Well, I was very reluctant to post anything at all, since this game ended in a loss. My biggest problem with this game is that I really did not think out my plan enough before I started, I was kindof winging it, and it really showed. Especially since I really am not experienced playing at this difficulty level.
To summarize what happened, I went for a religion, which was fine (reading Ruff's Report and comparing was what decided me to post at all). But then I went nuts and decided to found more religions, I dont honestly know why. I never got my military going until it was much much much too late, because I wasted so much time on these distracting techs.
I was so disappointed with how poorly I did, that I started over from the start, as a shadow game, just to see if I could do better. That game I managed to take out elizabeth, and get alexander down to one city left, before my crippled economy started poofing my units that were about to take his last city. Gandhi was so far ahead in techs it was rediculous. I stopped playing the shadow game at that point, but I do not think I could have won it, but it was definitely a better showing, lasting until I would lose because I was forced to declare war on Gandhi when he disovered steam.
Here are my notes from the game (I am not going to bother with the screenshots I took, unless someone actually wants to see them):
4000 BC
Ok, we start with the city already made.
I decide to go for Meditation and try to found Buddhism.
I switch my production to add the extra commerce, losing the production, and change my build to a barracks, I am going to wait on a warrior. Itâs a risk, but seeing as I am on this peninsula, I am going to take it.
I send the scout southwest, as it seems like the north is a dead end, its possible the east is not a dead end.
Xxxx BC
Hmm there is stone to the south, perhaps I can make a second city to get it quickly?
3850 BC
Meet Gandhi scout
3760 BC
Borders pop, I move working tile to the corn, increasing food by one, keeping the river commerce.
3670 BC
I find the English capital, quite close
3610 BC
I found Buddhism!
I am going to be silly and try for the double wammy and go for Polytheism
3550 BC
A bit late, but I move my production again, focusing on money
3400 BC
My one unit, a scout, survives a lion attack!
Trying to decide where to put the next city. Going to have to research iron working sooner rather than later with all this jungle and no working water tiles. I think the next city is going to go north of the rice, that way no âwastedâ water tiles. I would like to go even further south, to get to the river and out of the jungle, but not sure I can afford the distance with my non-existant military.
Plan is to switch and build a settler at size 3. I am going to park my scout near the new city site, trying to clear the fog between me and it.
3370 BC
I meet the Greeks
3310 BC
Uh oh, my scout destroyed by a bear. What to do? My barracks is half done.
I am going to take a huge risk, and let it ride, 3 more turns until polytheism is done.
3190 BC
I found Hinduism!
The goal here is to found as many religions as possible.
Going to research archery (7 turns), the barracks will be done in 8, I will start an archer right away, and adjust toward production.
Once an archer is built, I will build a settler. This is probably safer than just doing a settler first and running him off solo.
3100 BC
My borders pop again.
2890 BC
Archery done, I would like to go masonry, then monotheism next, but I think that will cripple me too much, not having cottages. So maybe I should bite the bullet and do Agriculture, then the Wheel, then Pottery. But I want to get the Oracle, and priesthood is cheep.
Well, if I build archer, then settler, then worker, it will be 40+ turns before the worker is ready, can that be right? So, I am going to go Masonry, then Monotheism, I will still have time after these are done, to research something for my worker to do.
2680 BC
Archer done, whew. Starting on settler, 22 turns away!
2620 BC
Masonry done, starting monotheism
2500 BC
My Archers beat of a barbarian warrior attack in the jungle, I fortified and upgraded them to Combat I (since there was no city yet). If another barbarian gets close, I will upgrade them again, otherwise wait for the city to be founded.
2410 BC
My archers barely beat of barbarian archers, upgrade them to combat 2.
2110 BC
Was two turns from Monotheism, but swapped production in city and now 1 turn away.
I am already falling behind in the techs, not sure I made a good choice here.
2080 BC
I found Judaism. Swap to Organized Religion. Start research on the agriculture.
2020 BC
Settler finished, starting on worker.
1900 BC
Teotihuacan founded, what to build? I want to build another worker here soon, but I want it to grow some first. I wish I could start the oracle here. But the production here is going to be horrible for a long time. I start an archer.
Note Gandhi already has a city just to my west.
1630 BC
Worker finished in capital. I think I need a 2nd worker before I start anything else. If I had done priesthood, I might have started the oracle.
3 turns until wheel is done, then I hook up the two cities. Until then, I will farm the corn.
1540 BC
Wheel done. Priesthood, Mining or Pottery next? Going to do priesthood.
Farm not done, but going to build the road, I need to get some culture in the 2nd city.
1480 BC Stonehenge built in far away land.
1390 BC
Wow Teotihuacan is stagnant, I really need to be able to clear those jungle tiles. 90! Turns to build a worker? I am going to keep growing and stick with the archer I guess.
1360 BC
Damn there is a barbarian city where I wanted to found my 3rd. Not good.
1240 BC
Gandhi wants open borders, I say, yay!
Priesthood finished, pottery next.
Worker finished, starting the oracle, going to clear a couple forests to hurry it, after I finish the farm on the corn.
1120 BC
Elizibeth wants open borders as well, yay.
I need to build some missionaries soon, so I can control which religions they get.
1030 BC
My one archer repells two attacks at Teotihuacan. My road connects up the two cities, but I cannot build a cottage for 7 more turns! Slight miscalculation here.
985 BC
Ouch, already unhappiness? I guess I build an archer then go back to oracle.
925 BC
Not good, Ghandi converts to judaeism and elizibeth to Hinduism, and I am buddhist! I will immediately convert to Judaism, and build a missionary for Elizibeth.
910 BC
Finished pottery, doing mining then bronze working finally.
895 BC
Ouch, Gandhi completes the Oracle, I was 30! Turns away, not looking good.
775 BC
Mining finished
640 BC
Great lighthouse built in distant land, missionary spreads Judaism to Nottingham.
580 BC
Bronze working finished, switch to slavery. Start working on Iron working.
Immediately whip out jewish mercenary (was 47/60)
565 BC
Woops, I am now unhappy. I should have built temples first I guess.
550 BC
Teotihuacan was really suffering from culture pressure from Madras, so I use the mercenary there. STILL didnât get religion on its own from road, like I had counted on.
445 BC
Christianity founded in distant land, things not going well.
385 BC
Confuciansm founded in dl
325 BC
My second missionary gets Elizibeth to convert to Judaism, but Gandhi founded Christianity, so that is going to be a big issue, sigh.
Religion finally got Teotihuacans borders to pop, so I can build the stone quarry.
265 BC
Iron working done, starting writing.
I pop an iron where I have already built a cottage, great!
160 BC
Start my first Jaguar unit, 13 turns away
115 BC
Writing done, what to do next? Alphabet I guess.
20 AD
Elizibeth captures the barbarian city, before I could even think about getting another unit here to take it, sigh.
470 AD
Gandhi steals my stone with culture!
515 AD
I missed the exact date, but I am the weathiest civ, I never adjusted my research rate back up, it was at like 60% still, sigh.
1106 AD
Retiring, tech is too advanced, I donât see a way I can win at this point
-I
To summarize what happened, I went for a religion, which was fine (reading Ruff's Report and comparing was what decided me to post at all). But then I went nuts and decided to found more religions, I dont honestly know why. I never got my military going until it was much much much too late, because I wasted so much time on these distracting techs.
I was so disappointed with how poorly I did, that I started over from the start, as a shadow game, just to see if I could do better. That game I managed to take out elizabeth, and get alexander down to one city left, before my crippled economy started poofing my units that were about to take his last city. Gandhi was so far ahead in techs it was rediculous. I stopped playing the shadow game at that point, but I do not think I could have won it, but it was definitely a better showing, lasting until I would lose because I was forced to declare war on Gandhi when he disovered steam.
Here are my notes from the game (I am not going to bother with the screenshots I took, unless someone actually wants to see them):
4000 BC
Ok, we start with the city already made.
I decide to go for Meditation and try to found Buddhism.
I switch my production to add the extra commerce, losing the production, and change my build to a barracks, I am going to wait on a warrior. Itâs a risk, but seeing as I am on this peninsula, I am going to take it.
I send the scout southwest, as it seems like the north is a dead end, its possible the east is not a dead end.
Xxxx BC
Hmm there is stone to the south, perhaps I can make a second city to get it quickly?
3850 BC
Meet Gandhi scout
3760 BC
Borders pop, I move working tile to the corn, increasing food by one, keeping the river commerce.
3670 BC
I find the English capital, quite close
3610 BC
I found Buddhism!
I am going to be silly and try for the double wammy and go for Polytheism
3550 BC
A bit late, but I move my production again, focusing on money
3400 BC
My one unit, a scout, survives a lion attack!
Trying to decide where to put the next city. Going to have to research iron working sooner rather than later with all this jungle and no working water tiles. I think the next city is going to go north of the rice, that way no âwastedâ water tiles. I would like to go even further south, to get to the river and out of the jungle, but not sure I can afford the distance with my non-existant military.
Plan is to switch and build a settler at size 3. I am going to park my scout near the new city site, trying to clear the fog between me and it.
3370 BC
I meet the Greeks
3310 BC
Uh oh, my scout destroyed by a bear. What to do? My barracks is half done.
I am going to take a huge risk, and let it ride, 3 more turns until polytheism is done.
3190 BC
I found Hinduism!
The goal here is to found as many religions as possible.
Going to research archery (7 turns), the barracks will be done in 8, I will start an archer right away, and adjust toward production.
Once an archer is built, I will build a settler. This is probably safer than just doing a settler first and running him off solo.
3100 BC
My borders pop again.
2890 BC
Archery done, I would like to go masonry, then monotheism next, but I think that will cripple me too much, not having cottages. So maybe I should bite the bullet and do Agriculture, then the Wheel, then Pottery. But I want to get the Oracle, and priesthood is cheep.
Well, if I build archer, then settler, then worker, it will be 40+ turns before the worker is ready, can that be right? So, I am going to go Masonry, then Monotheism, I will still have time after these are done, to research something for my worker to do.
2680 BC
Archer done, whew. Starting on settler, 22 turns away!
2620 BC
Masonry done, starting monotheism
2500 BC
My Archers beat of a barbarian warrior attack in the jungle, I fortified and upgraded them to Combat I (since there was no city yet). If another barbarian gets close, I will upgrade them again, otherwise wait for the city to be founded.
2410 BC
My archers barely beat of barbarian archers, upgrade them to combat 2.
2110 BC
Was two turns from Monotheism, but swapped production in city and now 1 turn away.
I am already falling behind in the techs, not sure I made a good choice here.
2080 BC
I found Judaism. Swap to Organized Religion. Start research on the agriculture.
2020 BC
Settler finished, starting on worker.
1900 BC
Teotihuacan founded, what to build? I want to build another worker here soon, but I want it to grow some first. I wish I could start the oracle here. But the production here is going to be horrible for a long time. I start an archer.
Note Gandhi already has a city just to my west.
1630 BC
Worker finished in capital. I think I need a 2nd worker before I start anything else. If I had done priesthood, I might have started the oracle.
3 turns until wheel is done, then I hook up the two cities. Until then, I will farm the corn.
1540 BC
Wheel done. Priesthood, Mining or Pottery next? Going to do priesthood.
Farm not done, but going to build the road, I need to get some culture in the 2nd city.
1480 BC Stonehenge built in far away land.
1390 BC
Wow Teotihuacan is stagnant, I really need to be able to clear those jungle tiles. 90! Turns to build a worker? I am going to keep growing and stick with the archer I guess.
1360 BC
Damn there is a barbarian city where I wanted to found my 3rd. Not good.
1240 BC
Gandhi wants open borders, I say, yay!
Priesthood finished, pottery next.
Worker finished, starting the oracle, going to clear a couple forests to hurry it, after I finish the farm on the corn.
1120 BC
Elizibeth wants open borders as well, yay.
I need to build some missionaries soon, so I can control which religions they get.
1030 BC
My one archer repells two attacks at Teotihuacan. My road connects up the two cities, but I cannot build a cottage for 7 more turns! Slight miscalculation here.
985 BC
Ouch, already unhappiness? I guess I build an archer then go back to oracle.
925 BC
Not good, Ghandi converts to judaeism and elizibeth to Hinduism, and I am buddhist! I will immediately convert to Judaism, and build a missionary for Elizibeth.
910 BC
Finished pottery, doing mining then bronze working finally.
895 BC
Ouch, Gandhi completes the Oracle, I was 30! Turns away, not looking good.
775 BC
Mining finished
640 BC
Great lighthouse built in distant land, missionary spreads Judaism to Nottingham.
580 BC
Bronze working finished, switch to slavery. Start working on Iron working.
Immediately whip out jewish mercenary (was 47/60)
565 BC
Woops, I am now unhappy. I should have built temples first I guess.
550 BC
Teotihuacan was really suffering from culture pressure from Madras, so I use the mercenary there. STILL didnât get religion on its own from road, like I had counted on.
445 BC
Christianity founded in distant land, things not going well.
385 BC
Confuciansm founded in dl
325 BC
My second missionary gets Elizibeth to convert to Judaism, but Gandhi founded Christianity, so that is going to be a big issue, sigh.
Religion finally got Teotihuacans borders to pop, so I can build the stone quarry.
265 BC
Iron working done, starting writing.
I pop an iron where I have already built a cottage, great!
160 BC
Start my first Jaguar unit, 13 turns away
115 BC
Writing done, what to do next? Alphabet I guess.
20 AD
Elizibeth captures the barbarian city, before I could even think about getting another unit here to take it, sigh.
470 AD
Gandhi steals my stone with culture!
515 AD
I missed the exact date, but I am the weathiest civ, I never adjusted my research rate back up, it was at like 60% still, sigh.
1106 AD
Retiring, tech is too advanced, I donât see a way I can win at this point
-I
