TT01: Beating Demigod

[templar_x]

i will try to work out what else is worth to be done in this first war against the Vikings and what should be postponed for phase two. personally, i´d like to take the rest of our continent, but for the moment it might be a larger bite than what we can chew.

i can look at the file and maybe even start playing in a few hours when i come home. will you be able to play tonight, Buce? just let me know then. otherwise i might be able to take it, as you suggested.

 

[Bucephalus]

No, I'm swamped, please take it.

The school holidays are over this week, so I'll have more free time soon, which fits in nicely with your absence.

Be aware that there are still ships off the coast, and we must assume that they contain a Zerk or two. Don't worry about losing corrupt, conquered cities, but be sure to keep three defenders in our (coastal) core cities.

 

[DWetzel]

Do we even HAVE that many defenders?

 

[TheOverseer714]

I would expect anywhere from 4 to 8 veteran Muskets in Trondheim, so that could take some chipping away. I'm thinking they at least can't build any new Muskets, since we cut off their Saltpeter. The downside to that is it may encourage Berserk builds, but that can't be helped. I think patience is the best route, since we have no WW issues with having a large army in enemy territory. I know my Republic mentality encouraged rash attacks when patience would've worked better.

 

[Bucephalus]

Do we even HAVE that many defenders?

We do if you count the Warriors we are using as MP's, and it's quantity not quality that will count.

@templar: It would make sense to keep a couple of Cavs in the core to take down any landings - belts and braces, I know, but we are so close to finishing Ragnor it would be a shame to lose a city now.

 

[Bucephalus]

The downside to that is it may encourage Berserk builds,

All the more reason to keep the stack under an Army - Zerks will by-pass it, and in the open they are just leader fodder.

 

[templar_x]

@ Buce - no way i could play yesterday. won´t be able to make any progress tonight, either. so i´d say, take the game back if you can play it tomorrow, i´ll take it again on friday.

 

[Bucephalus]

OK, I've got it.

 

[Bucephalus]

I'm odds-on to be able to finish my set tonight; I worked until the small hours last night, so I'm nearly all caught up.
(I don't suppose for one moment that I was the last to finish work though - I dare say templar's 'gangmaster' was cracking the whip, long after I went to bed.)

 

[templar_x]

thank you Buce! now i will never be able to recruit anyone who plays civ to go into slav.... ah, to join the jolly workforce of my company

 

[Bucephalus]

I've completed the set. Everything went as expected, so no major surprises.

I'm not on my home pc atm, so I'll post the log and save when I get home.

 

[templar_x]

so as far as i understand you work from home and go ... to office? ... to play civ ?

makes sense to me

 

[Bucephalus]

so as far as i understand you work from home and go ... to office? ... to play civ ?

makes sense to me

Ah, but occasionally - when I'm really, really, good - my chains are removed, and I'm allowed out into the wider community.

 

[DWetzel]

Fools! Muahahaha!

Templar, I can play a set anytime between Saturday and Monday. Yay for three day weekends! So we maybe ought to coordinate times a bit.

Also FYI to all I think I am going to start up a new succession game with a hopefully interesting theme. Look for a thread a bit later today.

 

[templar_x]

@ Buce, DWetzel - remove chains, 3 day weekends? guys, just don´t let me get involved into this disgusting modernistic union mockery of what we capitalists once called work

@ DWetzel - great you´re starting your own SG. i´m keen to hear your storyline. if it´s getting too much you could swap with TT, he may return to finish yours while we "beat Demigod" for him

coordination should be easy. i´m going to play my turns on Saturday. too much work tomorrow before i leave for holidays. let´s say i post the save by Sunday noon at the latest, so you can take over. ok?

 

[Bucephalus]

Pre-turn:

Ugrade galley at Haarlem; that should be the last upgrade, so let's see what I can bring Physics down to. Can't quite make two turns, so Physics in three with 119gpt.

Decide to initiate a slightly more aggressive policy with Ragnor's Iroquois towns. Wake four Maces at New Maastricht, and move them to Niagra falls.

Take DW's advice and move trebs to bombard Zerk at Persopolis. Successfully red-lined. Good call DW.

IBT:

Two Zerks appear at Zwolle; Another two by-pass the stack near Trondheim damaged units head away from Persopolis.

France learns Physics.

610AD:

Wake Crusader and E Sword at New Haarlem, begin the chase.

At Niagra Falls, Inigo Montoya and the Mace twins go 3-0 against two reg muskets and a Pike. Raze NF.
Have to use damaged Cav to kill red-lined Mace near Persopilis. Promotes to Elite.
Move Cav to attack St, Regis next turn

IBT:

lot of Viking boats moving around but no landings.

620AD:

Lose a Cav killing two muskets at St Regis; raze St Regis.
Troops continue to redeploy.

IBT:

nada but boats moving about.
France completes JSBach

630AD:

Learn Physics, Magnetism in five
Complete MilAcad - begin Army.
Quiet turn - units healing; Units move into position at the gates of Oslo.
Found 'New Dortrecht'

IBT:

Nothing of consequence, bit of aimless unit movement.


640AD:

Ragnor wishes to talk - he will give Banking for peace and 250g + 4gpt. You can do better than that Ragnor.....

Found 'New Leerdam'.

Cannons reveal three defenders at Oslo, all muskets - good hit/miss ratio again, two redlined.

Lose a Cav taking out the lesser damaged musket, Zerk now defending.
Oslo is razes for no further losses, and we get a nice little bonus of another 10 slaves.

Luckily before I press enter again I notice it's still Magnetism in 5....hmm, apparently a city grew, and the governor changed my specialists - I change them back, and we have it in four again.

Lose a Cav, red-line two others, and the Vikings just hold Allergheny. Move some healed units to have another attempt next turn.

As offensive stack arrives at Trondheim, it becomes apparent that the city is defended on three sides by a river; stack will be in position next turn, the Cannons one turn later.

It looks like the Viking Caravel I've been tracking is going to land something on our island territory; block approach to New Enshede with our own Caravel.

IBT

Nada

France has Magnetism.

650AD:

We complete the Pentagon.

Found 'New Hilversum'

Allegheny has magically gained another veteran Musket from somwhere - I send some cannon in, but I leave it for templar to finish off. I've already lost two Cavs trying.

Offensive stack in position at Trondheim - Three Armies, 8 Maces, 2 Crusaders, and a few Cavs - if templar has the patience to wait for the cannons to arrive, it should be enough.

templar, there are a number of workers with movement points left - I've left them for you to assign. Also, I've sent some cannon to the SW, and one may still be on auto-move; the reason I sent them is that Viking town (it's name escapes me atm) in the far West. It's only defended by a pike but it's on a hill, and proving stubborn - I lost two Crusaders trying to take it out.

Here's the save, and some pics for the viewers:

 

[DWetzel]

Nice set, at least from the description. (thank goodness for the BlackBerry, I've got a half hour between showings at the same building)

Pretty sure that is alesund in the southeast you are talking about. They built that annoying pimple during my set.

Glad the trebuchet idea was useful. VERY glad to see the attack pressed on the Viking/Iroquois towns, I was wondering about that.

Suggest that we develop an industrial age research plan before templar's set, or at worst before mine (templar, your timing suggestion was dandy). Personally I think steam, industrialization, elec, RP, hopefully pick up medicine along the way, and then sci method is a good line. Which begs the question of when to start a theory of evolution prebuild.

 

[Bucephalus]

Pretty sure that is alesund in the southeast you are talking about. They built that annoying pimple during my set.

Yeah, that's it, Alesund in the..... South East

Glad the trebuchet idea was useful. VERY glad to see the attack pressed on the Viking/Iroquois towns, I was wondering about that.

Seemed the concensus was that I was being a bit cautious..... and it's a team game, so...

Suggest that we develop an industrial age research plan before templar's set, or at worst before mine (templar, your timing suggestion was dandy). Personally I think steam, industrialization, elec, RP, hopefully pick up medicine along the way, and then sci method is a good line. Which begs the question of when to start a theory of evolution prebuild.

I'll give it some thought overnight; I think we've time to discuss it before templar plays on Saturday. We need to give some thought to France, too; I don't know if they just got their GA, but they learned Magnetism in about four turns. My first instinct is to get a Cav Army over there, and start pillaging their infastructure some to hit their economy, and slow down their tech pace, until we're ready to invade.

Speaking of Armies: templar, don't be tempted to add any more units to the Mace Armies now we have the Pentagon; they will do nicely for taking down Ragnor's soon-to-be island stronghold, and they won't load on galleons with another unit loaded in them.

 

[DWetzel]

Swiss mercenary army? Or are we totally certain that a cavalry army will not be attacked?

 

[templar_x]

got it.

i´ll have a look at the save. some of my thoughts on what you have mentioned:

@ Buce - thanks for leaving the worker moves to me. i appreciate that. and you even left me 8 settlers! looks like very good progress - i think that pressing on was the right call.
did you see any Viking two-movers in your turns?
is it worth to us to invest 88g to find out whether they have their GA? i assume, they have it, because their progress is incredible.

regarding our phony war and Buce´s comment on the helpless Yanks: can you imagine, they even lost Houston AND Philadelphia to the Incas. the Incas! i am sure they wore really fierceful make-up...
maybe we should change sides... ?

after liberation of our continent, i guess we want to make peace and cash in whatever Ragnar is willing to give. that solves the Banking issue. otherwise, for research: at first view i´m happy with DWetzel´s proposed research path. imo only self-research from now on, and beating techs out of AIs. there´s practically no one but the French to trade with, and we won´t want them to be even faster.

i agree with the pillaging army in this game and am convinced it won´t be attacked. i´d land it on a mountain, though, and bring a 4th cav to join it the turn after.