Kukulcan Adventure 1

[Kukulcan]

This will be brief since I have been having issues with the forum eating my posts, and I do not have my notes or game with me at the moment. Details will follow.

Abstract: This was my first game of Civ IV. I wanted to explore as much of it as possible at a leisurely pace, which this Adventure at Warlord Level certainly allowed me to do. Plan was Space Race victory, which was achived somewhere around 1990.

[Kukulcan]

Looks like I have solved my posting problems. Now, hopefully I also will be able to solve them at home and be able to post something resembling a report.

[Kukulcan]

OK, as promised, I have returned!

As I mentioned above, this was to be my first game of Civ IV, my brother having given me the game for Christmas . I hadn't gotten around to buying it myself because of this little thing I have to finish called a "thesis" . I am now convinced that my brother wants to make sure that I never graduate!

Since this was my first game of Civ IV, and because my computer's specs are a shade sub-minimal (near as I can tell, the only thing lacking is sufficient overall RAM: I'm running XP with 256Mb), I thought it would be a good idea to try for a longish game to explore as much of the game as possible, and to see whether the game would be playable on my quickly aging machine.

As far as gamespeed and playability were concerned, I was not disappointed. I had no city info icons (no names, no text telling me what was being built, no "connected" icon, no religion icons, etc.), which was annoying , but mostly endurable. And things really started slowing down toward the end, but once I removed all of the extraneous graphics from the screen (grid, resource spotting and tile values), things pepped up again.

But, to the game!

Victoria is Financial and Expansive, which means I should be able to generate lots of income, and (at least in the early going) health will be less of a concern for me than happiness. I'm unlikely to grab one of the early religions, but I might be able to snag Judaism or Confucianism. Taking a look at my surroundings, I spy pigs (which for the longest time I thought were sheep... sheared sheep, I guess ) and wheat. I'll need to learn Agriculture and Animal Husbandry to make any use of them.

Hit <Enter> after moving warrior to start exploring (and worker begins building a road 'cos it's the only thing he knows how to do), and OMG! Isabella drops by! I don't think I'd ever encountered an opponent on the first turn in Civ III! I soon discover Peter and Fred and realize, "Of course we're packed in here: we've got five civs crammed into half of a small world (b/c terra map)!

Anyway, I learned the hard way that you can't chop a forest until Bronze Working is learnt, as I am prevented from mining a forested hill (which costs me a worker turn: fortunately, it's Warlord). Explore, explore, explore; fight wild animals; meet new friends; hear that Isabella founds Buddhism.... And build the first settler. Where to send him?

I think the bext spot for now is up on the northern coast: I've got immediate access to wines (not that they'll do me any good until Monarchy, so sayeth the Civilopaedia), and horses. Not to mention, the coastal nature of the city will do wonders for my economy. There are also a few hills so this could be quite productive, too. York is ultimately founded on the north coast around 2800BC. (Dot map included in discussion below regarding third city placement)

London builds some archers (once archery is learned) for city garrsison duty, and Fred founds Hinduism (looks like I was right about missing the early religions, but I could have gotten Hinduism if I had prioritised it: I was researching Mysticism when it was discovered: and I had spent much time ensuring I had archers for defense)

London builds a second settler (for a third city) around 2140BC. I'm having trouble deciding where to send him:

• I'd like to grab the Cu & Sheep in the SW... but not much food there
  
• NE-most point of continent has sugar and fish... but is very far away
  
• Clams onland across the bay... but it's across the bay: either over water or through Spain to get there
  
• Game suggests on the desert isthmus in SW... hadn't considered that, but it's better than my suggestions:
  • [-]Lots of fresh water -> plenty of food
    [-]Both Cu & sheep NOT in initial radius... but only one expansion away!
    

(Yellow dot = York)
(Blue dot is my thought for city: no overlap with London, gets both resources)
(White dot is the FAR superior city location, which is where Nottingham is founded)

I am impressed by the in-game help for city placement. Usually (as was the case with York, as well as many later cities), the game tells me to plant my city exactly where I had intended to do so. On this occasion, it saved me from a clearly decision, as Nottingham became a far more useful city than my blue-dot city would have been!

I start building Stonehenge in London because I am worried about Spanish culture from her early founding of Buddhism (already encroaching on York in the north). I am also worried about Russian culture keeping me from using the bay to sail out of London (Moscow is only five tiles away!) I really needn't have worried, and it turns out that this begins a Wonder addiction which actually compromises my relationship with Pete, whom I try to cultivate as an ally throughout the game.

I develop a plan to try to found Judaism and convert Pete, hopefully gaining him as a useful ally. I do indeed found Judaism (in Nottingham). I build the Oracle and two settlers in London. Eventually Moses is born in London (how appropriate: I wonder if it is a coincidence) and heads to Nottingham to build the Temple of Solomon. On the very next turn a religion appears in London... Buddhism! Oh, well.

Canterbury is founded in the south to grab furs, and Hastings in the north to secure the horses. I will build no more cities on the mainland. Eventually, I will build a fishing village named Coventry on the island just off the mainland in the north, but the rest of the cities I will found this game will be on the other side of the globe.

I found Christianity and Confucianism. London builds some infra, several workers, and then begins the Parthenon (thought the GP boost might be helpful, and I really want to control the bay). Pete asks me to cancel my deals with Fred. This unfortunately becomes a running theme, as Pete and Fred cannot stand one another. Can't we all just get along? :hippie: Anyway, that hurts my relationship with Fred a bit and he won't talk to me for something like 15 turns!

Judaism spontaneously spreads to St. Peterburg (but not to any of my cities, yet ), and Pete converts! But the joy is short-lived, as Christianity also spreads to Russia, and Pete soon converts again. Judaism also spreads to Toledo, Spain, but still to none of my cities (even though I established it as state religion almost immediately: I guess that doesn't have a significant effect). So, I start churning Jewish missionaries out of Nottingham to convert Pete (and myself ) to Judaism. I suppose I could have went for Christianity instead (especially with the Great Prophet points rolling into London), but I decided to stick with the original plan.

London begins Chichen Itza (for extra defensive help since I am worried about Isabella, who really doesn't like me since I keep refusing to become Buddhist; and REALLY want to control the bay), and I build some cats.

Roundabout 700AD I complete my first oceangoing vessel. It sits in a harbor a while waiting for its passenger (explorer), Also around that time, Peter founds Taoism. Just before I bust into the fog, I trade WM with anyone who offers a decent deal. I also trade Compass to Asoka for Currency+WM+120g. Around 900AD, I finally re-convert Peter to Judaism and my explorer sets foot in the New World

Explorer enters a tribal village and gets.... a worker. Great: all my workers are taking a five-hundred-year-long siesta already as it is! Oh, and it get better: workers cannot board caravels! So it looks like my explorer has got a shadow Just what he needs, an embedded reporter

Around 1050AD - 1150AD:

• Asoka asks for Music, which we give him to keep him happy in case Isabella decides to attack.
  
• Trade with Fred: Lit+60g for HBR
  
• Found Islam (to keep from further confusing the poor Russians)
  
• Begin a Golden Age with the Music Great Artist and a London Great Prophet
  
• Enter Renaissance two turns later (how's that for good historical timing? )
  
• Complete Magellan's Voyage
  
• Trade with Fred: Code of Laws + Theology for Civil Service
  
• Build "colonists" in London
  

Realize I need Calendar to learn Astronomy: I had been avoiding calendar to keep Stonehenge working; but I need Astronomy if I am ever going to populate the new world. Over the next 100 years, I change civics (for the first time, I think) to Bureaucracy, Slavery, and Pacificsm; and later Free speech and religion (so I can stop worrying about Isabella).

Around 1300AD: trade with Asoka: Divine RIght for Engineering+WM+30g. And gold pops out of a mine near London (good: I still need the happiness help -- I can't use the culture slider for happiness b/c I don't know Drama b/c I didn't realize that it had that effect )

1450AD: Planning the population of the New World:

• Yellow dot gives us a canal to get through this landmass, plenty of food, and dyes for happy-help back home
  
• Allows 2nd colonial city (red dot) to be stronger: grab rice, fish, cows
  
• If I can get both of these, and both Barb cities: I am in complete control of the New World, with at least four strong cities!
  

Use a Great Merchant from York to Learn Economics. USe the Econ Great Merchant to learn most of Replaceable parts (which I put off until I learn Nationalism).

Warwick is founded in the New World around 1500AD at yellow dot.

Spend the next roughly 100 years upgrading my military and preparing to colonize the New World. First religion to spread to Warwick: Buddhism of course! :mad: I don't even have Open Borders with Isabella, why does her religion get there first? (I thought later that perhaps he religious civic might have something to do with this: I don't remember what she was in at the time)

Newcastle (New World city #2) is founded in 1615. But, this time, I brought a missionary with me, so Judaism is ensured to be the first religion in the door (this will become standard procedure for the remainder of my city-founding: Settler, Jewish missionary, Christian missionary, and military garrison all arrive at city site within a turn of each other). I am still ignoring the barb cities: they pose no threat to me, but seem to be keeping the one or two German and Indian settlements at bay.

I need to finish up those courthouses, because upkeep costs are beginning to kill me! We refuse demands from Isabella and Fred, which hurts our relationship with each. I notice that London's culture has pushed the border with Russia back to Moscow itself! I guess I didn't have to worry too much about the control of that bay.

1665AD: I have 8 cities and 4 couthouses: Civilopaedia says I need one more court for the FP.

Since I already have a ton of culture, let's see how far I can push this: build Hermitage in Nottingham (which has founded two religions) for +100% culture!

Pete starts causing problems around 1700AD: asks us to stop trading with Asoka. Also begin production fo Forbidden Palace at this time in Warwick.

Around 1750: trade with Asoka: Steam Power for Sci. Meth.+WM+10g
Notice that there is only ONE oil in the world that I cn still get to without a war!
Pete converts to Taoism.
1780: Learn Democracy and revolt to Universal Suffrage, Emancipation, and Free Market.
Also realize that Warwick switched back to Courthouse for some reason: change it to FP. (This then happened a third time. When I noticed I had only two turns left on the court so I let it finish. Is there some requirement that you need a court in the city to build FP? If not, why did it keep auto-switching back to court? )

Around 1800AD: trade with Fred: Corporation+10g for Liberalism
Found Oxford and Liverpool in the northern half the the New World.

Around 1850: FP completed in Warwick and the assault on Cimmerian (barb city) begins!
Dover is founded on Uranium Island in the New World
Isabella and Pete BOTH start Golden Ages!
Cimmerian sends out a Grenadier who dies to one of my Redcoats.

Around 1840: Cimmerian is captured
I also notice that Asoka and Fred have nearly caught up to me tech-wise (I had a seven-tech-minimum lead on all-comers back when I triggered my Golden Age). I'm not sure if that is because I gave them too little credit as I was trading, or because I have been concentrating on rebuilding my military and colonizing the New World, or if this is proof that small civs really CAN catch up!

The barbs yearn for thier motherland! Not so funny is that that means it will be seven more turns until I can get anything useful out of this city!
Found Brighton: Now, except for a couple of ice+tundra cities owned by the Germans and Indians, I control all of the northern half of the New World
(nearly every city begins by building a theatre or a lighthouse, depending upon necessity of food)

In the 1860's and 1870's I notice Taoism spreading remarkably quickly through my lands. Eventually, I catch a missionary in the act:



1882: Capture Changian (even though it is one tile away from the coast: it still has potential to be a production powerhourse)
Found Norwich on the coast north of Shangian
Now, I own all of the good lands in the New World, but one city location. The Germans have a decent site in the south, but all else is tundra and ice!

1892: Asoka asks for Electricity (I'm still thinking there is NO CHANCE the AI will catch up: bad move), I give it to him: he is now +10 in relationship! But now I do begin to worry about the possibility of Asoka launching (first mention of it in my notes)

1896: York completes Statue of Liberty
1906: trade with Fred: send him Biology for Communism+WM (he wanted Physics)

1919: NOttingham begins Broadway
Start sending Jewish and Christian missionaries to German and Indian and Russian cities to increase shrine income (all of my cities have at least those in them: except for London and York)

1921: Versailles completed in a faraway land: Cimmerian was building it: its work turns into 427 gold which goes into helping to being our military up to date. Cimmerian begins on The GLobe (with so many :mad: from former barbarians, it will prove very useful here; also with all the food left over from the barb workers, I could make this a very large city indeed -- with many specialists)

1920's: build lots of infra in the New WOrld, and some in the Old World

1929: Asoka offers me hit musicals for rice. Damn! That means he finished Broadway Sure enough, next turn I get 305g and Nottingham begins a factory.

1939: Great Prophet born in Nottingham. ALong with a Great Artist I've had for ages from London, and a Great ??? (I think Merchant), I start a Second Golden Age

1940: Nottingham begins Rock N' Roll; Shangian begins Eiffel Tower
Most of the rest of the cities work on factories during the GOlden Age
York builds a token Tank

(Turns are taking about ten minutes each, now)

1945: Asoka knows Rocketry!!! He wants to trade Atrillery for Ecology, but I turn him down. I ask if he'll part with Rocketry: "We'd rather wind the game, thank-you very much..."
1957: Notice that my culture is really starting to pinch off the northern Spanish cities (actually, they look entirely cut off via onland travel!)
1960:

• Shangian completes Eiffel Tower!
  
• London completes Apollo Program
  
• So does Asoka!
  
• Begin UN in London (slowness of turns making me consider a "quick escape" if possible)
  

Techs are being researched in only 5-7 turns each!

1963: Rock 'n Roll in Nottingham
1969: UN completed in London
1972: I am elected Sec Gen: I vote for me, Fred+Asoka vote for Asoka, Isabella abstains, and despite all the times I have stood up to Fred for him, Pete abstains as well :mad:
I complete my first S/C part, Asoka does as well, next turn.
1973: Send a Great Merchant to Delhi to execute a trade mission
1974: Pete (whose sense of timing couldn't be worse) asks us to cancel out deals with Asoka. Since Asoka is very happy with us I do not fear any reprisal. Since Asoka is starting to threaten (possibly) my ability to win this thing I might prefer to stop providing him with assitance. And since I have gotten Pete's back the whole game, I figure I ought to here, as well (not that accepting this deal improves our relations any. So, I agree.
1975: Great Merchant arrives at Dehli I guess they can ignore closed borders? He executes his trade mission for 2100g, which allows me to bring my entire military into the 20th Century!
1976: UN vote on Free Currency (since I have the most cities, I thought it would benefit me the most) passes unanimously.

(Dropped the grid, resource locator, and tile value icons; and now the game runs more smoothly: I now think finishing is possible!)

1977: London completes Pentgon (to keep it out of the hands of the others)
1978: The horses are in charge at Cimmerian

1980: UN Resolution on Free Religion (everybody but Spain already practices free religion) also passes unanimously
1981: Start hiring scientists in Cimmerian
1984: UN Res. on Univ Suff passes 391-116 (Pete and Isabella vote "no")
Asoka begins a Golden Age
1987: I am re-elected as Sec Gen (Fred is my opponent this time). I vote for me, Fred/Asoka vote for Fred, Isabella abstains. Pete still abstains :mad:
1989: Shangian Completes Scotland Yard
Fred begins Golden Age!
1991: Diplomatic Victory vote: I vote for me, Fred/Asoka vote for Fred, Isabella and Pete abstain
1992: Asoka completes thrusters #1!

(I notice that my missionaries, even though they are move-2 can travel only 10 squares on rails)

1996: UN Res: Nuclear non-proliferation passes unanimously
1997: Start building Thrusters (London has been steadily building the large pieces)
2000: Shangian starts building spies to keep an eye on Asoka's spaceship progress
Fred completes Apollo Program (I guess I need my spies to keep an eye on Fred, too!)
UN Res: Open Markets passes with only Isabella dissenting
2003: My computer crashes a second time: Aargh! I was nearly finished! 2:
2004: Pete and Asoka vote for me to be Sec Gen! I win in a landslide! I am so close to Spaceship that I cannot possibly bring myself to try for UN win next opportunity: perhaps afterwards I will see if it was possible to win a turn or two sooner this way...
2008: Germans are building four SS casings!
I have learned Future Tech I (I wanted the healthiness to help Cimmerian reach its max potential): shut off science and put all excess funds into culture
UN Res on Emancipation passes unanimously
Last thrusters due in 2 in Newcastle
Last casing due in 2 in London
2009: WLTPD breaks out all over the world!
2010: We are off to \alpha Centauri! :2dance:

Wow, Sorry that turned out to be so long.
Some summary stats and post-mortem perhaps tomorrow

[Rik Meleet]

Why did you go for the UN vote on other things than the "diplomatic victory" first ?

[Ziggy]

Why did you go for the UN vote on other things than the "diplomatic victory" first ?

1969: UN completed in London
1972: I am elected Sec Gen: I vote for me, Fred+Asoka vote for Asoka, Isabella abstains, and despite all the times I have stood up to Fred for him, Pete abstains as well

Most likely cause he wouldn't have won 8)

[Kukulcan]

Two reasons:

1. Ziggy hit the nail on the head: I wouldn't have been able to win since I was the only one voting for me. I never was in danger of losing the diplo vote, so I wasn't too worried. I might have been able to pull off a diplo victory in 2008 or so (the last UN Res vote before I launched), but, by that point, with all the work I had put into researching through the whole tech tree and building all of the parts, I figured I might as well play out the two more turns and launch instead.

2. I wanted to see what sorts of effects the other UN Resolutions would have. I was kind of disappointed at the near-unanimity of passage of everything I proposed, but it was nice to see that nations which were not practicing, say, Emancipation, would vote against the passage of that particular legislation. It seems as though the UN could get interesting (for a builder-type) in a game with many more active and comparable competitors.

The only resolution that seemed to have a significant impact on my bottom line was the "Single Currency." IIRC, my income went up by 10-20 gpt, so at 80% science, I'm sure my science production probably gained nearly 100bpt.

[Kukulcan]

OK, just to satisfy my curiosity, I went back and re-loaded my 2006AD save, to see what would happen in the Diplo-win voting of 2008.

My opponent was Fred.
I voted for myself
Fred voted for himself
Asoka voted for me
Isabella abstained
Pete also still abstained.

All told: I was 5 votes short of diplomatic victory! So, short of a Civ III style late-game prostituion for Pete's vote, Diplo still wasn't viable

Even more amusing was the fact that Asoka voted for me even though he still refused to come to the trading table! (Remember I cancelled the deals about 40 years ago: yeah, he's still got his knickers in a knot over that).