what you do? domination, space, culture?

 

[Soirana]

Time to mobilize and kick some weaklings.

I thought tech to space... Deity stacks overall is not super tasty. unless you meant kicking my own ass...

 

[bestsss]

I'd rather kill Saladin (not 1st, though) and secure a win than gamble on space.
Just make sure Saladin doesn't get some ninja-diplo victory (he won't touch UN himself but AP is still a bit of risk)

 

[Dirk1302]

@Soirana, i agree with not taking on Sal atm that would be a very risky move this stage of the game. but look how backwards Ghenghis is. Churchill doesn't have gunpowder atm. Brennus has chemistry but is falling behind too. Especially Ghenghis/Churchill is more or less free land. I see time and time again that players are reluctant to build some boats to attack an ai that's not bordering them. Look at ultimate challenge pt3 Liz in my sig at the end of the thread. Typical situation very tasty backward island,i built some boats and enhanced my empire with some 15 cities in 20 turns. Had to take on a much bigger ai than Sal is here late game but with >25 cities you can always win the endgame.

Teching space might be possible but you are not exactly out researching Sal atm. Also while 730 bpt 1130 Ad may look like great it's really not more than average this stage in the game. You probably built Oxford already so there's not that much scope for enhancing your current science rate, Sal will probably improve his science rating some more and he is already faster than you are. Taking backward ais is so much easier.

 

[Soirana]

Also while 730 bpt 1130 Ad may look like great

Does not look great honestly. That is why i am worried for heading towards space.

AS extra 10-15 cities go. Let me think a bit - distance +colonial expense vs fact that i already built FP and versailies sits in Arabia. I will try calculating land tiles - in particular if i kill all other dudes [there does not seem to be any barb lands according to latest spanish maps] split my spiritual friends and eliminate Issy... Well if that is not enough i'd rather play space.

 

[Dirk1302]

Well 730 bpt 1130 AD is not bad either probably around average. As for 15 extra cities you go state prop of course. As for winning when you have 25 cities ~1600 AD you mobilize them tech flight or laser if Sal's very advanced and take him on. Scenario that comes up often: Last ai's very advanced, he has to complete fibers, fusion etc. You tech to laser/composites while he's busy then attack him. If he's even more advanced you can sometimes wait till the ship is launched then take his capital. Capital has to be near the coast however. Alternatively you go full science after taking Churchill/Ghenghis. With State prop and some banks you'll have > 2000 bpt in no time.

 

[bestsss]

Soriana, you are researching communism. No colonial expenses, no distance from capital, strong prod. Like I told Saladin would not touch UN (mass media, that's it), so you'd be safe from bumping out of it.

 

[Soirana]

Well 730 bpt 1130 AD is not bad either probably around average.

I meant in comparison to AI.... I actually used every trick in my tech whoring book too keep up with Saladin.

Looking at his land i guess that shrine [+40 i guess] with full mods that is killing. He basically has no empire wide expenses.

And no problems - Meca is coastal.

 

[Soirana]

Soriana, you are researching communism. No colonial expenses, no distance from capital, strong prod.

Goes to calculate workshops.... [not much....] guess i can plow these harmfull cottages away...