*Spoiler 3* Gotm19-Ottomans - End Game Submitted

[Shillen]

Originally posted by Ambiorix.
If you sponsor a civ like that, what makes you sure you won't become backwards yourself ? And does your statement above mean that you sometimes gave luxuries away for free or almost for free ??
I think that's one of the biggest differences between top players and average players : being in control of the game, rather than having it happen to you. So, how do you get to that point of control ?

It's hard to say really. It's funny because if I had played this game even 2 months ago I would have had a totally different outlook. But over the last two months I've been playing deity mostly and winning. So emperor is like a step back and I just know I can take control of the game right away and keep control. I know that doesn't help you out that much, but I can't really explain it any better. I guess it's just getting better at managing your build priorities, AI trades, science/luxury slider, etc.

And yes I gave away my luxuries. I had plenty of money throughout the game and having excess luxuries doesn't help me at all. I might as well give them away and see if the other civ's can make use of them and help me out. So basically whenever I had a spare luxury I gave it away to whoever I thought could make the best use of it.

]Originally posted by Ambiorix.
Isn't there an advantage in granting everyone free techs ? If you bring them to the same tech-level as yourself, your tech becomes cheaper, no ? And you're researching faster anyhow, so there's little risk involved.

No, my techs don't get cheaper by gifting techs around. I'm always researching undiscovered techs. That means I'm researching at monopoly price.

Yes I research faster than the AI, but as long as I'm gifting techs that gives the AI's up to date defensive units. With a fast tech pace strategy I'm constantly building infrastructure to maintain the fast tech pace and that results in being unable to produce as much military. If I leave civ's behind in tech though, I don't need a large military in order to conquer them. An example...if I wanted to do a late industrial age war. I have about 20 tanks. The AI has infantry and will get mech infantry soon though. I'd probably only be able to take 3-4 cities with my tanks before I run out. But if the AI was defending with riflemen, or even better musketmen, then I could easily steamroll their entire empire with just that stack of 20 tanks.

 

[Zwingli]

Middle Ages

I entered the Industrial Era in 470 AD after researching Magnetism and completed Newton's University in Sogut kicking of a Golden Age. The extra production from the Golden Age allowed Copernicus' Observatory to be completed the same turn (was originally scheduled to complete in 2 turns), and the combination of these events allowed 4 turn research on Steam Power despite having the capital and Forbidden Palace relatively close to each other. The free tech for entering a new era was Nationalism as usual (version 1.29b) which I virtually gifted to the leading civs, and I researched Steam Power, Industrialization, Electricity, and Medicine in 4 turns each during the Golden Age. I forgot to take the end of Golden Age into account when Sanitation had 1 turn left to go, so this tech took 5 turns to complete . The extra production during the golden age went toward completing factories, prebuilding hospitals, getting Sun Szu's Art of War (yes, it was still available in the industrial age), and building some Dragoons.

650 AD

Around 650 AD I put the Dragoons and some old surplus Azap infantry into action against Carthage. Even though neoCarthage had a few riflemen (I gave them Nationalism in the hopes that they would research something) the dragoons suffered very few casualties. I captured each city intact without starving the population, but suffered no flips due to the speed of the advance and my cultural superiority. With factories in place and limited losses, the war did not divert much production from science boosting improvements (ie courthouses, hospitals, and the few universities which had not yet been completed). Eventually a leader appeared who rushed a new Palace just South of Sogut, and neoCarthage was destroyed by 800 AD.

800 AD

The new palace came just in time to maintain a 4 turn tech pace for the entire Industrial Age (excepting the Sanitation mistake). Rome researched Replacable Parts, shaving off an additional 4 turns, and TOE yielded Atomic Theory and Electronics. I had hoped that either Egypt or Rome (the two strongest civs who I kept relatively updated) would research Flight while I went for Mass Production, Motorized Transport, and Radio, but they went for Democracy and Communism. The extra population from hospitals allowed me to research at less than 100% toward the end of the era, diverting the surplus to luxury tax.

In 1040 AD I entered the Modern Age getting Computers as my free tech. I had expected Rocketry (probably 95% sure in this version), and this caught me completely off gaurd with no prebuilds ready to swap to research labs. Without quick labs Fission took 5 turns despite extreme efforts to shave off a turn (dumping all cash into rushed labs, joining 70% of the workforce into cities), and I won the diplomatic vote in 1090 AD, switching a Palace to the UN on the same turn as the tech.

In Game Score: 6858
Jason Score: 9419

 

[Zwingli]

Shillen, I notice you were able to go through the Industrial Age 12 turns faster than me:

Free Medicine +4
AI Radio +4
Skip Sanitiation +4 (for the purposes of diplomatic comparison).

We both had a 1 turn GA miscalculation and both got Replacable parts from Rome. The AI civs in your game were probably better financed in your game since you let them keep most of their per turn gold, while I drained a good deal of it from them. I would expect that it was the Palace jump which allowed you to get 4 turn research despite skipping Sanitation. On the other hand it was probably those hospitals, along with the assimilated Carthaginian territory, which boosted the in-game score in my game.

 

[RocknOats]

Hear hear Scubagtr!!

How's about a Chieftain or Warlord? Anyhoo, another loss from the RocknOats camp. I was so close. Best score yet, I was just about to finish off China(already closed the book on Celts and Egypt), had over a thou a turn for culture and had just taken over the top spot when Carthage(shoulda taken them early) sneak attacked my one inf. defended(each city) home island in 4-5 turns. So it wasn't long before the dream had died. I never led in tech, I was ahead of India, China, and Egypt but what good does that do ya? I didn't build any wonders but captured a couple. I didn't start trading my excess luxuries til about halfway thru and that would have helped me. My only hope as I saw it was to go for culture, since Carthage wouldn't call a vote, even tho I expected a launch any minute. I don't understand how everyone(the good players) get other civs to trade with them! Even before my dirty dealings, everyone treats me like I have the plague! I don't know. I'm gonna keep trying, and I still feel like I'm growing every game. Really looking forward to next month, keep up the good work and congrats to all the winners!!!

 

[RocknOats]

Darkness, Really? How do you save it after you win(as if I'd know!) Every game I won(non-GOTM!) just runs into the post-game festivities. I've always sent in my before the end saves. Boy, I sure hope I get to test this out next month. . .

P.S. Please Sir, not Diety. . .Spare us. . .

 

[RocknOats]

Ah yes! Thanks Hergrom. Hey, let me ask you something. Under your name you have the title "Khenpo". What box do you put that in under your options? I would like to change my chieftain to some kinda wise remark or goofy quote.

 

[RocknOats]

Oops, sorry about that. thanks for the info tho! I'll get back on track. . . I've started a practice game with the Spanish, and my first impression isn't too good. I'm not really comfortable with them. . .We will see how it turns out. I may just be making an excuse early!

 

[ltccone]

This was my first Emperor game and I managed to win.

In the beginning of the industrial age I finished the FP in Entremont, which considerably increased my production. I changed my government to democracy which helped even more.

Rome and Carthage were still in constant warfare. Rome, Carthage, China, and Spain all changed their governments to communism. Because of this I was able to catch up and pass everyone in tech.

I made a beeline for replaceable parts so I could build infantry. I then went after and built the Theory of Evolution, my first wonder. I was then able to build Hoover Dam. After that I concentrated on getting tanks.

Carthage asked me for a MPP and ROP, and I accepted. This brought me into the Roman-Carthage war. I landed tanks and infantry in Rome's territory. Carthaginian battleship had destroyed the improvements to Rome's oil and rubber, so I mostly fought guerrillas. Rome had a large army, and it was slow going. War weariness started to set in. My governors were set to keep people happy so I had no revolts, but people started to starve. My agreement with Carthage expired, and I did not renew it. Carthage landed no ground troops until near the end when they landed about six tanks. They never engaged the Romans.

At the beginning of the modern age Rome was destroyed. China destroyed India, leaving only Spain and China on that continent. Spain built the UN, but never called for a vote. I built both the internet and SETI.

Carthage attacked one of my battleships, a bad move on their part. They also razed one of my smaller cities. I had MA and mech, while they had tanks and infantry. I torched every one of their cities except for Carthage (which had Sistine and the Pyramids) and Utica (which had Sun Tzu) to prevent cultural reversion. I built my own cities in their rubble.

War weariness again became a problem, but my war with Carthage was much shorter than my war with Rome. Carthage had a settler on a transport, which I had to chase down and sink.

In the meantime China was attacking Spain. Madrid had the UN and Universal Suffrage, so I declared war on Spain to grab Madrid for myself. Between China and I Spain was destroyed.

I had a big tech lead on China. I could have tried for a domination win but I opted for the spaceship instead. I completed my spaceship without China even starting theirs.

I ended up with about 3300 points.

Next GOTM I will take notes!

 

[Vlad Dracula]

Well lost again diplo to cleo in 1595ad don't know how she did it the ai civs were always fighting.Score 597 Jason 475 +53 from last month.I may win one before civ4 comes out lol.I read your post Shillen 100% science and selling tech to the AI i like it i assume thats how everyone keeps up i traded and did gpt at the beginning but then everyone quit tradingwith me i will have do the 100&sell next game.I'll have to keep reading this thread to see how the rest of everyone manages to get these awsome wins thanks for the tip shillen

 

[serttech2003]

v1.21f

How I won is still a mystery to me. I stayed on my 1/2 of the island the whole game and never could build up what I considered a large enough force to defeat Cathage. The Celts went down quickly and no one else (except a Roman force of 2 legions) stepped on the island. I was behind 1/2 way through the middle ages when I realized that by trading my lux I could get gold, which I used for gpt for techs. By researching a few the AI wasn't seemingly going after, I was able to trade those for even bigger gpt. Next (yes it seemed long and drawn out to me as well) I was able to research at a loss due to my positive gold balance amd pull ahead of the AI. Once I was ahead i focused on the techs needed for the space ship, trading techs for gpt keeping the AI from researching due to their gpt they owed me. Once I took the lead, I was able to keep it simply be trading what ever techs I got for gpt. I launched in 1792. I'll keep typing after the laughter has died down....

My mistakes...still have a builder thought process and aren't quite aggressive enough esp in the beginning. I plan on looking at what other did in great detail.

I still need help with my opening play (kind of like my chess playing..) but I'm working on that.

Thanks Cracker and all at GOTM...looking forward to next month. Anyone got hints on how to play the Spanish?

 

[Nakhimov]

This was my first emperor game, so it came as quite a suprise to me when I won.

I came into the Industrial ages in the late 1300s and way behind the AI in tech, they probably had a 6 to 8 tech lead on me. I had put taxes to 100% and was just buying tech as soon as I could afford it, which netted out to be about 1 tech every 6 turns with me making ~150 gpt. I spent until the mid 1500s with most of the world at peace. Finally, in desparation of slowing down the AI, I used a few military alliances and MPPs to start World War I.

This slowed them down as they were reaching the end of the Industrial Age, while I was still buying my way frantically up the the middle of the techs. The war was me, Carthage, and Spain vs. Rome, Egypt, India, and China. I had a few small one-unit landings on my continent, which my Siphai quickly dispatched, and spent most of the war building my money-making infrastructure and production infrastructure. I also finally acquired Republic and revolted in the opening stages of the war. Eygpt, however, still managed to get to Fission and start building the UN just before they lowered their research rate, and finished it in 1585. A diplomatic loss was barely averted when they called for a vote and it was 3 for Cleopatra, 2 for Hannibal, and 2 abstaining.

In 1635, Carthage signed a military alliance against me, and took my three closest cities to them in the next few turns, two of which I took back the turn after, and one of which they razed. In 1670, I was finally able to buy Motorized Transportation, and the war degenerated into stalemate until 1720, when my military alliance with Rome against them was broken by Rome making peace, an example which I quickly followed. Except for me and Carthage, World War I wound down in the late 1600s.

I finally entered the Modern Ages in 1730, and got Fission as my free tech. I promptly made a series of deals with Rome, Spain, and China, resulting in a net gain of 2000 gold and Rocketry. By now I was making around 400 gpt. As the prices for buying techs started to become in the 4000 gold range, I changed my method to stealing techs. To keep the AI research in check, I started World War II in 1745, this time making sure to get a MPP with Carthage. During this war, Spain and China were conquered by Egypt.

After stealing Space Flight, I built Apollo, and used prebuilds in my 4 50-shield cities to make every part almost as soon as it became available. I finally launched my Spaceship in 1818, finishing with a in-game score of 2529, and a Jason score of 3819.

 

[jack merchant]

previous post

At the start of the Industrial Age, I was pulling in just about the entire spare gpt available in the world because of the nationalism slingshot, so it seemed like a good idea to slam the accelerator on do max research. I wanted a GA right about the time factories became available, so I went for SP and Industrialization first while building up some Sipahi. In the end, I didn't have to go after Carthage at all as Egypt declared war and allowed me to get a GA by polishing off the lone regular war chariot they dropped on our shores one turn before Industrialization came in.

The subsequent GA allowed me to nab Suffrage, ToE, Hoover and a great boost in infrastructure all over the place - researching techs every 4 turns and still having money left over to rush everything still needed in the FP core. The AI's were somewhat helpful, contributing knowledge of Medicine and Sanitation as well as Communism and espionage, but they could not possibly keep up and I researched all the other techs myself and at the dawn of the Modern age I was about 5 techs ahead.

Playing in 1.14 as I did, I got Rocketry and could easily have gone for Synthetic Fibers and crush the opposition, but I was somewhat lazy and didn't have the time to conquer the world so I went for the UN instead. Withh no opposition, it was mine in 1385 AD.

And then for the . The tech pace on the other continents had slowed because the Indians were fighting the Spanish, the Egyptians and the Chinese were involved in that war too. Rome had been fighting Carthage on and off. Everybody was gracious with me except for Carthage after I threw some gifts of money around, and I had done a lot of trading before. I figured Rome would be the opponent, and since they weren't allied with anyone, victory would be mine, right ? Right ? But Rome lacked coal, and though they were still second on the histograph and equal in culture, their cities were smaller than the others for want of the railroad boost. So instead of Rome, the opponent was Cleopatra - and she had the votes of her allies against Spain and Carthage who hated my guts. So I, erm, lost the vote
About 12 hours spent on this game thrown away for not paying enough attention near the end - not very diplomatic

Final game score was 1798 - if I had allied against the Spanish with everyone I would have won with a game score of 5123. But as it is, I lost and that's what I submitted. It was amusing to lose - that doesn't happen to me very often or I don't let a game get that far. But everyone can do with a lesson in humility now and then

 

[Hurricane]

You did the same mistake as me, Jack, just assuming the Romans would be the opponent at the vote. I got India, but I had signed alliances with everybody against Rome, so I got all votes except India, and Rome abstained. *phew*

 

[Darkness]

Originally posted by Yndy
I too, finished earlier then Moonsinger and Darkness and got an even lower score. I would need to see the score structure (Happy/ specialists / territory) but I suspect that railroading gave a boost to Moonsinger's and Darkness's population, one that would exceed the Jason points lost due to a later date. My detailed base scores were 910 AD - (670, 52, 1391) ; 710AD - (402, 48, 1078).

In my game railroading had very little effect, because I had only dicovered steam power perhaps 15-20 turns before the end of my game and hadn't really railroaded much of my starting continent.... I just had maybe 15 cities connected by a single track railroad, but that's about it.

 

[CdB]

Originally posted by Ambiorix
I should be quite happy with that, but after reading all these spoilers I'm actually trying not to be discouraged by ending so late.

Just like you I am amazed of the rest of the submission. I have tried to replay the start of the game in order to :
- no reproduce my errors in first game
- follow some of the advices of the top players

But I am still way behind what was described. I suspect that I am lacking a strategic vision in order to balance warmonging / alliances / trades / building

Plus I certainly do not spend enough time doing some micro-managing. It annoys me rapidly

I suspect I have to put more energy into the game

 

[BigBrother]

I am quite pleased with my game this month considering...this is the FIRST game I have ever played, let alone finish, on anything above chieftain! haha....and to top that off, I WON!

I'm at work so I dont have the timeline available to me, but I won with a diplomatic victory in 1725AD. My final score was 3405. I haven't had a chance to check the Jason score equivalent.

Basically, things went smoothly for me up until the end. I kept my neighbors at bay and at peace almost always. Occasionally India (the 2nd superpower) would go to war with other civs, take out a city or two and call it quits. Carthage still controlled their southern 1/3 of my island but we kept in good contact so I wasn't afraid of them jumping me, and I wasn't about to attack them.
I did manage to catch back up in techs and around the end of the industrial age, I was about a tech or two in the lead. This was the most encouraging part of my game. I was the first into the Modern Age, around 1600ad or so. 6 or 7 turns later I had discovered fission with the sole purpose of building the UN. No one else even attempted to build it. Now remember, I hadn't built a single wonder up to this point!
Well, as luck would have it, 2 turns before my UN was to be built I contacted 2 of the 4 remaining civs Spain and Rome and sign MPP with both parties. I was suprised they went for it, with little to no money changing hands. THis brought both nations to Polite with me. 2 turns later I build the UN in Sogut and hold a vote. Me vs. India

Osman votes for Osman
Ghandi votes for Ghandi
Carthage for Ghandi
Rome votes for Osman
Spain votes for Osman

!!! 3-2 vote in my favor, I win!! Woohoo, i took a SS of the victory screen and of my final territory layout. Maybe when i get home I can try to upload the pictures.

Well, I must say a big THANK YOU to everyone who posts here for giving me the advice I needed to step my game up to the next, next, next, next, next level. Cheiftain will feel like a walk in the park from now on. Your advice has definately helped me better my game, and I can't wait till the next one I can compete in.

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by BigBrother
I am quite pleased with my game this month considering...this is the FIRST game I have ever played, let alone finish, on anything above chieftain! haha....and to top that off, I WON!

Congratulation! Great accomplishment!

 

[Yndy]

Originally posted by Darkness


In my game railroading had very little effect, because I had only dicovered steam power perhaps 15-20 turns before the end of my game and hadn't really railroaded much of my starting continent.... I just had maybe 15 cities connected by a single track railroad, but that's about it.

In that case, there's only one explanation: You played better than I did

 

[Darkness]

Originally posted by Yndy


In that case, there's only one explanation: You played better than I did

I don't know about that. Maybe I was just lucky...

 

[TedJackson]

Made it to the winner's circle

Diplomatic victory in 1595 (my first win at emperor) with in-game score of 5605, Jason 7373.

I'm too wiped out to say anything meaningful just now but I'll look back over my game and try to dig out some highlights (and lowlights) at the weekend.

Thanks to Cracker and the GotM team for such an enjoyable game.

Ted