WOTM 71 - Elves vs Vampires (Monarch, starts 7 Dec)

[DynamicSpirit]

WOTM 71: Elves vs Vampires!

The vampires want to destroy Christmas (and do nasty things like eat people too). Can you stop them? You are Rudolf the Red Nosed War Chariot Reindeer. You, Father Xmas, and Santa's chief of Elven security, Pepper Minstix, are all locked into war against the nasty, vicious, vampires - Spike, Drusilla, and - worst of all - Angel.

Because Father Christmas and Pepper Minstix want to protect you, they both start between you and the vampires. So you can probably avoid actual fighting for quite a while if stay near your starting area, but you might find you quickly run short of land if you do that. Obviously, you cannot declare war against your two allies.

Game settings:
Playing as: Rudolf of Egypt
Rivals: 5 AIs
Difficulty: Monarch
Starting Era: Ancient
Speed: Normal
Options: No barbarians, Permanent alliances, No changing war-peace, No goody huts
Victory Conditions: All enabled

Map settings:
Map: Surprise!
World Wrap: Cylindrical
Mapsize: Worldsize_standard
Climate: Climate_tropical
Sea level: Sealevel_medium


Rudolf is Spiritual and Creative (which both seem rather appropriate for an Xmas game), and you start with The Wheel and Agriculture.

The Spiritual trait gives no anarchy and double production speed of Temple

The Creative trait gives +2 culture/city each turn and double production speed of Colosseum, Library and Theatre

Unique unit: War Chariot (replaces Chariot)
The War Chariot benefits from: base strength = 5, and immune to first strikes. This compares with the Chariot which has: base strength = 4, and not immune to first strikes.

Unique Building: Obelisk (replaces Monument)
The difference between an obelisk and a monument in Warlords is that the obelisk lets you run two priests - useful if you want to build a shrine, for example. Remember though that in Warlords, monuments and obelisks become obsolete with calendar.

Starting screenshot

This is the start of the game (click for a bigger image):




There are no adventurer or challenger saves for this game.

To Enter the Competition:

This competition will open at 00:01 am on 7 Dec 2015, server local time (UTC-6:00). From that date and time, you'll be able to get your chosen starting save >>>here<<<.

Submit the save after your victory (or defeat) here, by 15 Jan 2016.

Here is a link to a list of the differences between Vanilla, Warlords and BtS.

Software Versions

Windows: This game MUST be played in Warlords (NOT Civ4 Vanilla or Beyond the Sword), patched to version 2.13, and with the HOF mod version 2.13.003 installed. You can download the HOF mod here. Players using Windows Vista or Windows 7 are encouraged to read the notes on Vista fixes here.

If you have not installed BtS, you will need to update the relevant DLL files in order to match the Locked Assets checks. These are available here.**

Macintosh: This game MUST be played in Warlords (NOT Civ4 Vanilla or Beyond the Sword), patched to version 2.13, and with the Mac HOF mod version 2.13.001 installed. You can download the Mac HOF mod here.

While playing...

Remember - for your entry to be accepted, it MUST be your first attempt to play this game, and you MUST NOT replay any turns. If you make a mistake while playing, you have to live with it, learn from it, and carry on the game without replaying.

We will open 'spoiler' threads during the month for players to discuss what happens in their games. Do not discuss any details of your game outside those threads.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

By the way, in case anyone is wondering, GOTM 121 is on its way. We had a last minute change of mapmaker for that game which means it's a few days late.

 

[Deckhand]

Do we start out in Permanent Alliance with FX and PM? (i.e on same team?)

Guess the Civs:
Drusilla - Isabella
Angel - Napoleon
Spike - Julius Caesar or Ragnar (spikes on helmet)
Father Xmas - Brennus or Ragnar
Pepper Minstix - Elizabeth

Fish or Gold - how mean!

 

[DynamicSpirit]

No, you don't start out in permanent alliance, but the opportunity to form one later on is there (and I'm guessing that will be the easiest way to win a conquest or domination victory)

 

[Minou]

So we cannot declare war on Father Xmas and Pepper Minstix - but to be clear, can they declare on us?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

No, you are locked into permanent peace with Father Xmas and Pepper Minstix.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Just to clarify since there's obviously some confusion on this.

This game is set to permanent war-peace. That means that no civ can either declare war nor make peace [*]. If you start at peace with a civ, you remain at peace for the whole game. If you start at war with a civ, you remain at war for the whole game.

• The 'Santa' civs - you, Father Xmas, and Pepper Minstix - are all at peace with each other.
• The 'Vampire' civs - Spike, Drusilla and Angel are all at peace with each other.
• Every Santa civ is at war with every Vampire civ.

Games in which you are always at war have a reputation for being hard and long to play. In this case, however, the burden of the war against the vampires as shared amongst you and two AIs - which I believe should make this game much easier. As the starting post makes clear, your starting location is somewhat protected, since Father Xmas and Pepper Minstix start between you and the vampires.

Having said that, winning conquest or domination may take some thought. Permanent alliances are enabled, so you might be able to use those to achieve conquest, but I'm not sure whether the AIs will consent to permanent alliances when you are both at war with a 3rd civ.



[*] Unless anyone knows of some exploit by which that can be done, but I don't know of any way to do it.

 

[Dhoomstriker]

There might be trouble with making a Permanent Alliance if Pepper Minstrex and Father Christmas make one with each other before you make one with either of them.

That GRASSLAND Hills Gold Resource is such a tease. Warrior moves 1SW to the G Riv to reveal a bit more of the water.

i. Assuming that there's another seafood Resource revealed, then settling to get it plus the Gold is probably the way to go. So, assuming more barren waters...

ii. Settling 1E on the P For looks to be better slightly than in-place, trading 1 Ocean for a Coast, and 2 Coasts for land squares that may contain Resources

iii. I'd probably only consider settling on the WET Rice if there was a seafood Resource to the west

iv. On the G Riv that is 1N of the G Riv Rice still leaves room for a later Fish City and gets the Gold Resource plus 2 Food Resources within our big fat cross

v. On the G For that is 1W of the Gold and 2N of the Rice also gets us 2 Food Resources and the Gold Resource within our big fat cross, plus the Dye Resource for later, while leaving room for a City to grab both seafood Resources. We're also Coastal, so we can build Work Boats for the seafood City, and we're encouraged to unlock Animal Husbandry early on, to reveal our Horse Resource

I don't like settling 1N on the G Riv For or 2N on the other G Riv For, as both locations prevent the Fish Resource from being used by any City (at least not on this side of the water, which often translates into never being usable).

 

[LowtherCastle]

I don't own a copy of Warlords any more, but I would focus on REXing as close to the AIs as possible, since we're threatened with having only a little space. Settling to include the cows gives max hammers at pop3 without having to tech Fishing or build wbs, so settlers get built sooner.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Spoilers are now up!

 

[LowtherCastle]

Another strategy might be to settle at Rice-1N and build cottages, focusing on research more than massive REX. Beeling Writing for OBs and build a lightning rod hill city beyond your allies to draw enemy attacks. Gift that city to the more aggressive of your allies after building walls in it. Maybe even gift a copy powerful units, as needed.

Then get your allies up to friendly asap for teching synergy. Go for an appropriate advanced war unit and then conquer the enemies.

 

[Deckhand]

How could we get an earliest Conquest (before Permanent alliances) victory by getting our allies to each be defeated and then conquering the vampires?

Can this be done?

 

[LowtherCastle]

How could we get an earliest Conquest (before Permanent alliances) victory by getting our allies to each be defeated and then conquering the vampires?

Can this be done?

You could focus on culturally taking away your allies' cities, for one. The rest is pretty tricky. Try to keep them as small as possible with your REX or take away their best hammer sites. Don't help them techwise. All in all, a pretty risky strategy probably, considering you have two solid allies for tech trading.