Hi,
First things first: This is my first submitted GOTM, I had played greeks and Koreans as a warmup and of course used the Halloween treat to good effect.
I played PTW1.27f Conquest.
I truly enjoyed this game, the GOTM is fantastic. Thanks guys!
It also forced me to adopt a completely different style of play, I usually don't have a lot of time to play, so I prefer lower difficulties, and I tend to research, build, go to war for specific reasons, but usually stop if I am confident I'll make it to the spaceship first. Here with the uniques it was clear that if I get out of the middle ages before winning I'm in trouble. So all my research plans were to get the Samurai code quickly, but then try to stay in MA as long as possible. Usually I manage to delay the AI by extorting gpt, but they did not like to enter those for some reason.
One other plan was (after I knew the lay of the land) to try and set the Egyptians, Ottomans, Tokugawa and Han against each other, and make war on all others (one at a time) myself. This failed, as the western half of the continent loved each other dearly, and I only managed to bring them into the war when I attacked the Han in the last and final push.
I also was unaccustomed to keeping a commentary, so there are a few gaps and some entries try to guess when in the previous turns something happened. I may have gotten a few dates wriong this way, and I'm not at all sure when I actually entered the MA. According to my power graph, the distinct kink around 700BC would
indicate the appearance of Bagaturs (my main force).
In 1000 BC I only had 7 cities, but was starting to accelerate settler production, so according to comments made somewhere else, I was on the low side. Still managed to win, though.
With extremely few exceptions (walls here and there, few early barracks and a colosseum and library in Karaokum) I never built anything but temples to fill out the land and lots and lots of units. Many got rushed, (See comment in the timeline below), but mostly the conquered territories were just that. I dithered a LONG time before I finally founded a city that would house the forbidden Palace, I couldn't see me put a second center near a desert. It finally came in the Khwaramizam (Never can remember, light green) territories in the south, but was not really all that useful by that time.
Here's my timeline (posted in one go, so it's a bit long. Sorry):
4000 BC: My son Temujin is today come of age, and I can pass
the reins of power to him. The lad shows
promise. He founded his city in the vinyards of his
youth and sent out scouts.
3700 BC: Met the Khazars to the southeast. We traded
knowledge Wheel and Ceremonial Burial for
Terracotta and Martial Arts.
3650 BC: The Rajaputans are to the north. They know an
alphabet and we traded knowledge.
3500 BC: Trade alphabet for bronce working with the
Gregoryeu.
3200 BC: The Magog in the south teach me masonry for wheel
and alphabet.
3100 BC: Meet koreans, but I'm not parting with a tech for 8
gold only.
2950 BC: Meet the Khwarizmians, and give these backward
people 10 gold to make them happy. I must expand!
2900 BC: A russian warrior comes up. I give him 5 gold as a
token of goodwill. Our exploring warrior comes
across an advanced Guzz tribe. Would you know it,
they are so impressed with me that they join my
clan! We have now funded the city of Ta-Tu as a far
province. An arab wanders up to Ta-Tu and I sell
him the wheel for 10 gold.
2430 BC: Finally ran into the Han. This is one big
continent.
2310 BC: Found the Ottomans. Gave me 20 gold for alphabet.
1550 BC: The arabs declared war
1373 BC: The arabs lost a couple of warriors on Ta-Tu's
battlements. When we displayed their heads on
spikes on the walls, they paid 83 gold for peace
with me. They should have done so sooner, my allies
are still advancing on Mecca >
330 BC : I found this old journal in the attic of the
palace, 1000 years old - I might continue. The last
two years have been spent at war with the
Magog. When the City of Sorsam-Hit fell to my
Gospodari I found a large library. My wise men
immediately set to work and unravelled a lot of
secrets, such as engineering, monarchy,
monotheism. They are currently poring over a
section built around a book "samurai code", but it
is still difficult to decipher.
My eye turns northward, the Goguyeu and Koreans sit
in my back yard, with them removed, I could turn my
eye outward!
90 BC : As I attack the harmless Goguyeu, one of my Korchin
warriors inspires my people so much, we have
triggered a golden age!
30 AD : The Goguyeu are no more and my draft of Bagatur
Hordes continues. Soon my power will be felt
throughout the world!
50 AD : The korean war is begun. Onward my horde!
190 AD : PyongYang is mine. And look at that lighthouse by
that colossus, I like big statues. Instead of
taking the last city somewhere else down now, I
shall sue for peace.
280 AD : The Rajaputras sue for piece, and I grant it in
return for Bombay. They have only one city left
now. But an evil omen strikes: As I sign my name to
the treaty our golden age ends. Maybe I should
avoid peace...
330 AD : Those Arabs annoy me. Enroute to them I take the
Khazar out and get the Oracle and the great wall in
return. And finally Ogodei comes through and
becomes the great leader I knew he would become!
350 AD : Abu Bakir comes crawling on his belly to make
peace. He pays dearly for it and I give my troops a
rest. His back is broken, in some years it will be
easy to smash him. Meanwhile a greater prize calls:
Russia. I also use the Khwarizmiar as a light warm
up grounds for my troops before I take on the Celts
and Germans. I will also try to set the Egyptians,
Han, Ottomans and Tokugawa at each other's throats.
420 AD : Karachi defects back to the Ramaputahs. They might
as well have stayed in the folds of the mongol
empire, in 4 turns our peace treaty ends...
440 AD : The Khwarizmiar sue for peace with 4 cities left. I
use this opportunity to catch up on techs. The Han
demand tribute and get it, just wait until I am
done here. Nothing will be forgotten!
560 AD : The Ramaputhas are gone, I turn my eye to the Celts
and Arabs I have started a revolution to get from
Despotism to Monarchy, after rushing about 30
units. This war is like nothing I've ever
experienced.
Note: I had been in Republic most of the time, but
found that with all these conquered unproductive
cities I'd much rather poprush than pay. So I
actually had a 6 turn anarchy to get back to
Despotism just to be able to pump up
production. After all eligible cities were unable
to poprush any more (units mostly, few temples) I
go to monarchy to avoid war weariness. This is an
eye-opener to me, I had not used governments this
agressively in the past. Usually it's Despotism ->
monarchy or sometimes republic -> Democracy).
730 AD : A short skirmish with the Celts straightened the
border and gave me two techs: Metallurgy and
Military tradition. The Arabs get eradicated. I
enter monarchy and pay for a couple of temples to
fill my borders I also finally establish a
forbidden palace. With all this desert this is not
easy. I just declared war on the germans, not to
eradicate them but to get the four cities they have
in my territory and a tech or two. Their first
cities fall ridiculously easily, nothing but
spearmen. I might go further...
740 AD : Finally another great Leader: Jochi!!
750 AD : Jochi built an army, and guess what: Chagatail
steps forward!
Made an expensive alliance with the Celts to attack
the germans (100 gpt) but it is worth it. Berlin
has the pyramids, Lugdunum JS Bachs Cathedral, I
want both, and my armies are ready to step in.
790 AD : Berlin is mine, these Pyramids sure are
impressive. I've also taken Catherine out of her
misery, no more weak russians. I wonder if the
military alliance with the Celts was a mistake.
820 AD : The germans have tried to go behind my back and
captured Mekkah with a spearman - just walked
in. But next turn it was recaptured. I don't want
the expensive MA longer than necessary, so I kill
the germans rather
than peace for tech.
840 AD : The solid germans are gone. I have enough troops
handy to immediately kill the Kelts. So long
suckers.
870 AD : The Kelts are stronger than the germans, and more
advanced. I start to see Riflemen now
But I got
Lugdunum with JS Bach's Cathedral, that'll make MY
people happy. Such a nice big hall for our horses!
900 AD : The Kelts have one city left and give Physics and
Economics for peace. I'll reattend to them in 20
turns. How can I find out how close I am to
Domination (except tediously count all tiles?)
940 AD : Two chinese cities, one tokugawa, one ottoman in my
territory. But they are all in MPPs and I need some
time to rebuild my armies.
970 AD : I bought a MPP from Tokugawa and Egypt. I will
declare war on Otto and Han in 1000 AD and let them
attack me >
990 AD : The Han declared war by themselves and are now at
war with my new allies Toku and Cleo. But Entremont
has flipped back
14 more turns on that peace
deal
1010 AD: Ottos declare war on me and are now dealing with
Toku and Cleo
1020 AD: Richborough flipped back to Celts. I want to cancel peace
NOW (but don't).
1050 AD: Kublai becomes a leader and builds the next army
1080 AD: The solid Han are destroyed. Ottomans are now fully
engaged at both flanks.
1110 AD: Domination victory, 7921 points, Whoohoo!
Most this research @ 100 % lost
I go for trading anyway so that I could start building these most needed units to wage wars. I get back to techs parity except that Arabs have Invention. I am still receiving 84 GPT from trades. I even traded Horses to Han. I need the cash to fuel the upgrade of units & research even if I need to face Riders.
Also, as you can tell from the unit support, I stayed in Monarchy the whole time, which is rare for me, but it was worth it with the constant war.
