AAHZ's UnOrthOdOx Challenge... (Monarch AAR)

[UnOrthOdOx]

Ah...too bad. I was looking forward to an archer rush clinic.

The challenge stands, for a start where you actually have neighbors.

[snoopy369]

Perhaps a Pangaea would be better...

[UnOrthOdOx]

Pangaea is always fun.

[jbp26]

Originally posted by AAHZ
i do not build farms except on resources.

thats not a great idea. without even getting tricks like making your cities grow quickly and then switching to cottages, farms are important. how are you going to work all of those hills without farms to support them? this could be part of why your production was so poor.

[Velociryx]

This has been a fun one so far.

I downloaded it just to give it a whirl (keep in mind that my job has kept me away from Civ for about six months now, so I'm re-learning a few things as it were, and this one has been a blast thus far!)

Played thru to 1250AD, and have met 14 people (got notifications of 2 deaths--rome and france--so there aren't too many lurkers out there.

My strategy was *definitely* shaped by the reading of this thread....I'd not normally structure my game this way, but based on the comments I'd read here, I decided to play a bit differently.

I'll post a more detailed accounting later, if there's interest, but the general bent of the strategy was to stick with one city early on, build the Great Wall (I knew I was alone from the thread, and rather than wasting hammers on fog busters, I figured I'd just spend 'em on something that'd generate culture and GPP's), so that nicely solved the barb issue.

For happiness (another thing I knew I was lacking), I went Oracle + CoL and snagged Confucianism, then back-filled to catch up on some basics (I was VERY slow to research fundamentals like sailing and agriculture)...got the basics nailed down, then went after, and got the Great Library, and then, made for Caravels, which is where I am now.

Bismark found me before I had my first boat in the water, and he was the first to circumnavigate the globe (I was hoping to be first)...I did dit some 200 years after he did (he accomplished it in 1010AD, mine was in 1250AD)...so not bad for an isolated start, and given the materials at hand.

I'm currently making my way to Banking, in hopes of bulking up my economy, and am about middle of the pack, land wise.

The good news...there is an island nearby (unknown size) with at least two barb cities on it....I can see flood plains, so this might be an excellent (and close) conquest....if I can take it before anybody else gets there (and I think I can...my tech trades with the others have nearly put me on par with the leaders--tho I can't maintain it on my own yet...my econ is only about half the size of the pack leaders), then I should be able to grow big enough to catch, and then pass the big kahunas of the game.

We'll see.

-=Vel=-

[ZEE]

.

[Modo44]

Don't forget screenies.

[trev]

A small island like this requires more cities, around 4 more on this map probably, just so more squares on the island are worked. Location 1 for another city is immediately SW of iron, this will snag fish and with lighthouse will support enough citizens and several specialists. Also immediately SW of unused sheep roughly South of capital, again the sheep will grow your city to good size and sea squares can earn income or mine hills for more production. Another city possible 3 squares north of capital and farming floodplain for more rapid growth. The capital can still grow to its happiness cap and above despite loss of 8 or so tiles to these cities. With minor repositioning of some other ciites and using lighthouses and coastal squares, more cities can be built which will be self funding. I have built 10 cities on a slightly smaller, but better terrain island in the past, with generally 3 squares between cities only and use of more sea squares than land squares. With a almost doubling of city number you could expect to do better.

[Velociryx]

I've got 13 on the landmass in question....

-=Vel=-

[snoopy369]

13 sounds about right; i'm making as many as my commerce can support. I'm considering restarting as I didn't handle the barbs very well and I think this stunted my early growth (preventing building wonders which would've given me a shot here)... very annoying, I forgot about raging barbs and so didn't get archery soon enough

[Velociryx]

Just coming up for air.

Dang...it appears that I'm going to lose this game.

When I read the premise, I (mistakenly) believed that the Spaceship victory had been disabled, so I didn't factor that into my thinking.

It's 1973, and the Dutch just launched...looks like it's curtain time for me, but it's been such a fun game, I'll probably keep playing after their victory (cos my plan was working...it just took longer than the time allowed)....in any case, there's a number of intriguing lessons here, so I'll still post the AAR when things get wrapped up (am going to try to finish destroying the pesky English before the ship actually hits AC).



-=Vel=-

[Fleme]

Did you give up with it AAHZ?

Anyways, looking forward to Vel's AAR and/or updates.

[ZEE]

.

[Fleme]

I'll shadow that one then. This map just looked too bad for me.

Can't wait for you to start (or for you to return to the Nibbler avatar)

[johnmcd]

Originally posted by AAHZ
yes, AAHZ gave up. While i am not in last place i made way too many mistakes to win this one.

My next AAR will be a Pangea/Monarch, and all of the other game settings as this one.

My favourite map setting is:
- snaky continents (you need to choose archipeligo first)
- low water level (generally yields a snakey pangea essentially)
- 3-4 extra civs to use up the extra land from the low water level.

It's definitely better than a big lumpy pangea I think.