The Unluckiest Lucky Start

[Aabraxan]

Very, very, very dry, hard reading. This story is no fun. Throw Some background stories in their! Explian battles and soldier's travels! Put a little story with EVERYTHING that happens. You could take a lesson from this story. Chapters 6-8 were especially hard to read, because of lack of pictures. The masses like pictures. The more pictures the better, the less the worse. 1 picture per paragraph is an average amount.

However, the story is interesting. I look forward to a more lush, content-booming chapter

That's quite rude. If you don't like the story, don't read it.

 

[Bobv2]

I was giving constructrive critisism. If you dont like suggestions, dont read them

Im sorry if *snicker* my post offended you.

 

[Brianung]

Sun Tzu's Art of War and Leonardo's Workshop...a great combination. Good job!

 

[Tasslehoff]

Bobv2- I have to disagree. This is just a different type of story. It's not intended to be a novel, it's intended to show what happened. Don't criticize somebody for not adhering to your tastes.

 

[Bobv2]

So I give a suggestion and Ive got everyone on my case? You guys act like I was flaming his story. If my post wasn't exactly worded the way you wanted it to be, i'm sorry.

---------------------------

REWRITTEN:

Its okay, but some more screenshots would be nice. It helps us follow the story. Another way you could improve your story is by not making the reading so dry.

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Good enough?

 

[gmaharriet]

So I give a suggestion and Ive got everyone on my case? You guys act like I was flaming his story. If my post wasn't exactly worded the way you wanted it to be, i'm sorry.

---------------------------

REWRITTEN:

Its okay, but some more screenshots would be nice. It helps us follow the story. Another way you could improve your story is by not making the reading so dry.

---------------------------

Good enough?

I don't find it dry at all, but we each have a right to our opinions.

I'm just wondering how old you are that you need picture books.

 

[Bobv2]

This is a very hard game to try to tell stories with without screenshots. With units, cities, resources changing all the time... It gives the reader much more of an idea of whats going on. try reading your next story but dont even read the screenshots. Hard eh?

"I'm just wondering how old you are that you needed me to point this out for you. "

Oh well. We all have the right to bash someone if you dont like what they said. Right?....... Right???

Now. Im still not believing that this all budded from some suggestion. Can we get on with our lives now?

 

[Aabraxan]

Can we get on with our lives now?

Ok, everyone. The bell has rung. Go to your respective corners, please.

Bobv2, I didn't mind the suggestion itself. I'm pretty good about taking suggestions and criticism. It was the phrasing of the suggestion to which I objected. While I'll agree that it was criticism, I'll have to disagree that it was constructive criticism. The masses may want pictures, but there's a reason that I don't have many. The screenshots I've been posting have been to show the locations of resources, tactically significant locations, battle plans, and the like. I don't see any point (for example) of posting the popup when I get the Forbidden Palace. Just about everyone knows what the popup looks like and what the FP does. If we're talking about GWs or eliminating a civ, that's different. With all that said, thank you for the apology and rewrite. Gladly accepted.

Tasslehoff and gmaharriet, thank you for speaking up. Glad to see that it wasn't just me. Bobv2 has apologized and rewritten his post, so let's not unnecessarily bash him, please. In the now-immortal words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"

 

[Aabraxan]

Sun Tzu's Art of War and Leonardo's Workshop...a great combination. Good job!

Thank you, and welcome aboard. I love it when the AI builds Wonders for me. Seoul was a nice catch. Now I just have to find some time in RL to take India down a peg or two. I forget what all was there, but Washington had 3 or 4 GWs, too.

 

[Villainwill]

Nice story. As it turns out, everyone else had "The Unluckiest Lucky Start", huh?

Now I just have to find some time in RL to take India down a peg or two.

Nah, just take their peg off the board. Well, I suppose they have a few little outliers on the isles, right? Care to share a battle plan?

Me likes to learn new strategies

 

[Aabraxan]

Care to share a battle plan?

Me likes to learn new strategies

Sure: Kick India off my continent.

I think they do have a few outlying settlements on the islands, but once they're removed from my continent, they'll never threaten me again. At that point, I can expand to fill my continent and begin looking at some bigger fish on the other landmass.

 

[Villainwill]

ok, I guess that was a little obvious.

Just haven't seen much of what Indian territory looks like. Not that they are typically a trouble civ, especially w/ a military your size, but your story has built up so nicely to conquer the continent and the moment is at hand!

 

[Aabraxan]

Just haven't seen much of what Indian territory looks like. Not that they are typically a trouble civ, especially w/ a military your size, but your story has built up so nicely to conquer the continent and the moment is at hand!

Take a look at the minimap in Chapter 8. The Indians have (perhaps) a dozen cities on this continent. They've got War Elephants, which are a pain, but I doubt they have enough to be a serious concern.

I've bot a turnset in Aabra02: Hammy Builds a House that I've got to clear before I can turn back to this one. Updates coming as fast as I can get to 'em.

 

[anaxagoras]

I am enjoying following your progress, but one thing did occur to me as I was reading: I was looking at your war stacks and was wondering if you weren't assembling too many units before you attack? You seem to be assembling overwhelming force before heading into battle. This is effective, but can slow things down quite a bit. Maybe some of that was just the cramped start?

Anyway, you said the goal of this game was to get completely comfortable playing Monarch before making the switch to Emperor. I would suggest that you might want to practice going to war with fewer units. Try to trick the AI into fighting on your terms, rather than just pummeling them into submission with an all-out frontal assault. If you can win wars with fewer units, your conquests will be much faster and your warfare will translate better to higher levels, where you just don't have the resources to assemble a crushing mass of unit. To the extent you do bring a lot of units, make sure it is cheap artillery you bring in quantity to reduce the enemy before you have to risk losing any "real" units.

With that said, I am very much enjoying the narrative. It seems that you have the game all but won at this point, and it is now a matter of deciding how to win and how fast you can get there.

I keep meaning to do one of these, but I just can't come up with the amount of time it takes. I'm impressed with anyone who can do this. Nice work, Aabraxan.

 

[Aabraxan]

. . . . I was looking at your war stacks and was wondering if you weren't assembling too many units before you attack? You seem to be assembling overwhelming force before heading into battle. . . . .

No, it's not related to the cramped start. I've got a pretty substantial history of pummeling my opponents with brute force, and lots of it. One of my favorite strategy game sayings is: "If it's worth killing, it's worth overkilling." But you're probably right. I could do my skills and my economies some good if I'd learn to fight wars with fewer units. Thanks for the input.

 

[Aabraxan]

Chapter 9: Lucky Strike?​

I don't have any deals going with the Indians, and it's time to begin preparing for war. The Americans have 8 turns left in their peace treaty, so I'll let that run. Unfortunately, I'm trailing in techs, with the situation as follows:

Spoiler :

I'm concerned about the Iros having 466 gold and leading in techs like that. At Monarch, I'm not overly concerned about a runaway AI, but I may need to prop up some of his neighbors for a while. As far as India, I think maybe the best option is to go pound on Li'l Baldy until he: (a) is off of my continent; and (b) gives me some techs. Sound like a plan?

I trade Joan horses for Economics, her World Map and her Territory Map. That should help her out a little. I think there's some risk to my rep to trade overseas like that, but in this situation, I'll take the risk.

Mursillis wants furs, wines, 660 gold and my world map for Physics. Sorry, but I'm only 7 turns out from physics and I'd rather pointy-stick it.

Abe has Democracy, but he wants too much for it and I don't need it.

Finally, Hiawatha. He's got physics, but he wants 2 luxes, WM and 490 gold. Same situation as Mursillis. I'll wait.

Wouldn'cha know it. Ghandi wants only iron and horses for physics. Gee, that's awfully tempting He's got the best price for Physics, but, oh yea, he doesn't have iron or horses. . . . .

Just for fun, I take a peek at CA2. At 1250 AD, I have 62 cities, 21 native workers and 62 slaves. That's not nearly enough: WAR!!! I DOW India. (Unsurprisingly, they won't give me Physics when I demand it. I use that as an excuse to DOW. )

First, Karachi. I bombard Jumbo with little success and lose one cavalry in the process of taking Jumbo down. India's response is fairly predictable. A couple of WEs come out to play, taking down an MDI and a Crusader, but both redline themselves in the process. I accidentally left one city undefended and, sure enough, Ghandi's pachyderms headed right for it.

I realize during all this that I have misplaced an army!!! Upon further investigation, I realize that I lost an army and don't remember where. My hunch is that the little pirate that lives at my house distracted me while I was playing and I actually lost an army in a battle. I have no clue when or where, though.

In 1255, Karachi falls again. I decide to keep it, thought I ordinarly burn anything that's flipped on me once. Also, we capture Delhi, which contains:

Too bad Copernicus is so far from our core. As it won't do me any good, I burn it.

When I finally get around to attacking Bombay in 1260, I get another MGL! Naturally, that means that life gets exciting now:

I begin said Pentagon in Rusicade, a high-shield city and should have it in 27 turns.

Finally, here's a picture of that part of my continent that I don't own:

Spoiler :

As soon as India's gone, I'll turn my tender attentions back to the Americans and rid my continent of that infestation, as well. Even with 1 city left on my continent, India refuses to acknowledge my envoy. Hiawatha and Mursillis each still want 2 luxes for Physics. No, thanks. I can hold out another 3 turns, if I have to.

And in 1275 AD, I burned the last Indian city on my continent down. Ghandi is finally willing to talk:

Spoiler :

I guess it's time to fill all that horrible empty land and quit ignoring the Americans, eh? By the way, the two remaining Indian cities that you see in Ghandi's list are over by the white square on the minimap and separated by a not-inconsiderable distance.

I trade Abe Physics and Economics for Democracy, WM, TM, 31 gold. I don't need Democracy, but it'll let me see what else everybody's got in that branch of the tech tree. Abe offered per turn payments, but I'm not going to let him live long enough to pay them off, anyway.

The Americans really shouldn't take too long to finish off, as they only have 2-3 cities on my continent. I don't think they have any others, but I'm not really sure. At any rate, they're not a threat. I had (and still have) a lot of units in what are no longer border cities (like down by Karachi) and a bunch more guarding the American border. Once I clear the Americans, I'll go through city-by-city and thin out my military, because I'm pretty sure I'm paying an arm and a leg in unit support right now.

 

[Aabraxan]

Chapter 10: Trying to make my own Luck!​

Hmm, it's been a while since I updated, but last time I checked, I had kicked everyone except the Americans off of my continent. I still haven't done the palace jump that I talked about last time and am having some trouble deciding if or where I should do it.

Here's the situation on techs and trades. As you can see, I've been at war long enough that it's started to slow me down, technologically speaking.

Fortunately, I don't have any per-turn deals going with the Iros. They're not exactly what I'd call a runaway AI, but they are the leaders, and I'd like to take that place. So I'm going to try to implement a trick that I only recently learned. From Fomenting 101:

Step 1: DOW Hiawatha (but demand bunches of stuff beforehand, all of which he refuses)

Spoiler :

Step 2: Renegotiate Peace with Joan, but include an MA against the Iros in the bargain.

Spoiler :

There. I doubt Joan can or will go the full 20 with Hiawatha, so let's see who else is game, eh? How 'bout Mursilis?

Spoiler :

In dealing with Mursilis, I notice a trading anomaly. Does anyone know of any reason that the AI would offer more for one lux than another? The following screenshots were taken to show the AI offer, and no counteroffer has been made.

Spoiler :

I guess Mursi's people like wines more than silks. . .

Anyway, here's the deal that I wind up making.

Spoiler :

Maybe I did this deal right. Maybe I'll wind up with a busted rep. Anyone care to wager?

Then I go back to see ol' Joan again. She has 30 gold to offer, no matter what I put on the table. I don't usually trade luxes to the AI, but I need those Frenchies working, so . . .

Spoiler :

I just can't seem to bring myself to give it to her outright.

I've got a couple of turns of peace left with the Americans, so I use it moving units into position.

With only 2 turns left to go on Magnetism, I make the following deal:

Spoiler :

That's the cheapest price I've seen on Magnetism. Ghandi has no iron, but he's not going to become a threat, given that he's only got about 3 cities.

Up until now, I've just been letting my farms grow, but I tour them and reassign them to the high-food tiles and hire some beakerheads. When that's all said and done, I've got 897 gold in the bank, and I'll do 4-turn research on ToG at -113 gpt.

I've still got 87 bajillion square acres of jungle and swamp to clear, but I'm-a workin' on it!

I also get to play a little Whack-a-Barb with my Cavalry and get this:

Think my merc's be mad?

Finally, after about 4 turns of playing AIs off of one another, as far as I can tell, not a single city has changed hands among the French, Hittites and the Iroquois. Anyway, I still haven't declared on the Americans. This update was only about 4 turns and our peace treaty just expired. The empire hasn't changed much. I've dropped a few towns here and there, but I'm still working on filling this continent.

 

[Brianung]

Update! Woo hoo!

 

[Nergal]

Cool update, on the lux question some luxuries have more value than others if you have marketplaces. I know gems are near the top of the tree but I thought silks might have been worth more than wine. It could be that he has a possibly cheaper deal for silks available or a more expensive one for wines around.

 

[gmaharriet]

I'm going to try to implement a trick that I only recently learned. From Fomenting 101:

I'll be watching the results on this with great interest, since we don't yet even know how the trick is going to turn out in the SG, Aabra02.

On the wine vs silks...could it be a supply and demand thing? It looks like you had 5 silks, but only 3 wines. I didn't think the AI was that sophisticated though.