WOTM29 - First Spoiler

[shyuhe]

Took the challenger save, but I totally forgot how awful aggressive AI is in warlords. It basically amounts to an "anti-human" setting since it just sets all of the AI to hate you. It also means that you'll have a hard time tech trading since you have to get the AI out of annoyed first And Ragner is a PITA since you need pleased to trade with him.

I ended up doing an early skirmish against Monty to take two of his cities - disconnected his copper using an impi so I only had to deal with archers. I settled my capital to grab the gold and a second city to grab the southern two coppers (wonderful production city). I ended up oracling feudalism of all things It actually turned out to be very useful since it gave me HR + vassalage early and with that, CR2 axes! The beginning of my game was a bit worrisome (awfully slow teching) but I think I have things under control now.

 

[Deckhand]

Oh what a miserable experience.

Spoiler :

My CD drive is broken. Get back from vacation. Replace drive with new drive. Start to play WOTM29. Move scout to gold. Decide to settle in place. Computer shutsdown. Restart computer, start game again, shutsdown again.
OK, no more WOTM until computer is working. It continues to power down autonomously after running for short periods.

OK, I buy a new computer. Load Civ versions. They don't load (error loading shader libraries). AGGHH
That was yesterday. Today they work (maybe an OS patch update fixed something ) .
Load HOF mods and follow HOF directions for Windows 7.
And now can't start game: says to load correct disc
Turn off compatibility mode. Now I can play!
Such a shame that so far, the game hasn't been fun for me.

Finally able to play.
Settled in place. Second city on south coast with fish and pigs.
Captured third city from barbarians: clams and sugar.
Built 4th city between gold and wheat.

0 AD, Ragnar DOWs, captures AND RAZES city 3.
I had an impi watching in the jungle but I forgot to check on him and stack of 1swordsman, 2 axemen, 1 spearman snuck thru and DOW'd at my border. D'oh, enough on his hands means something is coming (I was hopeing he knew someone to north where i hadn't been). We each lost about same number of units, but I lost a city.

Now, 500 AD and Monte just closed borders. He has dropped from cautious to annoyed and has a stack with elephants. jaguars and other "animals".

I have 3 cities, they each have many more. Maybe I could take on one, but both

This Agressive AI is almost like always war. No one will trade, so it is hard to make up for the AI advantages. Gave Monte alphabet as tribute and traded metalcasting to him for mathematics and change (only tech trades I made).

Built Oracle (metalcasting) and Collosus. Recently learned construction and have 1 cat built with 2 on the way. If Monte delays a few turns, I might survive.

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after posting, I read your posts.
OK, I'm not the only one having trouble. But I think I'm the only one with only 3 cities and the only one at war with Monte and Ragnar simultaneously (assuming Monte declares (which will probably be 505 or 510AD)). I feel a little better and will continue the game. Maybe I can build enough catapults to survive.