TSG82 After Actions

[Hammer Rabbi]

Welcome to the TSG82 After Action Report thread. In this thread you can post the results of your game. Please state victory date and score (preferably in the post title), as recorded in the Hall of Fame, and the most important: your path to glory!

STOP - Please do not continue reading this thread until you have completed and submitted your game.

Please use the Civ5 game submission page to submit your final, first play through, .Civ5Save file, saved AFTER the victory ceremony if you were not conquered (using the "Lemme play one more turn" feature.).

- How did you use religion or spying to your advantage?
- Did the map type help or hinder victory and how?
- How did the difficulty level affect your game decisions?
- Did America's unique traits factor into your Science game plan? If so, how?

Players are encouraged to provide feedback on the game. Some players like to replay the game, and although we will not record the results from a replay, you can still post your new experiences (please state if the game is a replay). Please refrain from posting videos until the deadline for submission is over.

Would be interested to hear any thoughts on game setup.

 

[budweiser]

I noticed pretty early on that there wasn't enough land showing, but did I bother to look east in the water? Nooooo. Too bad, it would have been fun colonizing the 'new world' in a liberty style.

 

[bjelar]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-16 08:18:00
Reference number: 30783
Your name: Bjelar
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1930AD
Turns played: 350
Base score: 1354
Final score: 1934
Time played: 4:51:00
Submitted save: Washington_0350 AD-1930.Civ5Save
Renamed file: Bjelar_C508201.Civ5Save


Not much to say, it has been a while since I played this game and it shows

I spent what felt like 50 turns building the world fair on my own

I neglected pop growth, and forgot to finish tradition for the engineers-for-faith program.

A peaceful game, all in all not so bad, and quite fun until my computer ground to a halt around turn 200

 

[Swissy]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-16 15:29:55
Reference number: 30788
Your name: Swissy
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1900AD
Turns played: 320
Base score: 1572
Final score: 2456
Time played: 3:53:00

I used my spies to gain coal and aluminum, while repeatedly picking off AI spies in my capitol. As for religion, I did get one fairly early, and picked everything that could enhance my population growth and production. Later in the game Morocco picked up Jesuit Education and I happily allowed him to covert a couple of my cities. I picked up faith bought research labs in Carthage that way, saving me the gold of the rush buy I'd otherwise would have used.

The map actually helped, as it had more CS with coal and aluminum than I usually see in my games. It also provided a nice buffer between me and the Roman war machine, which gobbled up Brazil.

Playing on Prince, I knew I'd have to do everything myself. So I concentrated on getting as many CS allies as I could. Thus I dipped into Patronage to get the science policy and the extra resource policy.

The UA was great early as I found and took more ruins than I expected considering the nature of the map. Also, helped late with getting many ruins found on the very large island to the east.

Carthage went for an early army and failed to build a second city. I accepted the Moroccan invite to war with Carthage and took the city. That turn Rome and the Celts, the only two AI I wasn't friendly with, turned against me. Having four cities, I set about getting ready for research and spaceship production. Nearly all of my culture was from capital wonders and CS. Nearly every building after the start, was science or production, in other three cities.

Besides the Carthage war, I had two with Rome, all by AI invites. I never actually fought Rome and got one of the CS they captured in a peace deal, which I liberated and eventually had coal.

I went Freedom as I thought my faith production wasn't enough to pump out adequate GE to finish spaceship parts. Also, having Morocco close gave me tons of trade route gold per turn. I bought two parts with gold, and saved about 10 turns in the process.

 

[krc]

Submission details:

Spoiler :

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-16 21:37:02
Reference number: 30794
Your name: krc
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1882AD
Turns played: 311
Base score: 1554
Final score: 2506
Time played: 5:50:00
Submitted save: Washington_0311 AD-1882.Civ5Save
Renamed file: krc_C508201.Civ5Save

How did you use religion or spying to your advantage?
Managed the rare feat of getting absolutely no advantage from my own religion. Founded late, then the Celts converted my holy city before I could spread my own religion anywhere else. Went ahead and eventually built shrines and temples in all cities anyway; used the faith for two GS and one GE.

Leveled-up spies in my capital on counter espionage and then put them in CS to influence elections along with a couple of successful coups.

Did the map type help or hinder victory and how?
I though the nearby mountain range would help, since I built all four cities next to a mountain. That did give me observatories everywhere relatively early. But the local terrain only had 3 coal and 3 aluminum. And none of the CS allies that had them ever got far enough advanced to give them to me. Building SS parts with only 3 aluminum delayed the finish.

How did the difficulty level affect your game decisions?
Built a ridiculous number of wonders.

Did America's unique traits factor into your Science game plan? If so, how?
The extra sight made it easier to snatch ruins. But my luck with them was abominable: promotion, map, gold, technology (pottery while half-done), map, and population. Did buy a few cheap tiles. Musketmen and B17s were totally irrelevant.

 

[Tabarnak]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-17 12:30:29
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1610AD
Turns played: 232
Base score: 1640
Final score: 3565
Time played: 4:06:00

Beelined Astronomy for observatories. Bulbed Radio with Oxford. Lack of coal and aluminium gave me some headache. It was either conquering or settling more cities. I decided to settle 1 more city on a 7 coal tile on the eastern continent first to build half time factories from Order.

When i saw later that i couldn't keep only 3 aluminium to finish everything i decided to settle another city on a 7 alu tile on the eastern continent again. These cities slowed me down unfortunately.

I reached 1350-1400 bpt at turn 190. I think i burned a couple of gs too soon before Apollo, thinking that would be better for end game but in fact i should have wait a bit more and build Apollo later. Then i would have probably finished before the turn 230.

Spoiler :

Still, i think this is my best time for a science game since latest patch...for a total of only 3-4 though.

 

[RaidandTrade]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-17 15:28:11
Reference number: 30797
Your name: RaidandTrade
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1945AD
Turns played: 365
Base score: 1519
Final score: 2080
Time playeD: 4:16:00

Settled in place and quickly found Edinburgh and saw I could end up hemmed in so set to conquering them using their first settler as my new worker. Edinburgh became my second city and I left things a little late to found New York (next to the gems before Carthage could get them) and Boston (next to the mountain on the south coast near to get to the furs).

Ended up buying all but 2 parts for cash. The last one I could have bought but it was only 4 turns to make it and I'm a cheapskate at heart so...

Made a few mistakes along the way... Normally I try to restrict myself to one howler but managed 3 this time.

Spoiler :

I meant to part build Oxford and change to something else so I could finish it when I had something worth burning on but forgot between sessions so wasted it on a 4 turn tech.

Realised far too late that I hadn't built Apollo Program. (I usually leave it until I'm getting closer to the techs that let me build the parts but mis-timed it badly).

Didn't pay attention to Brazil as they gobbled up CS alliances then accidentally triggered the Host vote so lost control of WC at Information Era...

How did you use religion or spying to your advantage?

I topped science pretty quickly so levelled them up on counter-espionage then sent them out to rig elections. Failed in one coup but did enough to keep second spot in the information era.

Religion was targeted at early growth with Sun God pantheon and then at building money (tithe), faith (cathedrals, divine inspiration) to burn later on GS and spread (25% rate).

Did the map type help or hinder victory and how?

Interesting to discover no aluminium so bribed a CS that said it had some in the resources only to find I didn't get any. Checked the map and couldn't see any so had to bribe another CS (after checking the map). From there, it was recycling centres so no big drama.

Wish I'd explored earlier and found the large chunk of land off to the east. Could have settled a nice expo or two there. That remained untouched all game.

How did the difficulty level affect your game decisions?

Wonders galore starting with GL (which I never bother attempting usually). Also let me take out the Celts with 3 archers, 2 chariots and 2 spearmen.

Did America's unique traits factor into your Science game plan? If so, how?

Visibility wasn't as useful as I'd hoped. I thought I'd get more ruins and a science one at that but got fairly forgettable treasures. Didn't use either of the UUs but did buy a few tiles - not enough to do it justice though.

 

[RaidandTrade]

Game date: 1610AD
Turns played: 232

Respect!!!

 

[Aaronk24]

Religion helped me somewhat with happiness, though almost all of the game happiness was not an issue for me. I used spying to gain influence with city states.

I didn't buy any tiles, but I should have.

I had a total of 3 cities. I captured Edinburgh and founded New York on the flood plain river to the NW. I would have preferred more cities, but I didn't see a good spot (until late when I discovered the eastern subcontinent).

I used Order.

 

[Novalia]

252 win..
Settled in place.. Expos in Petra spot and religious mountain.. Saw the land mass to the east so I sent an escorted settler to settle the natural wonder... Then after the coal shortage settled on the gems and then another on the aluminum..

Rationalism finisher for radio.. Oxford for plastics..

Beat up dido a bit because I wanted the uranium for nuclear plants.. And then whacked the celts because I said hey don't go converting my city.. She said ok no worries bro... Next turn she flips my city..

Pretty straightforward.

 

[kb27787]

I freaking sucked...
(someone remind me +25% science from CS allies were worthless on Prince)
In hindsight should've finished commerce, spammed GMers after GS and bought all my parts instead of wasting 3 into patronage.
(went freedom simply because I simply can't bring myself go Order see America being a Communist nation) Really mistimed my bulbs/faith purchases. Ended up being limited by hammers/gold rather than tech (had all techs at the end of game but you didn't need techs like internet or globalization for SV)
(I typically only go SV when my CV fails... and so really didn't know how to play for straight SV ... ended up playing it like a CV almost subconsciously building wonder after wonder and whoring faith and then stupidly not saving GWs to bulb because I wanted to fill GL and Globe (why the heck did I waste hammers on that for a mere single CS quest??)

(certainly didn't help only 3 aluminum and no coal at all and my stupid CSs simply wouldn't grow into that coal tiles... pathetic Prince culture... with the Prince AI still suck in renaissance no one has coal... can't build spaceship factory without factory... doh! Didn't know that) signed a grand total of 2-3 RAs all game I think... Prince AI doesn't have money... (maybe next time I should give them some of mine just so we can sign)

Also World Fair is worthless on prince... you have to sink in 1400 hammers to complete it by yourself... cuz the AI is useless.

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-19 02:14:12
Reference number: 30804
Your name: kb27787
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1810AD
Turns played: 275
Base score: 1867
Final score: 3394
Time played: 1:58:00
Submitted save: TSG82_Start.Civ5Save
Renamed file: kb27787_C508201.Civ5Save

Just under 2 hrs though

Behold my beautiful blossoming empire

Spoiler :

Fertility rites, Swords to plowshares and Hanging gardens, divine inspiration off of Stonehenge and Hagia. Gotta love Prince Boudicca... my cap is 4 times as big as that of hers... is that bad?

Spoiler :

I really should've started bulbing earlier but with my science still increasing every turn I got greedy and saved up too many... this (and subsequent faith purchase GS) was enough to take me almost to future tech... way overshot this one

Last but not least... how cruel of the GotM staff to select a "Pangaea" map where there is a huge continent to the east with multiple luxes and NWs, coal, and aluminum and me not bothering to get naval units/coastal cities because I assumed typical Pangaea I really really should've made a coastal empire.

 

[Kaiser Wilhelm]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-19 09:56:27
Reference number: 30807
Your name: Kaiser Wilhelm
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1967AD
Turns played: 388
Base score: 2774
Final score: 3602
Time played: 5:07:00
Submitted save: Washington_0388 AD-1968.Civ5Save
Renamed file: Kaiser_Wilhelm_C508201.Civ5Save


I played with one city till I got plastics then I annexed 4 cities beside mountains....bought Research labs & Observatories in each

Conquered Celtics, China, Romans and Brazil...using Muskets upgraded to infantry. This is the first time I've played the Americans....special traits didn't help science victory but fun to play. I stopped and focused on science.

I got religion early and converted lots so I could buy GS,GE & GM throughout the game.

I didn't save up any GS because I thought the new rules didn't allow it? Can you clarify??

2) As of TSG82 we are banning the intentional use of the Beaker Overflow exploit. Submissions using this will be excluded from results.

 

[Hammer Rabbi]

I didn't save up any GS because I thought the new rules didn't allow it? Can you clarify??

2) As of TSG82 we are banning the intentional use of the Beaker Overflow exploit. Submissions using this will be excluded from results.

If you understand the mechanic of the Beaker Overflow exploit it isnt simply a matter of popping GSs to suddenly fall into it. You have to consciously construct a path to get the snowball effect rolling. (It also isn't something you can make particularly successful use of in a Prince Difficulty game.) If you don't know how to use it, then just play to your normal habits/strengths. Accidental uses are easy to recognize and have been a part of the game since GnK at least.

If you are worried about this you can read the thread on the Exploit (in our thread here in the GotM subforum or some threads in the Strategy and Tips subforum) or watch some LPs of players dissecting how to use it. Apologies for any confusion as this is still new to many people and new to us to regulate.

Thanks
HR

 

[TLHeart]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-20 00:00:39
Reference number: 30811
Your name: TLHeart
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1922AD
Turns played: 342
Base score: 1784
Final score: 2623
Time played: 4:19:00
Submitted save: TSG82_Washington_0342 AD-1922.Civ5Save
Renamed file: TLHeart_C508201.Civ5Save

Prince level, knew I would win, so just had fun. Started a religion, but then quickly met Bouidicca, finished my religion, but did not fight her over religion.

Settled in place, built new york on the lake/mountain/river....
Built 3rd city on coastal end of mountains,
Finished oracle and national college, then settle 4th city on river desert next to mountain...
4 observatories.

Played friendly, got side tracked by all the wonders I could build, then saw the barbs attacking the city state from the pennisula sticking out from the fog of war. So get sailing, and optics, and send a cross bow over... discover 2 National Wonders, and lots of land to settle...

I had went liberty with the plan of 8 to 10 cities.... but had given up on that after exploring.

Bought me a settler, send him over, and get gems...

Let city grow, sending 3 workers over, liberty pyramids, they build so quickly. Buy next settler, and settle near the NW.... buy next settler, and settle near the other NW....
Buy another settler, and settle beside the mountains and river east of the first NW... settled on top of the coal....

Totally peaceful game for me.

First time that I have manged the end game, to where I was finishing up the space ship parts as I finished teching, so it was only 8 turns until launch...

 

[Hyperion529]

Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1735AD
Turns played: 257
Base score: 1473
Final score: 2888

hadn't played civ for some months now, but since i still needed the achievement for a win with Washington i gave this a go. i settled in place, built GL, oracle and all the usual stuff and beelined education and astronomy first (all my cities were next to mountains). a couple of things slowed me down:
the Celts beat me to my preferred spot for a 4th city, so i had to play with 3 cities instead. Morocco beat me to Desert Folklore, i would have preferred that over Goddess of Festivals which i eventually picked as a pantheon.

i chose Order over Freedom because i still needed the achievement for a space victory with Order and thought it wouldn't be too bad with +25% science factories on top of my observatories. but i didnt account for a lack of coal... i should have settled on the island east of the continent as soon as i discovered i had none in my empire, but instead i waited until one of my CS allies finally gave me access to its coal source, about 30 turns after i had adopted the ideology tenant.

i didn't want to repeat this mistake for aluminium, so i had a settler ready to grab an Alu source on the eastern Island as soon as i started to build the spaceship parts, although that additional city probably slowed me down a bit on my research path to the last crucial tech. had signed 3 research agreements, but those apparently contributed next to nothing.

i rushed my final space ship part with a faith-bought great engineer and launched on t257 (had bought 2 great scientists before and a 3rd one was out of reach anyway). i see some room for improvement, but am still happy with my finishing time overall

Spoiler :

 

[notyourtypical]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-20 20:41:03
Reference number: 30813
Your name: notyourtypical
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1735AD
Turns played: 258
Base score: 1666
Final score: 3266
Time played: 2:42:00
Submitted save: Washington_0258 AD-1740.Civ5Save
Renamed file: notyourtypical_C508201.Civ5Save

Got around to finishing my game. I faith bought three scientists too early, which cost be about 6 turns I think. The upside was that I built the CN Tower. I think I've built it maybe one other game, so that was fun.

I found the eastern landmass accidentally, as Bratislava wanted a barb camp cleared over there. Prior to the request, I figured the 4 remaining CSs were off the coast somewhere, and I decided that the annoyance of embarked scouts wasn't worth it. The continent was a great help, as Jerusalem had coal on flat land, so I could pay them to improve it and build factories. If this was intentional, it was a nice touch.

I went Freedom and bought my last spaceship part to save time. I finished Rationalism and Tradition. One in Piety for Forbidden Palace, which combined with some vote buying ensured +33% GS production on the first vote. I also put one in Commerce because I thought Big Ben would be nice for buying Research Labs and Spaceship Factories, but I ended up only buying 2 labs.

Other thoughts: The Prince AI is helpless. I discovered Vancouver and Riga first around turn 65, along with 2 ruins sitting less than 5 tiles from Morocco and the Ottomans. I wish I had spare turns to build a Constabulary and Police Station in Washington: "I am sorry for getting my spy killed" leaderscreens EVERY OTHER DAMN TURN. The growth pantheon, plus growth follower, plus Tradition is insane.

Good game overall, it was fun to play solely against the game mechanics for a fast win, without having to think about the AI at all.

 

[Gooble]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-22 10:54:39
Reference number: 30820
Your name: Gooble
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1834AD
Turns played: 287
Base score: 1535
Final score: 2692
Time played: 5:07:00
Submitted save: TSG82_Gooble.Civ5Save
Renamed file: Gooble_C508201.Civ5Save

Quite a good game, an improvement on my previous result for science. But I was delayed by Carthage taking my number 3 city spot, so I tried conquering their city - but I had too few units (2 only) - at least I now know that 2 units is not enough even for a tiny village. I also wasted money buying more units for that, and I lost my faith +15% growth bonus for about 25 turns and delayed my third for the same amount of time.

Aside from that, the aforementioned lack of coal and aluminium was a pity. I should have left my capital unguarded by my spy so that the computer (and CSs) would reach industrial era and I could get the resources from them. I only realised that too late, so received aluminium from Milan just a few turns before the end, when I already had recycling bays. I also misjudged the ending, as I popped 6 GS and had all the tech, but no spaceship part finished yet.

Another delay was caused by Washington and then Boston and New York all demanding Incense for We Love the King Day, which no one had at all. I considered settling for it, but wasn't sure if it was worth it and in the end couldn't be bothered.

I experimented with Interfaith Dialogue (science for converting cities), and it helped me with some techs early on, but overall I feel it was not really very effective - I feel that Tithes (gold for every 4 believers) is much better - in the end I always choose that as I never have enough gold (for buildings, CSs, RAs)...

Another load of mistakes was (I'm sure) from building various World Wonders that I didn't need - couldn't resist it. I even built Chitzen Itza, which I think I have never been able to build, as AIs seem to beeline for it. Pretty much constant golden age afterwards with artists, Taj Mahal and double golden age lengths due to Freedom.

Overall the game allowed me to try some things out, but the AI players were almost annoyingly weak (even though I messed up with Carthage as mentioned).

P.S. The game crashed (only) once (I think), so had to load from autosave. But that's standard for me.

 

[Sempronius]

Game: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-22 15:10:46
Reference number: 30822
Your name: Sempronius
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 2005AD
Turns played: 425
Base score: 1498
Final score: 1762

Not as fast as most, but after I passed turn 300 I knew I wouldn't win the speed challenge, so I just had fun with it. Rome was going for domination, but I was an era and many techs ahead, so I declared war for fun and gave China back their capital. By the end I could have picked any victory condition. I did keep Shanghai when I won it from Rome because it had Uranium, otherwise I just gave back cities.

 

[Mr. Grieves]

Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1880AD
Turns played: 310
Base score: 1962
Final score: 3164
Time played: 5:18:00

Science is my least favorite victory condition and it shows, since I finished exactly at the time I would expect to win one on Emperor. I don't think the slower AI helped so much, as hinder me with the time they took to connect new luxuries and strategic resources for trading. Ended up wonder spamming first, taking two cities from Boudicca and Dido each, and growing non-stop from there.

- How did you use religion or spying to your advantage?
I went for Tithe, Divine Inspiration and Holy Warriors, because space was really tight. Or so I thought until around turn 200.

Diplomats, to spread as much intrigue around as possible. Needed most of them to forget they hated me for a while. Some election rigging.

- Did the map type help or hinder victory and how?
The map was great, had I scouted a bit. I'm used to straightforward Pangaeas mostly.

- Did America's unique traits factor into your Science game plan? If so, how?
I bought a few tiles more than usual, but was almost done warring by the time Minutemen came around. Used no B-17 whatsoever. Overall, I found the +1 sight the most useful UA.

I think it went alright, but definitely made some errors.

 

[WaveOfDoom]

ame: Civ5 GOTM 82
Date submitted: 2014-03-22 22:43:00
Reference number: 30828
Your name: waveofdoom
Game status: Science Victory
Game date: 1864AD
Turns played: 302
Base score: 2302
Final score: 3836

Alright, I had a huge issue with coal and aluminum. I had allied multiple CS's with these resources improved, but I was not gaining any benefit of them. Did something change? I had to conquer Boudica for her coal and then just went on a rampage after that. Had I gotten my coal much earlier, with the factory tenant, I could have shaved 50+ turns off my time. For instance, Milan (I think) had an aluminum resource with 8 right next to it , improved, and I was still only receiving the three within my borders. Does anyone have this issue? Was this due to the difficulty? Perhaps I had a misconception how this worked?

Thanks.