The Great+ Playthrough [FINISHED]

[Araneya]

About a month ago I was itching for another challenge, this time trying to go beyond the Great difficulty level. I've played about 70 turns and wanted to share how it has gone so far.

On the Great you have Fragile prosperity, the lowest level, and Competitive AI Aggression, the highest. AI development is Advanced, this game we’ll go with Massive, giving them one starting city and technology more, for a total of 5 each on average. We’ll also play with AI Handicap on High instead of Moderate Advantage, giving every AI about double bonuses compared to Moderate.

Other options are mostly standard, not doing any extra challenges there. Two more things to note in the settings are No Undo which always makes a difference and Competitive Mode gives everyone in the game a bit higher rate for science, civics and training, as well as gold, but characters in general are weaker and don’t scale as fast with higher stats. A lot of swingy events are also removed and free laws require the technology for it.

This time we’ll let the starting location guide our choice of Nation and Archetype. To not repeat too many families from the last playthrough and to make use of the wheat and other resources near our start, I decided to go with Egypt.

Looking at the wonders, the Heliopolis stands out as a great one to aim for.

I decide to take a Scholar leader to get some extra science and to hopefully make use of the Sages free Archive.

Looking at our first characters we have a Timid Tactician as our only general and a Righteous Judge for governor.

No nice promotions for the warrior either. I decide to cut the shrub and start building a farm while the scout moves towards the Ancient Ruins.

Next turn I choose Aristocracy from the ruins instead of becoming Steadfast and gaining 40 culture in Waset. I decide to assign the ruler as governor to use the Strict trait.

We also find the first barbarian camp.

Next turn I decide to move closer to the camp and exploring.

On turn 4 the Tactician Oligarch gains Besieger so I assign him as general. The worker chops a forest and starts another farm.

Next turn gives us a pending critical strike which I decide to use by attacking the camp. Waset builds a Farmer specialist since I’d like to save the stone for other things.

We secure an heir and an event gives us the choice of becoming Warlike, Inspiring or Gracious. In order to get us closer to 400 civics and Centralization, I decide to go with Gracious.

Clearing the site gives us 50 iron. Since it’s close to a river I choose to settle the Sages family seat, which finishes Divination with the free Archive, and the free technology gives us Drama. I decide to build a worker in the new city in order to get some improvements started and to research Free Settler to faster settle the free site next to us. It could be a Riders seat to make use of their Connected bonus and it is nice to have at least one military family to ensure a supply of generals.

On turn 7 we get a choice of ambitions and I decide to go for the one with 10 population.

We finish the marauder, find the second barbarian camp and start building the order-shrine.

Next turn we continue to explore while harvesting a gold resource, and heal the Warrior. I decide to buy a little iron and start on a Warrior in Waset to help deal with the barbarians and any new threats.

We find another Ancient Ruins, this time offering either 180 iron, stone or wood. I decide to take the iron as we don’t have many hills right now and it is the most expensive resource.

The technologies on offer are a bit pricey, so I choose to use the Scholars power to re-draw them.

From the new selection, I go for Animal Husbandry instead of Administration, to be able to improve all the goats and finish our ambition faster. I’m also choosing to wait with the settler until the shrine finishes and grabs the marble tile. The ore tile close by is the next target.

Next turn a flood starts but we are offered some science or a court Scholar. We move the warrior closer to the barbarians and harvest the Ore. I pay 240 gold for the courtier.

Next turn we found Paganism and our third seat, the Riders, where we start another worker. The landowners worker starts building a quarry on the marble and we buy a tile closer to the ore, using the Landowner family seat power.

The Warrior moves closer, hoping to lure the melee marauder out. The new Scout moves west towards a volcano in the fog, hoping to find and maybe name a landmark.

 

[Araneya]

On turn 12 we are the first to find the volcano Suphan. We also find another Ancient Ruins.

Since she is a Landowners character and I’m already assigned to the capital, we could wait until the next city is founded. We could also assign her as ambassador and gain 3 culture a turn in each city. I decide to go for the second option.

We also buy another tile which claims the ore to Wasat and reposition the warrior. 2 orders are unused and therefore sold for money.

Turn 13 we meet the Scythians.

I decide to retreat a bit with the warrior and harvest some resources with the western scout. The starting scout buys a tile to claim the honey in Waset, bringing the Culture rate to 9.

I choose to re-roll the technology options and pick Administration to further boost our growth.

One of the marauders decide to heal which gives me the opportunity to kill the other one. The worker in Waset starts on a pasture to prepare for another settler and the new one in Amunia starts an Odeon, to enable a Poet and get some more science going. Meanwhile the city builds a Warrior.

I also decide I want to continue exploring north and see if that pass leads anywhere. For now all we find is a deer resource.

It turns out to be a dead end, with a wheat resource. The warrior kills the second marauder. The western explorer reveals more of the Scythians area.

Next turn another unit comes out from the fog and kills our warrior. The general is assigned to the new warrior.

More exploring is done and the Scythians seem to have many resources.

Techwise, I decide to go for Trapping, in order to get closer to Military Drill and Barracks.

On turn 17 we meet the Numidians and become the Explorer.

To not lose a charisma and become stressed I decide to declare war. We get offered new ambitions but instead of making peace with a tribe or controlling 6 mines, I take 2 legitimacy. We tutor the heir and start building an Odeon in the Riders seat and a Granary in Waset.

The scout takes some hits but we survive. The barbarian is killed and we start on a shrine in Amunia. The scout at the Scythians slowly moves inland over a bunch of hills.

Next turn the Numidians move on Amunia. I decide I want Military Drill or Phalanx and reroll the techs.

Phalanx it is! I also move in to clear the barbarian site. Meanwhile, the exploration continues in the west

Next turn a tribal raid towards the Riders is announced. In an Ancient Ruins I choose to become Exotic and gain 40 culture in Waset instead of gaining +1 Wisdom.

I decide to change to building another warrior in Behdet. Waset also becomes Developing culture and gains a permanent +2 growth and +1 happiness from Bucolic Reputation. From the event, I decide for adding 3 more farms instead of Estates, since I plan on building a lot of military from the capital. A Pagan event also results in -75 food being offered to the gods.

Turn 21 a Sandstorm starts and I decide that instead of gaining 100 Training, we pay 4 orders to gain Scientific Method in Waset, which gives +10% science and +10% orders. We upgrade the ruler, choosing another point in Wisdom over Charisma or Discipline.

A study event gives us a chance at different traits or to hire a court scholar. To not take the risk of becoming Insane, I choose the court scholar, which triggers an event with the Rising Star. I decide to become estranged with the new courtier instead of the star.

In the last event I also choose to slight the Pagan Matriarch instead of losing some legitimacy and taking a bunch of unhappiness in each city.

In Wasat I start another Worker in order to improve the ore and get some urban buildings up faster. The current worker starts on another granary to further boost the growth output of Waset.

 

[Araneya]

Next turn we get our Warrior and start fighting the Numidians. We also get another easy ambition: to control 6 urban buildings.

I decide to buy some wood and start a pasture in Amunia so we get more citizens faster.

On turn 23 we meet the first foreign nation, the Hatti! They might be landlocked since they still only have 5 cities. When they break out of that, we might be in trouble. I decide to pay their demanded tribute in food, since we have a good production of it after all the farms.

Since we’re close to Phalanx I decide to start on another specialist in Waset until we can build spearmen. Hut-Repyt is settled as another Landowners city to faster get all those luxury resources. Down the line, we might make a play for the Lighthouse wonder. We continue fighting the Numidians, killing a Marauder who intercepted our Tactician. The new builder clears shrub on his way to the ore.

The Scythians hit hard and we might need to rush a spear out.

I decide that the heir should become a Judge instead of a Builder. It's always nice with the civics from holding court and now when there are a few cities up that are going up in culture levels, the upgrade power could come in handy.

Next turn we meet Greece which seem to have a better start than Hatti.

A spear is rushed and I decide to research Military Drill to get access to more urban specialists and training.

Our heir has become Corrupt and instead of changing the laws of succession I let the Pagan Matriarch start plotting against him. Our second heir becomes a Schemer instead of a Zealot, to boost our science rate.

We Force March in the Spear to kill one of the Scythian raiders and find the closest Greek city. Fortunately they want peace, and I’m hoping to get a trade deal going as well.

Next turn a drought starts.

The tribal situation starts to get under control. In retrospect, starting the second builder in the Riders seat might have been a bit too greedy.

We become stressed instead of assigning the Rising Star as Grand Vizier, but get a nice Developing Culture event in Amunia which places an Estates and gives us the luxury Literature.

We continue fighting and start building nets in Hut-Repyt. I don’t like the research options so I re-roll and start Navigation instead to get another law and more orders with Serfdom.

On turn 29 we finish the Numidians and last raider.

After some events the families aren’t as upset anymore and hopefully our ambassador doesn’t die from being severely ill before she can finish her trade mission.

But of course she does die the next turn.

We do some more exploring and heal our troops. Start building another quarry and a mine. Waset starts an Apprentice Poet.

Zoroastrianism is founded by Hatti and we choose mostly event options that decreases our opinion, since we’re getting quite old.

Next turn the drought ends.

We mostly shuffle some troops around, towards the Scythians.

Turn 32 we meet Aksum.

I reroll the techs to start Citizenship, to get us closer to Scholarship. Hopefully that will help to catch up to the AI nations in technology.

 

[Araneya]

Next turn the Aksum leader dies so we pay tribute to the new ruler instead of having war.

Waset continues building specialists.

Greece moves the spears a bit away and I try to sneak an attack on the Scythian site between us. While they have a hero leader it might be best to not settle it.

Improvements continue getting built. Hut-Repyt the coastal city has 9 turns to Developing culture when we can then try building the Lighthouse.

Next turn the heir unfortunately dies.

We find an Ancient Ruins and have to appease the Riders.

An event gives us stone and a rebel spawns. Tjebnutjer is founded.

The Sages worker begins building a road to the new city.

Next turn we get another rebel and build relations with the new Aksum queen while damaging them with the old Greek king.

And then another rebel spawns but the Pagan Matriarch dies and the new one fixes our Family opinions.

I decide to re-roll the technologies to get to Polis and get some nice Hamlets with adjacency bonuses and hopefully the Lighthouse.

On turn 40 we start building the Lighthouse.

In the new Sages town I chop some forests on the way to start mining the gold, with the plan of assigning a miner there, expanding the borders to the coast and then building urban buildings along the coast back to the first coastal city.

Next we find the Gauls and declare war for legitimacy since they are so far away.

Since I want to start researching Scholarship I re-roll the technologies and then start it.

On turn 42 we meet Persia and get a bunch more rebels.

We also got an event giving an extra rebel.

Being unpopular and living this long was a bit more than I was hoping for!

 

[Araneya]

Next turn we get some Militia by upsetting Persia, which we can help defend.

And turn 44 continues in the same vein, making Persia unhappy and defending against rebels. We also found Judaism.

Right now Greece seems like the nation most likely to run away with the game.

We defend our cities against the rebels, hoping that our unpopular leader dies soon.

We kill one rebel and another one spawns. We start building some Hamlets.

Only one rebel left but it doesn’t do anything as it’s attacking over a river and the city heals the damage it deals.

We have a pretty decent science rate in this game so far. Our scout is trying to find the warzone between Aksum and Persia.

Aksum seems to be struggling against Persia.

Turn 49 is uneventful as we explore and have a bunch of orders left.

Next turn there is a hurricane.

We continue building improvements.

Scholarship finishes and we start on Forestry in order to get closer to Manor.

Turn 51 the Lighthouse finishes and we start building two more Libraries.

For the first time one nation is not Erudite anymore.

Turn 52 was uneventful and I forgot to take an image.

We continue building Libraries and more Granaries after going up in Culture.

I re-roll the technologies on offer and pick Land Consolidation.

On turn 55 we found Hebenu.

Next turn I decide to re-roll the technologies and pick Composite Bow.

We get some events, and gain Spoked Wheel in a trade with Persia.

We can now see all three Hatti cities.

There might only be one Scythian site left.

We get a raid and more rebels.

Turn 60 a drought starts. I decide to research Jurisprudence since it’s not so many turns away.

Next turn the ruler is severely ill and I get to choose our granddaughter as heir.

And then Queen Hetepheres the Great is doomed, at age 86.

And what a ruler she has been!

 

[Araneya]

The drought ends and we get another raid. Persia and Aksum are still warring vigorously.

On turn 64 the queen is dead. Looking at the relations there's not anything in need of any urgent care.

I decide to influence the young Hatti ruler. We’re also preparing to connect the Scythian camp to my road-network. Other workers start on Ranges.

Next turn we take on another ambition.

The raid is defended without too much trouble

I choose to arrange a family marriage with the Sages in order to avoid any event where we have to upset people.

Next turn a Plague starts and Aksum now has a truce with Persia.

I decide to re-roll the technologies. In one of the events I choose to upset a family instead of Hatti.

The capital has very strong production. I decide to research Free Light Chariot.

Next turn we start research on Portcullis.

Turn 69 we take the Scythian city site.

Next turn the plague ends and it seems like all tribes are gone.

I’m thinking that I should try and spread Judaism to Persia in order to get an ally against Greece, or try to keep Greece happy until we are close to finishing 10 ambitions. Hatti could also be a nice target for a points victory, with all their wonders.

After Portcullis finishes I go for Steel to be able to train some good units against all the Spearmen. We also scheme against our Rising Star rival who is plotting against us.

These turns are mostly building and exploring. We gain some luxuries and start a family gifts mission for the Sages and reveal territory for Persia.

After Steel I go for Rhetoric, to get closer to Sovereignty and later siege units.

And then Monasticism to be able to get some Monasteries out. Also our husband died in a mining accident.

Turn 75 sees a new Greek ruler who we improve relations with. We also reveal Persias territory.

Not sure yet who I will attack when I have assembled an army. Eventually Greece might have to be stopped.

 

[Araneya]

Next turn we manage to get rid of being Stressed. We explore to get trade connections with the rest of the Greek empire and continue building improvements.

I decide to reroll the technology options to be able to start Sovereignty. The Civics boost will be much needed. Right after the reroll I realize that we wanted Manor for the legacy ambition, but maybe with this tech rate it will be fine.

Next turn the ruler is still Ill. Our lone schemer is installed in Greece’s Legendary city, giving us about 6 science per turn.

There are laws to adopt and wonders to build but civics is the main bottleneck right now.

We get lucky next turn with Manor offered but not Civics Boost.

A monastery and some garrisons are started while some units are shuffled to stand on barracks.

Next turn our Aunt becomes the head of Paganism and we assign her as Spymaster. Hatti seems to have found some more land to settle. I decide to build barracks in Hut-Repyt to be able to produce ships faster.

I also go for a family marriage with the Sages.

Next turn our Ambassador becomes a Rising Star and through an event I decide to adopt him instead of becoming unpopular.

On turn 81 we finish Manor and the legacy. I decide to reroll the tech and choose Civics Boost over Doctrine, Bodkin Arrow and Free Longbowmen. I also have a bit too many orders

Next turn we use the new civics to adopt Constitution and Polytheism. Through a tsunami I secure Peace with Hatti.

Looking at the tech I decide to go for Metaphysics. We’re getting close to Legendary culture so I decide to go for an ambition to get the level 4 projects.

We reveal the Hatti territory and decide to tech towards Holy War, re-rolling the tech options on offer and picking Stirrups over Coinage, Machinery and Cartography.

Christianity is founded and our science is thundering ahead. From exploring we learn that the newly settled Hatti landmass is connected to the rest, with Aksum closest in the east. We also begin training our first Monk.

Hatti has a Dromon on the western sea. We’re not getting any children and with the Queen being 43, we might not get any. The succession might get interesting.

Stirrups finished and I decide to go for the Court Scholar.

Next turn our Kohen dies and I decide to make the Patriarch angry instead of Judaism as a whole. Hopefully we can imprison and then assassinate him before he managed to make a vengeful plot.

I reroll the technologies and choose Martial Code over Coinage, Doctrine and Cartography.

The Patriarch is successfully imprisoned and I start an assassination mission. Continuing to prepare for war, we’re training Officers and building Garrison line buildings through the empire.

Hut-Repyt is also 4 turns away from legendary culture, so hopefully the Heliopolis will still be left for us then. The Circus Maximus could also be interesting.

 

[Araneya]

On turn 88 we get our first Mounted Lancers.

Next turn the Patriarch is successfully assassinated.

We also get peace with Persia and start Cartography to be able to build up some kind of military presence on the seas. I also decide to start building the Temple of Solomon.

We get to Legendary culture and start the Heliopolis.

Shrines are started with any freely available workers to prepare for that boost in orders.

Next turn Cartography finishes and I decide to re-roll to go for Battle Line and then Cohorts.

There’s still a lot of specialists being built, but civics for laws and theologies would also be useful. It will come when we change production to more military.

A rebel archer spawns and the discontent in Tjebnutjer gives an event for autonomous rule, which I decide to grant since it’s mostly a science city anyway.

Next turn Battle Line finishes and we start researching Cohorts.

Greece wants us to stop trading with Persia, which I decide to accept. With another Elder Officer finished in Behdet, we can now make 4 turn Mounted Lancers.

We continue to improve our land and take care of relations in our courts.

I wanted to start the Circus Maximus but forgot that more civics is needed.
Next turn we get lucky with an event and start building it. Aksum also wants peace.

I also decide to switch to Legal Code instead of Divine Rule to get more civics. Right now we have too many orders anyway.

Cohort finishes and I decide to take on the ambition to discover Barding and Infantry Square, and start researching Infantry Square.

We clear another ambition and now we are close to winning. Greece and Persia are Much Stronger, Aksum is Stronger and Hatti is Similar in power. They are all Competent in knowledge. Hopefully we will be able to finish another ambition before they gang up on us.

 

[Araneya]

On turn 99 our ruler is doomed. The heir is the adopted Rising Star Diplomat Ambassador who is 49. Opinions will go down significantly when he takes the throne, but I don’t see a better alternative right now. The younger heirs are Schemers and at this point I believe a general would be better suited. Until then, maybe the Diplomat can delay the coming wars a bit.

Meanwhile the military buildup continues.

With the new ruler in place, relations don’t look too bad.

I decide to research Machinery next, to get access to siege weaponry.

Next turn I choose to delay Barding a bit in order to keep the negative opinion away from being even closer to win. Instead we go for Doctrine to get access to more orders from Temples and another law.

I also choose to not take on the national ambition to eliminate Persia.

Greece has Catpharacts and our ruler is doomed again. The old heir is a Zealot, which is decent.

I also decide to research Hydraulics.

Our new queen takes the throne and I decide to research Windlass, eying up the Polybolos from Chain Drive next.

On turn 104 we get the option of another Nation Ambition: either to control 6 legendary cities or to control 7 wonders.

6 legendary cities would probably take a couple of decades since the slowest one is right now at 18 culture per turn and 95 turns to Legendary. Even if we build an Amphitheater and three Elder Poets, that’s still only slightly over double the current rate, so that might take it down to 40 turns. There’s other tricks to do but it still seems like the slower option of the two.

To get to 7 wonders all we need to do is to conquer Hatti. They are Similar and Competent and while they have Dromons to our Tririmes, as soon as we start landing some troops on their main island, I believe they would fall shortly after. It could probably be done in about 15 turns.

We could also wait for a different National Ambition and there are some that are quite easy which mostly require many Elder Specialists. But we might get unlucky and then the game might drag out, leading to unexpected deviations.

So again we want to go to war against Hatti to close out the game.

However, next turn Greece and Hatti enter a National Alliance. Looking at the wonders there are still 4 that are not built. We immediately start the Royal Library and plan to grab as many as possible. Maybe we only need to go to war against Aksum for the last one.

Heliopolis and Windlass finish. We fill in some shrines and begin Architecture.

We enact Engineering and start to build Al Khazneh. In order to be able to trade for more stone I decide to research Coinage and get closer to Lateen Sail with Trade League.

There is a path to victory from here, it depends on if we can get a few more turns to start the last wonders.

 

[Araneya]

On turn 108 we manage to trade enough resources to start The Via Recta Souk. Coinage finishes and we start Vaulting to cycle to Lateen Sail faster.

Greece is down to Stronger in power.

Next turn we start Lateen Sail and chop wood with any workers we can find.

Next turn Greece declares war on Persia. Trade League is enacted and The Hagia Sophia started.

Now there shouldn’t be more than 17 turns to victory. I decide to research Chain Drive.

It’s likely someone will declare war on us before the game ends but overall we’re in a very good position.

Next turn the Circus Maximus finishes.

After Chain Drive I decide to research Happiness Boost and then start Barding next turn.

The next turns I automate some workers, adopt Zoroastrianism as State Religion and spread it, and start rushing out units.

On turn 120 the Queen is dead having become the Fountainhead.

Next turn the heir finishes his philosophy studies and becomes a Builder.

After some shuffling we managed to get a projected win on turn 123.

And this, the game is won.

I’ve added the save file in case anyone wants to take a look

 

[Groo the One]

Thanks for sharing your entertaining Old World session, I really enjoyed to read it! In case you have the time, I'd like you to raise the difficulty level and to post your next session this place, too. Again, thank you!

 

[Araneya]

Thanks for sharing your entertaining Old World session, I really enjoyed to read it! In case you have the time, I'd like you to raise the difficulty level and to post your next session this place, too. Again, thank you!