http://www.whiterose.org/~danil/civ4/a4/index.html

Summary: Victory! Hatty wins the space race in 1932.

Yeah, that late.

My game play is very weak (although I'm coming to recognize and correct that), but Hatty is like riding with training wheels. She's creative, so I don't have to waste hammers creating big road signs that say "Welcome to Second City; if you were creative, you'd have expanded to the fat cross by now". I can zimzam civics if I want to try to optimize them to match the current production phase. She's one tech away from her uber unit. She's one tech away from cottages. She starts with the wheel, so even if there's nothing else to do the first worker can build roads everywhere.

After I finished this game, I stepped down to Prince, and got slaughtered. Should have played Hatty.

Not having read any of the other reports yet, so based solely on my own play, I think "skip alphabet" rocked as a theme.

(Edit: and having read the other reports... um, wow. Was I playing the same difficulty as everybody else?)

First: I only managed to get this Game done because of that last week we had more to play. I tried to write a nice, funny report, but I had not much time left: so after some initial stuff, there are almost only my in-game-alt-tabbing-notes. Sorry everybody: if you want to read something funny, try this: "something funny".

And why is it a "shadow game" ? - well... because I cheated... :shame:
read on, and you'll see...

And now for something completely different...

I am Hatsheput, the gods are with me. I am Ruler of all of Egypt, miles and miles of Sand listen to my Command, I am worshipped by thousands and thousands. So: Don't you DARE call me Hatty !!!

These few people with me will be my people. Now, build a town and name it Thebes...
You there, wise men of Thebes: research hunting and then archery, for there are dangerous times. The gods told me, we are on monarch level, and even if I don't know what that means, they said:
* BE PREPARED TO DEFEND YOURSELF *
I command Theben to build a worker, so we will get more food. Our Warrior will explore the lands.
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, your humble exploring warriors found a hut and the inhabitants were overwhelmed with your beauty and gave us their secret knowledge of Pottery !!"
hmm. not bad... search on, my brave warriors. Find me more of those huts !
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, your humble exploring warriors found another hut and the inhabitants also were overwhelmed with your beauty and gave us a map of their surroundings."
hrmpf. a map. go on, find something better !
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, the people of Thebes have built a worker."
Good. The wise men have researched Achery, so now build an Archer. The wise men can now research mining.
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, your humble exploring warriors found another hut and the inhabitants also were overwhelmed with your beauty and gave us their secret knowledge of Mysticism !!"
Very Good ! Two Techs from huts ! thats outrageous !
wise men: research polytheism !
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, your humble exploring warriors found another Civilization: The chinese under Qin Shi Huang."
Hmmm.. hello.
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, the wise men of Theben have researched Polytheism and founded the Religion of Hinduism !".
Good. The Gods will be pleased! Research Monotheism, perhaps we will get more religions !
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, there are Barbarian Warriors coming from the jungles."
Defend our little civilization, my Warriors and Bowmen !
Theben has build a Settler. Go Northwest my Children, take some Archers with you. Found me a City named Memphis !
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, there are more Barbarian Warriors coming from the jungles and the icelands."
Defend our little civilization, my Warriors and Bowmen !
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, there are still more Barbarian Warriors coming from the jungles and the icelands."
Defend our little civilization, my Warriors and Bowmen !
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, there are even more Barbarian Warriors coming from the jungles and the icelands."
Defend our little civilization, my Warriors and Bowmen !
A Great Artist emerged from the ordinary People of Theben. You there: go and be a super specialist in Theben. This will bring some Gold and more Culture !
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, did we mention, that there are even more Barbarian Warriors coming from the jungles and the icelands ?"
Hrmpf ! You know what to do !
500 AD: Another Great Artist emerged from the ordinary People of Theben. You ! Give me Monarchy !
Oh, hello Kublai Khan... How comes, that - as the gods tell me - your Score is over 200 Points higher than mine, while I have more than Qin, Huyana and Roosevelt, which I met before ???
1170 AD: And another Great Artist emerges from the ordinary People of Thebes. Come on guys: isn't there something else you like to do than painting Pictures ? Must be that Hieroglyphes-thing. But Hieroglyphes are sooo cute, I can't change to that "Alphabet" we heard from.
I'm WAY behind in tech... in the moment, there will be no space race win....
EACH and EVERY other Civ has at least three more tech than me. And I have nothing to trade techs for...
An unknown civilization has more land than me ! who could that be ???
found Ashoka and traded a map where I can see spanish borders...
1505 AD:
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, the wise men of Theben have researched Divine Right !".
Good. No Islam ? Must have been founded long ago...
"Oh Great Pharao Hatsheput, a Great Engineer emerged from the people of Thebes !".
Very Good. Build Spiral Minarett at once !
hmmm... Kublai is now 350 Points Score in the Lead...
later...
A Great Prophet emerged my people. Let's build the Hindu-Shrine !
1685: Score: Isabella got 100 Points more than me, Qin 200 and Kublai 400 !!!
Strange: only Isabella has less tech than me, all the others have AT LEAST four Techs more (Alphabet not counting !)
1800: Qin already has some destroyers... I since recently can only build Frigates...
1876: Kublai Khan has finished the Apollo Program... and I am researching RAILROAD !!!! This is going to be defeat as defeat can be...
1890 AD: I am number one in Score. How could that happen ????? I'm still WAY behind in tech... just built some military...
1910 AD: I THINK I am the first one with tanks... hmmmm.... Qin just built SS Casing... hmmm....
1926 AD: Oh people of Egypt, follow me. Destroy those chinese heathen Cateaters !
1928: Noone wants to help me in this war against Qin (pout)
and I was right: he had no Tanks !
...He has Gunships...
1930: Kublai Khan built SS Thrusters... aarrggh. I can never fight both of them... this first war will take forever...
1932: Lots of chinese Gunships...
Took two of his Cities. Still noone wants to help me... Lost about twenty Tanks already (is there a bonus for AI on this level ??)
And now he has Tanks, too...
1936: Will I ever learn ? Sorens AI did it again: A Transport delivered a Tank, two SAMs and two Artilleries to my farthest City... I could just barely upgrade two Horse Archers to Gunships and get a tank there, otherwise I would have lost that City !
1938: Three attacking chinese SAM Infanteries killed two Gunships of mine - in a city... (there MUST be an AI Bonus on this level!)
1945: Soren did a job too well... Qin is hiding his arriving troops at that far away City inside an Incan city.
Since we are both at peace with Huyana I can't bombard them there !! The turn before that, his Ships are out of reach of my Bombers, and the Turn after, his Gunships are marauding around my City !!!! Grmblfx!
1948: And now Isabella declared war on me, too ! must be pur envy of MY natural Beauty (that painted Bi***)... or Qin bribed her into it...

1949: At least Isabella only attacks with cavalry ! I can stop THEM !
And I cut off Qin from Oil and Aluminium ! So, after clearing only two or three... hundred more tanks, Gunships, Destroyer and Battleships...
Ah...darn ! He still has Uranium !
1950: Spanish Cavalry has no chance against Egyptian Tanks... but if there are 6 suiciding cannons, one Rifleman and six Cavalry... that was a VERY close one !
Roosevelt was so nice to help me out with that little problem called Isabella ! Thank you Frankieboy...
Wow ! Qin sure has some Units in that City...


But with a lot of Bombers, some 7 suicide artilleries and some Gunships and Tanks I did manage to get that City. And sink more than half his fleet ! Nice !
Macau is revolting to Mongolian ! But I just got a Great Artist. That Should help....


1966: Macau has just revolted and joined the Mongolian Empire. So much for the Effect of that Great Artist...
Did I not understand it right ? Is there still a "non-revolt Bonus" with Units in the City ??? I thought, now there is only Culture needed ???
Qin is down to two Cities. Apollo-Project is done (at last !), and SS casings are scheduled...
1968: No Chinese Food anymore... what a sweet-sour victory ! Remarkable: Even with only his last City (pop 5) Qin had more Score than Ashoka !
Now I'm going to hurt Isabella a bit, make Peace, build the Spaceship, win the Game and... dream on...

1971:
* And here is the point I cheated:
* Isabella landed some troops up in the Northeast Corner (where I did not expect her ! ). Didn't see them coming... There were three tanks, two artillery, two cavalry and a cannon. I only had one musketeer in the City. Isabella suicide-attacked with the artillery, and destroyed the City with her Tanks. The Rest of her Troops went pillaging. That was the moment I first saw her troops there... (must watch out more for those comments in the upper left corner !!) Okay: SH** happens.
* But in that City, I was building a SpaceShip-Part... So I loaded the last Turn again and upgraded the Unit in the City (to a tank). No Units in reach for the next three Rounds (at least). I shuffled some Bombers and Fighters to the Area and got some tanks and mechs marching. And....
* same result: Isabella did exactly the same with the same result: City destroyed... Hmmm...
* After some thinking (about: probably loosing Space Race with or without this City, and thus the Game, or having a shadow Game, but being more content with the Game at all), I once again reloaded the last turn, and tried to shuffle more Troops.
* No Effect, there simply were NO Troops. So I loaded the Turn BEFORE and upgraded the Troops in the neighbouring Citys, and then put them in the endangered City in the next Turn (where isabella then landed her troops.
* With the Effect, that Isabella went around that City and was threatening to attack the neighbouring City, which she would reach the next Turn (BEFORE reinforcement could have been there...And with me having police State and vassalage - so no buying or whipping a Unit...). So:

Oh ye mighty Gods of Egypt. See your humble daughter Hatsheput fall in the Hands of the Unbelievers. Please help !
* HMMM OH YES. WE SEE.*
* WE ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU 2 GUNSHIPS AND A MECHINF IN THAT CITY*
Oh great ! Goodygoody !
*AND WE WILL TAKE THEM FROM A CITY AT THE CHINESE FRONT*
Oh... well, okay....

* So I placed 2 Gunships and a mech in the threatened City, deleted them from a front City, upgraded all Units around that City, shuffled some Bombers and Fighters in that Area, and got some more Tanks marching.



I have to admit, I don't really recall, what has happened here exactly: this is a Screenshot I made after finishing the game. Here Isabellas Units are damaged, and in my City there is a lonely MechInf. I must have attacked her, since one Gunship and a Tank are missing... But do they do collateral Damage ? Or did I use a Fighter/Bomber ? I don't recall it anymore, sorry.
* well, Isabella went around the City, pillaged some, and got kicked the next three rounds by my Gunships and Tanks...
* By the Way: With loading those previous turns I watched out for her coming... There was nothing to see !!!! She kept outside my visible fields until the turn she landed those Troops !!!

And after all of that: I could persuade Kublai to declare War on Isabella ! Yeah ! Get her, boy!
1972: After Kublai has built the UN, I have been elected General Secretary (with the help of Roosevelt and Ashoka !)
1973: I've build the Space Elevator !!! Wooohooooo ! The Space race is now open again !!! Who would have thought of THAT ???
1974: Made Peace with Isabella. Now Kublai can give her a nice pounding (and neglect his Spaceship a little bit...)
1981: Thrusters done in memphis. Now scheduling some spies to sabotage Kublais Space Ship !!
1983: First Sabotage with this Spy: Got caught... Great !
1984: The city of Vitoria has a spanish revolt (that's the City I took from Isabella. Looks like she's going to get it back peacefully.)
1985: Guanghzuo has a mongolian Revolt grrrr..... that's the second City !!! Next Spy, next try... this time it is success !!!
1987: Marco Polo, a Great merchant got me 2700 Gold for a Traderoute. I am researching fusion, so I can build SS Engine. Kublai needs two more Parts: Life Support and stasis chamber. I need stasis chamber (is under Construction and due in six turns) and engine... and I am only researching that now....
1988: Another Sabotage act: no success ! This gets my relation with Kublai down to only +5 ! And at once the next try: Success ! Kublais life support is now due in four instead of two turns... another Spy will be "in town" next turn...
1991: The most advanced Civs... I am on 5th place... Only Isabella and Ashoka are beneath me...



SS stasis chamber is done. Engine is scheduled and due in 6 turns. Kublais Life Support is due in 2 turns, and I CAN'T sabotage it ! Is there a limit ??? Oh... no: it's just expensive ! 2532 Gold !!!!
And I have only 1020...
1992: UN resolution for universal Suffrage as civic. Now Isabella and Kublai will have some nice unrest in their Cities, I suppose...
found his stasis Chamber ! it is due in 10 turns, and I will have enough Money for a Sabotage next turn...
My Engine is due in 7 Turns. SEVEN ??? what has happened there ???? it was 6 turns LAST round !!!
1993: One sabotage to be sure... not successful ! and not enough money for another...
1998: and one last sabotage: SUCCESS ! Now there won't be a chance for Kublai to be faster than I am !!!! Yes !
:-)
1999 SPACE RACE VICTORY !




I never thought, I'd win this game. Never ever ! Sheer luck... never even played on monarch before ! Woohooooo !
If not for the two early techs out of huts and expecially the space elevator, I NEVER would have won ! And that war between Kublai and Isabella has helped, too.
Now I'm just wondering: would I have won without the cheating part ???? It would have been very close, due to Kublais Launching... but perhaps... who knows...

Hey, I liked reporting the first time so much I thought I'd try it again. The main report can be found at:

http://pindicator.coconia.net/Adv4/Adv4.html

Here's an executive summary for all those skimmers:

I settled on the spot, focused on mass commerce and mass religions. More religions = more money = more monestaries = faster research. Bogged down a bit by barbarians, so I expanded slowly (a little too slow IMO). Kept on good relations with all the opposing civs and grabbed the tech lead some time around the middle ages, never to let up. Never let up on the missionaries either. A couple golden ages, a lot of trading, and a war that was more inconvenience than anything and I finished with one last golden age (thanks for the pacifism idea Sirian!) to speed up my final space pieces.

Finished with a Space Race victory in 1931AD.

Enjoy!

“Your Majesty.”

Hatshepsut stood on the river bank, watching the sun rise over the river. She was ankle deep in dark, moist mud, and the river lapped at her calves.

“Your Majesty,” came the voice again. The volume was the same, and yet the voice was subtly more insistent.

She turned her head slowly to eye her senior advisor.

“What do our warriors report? What of the land?” The queen turned her head back to survey the sunrise.

“This river winds backward and forward,” said the advisor, beckoning. “All along the banks of the river, the soil is dark and moist. Our women believe that our crops would grow well. To the south, two of our warriors were wounded by a large beast with two long, white teeth which sparkle and glitter in the sun. And to the North East, small, fat beasts wonder the land. They are, I hear, most tasty, but devilish to catch.”

The queen considered the man’s words for some time. He did not interrupt her thoughts, and when the sun had finally risen, she spoke. “Have our people find ways to catch the great beasts of the south.”

“Your majesty, if I may be so bold. Our people feel that greater forces are at work the world. There is a yearning, as it were, to find them. Should we not bend our efforts to such a task?”

Hatshepsut considered his words. “Tell me, ” she said finally. “When we discover these greater powers, what will we offer them in tribute? Dark mud from the riverside? Or fine jewellery from the southern beasts?”

***

What a marvellous opening position. A warrior move to the south west doesn’t offer any compelling reasons to move my settler, and I certainly don’t want to move away from the river or away from forests with so much flood plain. Settling in place reveals nearby gold and marble, too. Two happiness resources in close proximity.

I open with hunting research, followed by animal husbandry. My opening research plan is Hunting->Husbandry->Fishing->Pottery. I only slot fishing in as my scouting warrior reveals two health resources near the ocean; and since fishing reduces the tech cost of pottery, it’s not an expensive detour, and one I want soon anyway. The choice of research path is based on getting cottages on the flood plains ASAP.

Worker first, and it conveniently happens that Husbandry comes in on the same turn my worker completes a road onto pig hill. I’ve identified city sites two and three by scouting warrior. Site two has decent food (for growth), and more importantly, good potential for production in the short and long term. Horses, so I get to experiment with a chariot-based early military, cows (health, good early production) and rice (HEALTH) are available. Health is important, because Thebes can be a commerce AND GP city if I can offset the floodplains health penalty.

I’m working on a scout, growing Thebes, and returning my warrior for happiness duty in Thebes. My initial scouting is usually centred around finding the perfect site for city two. I’ve found space for my next two cities here already, although city three won’t be an end game monster (too many tiles overlapping with Memphis) it can whip some infrastructure and be a decent to good commerce city forever.

And note, it will be some time before I pursue a religion. Despite being religious, Hattie doesn’t start with Mysticism. And it’s monarch difficulty. There’s nothing worse than being beaten to a religion, except being beaten. Indeed, Buddhism and Hinduism are FIDAL in 3640BC and 3040BC, although Judaism only in 1480, so I might have had a shot. Doubt I would have gone there, even with foreknowledge.

Research path goes on: Pottery->Mining->Bronze Working->Mysticism->Polythiesm->Priesthood->Masonry->Writing

Thebes goes Scout->Warrior->Settler->Worker->Worker->Warrior->Worker. Give or take a warrior or worker here and there, depending on whether I wanted Thebes to grow some more (based on the happiness or health limits).

2200BC saw the founding of Memphis, which began a barracks. I was the largest civ in 1960BC, according to Herodotus or Odysseus or some similarly named scholar. Huh? This is monarch. How did I manage that?

Memphis completes the barracks and begins war chariots. Workers focus on hooking up (in pretty much this order of priority) Rice, Cows, Horses, Marble, Gold, Copper (which turns out to be in range of Thebes. Nice, from a production point of view.)

Early barbs turned out to be a huge nuisance. I never really had many barbs in Adventure 2 (too little land? Chokepoints?), or even adventure 3!!!, but here they’re insane. Initially the war chariots did fine, but when barb axemen started appearing, it got vicious. I tried bait chariots, but the barbs would wander merrily past and head for my improvements, sticking to defensive land and forcing me to attack at a penalty. It makes perfect sense when the barb is only a tile or two away from my improvements, but they simply never attacked my units in the open, instead beelining for improvements or cities four or five tiles further on. I eventually settled for building some axemen and fortifying them in defensive fogbusting locations, at significant supply cost to myself.

[img] http://www.realmsbeyond.net/userfiles/fi...bwatch.jpg[/img]

I timed the Oracle to begin with the connection of marble, and the Oracle to complete at around the same time as writing. Grabbed Code of Laws, and Conficianism. I chose Confucianism because Theology is favoured by Great Prophets, and because I expected to make use of Caste System at Thebes, but I never did because slavery was far too useful for those times. I’d allow my cities to grow past their happiness limit, and then whip them. All three of my cities had extra food, and Thebes especially since all those food plains produced extra food as well as lots of commerce.

[img] http://www.realmsbeyond.net/userfiles/fi...,750bc.jpg[/img]
***
Hatshepsut stood at the top of the steps to her palace, watching the bustling activity below her. Word had reached her that Heliopolis had been founded on the banks of the great ocean, and even now her people where labouring on a fleet of grand triremes to map the oceans, and perhaps discover the lands that Qin called home.

Below her, her people were labouring to construct a library; a place of learning and centralized knowledge. She had instructed her people to move with all haste, and she watched as a guard began beating a lazy slave. At this, a young man who had been meditating near the Oracle, and who had witnessed the event, ran to intervene. A scuffle broke out, and the young man began screaming, “Why should the poor be made to carry the burdens of the rich?” Another guard ran to assist, but the young man struck him to the ground, and then fled the city.

Hatshepsut only watched, and indicated to the guards that they should let the man flee unhindered.

“Tell me of that man,” she said slowly to her chief advisor, after a long pause.

“Ahem. I believe his name is Moses. He teaches at the Oracle. He is somewhat radical, and I believe he teaches that all men are equal under the law, and that no man should be the slave or servant of another. He is clearly insane. Should we have him hunted and killed?”

Hatshepsut was silent for some time, before answering, “No. I do believe his thoughts intrigue me…”

Some time later, word came to Hatshepsut that Moses had fled to Memphis, where he had constructed a Holy Shrine, and taught that not man should be the slave of another.
***

With the completion of the Oracle in 1160BC, I began Settler number 3, and began researching Monothism for Organised Religion and Missionaries. In the short term, I planned on using missionaries to convert my neighbours. Qin had no religion, so research went Monothiesm->Sailing, and when Heliopolis was founded in 550BC it began a galley (rather than sending a missionary through barb infested jungles). Capuc was already Buddhist and so I’d focus on making Qin a religious ally.

In the long term, I hoped to get three or four religions into my cities, for 6-8 extra happy faces with Free Religion (and cheap temples).

A nice tasty barb city sprang up on the river amongst all the dyes, and around 400BC I sent a five-stack of chariots to introduce them to civilization (waiting for size 2, of course). I also took a detour from my research into mathematics, to get iron working. Thebes produced quite a lot of workers. In 325BC, Great Prophet Moses was born in Thebes and built the Confucian Shrine in Memphis. I don’t remember if I was constructing a library at the time, or if I whipped it, but it made for a good story

The first 500 AD years saw me founding Elephantine in the north, snagging sugar (I build ON one sugar plot) and stone and more pigs. I also researched Calendar for the dye, and currency, then Theology (snagging Christianity, founded in Elephantine). My worker stacks slice the jungle near Cuman, and build plantations, and continue on towards Elephantine. The general strategy is for them to fan out to build roads (one worker per plot), and then to combine for the other tiles. Food resources first, then farms if necessary, then cottages or mines, depending on the terrain. Cumen, with little in the way of bonus food, got mines on the hills first and a few farms. Later, it would all be converted to cottages, even the grassland hills.

275AD Theology->Civil Service
400AD The Khan demands Monothiesm. Sure.
450AD Great Prophet Zoraster is born, and I hold onto him for a while in the hope he can be used to found philosophy.
560AD Monarchy + Construction + Archery (!!) +40GP from the Khan for Theology + Code of Laws. Pigs for Sheep. Civil Service is discovered, and it turns out Zoraster will contribute to Divine Right and not Philosophy. Idiot. I have him build a Christian Shrine in Elephantine. Meanwhile, I begin Philosophy Research.
680AD Huayna demands, and gets, 70GP. Idiot.
700AD I discover Philosophy (and Toaism). Three religions, which meets my quota. Self founded, which wasn’t part of my quota. Begin Feudalism research. A tech surge is all well and good, but I need units, and paper cutouts of chariots and axemen won’t hold the line forever. Fortunately, the land grab is still on. Lots of land. And lots of jungle.
800AD Hanging Gardens completes in Thebes.
820AD Fuedalism (longbows) -> Paper. Build longbows.
Around 1000AD I found Alexandria, effectively cutting Qin off from further expansion in my direction. Now I had better have a large enough military. Longbows abound, and there are a number of settlers vacationing in sites I’d like to settle. These spots, while fertile, are beyond my economic desire to build on at the moment, but I’m keeping an eye out for foreign settler pairs. If they look to be settling a spot, I’ll just drop a city right there. I’ve effectively already settled the spot, but am not paying maintenance or improving the city.
1070AD a mongol stack (6 units) makes me nervous, but it’s either just a show of power by Kublai, or he’s heading somewhere else.
[img] http://www.realmsbeyond.net/userfiles/fi...lokhan.jpg[/img]
During this period of growth and settling, I switch backwards and forwards between theology and organised religion (units or buildings) and slavery or serfdom (improvements or buildings).
1130 Education comes in. Gogo Printing Press.

***
For a Very Long Time, the words of Moses refused to leave her head. Hatshepsut sighed. The Egyptian people shared this world with many peoples. From the warlike Kublai, to the tiny Roosevelt. Qin, she sensed, was quiet and broody, and harboured secret hostile thoughts. Beyond the vast oceans, she sensed there were more people, more great nations. Who knew what thoughts THEY harboured.

But what made the Egyptian people different? Where they merely another race of humanoids, striving for their piece of land? Mere animals, obeying the laws of Power and Land and Science?

No, she though, finally. Egyptians…the Egyptian People…were more than that. Unlike the animals who populated this nasty world, the Egyptians would be different. All men and women would be equal. Free to choose what work to do and which gods to serve. Free to speak their minds, and free to live their own lives.

Hatshepsut looked up from her throne at her assembled councillors, who had graciously refrained from interrupting their queen during the last four hours while she had sad quietly thinking.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” said their queen, “I have decided on the way forward.”
***
The years leading up to 1430 are focussed towards only one goal. The Egyptian people continue to expand and improve their lands, and research is focussed. I have a significant tech lead, and hold on to it for now.

Note the Egyptian Cottageland. Also not the longbowman, who’s hiding a settler. I have a number of these settlers in good spots, but they have not founded cities as I don’t feel my economic situation justifies it, nor do I have the workers available yet. However, if a foreign settler comes near…pop goes the city.


Events of interest include:

1250 The Khan seeks war against America. It’ll be phony, and America is small, so I agree. The Khan is big, and I don’t need his animosity.

1260 The Germans show up, and are similar in tech to the AI’s on my own continent. That is, they are behind me.

1290 A couple of cities suffering from unhealthiness are whipped to build universities. Healthy body, healthy mind.

1320 Nationalism->Constitution. I still have a monopoly on Paper and Philosophy. It feel surreal. Start the Taj Mahal in Memphis.

1350 I’ve lost my monopoly on Philosophy. Kublai (friendly) asks for paper. Uhm, no? But maybe later.

1390 Constitution to Liberalism.

1400 Qin asks for paper. Uhm, no? And not later, either. You can damn well pay!

1430 A picture says more than 1000 words. But you guys are smart, you’ve seen this coming all along, haven’t you? Plus, I don’t use misdirection like Sirian does.


[img] http://www.realmsbeyond.net/userfiles/fi...cegypt.jpg[/img]

I’ve put the Taj Mahal on hold for a few years, as I have no serious infrastructure to build over the next few turns, and no competition. Having no great need of some of my monopolies anymore, it’s time to get some of those techs I’m missing. I’ll be protecting my constitution and democracy monopolies.
Philosophy to Inca for…something + 20g. My notes fail me.
Nationalism to Qin for Guilds + 290g
Nationalism to Freddie for Engineering an + 70g
And that’s it? What HAVE these AI’s been doing? Well, EVERYONE keeps offering me alphabet. Don’t you understand, we don’t want your filthy “letters”.

There is some interesting religious separation here, too. The Khan is Islamic. Qin is heavily Confucian. Capuc is mostly Jewish. And the rest of the civs seem to be Buddist. With my own Free Religion and their factions, I hope they eat each other first.



1480AD Taj completes and banks start going up.
1500 AD Asoka finds me. Economics->Replaceable Parts. The AI will be fielding Cavalry soon, and riflemen are THE defender of choice. For now. However, I put cash to 100%, to buy some improvements, for a few turns.
1510AD Nationalism – Capuc for Optics+90. Printing Press->China for Gunpowder+150
1515AD Issy makes an appearance. I still have no real navy, but I have a few cities preparing the infrastructure.
1520AD Isabella demands an obsolete tech (Gunpowder). I refuse and take a -1 attitude hit. Then I turn around and sell it to her for 50 gold, and get +4.
1570 Rifling comes in and I start saving the money necessary to mass upgrade my longbows (3000 gold)

1595 Qin converts to Theocracy. I’m thinking I’ll be needing those rifles soon…
1600 Rifling->Freddie for Astronomy. Both are near monopoly techs, but I don’t fear Freddie landing a killer stack of rifles from across the seas just yet, so I hope it’s safe.

1605 Hatshepsut suspected Qin all along of harbouring psychotic tendencies, and when the war horn sounds his nature is revealed. I’m nervous of monarch killer stacks; I saw them in Adventure 2. Luckily, Capuc is the unlucky soul. Hatshepsut, in her magnanimity, sells rifling to Capuc on the cheap. Fight fair now, boys. Qin already has rifling. Oh, and the Statue of Liberty comes in.
I’ve been saving my Great People now, and when a Great Engineer is born in 1635 in Memphis, I have five great people and two Golden Ages ready whenever I want them. Meanwhile, research is aimed at getting destroyers patrolling my waters.

1685 Khan declares war on Roosevelt, and I, valuing a fair fight, provide Roosevelt with cheap rifling. I don’t want a runaway civ here. I’m the biggest, and barring mass landgrabs, will remain that way. It’s still early enough in the game that a landgrab can be consolidated into a winning position. I get another great person, and the engineer builds the ironworks in El-Armana. (I expect attacks from my own continent to be mostly land based. El Armana with provide a navy to ward off attacks from the other continent.



1755 Qin-The-Nutter gets bored with Capuc and makes peace, declaring instead on the Khan. Who’s troops are still in the USA, slowed down by my rifles And these are the big boys, hopefully this war just slows them both down a bit. A great merchant (wow, lots of great people, thanks to the Parthenon build earlier in Memphis, and lots of specialists) makes 1700 in Mongolia.

1804 Assembly Line -> Radio. Peace between Khan and Qin. Khan lost a city, though. Probably made up for it with American cities, so the balance of power is fair. I upgrade some, but not all, riflemen to infantry, mostly on border cities. It’s the first time since border pressure began that I went cheap on the military.

***
The queen sat in her chambers, overcome with a feeling of heaviness quite unlike anything she had experience before. A messenger had arrived that day with the news. Qin had declared war on the Egyptian People.

Despite all her efforts to make the Egyptian Lands appear impregnable and intimidating, War was come to Egypt. She had failed, and now Egyptian free men and women would die in the defence of their freedom.

With her heart heavy, she sealed the orders. Egypt WOULD defend it’s lands.

And then, as she often did, she turned to her telescope to gaze upon the stars.
***

1830 Qin-The-Nutter practices oscillating war. I’m next in line. I wasn’t quite prepared for war. I had the infantry to defend my cities, and even to counterattack occasionally, but those damn two move cavalry can move and plunder before I can get them. I didn’t feel like having all my towns plundered down to the ground at Alexandria, so I had to stretch myself thin for a while to get units to the front and protect the land. Once I had the line defended, Qin wasn’t too eager to impale his troops, despite the fact that he could probably have broken the line at any time (I only had a unit or two per tile).

[img] http://www.realmsbeyond.net/userfiles/fi...nawar1.jpg[/img]

I was pretty nervous, though, as he had a huge (in my experience) army holed up at Hangzhou, complete with transports and defence ships. If he made a landing, I had the troops to kill off the landing party, but not without removing almost my entire maginot line force and chasing after the transporters. That would have split my force and been a serious setback.

I had a destroyer and a battle ship in the area, but they would likely not have been enough to get to the transports before they could land troops.

Oh, and speaking of cavalry:


Fortunately, Industrialism was next on my list of techs to research on my way to robotics, so I didn’t even have to change my research path. It came in 1848, and prompted a huge change of plans. See, I was already in a winning position (superior land, tech and production), and has no desire or need to be fighting wars. The war against China was a minor inconvenience to be played out as fast as possible.

***
War is ugly, thought the Egyptian queen, once again gazing through her telescope. Egyptian blood was being spilt. And would be spilt again, once Qin had regrouped his forces. Perhaps next time, he would buy the assistance of the Khan. Or Isabella, who had been showing jealousy at Egypts success. It must be a girl thing.

Unless Egypt showed that they were not to be trifled with. Unless they set an example. The world had to learn that hostility against Egypt was an EXPENSIVE proposition, or the Egyptian Free People would be the worlds target forever.
“War is ugly,” said the queen, aloud this time. Her advisor remained silent, as he had been for some time. “War is truly ugly. But let it be known that the price for hostility against the Egyptian Free People is Very High. Very high indeed. We shall set an example. We cannot afford to let this example go misunderstood, councillor. ”
***

The war against China was a minor inconvenience to be played out as fast as possible. That is, until Industrialism revealed that the nearest Aluminium was quite nearby, in China. I wasn’t sure if Aluminium was necessary for a spaceship win, but I knew it was significant. So:
Step (1) 10 turns of peace with Qin as soon possible, to fend of war weariness and buy time.
Step (2) research Facism, to allow police state; a second war with China, in Chinese lands, would be expensive in terms of unhappy faces.
Step (3) Kick off a golden age and build tanks. I’d been planning my second Golden age for building space ship parts, but plans never survive contact with the enemy. Or something.
Step (4) Muahhahahahaha. Sorry.

1860 – 10 turns of peace to China for 570G + 11GPT (Uh, they paid). Perhaps I should mention my first 5 tanks razed Shandong shortly before my emissary arrived at Qin’s court. Perhaps this affected the price for peace, eh? Silly China, building cities adjacent to my cultural border. Oh, Qin says they weren’t next to my cultural borders when they where built. Hehe…good culture for an uncultured civ.

I kick off a Golden Age, and build some tanks. Research started on Robotics. And, uhm, I’m third most advanced? Despite being up on Industrialism, Plastics and Radio? I’m down on five other techs (alphabet dependant), but in beakers the ones I have must be worth WAY more. It would appear that “Most Advanced” is based on raw number of techs, not beaker cost or level in the tech tree.

1866 My spy carefully counts 22 ground units in Hangzou, including four or five infantry.

How many turns between 1870 and 1880? That’s how many turns it takes to research flight. Rocketry is started.

1882 – The second war with Qin-the-Nutter begins. My staging force is prepared. Once more, a picture says more than a thousand words; the advantage of fighting on a narrow front.





Interestingly, I’ve moved from almost last in power to a resounding first. Thanks to El-Armana, my ironworks city, and two tanks every three turns. I can’t build the Epic remember. As a matter of curiosity, what happens in terms of overflow if you build something faster than a unit per turn?

Hangzhou, and Shangdong’s replacement, fall in the first turn. I lose only three tanks at Hangzhou; my collateral damage sacrificial lambs. During the war I raze five Chinese cities, to Xian and Beijing. This cuts off iron, copper, oil and aluminium to the Chinese. Beijing was building catapults the turn before it fell. <Insert evil laugh here…> I don’t need or feel like managing new cities.

To limit collateral damage, I shield my main tank stack with small groups of tanks and mechanized infantry. I think I had a group of 24 tanks, protected by three of four groups of tanks and mechs (2 per group). The line was broken once (two units killed after heavy artillery attack), but Qin didn’t have the artillery to follow up on my main stack. The advance was inexorable, slowed only one turn to allow bombers to reduce the defences of Beijing to 0, operating out of El-Umin-Um built ON the aluminium, in case of counter attack. Destroyers handled the defences of the other cities.



For the first time, the No Alphabet rule is hurting me, as I cannot produce culture to prevent war weariness. Fortunately, before I’m crippled completely, I make peace in 1900, in exchange for Turfan and some change, which I give back to Mongolia. Ugly city, no wonder the Khan isn’t grateful (not even a +1 modifier for “you liberated our city”?) I also plant a city near the wines, although it’s probably a moot point by now.

Another interesting aside; many civs are sending settlers to fill the gaps left by Chinese cities. How did they know there were gaps?



After the war, I switch to 100 cash for a while to make some use of the Kremlin before Optical Fibre comes in. I buy the Space Elevator, Rock ‘n Roll, Eiffle and the 3 Gorges Dam. My spaceship begins in 1916.

1924. Beautiful. Einstein is born, and contributes to the research of Fusion.

1932. World War One begins. The Khan declares on Rosie again, but this time he’s bought friends; Asoka and Freddie. Oops. Bitten off more than you can chew there, my friend. He asks for some assistance in 1939, but I’m one turn away from my spaceship, so, uhm…no?

***
As she reached the top of her staircase, she turned and looked over the city. It was a habit. Without fail, upon reaching the top of the staircase to her palace, she would turn and gaze over the city for some time, absorbing all that unfolded before her.

This time, however, Hatshepsut was NOT standing at the top of the palace stairs, but at the top of the metal staircase to the spaceship, Freedom. For the last time, the queen observed her empire, though it was not to remain hers for much longer. Soon, it would pass to her chief advisor, Ramses. As for her, she would commandeer the Freedom to a new home amongst the stars. In stasis for the trip, behind her in the Freedom, were 40,000 scientists, engineers, doctors and specialists of all kinds. Men and women handpicked by the queen for their intelligence, ingenuity, health and above all, beliefs in the principles of freedom and equality for all men.

Hatshepsut had seen enough blood spilt on earth. And with the likes of the Khan, there would be more. But perhaps, in a new place, on a new world, there would be true freedom.
***

Space Race victor in 1940. A good game for me, though I suspect I’ll be seeing Space Race victories in the 1700’s from some of the others Ah, well. I won’t say no to my first monarch victory!

And here is the proof (together with a little screenshot of the world):



Summary - Spaceship win 1940.

My report can be found here:

Snaproll's Civilization 4 Page

Looks like out of the 3 reports posted so far, I'm #3. Oh well, by the end of the reporting I'll probably be #100 or so!

I didn't have time to proofread before going to sleep, so sorry if you read the report tonight. I'll proofread in the morning.

You know where to find the game, it's posted as usual on my website. Happy reading.

http://civ4info.com/Sullla/civ4SP.html

The official reporting period for Adventure Four is now closed. Post your reports about Adventure 4 in this forum. You should have your play complete by the end of Sunday. Please have your reports (with at least win/loss and date) by the end of Tuesday, your local time.

If you have specific questions about your game or the reporting process, this is a good thread in which to ask them. Either Griselda or I will try to answer ASAP.

Arathorn

You can read my report at...

http://www.cassiopeiathedog.net/arathorn...oughts.htm

My many thanks to Speaker for his generous hosting!

Arathorn

Okay, I'll admit it. I have been playing Warcraft 2 instead of Diablo and working on Otrere's story.

I need some advice, and this is where it may get dusty. In the last human scenario, how the heck do I get past the dragons? I get a decent build going on, have some elves to handle the dragons, but sheez...not 6 at once.

tips?

Thanks,

Rakhir.

General enough?

and devastation.

Last weekend, there was a storm in cottage country. The recent stretch of warm weather was just about to end. It rained during the day, but as the temperature dropped, it changed to wet heavy snow and it just kept coming down - 23 inches of it.

The electicity went off on Saturday evening and was not restored until Wednesday, because there were innumerable line breaks from trees falling.

A cottage neighbour (who lives there full-time, and had the joy of dealing with that lengthy black-out) alerted us that there was damage. So we went to the cottage this weekend to assess.

Our cottage lot is small - 170 by 100 feet. And we have lost at least 20 trees. There is no way to know yet how many, as some are bent so far over that they may not survive. The electricity line that leads to the cottage is under two downed trees. Some of them are literally uprooted; some of them are snapped; a couple have shattered boles and some are 'merely' bent over to the ground.

This is a place with no soil cover. There is bedrock, then about 8 inches of old morraine rubble and a bit of soil mixed into it. Trees take roughly forever to mature. One tree that my husband's grandfather planted a good sixty years ago is all of 20 feet tall. So the lost trees are old.


It is hard to show this in photographs, because I cannot give background adequately to explain what you 'should' or 'should not' be seeing.

For example, you 'should' be able to see from the road to the water, along the side of the cottage. When you stand at the poplar stump, looking toward the back of the cottage, you 'should not' be able to see the cottage at all, due to the number of trees that 'should' be in between.

The 'invisible' lilac is 15 feet high, but it is under another downed tree right now. Birch trees should not look like weeping willows in outline. Cedar trees do stand upright.

The bottom line is: we don't yet know the bottom line. We cannot do anything until at least another month has gone by, and the intervening weather could make the damage much worse.

I do know this for sure: the shade gardens that I have painstakingly been building for the past few years are no longer in shady locations.

But the snow sure looks purty on the trees....

Photographs / slideshow available here:

http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shadow1.../my_photos