Whole Empire challenge

[ijnavy]

I don't know how you guys do it. I lose 90% of the fights I am in. No matter what unit I use against whatever unit I fight, I mostly lose. I would never be able to get an empire like that. In fact, I once had a warrior (with no promotions) defeat 5 of my Praetorians. Sucked greatly.

That's very strange, I would say impossible.

 

[Lokolus]

Here is my try for the Macedonian Empire. notice that the first picture is for the historical date and the second one for the full empire.

 

[s09119]

If you want to see cultural boundaries, you can just click the culture icon when you are looking at the globe view.

I know, but that's always so messy...

 

[ijnavy]

Alexander never went as far as Delhi, he just got to the Indus.

 

[King Coltrane]

and he founded alexandria in egypt, not Kyrene...

impressive though

 

[ijnavy]

I don't know if he can hold it all with -42 gold and 0% research.

 

[mushyman]

and he founded alexandria in egypt, not Kyrene...

Actually, according to wikipedia he founded a whole slew of Alexandria's

Anyway, here's my try at the Macedonian empire on Monarch. As per Lokolus, first two pics are at the historical date, the third is full empire - Calendar added via WB to verify date. I was going to leave Delhi since as mentioned Alexander didn't reach it, but Lahore looked pretty dumb surrounded by Indian culture so I bit the bullet - maybe I should have razed it, lol. I was hoping to found Alexandria as well, but didn't start building the Settler until way too late

Some amazing luck gifted me Babylon when it became apparent that they had ignored the copper for once and it was defended by just a warrior! In fact I think a more skilled player would maybe be able to get the whole empire in time, as my workers mucked around building improvements instead of roads, and I had a harder time with Persia than necessary - turns out Phalanxes only get bonuses against Immortals on defence!

 

[Úmarth]

Yeah there were Alexandria's founded as far as India. Who would've though that Alexander was a bit of an egomaniac?

 

[Lokolus]

Who would've though that Alexander was a bit of an egomaniac?

Yeah, who thought that "Alexander the Great" was a megalomaniac?

 

[King Coltrane]

true, alexandrias were founded everywhere... as a matter of fact EVERY city he founded was named alexandria... and just to add onto the megalomaniac bit... who would guess that a guy who fashioned himself the son of Zeus and accepted the title of Pharaoh could be so crazy about himself?!

 

[ijnavy]

Yeah, he probably was a bit megalomaniac. From Wikipedia:
Alexandria, Egypt; Iskandariya, Iraq; Alexandria Asiana, Iran; Alexandria in Ariana, Afghanistan; Alexandria Bucephalous, Pakistan; Alexandria of the Caucasus, Afghanistan; Alexandria on the Oxus, Afghanistan; Alexandria of the Arachosians, Afghanistan; Alexandria on the Indus, Pakistan; Alexandria Eschate, "the Farthest", Tajikistan; Alexandria on the Latmos, Turkey; Alexandria Troas, Turkey; Alexandra Nicaea, Pakistan; Alexandria ad Issum, Turkey; Alexandria (Merv), Turkmenistan; Alexandrupolis, Greece; Alexandria on the Hyphasis, Pakistan; Alexandria in Susiana, Iraq.

 

[The Q-Meister]

How's the stability going for those 2 Greek Empires? Do you think you can do a little better than Alex and hold on to'em?

 

[mushyman]

I've not carried on with this myself - this was mostly an irresistible diversion to studying

I wasn't planning on taking it further to be honest, but I can certainly give it a go if you'd like me to. Might be a bit tricky, my tech/economy decisions were not exactly based on attempting to hold on to an massively overstretched, totally broke empire like this!

I fear the barbarians would be having their wicked way with me soon whatever happens, might be an uphill struggle keeping them at bay.

 

[ijnavy]

Can anyone do the Arab UHV?

 

[ijnavy]

Sorry, accidental post.

 

[The Q-Meister]

Yea I've done the Arabian UHV, so have others. I'm sure (in fact I know) there's a strategy guide for it on the wiki if you're interested. Basically, rush to Spain with a decent luck plus cannons and mercs you should do it. Now this is me personally here but I like to go to Delhi to get my 2 shrines (at least 1 is usually made for you already so you only to pop 1 in Mecca and that's it) And the 40% Islam might be tricky and may take awhile but the good news is you have all day to do it. One thing I did was to keep on checking the civics as the Euros love to use theocracy so when they switch that's a great time to rush some missionaries asap!

Hope it helps. The Arabian UHV is challenging but doable IMHO.

 

[The Q-Meister]

That's very strange, I would say impossible.

More information please. Was the warrior behind a heavily fortified city? Were your prats at full strength? If not, then I agree, that really does impossible. Heck even with the scenarios I stated above I'm not sure it's possible.

 

[ijnavy]

Off topic, but I just got this brilliant idea. What would happen if you are Rome and finished the UHV. Then, Spain spawns and you give you cities in Spain to another civ and your cities in France to Spain. When France Spawns, you give them London. Spain and France collapse and England goes to Scotland because they can't trade London because that is France's capital.

 

[AnotherPacifist]

Off topic, but I just got this brilliant idea. What would happen if you are Rome and finished the UHV. Then, Spain spawns and you give you cities in Spain to another civ and your cities in France to Spain. When France Spawns, you give them London. Spain and France collapse and England goes to Scotland because they can't trade London because that is France's capital.

Well, with the new patch you cannot gift capitals any more. That would have been a good idea (except I don't think that Louis will take London from the start). But the old strategy still works after they've founded their capitals.
To quote Pacifist (since he's a brilliant guy, from one pacifist to another) in his addendum to the Roman wiki:

3. After 600 or thereabouts, after you've whipped all your cities to a 1 to 2 pop, you might want to give some of your cities to a civ that you know won't make much of your European colonies (I chose Egypt). Evacuate your troops, give it to him (who became friendly and sold me some techs for a song), and watch the barbarians rush in. (Too bad there's no autodestruct sequence, otherwise I would have destroyed them rather than give them to France or Spain). When Spain spawns, somehow it will accept your London as a city, so Isabella becomes pleased with you (important for later French conquest).

 

[mushyman]

I was convinced that it was possible to do better than my previous attempt... and I was right!

As before, Monarch difficulty, Calendar added via WB to verify date. There's no western Indian city, so no chance for further Indian adventures even though I'd captured Pura a couple of turns before the limit. I'm pretty happy that this represents well the extent of Alexander's conquest anyway.

Luck gifted me a barbarian chariot that wandered into my spawn area at the start, which proved invaluable at speeding up my conquest. I've now disbanded most of my army in a rather doomed attempt to keep down costs as I might carry this game on to see how it develops, but I fear my empire may be short lived