First...
I am not whining about Warlords, but the game now gives me trouble when compared to Vanilla at the same level!
Second...
I can win somewhat regularly at the Prince level, but stuggle higher than that.
Third...
In reading other reports I am totally blown away at, regardless of the level, the ability to simply report, "I went for X tech and then built X wonder...or used the resulting X GP for Y" as if it's a given. I wish.
And last, sorry, haven't mastered playing, note-taking and pics yet. I promise a future report will have pictures along with it.
My Report
Monarch scares me!
Monarch in Warlords scares me even more!
Monarch in Warlords with the AI advancements of v208 should be interesting, to say the least.
BUT I did go in with a great attitude, prepared to wage war and/or go the diplomatic route. While I've built the spaceship at lower levels, I was simply unsure of my late game skills at this level.
Here we go!
Shaka starts with Ag and Hunting and the UU needs only Copper to be available. Despite that, I first detour to fishing to utilize the starting position fish. I settle in place 4000bc. Ulundi is founded.
Taking that first hut would be too obvious, so I move the scout in a more northerly direction. I pop a hut up there and receive AH in 3850â¦cool! No horses in the scouted area thoughâ¦not cool.
Interesting map. The border expansion of the capital seems to seal east-west movement. Could I be at the centre of some kind of landmass with attacks expected from all sides, or is this just a peninsula with plenty of land on one of the sides that will be all mine?
Budd FIDL in 3640. A quick almost thousand years later and I meet the first civ, Issy. Of course, sheâs Buddhist and has a scouting archer incoming from the east. Also meet Qin (or is it Khanâ¦they look so much alike) on the same turn. He also has an archer on the same tile. Are they pals already? Oooh, and spot horses a bit further east!
After teching thru Fishing, Archers (this is monarchâ¦I told you I was frightened), I WENT Mining and BW of course to hopefully activate the Impi. BW is done by 2560 and I spot copper to the east. My scout actually found it, settled in some trees because of a bear and BEAT THE BEAR! An omen?
Hinduism FIDL in 2290, which is somewhat late isnât it. Great, probably warmongers everywhere and no friendly religious types! I hustle a settler and send him east to found uMgung in 2140. That will secure copper and marble and more. Should be my production city for some time.
Mysticismâ¦Wheelâ¦Potteryâ¦Writingâ¦
Judaism FIDL in 1450. My great scout ends his turn next to a barb archer and dies. But, having pointed out the copper and horses, allows me to send a settler further east and claim horses with my city of Nobamba in 1120.
Masonary (for the Marble)â¦Sailingâ¦HBRâ¦
Qin and Issy are Budds now and ask OBâ¦sure. But shortly after Qin adopts Hinduism. I have some Hindu religion in my civ, know that Issy will be tough later if she has horses and she seems to be the most immediate neighbour, so I adopt Hinduism as my first state religion. Predictably, she closes borders next turn!
Alphabetâ¦
Confucianism FIDL in 310 and in 205BC I finish Alphabet. It hadnât been much of a priority, given so few neighbours, but now I could at least trade with my new friend Qin. I receive Med-IW for Alpha.
I should mention that I was trying for the Pyramids in my capital as a first wonder! I had been avoiding wonders, working to build up my civ and stay competitive to the monarch AI military so I wouldnât be trampled. The Impi didnât seem to be all that useful however.
In 130BC Issy demands horse. That is a good thing! It means she doesnât have them⦠I say no (knowing that it may just provoke her). Did I mention I was skipping wonders to stay militarily competitive?
In 50BC I lost out on the Pyramids when they were BIDL (I was still 35t away) and Taoism was FIDL.
Polyâ¦Litâ¦
I really wanted the GL, again just to stay in the tech race at this level. So with Lit done in 140AD, I started the GL in my capital immediately.
Fast-forwarding through some trades with Qin, my buddy (Priest/Mono), I meet Monty in 320AD and by this time both he and Issy are Jewishâ¦great.
Ulundi becomes my science centre with the finishing of the GL in 425AD! That felt good.
MCâ¦Monarchyâ¦
I was able to capture a barb city to the far NE (Teo), which, although it was remote, added to my civ. Then I founded the city of Kwa immediately N of my capital on its own sprig of land. That gave me a total of six cities to this point in the game. But I also noticed that Issy had planted the city of Salamanca near my horses and that they may either fall to a culture battle or she may just walk in and kill my easternmost city to claim them to herself. If that happens, she will be a handful, soâ¦in 605AD, and with Issy being the stronger, I declare WAR.
In 620AD I capture the next most eastern city of Salamanca, which will secure the horses as definitely mine. And then look ahead to the city of Seville. This might be a tougher nut to crack. Itâs larger and better defended. I think about it, try some approaches, but it will remain Spanish. However, I backtrack and take out a smaller city to the SE of Salamanca, Murcia in 755. I end the war shortly thereafter for 280g.
In 800AD I have 500,000 Zulus (#2 Prod, but 5 or worse everywhere else). I fear the Spanish backlash, given Issyâs temper and our not being the same religion, but I have the horses!!!
Things are humming now. Monty demands gold from me. He is powerful, so OK!
By 1025 I am up to 1-million Zulus and slipping a bit (#5, 6 or 7 in virtually every categoryâ¦#6 Soldiers). Because of my war, the teching slowed down a bit. I burned a Gsci on Math and in 1040 get Feudalism. I revolt to Vass & Serf.
In 1085 Issy asks me to join she and Monty in Judaism. Did I mention they were rather powerful? I say yes. My association with Qin ends after many thousands of years as a faithful Hindu.
Fat forward to 1262 when I meet Alex. I am virtually last in most categories. Monty has banking alreadyâ¦Wowâ¦and the next turn Qin learns Liberalismâ¦Wow! Iâm not even close.
In 1292 I meet Khan (as in Genghis) and finally have someone that I can actually trade a few techs with! That helps a bit.
âBreaking Newsââ¦Monty, now a Christian, declares on long-time friend and other titanic civ in this game, Issy in 1304! This could get interesting. Knowing that I have already been at war with her, she would be a logical choice from which to steal a bit more real estate and because Monty is a powerhouse, I adopt Christianity to remain his pal. Shortly after that, in 1346, Monty asks for my help (Ha!) in taking on Issy. Heâs my pal, so I say OK. And while he actually fights with her to the north, I may just nibble around her southern flank with my âmilitaryâ, such as it is!
1418 comes and I havenât been able to really do a thing. I am simply too far behind in power. Monty calls for peace with Issy and, instead of remaining in a fight I will lose if she turns her eyes to the SW, I sure for peace as well. Oddly enough, after not doing that thing to her, she wonât drown me in tech for peace!!! So I offer up some gold and Philo just to get the heck out! Done.
Through this time I have worked my way thru CS and Machinery, then on to Engineering, trying to beef up the military techs. Monty asks for iron in 1514. I need to keep him as an ally, so I give it to him.
Engineeringâ¦Opticsâ¦Theologyâ¦
I burn another Gsci on Paper then move toward Astronomy. And in 1604 I enter the Renaissance with Astro. No real trade ops. And I notice that my friends Qin is standing at my border with Cavs/Rifles and a Settler?!? Hope heâs not up to something. I donât quite have the answer to that yet if he comes knocking.
1613 marks 10-million Zulus (#3 Prod, but 6 or 7 everywhere else). This is a typical Monarch game for meâ¦just hang in there! Then in 161 I meet Stalin, the last competitor, when he sends a caravel in from the west.
I continue teching alongâ¦Guildsâ¦Gunsâ¦Bankâ¦Economicsâ¦Liberalism (finally)â¦
Just before I get to Liberalism, in 1682 Qin adopts Emancipationâ¦Yikes! So off I race down the Democracy path after Lib.
Another turning point, so I thoughtâ¦Issy demands Economics from me. We do not get along, so I refuse (expecting the horns to sound). And I immediately look for more allies. I am able to sign a DefPact with Alex (who has been rather quiet).
Drama/Music (trade w/Stalin)â¦PPâ¦Natâ¦Constitutionâ¦
In 1741AD I adopt Representation. It strikes me at that point how GOOD the Pyramids actually areâ¦! Then follow with Democracy and Emancipation in 1761. I want to catch up, so I trade Demo around and get Chemistry from Alex and Corp from Khan. Then I take some time to upgrade my military a bit, mainly caravels to Frigs, hoping that I still may be able to mount something against Issy. But I remain 5, 6 or 7 in most demos.
All but Issy seem actually âpleasedâ with me or more! So, a lightbulb goes off in my head. Dreams of a Diplomatic try? I move through Replace Partsâ¦Rifleâ¦then bee line to Mass Media. I burn a Gsci on some of SciMethodâ¦Physicsâ¦Electricityâ¦
Iâm just building banks, grens and rifles at this point to bring up my stats. Then in 1827 I give birth to a GE in my capital! Yes, that will help.
I enter the modern age with Radio in 1833 and will have Mass Media in 9t!!!
This just in! Monty declares on Issy again! Monty has both infantry and destroyers prowling. I am at grens/rifles. Yet again he asks for my âhelpâ in 1838 and again I stay on his good side with a YES. I am #7 in military, but again beef up with eastern front for a tussle with Issy on her SW flank?
In 1841 the great Herodotus says that Issy is the largest civ. Great! Nobody, I think, really likes her and if I can only get to the UN, I may have a chance of pulling this out?!?
1842 and I develop Mass Media!!! I burn my GE on the UN in my best production city (at the expenses of producing any military there for a while) and will have it done in only 17t!!!
1847 Monty completes the Apollo Project! Oopsâ¦now weâre in a space race! I can only look up at the starsâ¦I have no clue how to get there!!! Câmon UNâ¦
1849 is THEE turning point of turning points in my game. Someone builds the UN andâ¦ITâS NOT ME! Qinâ¦Ugghh. I am screwed. I am nowhere near space, certainly nowhere near being competitive militarily to steal enough land and peeps to get into the UN chair and culture is simply too late as an option. So, to sum upâ¦
I essentially trade anything and everything to anyone who will play nicely.
I beef up my military, as best I can, just in case.
And I sit through endless UN votes. Qin controls and the first Diplo Win vote comes in 1895. I abstain. The results â Not enough votes! Qin-Alex-Khan vs. Issy (Monty, Joe and I abstain). That will prove to just drag things out longer of course.
Only thing I can think of it to War with Issy and hope to steal enough to get into the UN??? Long story short, while I can upgrade, she is simply too powerful and with better military I would not take any cities, just annoy herâ¦so we play this thing out. And, what a religious machine. She controls Budd/Hin/Jew/Tao/Islam at this point.
Diplo vote after Diplo vote produces essentially the same results.
Alex in Space 1926!
Sorryâ¦a VERY anti-climactic ending. I do wish I would have at least built the UN and had a chance to see where that might have taken the game, but nowâ¦another notch in the AI belt at Monarch level. However, I do take away the fact that I stayed in the game with the better AI at a higher level than I usually play and, once again, RB has helped my game!
And thatâ¦is the main thing!
And reading the victory reports elsewhere in this forum will help even more!!!
Sarek
I am not whining about Warlords, but the game now gives me trouble when compared to Vanilla at the same level!
Second...
I can win somewhat regularly at the Prince level, but stuggle higher than that.
Third...
In reading other reports I am totally blown away at, regardless of the level, the ability to simply report, "I went for X tech and then built X wonder...or used the resulting X GP for Y" as if it's a given. I wish.
And last, sorry, haven't mastered playing, note-taking and pics yet. I promise a future report will have pictures along with it.
My Report
Monarch scares me!
Monarch in Warlords scares me even more!
Monarch in Warlords with the AI advancements of v208 should be interesting, to say the least.
BUT I did go in with a great attitude, prepared to wage war and/or go the diplomatic route. While I've built the spaceship at lower levels, I was simply unsure of my late game skills at this level.
Here we go!
Shaka starts with Ag and Hunting and the UU needs only Copper to be available. Despite that, I first detour to fishing to utilize the starting position fish. I settle in place 4000bc. Ulundi is founded.
Taking that first hut would be too obvious, so I move the scout in a more northerly direction. I pop a hut up there and receive AH in 3850â¦cool! No horses in the scouted area thoughâ¦not cool.
Interesting map. The border expansion of the capital seems to seal east-west movement. Could I be at the centre of some kind of landmass with attacks expected from all sides, or is this just a peninsula with plenty of land on one of the sides that will be all mine?
Budd FIDL in 3640. A quick almost thousand years later and I meet the first civ, Issy. Of course, sheâs Buddhist and has a scouting archer incoming from the east. Also meet Qin (or is it Khanâ¦they look so much alike) on the same turn. He also has an archer on the same tile. Are they pals already? Oooh, and spot horses a bit further east!
After teching thru Fishing, Archers (this is monarchâ¦I told you I was frightened), I WENT Mining and BW of course to hopefully activate the Impi. BW is done by 2560 and I spot copper to the east. My scout actually found it, settled in some trees because of a bear and BEAT THE BEAR! An omen?
Hinduism FIDL in 2290, which is somewhat late isnât it. Great, probably warmongers everywhere and no friendly religious types! I hustle a settler and send him east to found uMgung in 2140. That will secure copper and marble and more. Should be my production city for some time.
Mysticismâ¦Wheelâ¦Potteryâ¦Writingâ¦
Judaism FIDL in 1450. My great scout ends his turn next to a barb archer and dies. But, having pointed out the copper and horses, allows me to send a settler further east and claim horses with my city of Nobamba in 1120.
Masonary (for the Marble)â¦Sailingâ¦HBRâ¦
Qin and Issy are Budds now and ask OBâ¦sure. But shortly after Qin adopts Hinduism. I have some Hindu religion in my civ, know that Issy will be tough later if she has horses and she seems to be the most immediate neighbour, so I adopt Hinduism as my first state religion. Predictably, she closes borders next turn!
Alphabetâ¦
Confucianism FIDL in 310 and in 205BC I finish Alphabet. It hadnât been much of a priority, given so few neighbours, but now I could at least trade with my new friend Qin. I receive Med-IW for Alpha.
I should mention that I was trying for the Pyramids in my capital as a first wonder! I had been avoiding wonders, working to build up my civ and stay competitive to the monarch AI military so I wouldnât be trampled. The Impi didnât seem to be all that useful however.
In 130BC Issy demands horse. That is a good thing! It means she doesnât have them⦠I say no (knowing that it may just provoke her). Did I mention I was skipping wonders to stay militarily competitive?
In 50BC I lost out on the Pyramids when they were BIDL (I was still 35t away) and Taoism was FIDL.
Polyâ¦Litâ¦
I really wanted the GL, again just to stay in the tech race at this level. So with Lit done in 140AD, I started the GL in my capital immediately.
Fast-forwarding through some trades with Qin, my buddy (Priest/Mono), I meet Monty in 320AD and by this time both he and Issy are Jewishâ¦great.
Ulundi becomes my science centre with the finishing of the GL in 425AD! That felt good.
MCâ¦Monarchyâ¦
I was able to capture a barb city to the far NE (Teo), which, although it was remote, added to my civ. Then I founded the city of Kwa immediately N of my capital on its own sprig of land. That gave me a total of six cities to this point in the game. But I also noticed that Issy had planted the city of Salamanca near my horses and that they may either fall to a culture battle or she may just walk in and kill my easternmost city to claim them to herself. If that happens, she will be a handful, soâ¦in 605AD, and with Issy being the stronger, I declare WAR.
In 620AD I capture the next most eastern city of Salamanca, which will secure the horses as definitely mine. And then look ahead to the city of Seville. This might be a tougher nut to crack. Itâs larger and better defended. I think about it, try some approaches, but it will remain Spanish. However, I backtrack and take out a smaller city to the SE of Salamanca, Murcia in 755. I end the war shortly thereafter for 280g.
In 800AD I have 500,000 Zulus (#2 Prod, but 5 or worse everywhere else). I fear the Spanish backlash, given Issyâs temper and our not being the same religion, but I have the horses!!!
Things are humming now. Monty demands gold from me. He is powerful, so OK!
By 1025 I am up to 1-million Zulus and slipping a bit (#5, 6 or 7 in virtually every categoryâ¦#6 Soldiers). Because of my war, the teching slowed down a bit. I burned a Gsci on Math and in 1040 get Feudalism. I revolt to Vass & Serf.
In 1085 Issy asks me to join she and Monty in Judaism. Did I mention they were rather powerful? I say yes. My association with Qin ends after many thousands of years as a faithful Hindu.
Fat forward to 1262 when I meet Alex. I am virtually last in most categories. Monty has banking alreadyâ¦Wowâ¦and the next turn Qin learns Liberalismâ¦Wow! Iâm not even close.
In 1292 I meet Khan (as in Genghis) and finally have someone that I can actually trade a few techs with! That helps a bit.
âBreaking Newsââ¦Monty, now a Christian, declares on long-time friend and other titanic civ in this game, Issy in 1304! This could get interesting. Knowing that I have already been at war with her, she would be a logical choice from which to steal a bit more real estate and because Monty is a powerhouse, I adopt Christianity to remain his pal. Shortly after that, in 1346, Monty asks for my help (Ha!) in taking on Issy. Heâs my pal, so I say OK. And while he actually fights with her to the north, I may just nibble around her southern flank with my âmilitaryâ, such as it is!
1418 comes and I havenât been able to really do a thing. I am simply too far behind in power. Monty calls for peace with Issy and, instead of remaining in a fight I will lose if she turns her eyes to the SW, I sure for peace as well. Oddly enough, after not doing that thing to her, she wonât drown me in tech for peace!!! So I offer up some gold and Philo just to get the heck out! Done.
Through this time I have worked my way thru CS and Machinery, then on to Engineering, trying to beef up the military techs. Monty asks for iron in 1514. I need to keep him as an ally, so I give it to him.
Engineeringâ¦Opticsâ¦Theologyâ¦
I burn another Gsci on Paper then move toward Astronomy. And in 1604 I enter the Renaissance with Astro. No real trade ops. And I notice that my friends Qin is standing at my border with Cavs/Rifles and a Settler?!? Hope heâs not up to something. I donât quite have the answer to that yet if he comes knocking.
1613 marks 10-million Zulus (#3 Prod, but 6 or 7 everywhere else). This is a typical Monarch game for meâ¦just hang in there! Then in 161 I meet Stalin, the last competitor, when he sends a caravel in from the west.
I continue teching alongâ¦Guildsâ¦Gunsâ¦Bankâ¦Economicsâ¦Liberalism (finally)â¦
Just before I get to Liberalism, in 1682 Qin adopts Emancipationâ¦Yikes! So off I race down the Democracy path after Lib.
Another turning point, so I thoughtâ¦Issy demands Economics from me. We do not get along, so I refuse (expecting the horns to sound). And I immediately look for more allies. I am able to sign a DefPact with Alex (who has been rather quiet).
Drama/Music (trade w/Stalin)â¦PPâ¦Natâ¦Constitutionâ¦
In 1741AD I adopt Representation. It strikes me at that point how GOOD the Pyramids actually areâ¦! Then follow with Democracy and Emancipation in 1761. I want to catch up, so I trade Demo around and get Chemistry from Alex and Corp from Khan. Then I take some time to upgrade my military a bit, mainly caravels to Frigs, hoping that I still may be able to mount something against Issy. But I remain 5, 6 or 7 in most demos.
All but Issy seem actually âpleasedâ with me or more! So, a lightbulb goes off in my head. Dreams of a Diplomatic try? I move through Replace Partsâ¦Rifleâ¦then bee line to Mass Media. I burn a Gsci on some of SciMethodâ¦Physicsâ¦Electricityâ¦
Iâm just building banks, grens and rifles at this point to bring up my stats. Then in 1827 I give birth to a GE in my capital! Yes, that will help.
I enter the modern age with Radio in 1833 and will have Mass Media in 9t!!!
This just in! Monty declares on Issy again! Monty has both infantry and destroyers prowling. I am at grens/rifles. Yet again he asks for my âhelpâ in 1838 and again I stay on his good side with a YES. I am #7 in military, but again beef up with eastern front for a tussle with Issy on her SW flank?
In 1841 the great Herodotus says that Issy is the largest civ. Great! Nobody, I think, really likes her and if I can only get to the UN, I may have a chance of pulling this out?!?
1842 and I develop Mass Media!!! I burn my GE on the UN in my best production city (at the expenses of producing any military there for a while) and will have it done in only 17t!!!
1847 Monty completes the Apollo Project! Oopsâ¦now weâre in a space race! I can only look up at the starsâ¦I have no clue how to get there!!! Câmon UNâ¦
1849 is THEE turning point of turning points in my game. Someone builds the UN andâ¦ITâS NOT ME! Qinâ¦Ugghh. I am screwed. I am nowhere near space, certainly nowhere near being competitive militarily to steal enough land and peeps to get into the UN chair and culture is simply too late as an option. So, to sum upâ¦
I essentially trade anything and everything to anyone who will play nicely.
I beef up my military, as best I can, just in case.
And I sit through endless UN votes. Qin controls and the first Diplo Win vote comes in 1895. I abstain. The results â Not enough votes! Qin-Alex-Khan vs. Issy (Monty, Joe and I abstain). That will prove to just drag things out longer of course.
Only thing I can think of it to War with Issy and hope to steal enough to get into the UN??? Long story short, while I can upgrade, she is simply too powerful and with better military I would not take any cities, just annoy herâ¦so we play this thing out. And, what a religious machine. She controls Budd/Hin/Jew/Tao/Islam at this point.
Diplo vote after Diplo vote produces essentially the same results.
Alex in Space 1926!
Sorryâ¦a VERY anti-climactic ending. I do wish I would have at least built the UN and had a chance to see where that might have taken the game, but nowâ¦another notch in the AI belt at Monarch level. However, I do take away the fact that I stayed in the game with the better AI at a higher level than I usually play and, once again, RB has helped my game!
And thatâ¦is the main thing!
And reading the victory reports elsewhere in this forum will help even more!!!
Sarek
"Seize every opportunity!"
. However that doesn't mean you have to like it 
. 
smilie, I'm on the floor everytime it comes up. Altas, thanks for the use of "huge weed"...made my day!
There are a few standard screen shots I'll take along the way (1 AD, major war start/end, etc.). I haven't done the cut/paste of multiple pictures to form one (like showing my army and theirs) in the same picture. Don't really have the time for that right now. 
) or "just one more turn" usually take over.