Acken
Deity
SV looks sweet on this map. I'll probably make a DV the next time I'm able to comment in order to give war tips since this is the only thing I haven't commented on.
SV turn 229
Case in point, I tried to go for a Tradition 4 city NC build.
Spoiler :
Then he declared war ( couldn't bribe him into fighting anyone else and I couldn't bribe anyone else into fighting him).
Yeah...
That's 11 military units visible right there and more were behind them. Shockingly, I couldn't hold back that army.
I mean, even when Asyria declared war on me on about turn 55 in another game they came with a force like half that size.
Case in point, I tried to go for a Tradition 4 city NC build.
Spoiler :
Then he declared war ( couldn't bribe him into fighting anyone else and I couldn't bribe anyone else into fighting him).
Yeah...
That's 11 military units visible right there and more were behind them. Shockingly, I couldn't hold back that army.
I mean, even when Asyria declared war on me on about turn 55 in another game they came with a force like half that size.
Spoiler :I agree luck plays a major factor in these games... (I try to circumvent this AI over-expansion problem by building several scouts and blocking the settlers, but I need some ROUGH terrain or rivers/mountains... if everything is flat land, as is here, it's kinda impossible to block)
Spoiler :Later on I find at times the best security is the archaeologist I can tell you without them my empire would've been toast. A single archaeologist building a landmark in foreign lands is at times worth more than a whole brigade of rocket artillery, nukes, and subs.
Or, you know, you could, just, kill Alex... if you know how to warmonger on deity... I certainly don't.
Spoiler :
I explored south with my starting warrior as I saw jungle to the north. Got there just in time to occupy the tile Alex wanted sparta on with my warrior. (it was the same as he founded it on in your picture) at which point he turned the settler around and settled south of his capital instead. I never managed to steal a worker from him but I blocked his settler just enough to sneak in a settler on the hill/river/silk spot. HE rushed me turn 50-ish but I could defend with the archers and spearmen I had built waiting for liberty settlers. I could probably not have done as well with tradition.
Spoiler :@LordBalkoth
Problem is, that you are trying 4 city tradition here, and that with Alex next door and so limited space is suicidal. See your screenshot where you are about to settle, and compare it with this one.
Spoiler :Playing tradition/liberty with Poland is simply no brainer - you get best of both worlds, and you don't even have to finish liberty early. I finished it at the late game, only to get an additional GS, didn't bother before that because you unlock rationalism with Astronomy and before that you only have time to fill tradition.
Spoiler :It seemed likely to me that he wanted the city on that hill so I just moved my warrior there.
Spoiler :It may look as luck to you, but look at it from a larger perspective.
Spoiler :Stealing workers, block settlers/missionaries and bribing AI to attack each other is part of a strategy to control the AI. If you do not use it properly you are much more at the mercy of what the AI decides to do and thus open your self up to being unlucky.
Spoiler :I got my free settler turn 32 I think, and built the other settlers shortly there after. The 4 initial cities were planted within turns 36-50. Liberty or tradition is not just number of cities. When doing a science victory you ideally want as many cities as you can get away with and get up to speed in time. Liberty gives you a lot of early production at a phase in the game where you are hurting for production, this game was even more so than usual what with the neighbors and all. That, the small long term boost to building up your cities and a handy great person gets you towards the goal. Tradition shines in early happiness and growth/aqueducts. With the changes to the tree the timing are more off though.
Spoiler :Lib+tradition should have worked out for you but your secondary cities seem underdeveloped, especially for order as you only really have one good city to build space ship parts in.
Spoiler :You mainly seem behind in science. How much did you spy on Korea? Did you do any RA:s? Did you pass scholars in residence as I did? When did you get NC/education/Ideology/Plastics? Not finishing Rationalism is really bad as you can not faith purchase great scientists and I have a hard time seeing what could be a higher priority than that when going for science victory. There were so many cultural city states available that I got 5 more policies apart from the full liberty/commerce/rationalism/freedom that I was going for. Patronage and commerce helped a bit with holding the city states I suppose.
Finished this one turn 228 science. Was somewhat disappointed. Wanted to expand more than that but couldn't and made some stupid end game mistakes costing around 8 turns (forgot to delay PT and also hit the overflow cap). Went trad/lib.
The surroundings being food heavy could have warranted a wide liberty/commerce too if you can find room for your cities.
Spoiler :
Edit: I find it very interesting how Chumchu's game was able to catch up to mine later on. I got a 4 city T78 NC, T101 Edu and T147 ST. But my game started to slowly slow up after that as I needed to use some TR for gold due to the lack of production in many cities, and said cities started to grow very slowly. Maybe also my theory is a bit off and I started to work jungles too soon idk.
I'd be really interested to see how a wider game with 7-8 cities with a lot of gpt and early mercantilism can fare in comparison (for rushs and more RAs). Also I guess he was able to steal a lot more from Korea than me in the midgame by being a bit late and also scholar in residence.