Bedeâs Report
Epic1
Victory: Diplomatic
Date:2039AD
Score: 8148
Honorable Rules of Engagement were violated very late in the game. I accepted an invitation from the Mongol to join in his final war with the Aztecs, despite the fact that up to that point my relations with the Khan were never even close to being âFriendly, had never been better than âCautiousâ, and I had fought two wars with him.
The Grumpy Old Monk (TGOM) of France is an honorable man and a leader of a fine people. He taught them how to farm the land and build roads for their wealth and welfare. He ordered his people move to the hill above the lake for the fresh breezes and the defensive bonus and there built his capitol. So they could take advantage of the fine lands surrounding them this wise ruler instructed his academicians to study all the arts of land and waters management so they could earn many coins and fish to go with their bread and otherwise gainfully employ themselves. (Fishing, Animal Husbandry, Mining, Sailing, Masonry, Bronze Working, and Pottery were the first group of arts and sciences studied)
For over 4200 years the French people enjoyed peace and plenty and reasonable relations with the rather aggressive neighbors. TGOM was occasionally troubled by the sight of demonstrating Mongolian warriors on the eastern borders and the presence of barbarian encampments and a fortified town in the southwest, so began to create a military presence in place of the emaciated mannequins he had been using. His foresight was rewarded in 270AD when Genghis Khan declared war by invading the eastern marches. The Mongolian was more interested in plunder than conquest and the eastern towns well defended so in less than 100 years the Mongol horde were appeased and the war ended with few French casualties and no towns lost.
The battle against the barbarians in the west was not so successful as they captured Tours but were repaid by the capture of their two towns and the burning of one, and the retaking of Tours.
It was some 600 years after those victories that the other neighbor to the east, Montezuma, asked for our assistance against the aggressive Mongol who had been waging war with the Aztec and Indian empires for some time. As relations with Montezuma had been peaceful and neighborly, naturally we agreed and very quickly moved to capture the cities of Beshbalik and Karakorum that fit very nicely into the French empire.
As soon as Montezuma made a peace treaty with the Greedy Khan the wise TGOM did the same and then took up the mantle of peacemaker for the remainder of his long reign, almost to the end of time. There came a long period of peace and during this time France became the largest (land and population) and most productive nation on the planet.
The Aztecs began to resent the French presence on their borders and our interference in their attempts to conquer the hapless Gandhi, and despite all diplomatic efforts to mollify them they declared on TGOM the Peaceful and Benevolent in 1560AD. The peace had lasted for nearly 1200 years. During this period the French had founded Islam and spread its influence far and wide. Nary a Great Prophet appeared amongst the faithful, however, so no Shrine was ever built.
The war was short and rather uneventful. No cities changed hands and peace broke out again in 1610.
The next event of note took place in 1610 when our good friend Washington asked for our assistance against the war mongering Greeks who were attempting to dominate the eastern part of the map and had been punching Gandhi and George around for years. Again, and only in the interests of helping our good friend, TGOM agreed to chastise Alexander. The war lasted until 1736 as Alexander was unwilling to talk with us after Washington concluded a peace treaty with him in 1718 at the urging of TGOM.
In 1766 Montezuma makes another unwise choice and declares war on the French Empire, again. TGOM is really unprepared for war and after capturing Tlazcala but losing Karakorum to Aztec torches, TGOM makes peace with Montezuma.
In 1856 the United Nations is built in Paris and TGOM begins his quest for a lasting peace, in a world fabric rent by war. Gandhi has become the punching bag of the Greeks and the Mongols, while Washington and Montezuma and Alex mix it up on a regular basis.
Montezuma celebrates the founding of the United Nations by declaring war, again, and TGOM fights him off, taking no losses and making no gains, and making peace in 1869.
Meanwhile the French lead the way down the road to a liberalized world by gathering enough votes for universal Universal Suffrage, even though Alexander had become the first UN Secretary-General. (Our relations with the Mongols and the Aztecs were not good enough to get their votes and my good friend Washington abstains)
Peace with Montezuma in 1869 is marred by Alexander who made another fateful declaration that same year. He declares, and immediately razes the city of Besancon on our eastern border. The war is over in 1880 after the UN mandates the adoption of Free Speech everywhere.
In 1882 Genghis declares another in the long series of wars against the Aztecs and in 1885 requests French help. In a bid to gain Mongol support for a diplomatic victory TGOM agrees. The only event of note is the French capture of Teotihaucan and in 1901 peace is restored.
The adoption of social democratic policies continues as the French deliver the votes necessary to impose Environmentalism and Emancipation on the world in 1887 and 1903.
The fifty years from 1918 to 1968 are peaceful in the world, then the Greek finally ends the existence of India. Genghis and Montezuma resume their catfight in 1975, and Alexander makes his last unwise choice in 1981 by declaring war on Washington. George calls for Lafayette and TGOM responds by sailing his fleet to the borders of Greece, basing bombers in Mongol cities and wrecking the eastern portion of the Greek lands, converting the former Indian towns to French possessions and capturing the Greek capitol of Athens. Resettling the lands left open by Washingtonâs depredations against the Greeks give TGOM a huge footprint in the east and claiming former Aztec lands further extends his hegemony over the land mass.
By 2014 Alexander has been forced into a tundra redoubt in the far north so the French make a peace treaty and watch his inevitable end at the hands of the Americans.
In 2035 the Mongols eliminate the Aztecs from the planet.
I lost count of the number of final UN votes held. Alex was forced to surrender the Sec-Gen gavel once his territory and population fell below the amount needed to overcome the French advantage, but TGOM could never quite muster the size or the votes for a final victory. Once Alex was eliminated the next candidate for the UN victory was Washington, and the Mongols would not give up the votes needed to defeat him despite all attempts at wheedling or bribery on the part of TGOM.
The UN victory was completely unexpected. I was resigned to watching the Americans finish the Space Ship and launch, yet when Washington was within two turns of completing the final part he threw his 142 votes to TGOM and the Diplomatic Victory in 2039.
I never really had a clue how to win this one. The Diplomatic option seemed the most promising but I only began to get a glimmer of the workings of diplomacy in the very late stages of the game. Up to that point my actions had tended to alienate, rather than conciliate, my closest and strongest neighbors, while I did not do enough to cultivate the slightly weaker but still viable nations in the east (Gandhi and Alexander) until it was too late.
The victory came as a complete surprise. I had failed in a bid to acquire enough territory to overcome the Mongolâs repeated abstentions in the late voting, and of course George kept voting for himself, once Alex had removed himself from contention by picking on the big dog (GW). When the game reported that Washington had thrown his 142 votes to RBCiv1 my hoot of surprise awakened in their dens the even more irritable old bears with whom I share a house.
I confess I have no blinding flashes of insight to share, not even the successful application of strategy. My tactical thinking was sound, if pedestrian, as demonstrated by the successful prosecution of wars with aggressive neighbors, and the cross continental invasion of Greece. and, fnally, by my standing at the top of the demographic and statistical heap through most of the game. The late, and inexplicable, victory merely demonstrates that the TGOM has no strategy layer in his game yet.
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Epic1
Victory: Diplomatic
Date:2039AD
Score: 8148
Honorable Rules of Engagement were violated very late in the game. I accepted an invitation from the Mongol to join in his final war with the Aztecs, despite the fact that up to that point my relations with the Khan were never even close to being âFriendly, had never been better than âCautiousâ, and I had fought two wars with him.
The Grumpy Old Monk (TGOM) of France is an honorable man and a leader of a fine people. He taught them how to farm the land and build roads for their wealth and welfare. He ordered his people move to the hill above the lake for the fresh breezes and the defensive bonus and there built his capitol. So they could take advantage of the fine lands surrounding them this wise ruler instructed his academicians to study all the arts of land and waters management so they could earn many coins and fish to go with their bread and otherwise gainfully employ themselves. (Fishing, Animal Husbandry, Mining, Sailing, Masonry, Bronze Working, and Pottery were the first group of arts and sciences studied)
For over 4200 years the French people enjoyed peace and plenty and reasonable relations with the rather aggressive neighbors. TGOM was occasionally troubled by the sight of demonstrating Mongolian warriors on the eastern borders and the presence of barbarian encampments and a fortified town in the southwest, so began to create a military presence in place of the emaciated mannequins he had been using. His foresight was rewarded in 270AD when Genghis Khan declared war by invading the eastern marches. The Mongolian was more interested in plunder than conquest and the eastern towns well defended so in less than 100 years the Mongol horde were appeased and the war ended with few French casualties and no towns lost.
The battle against the barbarians in the west was not so successful as they captured Tours but were repaid by the capture of their two towns and the burning of one, and the retaking of Tours.
It was some 600 years after those victories that the other neighbor to the east, Montezuma, asked for our assistance against the aggressive Mongol who had been waging war with the Aztec and Indian empires for some time. As relations with Montezuma had been peaceful and neighborly, naturally we agreed and very quickly moved to capture the cities of Beshbalik and Karakorum that fit very nicely into the French empire.
As soon as Montezuma made a peace treaty with the Greedy Khan the wise TGOM did the same and then took up the mantle of peacemaker for the remainder of his long reign, almost to the end of time. There came a long period of peace and during this time France became the largest (land and population) and most productive nation on the planet.
The Aztecs began to resent the French presence on their borders and our interference in their attempts to conquer the hapless Gandhi, and despite all diplomatic efforts to mollify them they declared on TGOM the Peaceful and Benevolent in 1560AD. The peace had lasted for nearly 1200 years. During this period the French had founded Islam and spread its influence far and wide. Nary a Great Prophet appeared amongst the faithful, however, so no Shrine was ever built.
The war was short and rather uneventful. No cities changed hands and peace broke out again in 1610.
The next event of note took place in 1610 when our good friend Washington asked for our assistance against the war mongering Greeks who were attempting to dominate the eastern part of the map and had been punching Gandhi and George around for years. Again, and only in the interests of helping our good friend, TGOM agreed to chastise Alexander. The war lasted until 1736 as Alexander was unwilling to talk with us after Washington concluded a peace treaty with him in 1718 at the urging of TGOM.
In 1766 Montezuma makes another unwise choice and declares war on the French Empire, again. TGOM is really unprepared for war and after capturing Tlazcala but losing Karakorum to Aztec torches, TGOM makes peace with Montezuma.
In 1856 the United Nations is built in Paris and TGOM begins his quest for a lasting peace, in a world fabric rent by war. Gandhi has become the punching bag of the Greeks and the Mongols, while Washington and Montezuma and Alex mix it up on a regular basis.
Montezuma celebrates the founding of the United Nations by declaring war, again, and TGOM fights him off, taking no losses and making no gains, and making peace in 1869.
Meanwhile the French lead the way down the road to a liberalized world by gathering enough votes for universal Universal Suffrage, even though Alexander had become the first UN Secretary-General. (Our relations with the Mongols and the Aztecs were not good enough to get their votes and my good friend Washington abstains)
Peace with Montezuma in 1869 is marred by Alexander who made another fateful declaration that same year. He declares, and immediately razes the city of Besancon on our eastern border. The war is over in 1880 after the UN mandates the adoption of Free Speech everywhere.
In 1882 Genghis declares another in the long series of wars against the Aztecs and in 1885 requests French help. In a bid to gain Mongol support for a diplomatic victory TGOM agrees. The only event of note is the French capture of Teotihaucan and in 1901 peace is restored.
The adoption of social democratic policies continues as the French deliver the votes necessary to impose Environmentalism and Emancipation on the world in 1887 and 1903.
The fifty years from 1918 to 1968 are peaceful in the world, then the Greek finally ends the existence of India. Genghis and Montezuma resume their catfight in 1975, and Alexander makes his last unwise choice in 1981 by declaring war on Washington. George calls for Lafayette and TGOM responds by sailing his fleet to the borders of Greece, basing bombers in Mongol cities and wrecking the eastern portion of the Greek lands, converting the former Indian towns to French possessions and capturing the Greek capitol of Athens. Resettling the lands left open by Washingtonâs depredations against the Greeks give TGOM a huge footprint in the east and claiming former Aztec lands further extends his hegemony over the land mass.
By 2014 Alexander has been forced into a tundra redoubt in the far north so the French make a peace treaty and watch his inevitable end at the hands of the Americans.
In 2035 the Mongols eliminate the Aztecs from the planet.
I lost count of the number of final UN votes held. Alex was forced to surrender the Sec-Gen gavel once his territory and population fell below the amount needed to overcome the French advantage, but TGOM could never quite muster the size or the votes for a final victory. Once Alex was eliminated the next candidate for the UN victory was Washington, and the Mongols would not give up the votes needed to defeat him despite all attempts at wheedling or bribery on the part of TGOM.
The UN victory was completely unexpected. I was resigned to watching the Americans finish the Space Ship and launch, yet when Washington was within two turns of completing the final part he threw his 142 votes to TGOM and the Diplomatic Victory in 2039.
I never really had a clue how to win this one. The Diplomatic option seemed the most promising but I only began to get a glimmer of the workings of diplomacy in the very late stages of the game. Up to that point my actions had tended to alienate, rather than conciliate, my closest and strongest neighbors, while I did not do enough to cultivate the slightly weaker but still viable nations in the east (Gandhi and Alexander) until it was too late.
The victory came as a complete surprise. I had failed in a bid to acquire enough territory to overcome the Mongolâs repeated abstentions in the late voting, and of course George kept voting for himself, once Alex had removed himself from contention by picking on the big dog (GW). When the game reported that Washington had thrown his 142 votes to RBCiv1 my hoot of surprise awakened in their dens the even more irritable old bears with whom I share a house.
I confess I have no blinding flashes of insight to share, not even the successful application of strategy. My tactical thinking was sound, if pedestrian, as demonstrated by the successful prosecution of wars with aggressive neighbors, and the cross continental invasion of Greece. and, fnally, by my standing at the top of the demographic and statistical heap through most of the game. The late, and inexplicable, victory merely demonstrates that the TGOM has no strategy layer in his game yet.
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