The Deity Challenge Line-up #36 - Assyria

Just out of interest (can't try it out right now) are those ›real world‹ maps like Mesopotamia here always the same (fixed) size? Since they are so large i wonder if they become a sort of standard map when picking small and just adding 8 instead of 6 Civ's + more City States.
I only played Mediterran once and that one was so huge too.
 
I'm definitely trying a peddroelm style Liberty/Honor/Commerce late domination. Hopefully one of these days though <_<
I'm tempted to try late game domination with Stealth Bombers and XCOMs, although it would still be a waste of Assyria's UA.
Since they are so large i wonder if they become a sort of standard map when picking small and just adding 8 instead of 6 Civ's + more City States.
I think the problem with maps that don't wrap is that there's just so much more land compared to water so the playing area is bigger even if the map is the same size.
 
Yeah. It worked much better in the Songhai map because their UA meant you get to roll in gold by the time you start rolling
 
T111 NC.

Yikes, barbs are tough and production low! Went two city NC, though that would be fast, but not so much! Only met one neighbor (and not the closest one) before I needed scouts to circle back to cover the one worker chopping out 'mids.

BO: scout, scout, shrine, monument, worker, pyramids, archer, archer, library, NC.

I picked up Desert Folklore (for the expo) but the last religion went ~t90 (with Hagia).

I opened Tradition after Collective Rule because at time, one more worker was not needed and he would have been poached by barbs immediately.

Within the last few turns, two neighbor scouts came by. Closest neighbor is having lots of trouble with barbs, so I am tempted to help with his grief, but I really want to get expos up ASAP.
 
I like the no ruins option. Would be nice if there was an option to disable the faith bonus from religious CSs.

Wow, any reason not to settle in place?
To get a stronger food tile in your first ring.

I'm looking at 1NE, for first turn access to the cows, and what is likely higher production, because there's no production to the west.

Yikes, barbs are tough and production low!
Looks like you already found out for yourself.
 
T319 sv loss. Things were coming together, but I am sure I needed another 20 turns or more. First AI unlocked Apollo at T264 so I knew I was in trouble! CNN Towers went at T291. Hubble at at T305, so that was it really. I am going to try 4 city Tradition.
 
ouch, 319 seems a tick early by AI standards.

My computer is acting funny every summer which is why I'm skipping DCLs until the weather calms down because I don't want to have the AC on 24/7
 
I think this map is much better suited for tall science play (easy map since AIs are far and will not DOW early ..at all) than any other victory type and especially not domination or culture ..

Each AI has huge lands to spam cities (and generate ungodly amounts of total culture) ..

Distances are not in favor for the player for domination (or even playing wide) .. Going wide requires long time wasted on settler and workers travel (unique luxury patches quite a bit far apart) and makes it very hard to defend a overly expanded empire against multiple AI carpet of dooms .. Theoretically liberty (for wideness ) + Honor + commerce + autocracy can turn AI carpets of doom into an advantage but it takes quite a long time to set up ...Longer distances between AI capitals and more fluff cities in between .

If the starting location wasn't so "in the middle" of 4-5 AIs domination play would've been easier ..

That said I'll try to make it work ..

The map offers the possibility of city spam but none of the tech/happy discounts that make if more feasible on the actual bigger map sizes .. I'm expecting the science city penalties to really hinder the AIs on this map - but Nebby could pull a fast rocket :) . . Sadly player empire is in the middle so bribing AIs to hate/DOW each other will be hard - No DOWs - means AI RA spam peace fest which accelerates their science wins .. Try to pass artists in residence to slow down tech rate to buy more time, try really hard to start some wars between AIs ..And somehow try to stay alive in the middle of multiple AI carpet of dooms with nowhere else to go but you :) ..
 
Well, big distances is what Tanks are good for?

IF you can get to tanks is doesn't really matter anymore (because of the general flatness of the map and huge expected size of AI carpets of doom - they would snowball incredibly - limited only by unhappiness from conquering/burning too many cities ) .. Getting there with all the infrastructure in place in a timely fashion (and not dying in the process) can be harder on some maps (like this one) :) .
 
Might pick up this DCL tonight. I really dont like that starting location. Dont get me wrong, it's amazing with 3 lux and plenty of food after getting rid of the marches, but production ? Come oooooon.

Might very well explore a bit. Maybe settle south west to come closer to the gems so i have at least one nice production tile early and leave border growth grab later luxes that require more techs. I need my hills in my cap. Might even consider giving up on the river and the 3 lux start if need be. I'll get those in my expos.

Also, i'm feeling a huge need to grab a religion for the production belief. Will be much needed.

Will probaby go for a no brainer SV. if the map is as big as you guys make it appear, i'm guessing AI will cripple their science by themselves going for mass expansion.
 
Egh I had a go at this got to turn 100 but I think I'll surrender ;)

Start just has too little production and on this size it's impossible to even get some siege towers out to do some early conquest so it's just like playing a Civ without any uniques.

So the only real way to do this is the classic 4 city tradition science victory which doesn't feel very appealing with Assyria.

Spoiler :
Lack of ruins was already a big kick in the balls and no nearby Natural Wonders just makes it worse
 
Too much sugar is bad for your health. Have tried an number of starts and it seems staying in place or moving 1 SE to get the wheat in the first ring just hamstrings the capital. Can see some hills and woods to the east and seems worth it to move to the hill and focusing on the gems and the silk.

Spoiler :
indeed production is much better moving 2E to the hill but have to give up the river


Sugar
Spoiler :
also seems to be of limited trade value as most of the other civs seem to have access to it. The couple of times I played it I had an excess of sugar as everyone else had it. I think I traded it to one or two other civs so staying in place to get them all seems like a bad idea especially since it hamstrings the capital
 
I'll start this later and definitely move somewhere east away from that sugary/marshy land. An extra worker to clear the marshes in that area will speed up border growth to the sugar tiles, since they're likely to be in the 2nd/3rd+ ring.
 
T151 update

Spoiler :


settled 8 cities, things are going poorly (no pyramid, no oracle - got statue of zeus - good investment for the future.) Maybe purchasing a mercantile CS + Maritime would allow me to boost up my population but I don't know if I can afford them atm ..Bad culture game, slowly approaching the honor garrison policy .. I think I'm in a markedly worse situation than in the German LP . No wars yet - low chance of survival against any of the AIs at this point ..

Spoiler :
KG7NJnR.jpg
 
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