Chapter 1: The Clone Wars Commence
Aabra-cadaabra is over & it's time for me to move on to the next story. While reading CFC one day months ago, I came across several comments regarding Respawn AI and I had an idea. What about an AWM game with Respawn AI turned on? In following through on that theme, I decided to fill the AI roster with agricultural civs. I can handle AWM well enough, but when I try to kick it up to AWE, I need a better start to do well. I thought that there must be some variation that I could put on AWM to crank up the difficulty . . . sort of an AWM+, if you will. One of the things that I've noticed is that the agri tribes always seem to fare pretty well, so I decided to play AWM against all agri opponents. Interestingly, there are 7 agri civs, which meant that if I played on a standard map with full opponents, there would be only one non-agri civ, and that would be mine. Given that fact, I chose China as my civ. I considered several other civs, but China is one of my go-to civs, and I seem to do moderately well with them. Then, to increase the difficulty and tech speed of my opponents just a little more, I decided on Pangea. I think that probably makes the variant tough enough, so I will allow myself initial trading on contact, provided that I may not ever trade a lux, resource, or gpt. Only those trades that are immediately completed may be made. War must then be declared by the end of the turn on which I make contact. I may never end a turn with peace with anyone in my F4 screen. I may open diplomacy at any time, view space race info and receive audiences, but I may never make peace.
The Statistics:
Version: Civ III Conquests 1.22
Level: Monarch
Civ: China
Victory Conditions Allowed: Conquest
Victory Condition On: Domination, SS, Diplo, Conquest, Cultural
Opponents: 7 pre-selected (all the agricultural civs (Celts, Netherlands, Maya, Sumeria, Inca, Iroquois, & Aztecs))
Variant: All-War
Barbarians: Roaming
Scientific Great Leaders: On
AI Respawn: On
Land mass: Pangaea
Water: 80%
Map size: Standard
Age: 4 billion years
Climate: Normal
Temperature: Temperate
I'm going for conquest, so I'm hoping that you readers will help me remember that. Don't let me forget and get a domination victory.
I'd like to be able to say that I took the first random start with those parameters and promptly stomped the AI, but I didn't. I'll be honest. I vetted starts for this one, and I've lost several attempts. The agri civs get off to a very fast start, and my inability to trade after first contact makes this a very hard variant, harder than I expected when I first thought it up. As a result, I had to discard a number of games because of a variety of factors: no iron, no luxes, too little food, central start, and the list goes on. It's easy to lose in the early game, or to fall so far behind that I find myself facing cavalry with my pikes. In this game, though, I've had a decent start. Anyway, this is the start that I finally used:
Obviously, this is a ridiculously powerful start. If anyone wants the save for their own game, I'll be happy to post it.
Welcome to The Clone Wars!
Mao had had The Dream again and it hadn't been pleasant. It never was. The Witch had visited him, just as she had his father before him, and his grandfather before that. For generations, she'd appeared to the men in his family, and she'd always told them the same thing. Naturally, dreams and omens left much to interpretation, but according to his (somewhat sketchy) interpretation, The Witch had said that his enemies would be numerous and, quite possibly, immortal! He would also be granted immortality, but only so long as his armies prevailed. His father & his father's father had been too meek to answer the challenge, but not Mao. If he never saw peace again, so be it. Mao may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew his way around war.
Mao looked across the landscape. He thumped his walking stick into the ground and smiled. This place would do nicely. Aabraxa was founded among the wild cattle that were abundant, next to the river that would provide fresh water for the people. He began training warriors for the coming days. While he taught the young men the best ways to wound and kill, his soothsayers began studying. It was during this time that a neighboring kingdom, which called itself the Inca, sent warriors exploring near Chinese lands. Mao greeted them, knowing that they would get no knowledge from Mao, nor gold, nor anything else. He invited them into his lodge just long enough to butcher the emissary. Let The Wars begin! Either he would kill these enemies, or die trying. Either way, he would never have to see The Witch again.
Soon, Mao's wisemen discovered bronze, which Mao believed could be forged into spears. Mao took the best and brightest from his tribe, and trained them in the ways of the bow. Soon, warriors and spears were plentiful in the empire. Eventually, Aabraxa began to become crowded, so Mao directed that some of the people should leave, taking warriors with them for protection, and find a suitable spot for a new city. Not too distant from Aabraxa, these adventurous souls found a place. It was on a hill by a river, with crops below where spices could be harvested. Interestingly, there was another tribe to the west. They called themselves "Sumerians," and knew how to make pots and, more importantly, granaries. This, Mao thought, was useful information, so he taught them to build walls in exchange for that knowledge. Then he clubbed their slave into submission and declared war upon them. The war remained a stalemate for some years, until Mao had enough archers to storm Ur. In about 2000 BC, Ur became a Chinese city.
Eventually, the smart guys in the Chinese empire learned how to forge swords of iron. Mao also considered beginning work on a great Pyramid, which would provide food storage for all of his people. Before that work could proceed, however, he sent more settlers out into the world. Canton was founded to the southeast, where grapes could be harvested to make wine. Nanking was settled in the northwest, where it could protect a great iron deposit that had been located in the mountains. Mao had learned to make swords, but he would have to ship the iron out of the mountains to do so, and that would take time. Until then, more spearmen and archers would be needed.
His wisemen continued their learning, bringing an alphabet and writing to the people. Philosophy was next, with Literature hot on its heels. When the wisemen learned Literature, a great clamor rose up in the streets. Confucius, a man of learning, had come to Aabraxa. He showed Mao secrets previously unknown and the Great Pyramid was completed in 1400 BC. Mao decided then to build a Great Library, which would bring the learning of the nations to the Chinese people.
Mao remembered well when his laborers arrived with the first load of iron. It was 1250 BC, and Mao, with great joy in his heart, ordered that swords be made from the iron, and men be trained in their use.
In 1025 BC, a funny man in a funny hat showed up. "William" was his name and he said he was king of some people he called the Dutch. Mao hid his chuckles until he had met with this "William." William knew how to build temples, to make people happy, and he also knew where to find horses. Mao traded him the secrets of Philosophy for this knowledge, and for all the gold in William's treasury. He then slapped William, and sent him on his way.
1000 BC was a monumental year indeed. Mao's first swordsmen emerged from training and two new tribes reared their ugly heads. They called themselves the Aztecs and the Mayans. The Aztecs had little to trade and certainly nothing for which Mao was willing to give up Literature. Mao declared his war without another word. The Mayans, though, had Mysticism, and would give it and 40 gold for Philosophy. Mao made this trade, and then declared war on Smoke-Jaguar's people.
In 950 BC, the Inca began work on a great Statue of Zeus. Mao didn't have the necessary materials to build this Wonder himself, but thought it would make a fine addition to his empire. The Aztecs began the same statue in about 875 BC, which Mao thought odd, but he was too busy concentrating on his Great Library to worry too much about it. The Great Library was finished in 800 BC. Mao smiled. Now that the Great Library was completed, Aabraxa could get back to the business of building swords. His men fired up the forges and work was begun.
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Game notes: My research path in the early game was BW->IW->Alpha->Writing->Philo->Lit->Math.
In ~1400 BC, I completed the Philosophy slingshot & popped an SGL on Literature. I was only ~20 turns from completing the Pyramids, so I rushed the Pyramids & began work on the Great Library. I finished the GLib in ~800 BC.
