Adv 45 - darrelljs (Pyramids + Great Library)

[darrelljs]

I have a nasty habit of skimming the rules instead of reading the rules. It has bitten me before, and it bit me not once but twice this game. First, I didn't realize I could select a national wonder. Second, I found this out by discussing my selection with another player . I went with the Pyramids and The Great Library. I decided to go for a power combo and in my opinion the earlier you get the help the better. The better choice would have been Oxford and The Statue of Liberty. Even with one less specialist you are still ahead on beakers out the gate and you avoid a turn of anarchy. Anarchy actually turned out to be a good thing:



You can see I stuck with Worker first. Irrigated Corn is 6F, it would be silly to build a Work Boat for the 4F Clam tile first. My general plan is to beeline Mathematics and turn all those forests into Workers and Settlers. On turn 6 I meet Ramesses' Scout from the east, so he can't be that far way. Turn 7 and Mansa Musa's Scout shows up from the west . Doesn't look like we have much space to grow into. I was hoping for a nice fast space game but I guess not. On turn 10 my Scout pops a hut for 37 gold that Mansa somehow missed. On turn 11, I get really lucky:



Wow, a Great Engineer at 20% odds . I'm settling the first great person either way, and I'll gladly trade 3 beakers for 2 hammers. Worker is now due 2 turns earlier. After Bronze Working comes in and the Worker completes I revlot to Slavery. Next techs are The Wheel -> Pottery -> Writing -> Mathematics. On turn 17 my Scout (who is heading north) finds Louis. I'm past the point where I worry about exploiting the AI:



Back at Carthage, I had used one forest to chop my way into a Granary whip at size 3 (didn't make sense to wait for Mathematics on that one). I whipped another Worker, two Work Boats and two fog busting Warriors with no concern for the happiness cap. The Workers pre-chopped forests while waiting for Mathematics to come in. On turn 32 a Great Scientist was born who went to an Academy and Mathematics comes in on turn 34. Here is Carthage one turn later:



I chop out a Settler and then Stonehenge (with a triple pop whip of a second Settler). Tech path was Hunting -> Animal Husbandry -> Archery -> HBR and I build a pair of Numidian Calvalry. This map is nice in that I can really guard my borders with just a few units. Here I am at turn 60:



That Great Scientist is settled. You can see the forests are gone. You can also see in the mini-map that I'm up to five cities . I don't believe I've ever hit five cities that fast, but all those chops and whips have given me a ton of early hammers. The poblem is I only have four Workers. I whip a few more with overflow going into the Great Lighthouse. My brave scout makes one more discovery beforing biting the dust:



I think that's the last leader in the game. On turn 69 I complete the Great Library. The extra income and the new Workers mean its time for some more Settlers to grab some land to the west (Ramesses already settled up to my eastern border). Mansa unfortunately takes a barbarian city right between our respecitve borders. The good news is his unit is red lined in the process:



I raze the city, and the little wuss makes peace one turn later. I have a seal opportunity so I send my next Settler right up to his border. On turn 89, I get really lucky :



I had founded Confucianism on my way to Civil Service (holy city was on the border with Egypt) and at slight odds I get a Great Prophet! That's fantastic news, I go ahead and pick up Monotheism after Civil Service and double revolt into Organized Religion and Bureaucracy. Carthage churns Missionaries (it go the free one), still finding time to build the Mausoleum of Maussollos. Here is an overview shot from 1 A.D.:



Carthage is kicking it



I plan on whipping a round of Confucian Temples the turn before the Apostolic Palace comes in. I'm up to 14 total cities, with one more planned for the little island that borders Egypt (picks up Silk and two seafood). I am teching towards Education for Oxford in Carthage, with a plan to sling Democracy. I have a lot of immature and yet to be built Cottages. Tech wise, the AIs are just sad :



Early game I only picked up Buddhism, Priesthood and Monarchy via trade. The pace quickened as I was able to trade for Aesthetics, Construction, Feudalism, Machinery and Optics by 660 A.D. I discover Liberalism in 720 A.D. and take Democracy. I build the Taj Mahal to fire off a Golden Age to let Carthage speed up the Statue of Liberty (and burn half a Great Engineer). I also revolt to Free Speech/Emancipation, and by the end of the Golden Age Universal Suffrage/Free Market. Tech wise after Democracy its a fast beeline for Astronomy. I had troops, Settlers, Missionaries and Workers all ready to go (as well as 3 Galleys to cash upgrade to Galleons). I nailed every single city spot in the middle islands before the AIs even had Astronomy . After Astronomy I go for Medicine to found Sid's, then Railroad to found Mining, Inc. Both of these obviously went in my Dong Miao city, where I cash rushed Wall Strett. I'm cash rushing like crazy, I love the speed it gives me.

It was at this point I noticed I lacked Coal. Both my neighbors had it, but both were vassals. I decided to go for Mansa since his cities were poorly garrisoned. I use a Great Engineer to rush Ironworks in Carthage, use a Great Scientist to fire off anotehr Golden Age, spend some time in Nationalism to draft a bunch of Rilfes while building Cannon in Carthage. Mali fell quickly:



I then flip a few outdated techs (by my standards) to Rome for peace. Its mop up now. I spend a lot of time spreading my corporations arounds. Its sick how fast the island cities become productive. Build wonders, tech space techs, fend off an attack from France, build spaceship, launch in 1720 A.D.:



Win in 1770 A.D.:



Final replay screenshot:



Other than the Coal war, it was a nice fast game. Carthage was sick:



Final wonder list:



All those little island cities were getting +20F and +14H to start with. Of course, the flip side is the corporate expenses add up fast:



My cash city almost pays for the inflation:



Darrell

[T-hawk]

Holy crap, 13 cities by 1 AD? And that's with only research wonders, not production? Well, the settled GPs were production, and Rep is indirect production in its happiness allowing more whips.

I wanted to play your game - build densely with coastal cities and use Sushi to speed to space. Didn't have time this month after the two other games. Now I don't have to. 1770 AD is excellent, I think that might well hold up as tops.

I never noticed the player's area lacked coal. (My two shadow games didn't reach Steam Power ) So don't blame me, blame the map script.

[Swiss Pauli]

I think the REP happiness was an important plus for the Pyramids-Great Library combo, given the relative lack of happy on the map and the limited opportunity to trade in happy resources from the AIs.

[darrelljs]

Very true Swiss...between that and early Mathematics I had great production. I haven't read anyone else's report but the date "felt" good .

Its also worth noting that this map allows considerably less military to fend off the barbs than most. That was really important for an early expansion paradigm (and our UU was particularly useful in this regard).

T-Hawk, by production wonder I guess you mean The Kremlin?

Darrell

[novice]

Come, now. Did you really have to embarass me by outexpanding my kremwhipped empire? That is truly impressive.

[darrelljs]

Well I whipped forr Numidian Calvary and stopped there for quite some time...whereas you whipped the Horde of Doom .

Darrell

[regoarrarr]

Didn't you get coal on one of the islands? Very nicely played - I had a better early game I think but you crushed me mid to late

[darrelljs]

Didn't you get coal on one of the islands?

Err...maybe? It is quite possible I had Coal and didn't even notice it, I probably only looked at my ring cities .

Darrell