TSG11 After Action Report

[MiniMe]

I read a lot of people saying this was a very hard map, I'd have to disagree. You begin with a strong starting spot; river, lots of luxuries, and marble. You are in a very defensible area, with a narrow entrance you can use as a chokepoint. Surrounding you are four city-states, two culture and two maritime, with three difference resources between them (including two you can't get on your own). You have El Dorado in a spot that almost guarantees you will be the one to find it, and multiple Ancient Ruins nearby. Your nearest neighbor is an aggressive expansionist (which is what you want) and you don't have to worry about him teaming up with someone else to kill you.

Thanks for the write up and congrats with a very nice game!

I am not an expert at CIV 5 but have played the opening turns of this game several times to learn, and enough to think that you got quite lucky on 3 regards:

1. Finishing an early RA with Monty. I see him declare just a few turns after I enter into an RA or just a few turns before it completes. Earliest trade agreement I had with him was started at turn 35 or so.
2. Getting all the early wonders, incl the late build of GL.
3. Finding Greece so early, and that there was enough cash to go around for an RA with both him and Monty.

 

[slugster]

Cultural victory in turn 284

Not much went right in this game. Missed GL and mistimed several RA's. And missed the Louvre by a few turns. And Monty was attacking me most of the game. Never got around to attack him.

Oh well .. a new game is up!

 

[Monthar]

To everyone that won the cultural in under 300 turns: Did ya'll settle in place or move? If you moved, where did you move to?

 

[Neuro]

To everyone that won the cultural in under 300 turns: Did ya'll settle in place or move? If you moved, where did you move to?

I moved one spot to the east. I wanted to get that eastern cotton in my city radius.

 

[Monthar]

I moved one spot to the east. I wanted to get that eastern cotton in my city radius.

So you settled next to the mountain, in the hex the warrior starts in?

 

[slugster]

@Monthar: I settled in placed. And I never founded or captured any cities. Just grew my culture borders asap, but Monty did steal that eastern cotton.

 

[subber]

I had liberated Monaco from Monte so he was in my pocket and I liberated Venice from Alex so I had him too.

hmm... I took Monaco and Cape Town from Monte, but there was no chance of liberating them. it was simply not on the menu when I conquered the city. Any explanation why that might have happened?

cheers,
Subber

 

[DaveMcW]

Culture strategy is pretty simple, you just need to focus on three basic steps to get under 300 turns.


Step 1: Free Speech

Get Astronomy to unlock the Freedom tree, then take the two pre-requisites. Saving a cultural city state or the Oracle until after Astronomy helps a lot if you can manage it.

In my game I used the Great Library and two RAs to get Astronomy on turn 96. Was beaten to the Oracle on turn 63, but got Free Speech on turn 131.


Step 2: Hermitage

You need to beeline the top of the tech tree to Archaeology, while also getting Acoustics for Theatres. Use Landed Elite for free Museums once Theatres are finished, then build the Hermitage and start settling great artists.

In my game I made 4 non-aztec contacts by turn 102, and bought RAs for Navigation, Archaeology, Banking, and Acoustics on turn 133. Theaters were finished on turn 147, and Hermitage finished on turn 156.


Step 3: Cristo Redentor

Research Telegraph and build Cristo Redentor. You should never lose this wonder if you beeline for it.

In my game I picked the Rationalism policy tree over Patronage because it could get me here faster. I took two more rounds of RAs to finish the Renaissance, and used Scientific Revolution to target Telegraph on turn 196. Finished CR on turn 221.


Other Details

The spot you settle doesn't matter much, the land is equally crappy in every direction. I settled on top of the marble, trading Watermill/Garden for faster Astronomy.

I followed the rule of "always use El Dorado to buy a settler". My second city struggled to keep ahead of national wonders, but it consistently produced 20% of my culture and built Sydney Opera House at the end.

Spoiler Second City :

I settled 3 engineers, only using my 4th to rush Sydney Opera House. I'm not sure that was the best strategy, but I felt a lot safer with a strong production base.

I underestimated Montezuma. After letting him grab the entire continent, he built a musket/cannon army and tried to wipe me out. I barely defended with 1 infantry per city, and I lost a few turns of culture as his army tresspassed on my landmarks. I finally gave him my second city to let me build Utopia Project in peace.

 

[Ribannah]

I moved one spot to the east. I wanted to get that eastern cotton in my city radius.

Moved as well, because I wanted the observatory. Despite the naughty Aztecs the game was pretty straightforward.

Went four cities, no RA's and no conquest, bought two Workers with the El Dorado money, and won on turn 257. Could have been faster, but I didn't have much spare time to play optimally, hence no write-up either.

Got Astronomy as late as turn 122, by the way. The Great Library was quickly claimed by the AI; we had Stonehenge and Oracle. Without RA's, location does count, as one has to build and catch up, and Metal Casting becomes a higher priority than Astronomy or even Education, too.

I think the game needs to be slightly more challenging, I'm looking at the next one (England) and don't feel any excitement.

 

[Tabarnak]

Went four cities, no RA's

I think the game needs to be slightly more challenging, I'm looking at the next one (England) and don't feel any excitement.

If you want, you can subscribe in the no RA challenge for GOTM 12! Just go in the GOTM12 announcement thread and post if you want to participate.