[SPOILERS] Fake News and Civ Blues. How BGN Lost and Claimed Victory

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

Password is fake

[Ceiliazul]

what good is a fake password?

:D

Keep it up, and kill em all. Conquest is the only true victory!

[Erwin]

Played according to your instructions.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

what good is a fake password?

:D

Keep it up, and kill em all.  Conquest is the only true victory!

fake is just what popped into my mind given my civ's theme (fake news) and when Boudicca (and her huge...tracts of land) came on screen.



Erwin, thanks for playing for me, many moons ago.

Update: I've been terrible at reporting. You already know this. I'm apparently playing a one city challenge variant as I've grown my capital tall (size 6 now) and I'm only now starting on my settler. This is certainly not optimal but I've set upon this path so I'll make it work. On one turn in one of a series of hotel rooms weeks ago I didn't remember what my best micro plan or development path was and the decision landed on me just farming the flood plains. I greatly rue spending 14 worker turns for +2 food/turn (it will take over 30 turns to be even with 3.5 chops) but it's done, so I grew to 6. I've mined a couple of grass hills and can churn out 5t settlers. I'll alternate workers and settlers from the cap and can save the forests for overlapping cities to quickly get up granaries. Pottery is due in a few turns, about when new cities arrive. In positive news, I have a bunch of warriors out exploring locally and harassing the wildlife. And our scout Carter Page, erstwhile intelligence analyst nee Russian apologist/opportunist, is somehow, inexplicably, still alive. This is probably the best work product ever produced by an entity with this name.

Anyway, in one sim I ran weeks ago where I grew tall, I could still reach 4 cities at T50 even with the first settler coming this late. However, this requires some heavy whipping and chopping, leaving the capital in poor shape. I think I may opt for a more sustainable approach and whip when I run out of good tiles to work instead. This is, of course, subject to change (and whim). I'm taking this pretty casually. You'll see the effects of this around the mid-game when I'm surrounded by empires roughly my size or a bit larger. I'm ok with that. There is still plenty of fighting to do and Boudicca is good at that as long as I'm not too far behind.

I've met mackoti to my southwest IIRC. His scout found one of my fence of warriors and my scout found where he is preparing a second city location a turn or so later. Also, this map is huge. Bigger than PB18 by a decent amount, with fewer players. If every land tile is usable then this is going to be massive empires by the end and I'll probably be grateful not to be in the leading pack if that's the case. I just don't want that level of grind to deal with every day, making optimal empire management decisions for 100 cities. 

Questions? Comments? The tier lists have stalled out because I'm lazy about writing them but I'm sure I'll get there by the end of the game. 

[wetbandit]

We trust you stayed in a Trump hotel?

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

We trust you stayed in a Trump hotel?

Unfortunately, this was not to be. I was in Jacksonville, not Miami or West Palm. There was not nearly enough golden embroidery on the stationary and napkins for my liking, nor on the curtains for that matter. And no notable Time Magazine covers to speak of. All around, a missed opportunity.

In game, since the new turn has rolled I have finally produced my first settler. Two chops are in as well so I'll 1t a worker (#3) and then go back to another settler. I have warriors to cover these new cities, as long as they don't get shamefully eaten by the wildlife. I've been dancing between a bear and a lion at dtay's city, even being teleported onto the sole flat/unforested tile in the area adjacent to a bear with malice for my warrior (Major Mitch McConnell) after accepting a cease fire. I can't blame the bear for the malice, Mitch is a right proper piece of shit. But, the bear didn't attack, I withdrew a tile, only to find a lion. We'll see how mangled I am when I log in this turn. Dtay has also whipped so he may have decided enough is enough with my warrior and brought a little more protection. If so, that's fine, but realistically it's probably into another worker/settler. My warrior disrupted his worker hooking up one of 4 (!) first ring food resources for a few turns, so it isn't nothing. BTW, how'd dtay end up with a city with 4 (!) first ring food resources as his second city. I'm scouring the map and I just don't see anything similar for me... 

Map complaints aside (and we're just getting started on those because 1) obligatory and 2) how else does one lose a game of civ?), several civs have a third city out already. I have played this pretty poorly. Clearly I'm a better player when I sim and use spreadsheets for planning. Winging it has been less than effective. I don't really mind, though. I'm enjoying what time I've put into the game but I know my heart isn't into doing massive planning and replanning as I've done in previous games. For a player of my skill, I really need to do that stuff to play well. I'm more of a methodical plodder than visionary/civ-savant. My enthusiasm for this game was pretty high when we first discussed playing but the four month interval between first discussion and actually starting really had a negative effect on my motivation.

Having said that, I can still accomplish plenty and I'm not giving up, just being realistic. Boudicca is still a bitter pill to try to consume and we have a lot of game to play before that becomes an issue. I'll try to get to knigs in a reasonable time frame to keep dtay's typical move from being effective or efficient.

Now for our Fearless Leader's interpretation:

I would have said it's all in the messenger; fellas, and it is fellas because you know, they don't, they haven't figured that the women are smarter right now, so in game, since the new turn has rolled I have finally produced my first settler. Or, as I have been saying for a long time, and I think you'll agree, because I said it to you once, two chops are in as well so I'll 1t a worker (#3) and then go back to another settler. I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words. By the way, I said, I have warriors to cover these new cities, as long as they don't get shamefully eaten by the wildlife. But look, I've been dancing between a bear and a lion at dtay's city, even being teleported onto the sole flat/unforested tile in the area adjacent to a bear with malice for my warrior (Major Mitch McConnell) after accepting a cease fire. Lock her up! I'm not a schmuck, so I can't blame the bear for the malice, Mitch is a right proper piece of shit. I've been saying this for a long time, but, the bear didn't attack, I withdrew a tile, only to find a lion. My Twitter has become so powerful that I can actually make my enemies tell the truth. I mean, look, I'm for it - we'll see how mangled I am when I log in this turn. To be honest with you, dtay has also whipped so he may have decided enough is enough with my warrior and brought a little more protection. We won the debate, other than, you know, some crooked polls. And honestly, it was both very beautiful and very sad - if so, that's fine, but realistically it's probably into another worker/settler. To be honest with you, my warrior disrupted his worker hooking up one of 4 (!) first ring food resources for a few turns, so it isn't nothing. She's got hatred in her heart. The people that are friends of mine that called to say, Donald, btw, how'd dtay end up with a city with 4 (!) first ring food resources as his second city. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I'm scouring the map and I just don't see anything similar for me... She spent hundreds of millions of dollars on negative ads about me, many of which are untrue... It's not nice and I don't deserve that.

You know, it really doesn't matter what the media write as long as you've got a young, and beautiful, piece of ass, but map complaints aside (and we're just getting started on those because 1) obligatory and 2) how else does one lose a game of civ?), several civs have a third city out already. We have a real problem here - I have played this pretty poorly. Don't forget, I own the Miss Universe pageant. I'll tell you what, clearly I'm a better player when I sim and use spreadsheets for planning. But look, winging it has been less than effective. If Hillary Clinton can't satisfy her husband, what makes her think she can satisfy America?

Give me a break - I don't really mind, though. I mean, look, I'm for it - I'm enjoying what time I've put into the game but I know my heart isn't into doing massive planning and replanning as I've done in previous games. Please don't feel so stupid or insecure; it's not your fault. The people that are friends of mine that called to say, Donald, for a player of my skill, I really need to do that stuff to play well. I've been saying this for a long time, I'm more of a methodical plodder than visionary/civ-savant. I will build a great wall - and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me - and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.

I have the endorsement of the NRA, which I'm very proud of. They are very, very, very good people - my enthusiasm for this game was pretty high when we first discussed playing but the four month interval between first discussion and actually starting really had a negative effect on my motivation. Hillary Clinton was there at the proud birth of ISIS.

I'm not sure I believe it, having said that, I can still accomplish plenty and I'm not giving up, just being realistic. By the way, Boudicca is still a bitter pill to try to consume and we have a lot of game to play before that becomes an issue. By the way, I'll try to get to knigs in a reasonable time frame to keep dtay's typical move from being effective or efficient. I'll compare my IQ with anybody, okay?

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

Thread necro!

initial war turn order: Aretas 1, BGN 2

T89 - Aretas logged out: 5/11 11:49 pm; BGN logged out: 5/12 7:33 am
T90 - Aretas logged out: 5/13 11:41 am; BGN logged out: 5/13 9:58 am
T91 - Aretas logged out: 5/14 5:33 pm; BGN logged out: xxx

Obviously I'm myself guilty of double-moving first, on T90. I didn't realize it but I did scan the map for any potential conflicts, as I do every turn. Seeing no yellow units I played. My assumption was that Aretas no longer had units around (reasonable given his game position). No harm was done to him that I can discern. On his side of the turn he played and then played before me on the following turn, restoring the original turn order (fine) but also capturing a worker with an archer that I had not been able to see properly (not cool). I had an axe in position to cover the worker, had I not been double-moved. I have used this axe to remove his offending archer and recover the worker (not deleted). I think the gain of some xp somewhat recovers two lost worker turns but someone kindly remind Aretas in his thread to observe the split. I'll be more vigilant myself.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

I stole a scalp this turn:

   

   

I could have let Aretas' last refuge sit for a turn or two but no reasonable player is going to let an empty city grow just to give it away. Also, the barb city grew to size 2 EoT, a couple of turns earlier than expected, and with Nauf's chariot lurking about I wanted to get my second axe back as quickly as possible to snipe that city. Nauf played before me this turn and logged in during my window but I had not moved my axe near the barb city yet. I still have not. I'm not going to attack the city again until I have both axes in position. Since I have no visibility on the south side of the city and therefore no sense of whether nauf is able to take the city, I'm going to preserve a timer split for now. If nauf wants to attack before I can get my other axe back,  he is welcome to do so but the likelihood is that if he knocks the barbs down to one defender that I'll just take the city and dare him to counterattack. Chariot vs. damaged axe would be an easy win but would also draw the ire of Boudicca. And I'm not going to win this game anyway so a war of vengeance would be just the thing to keep me interested.

When I rolled the turn someone built the GLH. Congrats go to Plako. Is this a throwback to PB2? He shouldn't have any expansion payment issues now, if he's had any at all to this point. He's going to be a teching beast but I haven't C&D'd so I have no idea how many cities he has. I'm guessing he's doing just fine. Right now, to no one's surprise, I'd peg mackoti as the early leader followed by TBS. I have no idea how closely. Mack still has an army, has just eaten a green at seemingly low cost, has Currency, and has tempting targets in his neighborhood, including me to some degree though it would certainly bleed him (and dtay would get the lion's share of the spoils in all likelihood). Cario, I'm looking at you as the next most likely target for mack. I have no idea whether Cario has any army to speak of because he inexplicably dumped over 100 EP into me when I'm 30 tiles or further from his capital. By the end, he'll have wanted to spend those on Mackoti to get an idea of his tech direction before now. The only word to know is knigs, if you're fortunate enough to last that long against mack. But for all I know, mack may lay into me first. I have done a poor job of scouting for a variety of reasons.

In the only other updates of any significance, I've saved up a small pile of gold at a very slow rate. My GS will pop in 2t and I'll build an academy in my only-recently-cottaged capital (I've played like shit), and I'll have Currency soon. Only mack has Currency out of my neighbors. This will help my tech rate immensely. Also, I've declared a gentleman's war against dtay to get a workboat onto some clams. I telegraphed my intentions and never moved my workers away from the border as they cottaged. Neither of us have made any moves during this war, and no power spikes have been seen. I'd be less sanguine about doing this vs. a green player but dtay is not ruffled at all. I offered peace this turn once the workboat was back within my borders. Lastly, superdeath fired what seems to be an early golden age. He has packed a city at minimum distance to one of mine with 4 units to my 2. I have an axe returning to even things up. His power is going up steadily over the last 3 turns. I'll keep an eye on it. If he wants to take my border city he can, but it will cost him to get it, and cost him far more when I break out the whip across the empire for a longer war of fun and profit well, just fun.

Ask questions if you have any but don't be surprised if it takes me a while to get out an answer.


Here's the only C&D you're likely to get for the entire game. I was curious about who landed GLH.


* Player Leader Nation Score Status
* Rusten Saladin Arabia 256 +9 Offline
* mackoti De Gaulle France 226 +5 Offline
* xenu Alexander Greece 225 +3 Offline
* TBS Shaka Zulul 209 +0 Offline
* dtay Brennus Celtia 185 +3 Offline
* pind Mao Zedong China 180 +3 Offline
* Dreylin Ragnar Vikings 179 +2 Offline
* Gavagai Ramesses II Egypt 179 +5 Offline
* Comm Julius Caesar Rome 177 +7 Offline
* Donovan Pacal II Maya 174 +3 Offline
* plako Huayna Capac Inca 172 +22 Offline
* OH/FIn Cyrus Persia 171 +8 Offline
* nauf Bismarck Germany 170 +1 Offline
* Adrien Mansa Musa Mali 169 +1 Offline
* William Tokugawa Japan 159 +1 Offline
* Joey Kublai Khan Mongol 158 +3 Offline
* OT4E Hannibal Carth 155 +5 Offline
BGN Suryavarman Khmer 153 +2 Online
* Elkad Wang Kon Korea 147 +2 Offline
* Superd Sitting Bull Native 145 +3 Offline
* Cairo Catherine Russia 141 +2 Offline
* 2mn Montezuma Aztec 141 +2 Offline
* B4ndit Gilgamesh Sumeria 125 0 Offline
* DarkSav Justinian I Byz 0 Eliminated
* Aretas Charlemagne HRE 0 Eliminated

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

I'd like to maintain the turn split with nauf over the barb city but I'll be travelling all day tomorrow and won't have an opportunity to play. My axes are not in position until the turn after to take out both warriors anyway so if he has 2 units to kill both barb warriors the city is his anyway. If not, we'll see what happens following, maintaining the new turn split. All other wars are ended for now and superdeath is the only other potential conflict, and he has already played so I should be clear.

[Boldly Going Nowhere]

FFS, can this game get going again? This is absurd. And it seems mackoti's (typical?) clock shenanigans are starting to fray some nerves in the local neighborhood (Cairo for one: I'm not sure where Elkad is yet). I'm trying, not very hard but somewhat, not to take sides as I neighbor mackoti, somewhat distantly, now that Aretas is dead and I'd prefer to avoid political fallout over tech thread issues. But from my recollection this is pretty consistent with mack's playstyle and is irritating. Adding that he was just trying to "move the game along faster" (paraphrased) is bullshit of the highest order and patronizingly annoying.

Mack's a competitive guy and likes to win. He takes every advantage in the pursuit of victory. This is fine, to an extent, but I think the constant playing at the end of the turn, rolling the turn, and then getting new information at the start of the turn puts others at a unique competitive disadvantage that is inherently unfair. Lurkers, I'd like for you to keep an eye on this and call balls and strikes for the other players. My concern is not because mack is likely to win the game (he is, but Aretas got eaten as would have been predicted in any circumstance when players locations were assigned on the map) but because it is unfair for the other players to have to compete against this.

For me, it isn't my problem. Yet. I'm not playing a hyper-competitive, try-hard game. I'm looking to have a good time. OT4E fucking around and not giving Joey time to play, and poor communication on both of their parts for this particular delay, is annoying but probably a short-lived issue. I don't see mackoti changing course unless someone calls him for his clock games if things continue as they have to this point.

Rant over.