Tell us the story of your current game

[disjointaccount]

Having a very chaotic game at the minute. Playing military Xerxes (I forget which name is for which one), going for a 12/12 legacy paths game to get as much XP as possible. Met everyone pretty quickly, allied with Isabella while Charlemagne hit me with some nasty forward settles. Isabella actually grabbed one of Charlie's settlements I wanted to grab for Pax Imperatoria, but I snagged two more, which eliminated him from the game (hadn't realised they were his last 2). Throughout this I'd been working on my 7 wonders, and I kept being denied them mid-construction, all but one by Isabella's Egypt. My temp was just feeling sluggish overall and I decided to break my alliance with Isabella and take her capital (which had 5 wonders she'd built along with the Grand Canyon in it, explaining her insane momentum). As I geared up for the war, I managed to snag the 7th wonder and secure my first Golden Age. My codices were coming along OK, and capping two more cities in a war with Isabella should have secured both Pax Imperatoria and Silk Roads. Looking at the age progression ticking down, I declared from a neutral relationship, using my stockpiled influence to reduce her bonus support from the surprise war back to 0. My various boosts as Xerxes held up against the ever-infuriating defensive Medjays, but as I was about 4 or 5 turns from taking Waset, the age jumped from 95 to 100% progress as Isabella hit 12/12 on her Pax Imperatoria (and going 4/4 on Golden Ages, the first time I've ever seen the AI do that). The age ended with me only having achieved 1 of my target 4 Golden Ages.

Going into exploration, I decided a slight change of tack was needed. I had to increase my tempo drastically to recover the momentum needed to hit more Golden Ages in the subesequent ages. Fortunately, Isabella had built me the perfect way to do it. I slotted in Ankus, chose Bulgaria, and on turn 2 of the Exploration Age, I declared on Isabella. By turn 5, I had the five-wonder Waset along with 2 more of her 9 settlements. By turn 20, she was down to just 1. And shortly after, she was down to 0 and out of the game. It probably wasn't necessary to wipe her out completely, but I was feeling vengeful. I did keep most of her settlements, as they were almost all solid, and Xerxes makes settlement caps a lesser concern. At 18% age progression, the war was concluded and I had regained the momentum I'd lost when Isabella ran away with the game in the back half of Antiquity.

As this early war had been going on, I'd been scouting the distant lands, and had met the three leaders who'd started there - Tecumseh, Friedrich, and Augustus. As I began moving troops to the coast to get ready to embark, mere turns after eliminating Isabella, Tecumseh and Fritz eliminated Augustus (whom I'd noticed they were at war with, but hadn't realised was in such a weak position), bringing the game down to just 5 of us. Another of my homelands neighbours, Hatshepsut, also briefly declared on me here but was easily fended off. With some trade spam to secure decent relationships with her and Napoleon (my other remaining neighbour, who hated me since he'd been allied with Charlemagne last age) so I didn't have too much to worry about at home, I set off with most of my commanders to find some nice treasure-filled cities to liberate. To avenge Augustus, of course.

As it stands, I've just declared on Tecumseh. Looking at the yields, after absorbing a second well-built empire in the war with Isabella, I'm comfortably winning and the game should be mine to lose. The real question is whether I'll hit all my legacy paths from here. Treasure fleets always suck but hopefully Tecumseh has built some nice offerings for me like Isabella before him...

 

[moondog385]

And you wouldn't even get her bonus if you were the one to declare!

I've never had only one other civ spawn on my starting continent. What settings were you using?

Might be the new update? I was playing Continents+ YnAMP.

 

[EpicWestern]

Just finished a chaotic military game where I won on turn 135 at 98% age progress. Deity is "too easy" until you get sandwiched between two civs and they both declare on you. I was crippled throughout exploration age and only had 4 cities deep into modern. Built up about 20 revenge boats and started my assault (of reconquest) just before fascism finished. But oops, the other civs didn't like that and I got declared on by the rest of them (including an ally). So yeah I was literally at war with everyone. Had to build a ton of walls and got full value from the Red Fort wonder. Lost my original capital, but was just barely able to take a few island cities with my revenges in time to get Manhattan project and operation Ivy in before age end. All commanders absurdly leveled. Fun to get games like this even when I'm OK with just optimizing/cruising to easy wins.

 

[Krikkit1]

Just finished a chaotic military game where I won on turn 135 at 98% age progress. Deity is "too easy" until you get sandwiched between two civs and they both declare on you. I was crippled throughout exploration age and only had 4 cities deep into modern. Built up about 20 revenge boats and started my assault (of reconquest) just before fascism finished. But oops, the other civs didn't like that and I got declared on by the rest of them (including an ally). So yeah I was literally at war with everyone. Had to build a ton of walls and got full value from the Red Fort wonder. Lost my original capital, but was just barely able to take a few island cities with my revenges in time to get Manhattan project and operation Ivy in before age end. All commanders absurdly leveled. Fun to get games like this even when I'm OK with just optimizing/cruising to easy wins.

So you did the “Germany wins WW II run”.

 

[sixty4half]

I decided to try out the new Oblique and the new Pangaea Plus map. Here is a short breakdown of the foundation of a war machine. We're playing a Standard Size Pangaea on Immortal with Immortals (Persia!).

 

[MutilationWave]

Nice video! I usually would rather read than watch a video but that gave good insight into your decision making process. I would have made different decisions and I think that's great.

 

[Timothy001]

I finished my game as Xeres (Achamid). I accidentely went America. Harriet went French, Ben went Russia. Fredirich went Prussia. With 1 city left, made short work of him. Allied with Ben. He eventually got DOW by Harriet, so I joined, took enough cities, to finish the Military points. However, I went Science Victory. Finished with 34 of 36 total points. Lost 1 point Economic in Exploration ers, Lost 1 point in Culture in Antiquity.

 

[reddishrecue]

I just finished a Rome ->Shawnee(? I think) -> and then Great Britain. It was pretty cool, I had the unique unit for Great Britain which is the explorer explore the map, and I made sure I built them early to start exploring right away while I made buildings for culture that would finally get me Hegemony. As soon as I got Hegemony, I digged all over the continents for the artifacts (right?) and then I went ahead and built the World's Fair right away with a factory and railroaded city. It was a good win I must say. I finished it off pretty well. I ranked up my Augustus Caesar to level 5 also I think. Not to mention, I was competing against Confucius who was really advanced in science.

 

[Lord Lakely]

Mediocre Science, Mediocre Culture, No Military whatsoever, I'm building about three Wonders per age, absolutely winning the game:

 

[UWHabs]

Working through a Machiavelli Greece-Bulgaria-Prussia. Bulgaria is definitely so broken... Especially when I can just out of the blue declare against my alliance mate, and go pillage all their districts.

Even with the actual broken parts of Bulgaria (towns with a focus seem ignored for the food bonus, and the projects don't work either), I think I ended the era with maybe 6 or 7 commanders, maybe 5 or 6 naval commanders. I only got Erdene Zuu late in the era to basically start printing culture with the pillaging. A city could basically build all their infrastructure in maybe 10 turns total with how much I could pillage.
And since every hates you, they do refuse your requests a lot, so I definitely enjoyed sending out open borders requests to people who hated me, since free gold for me.

What I will say is that at least in the antiquity, the AI is actually decent in some cases. Like I basically surprised Maya and sneak their 2 cities with their quarters, but I basically had a solid give and take battle. I pushed in, almost got enough to take their city, and then their army forced me right back to my borders, before I could regroup and make the push for the city. I ended up taking a peace deal since I didn't have enough to take his next city, and I maybe could have gotten it but then the age ended on me, as it often does. At least I snuck in a quick dow to get that city early the next era.

I do think it's more balanced now that Bulgaria's production bonus doesn't carry over, although I miss it for sure. Although when you combine the commander +XP card, the +pillaging card, being in a lot of battles, I have a couple commanders completing their 3rd tree, now I have a couple of them who have unlocked the bonus pillaging level, you still get a lot of rewards from pillaging. In that sense, I think I still feel like my civ is more Bulgarian than Prussian...

 

[sixty4half]

I just wrapped up my war with Machiavelli and stabbed my ally in the back.... will that come back to haunt me?

 

[MutilationWave]

Nice job with that adjacency planning! Always enjoy the videos, thanks.

 

[sixty4half]

I didnt mention it in the video but I also planned library and barracks in the square right before GoAN so they're both +3 now too.

Im really busy right now and these videos take up a bit of time so this game is probably going to be a slow one.

 

[MutilationWave]

Working through a Machiavelli Greece-Bulgaria-Prussia. Bulgaria is definitely so broken... Especially when I can just out of the blue declare against my alliance mate, and go pillage all their districts.

Even with the actual broken parts of Bulgaria (towns with a focus seem ignored for the food bonus, and the projects don't work either), I think I ended the era with maybe 6 or 7 commanders, maybe 5 or 6 naval commanders. I only got Erdene Zuu late in the era to basically start printing culture with the pillaging. A city could basically build all their infrastructure in maybe 10 turns total with how much I could pillage.
And since every hates you, they do refuse your requests a lot, so I definitely enjoyed sending out open borders requests to people who hated me, since free gold for me.

What I will say is that at least in the antiquity, the AI is actually decent in some cases. Like I basically surprised Maya and sneak their 2 cities with their quarters, but I basically had a solid give and take battle. I pushed in, almost got enough to take their city, and then their army forced me right back to my borders, before I could regroup and make the push for the city. I ended up taking a peace deal since I didn't have enough to take his next city, and I maybe could have gotten it but then the age ended on me, as it often does. At least I snuck in a quick dow to get that city early the next era.

I do think it's more balanced now that Bulgaria's production bonus doesn't carry over, although I miss it for sure. Although when you combine the commander +XP card, the +pillaging card, being in a lot of battles, I have a couple commanders completing their 3rd tree, now I have a couple of them who have unlocked the bonus pillaging level, you still get a lot of rewards from pillaging. In that sense, I think I still feel like my civ is more Bulgarian than Prussian...

Have you tried it with Mausoleum of Theodoric? It's another +100% pillaging. Totally nuts. One turn wonders before the nerf.

 

[vorlon_mi]

I started a new Sovreign game with Isabella leading Greece. One of my neighbors to the north is Tubman, who has been growing in both territory and science rate. I have a nicely promoted army commander, but as I entered Exploration, I'm slowly falling behind. Tubman has been pounding on Napoleon, getting to 11 settlements, while I am struggling to mount an invasion of her southern flank. Jose Rizal started as the Mississippeans, having build a very impressive Cahokia in Antiquity. He shifted his capital when he chose Hawaii in Exploration, then *GAVE* Cahokia to Harriet as war spoils. WTH? I had hopes of conquering it from Jose, but my job just got a lot harder to take it from the overall leader. Just to add to the aggravation, none of the closer islands in Distant Lands have any treasure resources.

I'm going to need to take the fight to Harriet, maybe across an inland sea that currently separates us.

 

[sixty4half]

I just wrapped up my war with Machiavelli and stabbed my ally in the back.... will that come back to haunt me?

I've just been to busy to make another video right now. Besides I dont have any insights to provide like I did with my district placement explanation in the above video.

It was only a few years after the above video that Charlie declared war on Himiko and as his ally I got a free formal war against her despite having neutral relations with her. Charlie swallowed up 3 of her settlements and Peaced Out before she died. I finished her off and burned a couple of towns to keep the settlement cap. As soon as the war was over I Denounced ol Charlemagne who had already dropped the alliance due to our relations dropping to around +20 because of me taking out the IP and eliminating a player and now having touching borders.

The war git started around 75% and everyone was hitting legacy paths so we rushed thru the rest of the age. I got Gold for Science and Military on same turn and the age pushed to 96%. I was razing most of the towns I was taking because I had 14 settlements at this point and towns were burning down buildings. In one turn I take his last 2 cities, eliminating Charlie and ending the age. This probably saved me from some Revolt. Ended with complete Econ, Sci and Mil Legacy Paths and a dark age Culture due to only building 1 Wonder (but I posses 6).

Beginning of Exploration all those cities I was in the middle of burning were gon and I'm sitting with 11 settlements. Chose Ming because of their amazing Infantry unit. Went with golden age Academies, Fealty and a bunch of Attribute Points.

Immediately denounced Hatshepsut and declared on her by turn 12. Took her out around turn 40 because I had to hunt for her final little island town that she had retreated to. As soon as she was eliminated I denounced Augustus. Both Benny and Simon like me and are Hostile to him. They dont even realize what is going to happen....

 

[vorlon_mi]

I started a new Sovreign game with Isabella leading Greece. One of my neighbors to the north is Tubman, who has been growing in both territory and science rate. I have a nicely promoted army commander, but as I entered Exploration, I'm slowly falling behind. Tubman has been pounding on Napoleon, getting to 11 settlements, while I am struggling to mount an invasion of her southern flank. Jose Rizal started as the Mississippeans, having build a very impressive Cahokia in Antiquity. He shifted his capital when he chose Hawaii in Exploration, then *GAVE* Cahokia to Harriet as war spoils. WTH? I had hopes of conquering it from Jose, but my job just got a lot harder to take it from the overall leader. Just to add to the aggravation, none of the closer islands in Distant Lands have any treasure resources.

I'm going to need to take the fight to Harriet, maybe across an inland sea that currently separates us.

Either Sovreign is harder than I expected, or I've made mistakes, or both. I ended Exploration in a decent place, not great: the treasure convoys were far away, so I didn't get enough to make a milestone; only one milestone for science, finished culture. But the Distant Lands civs, especially Hattie, are monsters! They were getting science and culture of more than 200 per turn, moving the age progress ahead. Both Xerxes and Ibn are ahead of me on legacy points.

I guess I'm going to test the hypothesis that one can basically sleep through the first two ages and still win. I have a nice contiguous empire for the Modern economic victory and splurged some gold to buy 2 explorers quickly. Originally I wanted to take Mexico, following Isabella leading Spain, but falling SO far behind in science and culture in Exploration has me spooked. I chose Russia, to address the weakness, and will keep raking in the gold from Izzy's traits.

 

[Askia Muhammad]

. Also the AI seems to lack follow through on modern victory. It was way ahead in yields, but didn't get to the payoff. All in all, it was a good game with ups and downs, which if I dare say, is such a refreshing change from VI.

so nothing much has changed from 6 then? The AI in 6 seemed to have something hard coded in it to take multiple breaks when pursuing a science victory, I observed over a few games - they seem to take a 30-50 turn break in between completing the final steps on the science track.