The Emperor Masters' Challenge

[voek]

Still I wouldn't count to much on the missonary path. If they have enough religions spread there is a good chance they will adopt free religion. But alas, they are cheap hammers and since conquest is out, you don't need to build up a huge army. Just large enough to back them off.

I am worried about the pop. (#4th place). You prop. will catch up soon, but I would prioritize pop. and farm a lot. You only need a few important techs, biology and mass media, so you dont have to cottage up completely. Use specialist in growing/conquered city's instead, when you have a lot of food.

You can still pull it off!

Who will be your runner up for the UN? And what are his/her relations with the other AI. Can you get some at your side? Would like to see some info concerning relations.

 

[aelf]

Converting to Hinduism would be best, but having Freddy and FDR adopt Free Religion would work too.

Here's the deal: Assuming inter-AI religious bonus is negated (either we are Hindu or they are Free Religion), running US and maxing other positive modifiers excluding common military struggle (no one to fight with) would make Freddy and FDR Friendly to us and friendlier than they are to Cathy (who is the highest in population). Cathy wouldn't switch to US and they are sure to have a few minuses for close borders with each other. Cyrus, however, is likely to vote for Cathy, unless he switches to Free Religion, which may cause him to abstain. We must have about 63% of the world population, including Freddy's and FDR's, to win by diplomacy.

I think the best course of action to take right now is to spread Buddhism overseas, therefore encouraging Free Religion and increasing our shrine income. Any ideas on how to get infected with Hinduism?

 

[Murky]

Any ideas on how to get infected with Hinduism?

Maybe switch to Free Speech and attempt to flip Cathy's cities on your continent?

 

[aelf]

Maybe switch to Free Speech and attempt to flip Cathy's cities on your continent?

Not easy. She's creative and those cities aren't next to our holy ones. We're already running Free Speech.

 

[Murky]

Not easy. She's creative and those cities aren't next to our holy ones. We're already running Free Speech.

Ah ok. What kind of cultural buildings would she have to put there other than theatres and temples? Do you have any good culture producing cities nearby?

 

[Murky]

Just looking over the screenshots some more. Why not spread more religions to those cities bordering Cathy's citys and build some temples/monestaries/cathedrals. Wouldn't they flip then? What risk is there that she would delcare war when her cities start going into revolt?

 

[William III]

Okay, your economy is finally recovering. If you are going for a diplomatic victory, I would considered farming everything which is not cottaged. You can support a much larger population on farms, and that means more votes of your own. Anyway, I think you stand a good chance, IF you can evade invaders.

William III

 

[Sisiutil]

Just looking over the screenshots some more. Why not spread more religions to those cities bordering Cathy's citys and build some temples/monestaries/cathedrals. Wouldn't they flip then? What risk is there that she would delcare war when her cities start going into revolt?

City flipping is never a sure thing and requires patience.

I've noticed the AI is very reluctant to war over a flipped city; in fact, it can sometimes help relations by removing a "close borders cause tension" penalty.

However, instead of trying to flip cities, I would recommend a jump to Free Religion, which in my games seems to improve relations with EVERYBODY. Not only that, it seems to encourage the AI to spread its religions to my cities. That may be your way to get Hinduism, but with FR's diplomatic bonus, it may not be necessary.

 

[voek]

I concur with Sisiutil.

Flipping is possible but not easy. Build the Hermitage near those city's.

Aelf do you have a screenie of Cathy's relations and yours?

 

[cabert]

i don't think getting hinduism is best.
Cathy is hindu too.
Best (and easiest maybe) is to go free religion and try to get FDR and Freddy to switch too.
For them to switch, i assume (opinions?) sending hordes of missionaries from different religions (to their best science cities?) to give them a better bonus from free religion than from other religious civics is the only way.

To get hinduism, your only (since cathy, FDR and Freddy usually don't send missionaries) option is to settle a city connected via trade route to hinduist cities and not to your religions. Seems hard, since almost every tile is covered on the other continent...

 

[kniteowl]

You may want to consider changeing to Universal Suffrage civic as it's Freddy's and FDR's Favourite Civic and try to get them to change to that Civic if they haven't already in order to get those extra Dipolmacy Points.

Cyrus's Fav Civic ISsREpresentation so it's impossible to make everyone happy...

 

[aelf]

You may want to consider changeing to Universal Suffrage civic as it's Freddy's and FDR's Favourite Civic and try to get them to change to that Civic if they haven't already in order to get those extra Dipolmacy Points.

Yup, that has already been decided. However, we are not switching from HR yet as we need to watch out for Cathy. It would be disastrous if she decides she's unhappy enough to invade at this point of time.

I think converting to Hinduism is best because that would make Cathy happy with us too. Switching to US would make Freddy and FDR happier with us than with her whether they stay Hindu or go Free Religion. I prefer a happy world where we can grow peacefully and concentrate on trying to win by Diplomacy.

I am going to play the next round now. What's left of the game, if everything goes well, is growing, spreading Buddhism and Christianity and diplomatic manuevers. Peace, dudes.

 

[pigswill]

Until such time as you acquire hinduism or free religion is it worth switching to no state religion; you lose 1 happy per city and religious civics but avoid religion diplo penalties.

 

[Murky]

Yup, that has already been decided. However, we are not switching from HR yet as we need to watch out for Cathy. It would be disastrous if she decides she's unhappy enough to invade at this point of time.

I think converting to Hinduism is best because that would make Cathy happy with us too. Switching to US would make Freddy and FDR happier with us than with her whether they stay Hindu or go Free Religion. I prefer a happy world where we can grow peacefully and concentrate on trying to win by Diplomacy.

I am going to play the next round now. What's left of the game, if everything goes well, is growing, spreading Buddhism and Christianity and diplomatic manuevers. Peace, dudes.

Good thinking. Diplomacy is about the only option available at this point.

 

[aelf]

Finished playing a long round. I will post the updates after I have my (late) dinner. The game hasn't ended yet, in case you're wondering.

 

[carl corey]

Finished playing a long round. I will post the updates after I have my (late) dinner. The game hasn't ended yet, in case you're wondering.

I wonder if that's a good thing...

Frankly, I can hardly wait to see what you've managed to do. Have you considered fast food for the dinner?

 

[William III]

Frankly, I can hardly wait to see what you've managed to do. Have you considered fast food for the dinner?

Perhaps he has considered fasting voor dinner?

 

[aelf]

Round 13: 1646AD - 1772AD

"World peace."

That dream has been realised in our world. Once Kublai was wiped out, there's no reason why anyone would fight again.

Our quest for diplomatic victory continues. I decided to try to get infected with Hinduism by flipping the most culturally vulnerable city Cathy had on my continent (which is Hindu), so I changed the build at Beshebalik:



Hermitage would be a great help. I thought I might soon switch to US for a while to rush buy it. We would be risking bad relations with Cathy, but I decided to give it a try anyway:



I thought maybe we would switch back to HR after rushing the Hermitage, just to be on the safe side, but it seemed that Cathy wasn't as peeved as I had expected:



I decided we might as well stick to US and build up the diplomatic bonuses with Freddy and FDR.

Anyway, a few turns later, I rushed the Hermitage at Beshebalik.



Cathy didn't even bat an eye at the increased cultural pressure her little town was facing:



There's more than one side to this girl No wonder Kublai was so besotted with her. I rejected it, however. I needed to be able to sign the pact with Freddy and FDR too before comitting to it.

On that turn, we finished researching Scientific Method, and I realised something when I looked at the tech screen.



Freddy and Cyrus (as usual) didn't have Communism. Another opportunity that was too good to miss. I switched the research from Biology to Communism. State Property would be very good for our huge empire too.

The gambit worked again. The tech screen after trading with Freddy and Cyrus:



So far so good. There was a few disturbing developments soon after, though. The first was this:



FDR, at least, was well into the Modern age, and we only became Industrial not long ago! Cathy, of course, had to have her share of showing who's better:



Fortunately, the diplomatic situation was improving in our favour. FDR was happy with us. He came with this deal:



Good one. And I saw that he was willing to sign a defensive pact with us already. We still had to wait for Freddy, though.

Eventually, the German was ready:



I immediately signed a pact with FDR too. I had already signed one with Cathy earlier, after growing a little paranoid that she might try to attack if I didn't try to get better relations. Now, anyway, we should be safe with this three-way defensive pact. I don't think even Cathy would try to be funny. We are safe. Yay!

[to be continued on the next post]

 

[carl corey]

"The Three Gorges Dam" and "Apollo Program"?! Wow... I haven't realized they were THAT far ahead in tech... By the way, any idea who's the second in population?* IIRC you are the first, right? Sorry if it has already been posted, but I lost track of it.

*Not that it's in any way guaranteed that that AI will go for the UN...

Nevermind, I just reread your post at the beginning of the page.

 

[voek]

Good round, but pfff gona be close... Hope you can build the UN and actualy vote ones, before Cathy launches...