Bringing Guns, Germs and Steel to the New World - Molach style.

[Molach]

Warning: This may start promising, but reporting drops off severely towards the end. You have been warned.

Okay, perhaps I should put some deep thoughts into this.....
….
Guess not. Let me just have some fun and take what the game throws at me in stride.

Monarch difficulty. I usually have fun playing immortal, but can’t guarantee a win every game on even that difficulty. Have beaten a deity game or two, but too rusty now after playing too much WW, WoT, DLoB and FFH2.

Scoring:
10 points - Each barbarian city captured
10 points - Each barbarian city held until the end of the game
Going for these. Scenario info claims ‘several dozen’ barbarian cities have been settled, so I’ll be at war with the barbarian world for a long while. At least there is no war weariness. Since I can’t expand beyond starting area in the old world, goal will certainly be to hold any cities I take

100 points - Build Versailles
300 points - Build Versailles in the new world
100 points - Build the Forbidden Palace in the new world
50 points - Each World Wonder built in the new world
50 points - Build the Colossus
Forbidden Palace is of course going in the new world. Versailles is a wonder I rarely go for, but I’ll make an exception now. Again new world build makes more sense. It would seem that I should try to gain a powerful production city in the new world, and pump out as many wonders as I can. Colossus is usually not priority for me, but going to try to grab this as well, should be on the way towards optics.

150 points - Earn the circumnavigation movement bonus
400 points - Fastest circumnavigation among competing players (200 for second-fastest)
400 points - Fastest to own a city in the new world (200 for second-fastest). This counts as long as you don't lose the city quickly.
600 points - Fastest to own all cities in the new world (400 for second-fastest). This counts even if another city appears later.
All connected to getting optics as fast as possible. I do not think I really can compete with good players here, but I’ll still try to get the best possible times here. Not because the scoring is important in itself, but because I want to follow the ‘path’ this scenario is encouraging – I’ve gone for Lit and Glib and eventually Edu and Lib beeline too often. So I’ll make every effort to rush to optics, chop/whip my ships. If I want to settle quick I should probably send a settler/killer party out with my first wave. Say 3 westwards, and one to go the other way to quicken navigation bonus. I should have two costal cities, make sure I’m in slavery and have pop, so I can whip 4 in two turns. Then load ‘em with 6 units and set off. But what to load em up with? Settler/worker and 4 longbows? Macemen? Crossbowmen and archers to not tech too much?

500 points - Win by Domination
I hear you, loud and clear.


Capital:
Start looks very good to me. I sent warrior NW and noticed nothing new, except that there was more land westwards, so sheep can certainly go to a later city thataways. So a PH start, food rich and some flood plains thrown in for good measure. So since food should be good I see no reason to cottage away the flood.
Production wise a bit light, 2 hills and cow for production. Enough forests to chop out settlers, and I could always workshop a bit. Early I’ll even cottage plains for those few hammers.

Expansion:
There seems to be good grassland west, and up north I see a beaver which will before long provide some early +happy. If I get wine then I’ll have monarcy enabled, so that should take care of happy cap for as long as I can think forward. Early expansion should probably be SE-wards, as that is where I imagine the AIs will be at. Need claim my lands. I’ll scout with my starting warrior and if possible steal a worker, then settle aggressively enough that I get my fair share of the old world. I’m thinking that maybe AIs are close and could box me in. Per rules I’ll not be allowed to expand through an unlucky neighbour, so I need to make sure I get enough territory to function.

However, this game is about colonization. I’m not gonna underestimate the barbarians over there – taking cities and holding them might not be as easy as I’m used to on a regular map. But being Portuguese Norwegians we have our ways. Gentlemen, we shall ride into battle. And this shall be our horse:

Carrack Longship. Replaces caravel, 2 cargo space and can carry military and peaceful units. So rush to optics and send forth the Santa Maria, Niña and Pinto. Or Ormen Lange, Ormen Skamme and Tranen, to stick with my Norse theme . And I’m certainly hoping that I’ll set sail nearer 1000 AD than 1492 AD. Wonder if it’s best to send a peaceful settling team over, or send 3 boatfuls of longship troopers and save costs of settlers.

Tech path:
Lets see, I’d like agriculture for the cereal, AH for the cows, pottery for cottages and hunting for the beavers, bronze working for chopping. Wheel to connect stuff. At the same time I’d like bronze for axemen or horses for chariots or archery for defense. After this, or perhaps again at the same time, I need some techs for early wonders, so priesthood, metal casting, sailing and masonry are things to consider. Writing for libraries and a GSci for academy in my capital, and a rush to Optics to get my unique unit in the water. Need to think which economy techs will help and which will delay my navy even if they might be better in the long run.

Wonders:
I want Colossus as it gives scenario points, and is something I don’t usually build. So maybe I should get oracle and pop MC with it, then connect bronze and slow-build the wonder. Should be a lock if I get oracle. And I should be able to chop a quick oracle on monarch difficulty, shouldn’t I? Anyway Metal Casting is on the way to optics, and I’ll get forges which may lead to a great engineer – which can bulb machinery for me. Shame I’ll get a prophet instead. I could see a use for Great Wall to keep raging barbarians away from my homeland…but I’ll need a military anyway to discourage AI opportunism. And if possible I’d like a 10xp unit so I can get heroic epic sometime soon after optics. Might need the army to fight the heathens. Too bad GW won’t work off-continent, but that would spoil all the fun in the scenario. Great Lighthouse is a pretty good wonder, I imagine I’ll get quite a few coastal cities in the new world. Still need astronomy to get intercontinental trade routes, but a solid wonder nonetheless. After I get established in the new world I’ll build any wonders I can. Since I’ll be going for divine right for versailles I could consider getting spiral minaret, and then I should get University of Sankore too, and hopefully get the Apostolic palace religion spread to me so I can build some nice religious buildings. Hm. Seems I have my work cut out for me.

Report:

Built a worker then 3 warriors. Teched Agri – BW – AH. I’m gonna place two cities on the peninsula to my west, one north to pick up two beavers, fish and some river grassland. Not real sure about the east, but my first city will be copperville down south. So wheel to hook up copper. Then I’ll need to do the oracle thing. I think I should chop out a worker and a settler from capital, get copper for defence. While settling copperville I tech Poly and priesthood, then perhaps I can settle a city near the pigs and just spam-chop the oracle there. Great for popping borders too…

Turn 36 meet first AI, Justinian. That’s late. A few turns later spot his borders.
And I’m playing waaaay too fast. Wellwell. Got wheel, then decided that pottery was gonna help me get more techs…so still haven’t started research on myst yet. New settler soon ready, but I should have gotten another worker first. Won two fights agains barbarian warriors, forrest and forested hill, but reassuring. Would have been awkward if any of those had lost.

Turn 46: Judaism dropped. And I put my third settler on halt, needed a worker first. And I think I need a warrior for my new city site.
I notice that one barb hut has a warrior guard on it. It’s in forest so I need an axe or two warriors.
Turn 47: Pottery in. Mysticism set. Gunning for oracle, but suspect I might be too late now.
Turn 54: Pre-chopping around Trondheim, poly in 4 turns, building granaries in my growing cities and workers/settlers in capital.
Turn 60 something meet Isabella with my first axe, headed towards the barb hut.
Tech is set to hunting for happy then writing for libs.

Surprise:

Turn 70 I land oracle and take MC 1200 BC, real slow. And I spent a lot of forests, to put it mildly. Now gonna slow-build colossus, tech masonry and sailing
Probably time to expand massively now, with pottery I can make a profit out of just about any site.

Overview:

[Molach]

Edited in some photos.

I notice that I’ll get GE before GP, so I set tech to archery, monarchy, iron working, calendar. By this time engineer will bulb machinery, so this is when I start optics
Turn 90 Collossus complete, slow built that.
Turn 91 realize that now I’ll have odds of getting a GM instead of GE in Bjørgvin as built Collossus same place I started running me engineer specialist.
Turn 100 GLH has fallen, I notice, must have missed it earlier.
Turn 104 Get a Fucking GM at 23% odds. Yes I messed up by building colossus too early or in that city, but still bloody unlucky. 15 turns longer to get optics, at the least. Thanks a lot, RNG scum. Well at least the pressure is off, no way am I even in contention for anything quick.
Cashed in trade mission for 1100 gold in Madrid (temple of Artemis). Also went for currency before optics, delay a further couple turns but will soon be a net gain for me.
On second thought that trade mission floated a lot of research, so maybe not that bad.
Turn 126 OPTICS! Whip 2 carracks in my cities, then next turn build 2 more from overflow. Send 3 west and one east. The westbound ones have 2 crossbows, two workers, an axe and a settler. Yup it’s a settling expedition.
Turn 128 LAND HO!

Barbarian coast sighted. Turns out its Angle, and it’s guarded by a gazillion archers. Hum. Research is on civil service, so macemen can soon be brought to bear. A catapult or two also, and I’m good. But I’ll try to settle a city first.
Turn 130 NO ROOM. No place to plant a city here on a narrow Isthmus. Got Judaism spread so revolted to that to keep my neighbours happy.

Turn 131 Worker Steal from barbarians. Guess this means war…
Turn 132 Re-embark and sail a bit west, might have a spot to settle. Worker is left to scout (i.e. fend for himself)
Turn 133 Landfall in the new world!
Turn 134 (AD 475) New Oslo founded.


Gonna call any cities I found new XXX, and keep barbarian names for any I take. (Only ever ended up founding New Oslo, though) 2 crossbowmen, 1 axeman for defense. Artist spec to pop borders, set build to wall. Have only seen lots of archers, one axeman in a city.
Turn 135 Natives restless. 4 archers attacked and suicided against my crossbows, making one CG2. Next turn border pop and I’ll be able to utilize workers. And cultural defense will be up. Still I know there might be a 20-barb-stack incoming.
Turn 137 Borders pop, I take some nice FP cottages and send forth a chopping expedition. Having some trouble getting around landmasses, circum further delayed
Turn 138 Lots of barbs incoming, but archers. I can hold city so I move W2 axeman to protect chopping mission while crossbows hold fast
Turn 139 Still more incomings. Decide to sacrifice a worker to chop, moving others + axe safely back to town.
Turn 140 Ouch. No attack last turn, so 6 archers ready to attack now. Walls not for 10 turns, so I sent all workers to a forest to chop & possibly die next turn. Got 2 full strength crossbows and the axe, reinforcements from home 2 more turns. If I live without loss next turn I think I got it beat.
Turn 141 3 attacks, clean sweep. CG3 now. Still a lot of archers around, and a stack incoming, spear + 4 archers. Chopped another forest, but workers probably gonna die now. Walls up next turn along with andother crossbow from homeland.
Turn 142 Barbs attacked, but survived easy. Now with 4 units, and a section of macemen are incoming. Soon gonna turn the tide, but good training wacking all these archers. Got a HE unit, so I should get lit before long.
Turn 145 – Islam founded. Damn. Gonna have to get a move on to build Versailles….
Turn 146 – Apparently 16 attacks, but all units held. Mabye the worst is over now? Macemen went ashore and took a worker, maybe attack my first city soon.
Turn 147 – More spearmen and axemen coming now. Lucky I have crossbows…Macemen moving in to attack a town. 2 archers, city walls and 50% cultural defense. I have 3 maces, worst with 67% odds. Ill take it.

FIRST BLOOD


Turn 148 Lost 1 maceman at 70% odds. However a couple turns later I went east to look at the thorn-in-the side city with gazillion archers, and both were killed by counterattacks. Damn.
Turn 152 (820 AD)– MY SHIPS HAVE PROVEN THAT THE WORLD IS ROUND. Would probably have saved several turns by going southwestwards, as the Northwest passage was closed.
The nearby city of Libyan is gonna be tough, many units stay garrisoned there, and it is sending out raiding parties all the time.

… played a lot, basically shipping units over to barbville, hanging tough. I built Sistine, a lot of Buddhist things as they were apostolic +2 hammers, UoS. Heroic epic in copperville. Had LOUSY luck with macemen…about 4 killed, all at 80+ odds. But decent luck otherwise. Wish I could get a GG somehow, need a super healer. Mutter. Hopefully some AI will attack me.
Turn 182 1220AD – capture Angels, first city with 20 barbs in it. They did attack as I moved in, again, but my macemen and catapults held fast. Had to move out of barb radius to heal after a round. Hopefully my veterans (and increasing stack size) will break futher cities more easily. I’m feeling the time closing in, when AI gets astro they will come too. Gotta stop em.
Trying to build Versailles over here, 18 turns to go, but islam was founded before I got to DR, so might be out of the running here…
…
Long play, little to report. Or, there was of course much to report but I kinda got bored reporting, and un-bored playing. I basically built all infrastructure in homeland, heroic epic city produced most of my military with some support elsewhere. I made about 6 carracks, after initial landfall 3 went exploring, 2 eventually dying. 3 kept the lifeline pumping, and kept my conquistadors with fresh bodies.
Turn 193. I notice that the barbs made an amphibious assault behind my lines. Hello, barbs, you’re supposed to be stupid straw targets. Let me conquer you in peace. Upgraded my archer to longbow to stay safe. Yeah did another great merchant thing, got 1900 this time.
However also notice that my next conquest is guarded by 2 longbowmen. Gonna lose a treb here I fear.
1350 AD – Versailles built in NAVAJO. Great, now for the forbidden palace, but gonna space these a bit.


1515 AD Finally captured Libyan. And last 100 years I’ve lost a LOT of workers to horse archers in the new world – they have road network, so 6 moves,I have not enough popped borders.
---
Here follows a lot of just walzing around, capturing cities. About 1615AD I stop sending troops over, just build for the old-world fighting which will follow my conquest of the new world.
About 1650 I notice the AI have built cities on islands off the new world – spain and sumeria each have a city on the islands SE of continent, Babylon has two cities on islands far NW in the arctic. Build up forces to capture these.
1675 – Last barbarian city taken.
1685 AD – Babylonian second city in the Ice NW falls. The New World is ALL MINE!
I immediately invade the nearest Spanish city. Then declare on HRE and attack their border city, as that had all their military in it.
1725 AD – Heavy fighting. No attempts to retake the New World. Frigates are fighting on the seas, and I’m sending two stacks through enemy lands. Infantry & artillery vs. medieval units. Babylon has riflemen, but haven’t seen their stack yet.
1760 AD – Still rolling over Spain and HRE. My goal is to capture as fast as possible, got a light brigade out front overrunning cities, and ground-pounders taking the well-defended ones. Made peace with Babylon and Sumeria, as an afterthought. I never saw their stacks in the Old World, would have taken longer if I had.
1785 AD – Domination victory.
Score summary:
10 points - Each barbarian city captured (all of them. 37 to my best of counting (think one NE was founded by them)
10 points - Each barbarian city held until the end of the game (same)

100 points - Build Versailles (check)
300 points - Build Versailles in the new world (check)
100 points - Build the Forbidden Palace in the new world (check)
50 points - Each World Wonder built in the new world (check) Broadway, Statue of libery, Pentagon, the Kremlin. And Versailles, but already scored for that.
50 points - Build the Colossus (check)
150 points - Earn the circumnavigation movement bonus (check)
400 points - Fastest circumnavigation among competing players (200 for second-fastest) (turn 152, AD 820)
400 points - Fastest to own a city in the new world (200 for second-fastest). This counts as long as you don't lose the city quickly. (turn 134, AD 475) (Never lost it, brave crossbow heroes)
600 points - Fastest to own all cities in the new world (400 for second-fastest). This counts even if another city appears later.(AD 1685)
500 points - Win by Domination (check)

My score: 500(dom)+150(circ)+50(coloss)+200(4 NWWW)+100(FP)+300(Vers)+100(Vers)+740(Barb caps) = 2140

Finish at turn 267. 500-267 = 233 turns before finish = 46,6 % bonus to score.

Thanks for sharing.

[Molach]

Reserved.

[Ronald]

Just learned something new! I had no idea that carracks can transport troops and settlers. I always thought they have the same limitation as caravels but only have two slots instead of one.
Therefore you beat me to the first city by several hundred years - well done. Now let's find out who else knew and didn't knew about this feature.

[Compromise]

Nice, Molach. I picked the exact same spot to plant a New World city. And we conquered that New World on exactly the same turn! Too funny.

And it sounds like you had the same experience of trying to land troops and defend against the initial barb onslaught. I thought that was a nice touch in this event.

Thanks for the report and the play!

[timmy827]

Just learned something new! I had no idea that carracks can transport troops and settlers. I always thought they have the same limitation as caravels but only have two slots instead of one.
Therefore you beat me to the first city by several hundred years - well done. Now let's find out who else knew and didn't knew about this feature.

I knew about Carracks transporting any unit. But I made up for that by thinking the first barb city needed to be captured; completely missed that settling one yourself on a hill was faster

Molach, what was it like trying to sustain research on the new world before Versailles? Was the distance maintenance a major issue, or fairly minor (looks like you were mostly in the near-part of the new world at that point)

[Molach]

From what I remember (played pretty quickly and sloppily around the time of the landfall due to being a serial killer) - I sat on 1-2 cities a long while, kept building econ in old world instead of all-in conquest of the old world. So when I did start to take cities it was no prob keeping tech running, due to (over)built-up homelands. Also every city captured had villages/towns all over, and got courthouses built first (was in nationhood & used the draft to keep army topped up, with one round of 10 artist specs I'd get enough culture in former barb cities to draft) so never went under 40% tech. And that might have been to build up gold for upgrading stuff too. Versailles was mainly for the points.