Either I'm blind or there isn't any info thread for Adventure Nine, so this may as well serve as one just in case anyone missed it. It's here:

http://www.realmsbeyond.net/civ/c4tourney/adv9.html

Anyway, Game Complete. Edit: Report Written.

I forgot to open an info thread?

So what info do you need to know? Kill or be killed.


Anyway... My Epic Six shadow game is complete. So this is doubling as my -Game Complete- post.

OMG six weeks to report day. Who made THAT decision?!?


See you on the flip side.


- Sirian

Sirian Wrote:We're also starting to get dangerously close to some items going up on to the Exploits list. Among the things I consider to be intrusively gamey:

* "Pre-chopping" forests so that a whole bunch can be "finished off" in rapid fire once a new tech comes in or a new resource online. This is systematic abuse of features added for other reasons, which circumvents the intent with regard to "prebuilding", and is especially hard-hitting with early game military rushes. This category also includes "pre-working" tiles in other ways, in any systematic approach intended to circumvent exposure to pillaging.

* Deliberate avoidance of learning Masonry to boost the power of early game Great Prophets.

* Systematic "binary research".

* "Seed Corn" Civ4 style.

There are a few others I'm keeping my eye on.

Some tactics are what I think of as "zero sum", in that all they do is require players to up the difficulty to no useful end. The idea being that if you have to add X strength to the AI side of the equation to overcome X strength on your side, what have you actually accomplished? Less than nothing, since the higher the difficulty level for the AI, the more stressed becomes the overall game balance. Some types of issues are unavoidable, though, such as micromanaging tiles in Civ3 to avoid overflow waste, or conducting n-fer trades. Sometimes broken elements are rooted so deeply, they can't be avoided without gutting the whole game. Trying to fix those kind of issues leads to a negative sum, costing more than it can benefit. However, I'm always going to target zero sum items that can be clearly defined.

If you haven't already done so, take a gander at the upcoming expansion, Nightfall. From the looks of things, the game looks to play more with the religion of Guild Wars, so we might finally be seeing a new Ascended dungeon (which god will get the new FoW/UW, I wonder) and the PvE storyline will probably focus on some new revelations about the gods and how they interact with the world.

Some stuff in the article I find interesting:
The new classes will be the Paragon (awesome name) and the Dervish (wtf?).

Paragons are going to use Spears and probably be a mid-range melee fighter (spears make me think they'll be standing behind the warriors but still able to hit the baddies) and give. They'll also have battlefield enhancements (something similar to shouts?) to help people cope with hexes and conditions, etc. so that makes me think they could have potential as a frontline monk or something (guessing they'll have 70AL max, or 60 and a ton of boosters). I must say though, I like the look of the Paragon's armor, almost a half-way between warrior and elementalist, with a pretty decent color scheme.

The Dervish class is going to be the next melee character, only this time using scythes. That's right, scythes. While the look and idea of using a scythe in battle sounds awesome, I have to wonder if they'll be any different from axes. I also saw this pretty interesting snippet in the article:

Quote:The profession's most powerful ability, however, is to temporarily transform into the physical embodiment of a god.

Quote:Since the profession is part warrior and part priest, dervishes are clad in robes rather than armor.

Quote:In addition to testing out the new professions and arenas, players will also be able to compete for items that will be exchangeable for a variety of rewards throughout the weekend event.

It got ate. My hard drive went belly up and with it my report. I've just now gotten a new hard drive and reinstalled windows and am in the process of reinstalling everything else. CIV will have to wait until tomorrow night.

So here's my summary of what really was a fun game to play. I've read some reports of how people walked the tight-rope of conquest and economic ruin: personally, I managed to keep that up for a while, started war in 700BC against England with Jaguars and went straight to India afterwards. I made a misstep and fell of the tight-rope myself, watching my troops STRIKE! somewhere around 350AD.

The STRIKE! left me with a balanced budget, yet with only 1 worker, 6 archers, and a warrior among 7 cities. Eventually cottages matured, great prophets were born, palaces moved, and the economy crept up and up. I was constantly afraid of Alex attacking, but by the time he did I had enough of an army to defend myself. Eventually I realized all I had to do was take out Ghandi to get the domination victory, and I did get that victory in 1661AD.

Two things surprised me: First was the increased distance cost on smaller maps. Second was how slow Alex teched. I managed to almost catch him before I won; he was never far ahead enough in military technology to really frighten me.

In the end the early and aggressive warring, the economic, and the subsequent thrill of hoping I would survive, led me to one of the most fun games I've played. I only wish I had the report to share it with you all.

Hi again all,

Epic 5 was my second game of Civ 4; my first was Adventure Six. I decided to log that while playing and give it the full-blown report treatment for posterity, so if anyone's curious as to my first trip through Civ 4, click on the link below...

http://www.dos486.com/civ4/adv6/

Foxbat's storage idea has been given me a thought.

Coming back today I heard complaints about how slow the company were in releasing the extra character slots and so if someone is just really itching for it, I have a free slot that I will never use if anyone's interested.

It's factions only and can be played Sunday's and Tuesday's American time, both day and night, as well as any day between 2am and 8am on GMT+10, unless something comes up. Other times can easily be arranged but will depend on when I'm working and life, etc.

Preference goes to someone trustworthy who's been around for a while, who can best make use of those times and who can play loads and loads to unlock everything for my pvp slot character

It can likely turn into 4 free slots as of November, when, all going to plan, i'll be taking off to Europe for a year or so to finish off my university degree. Ideally I'd like it to be rostered for 4 different people, or at least divided up somehow to best suit the whole RB as apposed to one player. That can be sorted out later though I guess.

Respond if interested or if you've any thoughts.

Hureg.

Report can be found here.

It was quite a shame that I couldn't find the time to complete my game. I will find the time to write up a report of what I did get done, however. I played with the intention of getting a Conquest Victory, and I almost achieved it. I'll go back later and find the time to complete the game. I had nearly no economy, and not enough manpower to wipe out Alexander's last stronghold (Athens). I would have to spend time to rebuild my economy before attacking again.

Incomplete Game : 1124 AD

EDIT: Until I can set up some sort of website, I'll post a report here:

I started out like most people, but I was lucky to get Agriculture in a hut.

I declared war on England first, and destroyed them, taking a few cities in the process (along with a barb city):

India next (Alexander declared war on India at the same time and ended up finishing them off):

Greek were next. My economy was in the pits and couldn't finish off Athens in time to submit a report. So here it is:
[url=http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b29/Kodi_87/Epic%205/Civ4ScreenShot0003.jpg][/url]

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. It’s 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 ‘wasted’ 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 didn’t 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 don’t see a way I can win at this point

-I