Questions from a rookie

[Blaupanzer]

I think I noted that in one game Napoleon sent two 60-unit SODs right thru my territory after an ominous border buildup. So when a third buildup began, I reinforced the two nearest cities a bit but figured he'd send this one thru too. Then he DOWed me joined by my other close neighbor. All three of his stacks plus entered my empire. They were joined by others in the process and it took almost 200 turns to contain, overcome, and evict all of them before I could carry the war to them.

[wodan11]

This is called fun. Frankly, I'm pleased the AI is capable of such shenanigans.

[Ming]

FUN? Being dogpiled is usually not my definition of fun

[rah]

Actually some of my most entertaining games were when I thought I was cruising to a victory when all the crap hit the fan. And if I survived, entertaining translated to fun. If I didn't, well not so much fun.

[Blaupanzer]

A challenge from the AI that feels near run is much more fun than a walkthru. Fighting battles and moving to the next one for 200 turns when you know you'll win, can take on a tediousness all its own. But rah is right; if you lose or, more often, get stymied, that doesn't feel as fun as winning does. All part of the game.

[rah]

Yeah, my most satisfying game was AI DOWs and huge stack comes in while I'm leaning the wrong way. I do a fighting retreat for one city to buy some time. As I've just about turned it back Another AI joins the fun with it's own huge SOD I do a fighting retreat through two cities (previously owned by another civ) to buy more time for the initial defenders to heal and hurry over to the other side of my empire to defend the core. Both times I was on the verge of conceding a loss but was able to turn it around. (both civs paid the inevitable price)

[Blaupanzer]

It can, of course, get out of hand. I fight off a HUGE SOD and trailing forces from Shaka, losing one city but crush the stack. As I am gathering my forces, the previous peaceful Cyrus joins the fight against me, then Shaka again, then from all the way across the 6 civ continent Monty and Tok show up with big stacks as the screen announces (to fanfares, of course) that they have made peace with each other and are at war with me. The last civ on my continent, Ragnar, attacks Shaka who is obviously on the ropes, so the earlier opportunity caused by my fighting off two stacks goes to a third party. Monty's stack is slightly out of date (no crossbows or macemen but includes pikes and trebs) but outnumbers my whole army including defenders for the remaining 6 cities (I started all this with 9 and my newest was burned to the ground). Tok's stack has a healthy contingent of Samurais. I'm playing Ethiopia and haven't reached Knights on the way to Oromos. So... I retired. Okay, okay, the game Gods didn't like my play in this one.

[rah]

I've retired a few myself also, but I try to wait till the writing on the wall is crystal clear.
And sometimes that wall hits you pretty hard while it's coming into focus.

[Blaupanzer]

Yes when you're going 60 mph, if you wait until you can read all the words, you will hit the wall. Sort of like waiting 'til the Vedic Aryans actually take your only city. I think to myself, "And I thought I was going to pull this one out. How?"

[ybrevo]

Thanks friends - it has been great fun to read your posts to my original thread, even though we got a bit off topic - to say the least

I am still into my first marathon game on BtS (as Ragnar -why did I pick him?), so I will probably come back with more stupid questions within the next weeks.

One which springs to mind right away: What has random events to do with the "soul" of CIV? I always loved chess since it is a play of no random events - the best player wins in the end. That is what I liked about CIV too. And of course I turned it off when my new barracks got flooded and died as my first improvement in the capitol. Are there anyone out there who sees this as an improvement of the game?

ybrevo

[slnz]

Random events add chaos. Many aspects of the game, such as diplomacy, can be abused to a point where there's not very much randomness involved and you can take advantage of that and utilize some specialized "knife's edge" tactics like:

Busting your balls to get an ultra-fast Oxford in a capital full of settled specialists? Well here's a nice hurricane to blast that critical University to delay it by 20 turns.

Oracled MC and running a single engineer to get a GE to bulb Machinery for fast CKNs? Well here's a nice monsoon rain to kill that forge and make you pop a Prophet in the Oracle city instead.

I think of them as one way of keeping players more honest

[wodan11]

I believe you can turn events off in the custom game setup options, if they really bother you.

[ColdWizard]

One which springs to mind right away: What has random events to do with the "soul" of CIV?

Because Civ1 had random events.

And yes, I see it as an improvement in the game. Stuff happens, especially weather related, which adds depth to the game if you need to adapt to something major or if an AI civ asks for help. In one game I had the option of helping a neighboring civ after a natural disaster of some sort. I helped them with their food needs and got a bonus to our relations for doing so. Which helped later when I wanted them to war Boudica and Frederick.

[Ming]

random = variety = interesting = different

The events can be good or bad. They may change your strategy or cost you big time. I do hate when you get a bad string of luck and gets tons of negative events while you watch your opponents get all kinds of good events, but overall, they even out. They add some spice to the game. After you play hundreds of games, random events keep things fresh.

Feel free to turn them off, but you are missing out on some fun IMHO.

[ybrevo]

I see your point in making random events a different game with a new challenge to your general strategy - a game within the game so to speak - but right now I have my hands full trying to get out of Vanilla and into the new world of BtS. Espionage? Privateers? Corporations? Vassal states? The AP? The new use of forts?

It is a bit like going back to college after 20 years on a desert island, but it is also great fun to solve the problems of the best game ever

And you are probably right. After some 100 games I will turn random events on and face the punishment ...

ybrevo