Solo vs. the Barbarians

[Mad Professor]

Stone Age update

Ugh, this isn't good. Even running on quick gamespeed, I can't get anywhere with this. Even when I get a half-decent start, the barbs rush me five or six at a time. I get the feeling that once I get a foothold, I might be able to fight back. Off to try again.

Maybe try it on a lower difficulty first It sounds like an interesting variation - I'm very tempted to try it in my rather limited Civ time.

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Getting nuked repeatly by barbs

Hmmm...Anyone want to try this in a modern era start? See if the barbs start with tanks?

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Classical Age update

Whew, that was a real guantlet. I've managed to get to the Classical Age and achieve a steady state... somehow. I chose Huayna Capac as my leader for the nice UU and decent traits. Those quechas can stand up to barb warriors and really tear through the archers. I imagine it would be possible to get by without them by picking a civ that started with Hunting and going for archery... but I haven't tried that. Here's how the game so far has gone:

In the beginning... I just built a stream of quechas. Some died, but I really just had to hold the city, and, like warriors, they get +25 city defense. I started by some floodplains, forests, and gold on a plains hill, plus a cow on some plains that I haven't really used yet.

At first, I had my hands full just defending the city. However, I eventually built up a garrison of 5 or so quechas that I began to send out to camp on forest/hills. The only good thing about barbarians is that they are predictable. I managed to push them back by luring them to attack quechas at defensible positions. I have a few with 10 xp now, meaning that I've gotten some nice woodsman, shock/cover, and combat promotions.

At some point, I was able to push the barbarians back to the point that I felt comfortable starting a worker. It was interrupted a couple of times, but I really benefitted from getting it out. I mined the gold resource and made a second worker. Now both of them are building some cottages. I've kept the forrests around as they add some production and help offset the floodplains' unhealthiness.

I've taken a few unnecessary techs that I thought I might need at the time. I haven't built a single archer yet, despite having speant quite a few early turns working towards it. I also founded Buddhism, which certainly did increase my culture and happiness, but the turns might have been speant better elsewhere. I passed into the classical age with Iron Working.

Here's a save of my game if anyone is interested:View attachment 121694

I'll post again upon entering the Medieval age.

 

[Zombie69]

Like i said, forget about continents and try it on a pangea map at marathon speed. You won't survive.

 

[The 777 Hoax]

Good experience for future warmongers.

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Good experience for future warmongers.

I disagree. Warmongering is about learning the right balance of offensive power, defense, and infrastructure. Maybe Chandra will have a different experience, but the game I played was only defense.

It also got so boring that I had to turn on "quick battles".

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Medieval update

Not much to report this time. I've just gotten into the Medieval age in the 1500s. Calamity struck around 920AD when the barbarians apparently learned that metal weapons work better than wooden clubs. I've been swimming in axemen ever since, with the occational swordsman or archer thrown in for flavor. It's odd that no metal resources are near me. Things might have been different so far if there were.

It's amazing how far back fighting a constant war can set you. I'm almost done with my third settler at this save. I managed to find enough spare production to build the Great Library, which has helped a lot. Most of my worker turns have been speant building cottages, which have been much needed.

I passed into the Medieval age with Feudalism, which seems strange, but longbowmen should be helpful. I'm running just about an era behind where I should be... Here's my save for the curious: View attachment 121713

P.S. I'm running a continents map because barbarian Civilizations seem to develop more when there are no rival Civs on the same continent. I'd like to see how this turns out.

 

[Stylesjl]

I once tried playing with only barbsa on raging, lets just say i gave up after i just couldn't take it anymore

But good luck to anyone who can try and win

 

[GiantRaven]

I started another game, they managed to build the pyramids and the oracle before I got bored and gifted them plenty of nukes via world builder

 

[Zombie69]

P.S. I'm running a continents map because barbarian Civilizations seem to develop more when there are no rival Civs on the same continent. I'd like to see how this turns out.

What you failed to take into account is that you will also develop more if there are fewer barbarians on your island. Try pangea and you'll be lucky if you even get to iron working, especially on marathon.

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Well, that didn't work out well. Seems like I get swarmed by Swordsmen shortly after my last save. I could probably find a way around this latest problem, but it does get pretty dull, and I get the feeling that it will be more of the same if I continue.

Also, I've heard somewhere that barbarians can only get techs that normal Civs have already gotten. If so, that would really take a lot of the fun out of playing this kind of game.

I think I'll drop this challenge for now, though anyone else is welcome to give it a shot. Continue to post any comments or suggestions here if you feel like it. I'll probably make a new thread when I decide to try it again.

 

[weltenbrand]

I tried several games on pangea, marathon, deity as Montezuma (I allways play him, and Jaguarwarriors are helpfull).

What I learned:
- Settle on hills
- Research archery asap
- Get your 1st warrior a medic promotion
- Lakes are helpfull, seastart as well
- enable quick fight

I start with a scout (Monte) and maybe can get 1 - 5 goody huts. Build warrior(s) first until I can get an archer.
Normaly I fight the first waves of warriors and archers with 2-3 warriors and a archer on the way. I lost 3 games in this periode, but I also survived some with only warriors defending the city.

After my first archer is build, I'm pretty save. I build a second anyway. In a few turns, they are city garrison III, then your save. You got to love your medic warrior

So, I'm alive. But the big problem is research. Where to get the commerce from?
The best thing I did is: Settle on the coast or build my second city on the coast. I try to find the lonely island(s) or a spot where you can block some tiles to build cottages, also on hills. Religion is also helpfull (happyness and gold). Seafood for health.

Lakes are nice to generate commerce with the right techs. And I have some tiles that I can work all the time, I mean all the time. Its also easyer to block between lakes.

I have to be carefull about the numbers of citys. Its not maintenace, its the unit cost that kills my economy if I have to defend more than two citys. But it really depends on the terrain.

After I research Bronceworking or Ironworking, the flow of warriors and archers starts to dry out
What a surprice!
In my first game I started to build improvments around the city, because it was so quiet. I was an idiot...

Its funny when you have killed 4-6 units per turn until, say 400 AD, and then suddenly it looks like peace.

I think there is a gap, because they build axeman/swordman, or barracks. I'm not sure. I also recognized, that after a point, the barbs came with some promotions, like city raider and this was scary.

After a while the wave starts again.

The archers in in my capital do well (culutre), but archers on hills are lost. By this time I need axeman or, as Monte, my cool Jaguarwarriors to defend places outside citys or to go after all the goddy huts. They can defend in forest on flat ground with the right promotions. Medic units are the key here as well.

But from this point, I' dont know how I should get a domination victory. It depends how easy you can block of an area, where you can build improvment and more towns. Most important thing is the style of the pangea map.

But I'll try.

weltenbrand

edit: Removed silly question about my english

 

[GiantRaven]

No need for free market, no foreign trade routes

Use the civic to give you free specialists and then adopt representation, that seems like the best strategy to me

 

[weltenbrand]

Sorry for bumping the old thread, but I have to tell you:

I achieved a domination victory in a Solo vs. Barbs game on deity in 1951 !

Settings (1.52):
- Montezuma
- Deity
- Marathon speed
- Big pangea map, natural borders, tropical, medium sea level
- Raging barbs, agressive AI
- No other Civs
- No cheating (regenerate once for start near coast)

The map was perfect. I could block some land with place for 3 citys with my first settler. I have to say, that it was not a normal pangea map. Due to the small islands, there was not the same amount of barb citys like in my test games. In my test games I normaly killed around 700-1000 warriors/archers until 1000AD. In this game it was around 600 warriors/archers.

I dont think it was that difficult. And after 10 testgames, I could adapt to this special situation. The biggest problem was money to support all the new unproductive citys and the large army you need.

If someone like to see some saves or screenshots, I can post them, when I'm at home.

Lets see, next time I try a inland start.

weltenbrand

 

[Thrar]

Congratulations! From reading this thread, it sounds a whole lot more challenging than I'd have thought before.

 

[Charles 22]

Hey, everybody. I was just struck by an idea the other day by an idea for an interesting way to play Civ IV. Here's how it would be set up:

No rival Civs,
Raging Barbarians set,
High Difficulty (no particular one necessary),
Likely Pangea, Continents, or Archipelago,
Only Domination victories allowed,

Essentially, this would be an attempt to conquer a world covered in barbarians. As there would be no rival Civs, diplomacy and trading wouldn't be options. Raging barbarians should insure that the world becomes well covered. A high difficulty would probably be necessary to make it a challenge as barbarians do tend to lag behind in tech. The more broken up the landmass is, the more time barbarians would have to grow powerful before you met them. And, finally, domination would probably be the most suitable victory to challenge.

Have you heard of games set up like this before? I was going to try it, but I figured I would see what the opinion here was first. Any relevant information would be helpful.

I've made a similar suggestion but it seemed I was the only one interested in it. The idea I had was to play a huge, marathon game with as few civs as possible and to see if you and the other civs could survive, though I was talking about the standard barb level.

I wouldn't had thought they would allow you to play such a map with only yourself. Have you even tried this to see if it would start? I was thinking that with a huge map that having only one other civ, if that was the minimum, might be a tad too boring, but certainly 2-3 other civs would work. The feedback I got was that the game would be too boring if all the other civs got wiped out, but since you have this idea it can be seen that the others getting wiped out needn't be so bad. If you were playing with a small amount of other civs, it at least would be interesting to see if the waves you got were more intense after the other civs perished (or if they stood around). One funny thing too, is if you find that the other civs getting destroyed makes the barbs untenable, then there would be a strategy where you would have to try to send a large enough force to achieve scouting reports, mainly to find the other civs, and then you would have to try to manage some way to get them help, assuming you find a way to survive yourself.

I think I will try my idea pretty soon; within the next game or two.

 

[The Tyrant]

That "gap" (or lull) in barb activity is when they start founding cities. Any barbs spawned in the area of a barb city will head directly for the city and fortify inside it. Once they reach their garrison limit, the city will produce units to send out. From that point on, the approach routes will become more predictable. Try to have a worker or two on-hand before the lull. When you recognize a distinct reduction in barb activity, get them out and chop forests and jungles near your city to prevent the barbs from using them as defensible approaches.

I can handle me-vs.-raging barbs on Monarch/Marathon, but I can't imagine what it would be like on Deity. Weltenbrand, do you have the BC-4000 save from that game? I would like to give it a shot on Deity, but only on a map I know has been beaten. 'Too chicken to try it on a random map at that level.

 

[weltenbrand]

I can post my 4000BC Save when I'm at home. Dont forget to regenerate once to get the sea start.

weltenbrand

 

[weltenbrand]

Here is my 4000Bc save. I moved the settler on the hill one tile south.

Some info about my game:
- Bring back your units to your town before 3400BC starts
- medic warrior helps (I know I mentioned it before, but I love this guy)
- I build stonehenge and oracel for GP Points
- Kolossus for money
- I never researched calendar to keep the obelisks.
- The % of population in the "victory condition screen" gives you an idea how much city population the barbs have.

- As soon you discover some techs, the barbs come with new units. I sometimes had not enough time to build them before the barbs.
In one game I got mining with the first hut, second hut bronceworking. Ten turns later I was dead.

I hope you enjoy it. Its a lot of nothing-to-do-turns. Something wierd is, that you learn to hear, how much barb units attack your city/s, when you are not watching your city/s. If it sounds too loud, go an have a look if everything is ok.

And the last thing: Be aware of "superwaves". The barb waves 1-2 warrior/archers can sometimes "overlay" to a SOD of 7 or more archers/warriors and can give trouble in the beginning.

weltenbrand

 

[The Tyrant]

Thanks. I'll give that a shot this weekend.