IMM Warlords is known to be as scary as BTS deity.
Well, given the weird start with ultimate silver popping everywhere, I had to use H'wachas for the first time ever. Serious, I'm not joking. I was startled with those pew pew pew and small fireworks.
Indeed, as I knew theoritically, H'wacha rules and even more if your neighbour is some roman leader with lots of iron plots.
Anyways, I wasn't convinced with getting that hill oasis at all and I was thinking about that blue circle in the OP picture, which turned out to be a different one in the game. Guess, the map maker destroyed some resource east. I was expecting a corn, but after playing a while, I realized that was dumb because on fantasy mapscript, bonuses don't spawn on their normal land.
I settled 1N as the intellectual blue circle proposed me (and some other hidden reasons of mine).
Got a "surprise, m-ther------ a la Doakes and won flat grass silver. Nice.
My warrior went south and stumbled on Izzy. From what I remembered of Warlords (like 2 years ago), on EMP, the AI gets a freebee worker. I suppose IMM AI gets more. I saw some 25% defensive archer. First thought, is the mapmaker trying to discourage agressive player? Nope with me, I'm a code diver and for some reason, I was almost sure that was an archer with a wrong script. I stole the worker and I got away. Mwuhaha. Me gusta.
Then I went Agri==>BW==>Wheel==>Pottery==>Hunting I think==>Writing==>Math==>Masonry
==>Construction (phants don't need HBR trolololo and anyways, H'wachas and siege units are overpowered on Warlords).
Why BW and Wheel?
Well, Wheel is weakly justified with Pottery intention but why BW. Well, on IMM, to get the AI to accept ceasefire/peace, you need war success and POWER. Well, I'm not in power to mass produce archers, but knowing Izzy delay habit of BW, then I got a surge of fake power and then I was able to ceasefire and abuse her again perversely. I got another slave.
I tried to oracle construction, but failed as the roman leader beat me to it. I went to Construction manually and crushed him badly.
You know what makes AI on Warlords weak somehow (but it seems they tech much better?):
urgency unit whipped is a concept introduced with BTS. Warlords AI don't spam units as hell!
Not to mention overpowered siege units.
I made peace with Augustus and went for Izzy. I got the Great Library (rushed with her GEngineer) and Mids.
I bribed Hanni the multiple personalities along me against her, but I'll have to remind myself that capitulation system in Warlords is utter crap. Good thing he only has 5 cities.
Victory goal: Don't really know. Domination?
