zxcvbob
Emperor
I watched a Let's Play about a month ago where Peddro had a pitiful start at Deity level and then conquered the world with tanks (never researched Plastics and maybe not Scientific Theory.) It inspired me to try a new strat of beelining Ballistics and taking over the world with artillery and AA-guns and March-promoted machineguns. No strategic resources required, and it's a pretty fast tech path; you can ignore most of the top row because you don't need oil. (you never even have to research Astronomy unless you need to cross an ocean.)
I tried it this weekend when I should have been doing my taxes. Emperor, small pangaea map, sparse resources, medieval start, raging barbs. I stacked the deck a little by playing China.
I only built a few wonders: Petra, Notre Dame, Brandenburg, and eventually Big Ben and Prora.
It worked, but I screwed up a little with my social policies: first I filled Honor (right side first) and then I opened Patronage while waiting for Rationalism to unlock. Eventually I took 3 in Rationalism, about 3 or 4 in Autocracy, and filled Commerce. Patronage might have been good, but I should have skipped Rationalism and filled Commerce sooner. Gold was kind of tight until I got a few deep into Commerce, and taking Rationalism delayed Protectionism. I also probably should have built the hermitage sooner to get a few more policies, but I just didn't get around to it (nor a artist guild or a music guild)
I never built any public schools (I rush bought one in my capital but it was a waste of money.) I took out one neighbor (who had Great Wall) with ChuKoNu, pikes, a general, and a trebuchet. Next was Japan using cannons, muskets, and logistics-and-march Gatling guns (I had Brandenburg by now) I lost about half of my Gatlings taking Kyoto because it had Red Fort, plus that annoying bushido thing where Oda's 1-hp units could return fire with full strength. Good thing I had build about a dozen ChuKoNu while I could. Then I had machineguns, artillery, and AA-guns in time to kill everybody else. The AA-guns were nice because the AI's had flight and there was a little oil on this map. I shot down a lot of GW bombers. I captured Moscow last, using MG's, tanks, SAM's and rocket arty. Having oil and aluminum available kind of messed up the purity of my test because I couldn't resist building tanks, RA's, a couple of bombers with Bombardment II and Repair (not GW but the real thing,) and battleships.
I maintained a small tech lead the whole game even with only one school and no research labs, and one of the AI's (Russia) had built Porcelain Tower and was going Order. Once I reached Ballistics I didn't really need any more techs, but they kept coming every 3 or 4 turns (old techs like Astronomy get really cheap) and by the end I had Satellites (but still didn't have Plastics and I think I was researching Radio when I captured the last city.)
All this might go out the window at immortal or deity level. But tonight I really gotta start on my taxes. I may have a strat now that I can use to win at deity.
I tried it this weekend when I should have been doing my taxes. Emperor, small pangaea map, sparse resources, medieval start, raging barbs. I stacked the deck a little by playing China.
I only built a few wonders: Petra, Notre Dame, Brandenburg, and eventually Big Ben and Prora.
It worked, but I screwed up a little with my social policies: first I filled Honor (right side first) and then I opened Patronage while waiting for Rationalism to unlock. Eventually I took 3 in Rationalism, about 3 or 4 in Autocracy, and filled Commerce. Patronage might have been good, but I should have skipped Rationalism and filled Commerce sooner. Gold was kind of tight until I got a few deep into Commerce, and taking Rationalism delayed Protectionism. I also probably should have built the hermitage sooner to get a few more policies, but I just didn't get around to it (nor a artist guild or a music guild)
I never built any public schools (I rush bought one in my capital but it was a waste of money.) I took out one neighbor (who had Great Wall) with ChuKoNu, pikes, a general, and a trebuchet. Next was Japan using cannons, muskets, and logistics-and-march Gatling guns (I had Brandenburg by now) I lost about half of my Gatlings taking Kyoto because it had Red Fort, plus that annoying bushido thing where Oda's 1-hp units could return fire with full strength. Good thing I had build about a dozen ChuKoNu while I could. Then I had machineguns, artillery, and AA-guns in time to kill everybody else. The AA-guns were nice because the AI's had flight and there was a little oil on this map. I shot down a lot of GW bombers. I captured Moscow last, using MG's, tanks, SAM's and rocket arty. Having oil and aluminum available kind of messed up the purity of my test because I couldn't resist building tanks, RA's, a couple of bombers with Bombardment II and Repair (not GW but the real thing,) and battleships.
I maintained a small tech lead the whole game even with only one school and no research labs, and one of the AI's (Russia) had built Porcelain Tower and was going Order. Once I reached Ballistics I didn't really need any more techs, but they kept coming every 3 or 4 turns (old techs like Astronomy get really cheap) and by the end I had Satellites (but still didn't have Plastics and I think I was researching Radio when I captured the last city.)
All this might go out the window at immortal or deity level. But tonight I really gotta start on my taxes. I may have a strat now that I can use to win at deity.