Breaking the Emporer hump.

[Crossfire]

While I enjoy reading most game reports, I really like it when it is detailed (preferably with sufficient screenies) to tell what strategic decisions were made and why. This helps me and others to maybe play better and at least offers a look at other styles of play. In that light, I thought AAHZ' failed game was great fun.

It is nice to see everyone giving it a go at Emperor though. That seems to be the level where things get really hard even with great fundamentals applied.

[Fleme]

Well I played my game to 1~ AD now and have screenies up to that point. Effectively pushed one AI off the map or atleast into submission and am leading in score. Would be nice to have someone mirror it and see how everyone goes through it but I won't bother unless there'll be interest in it!

[Hauptman]

My starting position.




The Kong Mao brings in the $$





Prepping for war.




There is two things I hate, those intollerant of other peoples cultures, and the dutch.




At war with the world, but showing my advantage.





The empire that will drive me to industrialization.

[Hauptman]

A look at the competition.





"Plays well with others."




My options are limited.




Comparing Main force stacks.





A grafic look at the arms race.




A new look at main force. Notice he moved his into a "nuke proof" city.




War breaks out, and No mans land becomes a barren wasteland.





Removing a thorn in my side. Gilgamesh pays in blood.




Ragnar takes the brunt of Zara's revenge.





Zara launches 3 nukes at me, yet SDI makes its presence fealt, and none get through.

[Hauptman]

So to continue the story.

When I loaded the game up and continued the fight, I was on the offensive. My amphibs had cleared out Gilgamesh and I sent them to a northern coastal city of Zara's. My main land force was healing in my southernmost city, but I had another stack in the north of newer fresh units that I sent inland to capture one of Zara's border cities. He had many units holding it, but they where still reeling from the nuke attack and couldnt put up much of a fight.

When I next hit the end turn button, the screen started shaking... a lot. The game doesnt auto center on the attack, but it does allow you to move around and look. I found that ragnar was getting nuked by a sub force Zara had sent at him... well better you than me bud.

Soon it was my turn again, and I continued the push. My northern land attack headed south some to the next city on the border, and my mobile units in my amphib force headed inland. I used my main southern force to clear out yet MORE units beeing sent at me from England and Zara. So the map was centered on my southernmost city at the end turn. Thats when it started raining NUKES! 3 tactical nukes launched from the sea where thankfully all shot down, but my heart was in my throat none the less. Again my main southern army could have been wiped out. But that wasnt the real danger.

A stack of artillery went at my amphibs thus opening them up for destruction by all types of units, even cavalry. A single Helo survived.

Then it was Victorias turn and she hit my Northern force hard, Destroyed all my tanks and a large number of artillery units. This is an unfortunate turn of events. 2 of my 3 armys are now destroyed or damaged beyond usefulness.

A sub I had sitting off the coast of russia with a single tactical nuke finally reaches england, and somehow the attack seems pitiful compared to what she just did to me. I retreat the remains of both armies and send my southern group up to finish off that other border city that the northern group was after. I raze it to the ground. I check Zara's disposition. Seem's he's finally willing to speak. Now I've got 100% on culture at this point and still have unhapiness issues, 2 armies destroyed, and global warming rampant. This war must end. I see what he offers. He offered up a core city! well now isnt that special. I have a look around and see his Gondar with its space elevator. Hmmm, I wonder if he'll let go of that. And yes. he is willing. So ends the war with me now in control of the space elevator and many of his cities now shattered shells. I think I have this game in the bag.

I have to airlift units into Gondar, and it revolts often but by the time I'm working on future tech 1 he still has 10+ turns remaining for fusion. And just for kicks, I send a spy to cause a little trouble and succsefully destroy his SS cockpit.

At first I was manually chasing the global warming with my workers but after my cap finished the last SS engine, I simply automated them and kept hitting 'end turn' for the 30 turns of SS flight. Zara rebuilt his cockpit but never completed any engines, what could have been a game lost, ended up being a confortable win.

Now with that experience behind me, my games are going to be monarch for a while to come... Too tense to be fun!

[Crossfire]

Too tense to be fun?! Did I read that right? I LIKE them that way. I just don't enjoy being miles ahead half way thru the game anymore. You too might find that going back to Monarch just doesn't offer the rewards it once did.

Congrats on the win!

[Hauptman]

Naw of course it was fun, but it did require save-loading to get things going right in the begining of the game... and god I hate that. The war at the end was very labor intensive, but a real chalange, and of course, it made that victory ever so sweet.


The spoils of victory.




A look at my capital and its income.




A look at the new power graph, should note that Catharine had declared war on mansa/fredrick, thankfully not me.



Playing games with Zara.




3... 2... 1... We have Liftoff.




5 out of 5 just aint too bad.




Even after all that, the score just isnt that far up the list.




And for anyone wanting to give it a shot. Bhruic's patch may be required.

4000 bc save

[Hauptman]

Just to follow up, for those that care.

I played 3 full games at monarch after this game, and in all 3 my tanks (modern armor in one game) were killing riflemen... Guess Im done with Monarch.

So I started an emporer chinese game, forgot to click off aggresive ai, and had a friendly Mansa Musa invade with brand new currasais. My pikemen couldnt stop that super stack...

Restarted with a ghandi game, now I'm invading my archer/axemen defended neighbors with macemen. I'll let ya know when this one goes south...