OCC (One City Challenge) at Monarch and above

[amicus curiae]

Well I played a couple games last night. Both were ruined by an extreme slowdown that I never experienced before. I guess it's off to the tech support forums for me...

Anyways, I was able to found Hinduism and Judaism. I was previously building worker first, which I now think is a mistake for OCC. I was able to build warrior, work boat, warrior, and then my city was at size 4. Since this is the early happiness limit I built two workers right away and kept the city at this size until I got some goods hooked up. This seemed to work really well. I still have the save so I will continue the game if I can resolve this new and troubling problem...

[Yosh]

Just saw your post which snuck in ahead of my last one. I'm impressed with the amount of gold you were able to get per turn, but wonder if you have a chance for such a good religious start on levels above Prince. I would think all the early religions would be snapped up first by the AI on higher levels.

I'm not sure about that solo; I got lucky and had 2 *lake* tiles in my start -- that boosted my research enough in the beginning to where I was able to snap those up - even when I had to take the turns to reserarch Fishing as my first tech; I also was able to grab up the Oracle (I have no idea how!)

I think my main problem was that I didn't focus very well on techs... I was somewhat willy-nilly about my choices, playing it more like a regular game, instead of a OCC

[solo]

I finally did it on Emperor, just beating Mansa Mussa by 1 SS part.

Finally a little luck with resources:

1) Stone was next to my settlers at the start.

2) Coal appeared within my radius later in the game.

3) I was able to trade for Iron (47gpt), but not Aluminum.

4) I didn't have any Copper, which helps with some of the parts.

5) I had Oil, which I used to make a destroyer.

Stone got me the Pyramids and Great Lighthouse a bit earlier, and my starting position had a lot of forests and a little fresh water pond, which boosted my initial health allotment, nicely.

I had two food specials in the city radius, Clams and Corn, and a few more I could link to outside of it for additional health.

The start was a random Archipelago and I chose Rocky terrain, hoping this would add some hills and increase my chances for strategic resources. The map size was Standard and all other options were the default ones.

The Japanese attacked me feebly in the middle of the game. They were so far behind everyone, that for awhile I was even ahead of them in military units, so I kept that war going for a very long time, with the thought that others were less likely to attack me while I was "fighting" the Japanese. Near the very end I made peace when then came at me with better ships, but by then I only had the last SS part to go.

I got a very good tech lead this game and kept it for quite some time, being able to finish Casings and Thrusters before any others got started, but once they built Apollo, the race was really on, since they caught up and surpassed me in techs rapidly at the end.

I finished in 2019 and even got my city up to Legendary culture at the very end. I built more wonders than usual and produced more GP's than usual, too. Thanks to good health trades, I was able to run an extra specialist or two throughout most the game.

Usually I do not convert to any religions, but this game was next to Washington, and the French, who were both Taoists. They asked me to convert, so I did since they were both very friendly and very close to me. There were not too many negative repercussions, so I may continue this policy in following games in order to be able to build Monastaries.

Below is attached a zip with the start and finish. I suspect others will be able to manage a win using it, too. Probably, some may beat my time, since I made a few minor wrong turns in the tech tree that might have cost me a few turns.

[Risa]

I beat that map, too. The spaceship is launched in 2002.

A few conclusions:

1) The Internet is THE KEY.

2) Keep top two AI about equally advanced.

3) Have a solid production capacity, i.e above 40 base hammers.

4) Once you have all but one tech (generally Genetics) and all but one part built, gift all techs to all fair advanced AI. With only one city, you are unlikely to beat the top AI to that tech, but other AI can do the job for you. Your unchallenged productability will guarantee you are the first to launch.

Here's my end game save.

[solo]

Nice going, Risa!

I did not think of using the Internet, but it would have helped in the end more than the Space Elevator, which I did build.

Near the end, I found I was waiting around to build the last few parts while researching the last few techs, myself. Meanwhile the top AI zoomed to the end of the tech tree.

I also had something like 40 base hammers, too, since I kept all 8 forests tiles I started with and equipped them with lumbermills and rail lines.

It looks like a starting location mostly geared towards production and health benefits is the best, as long as there are two or more food resources to supply a few extra specialists.

In earlier games, I was favoring sites that had more commerce for faster research, but was coming up short on production. I think this is good progress in identifying what is required for successful OCC play at the higher levels.

(Edit: After taking a look at your save, I must try founding an early religion.)

[Risa]

In late game, the city will have forge, factory and power plant, that is 100% production bonus. Ironworks gives another 100%, and bureaucracy offers 50%. So the common bonus is 250% total. If it's assigned to build the Space Elevator, it will have another 50% for building wonder (assuming Ind trait) and 100% for aluminem. That is totally 5 times base hammers for 2000 hammers cost, or base hammers for the cost of 400.

When building ship parts without the Space Elevator, there will be additional bonuses of 100% for aluminum/copper (except Engine and Stasis Chamber) and 50% for laboratory, besides common bonus. So that is totally 5 times of base hammers for 1200*3 (thrusters) + 1600 (docking bay) + 1000 (cockpit) + 800 (life support) = 7000 hammers and 4 times of base hammers for 1200 (engine) + 1200 (stasis chamber) =2400 hammers, or base hammer for total cost of 2000 hammers.

With the Space Elevator, the calculation will be 5.5 times for 7000 hammers and 4.5 times for 2400 hammers, or base hammers for a cost of 1806.

The conclusion: constructing the Space Elevator will waste about 200 base hammer, or 4 to 5 turns. With one GE hurrying, it breaks even. Or 2 GE to get 4 to 5 turns saved. Considering one GE means 3 base hammers per turn (and some beakers), it doesn't seem worthy to save one for that purpose.

[Risa]

And here's my another victory. It's the same setting of my last map, but the map is much worse - there's no hill around!

It was a hard game, and I was quite lucky. I did the CS slingshot by 675 BC, while normally AI would complete the Oracle around 1200 BC to 1000 BC. And I was always backwards tech wise until the Internet. It is so annoyed to see AI saying "we fear you become too advanced" when they were several techs ahead!

[Diadem]

I'm currently playing an OCC on monarch on a small Great Plains map.

My starting position looks very promising. There's 6 (!) cows in my fat cross. To make things even better, both horses and iron turned out to be inside my fat cross as well. Wow. I don't know about the higher resources yet, I hope they'll be close

I'm in the north-central region of the map. Up north is the edge, to the south is Alexander. Saladin is to the west and good old Monty to the east. All three of them are pushing at my borders, giving me "our close borders spark tensions" penalties. Finally there's Kublai Khan to the south-east, a bit further off, but still pretty close (it's a small map after all).

So a perfect starting position, but surrounded by 4 of the most aggresive warmongers in the game.

I've never seen anything like it! Monty declares out of the blue every 5 minutes, even if I gave him tribute the turn before. And the other 3 join in on the fun as well. My first attempt I ended up in war with 3 of them at once, and I died.

I tried again, and of course ended up at war with monty again. I was prepared though, and razed his capital and another major city. Then I made peace 'cause alexander was attacking as well. I held him off, only to have kublai declare. Was holding him off as well, and then monty declares again. Etc, etc, etc.

My city produces pretty much every troop there is in a single turn though, so they can't really touch me. And I've managed to keep a tech lead so far, somehow.

This is really one of the best games I've had so far. It's complete madness, being attacked from all sides all the time. Luckily the AI is too pillagehappy. They keep destroying my roads at the border of my cultural zone, instead of moving inwards fast and pillaging my fat cross.

[Hypatian]

Eight resources in your city radius? Sweet Jesus...

Wish I could get that lucky once in a while.

[amicus curiae]

I just came one part short on a continents map. I got screwed late by several things. A late war and the UN forcing me out of representation and beurocracy. I had two barbarian cities for most of the gamr on either side of me. It actually worked out for the better though because it kept ai cities away for some time and I was able to expand my borders to gain several resources.

Anyways, it sucks to come so close. I guess island maps might be better to play simply because the ai will not be as strong. at least this is what I would expect.

[Blake]

I just did the emp "occ16" one. Victory in 2017. A bit slow I think but not bad for my first try on post-noble OCC. Also the AI didn't stand a chance, for whatever reason.

Notes:
At the start I built the Pyramids and missed the CS slingshot. I researched Philo and founded Tao, I immediately switched to Tao and Pacifism where I stayed throughout the entire game. I converted America to Tao.

I mostly got Great Engineers and Great Artists, with a few Scientists, Prophets and Merchants. I would have liked a "Cultural Revolution" of some kind to stop those blasted Artists spawning... anyway, other than Acadamy and Tao shrine (just built it for giggles, gave about 11g/turn), all specialists got added as super-specialists. Final hammer count was 62, which is a bit low for my likings but still pretty good.

Since Roosevelt was my bedmate he did trade me both Aluminum and Iron.

Industrial Strategy:
I beelined to Computers and built a Research Lab, and Rock and Roll (for some trade-fodder) - actually speaking of that, I got about 60g/turn in trade total from R&R. I could have built broadway too, it was still available after R&R was completed. Anyway after that I back-traded some techs (AI's hadn't researched past radio, really) then zoomed for Fibre Optics. (okay, I confess, I'm such a nub I thought The Internet was on Computers!)
After building the Internet, I zoomed off to Robotics and rush-buyed the Space Elevator. I had a bit of cash lying around... about 8000. About half of this came from fleecing AI's for cash for techs. The rest from specialists and the R&R trades.
After Internet I rushbuyed a Factory and Coal Plant, I rushbuyed them entirely to get the full carryover to a SS part - basically they didn't interupt building at all. Later I rushbuyed recycling center in the same way.

I want to try an OCC using a Philo Slingshot + Angkor Wat + Mass Prophets. Engineers are better, but Prophets are easier to mass produce.

Oh yeah, in the middle game both Japan and France sent galleys and rubbish at me. The city guard was a couple of Elephant and they trampled some Japanese archers. Eventually I signed a defensive pact with Cyrus and that stopped all war nonsense. (Roosevelt is such an aloof bugger. He wouldn't trade me techs, altough he did gift me music out of the goodness of my heart, first time I've seen an AI volunteer a gift).

[Risa]

I'm impressed, Blake. How can AI lag two tech behind in modern age? Do you neglect all chemistry branch in computer beelining? That is amazing!

[Diadem]

You rushbought the space elevator? Wow! How much cash did you have lying around. That must cost in the tens of thousands.

[solo]

Nice going Blake!

Another impressive game. I have also rushed the Elevator with gold, but that was in a previous game where I fell a few SS parts short.

Amicus, you should give OCC 16 a shot, too. I suspect you will not have any trouble adding another OCC win to the human player's column on Emperor.

As for myself, I have finally got around to reading the Great Profits thread, and come away wanting to try a game or two now going the religious route and attempting to generate many Great Prophets and joining them to my city.

I think I did not fully appreciate how effective this strategy could be and how it can be used to get to Civil Service much more quickly. The leverage attainable by joining the best GP's to a city quickly is very impressive. It will take me some time to investigate this angle, but things now bode very well for possible OCC wins above the Emperor level.

Diadem, if you still have that amazing start, you might want to attach a copy here, so others can play with it. With so many cows, the potential is great for using many specialists.

Thanks to all so far, who have contributed some very good ideas towards the cause of OCC on higher levels.

[Blake]

Originally posted by Risa
I'm impressed, Blake. How can AI lag two tech behind in modern age? Do you neglect all chemistry branch in computer beelining? That is amazing!

I literally beelined to Computers after Scientific Method, it's like a direct path.

The AI's HAD researched further ahead in OTHER branches.

I've come up with a new OCC strategy for if you have a nice river start...

The State Property Internet!

Grab the internet then pave your territory with watermills and workshops. Turn off research. Rushbuy the Space Elevator.

Last game I tried this on Monarch, Arabs, Balanced Map, started Inland.
Check it out. Especially the minimap, it's literally Mecca! The center of the world!!!!


I did the Philo Slingshot. With the 2 religions and Monarchy I actually didn't build Globe Theatre for a long, long time. Nor Heroic Epic for that matter, between Philo trait and Pacifist I wasn't really hurting for GPP.... I had built Stonehenge, Oracle, Angkor and both religious shrines. Not a bad "free" GPP.

I think I'll lose this game though. The reason? Too far south for Space Elevator .
Also the start sucks. Balanced map, all resources except Aluminum (bah!). Without Aluminum or Space Elevator.. not too good. And the low food making it hard to generate much GPP.
Also only 1 resource inside city radius (sheep), which really made me hurt for surplus food. But still, I got the Internet.

A pity really, because despite the poor food situation I was doing well. First to Liberalism, Economics and Physics so those were some nice Gimmies.