AI head start challenge game

[DaveV]

Here is a game that I think will present a challenge to seasoned Deity level players. You play against 6 AIs, each of whom start with 8 cities and Monarchy government. Only the UN and Apollo wonders can be built. This scenario can be loaded with 2.42, but you really need FW or MGE to play it; I had to use events.txt to keep the AIs' minds on their business (killing the human player ).

I've played this game to AD 80 so far, and the AIs are killing me on the powergraph. I still think I can win, though (this is a big change from a normal game, where I'd know I would win ).

Note: this game is not for those who think the MGE AIs are too aggressive.

Edit: the file can no longer be downloaded directly, but can be downloaded from
this page. Play as the Apolytoners.
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by DaveV (edited October 12, 2000).]</font>

[Scouse Gits]

DaveV - if you only think you can win - I'm quite certain I'm dead - but I shall see how long I can survive - How large is the map? Is AC an option?
Wish me luck

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Scouse Git[1]

"CARTAGO DELENDA EST" - Cato the Censor
"The Great Library must be built!"

[Smash]

I need a little break from Red Front so...

Space or conquest?Does it matter?

[Smash]

This ain't exactly a break!!..very tough to get goin.I had 3 of my first 4 cities bribed away by 1500bc leaving just my capitol.It is secure but I can't venture out to expand.Not looking too good.

[Scouse Gits]

FW - deity
1500BC: in Monarchy
Liverkorum size 5, City Walls, Temple, 3 Warriors, 1 Horse, 1 Dip
4 support cities size 1 or 2 with Warrior
2 Horse, 1 Dip out wandering
One city was bribed and bribed back for a net profit and a free tech

Decidedly not good, but it seems I have been a little more fortunate than you Smash



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Scouse Git[1]

"CARTAGO DELENDA EST" - Cato the Censor
"The Great Library must be built!"

[DaveV]

Map size is 50x80, flat. You're free to win any way you want, although I'll be stunned if anyone can manage an OCC win on this setup.

[SCG]

quote: Originally posted by DaveV on 09-22-2000 07:49 AM Map size is 50x80, flat. You're free to win any way you want, although I'll be stunned if anyone can manage an OCC win on this setup.

Not that I have time to try atm, but it would seem to me that with 2.42 OCC would be a viable way to win since there isn't an events.txt in that version and one of the main concepts of OCC is getting the AI to do a lot of the work for you. After all, Paul and vik have both pulled of some rather impressive OCC wins (paul on the despotism challenge and vik in the comparison game where the only wonder available was the Apollo Program) Give a good OCCer the UN and loss of the capital isn't usually a major concern. Add in spies (same tech as UN) and threats can be removed by destroying a city. Also a fact to consider, several people won the OCC fundamentalism challenge.

just some idle thoughts...

[Carolus Rex]

Wow, a zipped save! Took one sec to download.

I will go for AC.

I think...

Carolus

[kcbob]

quote: Originally posted by DaveV on 09-21-2000 07:56 AM Note: this game is not for those who think the MGE AIs are too aggressive.

Does anyone with MGE think the AI is not too aggressive?

And I'll try to download this tonight when I get home from work. For some reason, I can't find an unzip.exe anywhere on my PC. Then again, this one sounds like every card in the deck is stacked against you from the git go.

BTW. Smash, did you notice Carolus Rex has resurfaced?

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Frodo lives!

Better dead than "Red"... or green... or blue... or yellow... or orange... or purple... or white.

[Paul]

After reading Dave's comments I had to try this as OCC

Unfortunately I got killed on two attempts. First time I went straight for Monarchy. The Zulus killed my warriors and took my city. Second time I went for Bronze before Monarchy and surrounded my city with phalanxes on defensive terrain. This time it was the AI bribe-without-diplo cheat that killed me. The Aztecs bribed two of my phalanxes and killed my NON-settler.

I did notice that the Greeks and Vikings didn't attack once. They just walked around my city without attacking. I would have been killed earlier in my first game if they actually did something. The Spanish and Zulus actually did attack unfortunately.

[Sten Sture]

Good work DaveV. DLing now...

kcbob - I think the MGE AI is too aggressive; for its own good! It tries really really hard to capture well defended terrain via the Iranian human wave method.


btw - anyone that hasn't tried some of the excellent scenarios out there is really missing out. I have recently played Harlan's Lord of the Rings & Mongols, Nemo's Red Front, Dauman's Great Game, and lined up several others after looking at some Scenario League reviews. I am amazed at some of the excellent work out there.

[Scouse Gits]

Paul... are you sure about AZTECS? In my game the yellow civ is SPANISH!
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SG (2)

[Smash]

Well I also have gone OCC.NOT by choice thats for sure.

I'm treadding water.Barely.I also had units bribed off the mountains by archers.They are doubled up now(pike and catapult combos) but I cant do anything.Time is flying by and my civ still struggles for survival.Science is crawling along.I couldn't send a caravan out even if I had the time to build some!

The only good thing is I've been able to do some tech stealing.Not much though as it takes alot of "luck" to get a dip close enough.

Stick a fork in cuz I'm done.

A quick "peek" at the events.txt tells me why.I got a new plan that involves getting the @#$% away from certain co-ordinates

[Paul]

SG, you're right. I meant the Spanish. I had the same problem with the Aztecs in an other game I played, so I confused them.

[Simpson II]

Hmm, I seem to have been a bit luckier than most. I had some idea of what was in events.txt because I saw DaveV's thread in creation, but I decided to stay put and give the AI a 'fair' chance. The situation certainly isn't good - as of 1180AD I have 12 cities, most with poor development prospects from being built on hills and with an emphasis on near-term productivity. Not to mention that the terrain STINKS!!!! This is giving me more trouble than the AI.
Anyway, I lost one city ages ago and bribed it back two turns later for ~39 gold, which was a damn good deal with the tech. It was unoccupied at the time, my defenders have held out most bravely. One mad 2000 year old horseman has gained an amazing amount of experience in killing elephants. On my own soil I have only lost two pikemen to elephants when the AI suddenly decided to fixate on a different city, and one vet. knight which was slaughtered when attacking a stack of two caravans. No, I don't understand that either.
Currently my knights are polishing off the Spanish cities while I prepare my next wave of troops, Dragoons (yes, my tech is absolutely laughable.) I have stolen only two techs by proper espionage, the AI is too far away for an easy diplomat war when there is so little ocean. It's a cleverly evil map, DaveV, I have to admit.
Annoyingly the Spaniards seem not to have grown their cities at all, so most of them are vanishing when I attack; I have only one capture so far. I'm eyeing the American cities greedily, some of them are size 12. If I could get some money together then I might take the capital and bribe a real production-base.

So, while it's the rest of the world which needs to worry about it's survival and not me, I'm worried about the AI possibly launching a spaceship before I can roll over everyone. My tech-rate is right down now to try to stop them from researching, though that tends to mean more bribing of my troops I would guess. I wish my explorers could do that.