2020-04-21 Brett Paufler (c) Copyright Brett Paufler # # # # # # K-MOD FOUR WAY GAME NOTES # # # # # # Fresh Install of Civ 4 BTS BTS Patch 3.19 K-Mod 1.46 This is the same as The Last Game. So, I didn't actually reload anything. I'm just letting it ride. # # # # # # Mansa Musa Monarch Playing Against: Zara Yaqob Hannibal William van Oranje I will be playing Custom Continents with Four Continents. So, the intent is that each of us gets our own Continent and we may develop as we wish. I'm basically expecting my AI Opponents to Over-Expand and Cripple their Economies. But we shall see. I have reason to believe each of my Opponents is capable. I picked them as to be among the best (if not the best) at this sort of challenge with the caveat: No Industrious No Mysticism Hannibal is a good fighter and has caused me trouble in the past. Mr Oranje was my chief adversary last game. And Zara comes up as one of the most feared opponents {in the online forums I visit} rather continually... as does Mr Oranje. So in truth, Hannibal may be out of his element. But I did not pick him to be weak. {Note: Hannibal was the clear Tech Laggard in this game.} I can still remember a Spoke/Hub Game in which he was my downfall. So, he has his merits. If I were not playing Mansa, he {Mansa} would likely be in the mix {as a competitor}. Gandhi, also, was in the running. But he tends to be a Pacifist. So, I thought he might be a push-over come time to fight. And that's not what I am looking for. # # # No one has Mysticism. Neither do I. I want to run The Monk Economy. So, I will try for at least Judaism. But it is likely I will try to sweep The Early Three Religions. Yes, I may reload or switch Maps if that is not to be. Or I may open The World Builder and see who is beating me and cripple them or swap them out with another. # # # I am not planning on going Wonder Crazy. But neither do I want to be locked out by another. For instance, I can see no advantage in building Stonehenge, as I'll push my Religion almost immediately. And as I'll be playing without Barbarians (the contest is against the other Civilizations, not Barbarians), so The Great Wall is of limited utility. I mean, I could continue to go down the line. But I'm thinking maybe only half of the Wonders will be useful... maybe less. I am not going to go down the line. Key Wonders (off the top of my head) include: The Great Lighthouse The Pyramids The Colossus The Four Religious The Oracle The Great Library One can get carried away. But there is no doubt, I would like to run a full-on Monk Economy. And if I can spam multiple Religions, all the better. {More and more, I am thinking The Pyramids are over priced and over valued by myself. I do not run that many Specialists. And Monarchy just isn't that far away... and Monarchy is a pre-requisite for Civil Service, another very important Technology.} # # # 2020-04-21 Custom Continents 1 per Team definitely gives fairer results than 4 Continents. Those 4 Continents are highly variable. # # # 2020-04-22 Rather than spending the morning working on a Map Script (take a map and duplicate it right/left and up/down), let's just try: Team Battleground Map Script Standard Tropical Ancient Marathon Four Corners Start Together (so, separate) Flat Mansa (me) Yara Hannibal Oranje Monarch No Barbarians Aggressive AI Permanent Alliances No Tribal Villages No Events Well, that's not going to work as there is always a Land Bridge, which would mean Early Wars are a thing and that's specifically what I wish to avoid. # # # Custom Continents Tropical Balanced One Per Team Well, I did not Roll a Great Start. But I have a few of the Regenerations Saved. I should pick one of those. I'm thinking the Stone one. But I shall review all first. # # # 2020-04-22 Eh, it's hard to decide. The first roll is doable, but not great. On the other hand, it has the claim of being the first roll... from yesterday, no less. But then, there are a few possibilities with Gold... and one with Stone. So, I shall sit, think, and ponder. There are other things to do today, after all. # # # 2020-04-22 4000BC T0 I have opted for the Clam, Crab, Sheep, Rock start. I believe I will Build a Worker first and then a few Work Boats, which means Fishing is the first Technology. Researching: Fishing -> Animal Husbandry -> Religions -> Sailing -> Oracle -> Iron Working -> Metal Casting (for Colossus) I don't have The Game running, so I'm sort of conflating Technologies with their effects. I know Priesthood yields The Oracle. But sometimes laziness is OK. As to Wonders, The Great Lighthouse will be important, along with The Pyramids, Oracle, and Colossus... which is chewing off a lot. Of those, I'd be happiest forgetting The Pyramids, as I hardly ever run any Specialists. Often enough, the Map Script I am running allows for connection between all the Civilizations through a chain of Islands in the middle. If so, early Trade Routes will become very important, making The Great Lighthouse all the more important. I will not be sweeping The Early Religions. It would be nice to get Judaism. But The Great Lighthouse is far more important. I believe I start with The Wheel and Mining, which may allow me to push Animal Husbandry back further than might otherwise be prudent. {I'll just Mine the Sheep, swapping Hammers for Food}. If I get my Food from Clams and Crabs, will it be OK to delay Sheep by a 100 Turns? Questions. Questions. # # # 2020-04-23 4000BC T0 I'm bored. Why am I playing? Boredom. But then, that's not it either. Posting another finished game is 'progress' of sorts. So, it's doing something... meaningful. Hogwash to be sure. But there you are. As to the game, The Great Lighthouse seems like the most important short term goal. # # # T25: Mining the Sheep will enable me to postpone Animal Husbandry for some time. I am Researching Sailing prior to The Religious Trio... if still available. T82: I landed Buddhism. I shall opt for Masonry prior to Polytheism, which may be a mistake. T106: I lost Hinduism to another. Stone does not help me at all with The Great Lighthouse. I keep on forgetting this. Thus, I Researched Masonry prior to Polytheism for nothing. # # # # # # GAME-02 # # # # # # T104: So, now I am going for Priesthood prior to Masonry or Monotheism. The intent is to be able to build a few Temples and grow my City Tall. Nope. Masonry is more important. # # # 2020-04-23 T119 2310BC I have a new Research Queue: Monotheism: not just for Judaism, but also Organized Religion Bronze Working: to chop like mad Priesthood: I would like to get The Oracle # # # 2020-04-23 1000BC T250 It is time for me to stop on the day. I think the best idea I have is to Cottage the Wine that is in my Fat Cross. {This worked out well, especially since there is another Wine right next to it, outside of The Fat Cross.} I have one source each of Copper, Iron, and Horses. And if I want to hook-up Copper prior to The Colossus, I'll need to Settle a City for it. And I don't want to Settle another City. This land sucks. Certainly, for my style of play, it sucks. I am going to Research Mathematics, Build a Fort, and Explore with my Work Boat, see the lay of the land. In the meantime, I'll Build a Library and a Granary. If I build no more Cities, The Colossus is a waste. And I am not inclined to not Settle any more Cities at this time. I will Settle more Cities. But I am not in a rush. Running 100% Science seems like the way to go. If I am small, I will be Attacked, so Building The Great Wall is compelling. Certainly, I shall build that prior to Stonehenge. So, I will prioritize that over a Library. Let's see how the next few Turns go. # # # T251: I am the most Advanced Civilization, which is the goal. So, excellent. T261: I got a Great Engineer. But it is simply too early to save him for Mining, Inc... especially, since my games have been ending prior to Corporations, as of late. # # # 2020-04-23 600BC T290 Civil Service is 40 Turns out. After that, I do believe Education should take precedence over Optics. I could stand to Build some of the Marble Wonders... but not without Marble. I'm going to guess I am in the North East Quadrant of the Map {True}. And there is a grouping of islands in the middle {False}. That's my theory, anyway. And I am headed {my workboat} in that direction in order to open trade. Even though I consider this a 'Dry Map', low on resources. I'm feeling pretty good... especially if everyone else is in the same boat. Researching: Civil Service -> Paper... likely Education after that, but too far to tell. Building: Buddhist Missionary -> Settler The New City will Build The Apostolic Palace right off, giving it plenty of Turns to Grow. Likely, there will be more and more Cities. But I guess The Colossus is simply not a priority. I'd guess all my Cities will be on the Coast to take advantage of The Great Lighthouse. Yeah, I'm feeling optimistic. # # # 2020-04-24 600BC T290 As I restart the next day, I am thinking I would have been better off using the Great Engineer to Rush Build The Apostolic Palace. On the other hand, I am fairly proud of using a Fort to break out of my Inland Sea. I'll probably have to take a picture of that before long. {I didn't bother with the picture. I Built a Fort to use as a Canal. End of story.} # # # T301: I have the smallest Civilization. T329: Switching to Bureaucracy has increased my Beakers from +89/Turn to +127/Turn. I could stand to get a Great Scientist. T351: I am the least Powerful Civilization in the World. Fielding a single Warrior, it comes as no surprise. # # # 2020-04-24 500AD T400 I cannot say I feel like I am cruising along. The land is harsh and I don't have much in the way of Secondary Cities. I am going for Divine Right to finish off my Monk Economy. It does not matter much if I miss The Sistine Chapel. The Culture is fine, but hardly Game Changing. Researching: Divine Right -> Education -> Optics -> Music So, I may be way late to the game on The Sistine Chapel. In 20 Turns, two Wonders are Completed: Apostolic Palace for +2 Hammers University of Sankore for +2 Beakers At which time, I will Build out my Buddhist Temples and Monasteries and complete the rest of my Pre-Contact Settlement. It is entirely possible I will get blown away. I'm not making the best use of my land. But then, that's not what I ever do. # # # 2020-04-24 625AD T425 The Monk Economy is coming online. I have the first two Wonders (+2H, +2B) and I look to be the Founder of Islam. I've got a Second Shrine in the Capital, making that a definite Wall Street City. So, I probably should not Build The National Epic there. Certainly, I should hold out for Wall Street, which might be more important {as a Research Goal} than Optics. What I think of as The Far Island is likely connected by land. So, there should not be any penalty for being a Colony. Apparently, the Maintenance hit is quite ridiculous. I don't know where I stand in relation to the rest. But I'm feeling pretty good. The Monk Economy shall be mine. I may not have The Sistine Chapel nor may I try for it. But I will have the other three, which are the biggies, giving me: +2 Hammers (The Apostolic Palace) +2 Beakers (The University of Sankore) +2 Gold (The Spiral Minaret) That's per Buddhist Temple or Monastery. So, for an (additional) investment {beyond that of the Wonders} of 420 Hammers, I get that many Hammers, Beakers, and Gold in 105 Turns. I doubt I will be in a position to launch an Attack until T750... or later. Hopefully, everyone else got as crappy as start as I did: 1: Land Locked: False Ocean Access 2: Third of Continent Blocked by Mountains 3: Low Resource Density Let us say that I need to Settle the rest of my Cities by T500. So, after The Spiral Minaret, my focus should be Settlers. Well, after Temples and Monasteries in the Secondary Cities, that should be my priority. # # # 2020-04-25 755AD T451 I am the Second Most Cultured Civilization. I'm tempted to go for Optics next. Though, I am weak Militarily. So, it may just give others an excuse to Demand Tribute. I need way more Cities. I need to get on that. Workers are the first output, three more. From there, I need Missionaries and Settlers. {The Missionaries give +1G in the Shrine, +1 Culture in the New City, and allow my first Build to be a Temple, followed by a Monastery.} # # # T476: Buddhism has died out in Inland Empire. That's total crap. Completely unacceptable. This will very likely be the last game I play with this mod. {Nah. The next game will likely be with the K-Mod. Though, I'm not sensing much Gameplay or Strategic difference.} # # # 2020-04-25 1250AD T550 I've got 25-100 Turns before someone launches an Invasion. No one has Astronomy, which is my saving grace. Also, I'm the Tech Leader on the Techs I care about. Currently, I'm Researching Gunpowder. And then, I'll switch to Liberalism for Economics prior to Steel. I might as well set that in stone {thus, doing this in game at this point}. That's 32 Turns (or so) out. As my Cities come online, I am switching them to Troops. I don't have nearly enough. After Liberalism (for Economics), I should switch to Steel (for Cannons) and Astronomy after that for the Trade with Hannibal and Frigates. Maybe, I should do Astronomy first, then Steel. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I won't get the Experience. But it will be highly satisfying to sink Mr Oranje and Yankers (Zara Yoqab) incomming Fleets. I have a new plan. Researching: Gunpowder (a nice generic defence) -> Philosophy (as a prerequisite) -> Liberalism (Astronomy shall be my reward) -> Economics (for the Great Merchant as needed for Sushi, which I shall save) -> Chemistry (allowing me to Build a defensive screen of Frigates) -> Steel (a dominating Unit) If I pop a Great Prophet, I will Found the Jewish Shrine and spam Missionaries. That strategy has proven fairly lucrative. In order to Build Oxford or Wall Street, I need more secondary Banks and Universities. Yacky, Yankers, Yabob, or whatever and Mr Oranje are unlikely to form an alliance. I should think about Bribing one of them into a War against the other. It is possible that Hannibal and I will be able to Form a Permanent Alliance. If so, I think that will be enough to Call The Game. I am nervous about my opponents rocketing forward. At least, there will be no Great Alliance against me... though, that does not rule out a pile on. I need more Units. Three Cities are (mostly) on Units. I need to up the ante a bit. Certainly, once I get Frigates, I need to focus on those for 25 Turns or so. And now, it is time to do other things with my life. # # # I'm working on the assumption that a City can only have as many Religions as its Size. So, I am waiting until Size 2 to use my Christian Missionaries. # # # 2020-04-25 1255AD T551 The Most Advanced Civilizations: Me Mr Oranje Hannibal Yacky Looking good. # # # 2020-04-25 1378AD T584 I have been losing Commerce left and right by switching out of Mercantilism. When everybody else is running Mercantilism, it is the Civic to be in. I have a Message Reminder to switch back into it in 5 Turns. I got Liberalism, Astronomy, and Economics. I am the dominant Tech Leader. I need more Units. # # # 2020-04-25 1560AD T625 I think I am winning. But I am not prepared for a War. I am in no position to end this. Yacky and Mr Oranje are at War, which is hunky dory in my book. Of course, both hate me. But with any luck, they hate each other more. Don't ask me why the one chose to Attack the other. My defences are far from elaborate. I have Three Shrines going in my Capitol. But I am in no hurry to Discover Corporations {which would add even more income to the Capitol}. Researching: Printing Press (for +14 Commerce) -> Military Tradition (for the Units) I am creating a Sea Net. But it's not very well developed. I am in first place Score-wise. I would like to form a Permanent Alliance with Hannibal. But I don't think I will Research the relevant Technologies prior to becoming First Place in Power. I'm not playing great. It's not inspired play. But I think it is good enough. I'm going to go the Peaceful Route. Prior to Rifling, I'm going to get Representation for The Statue of Liberty. Point-wise, it's probably not such a good play. But it looks like I am going to have that Late Game War I've been looking for. If I get another Great Prophet, I will Build the Hindu Shrine. That would make Four Shrines in The Light, The Capitol. It's a straight Builders Game. Maybe, I'll go for a Non-Standard Victory. Who knows? # # # 2020-04-26 1626AD T708 Mr Oranje launched a successful Invasion. I have Cannons. He does not. It it possible I could beat him back. But at the moment, I have no Troops. I will call it a day. {So, Game Over. I am throwing in the towel.} I, also, think that will be it for This Map, as there are two (not fatal, but) annoying flaws. Well, they are really both the same thing. A quarter of the continent is separated by a Mountain Range from the rest, so I have to ferry Units by Sea on my Home Continent. Oh, right. And the other item was a Land Locked start. The Sea did not lead to the Ocean. So, prior to exploring, I needed to build a Fort. I must admit, I was having fun Building. But I needed to Build more Units. As per Previous Games, if I don't want to be invaded, I need to maintain Power Parity. I did not. Mr Oranje made the good move to Invade. Other mistakes include preparing for Wall Street prior to Oxford University. I am going to want to Build both Oxford and Wall Street in The Capitol. But Oxford comes first. So, I should Build the associated Libraries and Universities sooner. And in fact, in preparation for that, I should have my Libraries pre-Built by the time Education comes around. My Sea Net would have worked had they been massed, had all the Ships been able to bring to bear. {In the Next Game, the smart play became 'Camping The Node' and surrounding the Enemy's Naval Stack in Port, escorting it wherever it may go, killing it if it needs killing.} Maybe, I will go into World Builder: 1: Kill One Mountain 2: Kill Two Ice Up North I consider these convenience changes, allowing me to have foot movement throughout my lands. Though, in the end, they are changes. They will effect The Game. But having made these changes, I believe I will be willing to replay This Map. {I made the changes. I regret nothing.} Hannibal lags, but not by that much. So, I am tempted to change him {out to a different Leader}. But I don't know how to do that in World Builder. So, I doubt I will. {I did not. But then, neither would I include him in such a challenge in the future. He was quite obviously the Weak Man Out.} # # # # # # GAME-03 # # # # # # Easier Map {same as before except}: Sea Access Start Full Continent Access via Land # # # # # # 2020-04-26 4000BC T0 I enjoyed working the Religions, so I will go for those. I will pre-build Libraries, so Oxford is ready to go. In previous: T533: Education Researched T682: Oxford Completed That's 149 Turns... entirely too long considering how important Oxford is. I should likely prioritize Wall Street, as well. I don't need Masonry for The Great Lighthouse. The Great Lighthouse is only so good, as the window for Overseas Trade is limited. {The Great Lighthouse gives two additional Trade Routes. Domestic Routes are only worth 1 Commerce, whereas Overseas Routes are worth +1. And Foreign Trade Routes are worth another +1. So, Foreign Overseas Routes essentially Triple the value of The Great Lighthouse. It's a huge difference.} Eh, that's enough pre-planning. I'll build Stonehenge over The Great Wall for the additional Great Prophet Points. But I will not start on it until after Stone is hooked up. Right, and no Stone is needed for The Great Lighthouse, so I can push that up. # # # 2020-04-26 230AD T373 There's not much to say. I lost The Oracle, Confucianism, and Christianity. I did not feel like I was playing well. I had good early expansion. But then, I stalled. It is entirely possible The Pyramids are not worth that much to me. Certainly, I was building shiny stuff. But not micro-managing enough. Now, I am tired of playing... and not playing well. Time for a break. # # # # # # GAME-04 # # # # # # {I play the Easier Map from here out.} # # # # # # 2020-04-26 1490BC T201 {Game Over!} I lost The Race for The Oracle. There is not much else to report. I'm going to try and limit myself to the Six Core Cities that I need for Oxford and Wall Street. # # # # # # GAME-05 # # # # # # 2020-04-26 1AD T350 Things seem pretty solid to me. Though, I have precious little reference. I just Settled my Fourth City and have plans for two more Settlers... all Queued Up. I'm sure I will backfill to some extent. But these with be the Core. I am doing The Monk Economy, again. I already have The Apostolic Palace. The next Research objective is Bureaucracy through Feudalism, as that's sets up Banking and Gunpowder better. From there it is Paper and Divine Right for the associated Wonders. Whether I get The Sistine Chapel for the added Culture is immaterial. Optics yielded little more than Negative Modifiers, last time around. So, I believe I will let that Circumnavigate The Globe Bonus go to someone else. I have Settled both of the Great Prophets that I got so far. But having decided to only have a handful of Cities (certainly, to start), the Settled Great Prophet is worth far more than the Shrine. I am undecided about a Sea Net. True. It is early. But if I forgo Optics, it will make sense to depend on a Land Army. And I should start Building one by T400. Luckily, some of my Cities have little to do but Build a Jewish Temple, Jewish Monastery, a Library, University, and a Bank. Everything else can be Units. Well, I'm also Building Mint's (my Unique Building, a glorified Forge) everywhere. Compass gives me a Harbor, which will be important for most of my Cities. It's a Solid Start. I'm fairly well pleased. The only real question is that Far City. I should figure out the relevant Wonder. {So, I did.} It's Versailles. It would be smart to time things so that's an early Build. Though, without Marble it is going to take me upwards of 100 Turns. The Forbidden Palace requires 8 Cities and 6 Courthouses, but is way cheaper... like a quarter the Hammers. I'll have to think on it. Courthouses are fine. They give Espionage. So, it's just a transference of Hammers from one City to the next. If I went that way, I would need more Cities, though, which brings its own problems. # # # 2020-04-27 240AD T374 I got lucky. Sea Port popped a Great Prophet, which I shall use to Build the Jewish Shrine. I am undecided about the utility of the other Shrines. Truthfully, I was undecided about The Temple of Solomon. But when hovering over it, I noted it gets the +2 Hammers from The Apostolic Palace, which pushes it over the top and makes it more valuable than a Settled Great Prophet. Of course, I neglected to see what I could Bulb. So, that might have been even better. Either way, much better than a Great Spy, which is what Sea Port was most likely to produce. # # # 2020-04-27 500AD T400 I have mapped out loads of City Sites. It's hard not to get carried away. I'll have the six I need for Oxford and Wall Street and likely another three. So, that will give me three Cathedrals. I'm not planning on going for a Cultural Victory. But I believe it will be an option. Nobody has been contacted. I do not have Optics. I do like having the +1 Movement Bonus. But I question how many Negative Diplomatic Modifiers it is worth. On the other hand, converting a Heathen Civilization or two is worth something. I could beeline Hannibal with Missionaries. It could be worth it. Anyhow, Machinery is on the Docket as it's required for Guilds. So, it will be Researched soon one way or another. Ah, I'd forgotten. It would appear nobody has Discovered Music, yet. Nor has anyone Built The Great Library. Not only would Music give me a Great Artist for a Golden Age. But both Unity of One (The Capitol) and Sea Port (The Moai Statue City) would benefit nicely from a Cathedral or two. Certainly, if I'm going for Culture, the sooner those are up, the better. Researching: Divine Right -> Music -> Education or Machinery # # # T501: I am the least powerful. I need to change that... or at least, have a killer Military. Land is a big component. So, I'm not so concerned {what the computer has to say} as long as I have the Military Muscle. T416: I popped a Great Engineer and Settled them. Maybe not optimal, but I like doing that. # # # 2020-04-27 715AD T443 I Popped The Great Artist for Music, which is a nice bonus. I've been watching along in the Message Queue to see if a Great Artist was Born elsewhere. But no, they have not. # # # 2020-04-27 750AD T450 The Great Artist is headed over to Trinity Acres, where I will most likely Settle it... or Bulb. But Settling is seeming more likely. I don't think I have enough Cities to make a Golden Age profitable. Certainly, Settling is worth far more as a Cultural Investment at this stage of The Game. Compass will enable Harbors, which will enable further Growth in my Coastal Cities. So, that is next. And being that close {in the Technology Tree}, I can't see not Researching Optics. Yeah, especially since Machinery was already next on the list. I should Research Alphabet and Code of Laws soon enough. Although many folks recommend Trading, I find Trading just helps the AI. It's simply harder to maintain a two or three layer lead when one is Trading away their Techs. Sure. Sure. Trade the same Tech to multiple Opponents. But it just doesn't seem to work out that way for me. Anyway, Alphabet will allow Defensive Spies. And Courthouses will give me some Espionage Points. Perhaps, I should try the Offensive Espionage Game. Then again, I value those passive benefits. Is it fair to only contact Hannibal? One of the things I tend to do on Secondary Play Throughs is put my Land Explorers on Auto Pilot. Maybe, I should do the same thing with my Ships. # # # T451: At 82 Gold, I am not the poorest. But I should be. So, I will be spending that Gold down. I find it a hassle to bounce back and forth between 0-100% to eliminate the rounding. I can lose a few Commerce here and there. Call it a thousand a Game. T468: Mr Oranje has made contact. It is unlikely I will beat him to Circumnavigating The Globe. But I have done so before. If the AI simply Explores, but I go in a straight line in both directions, I have a shot. Interestingly, it would appear his Ship (possibly, in the Ocean) is invisible to me. T470: Mr Oranje is headed north to a Dead End. So, I may beat him. T548: I believe Mr Oranje is Settling Hannibal's lands, which will throw them into conflict. Mr Oranje is Teching at a better rate this game... or I am doing worse. # # # T551: The Most Advanced: Mr Oranje Me Yacky Hannibal I don't have Mr Oranje on much. {I believe Most Advanced is simply a Count of Technologies Known. So, it hardly ever means much. I have more holes than the AI. But I have better Techs than the AI. Overwhelmingly, I'd rather have Cannons than Horse Archers. Then again, if I'm not The Most Advanced, my lead is not that pronounced. It's a Trade Off. So, it's like the Power Graph. If I'm leading, I'm leading. But if not, one cannot be so sure.} # # # 2020-04-27 1410AD T600 I've had two Fake Wars (No Attacks, No Invasions) one each with Mr Oranje and Hannibal at Yacky's request. Me and Yacky are pretty good buds (Friendly +17), while Mr Oranje and Hannibal would prefer I did not exist. It's just a matter of time before there is a Hot War. I am the Tech Leader. And there are only two things Mr Oranje can Research that I cannot... and both are on my short list. {I've completely Out Tech'd the others. I have everything they can Research.} Researching: Steel (for Cannons, my favourite Unit) -> Democracy (for The Statue of Liberty) I have enough Workers and almost every Land Tile has been Improved. So, I am Chopping Forests and Clearing Jungles to make the Defense easier. I am not being very methodical. In that, I am doing it {the sweep} from my Back Country to The Homeland. But it is getting done. A Settler Pops next Turn. After that, I may Settle one more City. And from there, it's War if I want more. But for the moment, I am Building. I got Oxford fairly soon after I could. I have it now. So, that's quicker than Last Game. Chemistry Pops in a Turn. At which point, I'll crank out a bunch of Frigates... or so is the plan. I have Judaism and Buddhism in all my Cities. So, if I Pop a Great Prophet, I am Building the Buddhist Shrine. It was rewarding to beat Mr Oranje to Liberalism This Game. The Race was not nearly so close. Also, I have enough Espionage on him that I know what he is Researching: Gunpowder, presently. Hannibal is the obvious Target if I ever go on the Offensive. It won't be for awhile. I simply do not have the Troops, yet. Mr Oranje is slightly more Powerful than me. And I attribute {that to the} lack of Troops. Though, I had City Visibility for awhile. And during that window, I saw no amassed Stack. I likely should have scouted a bit better. But I thought Visibility was a done deal. He has more Courthouses than me. It is as simple as that. If Mr Oranje makes a play for Scientific Method, I may have to switch gears. I do not wish to lose the Bonus Great People to him. I am skipping Steel for the moment and opting for Military Science instead. It will give me Strength 10 Ships of the Line, with which to build a Sea Net. Ship of the Line Sea Net: It has a certain ring to it. {I am pleased with this strategy. It delays War. And so, it cannot possibly be optimal. But it worked for me.} # # # 2020-04-28 2410AD T600 I Researched Military Tradition 8 Turns ago, which enables Defensive Pacts. I just entered into one with Yacky. I believe that will give us at least 50 Turns of Peace, but I will proceed on the assumption it will not. Besides, War awaits... likely with Hannibal. # # # 2020-04-28 1498AD T644 In order to ensure Peace, I Demanded 10 Gold from Mr Oranje and 100 Gold from Hannibal. Hannibal does not concern me so much. My Oranje, on the other hand, has a Stack of 6 East Indians... presumably on the way to Ethiopia. Yacky Declared War on Hannibal. And Mr Oranje will be returning the favour, shortly. I've improved on The Sea Net concept. Rather than focusing on my shoreline, I am endeavouring to track any Enemy Ships from their Port of Origin... and set up my Defensive Perimeter there. It is entirely likely the next time Mr Oranje launches an Offensive, I will nip it in the bud. # # # T601: Yacky just requested The Secrets of Banking, which I gave. So, we are at +18. # # # 2020-04-28 1522AD T656 I likely will not get a good picture of a static Sea Net. But perhaps I should take one here. Mr Oranje is about to Declare War on Hannibal. The question is whether I should pre-emptively Declare on Mr Oranje and wipe out his Stack (or most of his Stack) prior to his landing. --- Denoting a Time Break I took a shower. S-, S-, & S-, if you must know. --- Upon reflection, I believe it will be best to let Mr Oranje Land and soften Hannibal up. After Landing his Troops, I will Declare (or think I will Declare) and Destroy his Shipping. In an odd Turn of events, I might have to Declare War on Hannibal to Attack Mr Oranje's Ships. Declaring on Mr Oranje will impact my Diplomacy with Yacky. But as I am at +23, I can take the hit. I does mean I am best off making this a long war {and never ever-ever Declaring Peace}, so as to avoid repeated Negative Modifiers. I still am not geared up. But my Ships of the Line (10) are going up against East Indians (6), so the advantage is all mine. I believe the time is right. --- Pros of letting Mr Oranje Land (these are in relation to Mr Oranje's): Mr Oranje (My Pros): War Weariness (his goes up) Maintenance of a Crap City (once again, his goes up) Mr Oranje Cons: Lots of Combat Experience (Mr Oranje would get) {If I just Destroy his Naval Stack, his Combat Experience is Considerably less. Call it 10 versus upwards of 100.} Either way, War seems imminent. Hannibal will not Attack, as once Mr Oranje Attacks, he will have two Active Enemies. --- I will let Mr Oranje Land. I expect to Declare War the next Turn. I expect it to be a Long War, as I can see no advantage to accepting a Cease Fire. # # # T701: I am the third most Powerful Nation. Um, I think the figuring is wrong. # # # ????-??-?? ????AD T726 Mr Oranje is cranking out the Rifles. I've had a Sea Net around Mr Oranje for a good 100 Turns and have him contained. But I believe I will lose too many Units if I Attack. So, I am waiting for Artillery. Of course, if he Researches Industrialization next, all bets are off. Though, I may be willing to risk a stack of Artillery, which I will have at that point against his newly minted Infantry. Yacky lacks Steel. Hannibal lacks both Rifles and Steel. I've never looked to see if Yacky can Attack at Friendly. Oh, I think the rule is that no one can. So, I am safe from Yacky. # # # 2020-04-28 1670AD T730 Mr Oranje is Researching Railroads. No doubt, his intent is to Defend. But as I am Researching Artillery and Artillery is +50% Against Machine Guns, he is doomed. Infantry would have made my life difficult. Eh, Machine Guns will not be a picnic. {It turns out, Machine Guns were completely immaterial, as Rifles Defend against Artillery better than Machine Guns.} But as I am Building tons of Cannons, which will get Upgraded to Artillery, I can take the hit. I'll have upwards of 20 Howitzers when I Attack in 20 Turns. And he'll only have a handful of Machine Guns in that first Stack, which as we all know, is the important Stack. I am in full War Production Mode. 12 Cities: Iron Works Levee Courthouse 2 Galleons for the Mass Attack 7 Cannons {And by the end of The War, I had devolved into Building Total Infrastructure, to Build Away The War Weariness.} I, also, have Missionaries and Spies in my Stack. So, I'm feeling good. {Having Spies in the Offensive Stack was a mistake, as they can be Detected, even amongst a Stack of Friendlies, if they are Stationed on Foreign Soil.} I intend to eat Oranje whole. I do not believe he will meaningfully recover from the Initial Clash. The AI never does. {Mr Oranje did not. Numerous Cities were Garrisoned, often quite heavily with the latest and greatest. But he never launched a meaningful Counter Attack.} The Game says I am Third in Power. It has no idea what it is talking about. More insultingly, it lists Yacky in front of Mr Oranje. And Mr Oranje has way better units: Rifles going on Cannons. Actually, if Mr Oranje had a stack of Catapults, I could be worried about the upgrade. Hey, what do you know? Both his Trebuchets are already Cannons. That was fast. Still, he has nothing that upgrades to Machine Guns that I can see. Yacky is at +28 and has enough on his hands right now. I don't want to split Oranje with him. So hopefully, he Attacks Hannibal, who is the laggard in pretty much everything: Power, Research... what else is there? That's it on the night. Thunder in the distance... well, rain. Even this write-up is a bit chancy. Though, I don't actually hear anything, so maybe it is just rain. And I will restart in a while. {The longer write-ups are almost always end of session recaps, done in preparation of shutting The Game Down and making notes as I review everything that I can.} # # # T731: I gave Hannibal Steel for 10 Turns of Peace. I don't want to pull my Ships off Mr Oranje. And if Yacky Attack him, so much the worse... better... or however that is said. If Yacky isn't interested in a Permanent Alliance, I don't want him pulling ahead. So, it's OK if Hannibal chews Yacky up a little. In the end, I think Yacky is doing better. Ha! It turns out Hannibal and Yacky are already at War, so he would never have been able to come after me. Oh, well. Now, Hannibal can Defend himself a little better. Go at it, guys. # # # 2020-04-28 1710AD T750 Being in Full War Mode, I don't see how Mr Oranje will survive, as the AI does not have a Full War Mode. Assuming nothing changes on The Roll, my first Artillery has 85% odds, which is pretty darn good. I have 56 Units in my Stack. Of which, 16 are Artillery. Mr Oranje has 26 Units... almost all of which are Rifles. Um, I've got 12 Grenadiers in my Stack {which are the counter to Rifles}. So, I'll leave this for the morning. It will give me a reason to hop out of bed. But that's it for Mr Oranje. I will eat him whole, building the Forbidden Palace in Amsterdam. And, no. I don't think I am counting my eggs too soon. The AI has its limits. It does not know how to come back from a Full Frontal Assault. I just paid Yacky Zacky Quacky 10 Gold for his World Map. I find that's a cheap way to figure out what's going on in the world. He's taken over two Carthagian Cities. And I have City Visibility on him. So, hopefully, I'll be able to see how many Troops he has Next Turn. There are Forests by the City I am about to Capture. So, I will bring over Four Workers to do a bit of Chopping. Jewish Temples still get all the Bonuses (+2H, +2G, +2B). So, that will be my first Build, followed by a Courthouse, Barracks; and from there, Units. The Apostolic Palace becomes Obsolete at Mass Media. While the University of Sankore and The Spiral Minaret last until Computers. It's quite possible I will Research neither before I call The Game. Speaking of which, if only Yacky and me remain, it's Game Over. We are Friends. Though, maybe not. Maybe, battling it out is the way to go. If so, I will note that Mr Oranje and me have the Five Best Cities between us. We've built the majority of the Wonders. Yacky will go down hard. Hard! Almost all my Espionage is going into Hannibal. I will have City Visibility in 100 Turns or so... maybe. I have a single Offshore Oil. Mr Oranje has a single Land Oil. Yacky has a single Offshore Oil. Hannibal has a single Offshore Oil... that he will have to Build a Fort to access. Fun stuff. {Hannibal's Oil situation is part of the main write-up.} It's going to be awhile before anyone has Oil. Taking over Mr Oranje's Lands is my best play for Oil. Go figure. I have a single source of Uranium, which will allow me to Build Game Altering Destroyers after Researching Combustion. Researching: Assembly Line -> Fascism -> Combustion If I have mentioned Industrialization Recently, I am sure I meant Assembly Line. Once Sea Port is done with Iron Works, I have a few Wonders for it to Build. I just switched into State Property, which increased my cash flow, slightly. But as I go into this War with Mr Oranje (and Capture Cities), I think it will be for the best. And that's a wrap. I destroy Mr Oranje on the morning. I am enjoying this Late Game Fun. # # # 2020-04-29 1718AD T754 This was a short Turn Set. I started the War against Mr Oranje and all I lost was a Spy. The Spy was sitting in my Stack and was discovered. Oh, well. As to the rest, it was a complete rout. I'm suffering War Weariness. But what is a person to do? Peace with Hannibal. And by some magic, three of my Ships of the Line have been trapped in one of his bays. Once again, Oh, well. Strategically, it may make more sense to rush Sid's Sushi. But it is more satisfying to deny Mr Oranje anything. So, I will continue to Research Assembly Line with the goal of reaching Fascism first, for the Great General. Also, I can then start on Mt Rushmore. # # # 2020-04-29 1730AD T760 Another short Turn Set. I probably should not knock the AI too much. Mr Oranje has some sizeable Stacks left. The problem is that he is out-gunned. I doubt this War will be over today. The Game is not as exciting at the moment. I have no belief Mr Oranje is going to do anything exciting. I did switch to Police State to reduce War Weariness. And after Fascism, I will Build Mt Rushmore, which will greatly reduce War Weariness. Between that and Police State it is -75% across the board. So, in around 25-30 Turns (being a bit optimistic), War Weariness should cease to be a major factor. In the meantime, it crawls upwards every Turn and is the best Defence Mr Orange is mounting. Yacky and Hannibal signed a Peace Treaty. Taking over Carthage was Ethiopia's only chance. So, they're both settling for a losing outcome. Have I mentioned that Machine Gunners are even worse against Artillery than Riflemen? Well, they are. Mr Oranje gets Infantry in a few Turns. It may change the nature of the War. In fact, if Infantry are strong enough, I may be better off Attacking Hannibal. {The Infantry made no difference. I simply had too many Artillery. And the bulk of The War had already been fought.} # # # 2020-04-29 1742AD T766 It is going to take me awhile to eat Mr Oranje. In the end, I will request Yacky Declare War to Capture the remaining City on his Continent. {Yacky was at War with Hannibal. So, he wouldn't Declare against Mr Oranje. And I quit playing as a Stack of 10 or so Troops made their way towards Mr Oranje's last City, which was Defended by 4 Units.} Hannibal is making a good showing for himself, coming back. He has Military Science. So, it is time for me to pull my Ships of the Line back and form a tight perimeter and not go looking for trouble. Mr Oranje is dead. My Stack is split in half, maybe thirds. And it makes no difference. He has no Offensive left in him. My Stack (heading towards Amsterdam) contains 30 Units (roughly). He's got 10 (or so) Units on Defence. And the whole of his empire contains 64 Units... or that's what I see in the Military Advisor Screen. I've got full visibility on him. I'll Raze the two northernmost Dutch Cities, as they are worthless. I believe Assembly Line will be the last Technology Mr Oranje Researches, as his Beaker Base will not be around for very much longer. Anyhow, short Turn Sets. I wish to mix in other activities. # # # 2020-04-29 1752AD T771 The last Turn Set of the evening was fairly uneventful. Amsterdam fell. But we all knew that was going to happen. Yacky is on the War Path. But I don't know against who. Hopefully, he decides to Attack Hannibal. Or if he were to wipe out the sole remaining Dutch City on his continent, that would be fine. Yacky gave me 10 Gold. So, we have a 10 Turn Peace. Mr Oranje will Capitulate. But hopefully, this means he cannot Capitulate to Yacky. It would be super annoying if he did... especially since Mr Oranje has no Army left. It's a cake walk. Free Cities, basically. We'll see. Hannibal gave me 10 Gold, as well. I could ask for more. But I'd rather have the Peace than the Gold. We'll see what Yacky is up to. Also, I should do some research and see if Mr Oranje can Capitulate to Yacky. I'm at +24 Diplo with Yacky. I'd thought I'd had this up to +31. If so, it was a record. I should have taken a Screen Shot. # # # 2020-04-30 1752AD T771 Prior to firing The Game up again, let me say I've been a bit... um, worried, over the course of the night. Things might not go as smoothly as I've been expecting. Mr Oranje is willing to Capitulate, which probably means he is willing to Peace Vassal to Yacky or Hannibal. If to Yacky, that would put an end to the festivities. If Hannibal, eh, who cares? Further, Mr Oranje Discovers Assembly Line on the roll, which enables Infantry. I have not upgraded any of my Units. And Artillery (18) versus Infantry 20 (25 when Fortified) will not be as decisive as when combating Rifles. And I may have to stall while I upgrade my Grenadiers to Machine Guns as my defensive counter. Research wise, Flight to Electricity for Bombers (I am doing this from memory) is looking more compelling than Refrigeration for Sid's Sushi. K-MOD changes the where and when of Sushi, so it's later. Anyway, let's see what happens on The Roll. # # # 2020-04-30 1759AD T778 My worries regarding Mr Oranje's ability to rally were unfounded. My Artillery was able to do the job... though, at reduced odds. The Forbidden Palace is in Construction. I would like to put it in Amsterdam. But it's simply too many Turns away. I believe Maintenance is +20Gold/Turn because the Cities are on a Separate Land Mass, a penalty which The Forbidden Palace eliminates. That's several hundred per Turn. --- (another shower) Researching: Combustion (for a decisive advantage on the High Seas) -> Refrigeration (for Sid's Sushi and all the Health Buildings, which my Big Cities need) Flight & Radio for Bombers had been considered, but Mr Oranje is not putting up the fight that I thought might be possible. We will not be having a stalemate. He is going down. Of course, there is only 3 Turns left on the Enforced Peace. So, who knows what will happen after that. I expect Hannibal will Demand Tribute... and I will likely laugh in his face. When I am done with Mr Oranje, I will Declare War on Hannibal for the Win. As such, I should likely switch back into full War Production Mode. # # # 2020-04-30 1774AD T784 I have swept Mr Oranje's home continent. He has one Colony or Captured City remaining. But a Stack 4x the size of his Garrison is on its way to smack him down to size. The Game is Over! Victory! Given time, there is no doubt Yacky and I will shred Hannibal. And Yacky is at +25 Diplomacy. We are Friends. We can share the world. When all is said and done, I will have somewhere between 50-75% of the world, depending upon how much Yacky eats. And since I can bribe him to make Peace, I can control what percent of Hannibal he gets. {Theoretically}, I would be happy to play more of the Late Game. But I don't know how to get there. If I'm weak, I get destroyed. And if I am strong, I destroy them. Still, this ate plenty of time. And I enjoyed myself. I intend to post a more complete debriefing at a later date. But then, I may simply start working on the Web Page, instead. Yacky +25 Diplo has to be a new record for me. As I pause, I wonder how I can stay alive long enough to enable a Good Fight in The End Game. # # # # # # GAME-05 IMPLIED VICTORY # # # # # # 2020-05-03 Yes, The Game is over. I have some desire to play a Turn here and there. But I cannot see this going anyway but as anticipated. Yacky and I will destroy Hannibal, he perhaps Capitulating to Yacky. And then, I take on their combined forces. But being an Era or two ahead, I'll completely obliterate them. So, what's the point? Also, Yacky is My Friend. And the only reason (and this is the only reason) we have not formed a Permanent Alliance is because that would make us too powerful. Um, maybe that's not clear. If we were in Last Place, we could form an Alliance. But since we are in First Place, we cannot. Which for some folks may make for good Game Play, but it really just pushes the bar into the distance. 'Oh, this would give you The Game? Well, we can't have that.' And since, I don't like such logic and this is easy for me to change (by calling it a game) {then digging into the underlying code, which I likely never will do}, I am calling it a game. # # # # # # Game Over! Victory! But perhaps, I have already said that. # # # # # # 2020-05-03 (c) Copyright Brett Paufler