The AUTOMATON II - Napoleon

[TheMeInTeam]

Hello forumers!

Welcome to the LONG awaited second in a fun little miniseries.

The name of the series is:

THE AUTOMATON

The Rules:

- Workers have to be automated the entire game. Not a single turn of worker micro!
- It is illegal to disable the governor.

Rule amendment for +participation:

- I will not discourage people from playing this normally, but if you do so, you have to admit it. If you don't I will e find you and e punish you with an e stick the size of my e...nevermind. Just tell us so we don't think we auto'd wrongly.

Anything else goes! That means you get to decide what to build, what worker automation settings to use (you can even change them midgame as many times as you like, if you care). You can tell the governor to run a certain kind of spec, though doing so beyond simply steering the type in a city or two is discouraged.

The Purpose:

- A lot of people still struggle to play games quickly. By forcing people to do this automation from turn 0, they can learn to play endgames quickly when they don't care about finish date, to quickly get by mundane micro if preferred
- The governor isn't as bad as people say, even if it isn't actually good
- You can actually use the governor to steer what workers build, let's show the world how not to micromanage their underlings
- Something different, yet the same.
- Winning this on a difficulty you usually play makes you cool. You can tell people I said that. I might even admit it.
- This will force players to really shore up other game aspects; get that diplo and tech trade skill limbered up so you can catch up!

This is game 2 in the series. For game 2, we get a nice fun leader who even gets to cut down on the number of "idiots we don't want to see in the game" a notch:

And our low-micro start:

What, you didn't think I'd make this EASY on you, did you?!

Here are some saves.

View attachment AutoSave_Initial_BC-4000.CivBeyondSwordSave

View attachment Automaton 2 Napoleon.zip

The autosave is on immortal/normal, and it has no huts or events.

If you want to play another difficulty, download the zip file and unzip it into your worldbuilder scenario folder. Then you can play it as a scenario. If you play it below monarch, the AIs will still have archery, unless you want to sweep away their techs in WB. You can still take them, just talk trash and they'll be intimidated.

 

[sadmachines]

I can't open the autosave. It comes up with something about bug folder then crashes.

edit: Ok, the one in the zip was fine.

Up to turn 67 so far:

Spoiler :

Settled in place.
AH first. When I realised horses were available I built some chariots and sent them after Lincoln after building a barracks (production doesn't have to be automated too does it?)
I'm aiming towards Horseback riding and so picked up hunting and archery on the way. I think I went for writing before that though. I switched to fishing when I realised that I couldn't work the clams in Americas capital.
Worker was first in my capital. I used the build trade network option so that it would improve the animals and give them roads. I clicked emphasise production to work the hill in my capital (is that allowed?). I don't have BW yet as I don't think automated workers will know when I want to chop.
When I took Lincoln's capital I told the worker to build trade routes to connect the cities up. I think I should check the 'automated workers leave old improvements' option so that they don't try and build over the cottages already there.

I'm not sure if I want to build more cities manually or just try and take them by force.

 

[Framesticker]

Oh my god, best challenge ever.

Sign me in.

 

[yuchai]

Can someone link the first automation game? I am highly interested in this as I like the game but find myself spending way too much time on individual games.

 

[vranasm]

hmm maybe will try it on monarch... I don't see the point in blocking worker micro though. It's one of most important things where you can get the edge on AI (and no it's not only about improvement types)

 

[shyuhe]

Are we allowed to toggle "leave old improvements" and "chop trees" on and off?

 

[Dr.Null]

What an interesting idea.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Are we allowed to toggle "leave old improvements" and "chop trees" on and off?

"Anything else goes "

 

[Kikka]

Couldnt you TMIT pls do your round as a lets play on youtube
Im hoping for a new one soon

 

[Gwynnja]

How do you make them chop? I want stonehenge!

 

[lymond]

When in the world was there a first game in this series? I don't ever recall it.

Honestly, I don't expect this to change how I handle workers since I think micro is so important early, but it may help speed up later stages of the game and reduce the ennui. However, I think it would be a nice idea to include or link some instruction on how to "manage" the automation of workers, and specialists for that matter. I think your speed civving article may have some pointers. I've never really gotten the guvs to select specialists correctly so I'd really like to see how that works.

I've also never automated workers as far as city improvements go - only for trade routes. Do they actually improve resources first regardless of the guv settings?

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Couldnt you TMIT pls do your round as a lets play on youtube
Im hoping for a new one soon

I already have an LP that will begin airing immediately following the completion of pokemon silver (which is almost complete), and episodes will be released alongside the heroes of might and magic III LP.

It's not of this though.

When in the world was there a first game in this series? I don't ever recall it.

Well over a year ago, probably close to two years ago. A little forum search for "threads started by themeinteam" has it on page 4 or so.

Honestly, I don't expect this to change how I handle workers since I think micro is so important early, but it may help speed up later stages of the game and reduce the ennui.

Even I USUALLY micro workers well past 1000 AD. But it should be a good learning experience, not to mention challenge.

I've also never automated workers as far as city improvements go - only for trade routes. Do they actually improve resources first regardless of the guv settings?

Yeah, they seem weighted VERY hard toward special tiles...probably assigning value similarly to how the governor assigns citizen tiles.

However, I think it would be a nice idea to include or link some instruction on how to "manage" the automation of workers, and specialists for that matter.

Before I give any guides/advice/etc, I want to see what the community has/comes up with. I obviously have my tricks, but I want to learn some, too. Usually I use the governor to switch what workers build, and force 1 kind of spec and then let the GP focus take care of it in 1 city. Leaving forests/improvements on or not can be cycled as resources/calendar is discovered.

However, within the context of this challenge I bet people might even rework their tech order. They'll very likely build extra workers, too.

 

[vranasm]

have to do take 2 tomorrow. was not in the right mood in the first take.

Spoiler :

Settled on PH on coast to the west getting pigs, stone and plains cow in bfc. Later there appeared horses
As expected I delayed pottery really really for long time.
workers as expected farmed all those plains around.

At T76 managed to build Pyramids. Got to 6 cities, but then screwed in diplo (well screwed... I knew if I will take with judas block and SB is hindu and wants tribute it can't end in good way to say no, and am really not in mood to fight his 5 units stack...)

Didn't make many things with the city governors except for capital after library and now switching the focus to merchants from scientists.

i think tomorrow i will try chariot rush to the east and be more proactive with the game.
If i delay pottery for long enough time it seems that the workers are 'managable'

 

[Gwynnja]

God, they're dumb. I quit when I had one farming a plains outside any city's bfc when there were resources in a bfc to be improved.

 

[lymond]

Well, I'd still like to know how folks get the guvs to work for assigning specialists...never have myself, but then I don't try very hard.

Seems like "Workers Start Automated" would be a good option to select for this one.

 

[Wulf38]

At least we get two plains cows instead of just one. I'll play it later.

 

[sadmachines]

Are we allowed to toggle "leave old improvements" and "chop trees" on and off?

Where is the chop trees option? Never noticed it before.

edit: nvm found it

 

[vicawoo]

I guarantee my time savings would only come from not having to wait 5 seconds for each unit/window to respond after 500AD.

Themeinteam just wants to convert people to his little cult so he can receive validation for how he plays while ignoring his gameplays flaws.

And why has he abandoned a superior game over a month ago and gone back to the poor production values of civilization iv?
http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/profile/1271476/1/TheMeInTeam/matches

I saw this awhile ago:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=332196
The car mod, to accelerate gameplay. Not compatible with normal saves.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

I guarantee my time savings would only come from not having to wait 5 seconds for each unit/window to respond after 500AD.

Themeinteam just wants to convert people to his little cult so he can receive validation for how he plays while ignoring his gameplays flaws.

And why has he abandoned a superior game over a month ago and gone back to the poor production values of civilization iv?
http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/profile/1271476/1/TheMeInTeam/matches

I saw this awhile ago:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=332196
The car mod, to accelerate gameplay. Not compatible with normal saves.

Automation isn't a religion . A lot of people just stop games w/ "winning positions" and don't post them here, as if they couldn't win in <30 minutes if the wanted. If they learn automation, maybe they won't do that.

Actually, with patch 1.2 out expect both more Sc2 games from me and more youtube matches; the REAL reason I've shirked a bit on sc2. When I added things like HOMM III, pokemon silver, trying to learn civ V, etc to my retinue I stopped up on sc2 a bit, but my gaming patterns are cyclical...just take a look at my forum post activity in terms of games posted HERE for a few months before the sc2 lull. And yes, it is still an indisputably more complete game (and arguably better), but that doesn't mean someone should only play one game! If you insist on calling me out on this nonsense, I'd like to point out that my lifetime sc2 hours > lifetime civ hours, considering the sc1 time I spent and almost complete inactivity in civ until my join date on this forum.

Speaking of my gameplay flaws, I know most of them. The single greatest one is my unwillingness, ever, to carefully and meticulously calculate which option gives a higher/faster yield when choosing between actions. This undoubtedly hurts my worker micro, but also undoubtedly hurts a lot more too, aside from actually fighting wars.

By the way, Vicawoo:

1. Where are all your COMPLETE game summaries that show the forum their "holes in play" if you can play so quickly? Certainly, you're not worried you'd accidentally start a cult ?

2. This series is different from the other forum games, and can be seen as a challenge (you lose a lot of micro) and a learning experience (how the governor and auto workers interact, some insight into how the game/AI treats things). You can choose to ignore that and pretend I seek validation of some kind (not sure how people learning/participating in this would validate anything about my CFC presence anyway, and what is the value of "validation" here?)

3. Since when has this thread been about me, rather than the OP topic? I'm pretty sure I didn't title it "hey guys try to play like TMIT", or "TMITATON". Not once on this thread have I suggested that people should play like me, or that I even play this way routinely; in fact I said otherwise in an earlier post in this very thread.

Of course, you've actually seen me play live (and many more have seen my youtube play), so you know I don't routinely auto workers from turn 0, or even from turn 200+...how would this thread validate a style that it doesn't represent?

You seem to have this fun habit of tracking people's post history, as I do recall you did so with several posters just to trace the history of "MGB rush buy" concerning mirthradir, unclejj, and myself. Was that time productively spent...moreso than putting up a forum game for people to play in if they're interested/bored/want a changeup? I don't understand the point of you putting a post that calls out my sc2 history and civ IV playstyle in this thread. Do you just want more Sc2 videos and livestreams ?

The CAR mod is worth checking out though.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

1 AD

Spoiler :

Settled in place because plains cows are TEH AWESOMEZ. We even get TWO. AH first because we really don't have any other clear moves. Horse revealed. From there I teched writing ----> alpha while building chariots. America beat me to my preferred city #2 so I just settled for the corn to the north of it (that seemed to block better than anything to the south)

Chariots go FTW

And thanks to CHA, or more like winning a battle at low odds, i unlock HE and get a fast KO

At 1 AD I have an OK tech situation though I sold my soul for it. After going speed alpha I traded for lots of little techs but managed to pick up monarchy and several other good techs by this save. Compass because the AI delays it and I can't beat Gandhi to music...I intend to trade that for currency, calendar, possibly even CoL.

Governor specializations:

Paris: Hammers.
Orleans: Commerce.
New York: Commerce.
Washington: Hammers (only while building great library/national epic, then Great Person.)
Boston: Hammers
Rheims: Hammers

After the chariots and some swords to take barb city capitol has been a worker/settler pump.

Liberalism

Spoiler :

I didn't win liberalism. I opted to fight in the medieval era instead. Castles in border cities, one city cranked longbow only, capitol cranked treb/mace (with vassalage + theo + settled GG they had 9 xp and started with CR III). Had treb + xbow and treb + longbow coming from some of the other cities more slowly. Picked up the AP in this segment for hammers.

1795 UN

Spoiler :

I get ready to declare on JC, but am forced to do it a little prematurely:

Why?

He doesn't have horse, but he is about to get horse. Right now all he can hit me with are xbows and maces; nothing my own maces, longbows, and maces fear. I don't want knights flanking my trebs and I don't want to build lots of pikes if I don't have to do it.

His response is to send 2 stacks of 12ish units into my lands; some combo of prats/mace/siege. He gets completely walled by CG II longbows and fails miserably, then I counter-attack.

Trebs, thanks to some being CR III, lead off against longbows on a HILL at over 70% odds after bombardment on the FIRST attack. I don't lose very many. Flatland cities see odds more like 88%; it's actually significantly more cost effective (though slower) to take these cities with trebs/maces at this point than a brute-force cavalry push as the lead odds are superior and once the collateral kicks in we're in good shape. Captured cities are quickly filled with 2 CG II or CG III longbows; he can't realistically counterattack that effectively without the knights he lacks.

At around a 6:1 K/D in this war JC gets kicked off the map.

From there I was trying to play tech catchup, but Gandhi went balls-out modern culture, annoying my borders but picking up UN. I was his competitor. I realized I could win this way.

First, Zara:

I ran NSR theocracy to get civic boosts. I only changed to judaism last minute, so I wouldn't accrue more with him than necessary. The net shown here is +8, which is the minimum threshold for a diplo win, but note that zara is almost unique in that he has an inherent +2 toward the human. Check.

Next is Sitting Bull:

At first he wouldn't vote for me in UN victory despite picking me over Gandhi. However, by using the UN itself to flip everyone into environmentalism, we shared a favorite civic. He was the most friendly toward me by endgame. Check.

And finally, Victoria:

This was the hard one. I thought Gandhi was going to win culture before I could win her over. He almost did, actually...

But I managed to do a few things:

1. Pay her techs for +4 fair trade
2. Revolt into representation, and then because she wasn't willing to take a bribe, spy-flipped her into it too for the favorite civic bonus.
3. Revolt her into theocracy, then match her religion at the last moment to bring her high enough (barely) to vote me in.

Gandhi could shove it.

One of the more unorthodox time to war went better than expected, most of what hurt my K/D was the chariot rush:

So I snuck my way out of this one...the no worker micro really does hurt, but not enough to block sub-deity wins.