The Bloody Monk HOF Celebration Succession Game!!!

[Straybow]

Talk about it, talk about it, talk about it, talk about it...

Funky Town

Hahaha, the filter takes out the C, U, and m in that link!

[defrancoj]

I'll take it. I've been lurking, haven't had much to say...
Pending the group's blessing, I'll pour over the game tomorrow morning, post, and then play tomorrow night.

[rjmatsleepers]

Originally posted by defrancoj
I'll take it. I've been lurking, haven't had much to say...
Pending the group's blessing, I'll pour over the game tomorrow morning, post, and then play tomorrow night.

Good luck. And remember SG's advice, "when in doubt, build a van".

RJM

[Verrucosus]

Heh, that's the shortest accurate advice about Civ2 that I have ever read. By the way (since we are planning to celebrate later on), isn't SG - apart from being a very knowledgeable, pleasant and helpful poster in general - a celebration mechanics expert? What is he doing these days?

defrancoj, you will need a plan of how to spend our money before the next round of tech trading. There is still a lot left in the treasury and the people of Bombay, shivering in the cold, will probably pay a fortune for our high-quality hides. Good luck!

[defrancoj]

ok when I said I'd play today... I meant tomorrow :O

Things do have a way of piling up on one.
Sorry to keep you all waiting.

[-Jrabbit]

Happy Birthday, Bloody Monk!

[defrancoj]

ok, I've got the game, looking it over, here's what I think;

The weakest part of my game is climbing the tech tree. I never know what to trade for, what to choose, what to let the stooges research for us, and I could use some guidelines. This is the part of the game where the tech tree really blows up.

I would think our goals after sanitation are University, which the Indians are kindly working on for us, and then Banking to set up Democracy. But we want to put off Invention, so is there another avenue to consider?

I'm also thinking it's time to found a colony, and I favor continuing to add cities on our continent, too. As mentioned in my last set, I think (89,15) cries out for settlement, and (83,5) while I'm at it. (73,34) is probably a four-special. I also favor the previously discussed Celtic canal.
We have the cash to rush these settlers, and I say we use it. That way, a millenium down the line when I'm sick of kowtowing to these avaricious avatars, we'll have some clout and some force-projection. Thoughts?

[Verrucosus]

Happy birthday, Bloody Monk!

defrancoj, I think we can afford a two or three more cities. Just make sure to to replace the settlers, so that we can keep improving the terrain in preparation for the Republic. With regard to research, I would consider a detour to Theory of Gravity to get Newton's College for the science city as soon as we can get University from the Indians.

[Bloody Monk]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
Happy Birthday, Bloody Monk!

Thanks much my long-eared friend...and to everyone else for the kind thoughts and wishes. I never thought I'd see this day. If there is any wisdom to be had in that it is to never give up.

A nice b/day present would be for this game to be well and strongly supported. It would also be nice if this forum on the site got its usual thread to vote in the current HOF elections. It's not right that we have been relegated to 'junk' status, bypassed as a backwater.

Monk

[Verrucosus]

Hear, hear! In any case, this backwater is different from the others because it's the one where it all started. (I have to confess that I never voted in an election, but given that this game was triggered by the last one, I am beginning to see the point.)

I have noticed that the discussions now are less intense than they were a couple of weeks ago, but I do not believe that reflects a lack of support. Having entered the middle game, there are far fewer make-it or break-it decisions at the moment (sinking that trireme wasn't exacty a decision) that deserve as thorough a discussion as the tipping of the first hut or the placement of the third city. Something similar happens in my single player games when I ponder very long over the first few moves, but make decisions more quickly as the game progresses and becomes more complex - I often plan to take more time, but as I get immersed in the game I become less patient.

Still, defrancoj has thrown out a few good questions for debate. My somewhat unspecific response earlier is due to the fact that I am away from the CD at the moment and cannot look at the game to comment on particular locations. In any case we have another turnset to look forward to tomorrow!

[Bloody Monk]

Originally posted by defrancoj
ok, I've got the game, looking it over, here's what I think;

The weakest part of my game is climbing the tech tree. I never know what to trade for, what to choose, what to let the stooges research for us, and I could use some guidelines. This is the part of the game where the tech tree really blows up.

I would think our goals after sanitation are University, which the Indians are kindly working on for us, and then Banking to set up Democracy. But we want to put off Invention, so is there another avenue to consider?

Here's something to ponder...
--Give Construction to the Green and to the Orange. When you contact them they will demand some tech. If it isn't Constr. decline. Then offer them a tech gift. Give them techs until Constr. comes up. Give as few as necessary. We want them to choose something we will want for their next research, but we don't want to clog them up/slow them down.

--Three AI are researching something nice for us. Don't slow them down. The main one is the Indians/Univ. They have 4 cities and have been working on this for a long time (2 turnsets). Hopefully they will finish during your ten turns. When you finish Sanitation (like immediately with deliveries), you will be offered Bank, Nav (skip for now), Bridge (AI researching), and Univ (Indians Researching). I would chose Bank.

Now here is the tricky part. You will get 2 more Hides deliveries next turn, and that means Bank will be done, too. Two turns, two techs; pretty cool. Your next best choice is Bridge, leaving Univ. for the Indians. When that gets close to being done you must roll the dice on the Indians finishing Univ soon AND that they don't start a WOW which would keep them from trading even if they finish Univ quickly. To keep from finishing your next research you should move the Science slider to zero (when you get close). And wait. If the Indians finish quickly and don't start a WOW, everything will be fine. Trade for Univ. before you finish (move slider off zero). I don't think ThOfG will be offered until next time, but Chem should work nicely for us as the next choice.

That may confusing. Sorry.

I'm also thinking it's time to found a colony, and I favor continuing to add cities on our continent, too. As mentioned in my last set, I think (89,15) cries out for settlement, and (83,5) while I'm at it. (73,34) is probably a four-special. I also favor the previously discussed Celtic canal.
We have the cash to rush these settlers, and I say we use it. That way, a millenium down the line when I'm sick of kowtowing to these avaricious avatars, we'll have some clout and some force-projection. Thoughts?

I like the idea of a Celt Canal city. Also, (89, 15) and (85,29). Not sure I would go to (83.5) just now and I can't find (73,34).

Good luck and have fun.

Monk

[defrancoj]

5 turns down....

[defrancoj]

Here's the empire after five turns.

[defrancoj]

Turn 1:

I've decided to make city building the focus of my administration.

First thing's first: bribe the horse, ransom the barb diplo. The only course of action that assures the ransom.
Dispatching phalanx to (83,5), a future city site.
11 shields at Saragossa rushed for a new trireme next turn.
Madrid IRBs a settler.
Valencia hides delivered to Bombay for 485g.
Dropping off the other one on the coast until Sanitation is done. Upping Sci rate to accomplish that.
not sure what to do with this trireme that has a salt and a hides. proceeding toward bombay to deliver hides.

Turn 2:
(Banking, BridgeBuilding, Navigation,University)
Going with Bridge Building. We don't want Nav yet. Maybe someone will research Banking for us. The Indians are on their way with University. We could stand to build some bridges.
Valencia hides delivered to Bombay: 504g
What am I going to do with all this cash?
Continuing to improve terrain on our continent.
I IRBed every city's production... next turn should be pretty busy.

Turn 3:
Lots of commodity choices here. Went with hides when available.
valladolid hides delivered to Bombay: 208g

Turn 4:
Bridge Building discovered.
(Banking, Feudalism, Invention, University)
I'll take Banking here. My intuition is that some AI wil go after Feudalism by the time we're ready to track up that side of the tree.
Belfast founded (53,21), serving the Celtic Sea.
Valencia hides delivered to Bombay for 432g
Monksville hides delivered to Bombay for 182g

Turn 5:
Banking discovered
(Feudalism, Invention, Navigation)
Here's a tough one. I have like a half dozen caravans on the water, and either of the last two will seriously hurt the revenues therefrom. No AI civs are studying Feudalism, though, so I'm going to go with that one.

Contacting the Americans and the Greeks to see if I can get them working on something useful:
Peace made with Greeks.
Greeks accept Construction. They wanted Engineering... if they choose to research that, I'll gift it next turn.
Peace made with Americans.
Americans accept two techs before I can get them to take Bridge Building.

Also, when Feudalism is done I can gift it to the two AI who are currently working on it.
Trireme reveals that (82,36) is a 3-fish 1-buffalo site on grassland. My greedy eyes turn toward it.
I've decided to make the journey to Kyoto with that salt caravan. It takes the boat out of the ship-chain, but Kyoto is size-6 and surrounded by rivers. If the Japanese could be convinced to switch to republic, that would be nice.
About to end the turn. A steady parade of hides caravans traverses our continent for shipment to India.

Turn 6:
As we feared: The Indians have begun Shakespeare's Theater.
As we hoped: The Japanese have adopted a republican form of government.
Ok, so this presents a problem. I decide to build ST as fast as possible, so that there's no way we can miss getting ST, and that we can get university from the Indians as soon as they finish it.
This will interrupt the aformentioned camel parade, but so be it.
Salamanca silver reaches Delhi: 200g.
ST requires six caravans. There are five in the area and I will IRB the one currently building at Valencia. ST in two turns.
Malaga founded,(83,5)
Thoughts on defending Belfast? I'll probably end up letting my successor deal with that one. Right now it's just a warrior and a diplo.

Turn 7:
Indians develop University
Americans begin Great Wall
I brush up against my trackpad and thus endanger a trireme.

Turn 8:
Pirates appear in the Spanish Sea and three legions land around Strabo's Folly.
Valencia completes ST.
I need cash for a university when I get that tech and to buy off these pirates. I bribe two legions for a total of 164g and kill the third one. Not cool.
Contacting the Indians re University:
That was easy. Swapped Engineering for University, made peace.
Tuna founded, (70,34)
Unfortunately after all that bribing I have no cash for University.

Turn 9:
Americans build GReat Wall
Hostile Celtic emissary appears: I have to give them like six techs before they'll take bridge building, which is what they were researching. They did go from a low of Icy to a high of Worshipful.
Lots of rivals are researching Navigation, so I'll take Invention with my next pick, if I get one.
Bulls Bluff founded (82,36).
There's a Celtic diplomat one square south of Belfast. I have a diplomat in the city, which means we have a chance of thwarting their espionage attempt without (I think) taking an attitude hit. But forget that; I'm expelling him.

Turn 10:
WYTMMonkeyTown Copper reaches Bombay: 216g
I hesitate to deliver the silk from monksville since it's only size one right now. I'll drop him off on the hills SW of Bombay and let the next guy deliver it.
Valencia already has twelve shields toward a camel. Should I rush buy the camel and get the university next turn, or just go ahead and waste the shields. I decide to buy the university, reasoning that i was going to build it for one turn anyway before rushing it. this only wastes a few shields, therefore.
The Indians have a crusader one square north of Belfast. It will cost 188 to bribe it.
A typo causes me to move the settler to (90,14) instead of (89,15). Sloppy.

Notes: I have a wool caravan that can be sent to Tuna and a gems caravan already aboard ship heading to Belfast. I could have been more careful here with some of the units and the ship movement. I had a settler out at sea for a while for no reason, the ship chain kind of fell apart, but all in all it didn't get too backed up.

[Bloody Monk]

defrancoj,

Ten more turns, thank you very much!! The game unfolds.

I have a question. It is now 260ad; where is the Spanish Republic?? It's not any closer. There are 6 Settlers in the SSC quadrant and only one is working on readying the SSC for Republic. There are still 6 trees and 3 Silks in the SSC that want to be chopped and developed to provide more food. There are massively unbalanced unit/sett support in the other cities. Monksville has been reduced to size 1 and the future hidden Silk has been irrigated. Three of four new cities, while great alternatives down the line, are away from the main sites and will be slower to grow than other, previously mentioned sites, not to mentioned that 3 workers chopping trees would have satisfied a more pressing need.

We are researching Feudalism?? The Viks have been researching it for 4 turnsets, by the way. Check your Embassies. Fuedal is futile this early. Especially where we have the dream situation that an AI is already doing it and may then go on to Chiv, letting us bypass it for a long time. It loses the warrior line making IRB more expensive!!

To avoid this pass, I spent several hours writing a research path (after you expressed a need for help). That appears to be a waste of time, especially for someone with my limited energy.

But, here we are. Still progressing, if somewhat slower than optimum, and this just presents a charming new set of problems to solve. Who wants next??

Monk

PS: -Jrabbit--would you please update the playlist in the first post. Thanks