The map-creating gods are so cruel!

[Darkness]

So, as promised, I do sometimes (when PBEM and RL commitments allow it), visit the HoF.

Last night I noticed there are very few Conquest games on map sizes other than tiny and small in the HoF, so I decided to try out a Huge Demigod game with my favourite civ: the Iroquois.

Found a nice start (not great: 1 cattle, and 1 wheat on plains, with a game just further away), and I decided to play it. Got a good republic slingshot, and a 3 turn anarchy, which saw the rise of the Iroquois republic at around 1300 BC.

One mayor problem: I haven't got any horses.
I'm playing as the Iroquois and I don't have any horses.
Now I can't build MW's....

Silver lining:
My Ottoman neighbours have horses, so I'll upgrade some warriors to swords (fortunately I do have 2 sources of iron) and take that source of horses from Osman.
This, off course, delays my race to conquest, but I'll try nevertheless...

 

[Moonsinger]

Can you just try to buy horse from them? A lot of time, they would sell it to your dirt cheap...less than 10 gpt. In my last Sid game as china on small map, I had no horse, but was able to import it for 5 gpt forever. My guess is that the cost would go up along with the map size.

 

[Darkness]

Can you just try to buy horse from them? A lot of time, they would sell it to your dirt cheap...less than 10 gpt. In my last Sid game as china on small map, I had no horse, but was able to import it for 5 gpt forever. My guess is that the cost would go up along with the map size.

I'd love to, but IIRC they only have one (and it's not even connected yet)...

 

[Moonsinger]

I'd love to, but IIRC they only have one (and it's not even connected yet)...

No worry! I'm sure they will trade their horse with you eventually...just have the money and the trade route ready, then wait. Good luck!

This is one reason why I really like C3C, especially on Sid...resources are usually rare, but it usually hurt the AIs a lot more than us. For eample, if we don't have horse and the only civ that have horse is currently trading it with somebody else. No problem, just simply ask them to declare war against their trading partner and they will usually agree to it. Basically, they'd like to go alone with whoever give them the most money. Reputation often mean nothing to them at this level. In the world full of chaos, deal breakers, and backstabbers, it really doesn't take much to become a saint.

 

[killercane]

A "world full of chaos, deal breakers, and backstabbers" is aptly applied to tiny sid as well. Im currently writing up my domination adventures there, and its chock full of backstabbing and perfidy.

 

[Darkness]

No worry! I'm sure they will trade their horse with you eventually...just have the money and the trade route ready, then wait. Good luck!

I got a bit impatient, so I upgraded 7 warriors to swordsman and declared war in 1100 BC. Secured the souce of horses easily and even got two other cities for a peace treaty...
And I got to trigger my GA with my first MW....
Now I'll build MW's and go conquer some lands for real!

 

[zerksees]

I got a bit impatient, so I upgraded 7 warriors to swordsman and declared war in 1100 BC.

Love that swordsman diplomacy.

 

[Methos]

No problem, just simply ask them to declare war against their trading partner and they will usually agree to it.

How do you find out who they are trading it with?

 

[Moonsinger]

How do you find out who they are trading it with?

In order to figure out their trading partner, you have to review the history/relationship between you, that civ, and among other civs around it. You have to keep track of who have what resources and what type of resources are available for sale (even when they are gray out) during time of war and peace. For example, civA has extra horses when they are at war with civB....then civA doesn't have extra horses after they make peace with civB, that would give you an idea that civA may be trading horses with civB. When I'm not sure who they are trading with, I just assume the worse case that they are trading horses with all other civs. It goes without saying that in the worse case, declare war on everybody else and form an alliance with the civ that has extra source of horse.

 

[Dianthus]

How do you find out who they are trading it with?

I think you can get a pretty good idea from the F4 screen. Click on the trades tab over the right and look for Active deals between civs. I think these are only for resource trades. I.e.

In the following I'm trading ROP and GPT, but that doesn't cause a blue line between me an Babylon:

In the following I'm also trading Incense to Korea, resulting in a blue line:

I expect that blue line has the same meaning between other Civs as well, so from the above there is also some resource trading going on between Germany<->Babylon and Korea<->Babylon. This isn't something I've taken any notice of so far, but I might do from now on .

 

[Moonsinger]

I expect that blue line has the same meaning between other Civs as well, so from the above there is also some resource trading going on between Germany<->Babylon and Korea<->Babylon. This isn't something I've taken any notice of so far, but I might do from now on .

Good observation! I will pay attention to those color from now on.

 

[Bartleby]

It's an important reason to have embassies with everyone. Also, that's a funny thing that the foreign advisor is saying in the 2nd screenshot

 

[Darkness]

Getting back On Topic.... :

It's now 250 AD, and my MW have rocked the world...

Unfortunately now Babylon has musketman, so the age of the MW is over...

Short recap:
- Took horses from the Ottomans and triggered my GA.
- After making peace with the Ottomans I destroyed the Byzantines.
- After the Byzantynes I went back (after exactly 20 turns) to the Ottomans, and I also attacked the weak Russians. They both died fairly quickly too
- Persia lacked iron, so they were next. They went out fast.
- Then the troubles started, 'cause the next target was Carthage, whose Numidian Mercs have offered stiff resistance to my MW, but they died shortly after the beginning of the AD's.
- At that time I spotted a few Babylonian musketmen, so I decided to get MT (I had anticipated this and already was 2 turns away from completing metallurgy).
- The last AI (Portugal) is not on the mainland. I've already found them but it'll take at least 3-4 turns of sailing to get my armies there after I've secured the mainland

Now it's 250 AD and the Babylonian city of Nineveh has jus completed Leo's. I want it, of course, so I've upgraded some MW's to cavalries and I'll declare shortly.
The mayor problem though, is that Babylon was also at war with Carthage, so the larger part of it's armies are between me and Nineveh....

I'll try to take Leo's and then upgrade most of my MW's in my attempt to become the only submitted demigod huge map conquest (to date)....
If I can get Leo's fast it will be over before 700 AD, if not, then it might get painfull.

 

[Moonsinger]

I'll try to take Leo's and then upgrade most of my MW's in my attempt to become the only submitted demigod huge map conquest (to date)....

Co-incidentally, I was shooting for that last night too. I hasn't started a game yet but last night, I have ordered MapFinder for a new batch on huge demigod with the smallest land mass as possible. I was figuring that my entry will be the only one on the list... Sound like we are shooting for the same thing.

 

[Darkness]

Co-incidentally, I was shooting for that last night too. I hasn't started a game yet but last night, I have ordered MapFinder for a new batch on huge demigod with the smallest land mass as possible. I was figuring that my entry will be the only one on the list... Sound like we are shooting for the same thing.

Ah, well... Second place doesn't sound too bad to me...

 

[Moonsinger]

Ah, well... Second place doesn't sound too bad to me...

Chances are ...it will be me on the second slot. Since you are already way too deep into your game and I haven't yet started mine. I'm going to look for a different empty table. Since there are many empty tables out there, both of us can be on the first slot.

 

[superslug]

I'm going to look for a different empty table. Since there are many empty tables out there, both of us can be on the first slot.

Wow! The Quartermaster's Challenge is playing out almost exactly like Dianthus and I anticipated.

 

[Darkness]

Update:
- I got Leo's and have upgraded all my MW's (except the three in the army) to cavalries.
- I have taken all Babylonian cities.
- Unfortunately a settler escaped on a galley and I can't find him. My gues is that he's somewhere in German teritory (no astronomy/no Lighthouse for the babs, so he's only on coast tiles). I allied with Germany to kill them quickly as WW is getting annoying.
- Meanwhile I am setting up my units to attack Germany and I am also rushing a lot of galleys to look for the Babylonian galley and to ship my units to Portugal's island soon.

 

[Moonsinger]

Update:
- I got Leo's and have upgraded all my MW's (except the three in the army) to cavalries.
- I have taken all Babylonian cities.
- Unfortunately a settler escaped on a galley and I can't find him. My gues is that he's somewhere in German teritory (no astronomy/no Lighthouse for the babs, so he's only on coast tiles). I allied with Germany to kill them quickly as WW is getting annoying.
- Meanwhile I am setting up my units to attack Germany and I am also rushing a lot of galleys to look for the Babylonian galley and to ship my units to Portugal's island soon.

What timeline/date are you in? Btw, I decided to go for conquest on a huge pang map on Sid with 8 scientific AIs; therefore, both of our games will be on the #1 slot no matter how poorly we play (I just hope to survive long enough to use my Raiders).

 

[Darkness]

@Moonsinger: IIRC, it's about 380 AD or so...

Nice to be certain of first place, isn't it?