We are the chosen, the noble, the Andori (a Tides of Crimson story)

[tomma]

[Tides of Crimson]
The Andori are coming​

Mod: Tides of Crimson Version 2.92 (by haluu)
Modmod: C3X r13 (by Flintlock)

World size: Normal (12 Civs)
Krogs: Random (Barbarians)
Map: Pangaea 80% Water
Climate/Temperature/Age: Random

Choose your race: Andori
Your rivals: Random
AI Aggression: Normal
Difficulty: Sid
Rules: Default Rules

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After another hiatus, I finally have some days of free days for playing TOC again. Just astonishing how haluu is continuing to support this mod and how far it came. More factions, more gameplay opportunities, every game is just unique. I have played every faction from this mod so far on Sid (with 3-5 of them even going into the endgame),, so that says everything about how unique this mod is and also how much efforts went into it getting balanced.

I have left the settings all on default, but chose pangaea (so that there will be epic and meaningful faction wars) and 80% water (in order to not have too much land, and thus more interesting conflict, duh)

As my faction, this time I have chosen to play as the Andori (which I haven't played so far), as they are the latest addition in the version 2.92 .

Hopefully I can go a full length of playthrough before the new 3 comes out

Spoiler :

 

[tomma]

The Crash

As the Andori ship crash-lands on the planet's surface, the Andori are faced with the task of surviving in this new, unfamiliar world.
With the ship heavily damaged, the Andori must rely on their ingenuity to repair it and make it operational again. Psimaster Taldar, as the sole survivor of the commanding class, directs his followers to begin salvaging the materials from the wreckage and to go scavenging for resources. With limited supplies and the functionality of the ship out of order, the Andori must rely on their own abilities and knowledge to build structures and gather resources. An sole waywatcher unit survived the crash and is send out to explore the surrounding area and scout out potential threats and resources.

Turn 0 //

Turn 1-3 // We start in a plain, with wheat, horses and a korg hut in the vicinity. The Andori start out with a pretty powerful but immobile 3-range orb cannon, so we just settle in that spot. The waywatcher gets some useless map and is then sent east to explore further.
Our first goal is to research the Mysticism tech, because this allows use to see and use the Andori own resource Agatte, which will be important for many units, buildings, etc... Because we play in Sid difficulty and do not have any strong research, just put the tech slider at 10% to get it in 50 rounds guaranteed.

Spoiler :

 

[tomma]

The Encounter

The waywatcher unit reports back to Psimaster Taldar with a mix of curiosity and disdain upon meeting two indegene factions. Despite seeing them as inferior due to their primitive technology, however, the Andori recognize the potential benefits of trade with these factions and proceed to engage in negotiations.

Turn 4 // We get pretty lucky and spot the Skaven and Amazonians, just short before they meet each others. So get the advantage to trade techs with them.

Skaven give pottery - we give ceremonial burial, 76 gold
Amazonians give farming, 103 gold - we give mining
Also popped another goodie hut, another useless map instead of the needed gold. but at least it showed another faction

Turn 5 // We meet the Hobbits (very weak, so very good for us) and trade some tech.
Hobbits give Woodworks - we give Ceremonial Burial, 128 gold

Turn 6-9 // As the route east is blocked by a coast line, we send our waywatcher to the north, where we spot some Mountain Dwarves and Goblins (both which have some weak starting units, so hopefully we can exploit that). We do another round of tech trading.

Mountain Dwarves give Masonry, 3 gold - we give Woodworks
Skaven give 15 gold - we give 1 gold per turn
Hobbits give Warrior Code - we give Masonry, 39 gold
Goblins give 335 gold - we give Warrior Code

Turn 10 // Our borders are expanding because of culture, and oh there are some korgs where we test our orb cannon out. it proved to be very effective

Spoiler :

 

[tomma]

The Conflict

Upon meeting the High Elves and the Osiri, the Andori are met with arrogance and disdain due to their belief misguided in their own superiority as a race. Despite the Andori's advanced technology and knowledge, the High Elves and Osiri refuse to acknowledge their equals, much less accept them as superiors. The Andori view this behavior as an affront to their own intelligence and capabilities, and tensions begin to rise between the two factions.

Turn 20 // Some trading between friends
Skaven give Iron working - we give 365 gold, 3 gold per turn
Goblins give 128 gold, 2 gold per turn - we give Iron working

We declare war on the high elves and Osiri, because as sheldon says it, they are in our spot.
Some nice shot from the orb cannon and finishing off with the newly finished Xoltar unit provides us with some sweet donkeys (worker slave unit) to work for us.

Turn 24 // Getting free worker units free of charge is sooooooo nice, let's also eclare war on the amazonians to get more of them (and hope too much warring does not fire back on us )

Spoiler :

 

[tomma]

The Expansion

The Andori, having secured the position of settlement previously claimed by the Osiri and High Elves, name their new settlement "Zeritol", a name reflecting their pride and confidence in their new home. The Andori work to establish their presence in the area, constructing advanced infrastructure and using their superior technology to fortify the important area to hinder the other factions from explorind and expanding. The Andori remain steadfast in their conviction that their claim to the land is the rightful one, and force encroaching High elves and Osiri to submission. The Amazonians however refuse to give up and continue to send raiding units to disrupt and destroy the Andori's improvements around Xel'ender. The Andori, unwilling to tolerate such aggression, quickly mobilize their defenses and engage the Amazonian raiders in battle. Through their advanced technology and superior tactics, the Andori are able to repel the Amazonian attacks and establish a secure perimeter around their settlement.

Turn 29 // We bombard and then kill another High elven protector and capture more free worker unit

Turn 30 // Built a new city "Zeritol" in the northwest of us, only three spots afar. With an ivory and stones and a lot of mountains and jungles (which we will clear later, but now leave it as that to hinder any foreign units trying to pass through)

Also some more trading:
Mountain Dwarves give Ballistics, 10 gold - We give Iron working
High elves give 38 gold for peace
Osiri give peace for 20 gold

Turn 31-38 // The Amazonians send some units to raid and destroy our improvements around Xel'ender and get some bombaring and killing from us in return.

Spoiler :

 

[tomma]

The Invasion

The small and weak Hobbits had the audacity to make a demand for some gold, and when their request was refused, they foolishly declared war on the Andori. Taldar was both amused and affronted by this turn of events. How could such a weak and insignificant race dare to challenge the might of the Andori, with all their advanced technology and military prowess? Taldar knew that the Hobbits were no match for the Andori in terms of military strength, but he also recognized the importance of sending a clear message to any faction that dared to challenge the Andori's authority. He quickly mobilized his forces and launched a swift and offensive strike against the Hobbits.

Turn 40 // Amazonians build the great wonder "Walls of Esengar".

Turn 41 // The Hobbits demand 35 gold, and when refused, they declare war on us .
Chaos Dwarven build the Great Wonder "Margonis Peak".

Turn 42 // In order not to have two war fronts, we offer the Amazonians peace. And also nab Mathematics in the process.
We trade Mathematics and 83 gold to the Dark Elves for Mysticism (which we already have been researching for a long time, but a speedup of 10 turns is still helpful)

Turn 43-46 // Sending some units to attack the Hobbits city of Trolshows. Because of their low defence + hitpoints, we are gradually chipping away at their garrison.

Spoiler :

 

[tomma]

The Setback

The Andori were eagerly anticipating synthesising Agatte, a crystal absolutely necessary for unlocking their powerful powers. However, after exploring every inch of the terrain they had charted thus far, the Andori were dismayed to find that there was no trace of the elusive resource. Psimaster Taldar, frustrated by this setback, ordered his researchers to redouble their efforts in finding the Attade resource, knowing that it was essential for the Andori's continued growth and advancement. Realizing that their efforts to explore new territories had not yet led to the discovery the Andori also set out to intensify their trade relationships with the various factions they had encountered in the hopes of finding more clues about the resource and where it could be found.

Turn 47 // We build our first Orb Core (Andori-specific small wonder, which acts as a barracks but also provides culture) in Zeritol and so get some culture for expansion. The Goblins build the Great Wonder "Hope's Temple" (we want that, added to the conquest list) and the Hobbits build Great Wonder Tidefall Castle (also added to the conquest list).

Also some more trading
Mountain Dwarves give Horseback Riding - We give Mysticism, 224 gold
Skaven give Currency, 74 Gold - We give Horseback Riding
High Elves give Steel, 31 Gold - We give Currency, Ballistics
Mountain Dwarves give 226 Gold - We give Steel

Spoiler Our first orb core :

 

[tomma]

The Conquest

The Andori triumphantly conquered the city of Trolshows from the hobbits, inflicting only minimal losses on their own forces. The city, nestled in the heart of a mountain range, is a remarkable sight to behold. The towering peaks surrounding the city provide natural barriers against potential invaders, making it an ideal location for a fortified settlement. Moreover, the city itself is built around fertile grasslands and floodplain, with lush fields and rich soil providing ample opportunities for agriculture. Although the city was originally designed as a mining settlement, the Andori quickly realized its agricultural potential and began to focus on expanding its farming capabilities. With the construction of irrigation systems and the implementation of advanced farming techniques, the city soon became a major producer of food, not only for its own citizens but for neighboring settlements as well.

Turn 48-51 // After some hit and runs, we have finally conquered Trolshows from the Hobbits with minimal losses (only lost one Xoltar during the siege). The new city does not have any resources (yet), but some flood plains so this will probably be the city where we push out any population needy units.

Spoiler Commemorating the loss of our first unit :

Spoiler Commermorating our first conquered city :

 

[Toxicman007]

Always nice to see a Tides of Crimson story. Never played it myself but looks great! But the images in your first post won't load

 

[tomma]

I can highly recommend to play some rounds of TOC. It's just a completely different experience than normal C3C or even with other mods.

 

[need my speed]

One comment about your write-up; I am reading words, but I am not understanding them. Could you make your story comprehensible to people who have never heard of Tides of Crimson?

And shouldn't it be 'Trollshaws'? https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Trollshaws

 

[tomma]

One comment about your write-up; I am reading words, but I am not understanding them. Could you make your story comprehensible to people who have never heard of Tides of Crimson?

And shouldn't it be 'Trollshaws'? https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Trollshaws

Thank you for your suggestion. Always happy to improve on it (maybe share an example, where it is more comprehensible?) but I generally assume that the readers generally understand how Civ works playwise.

If you mean to get a better understanding of the mechanics, you can always refer to the main thread of Tides of Crimson, the creator of this mod has compiled an extended help/guide for new players.

Regarding the spelling, TOC should not be a 1-to-1 adaption of LOTR, so name/spelling differences are neglectable.

 

[need my speed]

Turn 47 // We build our first Orb Core in Zeritol and so get some culture for expansion. The Goblins build "Hope's Temple" (we want that, added to conquest list) and the Hobbits build Tidefall Castle (added also to conquest list).

For example, I have no idea what an Orb Core, a Hope's Temple, or a Tidefall Castle is.

 

[tjs282]

The first is an SW unique to the Andori, which acts as a Barracks and also allows building Orb Cannons: immobile tower-defence type bombard-units (BRF=13.3.2, requires resource "Agatte", costs 2 popheads) also unique to the Andori race.

The other two are Great Wonders. Hope's Temple is a Religious GW, providing local Happiness and also increasing the power of Shrines (=Temples), similar to Oracle in the epic game. Tidesfall is Rel+Mil, increases a town's defence by 50% independent of Walls, and autoproduces a Bolt Spell (= Cruise missile-type unit, zero maint., BRF=30.8.5) every 25 Turns

 

[tomma]

@need my speed In hindsight, yes good point, I can now see how non-players would be confused hearing about these names without context. I'll have this in mind.

Thank @tjs282 for the explanation.

 

[tomma]

The affront

Taldar was outraged when he received news that the Mountain Dwarves were demanding tribute from the Andori, either submit or face consequences. How dare these inferior races! That was an insult to the Andori's honour and dignity, and he was determined to show them the consequences of challenging the might of the Andori. He ordered the battle units to mobilize and destroy the incoming dwarven and began also devising strategies to conquer the dwarves and claim their lands.

Turn 52 // The Mountain Dwarves demand 52 gold, and when refused, declare war and march on to Zeritol.

Turn 53 // Dark Elven build the great wonder "The Clafestian Mounds"

Turn 54 // We make peace with the hobbits (blackmailed also 400 gold out of them) in order to concentrate our defence to repel the invading dwarven army.

Turn 55-59 // Fortunately the dwarves are a weak race (in the early game) and we destroy all units that come near our cities.

Turn 60 // We build the small wonder "Granary" in Xel'ender, which will continuously provide us with some wheat (increasing a city pop +1).

Spoiler :

 

[tomma]

The surprise

As the dwarven invaders marched towards Zeritol, the Andori units swiftly formed defensive positions, ready for the incoming assault. The ground trembled under the weight of the heavily armored dwarves and their sharpened weapons glinted menacingly in the sunlight. The battle was intense, with both sides exchanging blows. However the Andori proved to be technologically superior, fired volleys of plasma, taking down dwarves left and right. Despite their initial numerical advantage, the dwarves were no match for the might of the Andori pushing back and forcing them to retreat. While the main army was defending against the invading dwarven army, the scouts reported an interesting development. It seems that a faction of Ethropa has simultaneously launched an attack on the dwarves, decimating the dwarven army in a brutal onslaught.

Turn 61-62 // In an ironic turn of events, we get some support from an unexpected side. The brooding Ethropa (e.g. the "Zerg" in our game come to our support.

Spoiler Help from an unexpected side :

 

[tomma]

The infestation

While the northern front got some relief, the scouts reported a new threat on the horizon. A horde of rat-like creatures, known as the Skaven have nested themselves in the south and are now their aggression. Their numbers are overwhelming, and their fangs seem laced with a deadly poison. It becomes clear that the Andori cannot fight both on multiple fronts. Taldar issued a command to negotiate a peace treaty with the Dwarves, in order to focus on the new threat. The Andori army prepares to face the Skaven, hoping to hold them off until a diplomatic solution can be reached. Behind the scenes, Taldar continued to ambassadors trading with other factions to establish diplomatic relations, ensuring that the other factions did not exploit the situation and stab them in the back. This also helped the Andori gain access to valuable resources and technologies that they could not acquire on their own.

Turn 63 // It is like a snowball effect where one after another demand tribute. This time the Skaven have declared war on us, after we refused their demand for 79 gold.

Turn 64 // We make peace with the Mountain dwarves and also get 89 gold as compensation.

Also a lot of trading:
Hobbits give Animal Husbandry - We give 698 gold
Amazonians give Writing - We give Animal Husbandry, 9 Gold
Ethropa give Inundation - We give Writing, 6 Gold
Goblins give Premonition, 111 Gold - We give Inundation, Writing

Spoiler :

 

[haluu]

[Tides of Crimson]
The Andori are coming​

Mod: Tides of Crimson Version 2.92 (by haluu)
Modmod: C3X r13 (by Flintlock)

World size: Normal (12 Civs)
Krogs: Random (Barbarians)
Map: Pangaea 80% Water
Climate/Temperature/Age: Random

Choose your race: Andori
Your rivals: Random
AI Aggression: Normal
Difficulty: Sid
Rules: Default Rules

------

After another hiatus, I finally have some days of free days for playing TOC again. Just astonishing how haluu is continuing to support this mod and how far it came. More factions, more gameplay opportunities, every game is just unique. I have played every faction from this mod so far on Sid (with 3-5 of them even going into the endgame),, so that says everything about how unique this mod is and also how much efforts went into it getting balanced.

I have left the settings all on default, but chose pangaea (so that there will be epic and meaningful faction wars) and 80% water (in order to not have too much land, and thus more interesting conflict, duh)

As my faction, this time I have chosen to play as the Andori (which I haven't played so far), as they are the latest addition in the version 2.92 .

Hopefully I can go a full length of playthrough before the new 3 comes out

Spoiler :

Just found this, will read through it. Nice!!!

 

[haluu]

Also, it's Krogs not Korgs that are the barbarian units in ToC.