Superslug's Emperor level attempt #1

[superslug]

Well, I've finally got a game I plan on continuing past 10ad (in fact I already have), so I decided to open a thread about it.

I set the map at warm, wet, huge, pangaea with no barbs and lots of AI. As you can see from the minimap below, the land has filled up fast. I'm playing as the Chinese, and don't yet have their UU, the Rider, but should in a timely manner.

I'm relatively caught up tech wise, there's only a few AI that have a tech or two I don't, so I'm comfortable there. Things I do have that I consider plusses include my FP, the Pyramids (wonderful for my usual infinite city sprawl) and tons of Horsemen. I also have two luxuries.

Relations with my immediate neighbors are right where I want them. ROP's with Mongolia and France, and war with Spain. Unit wise, I'm the most powerful on the planet. Madrid is looking like a good candidate for my first Palace jump.

Screenshot: (EDIT: Sorry this looks like crap, it's been awhile)

 

[superslug]

I've wrapped my daily session at 700ad. I've taken the core cities of Spain and America to the north as well as a few Roman and French cities. Culture flipping got my goat and I started razing, so I'm afraid my diplomatic reputation is tarnished, perhaps beyond repair. I don't really care though, I'm resettling the dead areas a lot faster than the AI can get to them. I'll have enough money to buy Metallurgy and Military Tradition soon, and it'll be Cavalry to the rescue!

 

[Moonsinger]

Do you have the mini-map of your progress so far? Although I'm trying to break the HOF record with my current game, I'm hopping you to do well and and wishing the best of luck. In either case, let's have fun with it in our own ways - therefore, let the razing continue.

 

[superslug]

Moonsinger: Thanks for the luck, I'm probably going to need it.

I've pretty much decided I'm going to raze everything and go an offensive settler approach so I can maintain my grid. Since I'm using ICS, I want to pack as many towns as I can under the domination limit, especially on rivers so I can boost my army ceiling once I get them.

I just read your thread about your corruption percentage. Those are really impressive numbers. We are indeed taking different schools of thought. I dare say it's almost quality versus quantity.

My score at 710ad is 1140, but I've got dozens of settlers en route to the gaping hole that was France. It should be fairly visible:

 

[Moonsinger]

Superslug,

Yes, ICS is a good plan. Bamspeedy got 26K on his Regent game by using the ICS model. We don't even have to worry much about polluttion down the road, plus no need to spend money on rushing the hospital and mass transit. My thinking was that I would use the RCP model for my core cities, then apply ICS building style for conquered territory.

 

[superslug]

One of these days I'll probably try out RCP for my core as well, but I usually drop cities all over the place and mine the crap out of everything so I can build more horsemen. I guess I'm too greedy for good placement strategy, it's always more, more, more!

I may still get to use RCP in this game. If I find a good spot for a Palace Jump and have a GL handy...

 

[superslug]

Well, I have an end of daily session update.

It's now 830ad. I finally eliminated the French completely, and will soon be done with America and Spain. They had some laughable tiles called towns in some jungle, so it's taking some time. However, it's getting units promoted and freeing up room. Fortunatly, it's closer to some AI borders than me, so I've given myself some time to rush settlers into the grasslands that used to be France.

According to my advisors, I'll have Military Tradition in less than ten turns. I did generate a GL already, but instead of an army, I used him to Palace jump to Paris, right smack in the middle of the empty spot on the minimap above that I'm filling in.

I didn't use RCP like I planned since my ICS grid was already creeping in close, and I have no idea when my next Palace jump will be since my next three leaders will doubtless go to the formation of Cavalry armies...

830ad score: 1339

 

[superslug]

I'm abandoning my current attempt, but will start a new one after work tonight.

 

[Darkness]

Originally posted by superslug
I'm abandoning my current attempt, but will start a new one after work tonight.

Why? I thought you said it was going pretty good?

 

[superslug]

It was a tough decision, and the specific cause of my choice was technology. I was kicking the teeth of the Romans in and then started piling up on the Japanese and knocking the crap out of the Koreans, but they were all behind me in tech, so I wasn't beating any new science out of them.

None of the AI would sign GPT deals with me (my own fault obviously), and I never bothered saving up enough cash to buy tech's outright since I kept rushing more and more Cavalry.

My only chance at catching up was taking the Great Library, which was in Carthage (dark red, center south on the minimap). By the time I got to their border, the had MPP's with most of the eastern continent and they were all railroad linked. If this had really been a half decent effort by me, I never should have faced that onslaught...so I quit.

I'll say this much, I'm sticking with the Chinese. I've never used them before, but I'm hooked!

Would you all like me to chart progress on my new attempt in this thread or start a new one?

 

[Darkness]

Originally posted by superslug
I'll say this much, I'm sticking with the Chinese. I've never used them before, but I'm hooked!

Would you all like me to chart progress on my new attempt in this thread or start a new one?

New attempt, new thread, in my opinion, but that's just my opinion, I don't know what Aeson thinks of that...

 

[superslug]

You're right, new attempt, new thread. I mean it's not like I'm going to be stealing thunder or screenspace from all the other highly active threads in this forum, right?

 

[Darkness]

Originally posted by superslug
You're right, new attempt, new thread. I mean it's not like I'm going to be stealing thunder or screenspace from all the other highly active threads in this forum, right?

There's what, three active threads in this forum? This one, Moonsingers and the long one...
We really could use some more players here....

 

[superslug]

Well, as soon as I place in the HOF, I'll be more than happy to brag about it in my signature. That will hopefully give us some exposure in OT and General Discussions where I regularly hang out. I've been trying to help the recent flood of newbs out with good links and advice. I don't know that I'm so well received in OT...

Anyway, I'll start a new thread on the new game as soon as I get done rejecting maps. I've already hit cntrl-shift-q several dozen times. Maybe a few days...until then, ciao.

 

[Darkness]

Originally posted by superslug
Anyway, I'll start a new thread on the new game as soon as I get done rejecting maps. I've already hit cntrl-shift-q several dozen times. Maybe a few days...until then, ciao.

Have fun!

 

[Moonsinger]

Originally posted by Darkness
There's what, three active threads in this forum? This one, Moonsingers and the long one...
We really could use some more players here....

Yes, you are right about that. I don't like to brag about my game, but I'm trying to talk about it a little bit in hope to breathe life back into this forum. I'm so happy that you guys are with me. Thanks!

 

[zerksees]

Originally posted by superslug
I'm abandoning my current attempt, but will start a new one after work tonight.

Did you think you would lose, or did you think you just wouldn't do well enough to get to the HOF?

Are you trying to get into the HOF or going for a top score?

Thanks for your reply.

 

[superslug]

Oh, I definitely could have won the game. As many cities as I had (half the map) and as much as gold as I was generating, I could have hit the 100K culture easily. As a matter of fact, the game scored high enough to place in the list.

I gave it up because I made some stupid stupid mistakes.

I'm going for a top score to get into the HOF.