One city challenge

[Cort Haus]

On reflection, I'm sure you meant PHI or IND.

SPI is surely the only other candidate.

[OzzyKP]

Another fun OCC:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?t=186057

Always war, on immortal.

[Cort Haus]

I'm playing Ghandi OCC (PHI, SPI) on a small pangea on Prince. Interesting starting location - inland with just one city radius resource (Cows), about 7 flood plains and just two hills excluding one with a forest that I needed to keep for health. Rivals were Sitting Bull (North), Khmer guy (East), Saladin (North-East) and Shaka (Far East).

Some worker techs, then Writing for scientists >> Academy then a beeline for Great Library then Globe. Then Hanging Gardens.

I got Iron in my city, and some gold and corn outside but nothing else, so I had sod-all health and sod-all to trade. Lots of GS and some GE though, and I looked forward to the National Park, and turning my four forests into preserves for free specialists which I used as Engineers.

National Wonders were Globe, Oxford, Ironworks, National Park and National Epic (late, so as not to mess up the GPs). I also took Music for the GA's drop of gold, and then Economics for the GM. I also got lucky running some merchants for another GM.

Science and production were strong, occasionally slowing to get gold for unit upgrades, and I danced between Org Rel, Theocracy and Pacifism.

I was lucky, really, that almost everyone else converted to the Buddhism that Mr Khmer spread to me, except Saladin who got kicked a few times before Shaka finished him off and vassalised him. Then Shake vassalised Sitting Bull, and it's just me and Mr Khmer against Shaka's huge army. My wad of Infantry, Machine Guns and Arty might hold him off, but if he can't kill me he could probably kill Khmer sooner or later.

I've no experience of OCC militarism to deal with Shaka, so he'll probably win, but having healthily got to Apollo with a civ starting with almost no resources, marginal production and serious health problems I'm quite pleased with what my city has done, though aware that the religious break helped a lot.

I think that if you're not prepared to deal with a killer AI on the domination rampage like Shaka, Pangea OCC is always susceptible to this scenario, which is maybe why I've seen it suggested that you raise the number of Civs on a Pangea to make it harder for one to be so dominant militarily. When that one is sharing a religion with the others, who all love him until he kills them, it's harder to go against him though.

Oh, and no-one had built the Pyramids by nearly 1000AD, by which time I had enough production for a stab and got them. I also built Sankora for a set of GS and GE points.

[rah]

I usually consider Pyramids a must for all the specialists and GPS

[Theben]

Why National Epic late? That's a lot of turns of lost GPP production. I could live with getting an extra artist or 2 for that!

[rah]

Agreed. I do like getting that first one a la music or normal just to get my borders out a touch farther as early as possible.

[Cort Haus]

Why National Epic late? That's a lot of turns of lost GPP production. I could live with getting an extra artist or 2 for that!

For a space ship I like a lot of scientists and engineers.

[Theben]

So bump up the number of engineers and scientists you're running. You're probably losing a handful of great people by waiting so long. Seriously, what's better: getting 5 GSs and 3 GEs or 4 GSs, 2 GEs, and 5 GAs (which is stretching the odds considerably)?

[Ming]

Yep... Epic is at it's best early, when you really need the great people. You are going to get a clunker or two when it comes to GP... the best you can do is maximize your chances, and pray

[Cort Haus]

There's the Globe too which gives GA's. I don't know if BTS has switched it to give GP type based on number of GP *points* produced by type, or if it's the same as earlier versions based on GP *sources*. With the latter, two Nat Wonders at 1GPP each and two scientists at 3PP each would give 50% chance of a GA and GS.

I used to play a lot of OCC in vanilla, and tended to get too many GA's if I built Epic and Globe early. Also, in a low food start (I tend not to re-roll maps) the volume of scientists and engineers available can be limited.

Does God play Civ?

[Ming]

You have to take the bad with the good. Both Epic and Globe are what I would consider key nat wonders for an OCC game.

[rah]

Yes, I want both epic and globe as early as possible. But even without a lot of specialists you still have many other wonders contributing to the pool

[wodan11]

I dunno Globe is key as in "mandatory". A lot of time in OCC you will need a ton of units (measuring on a per capita basis), and running HR can replace the globe.

[rah]

If you're going conquest, I think it's mandatory to get around the WW. If you're going space ship, then you're probably right.

[Hauptman]

Coolest OCC win I did was a space ship win on a HUGE map. Small maps hamper the AI's too much. But when they can get HUGE it makes for some good OCC fun.

Peter the Great is one of the best OCC choices. Extra health (boon of the occ til late game) and philo. I used to enjoy Elizebeth, the extra boost to your economy at start is nice, but near meaningless Later. At most financial can gain you 20 if you windmilled or cottaged every square.

Globe was pure /win pre BTS. But now with a limit of 5 nats I'd prefer something else.