Epic 1 - Playshogi's Report

[playshogi]

Initial Observation:

A pangea map with 1 less civ than normal and low sea level should mean plenty of room for expansion. The honorable rule set dictates a peaceful, builder type win, but culture seems out because of the requirement to switch from caste system to emancipation as soon as democracy is learned. So, let’s build the spaceship!

The Opening:

My plan is to have 3 cities built by 1000 BC and to have my immediate area fully scouted. Since I have access to stone, I want to build the pyramids. It’s like getting 2 wonders in 1 because the engineer that will pop out in 75 turns can build another wonder. I also want to build the oracle in my 2nd city and with the free tech choose code of laws so that I can found Confucianism.

Opening until 300 BC

The first move. After moving the warrior 1 NW, I decided to move the settler 2 NE and found Paris in 3960 BC on the plains, hill tile netting 1 extra shield for the city square. Also, useful was the forest, silk tile, which gives an extra commerce. I also saw I would be getting wheat in Paris’ fat cross so that made the choice easy. I gave up +2 health for not settling next to fresh water, however.

Research Path

Mining, Masonry, Animal Husbandry, -- To exploit my resources.

Mysticism, Fishing, Bronze Working, Meditation, Priesthood, and Writing. Sets me up to get Code of Laws.

Wonder building. Pyramids completes in Paris 1250BC. Stonehenge is built in Lyons Oracle is building in Lyons (11 turns remain as of 300BC)

Paris builds. I went warrior, worker, warrior, settler, pyramids

I used my first settler, in 1800BC to settle Orleans in the SE, to seal off my part of the continent. Game replay shows I’m the first one to build city 2.

Lyons was built 940BC. It has pigs (+6 food) and fish (+5 food) so it grows like a weed. 2 hill tiles in the east make Stonehenge easy to build.

I popped only 1 hut and got maps.

1150BC – A revolution to Representation and Slavery occurs. Now the AI wants to make a citizen instead of placing the worker on an undeveloped tile that has 2 food.

Hinduism was not founded until 1375 BC so a direct run on that would’ve gotten that religion.

The first build for Lyons was Stonehenge. It started out at 90 turns to build, but the worker built the pasture on pigs, then built 2 mines. A workboat arrived from Paris to work the fish, so that wonder was finished in 460BC!

[playshogi]

http://www.realmsbeyond.net/userfiles/fi...ic1ps1.jpg[screenshot goes here]

300BC- 460AD

I complete the Oracle in Lyons with a slavery rush. I started it late and didn’t want to lose it. Lyons was declared the holy city of Confucianism. I would’ve preferred the honor go to Orleans to help out with the culture push on Genghis, but the game had other ideas. I plop Rheims down southwest of Paris, it turns out that it is right ON an iron resource. The city square gets no extra shield for it. At the same time, I capture Bactrian from the barbs, just as it turns to size 2 so I’m forced to keep it. There is lots of overlap with Rheims. (I worry too much about overlap). Science is down to 70% to pay for my acquisitions. Diplomatically I reject all calls for open borders, except with Monty so I can use my free missionary. Genghis won’t agree to open borders—it’s redlined.

20BC Mongolia declares war! Not totally unexpected because close borders spark tensions and 1 of his cities was really being overwhelmed culturally. I’m prepared with walls in Paris and Orleans, and an archer in each city. Oops, 3 archers are sitting idly by celebrating the victory in Bactrian and another is escorting a Confucian monk in Monty’s land. The archers hurry back and I defeat Genghis’ first wave. In 80AD Iron working is finished so I can build axeman and swords. Luckily(?), the iron is already connected by virtue of building a city on it. Axeman are the better choice because swords are actually weaker against Genghis’ axemen. I survive the first wave and the second. I try to pillage Genghis’ copper, but that was futile. I’m building all my units out of Paris (it has barracks) other cities are working on granaries. That is stupid. I should build, even rush, archers even without barracks. Lyons builds barracks and starts on axemen. I can’t stop the pillaging. Paris wheat is the first to go. The road to Orleans is cut, although I defend Orleans’ hamlet. About 300 AD I think its time to call it a session, but I’m overconfident and play a few more turns. I think I’ve beaten back the assault so Paris builds Confucian Monastery! I don’t spot a significant stack headed for Orleans. Orleans nearly falls, all that’s left are a wounded Archer and wounded warrior. I protect workers rebuilding the road to Orleans and I fail to move an archer in for city defense. Nor do I rush an archer!! Next turn it’s too late. In 430 AD Genghis razes Orleans. Furthermore, I somehow I miss 2 Mongolian units pillaging near Bactrian. Luckily I had walls, but besides 1 archer, all I could muster to help out were 2 woodsman II warriors.

In 460, I complete Alphabet and immediately Gandhi wants to trade sailing for IW. I can get sailing, poly, and math for alphabet and iron working. I don’t decide, but end session. Genghis will agree to peace in exchange for Bactrian.

I can think about options. I can use my Great Engineer to rush Parthenon in Rheims and try to buckle down for a culture win. Or, I can use him to get Metal Casting, so I can build cheap forges (industrious trait) and pump out some military. Hopefully, I can bribe Monty with something to get him in on my war with Genghis, to take some pressure off.

[playshogi]

Session 3 460 – 810AD

I make up a relations crosstable:

GH WA MO AL GK Techs Available

GH -- P A A C POLY SAIL MATH Horse

WA P -- A A A POLY SAIL Monarch

MO F A -- C C Poly SAIL MATH

AL F A P -- P SAIL MATH

GK A A P P -- SAIL

It’s not totally symmetrical. Montezuma is cautious towards Genghis although Genghis is pleased with Monty. Not for long!

After discovering Alphabet, it’s time to see where I stand in the tech race. For the most part, I have Alphabet and Code of Laws that none of the AI have. So, I make some trades.

460 Rice to ALEX for Clams -- a no brainer.

Alpha to GEORGE for Poly and Sail

Alpha to ALEX for Math – Gandhi should have Monotheism to trade, but the trade window doesn’t update until next turn.

470 Iron Working to GANDHI for Monotheism

480 Alpha and Code of law to MONTY for his DOW on Genghis. – hated to do that, but it took off the pressure, that’s for sure.

500 Genghis offers peace, even up! No way.

510 open borders to ALEX per his request

I use my Great Engineer to discover metal casting and start building forges.

580 open borders to GANDHI per his request

590 MONTY discovers Taoism. Thanks, to my gift of Code of Laws! That was very fast, about 13 turns. I think it takes me 50 turns. Is my economy that bad?

610 open borders to GEORGE per his request

640 Metal casting to ALEX for Calendar.

670 Gandhi requests Alpha for free, but I decline. Checking relations-- Monty and Genghis are only annoyed with each other.

710 Montezuma makes peace with Genghis

720 George suggests HR for CoL and I accept

730 whip library in Rheims, start forge, I want to build the Great Library here, to get my science research up to speed.

740 Moses born so I build the Confucian holy shrine.

790 Gandhi is speaking to me again. Monty asked me a few turns back to cancel deals and I agreed. Gandhi offers Monarchy for Metal Casting, but I counter offer and give him the cheaper Code of Laws. He agrees.

Also during these turns, a Mongolian city is autorazed in the northern islands, and I discover a one square island with access to 2 fish. So I put a city there. Probably could have found a better spot for that settler, like in the lower SW corner?? It doesn’t pay to clear jungle without putting something on the square, because the jungle grows right back! Genghis pillages the pigs near Lyons, so every one of my cities has felt his wrath. Luckily, the AI seems not to notice the fishing boats. He had a galley there. Why not pillage the fishing boat? Must be a bug because I’ve seen this before.







So this is the empire. 3 cities (eventually) up north in the islands (not shown) and 2 cities on the west coast (eventually). You can see the ruins of Orleans on the right edge. In a postgame replay, it was so easy to hold Orleans just by building a few more archers.

[playshogi]

Session 4 810-1025

I build Marseilles in the SW corner and this causes me to lower science to 50%. I’m trying to fight the Mongol and build the Great Library at the same time. I think I have the war under control, I’m pillaging his lands and using attacks on the odd unit to get promotions. This lasts until 1020 when Genghis lands 2 chariots in preparation for attack on Marseilles which is defended only by a fortified archer on a hill. As before, reinforcements arrive 1 turn too late. Maybe, the archer can hold out. I can’t figure out the odds, so I agree to peace with Mongol. Luckily, I had just discovered currency so he pays 240 gold which is badly needed. The great Library is built in Rheims which becomes my science city. Colossus is due in 5 turns in Lyons. During this series of turns, I learn Literature and Currency and begin Machinery.

Diplomacy

I could trade with Gandhi, but Monty is furious with him and I don’t want to antagonize Monty by trading with “his worst enemy”. Meanwhile, I trade dye to Alex for spices and in 1000 Alex begs for fish which I concede to him. Meanwhile, I use a horse archer to scout Monty’s and George’s lands, where I have OB agreements.

Religion

Taoism spread to my lands so I could declare that the state religion. Sadly it spread in Tours which has all of 1 shield to work with (and the whip). I suppose I could revolt to Taoism, and then organized religion and then whip a missionary out of Tours, so I could spread Taoism to all my cities. In the end, I avoid declaring any state religion. It’s just not worth the diplomatic penalty and I can’t afford the civic cost of organized religion anyway. Meanwhile, Alex founds Christianity.

Session 5 1025-1295

A peaceful series of turns devoted to building and expanding. Research went: Music, Machinery (trade Mach + Curr to Gandhi for Feud + Drama +20g) Guilds, Civil Service, Banking, ending with researching Philo. I built Hanging gardens in Paris and Notre Dame and Heroic Epic in Bactrian. I got -1 with Monty and Alex for trading with the enemy when I made the tech deal with Gandhi. Alex wars with Gandhi and gets cut off from my trade network. (No Civ3-like penalty, anymore!). Monty wants dyes and I give. Now I have to decide if I should revolt to Merc. And Bureaucracy. I also have to figure out what to do with the Great Engineer and decide where I want to build my national wonders. Perhaps, I can rush a national wonder with the GE or settle him in my science city, Rheims.

Session 6 1295-1575

More peaceful turns fly by. Sometimes, it was just hit next turn. A couple more trade deals, mostly their gpt for my resource. Genghis agreed to open borders. I did revolt to merc and bureaucracy, then again later to free religion and free market. I was first to liberalism and chose nationalism, and began building taj mahal. I settled my GE in the science city and settle the free merchant (from economics) in Lyons (where I’m planning to build wall street). I also settled a prophet in Lyons. In 1515, Monty offered Optics +530g for Education and I can sell lots of old techs to Genghis for gold example, in 1565 I sold Lit for 330g. Washington is keeping up with me in tech. I end my turns 1 turn before GA begins with completion of TM.

WARS

In 1450 Monty declared on Wash and in 1455 Gandhi declared on Monty. In 1525 Alex declared on wash. I expected, Monty (now friendly) to ask me for help. I was ready to comply, but he never did and eventually peace was agreed.

[playshogi]

Session 7 1575-1690

How lucky was it that Lyons was picked to be holy city? It could have been Orleans…

In 1690, Wall Street is built and my income goes to +74 at 100% science and I could add up to 7 merchant specialists (without caste system), each one adds 9g. The next phase of the game will be upgrading military.

Also in 1690, I discover Military Tradition – time to build West point in Bactrian. It’s possible though, I won’t fight any wars the remainder of the game, so this could be a waste of 5 turns.

Session 8 1690-1850

In 1718 I build Rouen and in 1760 I build Grenoble. Both are on the border with Genghis. I should have built these cities are lot earlier.

Continuing to build. I’m 4-5 techs ahead, so I’m playing without too much thought. I research plastics then realize I should build UN and head for mass media. I revolt to Emancipation and free speech in 1750. So, that’s representation, free speech, emancipation, free markets, and free religion. The Statue of Liberty is built in Lyons along with a Forbidden Palace. I put National Epic, in Paris. Mistake. I add the Ironworks, and now I’d like Pentagon there, but, no can do. It seems the palace doesn’t count towards the 2 per city limit, unless you build the palace elsewhere. Suddenly, in 1724 Alex DOWs Gandhi followed by Monty dowing Gandhi, then in 1766 Genghis dows Gandhi and asks me to join in. So, I do. A phony war that nets me 110g after Genghis agrees to peace. Gandhi is eliminated shortly thereafter. I’ve built up a nice kitty of over 5000g when I booboo by upgrading my 2 warriors. Thinking it would only upgrade warriors I do an “alt” upgrade to infantry. There goes 5000g as a bunch of my units get upgraded. I try settling cities on the Mongol border, hoping to grab a clam resource and one of his towns. A culture bomb does not move the border an inch, but a town (that’s 1 square with a town improvement, not a city) does flip to me a few turns later. I’m #1 in Pop and #5 in territory.

Suddenly in 1842 Monty Dows Genghis and in 1848 Monty asks me for help. Is it really honorable to DOW a neighbor with whom you have built up relations to the level of “pleased”? I think not, but rule #5 allows me to do it. Besides, he’s only pleased with me because I’ve sold him cheap resources and agreed to all of his demands. So, to spice up the game a little bit I agree to the 2nd Mongol war. I’ve got tanks and Genghis doesn’t. I get a -1 ding with Alex for attacking his friend, though. Tabriz falls on the first turn. The first tank attacks at poor odds, but succeeds. The second tank attacks at favorable odds and loses. I take Tabriz with cavalry. I’ve got 3 workers on the border that can’t move for some reason, so I cover with 3 infantry. Genghis does not attack me. So it’s my turn again. I note already that I have war weariness. The culture slider moves to 20%. I think I could’ve won this game faster without this war.

Sessions 9,10,11 1850-1940

I stop science for about 5 turns to raise funds for military upgrades. The war is very easy, I capture in quick succession, Old Siria, New Siria (renamed New Orleans, almost the exact spot of that ancient Orleans) and Beshbalik which has a copper resource. Copper is useful for some spaceship parts, but it lands culturally in Monty’s land. Just when it seems that I can waltz into Karakorum, Genghis launches a fierce counter attack on New Orleans. 2 infantry die after defeating cav after cav. Finally, a badly wounded tank manages to hold the city. Monty has a bunch of cav that is pillaging lands. By the time, I could muster the force to capture Karakorum, it would be a smoking wasteland. So, in 1876, I give Monty Democracy to agree to peace with Genghis and I make peace with Genghis also.

In 1894, the dogpile began against GW. I agreed also, upon ALEX request. It was a phony war for me, but not for GW. Eventually, he gets eliminated.

I’m way ahead in the tech race, so I can build the spaceship easily. The only race is to build it before Monty reaches domination limits, but that’s really a remote possibility. I didn’t try very hard to optimize my play. The high shield cities built the expensive parts, while lesser cities built casing. In 1907, I trigger a Golden Age with 2 of my Great People. In the end, I wasted a few turns, because I “forgot” to start the last part in Paris.


THE SPACESHIP LAUNCHES IN 1940!!


Final Observations.

I think settling Orleans was a gutsy, but correct move. Too bad, I did not fortify that city better. Holding that SE corner for the whole game would’ve enabled me to win a lot earlier.

I am too fussy about building cities with no overlap, so I let a lot of territory, that I did control idle for too long. I should have built Grenoble and Rouen a lot sooner.

I’ve played a lot on pangea maps and it just seems that I’m always at one end or the other. It would be very interesting to start in the center for a change. It looks like it will have to be a specially designed map, however.

I hate to think how this game would have turned out if Orleans was picked as the holy city! Maybe, Genghis wouldn’t have razed it, who knows. As it was, Lyons was a great choice. It had good production and pig and fish, the 2 best food bonuses in the game. The shrine city should always build grocer, market, bank and Wall St. Some say Great Prophets are useless, but each one settled in a city like this is worth 15 gold. I settled 4 there. A single merchant specialist is worth 9 gold and with those improvements you can have 7 without caste system. I also settle a Great Merchant there worth 18 gold per turn (plus 1 food and 3 beakers with representation) instead of trying for the 1 time money bonus. I think settling was a better value in the long run.

Using my 1st Great Engineer to learn metal casting was an interesting move. I think it gave me a bigger boost than saving him to build some wonder. I got most of the wonders I really wanted without rushing, anyway.

The starvation rule ought to be abandoned, or perhaps just apply it in recently captured cities. It makes no sense in view of allowing the slavery civic. I hope we don’t have a Civ3 Revisited Variant—no cities are ever allowed to be unhappy or unhealthy.


I hope this report isn't too long and I uploaded screenshots, but don't know how to put them in my report.

[Sullla]

Interesting choice to focus on the Pyramids in Paris in order to ensure a Great Engineer later on, while building Stonehenge and Oracle in a different city. You ran a significant risk of losing those wonders to the AI civs, of course, but I see that it worked out for you. (There's no way that Stonehenge hasn't already been taken by 460BC in most games!) I think you put Orleans and Lyons in very similar spots to where I did in my game, though it's tough to tell without being able to see any pictures.

That Temujin is a nasty fellow, isn't he? Sorry to hear that he roughed you up and took Orleans. The initial plan for your civ seemed to be going well, but you have to remember to focus on defense. These AIs are a lot better at smelling weakness than the ones in Civ3!

I seem to be one of the few players who didn't manage to get to Liberalism first. I wonder if I was doing something wrong, or if the Washington AI in my game was just that much stronger than in the other games. Maybe a little of both? No one ever declared on Washington in my game, throughout the entire coursd of the game, and that seems to have be a rarity.

Gandhi was completely killed off in your game? Wow. And then Washington too?! Shocking, just shocking. The results of the AI conflicts have been even more variable than I expected. Nothing like that happened in my game!

Congratulations on sticking it out despite early setbacks for a spaceship win. I'd love to see some of your screenshots if you can get them working.

[Smegged]

That's a pretty early spaceship launch, I'm impressed! Some screens would be nice though. (I mostly skim read reports, since I don't have much time - a picture says a thousand words).