Adventure 44: Novice's OCC conquest

[novice]

Conquest victory in 1812AD. Thanks to the sponsor for a fun game.
Full report to follow.

[novice]

So I misread the game setup and essentially thought you could have almost zero military. Combined with a cramped map that pretty much dictated a One City Challenge.

The only victory conditions that seemed possible under these assumptions were diplomacy and space. I hate diplo so I guess space is the plan.

Seeing as I would have nothing to build for most of the game I would also go wonder crazy, and geared my initial tech path for this. I figured that wonders would fall early as many AIs would be OCC'ing too.

I made a plan to use the marble for an early Oracle to Monarchy (I know, not very original), to get my capital as big as possible as early as possible.

[novice]

So my initial tech path was The Wheel, Agriculture, Archery (starting techs (!)), then Fishing->Mining->Mysticism->Masonry->Polytheism->Priesthood.

My builds were Worker (partial)->Work boat->Worker (completed)->Work boat->Archer->Oracle.

Here's Uruk building the archer, while researching Priesthood. At this point the worker is quarrying the marble.

[novice]

So I finish the Oracle T40, pick Monarchy, and the Byzantine religion of Buddhism has spread to me and all my neighbours, for good relations. On T45 Alphabet is available and I pick up lots of techs through trading.

My tech path after Priesthood was:
Pottery->Writing->Bronze working->Monarchy (Oracled)
->Animal Husbandry (partially researched, then traded)->Sailing, Alphabet, Meditation and Hunting (all traded)
->Aesthetics->Literature->Monotheism, Iron Working (both traded)
->Mathematics->Theology (bulbed)->Metal casting
->Currency->Code of Laws->Civil Service.

My builds:
Granary->Scout->Lighthouse->Library->Chariot
->Buddhist Temple (whipped for max overflow)
->Great Library
->Barracks (whipped for max overflow)
->Great Library (completed T71)
->Buddhist monastery (whipped for max overflow)
->Great Lighthouse (completed T76, received my three chops)
->Parthenon
->Forge (whipped for max overflow)
->Parthenon (completed T85?)
->Aqueduct
->Pyramids (rushed T90)
->Aqueduct
->Hanging Gardens

Here's Uruk, T75, about to finish the Great Lighthouse. My first great person, a prophet, is bulbing Theology. My second great person was an engineer at 10% odds on T90, and my third was a scientist on T98 who built an academy.

[novice]

Uh-oh. Stalin has suffered our insolence for long enough.

[novice]

So Stalin invades, and my garrison consists of a warrior, a scout, an archer and a chariot. The variant rules prevented me from building more units. Stalin's forces:



The outcome was predictable.



My post-game thoughts:
So I definitely got a bit complacent when Ruff said that this game plays several difficulties below Emperor. It did in terms of techs and wonders, but I didn't think the variant rules through well enough with regards to how to defend my city.

I should have researched construction and horseback riding earlier, and paid respect to the fact that my closest neighbour was named Stalin. I would probably have had time to suicide three catapults against Stalin's stacks, whipping at the swapping penalty.

Also in retrospect I could have Oracled something more valuable than Monarchy, like Feudalism, or Horseback Riding.

My game looks pretty noobish, going wonder crazy and being eliminated, but really, what was I supposed to build?

Ah well. When's the next game?

[Ruff_Hi]

So I misread the game setup and essentially thought you could have almost zero military. Combined with a cramped map that pretty much dictated a One City Challenge.

So Stalin invades, and my garrison consists of a warrior, a scout, an archer and a chariot. The variant rules prevented me from building more units. Stalin's forces <lots!>

The outcome was predictable.

My post-game thoughts:
So I definitely got a bit complacent when Ruff said that this game plays several difficulties below Emperor. It did in terms of techs and wonders, but I didn't think the variant rules through well enough with regards to how to defend my city.

Oops - sorry about the confusion re how many units you can build. I take it that you replayed your game using the intended interpretation ... I cannot wait to see you clean up the map.

[novice]

So it turns out, I misinterpreted the variant rules. Apparently I can build as many archers I like as long as I don't mix them with longbows, crossbows or other archery units.

Consequently, I reload to turn 93, the turn of Stalin's war declaration. I swap from my ridiculous Hanging Gardens build to an archer and whip it at the swapping penalty. Three consecutive archers are built and promoted to City Guard II. I buy in Montezuma against Russia.

Russia goes on to display some rather odd tactics. After pillaging a total of 1 tile, the russian forces sucide four axes and two spears on my CGII archers. At the same time, Aztecs are threatening the Russian capital with 4 jaguars and two archers. Moscow is defended by 2 archers and an axe.

I then sign peace with Russia, they pay 20 gold. His remaining two axes and two spears are booted back to Moscow, saving his bacon from the Aztecs. Crisis averted.

I will now continue my OCC variant, as anything else sounds awfully messy. With my new understanding of the variant rules I will pursue a conquest victory, and rid the world map of all the messy colours.

[Ruff_Hi]

I will now continue my OCC variant, as anything else sounds awfully messy. With my new understanding of the variant rules I will pursue a conquest victory, and rid the world map of all the messy colours.

Cool! I don't consider this a shadow game. Do I have that power as the sponsor?

[novice]

Cool! I don't consider this a shadow game. Do I have that power as the sponsor?

Yes, definitely.

My misinterpretation of the rules was entirely my fault. The outcome was a more challenging variant, which just made the game all the more fun. After playing the first 93 turns as a OCC it felt stupid to change that.

I'll admit I had some dark thoughts about lack of playtesting immediately after my russian demise, but luckily I kept my cool.