Crazy Win

[mkorin]

Originally posted by Nacht

Indeed, AI settlers are hardcoded to always found a city when the civ has currently zero cities.

There goes my theory. Something killed my only opponent and I won in 3650.

I didn't save a screenshot of the win, but I'll send one of my Hall of Fame.

Mike

[PantherCHE]

This also happened to me a few months ago. I reloaded the initial auto-save and went into the world builder to see what happened. It appeared that only my civilization had been generated onto the map (standard, continents).

I just chalked it up to a really random bug and moved on. Was a shame, though, since I had an awesome starting spot ...

[Pinchak]

PantherCHE welcome to the forums!

Your first post to Apolyton verifying a perviously unheard of bug will do much to further the evolution of Civ4 as not only a game... but a LIFESTYLE!

[Provost Harrison]

Perhaps he unleashed some warriors from a hut with a warrior...would be bloody unlucky that early on in the game mind you...

[Nacht]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Perhaps he unleashed some warriors from a hut with a warrior...would be bloody unlucky that early on in the game mind you...

That's probably the only possible explanation.

If you take into account that:
- AI starting units start at the same tile as their settler
- AI starting settlers always found at the first turn
- when a civ has only one city, barbarians can only appear when the hut is at least at a tile distance of 7.

Now tile distance is defined in such a way that diagonal tiles are considered farther away from each other than tiles straight next to each other. Two tiles diagonally 5 moves away from each other have a tile distance of 7.

So the quickest demise by barbarians for an AI would be: a starting warrior moves 5 times diagonally away from his city and pops a hut. Barbarians appear, one of them appearing just between the hut and the city moves in four turns directly to the city.

That would mean conquest on turn nine, which is 3680 BC at normal speed. Even quicker than 3560.

I play prince/monarch myself and I somehow almost never pop barbarians, but I can't find anything in the sdk that prevents barbarians appearing this way that early.

[Virdrago]

I have popped barbs within three turns (must have been seven tiles away) of starting a game. I have seen many notices (when playing with raging barbs) of civs being destroyed before 3000 B.C. (I usually play huge maps, monarch or prince, 18 civs), so I can vouch for early, non-animal barbs.

[dregor]

Originally posted by Virdrago
I have popped barbs within three turns (must have been seven tiles away) of starting a game. I have seen many notices (when playing with raging barbs) of civs being destroyed before 3000 B.C. (I usually play huge maps, monarch or prince, 18 civs), so I can vouch for early, non-animal barbs.

How do you stand the slowness of the game at that size? I wish I could, but as the game progresses, it just becomes too much to bear.

[Jaybe]

Huge marathon games are the best, dregor. The reward and immersion counters the drudgery & work of late game.
Scrap!, I don't consider a game a good one unless it takes around 60 hours or so.

[Pinchak]

it just becomes too much to bear

I agree. Too many cities confuses me.

[Virdrago]

I don't know, I just like having many civs. Of course, I never win through domination...

My computer actually has the space. So far. The slowness isn't too bad (excuse the grammar), unless I'm watching countless armies bounce around when the religion I've founded takes 40% of the world...

[Targonis]

Originally posted by Jaybe
Huge marathon games are the best, dregor. The reward and immersion counters the drudgery & work of late game.
Scrap!, I don't consider a game a good one unless it takes around 60 hours or so.

I generally play huge marathon games with 17 AI Civs and rampaging barbarians. It's not terribly uncommon to see a civ or two get wiped out by the barbarians with that configuration.

[dregor]

Originally posted by Jaybe
Huge marathon games are the best, dregor. The reward and immersion counters the drudgery & work of late game.
Scrap!, I don't consider a game a good one unless it takes around 60 hours or so.

I mean the graphical lag and time between turns It just seems excessive, even on a decent machine.

[Will9]

Originally posted by Nacht

That's probably the only possible explanation.

If you take into account that:
- AI starting units start at the same tile as their settler
- AI starting settlers always found at the first turn
- when a civ has only one city, barbarians can only appear when the hut is at least at a tile distance of 7.

Now tile distance is defined in such a way that diagonal tiles are considered farther away from each other than tiles straight next to each other. Two tiles diagonally 5 moves away from each other have a tile distance of 7.

So the quickest demise by barbarians for an AI would be: a starting warrior moves 5 times diagonally away from his city and pops a hut. Barbarians appear, one of them appearing just between the hut and the city moves in four turns directly to the city.

That would mean conquest on turn nine, which is 3680 BC at normal speed. Even quicker than 3560.

I play prince/monarch myself and I somehow almost never pop barbarians, but I can't find anything in the sdk that prevents barbarians appearing this way that early.

If it began with a scout, it could have taken 3 turns to get the hut. That means the minimum is 7 turns. Scouts can have barbs pop up in a goody hut, but it is unlikely.

[MattDoyle]

Bit of thread necromancy here, but something similar happened to me on the weekend and I remembered this thread.

Playing one of my standard games, standard size continents, 8 civs, random starting civ. I can't remember who it was i got exactly, but it was a civ with hunting. About 15 turns in, a barb warrior marches into my capital and takes me out.

Seems one of my opponents poped a hut and set some barbs loose on me.

[Methos]

Originally posted by Ming
I've never run across the AI not knowing when a conquest victory had occured. It always gives you credit on the start of the next turn.

I'm surprised it isn't more widely known over here? There is a block on any victory condition up to a specific number of turns at the beginning of the game. For instance marathon games cannot be won prior to 3835 BC. Epic games can't be won prior to 3670 bc and so on. If you'd like to try it out, go into world builder and force any victory condition at 4000 BC and watch and see when your declared your victory.

You can also check the CFC HOF Fastest Conquest on a Duel Map table and you can see what the fastest dates are. Adjust the parameters to see other speeds, conditions, mapsize, whatever.