Adventure 15 : Dawn-ing a new age

[Dawn]

Realms Beyond Civ Adventure 15 – The French Riviera

While this is my third attempt at an RBCiv scenario, I was determined to make it through to the end – even if it was “just Prince” and I haven’t played above Noble. Scoring wouldn’t count as I played with Blue Marble active, but it was more about the challenge than the score.

Given the starting location, I drop down where I can reach out into the sea to grab the fish and crabs. Figuring from what I’ve read of others, I’m going to need some health bonuses as this progresses. Also, let’s make the most of this by researching Fishing first.

Around 3640BC Buddhism is FIDL and we see that the land is much better looking off to the East.



2880BC - I run into Fredrick and pop a scout. That scout will remain through the entire game and provide much info throughout the world.

1880BC – I find Khan to my west. Not the civ I wanted to be dealing with that close to my borders.

1760BC – Finding Cathy to the south and Hua to the east. Not sure how that will work out for me. Saly shows up a little later.

1360BC – Bronze working finally comes in (after going through Hunting to work the deers). What?!? No copper in the visible space, at least for me. On to Sailing to get more from the sea.

1160BC – Find Izzy to my south. Ah, what a wonderful relationship this would turn out to be.

975BC – Found Lyons and grab that rice! Needed the health.

875BC-650BC – Freddy picks off the Pyramids while Stonehenge is BIDL. I, on the other hand, am working to get the GL so I start my first lighthouse.

325BC – Iron working on to Math. Need to get to Construction as I’ll need those cats later (boy was I right about that one).

300BC – GL BIDL! Missed another one.

[Dawn]

225BC – Found copper to the North!



75BC – Rheims is built on the island to grab the iron! Turns out I would be the only water-going nation through the whole game.

Quick view in 1AD:



275AD – Buddhism makes it to France, starting a long affair with Spain.

580AD – Izzy calls me up to go make war with Saladin. I accept but have all of a few archers on my side. I decide to begin building some military. She is also trading me Meditation and Polytheism for my ability to ride bare-back.

740AD – Cathy closes her borders in what would become a game for her. Never will understand the redhead mind (even though I’m married to one in RL).

1060AD – Monarchy comes in and I can finally hook up a happy resource (wine) and get some happy from the troops in the cities.

1100AD – Financial situation is desperate. Losing 10 @ 50% research. I’m way back in the techs as it is. This is a real test of my diplomacy and tech trading skills (which need a lot of help).

1430AD – Finally one of my trades: Drama to Fred for Lit/Feud/30gp. Biggest trade to date.

1515AD – Courthouses and a positive cashflow @ 60% research (have to celebrate the small improvements). Windmills are now starting to dot the landscape.

1545AD – Culture battle with Izzy over the silk in the SE of the lake. This would flip-flop many times requiring me to renegotiate with her each time.

1560AD – Deer Park founded in the frozen north (screen shot didn't make it). However, this little city would produce the vast majority of my army in the future.

1625AD – Finally got a wonder, Globe Theatre in Tours. That city would wage a constant culture battle with Izzy to the south.

1697AD – Printing press comes in amid happiness issues. Continuing to run Monarchy to help stabilize the cities.

1740AD – After refusing to pay tribute to Khan, he decides to invade. I about lost my mind figuring a horde of Mongolians to pour across the border.



1804AD – Cathy and Fred to go at it.



1820AD – After throwing cats at Khan and using pointy stick diplomacy to keep Orleans, Khan accepts peace. I made only one attempt to invade his territory, but was completely underpowered. It was much easier to defend that to take the attack to him. Final stats from the war: 41-12. In retrospect I am walking around with my chest out having successfully defended my empire from a superior enemy. Lesson learned: the AI did not advance around Orleans (where 90% of my army was holed-up). The AI didn’t use the overwhelming numbers it had against my forces. “Failure to launch” is probably the best description.

[Dawn]

1834AD – Move into Free Speech. In 1848AD we move to Free Market and 1860AD finds us in Free Religion.



1904AD – Khan makes another run at me. This time I bring Izzy in with a bribe of Nationalism. Again, Khan throws his forces into Orleans and again I relish in the power of the cheap cat.

1908AD – Khan sends another large stack. This time he makes better use of his cats, but he still can’t break through Orleans. Again the AI failed to bypass that city and crush the rest of my fledgling empire.

1912AD – Khan’s stacks are now really just piles of whatever he has left (7 kills and 0 losses). Not sure where Izzy is, but it may be time for me to start an offensive. After suffering horrible losses in my offensive in the first war with him, I’ll build up some more troops.

1923AD – Coastal razing is now taking place. I'm dropping off troops to just pester him the backfield and since I control the great lake, no one bothers me.



1927AD – switch to Emancipation and Izzy takes Khan’s capital.

1930AD – Cathy completes Apollo!! And I’m still running around with cats – no cannon yet!

1931AD – Siege of Tiflis. Suicide 3 cats and run through my troops. Not enough to take the city the first time.



1934AD – Tiflis is finally mine! And only a forge is left behind. What a prize!

1940AD – Khan is shrinking as Kazan falls and I raze it.

1951AD – Capture another Mongol city, Sanchu. Hau decides he’s had enough and declares on my Lady! Not cool dude.

1954AD – Fred razes Old Sari and I wasn’t even aware of him in the war! That brings and end to Khan. At least I live beyond him!



1955AD – With Fred’s troops milling around in the old Mongol territory I now control he asks that I stop trading with Cathy. “Um, okay”. She’s not happy at all with me and I get another slap in the face.

1975AD – Realize I completely missed the Optics portion of the tech tree and have to start there. Takes me until 1987AD to get Physics.

1988AD – Cathy and Fred take another shot at each other. Given that they are at the top of the tech tree, let them go!

1993AD – Hua decides my land looks pretty good so he declares on me. I manage to convince my Lady to once again join me and Izzy goes back to war with him.

1995AD – It’s SAMs and artillery against my infantry and cannon in Dijon.

1998AD – Finally get the last of the Incans out of my territory (including two tanks razing my countryside – one killed by an artillery at only 21%).

2001AD – My troops are outside Tamboccocha and in 2003 we raze her to the ground. Izzy and I continue to kill the odd Incan while she beats on some of the cities.

2013AD – Cathy launches and wins the game.

[Dawn]

With a final ranking of Etherlred and a super score of just 3167, the game finally came to an end.

Demographics had me 3rd in GNP, 5th in MFG, 2nd in land area , 5th in Pop and soldiers.



I fought unhappiness through the game and did the most micromanagement of the cities to just keep production and research above zero. Getting an understanding of how to stay afloat with teching was probably my greatest weakness. I only had three cities in 1AD and finished with 17 (5 of which are Mongolian cities captured), so my expansion needs to be greater next time. Diplomacy was an improving art through the game and really the only way I was able to pacify some of the other civs.



Very interested to see how others played it. All in all a great experience and I count it is a victory by just surviving.

[playshogi]

Try http://www.photobucket.com for screenshots. Works like a charm. Insert the IMG pointer in your reports.

[Dawn]

Try http://www.photobucket.com for screenshots. Works like a charm. Insert the IMG pointer in your reports.

Thanks playshogi. Worked beautifully and the pictures are up!

[Ruff_Hi]

Nice game and good report. I played a very small portion of this and it was turning into a settler sparm (see Sirian's Miller game at CFC).

[Compromise]

Dawn, it looks to me like you've won this event. And with a well-done report too. Congratulations!

I thought the screenshot of 1780AD with Genghis attacking with catapults and keshiks was pretty darn funny. Good grief man, it's almost the 19th century and you're bringing keshiks to the party?! He deserved to be wiped out just for disrespecting you like that.

[Strow]

Nice report dawn maybe Ill attempt one sooner rather than later now after playing 2 of these.

[Dawn]

Thanks for the kudos. This was my first report posting, first RB game completion, and first game above Noble. Yep, that's right. Lots of firsts on this one.
I think making the notes throughout the game gave me more of a view into my own game. I could look back and go "oh yeah, that was a weedy move 100 years ago."
As for Khan bringing keshiks to the fight, I wasn't in much better shape. Learned just how tough my own cats could be. I built more cats and cannons than any other units.
I'd love to see how others managed to keep up or get ahead tech wise. My early game was pretty slow.