Epic Forty-three: Ports Your Goal

[Sir Bugsy]

Finally here is my report for Epic 43. I decide to found Libson at the start. Here’s what we see.

I start researching writing at max. My initial builds are scout, curragh, curragh, granary. In 3550 BC we get a warrior from an inland hut and the warrior immediately heads for the coast in keeping with the variant rules. I got several maps from huts, but I also got Myst.
In 3300 BC, we meet England and the next turn we meet Spain. I broker between the two to pick up BW, pottery and masonry, plus some cash.
I have to say that I was increasingly shocked as the map unfolded. I was expecting some sort of geographic situation where I could use the seafaring trait to some advantage. I was constantly being disappointed.
In 3100 BC, we meet a warrior in a pretty yellow tunic.

Cleopatra didn’t have anything to trade until 2670 BC when we traded for the wheel. In 2590 we met Sumeria and traded wheel for WC and a cash consideration.
In 2550 our curragh sees this:

Bismark didn’t have anything to offer either. We then built two warriors and then our first settler. After that Lisbon would build a warrior and a settler on a fairly slow rotation.
After writing was discovered in 2470 BC we went for CoL.
In 2070 we meet Persia.

They have IW, we’re up Alphabet.
In 1990, Oporto was founded so that it would get gems on expansion. By this time I had a pretty good idea that I was stuck with a Pangaea with a variant that pretty much crippled the seafaring trait. I was verbally attacking Sirian’s heritage on a regular basis by this time. I decided to pack my cities in as tightly as possible which made my civ look a bit like Miami Beach when I got to the Modern Era. I would grab land at first with city spacing of four times when ever possible and then come back and fill in the blanks.
1750 BC saw the founding the third Portuguese city, Guimarães. Her’s two screen shots I took in 1525 showing the Mapstat science situation and the area around Oporto.


Here we see that Spain will have the spices we crave.

Additionally CoL comes in and we begin research on Philosophy. The next turn we learn that Persia now has writing, so I sell it around and pick up IW, math and 109G from various civs.

Just when I think I’m getting ahead, Bismark demands CoL. In 1300 we find out that Spain and Persia are at war. In the meantime I keep settling cities up and down the coast. Of note, Emerita is founded to grab the grapes.
In 1125, the Philosophy slingshot comes through and we pick up Republic. We revolt immediately and draw a four turn anarchy.
In 1050 the Republic of Portugal is formed. I negotiate for all available AA techs and am only short currency.
In 775 BC we get this demand:

Let’s see, you’re on the other side of the world. Stick it X-man. This would be a phoney war with peace coming in 370 BC after I killed a single Persian archer. I got Monotheism at a discount in the deal.
630 BC sees this:

So at least two civs have currency, make the following deal to enter the MA:

In 490 BC, we finally settle the Azores, and found Lajes, named after the town and air base on Terceira that I’ve spent way too much time in. I would name the other two towns on the island after Angra and Terceira.
In 370 BC, I stop for the end of first day of play. Spain has two spices if I could get a trade route.
In 270 BC, we get this good news…

In 250 BC, Leiria is founded south by the iron mountain. In 10 BC, Spain captures Hastings and attacks Egypt. Very well. A two front war for Lizzy when I attack, which happens in 50 AD. In 70 AD, we free the people of Coventry from their landlocked rulers. Here’s the situation in 90 AD:

The next turn we venture a full four tiles from the ocean and raze Newcastle.

We start filling in cities along the arctic tundra. Carnival will be celebrated in parkas in Rio de Janeiro.
By 230 AD, Spain is getting whipped by Egypt and signs the former enemy, England into an alliance. In 250 AD we sign with Liz.

Spain rapidly goes downhill, and is destroyed in 280 AD by Persia. Studying the map, I see an opportunity to grab some spices for ourselves. Especially, since no one has a trade route open.

In 380, England goes to war with Egypt. So what does Cleopatra do? She sends a thug crashing into our palace demanding 26G. We send the thugs head back in a box, and a phony war with Egypt is on.
460 AD sees the building of the FP in Oporto, and a straight peace treaty is signed with Egypt in 500 AD. In hindsight I should have sent my forces south at this time and expand along the German coast. I debated this idea for quite a while and then forgot about it. This would have been very good when Germany and Persia went to war with one another. I was focused instead on getting those spices we craved. Here you see that the war made the traveling very difficult for our settler pair trying to get to the spices.

The logjam broke the next turn and in 600…


Edit - fixed links

[Sir Bugsy]

In 610, Persia finally opens up a trade route, and we cut this deal while we build a worker and hook up the spices.

This happens in 780 AD:

Then some very bad news:

Our people are so enraged, rioting breaks out all over the Republic. I can’t blame them. What boring fish we had until we could cut this deal with our new best friendl:

About time for another war. Declare on England in 1110 AD and in 1130 we get these reports from the front…


We start settling the northern coast. In 1150 this makes headlines…

Our forces march on…


Our campaign begins to bog down, but we get this news in 1255…

Viriato created an Ancient Cav army. The next turn Germany joins the fray…

Here is a second error I made. While I desperately needed some techs, I should have pressed on and captured Warwick. It would prove difficult to work around.

In 1285, Warwick falls to the Germans. In 1300 the headlines proclaim…

Of course Bismark wasn’t happy with just owning Persia, Spain, Egypt, and England…

In 1330 AD, I get aggressive in founding cities. Here is an interesting screen shot of my new southern-most city. Why is Germany working my tiles?

In the 1345 IBT, we have a minor problem as our economy isn’t ready to renew a spice deal and riots break out everywhere. I rework our economy and get those spices back.
In 1365, we enter the IA. Sumeria is starting to get nailed. We are far behind in tech so I prepare for war and in 1405, our ambassador attempts some larceny…

Then the bully Bismark takes advantage of our craving for spices…

In 1505, we know Communism and revolt. 7 turns of anarchy. 1510 sees peace between Germany and Sumeria. And in 1535, the glorious People’s Republic of Portugual is created. Since we needed saltpeter, I found this aggressive city to grab some salt on expansion.


Edited - factual error, fixed links.

[Sir Bugsy]

Then Gilgamesh starts acting funny.

What are you trying to prove? Get out!

Then something happens that I completely forgot about…

Researching Ironclads first pays off…

And in the peace deal…

Once again I should have pressed on, but by about this time I started planning on a Spaceship attempt, so I took the tech. Bismark had different ideas…

In 1670, we get Rep Parts, but we don’t have rubber? With all this jungle, no rubber? Do we have oil? I steal Refining from Sumeria. At least we have three oil sources. In 1680, things start looking a lot better…


I go the standard AT=>Electronics route. Make a trade or two.

“What a dope!” I exclaim as I see that I have rubber quite near in the north. I create a rubber colony.
In 1695, we plant some spies…


Find out that Germany has bombers.
In 1740, we steal flight, and in 1750 renew our spice deal for 50gpt. In 1760, we steal mass production and draw even with Germany tech-wise. The only thing we’re down is democracy and fascism. Start researching amphibious warfare at 60% due in 7 turns. In 1762, Bismark is sporting a new set of clothes…

I decide to start poaching some coastline on the west coast…

And we get this good news…

So all and all things are looking good, if we can keep out of war. However, Germany is looking strong.

In 1776, Portugal enters the modern era and find out that Germany’s free tech was fission.

Here’s our west coast expansion…

And then it was two…

[Sir Bugsy]

In 1788 we renew our spice deal for 73 gpt. Bismark is nearly at the domination limit in land area, but since Portugal is at 35% of population, we can hold off a domination win with pop. Unless of course, this happens…

The west coast folds…

Our cites fall under siege…

We fought gallantly, but the extremely long front, made defense problematic. Our carrier battle groups proved very effective by being able to move bombers up and down the coast quickly, but Bismark usually found a weak spot…

Interestingly, Germany only kept the city containing Hoover Dam. Everything else was razed. We were reduced to an existence in the Azores. In 1826, we revolted to monarchy, but it was just a matter of time with our economy falling apart, and units having to be disbanded. Finally in 1844 we get this message:

[Sir Bugsy]

Great read!

[Sirian]

Got a free city at the incense? Wow. Opportune placement.

I'm glad you enjoyed the game. Quite interesting to see the late panzer swarm. That alone made at least one space launch game quite a good read.


- Sirian

[kryszcztov]

Hey thanks !

Yes I got that good city near the incense, and that was when I contacted you several times, by mail and in the other thread, to clear some fog in the rules area. So I played very little at that time (I actually played most of my game this week). But the fun part was the road leading back to the capital. :laugh:

As for the panzer affair, well, it was so fast and I had so little to do at that time (milking for space) that it was not the central point of my game. I decided to write a bit more than expected about it because otherwise there wouldn't have been much to say about that moment.

Merci beaucoup, didn't know it was that good to read. Next Epic ? <_<

[Kodi]

Wow, a very close game there, and it went a LOT better than mine had :P

EDIT- nm, didn't take very long to find the CRp thing

~Kodi

[Yom]

I didn't finish since this was a busy month for me, but here are my notes:

Around 2700 B.C. - I get a landlocked town. It's mainly useless for anything other than workers and settlers (or at least I thought, I didn't know we could road it, I thought we couldn't do any terrain changes).
1750 - Writing discovered
1450 - CoL discovered
1250 - Philosophy discovered, I pick Republic as my free tech and revolt 3 turns later. Portugal is a Republic in 1125 B.C.

Germany and Sumeria demand Republic around 670 and 500 B.C., respectively, refuse ->war, end war for 80 and 140 gold without casualties. Later sell Republic for a bunch of money and catch up in Tech, even though I am going to get GL soon.

GL finished in 150 BC
Zeus finished in 90 BC
England first Target
War in 400 A.D. Quick War, lots of territorial gains. Raze size 8 Nottingham on first turn. Next turn Raze Warwick, Brighton, and Oxford. Third turn sees the fall of Coventry (only city with pikes). On the fifth turn, I burn a tiny fishing village of Leeds and the the war is over. 6 towns are destroyed and I found 4 of my own. I sign peace for Astronomy, ceding 342 gold. I then begin research on Navigation at the highest sustainable rate. Unfortunately, with TGL, I don't have many libraries so research progresses slowly.

Ironically, the fastest I can research it in is 50 turns at a sustainable rate. All other rates either deplete my treasury too fast, so I research it at 10% for now and will raise the rate once I can support a higher rate.

Germans invade in 490 A.D. Ironically, I was planning on letting them live and getting the Persians (who have horses) first and then them, but this puts them 1st on my list. Plus, I found out I have no salt, which they do have. They invade with 4 archers in my (used to be) weak south, which I had just reinforced with a dozen ACs/MDIs (also ironic, huh?). This'll give me an opportunity for a leader so I can get an army before I take on the Persians.

This is also the first turn I can increase my research rate, though not by much.

I take all of the German cities in a long war. The total length of the war is around 25 turns, with each city taken needing an average of 3 turns.

It is currently the 9th century and I'm just beginning to build cavalry (from imported horses). Soon I will take Persia and it's source of Horses. Sumeria will have to wait until the advent of Steam Power, so that I can connect my empire and better defend it.


I think I can win it. The indefensible shape of the Empire is annoying though.

Edit: For the curious, my city placement is almost identical to Kylearan's (can't exactly see the north, but it looks exactly the same). Great minds think alike

[Griselda]

Hi,

Your game was an exciting read! I know that my losing games challenge me a lot more than my winning ones, because I have to keep thinking things through carefully the entire way (in a winning game it's too easy to coast along after a certain point). It's not every day that palyers get a chance to defend a long coastal empire like yours (Peru- watch out!. I also appreciate it that you took the time to write a full report for a losing game. Judging by save file downlaods, I think there are more people who play in the shadows than people who report. So, I appreciate everyone who takes the time to share their game with others.

One thing that really hasn't come up lately is that mapstat and other similar utilities are not allowed in Epics games. I suppose you could use if after the game was complete to check something, but not while the game is in progress. This was discussed when the rule was implemented, and is listed in the rules, but has not been brought up on the forums in quite some time. So, unless you only loaded mapstat after the game was complete, it will have to be a shadow game.

-Griselda