Brett's Games

Twin Cities

CIV IV
Beyond The Sword
Game Save File
001-twin-cities-start-4000BC

Initial start screen showing a four tile wide peninsula with lots of grassland

Monarch

Dutch
William van Oranje

Default Game Settings

Beyond the Sword 3.19
BUG Mod 4.5 [Build 2221]
BULL 1.4 [Build 243]
BAT Mod 4.1

Goals: I tend to play as a builder, so I decided to tend towards war more so this time around.

Map: And then, I chose this map, because I liked the way the opening peninsula looked... and I tend to like grassland over plains for the unlimited city growth potential they bring.

Strategies & Spoilers

I lost this game.

It isn't surprising (not to me, anyway) as I've lost every game on Monarch so far.

Situation prior to my attack ont the barbarians to the left — 400BC

Barbarian pacification program complete — 1AD

Taking over the barbarian cities was fairly straightforward, using two axes per archery defender: the first axe of each pair dying, the second delivering the killing blow.

All was well.

I was friendly with Shaka to the north. And so, it was time to attack Egypt.

Unfortunately, this was the high water mark for the game.

001-twin-cities-post-barb-cities-1AD

The strategy was to attack, so it was either Egypt or Zule, and I chose Egypt — Overview

I had enough firepower to win the fight and I did, but I should have kept the city, I got fancy and lost — Close Up

I went on to take over two Egyptian cities, as well, which wasn't very difficult... a sacrificial sword or two going a long way.

I should have kept the cities, never again, well, I say that, but yeah, not for many a game, at this point, I am not good enough to give up a conquered city

But I had decided to get 'smart' and razed my two captured cities seeking slightly better placement.

Well, the resetting of cultural boundaries made placing a new city impossible. And by the time I was on the warpath again, good old Ramesses had already rebuilt both of the cities I'd already razed the previous time around.

And then, after my caravels circled the globe and I'd made contact, I realized I didn't have the position I would need for a win (my skill set being what it is), so game over for me.

The final save.

001-twin-cities-final-1240AD

But Wait!
There's More!

Three city management screens, make of them what you will, I was happy with them — West Side

One of the reasons I like Dutch is for the dykes, later in the game, all the oceans will get +1 hammer — East End

Though, in the next game, I was just as happy with plains, need to watch food a bit closer, but not that closely, grasslands, always get maximum size, but plains will be far more productive — South Bend

Anyhow, this is how I was managing my three powerhouse cities. I'm not saying I'm a mastermind. I am not. But this is what my cities looked like. And I was pretty happy with them.

On the other hand, after this game, I realized why grasslands were not necessarily all that. And I am now happy to play on a plains filled map.

One final note (or a link to a note), I'm taking notes these days as I play (in anticipation of a web page write up just like this one), so attached are the raw notes, which come much closer to a full game play write up (sans any pictures). Make of them what you will.

001-twin-cities-notes.txt

Brett's Games

Twin Cities

Strategies & Spoilers

But Wait!There's More!

But Wait!
There's More!