VQ02 - Predetermined City Placement

Well you and I vote yes then, but I'm going to try to take it first. I'm only on my second turn (got interrupted by RL - who does RL think it is anyway?), and ghandi is bombing down the defenses. Its no easy task to take at 50% defense and two longbows. I'll let them (hopefully) sacrifice their units and then I can wait until its size two...
 
IT:

Everything looks fine, we should be ok on units for now. I'll let the pikes finish, then mix in some maces and longbows if needed.

Turn 1 (1555AD):

We defend and win against a knight. We really need some attack units, Wish we had guilds. In fact, I change research to guilds. Why? Because three other civs have education and better tech output - very low chance of us getting liberalism before them - we still have 6 turns left on education alone. We could use the knights now to attack some of the pillaging units.

Turn 2 (1560AD):

Ok, I've been getting much better at war, but this is rediculous...

sod6cr.jpg


This is in addition to all the other units scattered abroad. Because we have no knights, I can't really attack out of the city. Farms are getting pillaged, culture defenses are getting reduced, and stacks of units keep coming. Lets hope I can get peace soon. Vicky still refuses to talk.

I make a crucial decision, that hurts but needs to be done. I switch to vassalage and theocracy.

Even if it only benefits new units, we can use all the xp we can get. I move the settlers and great artists out of the border cities in case it gets real bad.

Nice, it looks like Mansa wants a crack at the barbs too. My only hope is that they DO raze it and that it doesn't turn size 2. I'm not attacking just in case it grows and I can sneak it out from under their feet.

barbstack0rm.jpg


Turn 3 (1565AD):

Vicky still won't talk, but the SoD is still one tile away. If she won't do peace next turn, we're in for it.

Speaking of being in for it, Washington has Military Tradition, Constitution, and PP. Folks, thats called a runaway civ in my book.

Turn 4 (1570AD):

I lost count of the units that attacked, but we didn't lose any cities...yet. The barb city was razed. We got pillaged a ton - starting to look like a wasteland. How did all this happen? Its called being behind in tech because we started with 100% plains on a map that we had no choice of city placement. I love varients!!

There are still 4 health maces and 3 knights and an Xbow outside Antium - which only has one healthy longbow. Things aren't looking good for Antium...

Vicky still won't talk!! I didn't want to have to do it, but switch Rome off Taj. We need units bad!!

Turn 5 (1575AD):

Somehow, Antium survives despite bad pRNG. The bad news is that all thats left is one pikeman at 1.8. Even though we will have another longbow there next turn - we've all but lost antium.

Normally I don't get too upset when I lose a city, but I am now because there is no way to get it back. Our units are just too backward.

Vicky still won't even talk!! Ghandi is pleased with +8, but "doesn't like us enough" to attack vicky.

Now that I think about it, I should have went to no religion a few turns ago and maybe she would have talked, but no crying over spilled milk. Doh!! I pull my first true :smoke: of the turnset and forget that while in anarchy, I may not get the longbow that was due - that means we will definitely lose Antium.

Turn 6 (1580AD):

And we lose Antium. Sorry. I tried everything I could, but there were just too many more advanced units. We needed knights to stave it off. Their knights were even killing our pikes - WTH.

I hope I'm conveying this well. I'm over the city now - but still worried for the rest of the empire. We were heavily fortified at Antium. The rest of our cities well, er, suck on defense.

Turn 7 (1585AD):

Lose a worker. I can't keep track of where they are coming from now. I'll have to move the workers indoors or far away.

A look at the units:

milmap6nu.jpg


Turn 8 (1590AD):

Nationalism for Guilds when guilds is 4 turns away? I can't do that trade, and I don't think it will help us much at this point either. The ONLY thing that will save us is peace, and Vicky still won't talk.

Just so you know, every turn I have checked to see if anyone would join, and its red for ALL civs.

Turn 9 (1595AD):

Still no peace available. I've never seen a civ hold out this long without even talking.

Turn 10 (1600AD):

Tons of cats, pillaging, and knights around...

Almost every city is building units, but what do you build when nothing works anyway?

Power:

power1dy.jpg


Demos:

demos2ou.jpg



Comments:

- We're in serious trouble. Even if we survive we will have our hands full winning.
- There is an SoD in Antium, that will destroy at least one more city if it wants to. I don't see us losing too many cities just because of sheer distance - but don't quote me on that.
- We've been pillaged into the dark ages.
- We have outdated units (I'm sure vicky will have cavalry soon!)
- We are hopelessly behind in tech. Wouldn't be surprised to see grens and cannons soon.
- Our third culture city is gone - probably for the rest of the game.

Sorry to be so negative, but I've never seen a civ hold out this long. We can't do anything to

make her happy. And she is steamrolling us. We are friends with everyone else, but so is she (even if different religions).

I have no clue where to go from here.

Spoiler :

Turn 220 (1550 AD)
Neapolis finishes: Hindu Temple
Pisae finishes: Pikeman
Arretium grows: 4
Setia grows: 5
Pikeman defeats (4.08/6): English Knight

Turn 221 (1555 AD)
Neapolis begins: Maceman
Pisae begins: Longbowman
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Pikeman defeats (1.44/6): English Knight
Catapult loses to: English Maceman (8.00/8)
Pikeman promoted: Medic I
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Neapolis begins: Crossbowman
Research begun: Guilds
Praetorian promoted: Medic I
Antium finishes: Pikeman
Longbowman defeats (3.12/6): English Musketman

Turn 222 (1560 AD)
Antium begins: Maceman

Turn 223 (1565 AD)
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Pikeman promoted: Medic I
Arretium begins: Longbowman
Cumae begins: Longbowman
Circei begins: Longbowman
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Archer promoted: City Garrison I
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Ravenna begins: Longbowman
Antium finishes: Maceman
Arpinum grows: 12
Arpinum finishes: Hindu Temple
Longbowman defeats (6.00/6): English Catapult
Longbowman defeats (5.22/6): English Catapult
Longbowman defeats (3.12/6): English Knight
Pikeman defeats (4.44/6): English Knight
Pikeman defeats (1.56/6): English Knight
Pikeman defeats (2.76/6): English Knight
Pikeman loses to: English Knight (1.20/10)
Pikeman defeats (0.48/6): English Knight
Maceman loses to: English Knight (8.20/10)
Maceman defeats (2.56/8): English Musketman
Praetorian defeats (1.20/8): English Musketman
Longbowman defeats (5.22/6): English Musketman
Longbowman defeats (4.38/6): English Crossbowman

Turn 224 (1570 AD)
Antium begins: Longbowman
Arpinum begins: Longbowman
Maceman promoted: Combat I
Maceman promoted: Medic I
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison II
Pikeman promoted: Shock
Pikeman promoted: Medic I
Pikeman promoted: Medic I
Maceman promoted: Shock
Rome begins: Pikeman
Antium finishes: Longbowman
Neapolis finishes: Crossbowman
Pisae grows: 11
Pisae finishes: Longbowman
Longbowman defeats (4.20/6): English Catapult
Longbowman defeats (1.32/6): English Catapult
Pikeman defeats (0.60/6): English Knight
Longbowman defeats (3.00/6): English Musketman
Maceman loses to: English Knight (2.20/10)
Longbowman loses to: English Maceman (5.44/8)
Longbowman loses to: English Maceman (4.96/8)
Archer loses to: English Maceman (2.88/8)
Longbowman loses to: English Maceman (6.16/8)
Pikeman loses to: English Crossbowman (3.96/6)

Turn 225 (1575 AD)
Antium begins: Longbowman
Neapolis begins: Maceman
Pisae begins: Maceman
Pikeman loses to: English Crossbowman (4.80/6)
Hinduism has spread: Antium
Buddhism has spread: Antium
Confucianism has spread: Antium
Antium lost
Longbowman defeats (0.96/6): English Musketman

Turn 226 (1580 AD)
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison I
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison II
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison III
Crossbowman promoted: City Garrison I
Crossbowman promoted: City Garrison II
Arpinum finishes: Longbowman
Worker loses to: English Knight (10.00/10)

Turn 227 (1585 AD)
Arpinum begins: Crossbowman
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison I
Catapult promoted: Combat I
Praetorian loses to: English Knight (4.90/10)
Research begun: Military Tradition
Research begun: Guilds
Rome finishes: Pikeman
Cumae finishes: Longbowman
Neapolis finishes: Maceman
Ravenna finishes: Longbowman
Setia grows: 6
Worker loses to: English Knight (10.00/10)
Longbowman defeats (6.00/6): English Musketman

Turn 228 (1590 AD)
Neapolis begins: Maceman
Catapult promoted: Combat II
Maceman loses to: English Knight (2.30/10)
Catapult loses to: English Crossbowman (2.64/6)
Axeman defeats (1.10/5): English Crossbowman
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison I
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison II
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison I
Longbowman promoted: City Garrison II
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Pikeman promoted: Medic I
Cumae finishes: Pikeman
Pisae finishes: Maceman
Ravenna finishes: Pikeman
Setia finishes: Library
Longbowman defeats (6.00/6): English Catapult
Longbowman defeats (6.00/6): English Catapult
Longbowman defeats (6.00/6): English Maceman
Longbowman defeats (5.10/6): English Knight
Longbowman defeats (3.30/6): English Musketman
Maceman defeats (4.96/8): English Maceman
Maceman defeats (6.56/8): English Pikeman

Turn 229 (1595 AD)
Cumae begins: Pikeman
Pisae begins: Longbowman
Ravenna begins: Longbowman
Setia begins: Barracks
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Pikeman promoted: Combat II
Pikeman promoted: Combat I
Pikeman promoted: Medic I
Rome begins: Longbowman
Arpinum finishes: Crossbowman
Circei's borders expand
Longbowman defeats (5.10/6): English Catapult

Turn 230 (1600 AD)
Arpinum begins: Longbowman
Maceman promoted: Combat I
Maceman defeats (4.32/8): English Knight
Maceman promoted: Medic I
Longbowman promoted: Guerilla I


The Hopeless Save:

View attachment 118536
 
Nationhood, my dear firend, nationhood. Should have switched to Nationhood ... at time as difficult as this, experience is useless.

Also the settler should be moved just outside of the barb city so that when it is razed, we can move in and settle immediately.

Geez, we lost our cultual city ... :eek:

Things are looking all doomy and groomy ... I am afraid someone else might decalre on us too ... :cry:

-
 
Hmm, looks like I'm up... this isn't going to be fun...

I'll be playing later today... I have no idea how bad a shape we'll be in by the end of my turns...
 
Nationhood? That dosen't give experienced does it? I think you can draft units, but I still be we wouldn't have held the city more than another turn or two. Those knights were killing every unit type, including pikes.

We can still settle that barb city, but I was a bit preoccupied with keeping well established cities (I failed, of course).

I don't think anyone else will attack us now that we have no religion. It won't matter at all if we can't get peace soon.
 
Ok, played my turns... and we're still alive!

First things first... the war is over! Thankfully peace cost us nothing... and I lost no other cities during my turns.

In fact I was able to found one more city (in place of the barb city).

Turnlog:
Spoiler :

Turn 230 (1600 AD)
Rome finishes: Longbowman
Neapolis finishes: Maceman
Longbowman defeats (5.76/6): English Catapult
Longbowman defeats (2.64/6): English Maceman

Turn 231 (1605 AD)
Comment: I notice tha Mansa razed the barb city. I wake one of our settlers and send him to the site.
Axeman defeats (5.00/5): Barbarian Warrior
Neapolis begins: Hindu Mandir
Tech learned: Guilds
Pisae finishes: Longbowman
Ravenna's borders expand
Pikeman defeats (6.00/6): English Knight

Turn 232 (1610 AD)
Pikeman defeats (6.00/6): English Knight
Rome begins: Knight
Neapolis begins: Knight
Pikeman defeats (0.60/6): English Knight
Pikeman defeats (4.98/6): English Knight
Pikeman loses to: English Knight (5.80/10)
Research begun: Gunpowder
Pisae begins: Knight
Cumae finishes: Pikeman
Ravenna finishes: Longbowman
Arpinum finishes: Longbowman

Turn 233 (1615 AD)
Pikeman defeats (3.96/6): English Knight
Satricum founded
Pikeman defeats (3.84/6): English Knight
Pikeman loses to: English Knight (4.10/10)
Pikeman defeats (4.92/6): English Knight
Cumae begins: Knight
Ravenna begins: Catapult
Arpinum begins: Knight
Satricum begins: Theatre
Setia's borders expand
Longbowman defeats (5.34/6): English Catapult
Longbowman defeats (4.02/6): English Crossbowman
Maceman defeats (8.00/8): English Pikeman

Turn 234 (1620 AD)
Ravenna begins: Worker
Rome finishes: Knight
Arretium finishes: Longbowman

Turn 235 (1625 AD)
Rome begins: Heroic Epic
Pisae finishes: Knight
Circei finishes: Longbowman
Setia grows: 7

Turn 236 (1630 AD)
Pisae begins: Grocer
Neapolis finishes: Knight
Setia finishes: Barracks

Turn 237 (1635 AD)
Tech learned: Banking
Tech learned: Gunpowder
Circei's borders expand
Setia begins: Grocer
Research begun: Education
Neapolis grows: 12
Arpinum finishes: Knight

Turn 238 (1640 AD)
Knight defeats (10.00/10): Barbarian Warrior
Research begun: Education
Arpinum begins: Hindu Monastery

Turn 239 (1645 AD)
Arretium begins: Worker
Arretium begins: Granary
Ravenna finishes: Worker

Turn 240 (1650 AD)



I did a lot of picking off of Vick'y units. I ended up getting rid of most of her pillaging knights, we finally got some better RNG for our pikes.

There was some heavy bombardment of Circi, but the defenses held. I was a little worried. Ok, this may be unpopular with the rest of the group, but in the heat of the battles, I sent one of our Artists to Circi, and set off the culture bomb... Vicky's units only had to go one square to get to the city, and I just had to give it some breathing room. This also had the efect of basically choking Neopolis to death. It only has one square to work, and is pretty well starved off.

Finally on turn six I got Vicky to talk. I got a peace treaty straight up.

I don't know if we want to try to retake Neopolis at some point, or just let it starve to death...

If we're still thinking culture for our victory, we'd have to pick a new 3rd city...

cultures1fv.jpg


I'd vote for Pisea. It's third best now, and further off the front lines. I think we learned a lesson, do NOT use one of our border cities for the big 3.

Another think of note, one of Gahndi's cities is probably going to flip to us, soon:

culturebomb2vq.jpg


Remember this, it has to be razed. I HOPE this does not give us a "you razed our city" diplomaic penalty...

Also, we now have open borders with everyone, save Vicky of course. We still have a couple cities with no religion, and I was hoping we could somehow get a 4th religion spread to us.

Needless to say, there is a LOT of fixing up of our lands that needs to be done. The workers have been going nonstop, and I started building more. Circi has nothing improved... needs to get worked to be able to grow again.

Roster:

player 1: Maquis --- just played
player 2: bobrath --- Up
player 3: Greyfox --- on deck
player 4: eektor ---
player 5: oldbustedjorn ---

And the save (Not quite so hopeless now)

edit: The save was too big to upload to the forum (over 500k ???) You can get it from here: VQ02 AD-1650.zip
 
Turning around??? Hardly. We're in survival mode (imo)

I did hear war horns during my turnset... Fortunatly it was Saladin going after Gahndi (I have no idea why). I decided that since no one like Saladin and we were only getting Silver for Wine with him, that cancelling deals with him might make us less of an alternative. Two turns later he goes to war.

At the end of my turnset, we've got massive SoDs moving across/around/through our lands heading west to wipe out Saladin. Vicky has reduced her defenses in our city, Fredrick has two large groups heading west and it looks like Mansa Musa wants some too.

George went and emancipated his kids and that's causing some unhappy for us.

I traded techs with some of our backwards neighbors and managed to get Printing Press and Divine Right. Not the best trades, but it took some stuff off our path and improved relations with neighbors (checked to make sure none of them were hated by Vicky).

Switched civs near the start of my turns. OR/Bureac/Serf - faster improvements to help the pillaging, saved us some upkeep, and lets us spread bud again. I waited til all units were done being built tho. We may be a little understaffed on Military, but we need infrastructure badly. Plus our former southern city is still 0% English which means if we can keep the culture up... it might flip back to us - esp with the garrison gone.

Vicky is liked by most everyone... Gandhi is annoyed with her, but won't sign a defensive pact with us. If we can time it right, a conversion to Gahndi's state religion might help push him over the relationship edge with us... it will tick Vicky off something fierce tho - we are here worst enemy and she is furiuos with her. Next time we decide to take a piece of an enemy... lets make sure they are wiped out HARD. Taking just one town from Vicky and then having to pull for peace... we would have been better off returning the city to her!

Researching Chemistry to give us a chance against the next gunpowder based attacks (our castles and walls won't help as much in that case). Anything we can do to 1) prepare for the coming fight and 2) get someone on our side would be HUGE.

Dacca may or may not flip. Its borders popped so we lost the adjoining real estate.
civ4screenshot00048zq.jpg



The world as we know it...
civ4screenshot00052rr.jpg


Spoiler :

----------------------------New entries----------------------------
Turn 240 (1650 AD)
Cumae finishes: Knight
Arpinum finishes: Hindu Monastery

Turn 241 (1655 AD)
Cumae begins: Castle
Arpinum begins: Barracks
Ravenna finishes: Catapult

Turn 242 (1660 AD)
Ravenna begins: Buddhist Temple
User comment: Revolt to get faster workers, save a bit of cash, and get bldgs faster

Turn 243 (1665 AD)
Tech learned: Printing Press
Tech learned: Divine Right
User comment: I'm going to cancel silver for wine with saladin... no one likes him and we can lose some negatives.
Rome finishes: Heroic Epic
Pisae finishes: Grocer
Arpinum's borders expand
Arpinum finishes: Barracks

Turn 244 (1670 AD)
Rome begins: Bank
Pisae begins: Bank
Arpinum begins: Grocer
Tech learned: Education

Turn 245 (1675 AD)
Research begun: Chemistry
User comment: going Chemistry to give us a bit more defense .. just in case!
User comment: We aren't going to pop Dacca...
Arretium finishes: Granary

Turn 246 (1680 AD)
Arretium begins: Confucian Temple

Turn 247 (1685 AD)
User comment: little tech trading... get us breaking even on income

Turn 248 (1690 AD)
User comment: Saladin going after Gahndi!!!
User comment: got unhappy because someone (Washington) went and emancipted!
Rome finishes: Bank
Ravenna finishes: Buddhist Temple

Turn 249 (1695 AD)
Rome begins: University
Ravenna begins: Buddhist Missionary
Neapolis finishes: Hindu Mandir

Turn 250 (1700 AD)
Neapolis begins: Buddhist Missionary
User comment: Looks like everyone is jumping on Saladin... Lots of stacks moving his way


Even zipped, the save is a bit too big. Anyone got suggestions on 1) reducing the file size and 2) where I can put it?
 
The war with Vicky has really diminished half of our chances to bag a victory for this ... let's see how long we can survive and learn from here ...

good job, Maquis and Bobrath. I think the tech trading is necessary. When we are trailing, we have no choice but to trade at a slight disadvantage.

-
 
I meant turning around as in, "we actually have a chance to survive now."

I agree with GreyFox that the Tech Trading was necessary even if we didn't get the "best" trade possible. If we can stay even in tech, we at least have a shot at victory. If not, the AI won't trade and probably will attack us because we're weak.

The question is, should we try to get the city back or just pick a new culture city? I would say pick a new city because even if we can take that city, we can't afford (or possibly survive) another war with vicky.
 
The question is, should we try to get the city back or just pick a new culture city? I would say pick a new city because even if we can take that city, we can't afford (or possibly survive) another war with vicky.

I agree, that city is a loss, I have pretty much wrote it off already... our culture choked it to death, and I think it has already starved down to size 2. At this point, it will have lost all our culture (I'm sure it is 100% English by now)

Maybe if we are lucky, Antium will revolt back to us.

I don't think that will happen? I know I picked the default in the game settings for "no flip after capture" so I think that means it can't flip back to us? Anyone else can confirm?
 
Maquis said:
I don't think that will happen? I know I picked the default in the game settings for "no flip after capture" so I think that means it can't flip back to us? Anyone else can confirm?

Lurker Comment:
What that actually means is there is a certain amount of turns, I don't know how many, that a captured city cannot flip back to it's previous owner. Once those turns have elapsed the game no longer sees the city as captured, so it can once again flip. If I recall correctly, (it's only happened once for me), it takes a long time for the status to change from captured to normal.
 
ugh. Well, guess we have to go conquest then! Go go gadget .... everything!


On a sadder note, I'll be without Civ access until Friday. Still have forum access, but if my turn comes back up, I'll need to take a skip unless folks are willing to be generous!
 
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