The Emperor Series Bullpen Thread

[Gwaja]

Hi readers! Wouldn't it be nice to have one of our own Bullpen Thread for TES games? Well, here is the place where the games will be organized with all the links available for easy access. I realized that my signature can only go 10 lines deep, so I decided that making a Bullpen Thread would be helpful.

Feel free to make any suggestions regarding the games, including choices in leaders, map types, and any other game settings. The sequence of leaders below have been chosen based on alternating leader traits to be sure that we rotate each and every trait once through until it gets reintroduced again, as well as avoiding to play the same civilization in a short span of time.

Also, if anyone else wants to volunteer to host any games, please make your intention known in this thread! ^_^

EDIT: I apologize for making a stupid mistake, but I have lost all my picture files uploaded at my PhotoBucket account when I tried to organize the files into different folders, and ended up deleting the wrong folder where I had all my Civ 4 related pictures in them.

At any rate, after playing through multiple rounds of Emperor games, I have decided that I simply wasn't getting much out of playing Emperor games anymore, so I decided to move up a level to Immortal. Many players who participated in the first 3 Emperor games felt the same way, so I am sure it will be fun to move up a level and give ourselves a bit more challenge.

Henceforth, The Emperor Series will officially have its name changed to Let's Play Immortal! from now, with the same sequence of leader order, except the first 3 leaders we have already played that will be bumped to the very bottom of the list.

EMPEROR LEVEL GAMES:
#01: Sitting Bull (PHI/PRO) - Fractal
#02: Washington (CHA/EXP) - Fractal
#03: Asoka (ORG/SPI) - Big & Small

MOVED to "Let's Play Immortal!"
#01: Ragnar (AGG/FIN) - Archipelago
#01: Ragnar (AGG/FIN) - Archipelago - TAKE TWO!
#02: Louis XIV (CRE/IND) - Pangaea
#03: Charlemagne (IMP/PRO) - Pangaea
#04: Peter (EXP/PHI)
#05: Brennus (CHA/SPI)
#06: Hammurabi (AGG/ORG)
#07: Willem (CRE/FIN)
#08: Augustus Caesar (IND/IMP)
#09: Saladin (PRO/SPI)
#10: Frederick (ORG/PHI)
#11: Boudica (AGG/CHA)
#12: Suryavarman (CRE/EXP)
#13: Victoria (FIN/IMP)
#14: Qin Shi Huang (IND/PRO)
#15: Lincoln (CHA/PHI)
#16: Montezuma (AGG/SPI)
#17: Zara (CRE/ORG)
#18: Joao (EXP/IMP)
#19: Huayna Capac (FIN/IND)
#20: Churchill (CHA/PRO)
#21: Ramesses (IND/SPI)
#22: Alexander (AGG/PHI)
#23: Mehmed (EXP/ORG)
#24: Catherine (CRE/IMP)
#25: Wang Kon (FIN/PRO)
#26: DeGaulle (CHA/IND)
#27: Gandhi (PHI/SPI)
#28: Shaka (AGG/EXP)
#29: Darius (FIN/ORG)
#30: Gilgamesh (CRE/PRO)
#31: Justinian (IMP/SPI)
#32: Hannibal (CHA/FIN)
#33: Bismarck (EXP/IND)
#34: Kublai Khan (AGG/CRE)
#35: Suleiman (IMP/PHI)
#36: Napoleon (CHA/ORG)
#37: Hatshepsut (CRE/SPI)
#38: Mao (EXP/PRO)
#39: Stalin (AGG/IND)
#40: Elizabeth (FIN/PHI)
#41: Julius Caeasr (IMP/ORG)
#42: Isabella (EXP/SPI)
#43: Genghis Khan (AGG/IMP)
#44: Pacal (EXP/FIN)
#45: Pericles (CRE/PHI)
#46: Roosevelt (IND/ORG)
#47: Tokugawa (AGG/PRO)
#48: Cyrus (CHA/IMP)
#49: Mansa Musa (FIN/SPI)
And back to the 1st 3 that were played on Emperor:
#50: Sitting Bull (PHI/PRO)
#51: Washington (CHA/EXP)
#52: Asoka (ORG/SPI)

 

[vranasm]

wow now that is some list!

I hope you will have the willpower and endurance, since the project is big.

 

[Gwaja]

wow now that is some list!

I hope you will have the willpower and endurance, since the project is big.

It's always good to plan "BIG" and try for it. Besides, I don't have to do all the hosting. Anyone can do it per game basis. I am sure you can do some too! ^_^

 

[Capellan]

What's the planned frequency? Weekly? Every 2 weeks?

With this plus MS^, NC and LHC, the schedule is getting crowded

 

[Gwaja]

What's the planned frequency? Weekly? Every 2 weeks?

With this plus MS^, NC and LHC, the schedule is getting crowded

I want to try doing this every 2 weeks. I think this will give everyone plenty of time to play out their games, talk about them, and share thoughts.

Right now, due to upload feature not working, I am not able to post my saves. When I post, I prefer to post a long detailed report with my save to make it easier for readers to give me feedback and suggestions. Unfortunately, I am not able to do that, and I am sure many others feel the same way.

The Washington game's initial save is available at MediaFire, but some people have been complaining of adware/spyware from the site, so I prefer not to use it.

I think the first 2 games have been a bit less intense, but I assure you that the next 3 games will give you much more fun maps! ^_^

By the way, the series you mentioned... they are all awesome!

 

[Jester Fool]

#4 - Ragnar / Archipelago. Can't wait to try this one out! Interest factor of 10 for sure. Berserkers FTW!

 

[Noogai]

2 weeks is good frequency.

 

[Gwaja]

Playing as Ragnar is always fun. It's one of those cases where I don't just play passive until Liberalism and Rifling. Lots of early ships and medieval warfare to boot! ^_^

The last 2 tames have ended up being Continents game which is my least favorite type. I prefer a game where you meet everyone early, which creates more tension. I am leaning more towards using more Big & Small maps than Fractal.

 

[GKey]

Many long series climbed difficulty level in the process. Hope it will happen here too! Good Luck!

 

[Jester Fool]

@ Gwaja : Used to play continents/big and small almost exclusively prior to moving to Monarch +. Now, I find pangea a lot more fun although somewhat harder (for me at least). I don't like having to invade (and/or nuke) the other continent (too much grinding) and to me winning the UN is kinda boring. OTOH, playing on the lower levels, I always enjoyed invading the other land mass(es).

 

[Gwaja]

@ Gwaja : Used to play continents/big and small almost exclusively prior to moving to Monarch +. Now, I find pangea a lot more fun although somewhat harder (for me at least). I don't like having to invade (and/or nuke) the other continent (too much grinding) and to me winning the UN is kinda boring. OTOH, playing on the lower levels, I always enjoyed invading the other land mass(es).

The difference between Continents and Big & Small is that the landmasses are mostly reachable without Optics in Big & Small, and that usually most civs start on the same large continent, with maybe 1 or 2 starting in a smaller landmass not far away. It also makes the Great Lighthouse even more desirable.

I do like Pangaea a lot for its simplicity and higher tension that it brings as well. And depending on which leader you play, it suits the play style much better.... like Cathy! ^_^ The map for Charlie game that I have prepared will be very interesting. It's gonna be a dog fight!

Doing intercontinental warfare is fun for me, but it might not be for others. I am always open to suggestions. If more people desire more pangaea maps, then so be it! But Ragnar deserves to be played on archipelago map though, wouldn't you agree?

By the way, speaking of Ragnar.... berserkers give me some interesting options. Since they get Amphibious as a promotion, this means that you can reliably upgrade these guys to Amphibious rifles! It will be costly though at 140 each, but still it is something to think about!

 

[Jester Fool]

Ragnar deserves to be played on archipelago map though, wouldn't you agree?

I'm in total agreement with you about that. Actually, that is why I think that game will be so much fun to play. Believe it or not, I have never played Ragnar on archipelago map.

 

[Jester Fool]

Since they get Amphibious as a promotion, this means that you can reliably upgrade these guys to Amphibious rifles! It will be costly though at 140 each, but still it is something to think about!

You must have read my mind because amphibious rifles was the first thing I thought when I saw that the map was archipelago. I have a GM trade mission or two in mind for mass upgrading. Good times, VERY good times.

 

[Capellan]

upgrade these guys to Amphibious rifles! It will be costly though at 140 each, but still it is something to think about!

Especially as Archipelago maps are generally hammer poor and commerce rich.

I hope Raggie will be faced with some suitably financial and nautical foes!

 

[Gwaja]

I'm in total agreement with you about that. Actually, that is why I think that game will be so much fun to play. Believe it or not, I have never played Ragnar on archipelago map.

Oooh... you have got to try that then. ^_^ It isn't just his Trading Post or Berserker, but his Financial trait also makes him very archipelago friendly. And you almost cannot let yourself go for Culture or Space. I mean.. come on! You are a Viking!

You must have read my mind because amphibious rifles was the first thing I thought when I saw that the map was archipelago. I have a GM trade mission or two in mind for mass upgrading. Good times, VERY good times.

Of course, you would have to hit the AI long before they get rifles themselves. But an upgraded Berserker means it will have access to City Raider promotions, whereas the fresh out of the barracks rifles will not be able to have them. This means that Machinery, which is usually not pursued early in my games, will be one of the priority techs in that game, as well as loads of Great Merchants. ^_^

Especially as Archipelago maps are generally hammer poor and commerce rich.

I hope Raggie will be faced with some suitably financial and nautical foes!

Which makes Universal Suffrage and Kremlin also quite desirable to just build things with cash instead of hammers. And if you have the Great Lighthouse and the Temple of Artemis in the same coastal city? Wooo that would be an absolute killer! ^_^

 

[Gwaja]

The map for TES #03 Asoka has been uploaded. This time, it won't be so nice and rosy and peaceful! ^_^