Pericles Crush Antarctica 2021-01-09 (c) Copyright Brett Paufler # # # 2021-01-09 I am running a Custom Map this time. Pericles is down south, by the Antarctic and has a stellar start with a secondary site (also, quite nice) just a jump over the water. Everyone else (except Gandhi) has pretty good land, but not as nice. I'm playing Deity. But all Starting Units and Starting Techs have been deleted. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one with {early} access to Stone or Marble. But there's plenty of Iron and Oil on the board. Though, not for Gandhi... and to a lesser extent Monty. Gandhi is isolated on islands and I am expecting him to split into a multiplicity of Civilizations. Monty and The Khan have land (but not sea) access to my kingdom. But the sole access is through a hill (bordered by Mountains and Ice). I am expecting this to be a kill-zone. {Throughout all my play-throughs of This Map, nobody ever mounted a meaningful assault on my Capital through this land pass. Likely, a single Longbow would have held the pass throughout all three Games.} Finally, I gifted myself with 3 Great Spies and a lone Great Engineer. The Spies will give me visibility throughout The Game. But as I never (and never about sums it up) run Espionage Missions, it's soley for my edification. Though, after Scouting Monty and The Khan out, those Great Spies will Settle {in my capitol}, granting a few more Beakers after I use The Great Engineer to Build The Pyramids. {The winning strategy for these four Great People (I believe) was to simply settle them in place. By memory, let us assume each granted 3B/Turn, which equates to 1,200 Beakers by T100 or 1-3 Free Technologies. And that's just the start. Sure, on a Regular Map, The Great Engineer may have been better utilized Building The Pyramids. But this was not a Regular Map. And The Pyramids simply did not take that long to Construct.} I will have to Build some units for defence. But I expect to clean up on the Experience. And since I gave myself +3 to everyone Diplomacy wise {this did not take}, maybe I can avoid an Ultra-Early War. It is my intent to Build every Wonder. And as an additional handicap, I cannot Declare War prior to T1000. But there are no other restraints. {Note: T1000 is way to late in The Game for such a restraint; T750 at the latest. Of course, folks are more than happy to Declare on me. So, it's really just a matter of never accepting Peace.} Let us see how it goes. # # # 2021-01-09 The Diplomatic Bonuses I gave myself in WorldBuilder were immediately discarded. So, um, awesome feature, guys. As to Great People, I may be better off simply Settling them, as that gives me Research Bonuses from Turn One. Anyhow, after a few dozen Turns, I decided to restart. # # # 2021-01-08 1500BC T200 The Revolution Mechanic in LOR is completely broken. With Three Starting Civilizations (on this landmass), we already have Two Breakaway Civilizations. # # # Man, those new Civilizations just sprout like weeds. Also, it seems I made a mistake when creating The Map. And instead of Ocean, it's all Coast. So, my Galley's and Triremes have Circumnavigated The Globe. # # # 2021-01-09 1AD T350 Isabella has come down from the Northern Continent and has made contact. She, of course, has her own Religion. But I can't see her making too many waves too soon. One ship does not a Navy make. And nobody local seems to have any Ships whatsoever. Certainly, I've noted no Ships coming through The Ice (perfectly legal, This Game). But we'll see. So far, I have not Declared War. But I do accept invitations. And if The Apostolic Palace allows, I will suggest a War or two. I would like Horses (for Legio X, mostly). But The Khan has the local monopoly. So, really. As cooked as The Map is, it's not totally cooked. I like dominating. I guess it doesn't matter that much to me whether I earn it or not. I'm happy being the leader. Though, Isabella does have more points than I. So far, I've landed every Wonder. And I expect to get all The Religions except Buddhism and Hinduism. I'm having fun. Yeah, I just accepted an invitation to make War on The Khan. But I've got Maces to Horses. So, I think I'll win. # # # 2021-01-10 525AD T405 I'm in the process of taking over (razing, and rebuilding a few tiles away) a Barbarian City, which lies near my Second City Site. I'm amazed at how many Archers there are. I lost two Maces (what I tend to call Heavy Infantry) to a stack of Archers. I thought I'd explore the area, make sure where I wanted the City... and I waltzed into a stack of 5-10 Archers with another eight or so back in The City. As far as I can tell, The Barbarian City will provide Experience. So, I'll have to think about how I want to take it down. On the other hand. It is time to Settle that Site. I am The Tech Leader. And soon The World will be discovered. The AI has a way or running around me {via Late Game Research Discounts} and Deity has substantial pluses. But at the moment, I am the clear leader... by my way of accounting. Still, I need more Troops... enough more, I'll need to transfer out of Pacifism soon enough. # # # 2021-01-10 1575AD T438 I took over The Barbarian City a few dozen Turns back. And now, my Troops are on the frontier, ready to Attack Mongolia. I have The Khan on Technology. So, I am not expecting much resistance. But we'll see. Catapults have a way of dying. So, I should expect the need to replenish those. # # # 2021-01-11 1000AD T500 Monty has been completely overrun by the Civilizations that have spun up from the ashes of his poorly managed empire. I have Three Cities. And they seem Happy. I think the trick is to simply give them all The Gold they want to insure Happiness {and to never Whip}. Not Declaring War until T1000 is going to be difficult. But, oh well. It's probably not important. Every few Turns, I am asked to join a War. So, I'll be accepting more. Of course, I say that. But I paid Saladin 55 Gild for Peace a few dozen Turns back, as he had a Stack ready to descend. So, my position may not be as secure as I believe. But that said, I am feeling very secure. # # # 2021-01-11 1055AD T511 I'm sure that I am lucky that Isabella has not Declared War on me. We're pretty good friends: +5 Diplo, which is awesome considering we don't share a Religion. And there are others on The Board who are much weaker. But she just knocked Carthage out with a sizeable stack. She will be my Late Game Opponent. I like the Expanded Tech Tree with additional Wonders and Special Units. It makes LOR worth playing. Oh, Isabella knows how to run an Empire. She's the only one so far. # # # 2021-01-11 1335AD T567 I paid Isabella +/-3K in Gold to Declare War on Saladin on the expectation she would eventually ask me to join The War, which she did. So, I have some buy-in on the concept of not Declaring War prior to T1000. However, France's useless City on My Continent (right where I was planning on Settling) has now spun off into a New Mongolia, which would be fair enough. But the New Mongolia has the same Cultural Influence as the old, which I am not buying. So, I Declared on Mongolia and razed The City; and then, Bribed Washington a few hundred Gold to take care of Mongolia's remaining City. Saladin has a lot of Troops. But I've opened two fronts. And I've got him on Technology. Still, it's enough Troops that I don't want to engage and my Stack is standing back pending the actions of his Stack... while my other Stack targets Mecca, which is the prize in this War. Four Cities and none are in danger of Revolting... well, not once Mongolia disappears, again. 20 Civs in The Game I'll, also, likely Declare on Wang Kon to eliminate a single annoying City. {I sure I state this later. But I decided I could Declare War on Civilizations with fewer than Three Cities (so, those having one or two) on the basis they were little more than Barbarians.} # # # 2021-01-12 1354AD T572 I am going to go against my rules of Declaring War prior to T1000 and Declare War on China. In fact, I think I am going to make a blanket rule that I can Declare War on Single City Civilizations... maybe even doubles, as they are just annoying. Anyhow, it's War with China, so as to gain control of one of the best City Sites on The Map. # # # 2021-01-12 1376AD T583 Legends of Revolution Critique Pros Wonderfully Expanded Special Units Wonders Tech Tree Cons AI Can't Handle Revolution Mechanic Only Isabella (a Religious Nut) has a meaningful Counter Civilization Still, I am having fun. Let's see if Isabella ever catches up. If I knock her out, it will be game over. I don't think anyone else is close. # # # T592: I left a City undefended... well, Pascal II did, because I gifted it to him. And as such, Isabella and her gang Declared War. That Barbary Corsair is chewing up her Navy. And I've got plenty of Troops Garrisoned. So, we'll see what she can do. # # # T599: Washington made the colossal mistake of Declaring a few Turns back. Since Isabella isn't exerting any heat (and even if she were), I shall be eliminating him from The Game. His Five Cities will be Razed and replaced by one or two different ones, along with a bit of open space for whoever. This Game {i.e. The Game that I am playing} is not about rapid movement. # # # 2021-01-12 1424AD T607 The Isabella Faction (Spain, et al) is Attacking. But as they are landing Troops in the same spot, I need not worry. Talk about being locked in to a losing strategy. They are landing on Flat Land outside of a City Garrisoned with more fire-power than they have any hope of overcoming. I probably should just let The Ships Unload all their Troops prior to destroying them for the Experience. The Barbarians are insane. I Razed a City. And before I could get a Colonist there, the Barbarians had Built a City. Colonist do not found {Cities} with The State Religion. So, I'm finding I need to Build an Inquisitor and a Missionary, as well. Colonists are still the way to go, as any City they Found starts with both a Granary and a Courthouse, which is worth a lot of Hammers/Turns, especially when one is talking about a Pop 1 City. The Barbary Corsair has 104 Experience. That's a lot of Enemy Ships at the bottom of the Ocean. Calvary (Flank I -> Flank II -> Blitz) allows multiple Attacks per Turn. It's the way to go at this sort of Tech lead. {Actually, Combat I -> Combat II -> Combat III -> Blitz is likely the better path. The key being Blitz, which at Double The Attacks gets double The Experience.} Isabella has Astronomy... but is just now Researching Alphabet. - - - (denoting a time break, but no game play; so, after additional thought) I have been thinking about Razing Madrid, just sending in a force and wiping Madrid from The Map. It would cripple Isabella, especially if I nailed a few more Cities. But I shall not... not yet. Let us see what Isabella can do. Will she ever catch up. Deity has all sorts of advantages and she has lots of Cities. So, if I Settle my Home Continent and eat the associated Maintenance Costs, will she close the gap? Next time, I really just might let the troops land for The Experience. Also, I'm very much looking forward to the Combat Graph for This Game. So, I'm sure there will be some sort of Web-Page Write-Up. # # # 2021-01-13 1462AD T626 Once again, I am sure (quite sure), I could Win The Game (or at least, end all competition) by sending an Expeditionary Force over to Spain and Razing everything in sight. But that is not what I wish to do. For one, I desire to know if Isabella can come back from behind. Arabia is no more. And Frederick (who spun off from Saladin) holds one of my Future City Sites. So, I'll be Declaring on him shortly. Both Packy and Hammy, who are my Vassals, suck to an astonishing degree. If Isabella desires, she can obliterate them. She would be doing me a favour. The plan is to take over the islands (India's starting lands) and circle around to Isabella's continent. It will take me awhile. # # # 2021-01-19 1502AD T646 I'm going to quit, here. Actually, it's sort of up in the air. But I am tired. And playing another Turn seems a bit tedious. Though, that said, I am thinking about starting The Map over. So, what to do different? 1: Run Free Religion 2: Have a much more compact empire. Not so much closer together, as way fewer Cities. 3: For the most, Diplomacy does not matter. Though, why I would even bother is a bit beyond me. I am tired and just making the moves seems... pointless. I will say that my current empire is not up to the task of running out The Tech Tree. I'm making maybe 1000 Beakers per Turn. And Future Tech costs 169,000 Beakers. So, that's not really going to happen. Probably, no {In Game, RPG Style} rules except the desire to either: Run Out Tech Tree (or) Hit Turn 1575 # # # # # # 2021-01-19 (c) Copyright Brett Paufler