Mongol Horde Succession Game

[Old n Slow]

Comparison game -- Infra vs Trade

I think that we need to run a succession comparison game -- same start where one team of four builds temples, aqueducts, sanitation (maybe) & can trade. No markets, no libraries, no SSC (per se -- wonders OK).

The other team of four uses infrastructure but no trade (camels & trucks can help out the wonders).

Race to the stars?

[Six Thousand Year Old Man]

I'd be up for that, O&S.

I think for the trade-only game, we should limit the science wonders (no Newton, Copes, or SETI... not that we would build them anyway )

[La Fayette]

LF comes to power and looks at the horde:
To make it short, we have a nice shipchain to Zululand, that we are going to use as our main research center, and we have a nice war against the Celts (newly discovered armours against valiant riflemen).

1) Research:

1-1) Deliveries:
1834: 390 + 462 + 116 = 968 beakers (and gold )
1836: 252 + 192 + 792 + 120 = 1256 beakers (and gold)
1838: 520 + 204 + 210 = 934 beakers (and gold)
1840: 720 + 168 = 888 beakers (and gold)
1842: 612 + 162 + 190 + 116 + 104 = 1184 beakers (and gold)
1844: 150 + 262 + 282 = 694 beakers (and gold)
1846: 180 + 148 + 196 + 120 + 112 + 122 + 98 + 152 + 120 = 1148 beakers (and gold ).

1-2) Results:

1836 = Machine Tools
1838 = Espionage
1840 = Theory of Gravity
1842 = Miniaturization
1846 = Computers
1848 = (mistake = short of 30 beakers to Robotics)

Message to sirsnuggles:
I don't criticize your investment in Libraries and the like (this is a succession game, and any player is free to play as he likes).
Just remember that you managed to achieve 5 turns/tech, and look at what a 'trading research center' provides: almost 1 tech/turn.

(to be followed next post)

[La Fayette]

2) War

LF decides that no barracks shall be built (Mongol vet spies are going to be in action very soon, and it will be more fun to fight the valiant Celtic riflemen with non vet armours).

1836: Rhondda is Mongol
1838: Zulu sneak attack and kill 3 Mongol cavalry in Zimbabwe (curiously Zululand is our main research and trading center, and one of the previous leaders had the strange idea to conquer their capital )
1840: Mongol defenders destroy 5 Zulu units to make them keep quiet (high walls built in the meantime).
Mongol armours in Caernarfon, Cardiff, Merthyr and Cork.
1844: Llauntanig and Caerphilly suddenly switch to purple (+ some other cities later on that I forgot to write down
).

3) Notes to my successor:
There are ferries between our 3 main islands (don't forget to study them before building others).
I suppose that the remaining Celtic cities are to be found on the eastern island, North East of Swansea.
There is a boatload of armours ready to take care of them.
Robotics is to be discovered next turn: you can build a few howies, just for fun. But, if I were you, I would mostly build transports (30 or 40 of them), because, even with Magellan, we are going to need them badly on this HUGE map.

[-Jrabbit]

Excellent demonstration of the power of trade, La Fayette. Also, excellent defense of sirsnuggles' right to play his turns as he darn well pleases .

Now let's see,,,

1) SG[1] - 8 turns
2) SG(2) - 8 turns
3) STYOM - 8 turns
4) sirsnuggles - 8 turns
5) LaFayette - 10! turns
6) -Jrabbit -
7) SCG -
8) Old'n'Slow -
9) Julius -

OMG I'm up! OMG I'm up!

[-Jrabbit]

Alors! Une probleme!

La Fayette -- see your PM.

[La Fayette]

You are perfectly right, Jrabbit.
I play my turns again at once.

[-Jrabbit]

Bien. Merci beaucoup.

Now can I have my 5 hours back?

[La Fayette]

I guess there won't be many changes.
You should have Robotics immediately, since I won't research Espionage, and you should also have many barracks, since I don't wish to take walled cities with non vet armours.
I plan to finish tomorrow before 12.00 GMT.

[La Fayette]

To make it clear to all, here is what happened:
Before starting playing his 8 turns, Jrabbit did what I should have done before playing mine: he reread the rules and noticed that it was clearly written NO DIPS, NO SPIES.
That's why he asked me to replay my turns, according to the rules (just before jumping onboard the most direct train to The Institute).

The main difference was that I skipped researching Espionage:
1836: Machine Tools
1838: Miniaturization
1840: Computers
1842: Robotics
1844: Guerilla Warfare
1848: Theory of Gravity

Rhondda (unwalled) became Mongol in 1836, but I waited for howitzers before attacking the remaining walled Celt cities:
1844: Caernarfon + Merthyr
1846: Cardiff + Llangollen
1848: (forgot to write down)

The Zulus decided to sneak attack in 1846 (one submarine sent 2 of our (empty ) transports to the bottom). Well, we don't wish to destroy them at once because of our nice shipchain to Zululand, but they will pay the price later.

The ferries between our islands are:
Cannae - Malaca
Rusicade - Rayader

The shipchain starts in Ormuz.

Sorry, my train to The Institute is about to start...bye.

[-Jrabbit]

Cownload domplete. Playing PASA.

Berci moucoup, Fa Layette! Ayez un bon visite a L'Institute...

-Rjabbit
(deeling a fit byslexic today)

[-Jrabbit]

Mongol Hordes On The Attack

It's 1848. -Jrabbit accepts the post of Minister for Homeland Security and steps into the Situation Room. He calls for reports from all advisors, learns that we are a Communist regime of 49 cities, serving the needs of 15.22 MM ppl with a tax plan of 10-60-30 (a net loss of 147 GP/turn. We do have a decent treasury (over 1000 iirc). We seem poised for war with a mighty army of vet Armors and Howitzers (mostly on Celtic lands), but will soon lose the Wonder that is the War Academy, as we seem to be studying for Mobile Warfare. We are at war with the nearby Zulus and Celts, at peace with the distant civs. There are plenty of freights and transports about. We stand 2nd in pop, and 1st in GNP, land area, manufactured goods, and productivity. Our homeland continent is a treasure trove of production, with many factories and engineers improving the land.

Comradess Borthei, of course, remains 1st in the hearts of her countrymen.

We have a dispirited and nearly useless naval fleet, wandering the hinterlands of this huge map, doing nothing more than exposing coastlines and the occasional hut. Several are recalled to join the mighty war machine. Excess freight units are loaded onto otherwise superfluous transports to continue exploration and pop huts.

After some spirited discussion, the sliders are moved to stop the fiscal bleeding and promote general happiness. General -Jrabbit implores Borthei to continue the current conflicts and accede to our manifest destiny of World Domination, starting with the northern hemisphere.

She agrees...

No worries of OEDO requirements, so we call for REVOLUTION!

1850
Zulus learn Electricity, trade it to the Persians for Mobile Warfare, and sign peace treaty with them. Egyptians learn Metallurgy.
Our population = 15.32 MM
Our government = Fundamentalism.
Silk to Umtata 510 GP, Oil to Ulundi 176 GP.
Celtic Wars -- We take Caerphilly (12 GP), Llanelli (3 GP ), Swansea (4 GP).
Zulu Conflict -- We take Amatikulu (90 GP, plus Women's Suffrage and Genetic Engineering).

1851
Faders settle in at 40-10-50.
Population now 16.34 MM.
Rush buying galore -- fighting units, temples, and barracks..
French get Magnetism.
-- We get Labor Union (b'bye Sun Tzu ) and ignore Atomic Theory, espionage, and Recycling in favor of... Flight!
--We The High Shamaness Day celebrated in 22 cities.
-- Deliveries -- Gems to Ulundi 242, Silk (456) and Gold (98, 170) to Mpondo, Silver to Panormus 92.
-- Zulu Conflict -- Naples and its 22 GP taken.
-- Celtic Wars -- Take Abergavenny 12GP, find and take Dinas Powys 10 GP

1852
Zulus near Cure for Cancer. We decide to let them complete the job.
Persians and Zulus trade techs -- amphibious warfare and refining for mass production and guerilla warfare.
Persians and Zulus sign Umtata Pact to stem High Shamaness aggression.
Two more cities decide the the High Shamaness.
Infrastructure -- 4 more Temples, 3 more Barracks.
We also build a Manufacturing Plant in the Karakorum so it can produce a Mechanical Infantry unit per turn.
Homeland Security Act passed, decreeing that all Cavalry units be sent to the front and replaced by Mech Inf.
Hut = 100 GP.
-- Zulu Conflict -- Offending submarine tracked and killed, but our Cruiser then finds another... Ibabanago captured (79 GP).
-- Celtic Wars -- City of Maesteg uncovered and captured (14 GP).

1853
Ulundi builds CfC.
Population = 17.12 MM.
Egypt discovers Leadership.
Hut = riflemen. They have no wheels, wings, hooves, or hull , and thus are disbanded.
Hut = Advanced tribe of Capua (2).
Hut = Fanatic (disbanded).
-- Zulu conflict -- We take the capital of Ulundi for 190 GP and CfC. Government escapes to Ngome. The Zulus counter-punch. Sub kills our sitting-duck Cruiser as we build another. They attack and raze Naples, taking some tech or other, I suppose.
-- Celtic Wars -- We take Darrow (18 GP). Can't seem tofind their capital (Illauntanig)...

1854
Zulus learn the secret of Steel.
Pop = 18.97 MM.
More barracks, temples and units of mass destruction.
WTHS celebrated in 14 more cities.
Huts = 100 + 100 + 100
-- Zulu Conflict -- Mech Inf units infiltrate 2 fortresses deep in Zulu territory.
-- Celtic Wars -- We find and capture Neath and its 5 GP. Excess units are gathered onto freights steaming toward Egyptian lands...

1855
Pop = 19.12 MM.
WLTHS +1 more recalcitrant city.
More units, more infrastructure.
Huts = 100, barbs, 100, 100.
Deliveries -- Silk (678) to Ngome.
-- Zulu Conflict -- Take Tugela (52 GP + factory). Take Isandlhwana (49 GP + Copernicus). Take capital of Ngome (46 GP, gov't in exile ). Take Hlobane 44 GP.
Discover cities of Issus and Bapedi. Zulus have 11 cities left, 9 of which are located.
-- Celtic Wars -- After another turn of searching fails to uncover Illauntanig, we parley with them and they are receptive. Peace agreed. We offer them Tactics and Sanitation, making them properly Worshipful. Maps are exchanged, with Illauntanig revealed to be right in our midst on the former Celtic homeland (just far enough from the rail lines to remain unseen).
Illauntag attacked and taken (78 GP).
Celts destroyed. Celtic Wars end.
Our Reputation is now Atrocious.

1856
Egyptians now have engineers.
Population = 21.05 MM
We discover the art of Flight.
Huts yield 200 + 100 + 100 GP.
New infrastructure includes Offshore Platform for Ormuz.
Two cities cancel We The High Shamaness celebrations, but 3 more start.
Delivery -- Gold to Swazi 608 GP.
-- Zulu Conflict -- Cities taken: Mpondo (61 GP), Umtata (63), Cunaxa (12), Issus (18), and Zunguin (61 + Adam Smith's).
Five Zulu cities remain... All have been located.
NEWS FLASH -- Homeland Security intelligence report notes that the Egyptian civilization, with capital in Thebes, is a Republic of 21 cities currently studying The Corporation. It is further reported that the egyptians are building weapons of mass destruction and may be harboring cells of Celtic and Zulu expatriates.
High Shamaness Borthei issues a statement that "This outrageous situation can no longer be tolerated." Freights full of peacekeeping units steam eastward.

1857
French discover The Corporation.
More cities the High shamaness than ever before!
Huts = 100 GP, Barbs, Adv Tribe of Turin (3), Barbs (freight lost), and 50 GP.
Factories added in Caerphilly, Kells amid continued Festival of Rushbuilding.
Pollution in Ulundi and Karakorum.
-- Zulu conflict -- Zulus fight back, taking out a few units. We take Swazi (150 GP), Bapedi (58), and Umfolozi (56 + La Tour Eiffel.
Only Intombe and Isipezi remain...

Epilog
-Jrabbit steps down from his post, leaving a legacy of destruction in the name of Homeland Security. The High Shamaness, loved by all, approves.

Population = 24.32 MM.
Cities = 74.
Treasury = 1,111 GP
Tax Plan = 40-10-50.
Income = 1212 - 280, net of +932 GP/turn.
Tech rate = who cares?

The nomination of SCG as the new Minister of Homeland Security is put before the High Shamaness.

[Old n Slow]

Nice work.

[-Jrabbit]

The Save...

Well, it took some time, but it sure was fun. The combination of Armor, Howitzers, and Mech Inf is awesome. Who needs spies when you have a buddy named Howie?

We are now 1st in all demographic categories
-- except for Pollution (5th), Literacy (4th), and Military Service (2nd).

Rather than build a shipchain to Egypt, I decided to just load up a bunch of transport with our deadly arsenal and send them as an attack wave. Even if we lose a boatload or two, we will have plenty of units to work with. Once their cargo of death is delivered, our Transports can then form a chain toward the Persians and French, who remain lazily complacent in the sunny southlands.

Here's the zipped save...

[-Jrabbit]

SGs --

I haven't seen SCG around in awhile. It may be that this needs to move on to the next in line -- Old n Slow, I believe.