Uncharted Territory: Aabraxan Plays Nice.
Based on requests from my last story, The Clone Wars, I've decided to play nice in this game. Hoooo boy, this one's going to be hard on me! When I get bored, I have a tendency to go beat up my neighbors.
Anyway, I'm not very good with culture games. The Babs are ordinarily the kings of culture, right? Well, I decided not to go with them. The Babs are fantastic if you're concerned about building temples and libraries all over the place. This is 20K, though, so I'm more concerned about building boatloads of culture in one place. Accordingly, I chose the Ottomans. Masonry & BW gives me immediate access to the Pyramids and the Colossus. From what little I understand about 20K, I really want wonders to be able to do the whole culture-doubling thing, & with Mass Regicide, popping CB from a hut seems moderately likely. With Industrious workers, well, y'all know the drill.
I've chosen an archipelago map to slow down the AI's tech pace, but it's going to be 60% water, so only slightly smaller landmasses than a continents map (in theory). I also loaded the roster with scientifics, so that I can take advantage of change-of-age trading. While lots of my opponents start with Alphabet, I have intentionally left the Byzantines out. I don't need any seafaring trollop to take control of my tech pace.
The Statistics:
Version: Civ III Conquests 1.22
Level: Emperor
Civ: Ottoman
Victory Conditions Allowed: 20K, Mass Regicide
Victory Condition On: Domination, SS, Diplo, Conquest, Cultural
Opponents: 7
Variant: Just that I'm going to try to play well with others.
Barbarians: Roaming
Scientific Great Leaders: On
AI Respawn: Off
Land mass: Archipelago
Water: 60%
Map size: Standard
Age: 4 Billion
Climate: Normal
Temperature: Temperate
Like so many of my solo games, I wanted a decent start. In this one, that meant a river and a coast. That's all I wanted. I had 8 or 10 disastrous-looking starts, then found this one:
It wasn't on the coast, but I was only going to have to move 1 tile to get there. The wheat would stay in range, and the cow would be stay in the fat cross. Looks like a winner to me.
I went ahead and popped that hut with one of my king units
Once I got my spare kings evenly spread out, I have a slightly better idea of my area.
I found Aabraxa in 3950 BC, and discover that tech selection is more difficult when: (a) you're playing a relatively unfamiliar variant; and (b) you've been out of the loop for a while. I have CB, Masonry and BW. There are lots of rich wonders down the Monarchy branch of the tech tree, but I don't currently have any way to prebuild. Also, I think I want Aabraxa to be my 20 K city, so I grab Pots as my first tech. I'll need granaries for prebuilds. Pottery due in 15.
(Spoonwood, is the palace subject to 1000 year culture doubling?)
In 3900 BC, I pop another hut to desireable results:
In 3750 BC, I finally make contact with a neighbor: "Otto! Mein alter Freund! Wie geht's dir?" I make contact with Otto, just to see what he's got and what he knows.
Pottery comes in, and I swap Pots and CB for two German workers and all 10 of their gold. It's not a great trade by ordinary standards, but I need the workers. I've got 2 cities and 1 worker, with 1 in cue. If I'm going to make decent time on 20K, I need some tiles improved. Next tech? Alphabet at maximum. I need to start eyeballing the Temple of Artemis, but if I can pull off the slingshot (certainly not guaranteed at this point), that's an extra chance at an SGL.
Over the next few hundred years, I think I discovered that my hut-luck is all shot. I've disturbed angry warriors from more tribes than I care to count. Fortunately, those fast-moving kings also allow me to make contact with Catherine of Russia in 3200 BC.
I whip the temple at Aabraxa, and start the Colossus in 3100 BC.
By 2900 BC, I've made contact with the Germans, Russians, Sumerians, and Greeks. Fortunately, the Greeks have Alpha, and they're willing to sell.
I continue development and exploration. In 2550 BC, my luck takes a slightly better turn, and I pop WC from a hut. OK. At least I have one offensive unit now.
I get Writing in 2050, and set research for Philosophy. I will change into a Republic, but I feel like I really need to make sure I get the Philo slingshot, even if it's not a Republic slingshot.
In 2030, the Colossus is completed. Next: Pyramids, 34 turns out
In 1950 AD, I get notice that the Sumerians are building the Pyramids.
Building an embassy costs ~27 more gold that I have, so maybe it's time to sell something.
I sell Writing to Cathy for Mysticism, The Wheel and 20 gold. Not quite enough. Alex also has 2 workers that I'd really like to buy, but I'd have to trade him 2 techs to get them. The two techs are Writing and Masonry, but since Masonry is already out there, I decide to go ahead with it:
I give:
Writing
Masonry
Alex gives:
Worker (Greece)
Worker (Greece)
9 gold
It leaves my treasury pretty strapped, but I build an embassy in Ur.
I keep science high, hoping to grab Philo first, and then take Literature with it. I won't need the GLib for its science, but it does produce nice culture.
Then I get a nice surprise!
Then, I got faked out.
For a second, I thought I'd pulled off a double SGL!
Nope. That was just the text left over from the Philo SGL. Still, I have an SGL. 
Given how far ahead of the Sumerians I am on the Pyramids, I decide to hold the SGL for the GLib.
In 1650 AD, I get notice that the Russians are building the Pyramids. Unfortunately, I do not have the gold to build an embassy. Even more unfortunately, there's not enough gold on my continent to build an embassy, no matter what I sell.
In 1525 AD, I get notice that the Germans are building the Oracle, as are the Sumerians.
Shortly thereafter, Cathy offers a tech trade, which I decline, and Otto demands Alphabet. I am still weak militarily, so I give him Alpha. I won't forget this, Otto.
In 1425, the Greeks start the Pyramids. Looks like this one's going to be a fistfight and a footrace.
After another round of trading, in which I grab IW, but fail to get Gilgamesh to turn loose of Polytheism, I build an embassy in Berlin.
I consider researching Republic, just because it makes awesome trade bait, but I need to bring the cost of Polytheism down, so I set my sights thataway.
It's not long before I get the price down, at least to a point where Poly can be purchased. It's expensive, but it will let me get started on ToA, and sell it on the other continent. The fact that Sumeria beat me to it somewhat reduces Poly's value to me, as I'm no longer able to draw an SGL off it.
Immediately after the trade the Sumerians start the ToA. Maybe I'll use my SGL for that.
In 1200 BC, the Koreans start the Pyramids.
In 1175 BC, Aabraxa finishes the Pyramids.
Now for the moment of truth . . . what will the cascade be like? Turns out, there's not one.
Looking at the Wonders available to me (ToA, GLib, Oracle and Mausolleum), I decide to burn the SGL on the ToA. It costs the most, so I get the most shields/SGL available. Besides, I'm the only one with access to the GLib, so I may still be able to grab that. As for the Oracle and Mausolleum, I don't know. They're low-shield, low-culture wonders. I may try to grab one of them, too, but I think I should pin down the big ones first.
I think that's a good start on a 20K game. I don't think this is anywhere close to HOF-class playing, but at 1150 BC, Aabraxa is generating 17 culture per turn, and CA2 says that it could hit 20K in 2331 AD at current rates.
Comments?
Now that I have Engineering, I can go back and plant some forests around Aabraxa. However, it's late, and I think I've built all the culture that I can for the day. Here's a save. Take a look and tell me what you see.
