Random Start on Monarch Hence, why I am calling this game Random Ha! I already forgot! But I think I took the first random map. Yeah, a cow corn, there is no way I held out for that. So, this was true to it's name and random. Of course, what that really means is that I need to make better notes. Good Roll for a War! Louis is Isolated. I think I can take him. Then, Sitting Bull. He's always weak. Finally, Ramesses. As I can't see any reason to let him build a few wonders for me. # # # Louis dropped like a dream. I may have been better off to wait until I developed alphabet to peace trade for techs. But otherwise, nice and fast. Ramesses going much slower. I ended up deciding to attack him first, as Sitting Bull was looking stronger. Anyhow, two peace trades with Egypt as we speak. And I did not garrison a city well enough, so lost a few turns taking it back. Thankfully, he never garrisoned it either. Researching techs with what I can Peace Trade for in mind. 1) I got the Religion of Confusion from Louis, so I should spam it and convert. 2) Swords are still doing the trick, but Thebes is going to whittle my stack down a bunch. 3) Two swords take out an archer at 20% cultural defence. So, it's just a matter of a stack. 4) I attack the stack in reverse order, weakening units with my new ones; dealing the final blow, with my experienced ones. 5) Plenty of room to infill cities... if that ever becomes appropriate. # # # I'm going to say I need four units for each defender in Thebes... and I'm assuming four defenders. So, war again, when I have sixteen units in my stack. In the interim, Ramesses became a voluntary vassal of Sitting Bull, the idiot, so two for the price of one. # # # 1360AD - Still Fighting So, I can't say I'm very good at the battle. Otherwise, looks promising. Inca (on a different continent) isn't too far ahead... not yet. # # # 1360AD Sitting Bull and Ramesses love each other. Wow! Talk about a good relationship. Well, they're going down... together. # # # Computer has absolutely no idea what a good attack is. Six units on a suicide mission against an equal number of better units fortified in a city. Often attacking (almost always), the last city captured. Should think about infilling additional cities. Need to work out an end game. Seems like I should have eliminated more rivals by now. # # # Reset and pushed back a few years from 1650AD to 1590AD, removing from history my latest failed war against Sitting Bull. Our unit types are basically equal (along with much of our production capacity) and I did not bring enough troops to the fight. Heavy losses with no city takeover (with the Greeks and Incan's pulling away into the lead) meant a sure loss... or so I believe. I might have quit there, but I need practice in the late game. And I'm only a few turns away from when the Dutch get their special building: the Dyke. So, I'm resetting and playing it. # # # In many ways, I am playing a sequential game. First, against France. Then Egypt. Now Sitting Bull. I maybe should have finished Egypt off. I wonder if Egypt is feeding Sitting Bull techs. Anyhow, war weariness is making the battle expensive. I will note, in many ways, the defender has numerous advantages in Civ: 1) No war weariness within one's borders 2) Defender uses the best unit in their stack against whichever unit attacks and the defenders usually get defensive modifiers. 3) So, not as many units needed for defence. On the other hand, I have been working on the philosophy that instead of a wonder here or there, ten units equals another city, which can be quite the prize. # # # New plan: 1) Figure out a non-military victory 2) Upgrade economy in light of dykes, which should be online shortly. # # # 1775AD Quite a few turns later. I have the advantage of steel (cannons) and Steam Engine (machine guns) on both Sitting Bull and Ramesses, so I'm thinking the war should be a cake walk. Ironclads to kill the coastal cities. And regroup as soon as they offer capitulation. My happiness will take a terrible beating. But it is the price for war. Ran full commerce for two or so turns to convert old units into machine-gunners. Made the mistake of converting some of my best city raiders into purely defensive units. Oh, well. But like I said, with a stack like that, I am expecting this to be a cake walk. # # # 1795AD 306 War Weariness against Sitting Bull, which is kind of stupid as a good fifty of that is from decimating his stack... basically, a landslide victory. Trust me, my people are celebrating in the streets. After all, it's the law. War took over three cities. So, not such a bad deal. But the Incans are pulling out into the lead. I will have to fight a war with them eventually. # # # As I sit here, planning my strategy, I am struck at the illogic of certain game functions. I am presently locked in battle with Sitting Bull. But once he capitulates, he will get free protection... and across the board improvements in all his cities. My old (read core) cities are my war machine. The new cities are given over to self improvement for years on end... until the only beneficial improvement is the building of troops. # # # 1) Increase espionage on Incans 2) Soon enough, war on Incan (skip Vikings), aiming for Machu Picchu, Cuzco, and Tiwanaku (the Incan core cities).. with razing a possibility if I don't think I can hang on. Victory denial being a goal. 3) Ragnar's anger is meaningless without Astronomy, as he can't reach me. 4) At least one more go at Injuns... maybe two. In the end, it is probably silly to focus my attention elsewhere until they are finished. And like as not, I should have destroyed Egypt the first time around. # # # Well, this is something that would never happen in the real world. I declared war on Egypt, because I decided to clean them up prior to going after Injuns. And Ramesses was no longer a vassal, so I didn't have to fight Sitting Bull at the same time. Took one city and Ramesses capitulated... just like he should have done a few hundred years back. Sitting Bull has Infantry. And perhaps I should wait. But I'm running short on time. And I think I have enough cannons. Once he capitulates, I figure out the other continent. Folks complain about the AI. Well, no one likes Ragnar. He's not very tech savy. But no one has done him in yet. So, he's getting a free pass. No doubt, once I attack, he'll capitulate to someone else. Hopefully, that's Greece. Though, I don't really know why. Greece is turning into a power house. Anyhow, love those dykes. Saved the game already at war with Sitting Bull. 1832AD # # # 1844AD and Sitting Bull capitulated after loosing one more city. So, his kingdom was pretty big. I am trading nicely with my new territories and intend to gift them my outdated units. Between upkeep and cost of upgrading, I think it will be cheaper to start with new units. The AI, of course, probably doesn't play by the same rules. So, give it to my underlings. AI (Incan and Greek) have turn rate espionage points at twice my level. Huh? I wonder how they got that. On the other hand, my army will be their downfall. Vikings are next up, as they are the most backwards... easiest to have them capitulate, but who knows? They are probably just as likely to flip to the Incan's, I'm guessing. We'll see. Interestingly enough, I did some infrastructure during the war. But it's back to unit production for me, now that it's over. I want a convoy of... I don't know, at least four transports, maybe double that. So, war in twenty years? # # # 1876AD Declare War on Ragnar Greece already at war Oh, I was elected head of UN, so victory is looking pretty good... like a shoe in. So, I declared war sixteen turns after the last war, assuming two years a turn... which is something I should know... eventually. Also, rather than a amphibious assault, I landed troops in Greek territory, which meant I could ferry troops over much sooner. # # # AD 1888 So, that didn't take very long. Vikings were a cake walk, so what is Pericles doing? He should have wiped those Vikings out long ago, as he is more tech advanced than I. Hmm? I returned three of Ragnar's cities to him for a +4 relationship boost. But Pericles did not give me any bonus points for returning one of his cities to him. Looking ahead, because I've redone the last turn, I think, now... not important... not a critical turn... just part of the write up process. And either this turn or last (so, I forget), I lost the UN Victory, because Pericles voted for himself, rather than me. Ha! I wonder if I would have won if I had gone into this last war on the Incan's side? Greece is second, so he's never voting for me. But Inca might have. # # # I don't know where or when exactly, but I have the idea of seeing the terminal values for a city... how many espionage, gold, or beakers a single city can output... and of course, how and why... what buildings do I need. I've neglected tons of city management stuff in this game. I don't have the Maori Wonder built... and maybe half of my other National Wonders, so there is a lot of optimization sitting on the table there. I will have to plan my attack of the Incan lands carefully... on the assumption they will vassal to Greece. # # # 1892AD 15 votes short of Diplomatic Victory. Got 464 votes Needed 479 Greece for Greece Incan Abstained I predict winning in ten turns or less Well, that may be a bit optimistic, so twenty (on the outside). Meaning, Incan capitulation gives me the game either way. AD1901 Only need 469 votes Let's see how many I get And that's the game. A diplomatic victory powered by my war machine. March 6th, 2018 (c) Copyright Brett Paufler