Scenarios: Conflicts in Civilization

[Xin Yu]

Since my Civil War strategy relies largely on grabing AI empty cities in the first 3-4 turns, I tested its viability intensively. (That's why I haven't finished it yet). Interestingly, I found that the AI responds to change of production item in my cities. Suppose I do not change production items in turn 1, then the AI civs won't spend money on rush buying units. Hence, Some of the AI cities remain unprotected until turn 4. However, if I changed production items in all of my cities, the AI would rush buy defense in its cities and they will be protected by turn 3. Furthermore, the Grant unit generated by event on turn 2 would be fortified inside city if I did not change production, but would come out to attack me otherwise.

What remains unclear is the details of AI response intensity. Does it depend on number of cities, or number of total counts of changing production? Does incremental buying being counted once or multiple times? Does the Capital city play an important role, or does the distance from the city that changes production matters? Anyway, for this scenario it is good enough to know that If I don't change production on turn 1 at all then I'll be able to grab 10 AI cities by turn 3.

[La Fayette]

Originally posted by Xin Yu
Interestingly, I found that the AI responds to change of production item in my cities.
Anyway, for this scenario it is good enough to know that If I don't change production on turn 1 at all then I'll be able to grab 10 AI cities by turn 3.

Very interesting finding.
It seems that you are very close to explain how the AI fights in civ2.
WoW!

[Marquis de Sodaq]

Very interesting, indeed!
Keep posting if you find out more details...

[Xin Yu]

Hmmm... I could only change production ONCE on turn 1 (however immediately after occupying Indianapolis I could change production in that city only without consequences). If I went twice (including incremental buying), the AI started rush buying! On turn 2 I could not even change once. Any change would cause AI to rush build.

Hre are the .sav files for the first 3 turns under the best scenario.

Turn 1: after occupying Indianapolis, bank still left. Sell it then move the militia from Lexington to Louiseville (3/4 chance). Disband the militia, buy engineer, then switch to raider, buy it. This is not always possible, hence I call it the "best scenario".

Turn 2: raider occupied Columbus and Cleveland (hopefully the Union unit did not block the road (3/4 chance). Sold city improvements and rush built raiders plus a block runner in Cleveland (bought a temple then switch).

Turn 3: the raider from Paducah attacked Nashville, then the raider in Green Bawer occupied the city plus other two (the Rebel unit must not block the road (3/4 chance). Spent some money to buy a settler in Louiseville, then switch to granary, bought it to keep cash below 100. Talked to the South, paid 50 gold and got a peace treaty. Then talked to North, paid a tech and got a peace treaty as well. Plan to sell some improvements and rush buy the King Cotton wonder.

The trade route to New York is pretty much open so cash will come in soon. Should be an easy game from here.

Note: I tried to attach .sav files but it didn't work. Maybe I shouldn't attach all 3 in one post.

Another Note: Tried it again and this time have to pay 150 gold to the Rebels. Otherwise it's the same result: by turn 3 the Kentuckian has 17 cities, from Madison to Syracuse on top, Chattanuga on the bottom.

[Xin Yu]

A disappointing truth

Finally found the reason for AI rush buying. The civil war scenario starts with Union playing first. Since Kentuckian is before both Union and Rebel in playing sequence, Kentuckian got to play the first turn after Union and Rebel but the second turn before them. That is, the human player (Kentuckian) got to move twice before Union and Rebel can do anything. Thus the AI civs have no chance for rush buying before turn 2. However, if you save at end of turn 1 and reload the saved file for turn 2 (exactly what I did for testing my strategy), the AI got a chance to rush buy before turn 2. AI will definitely rush buy before turn 3 since they have enough cash (on deity level AI spend 1 gold for buying each shield, and do not spend money on maintainance).

Hence, the only thing I need to do to make my strategy work is: do not reload saved file on turn 1.

[Xin Yu]

Civil war as Kentuckian: with caravan rehoming, March 1863. Wiped out the Union, the Rebel and the Indians. (Cannot attack Europeans).

Timeline:

July 1861, Union declared war. A kentuckian militia occupied Indianapolis (empty city). Disbanded a militia to rush build a C raider in Louisville.
Aug 1861, C raider occupied Columbus and Cleveland, militia occupied Chicago. Rejected cease fire offer from the Union. Rush built C raiders in cities and rush built a block runner in Cleveland(sold all libraries even banks in some cities).
Sept 1861, militia occupied milwaukee and madison, C raider from cleveland on block runner occupied Buffalo and Syracuse, C raider from Louisville occupied terra haute and fort wayne. Gave a tech 'Dixie land' to the Union and signed a peace treaty (with the tech the Union could not build advanced infantry. I was wondering why it kept asking for it). Met the Rebel, rejected peace offer. C raider from Paducah attacked Nashville and another C raider occupied the empty city as well as Chattanooga and Knoxville. Paid 150 gold and signed a peace treaty with the Rebel.
...
From then on, sold city improvements in occupied cities to get cash and built some engineers (30+) then built cotton traders. Celebrated Louisville to maximum size and rehomed cotton traders to the city, traded with New York. Rush bought the HG wonder for 800 golds to make celebration easier.
...
June 1862 discovered the tech for advanced infantry (could be one turn ealier but I wonder if that makes any difference since I would not have enough money to buy enough units for attacking in June).
July 1862 declared war on the Union. First attacked New England and occupied 5 cities there. From then on cotton traders would be delivered to Halifax, 2.5 times bonus compared to New York.
Oct 1862: Union down to 5 cities, declared war on the Rebel.
Dec 1862: Union destroyed. Advanced infantry outpaced engineers' speed of building RRs. Should have built more engineers earlier.
Feb 1863: Although I rush build Engineers in all cities for the past two turns, I was still about 5 Engineers short for finishing the Rebels. At this late I simply used engineers to put down cities whenever possible instead of building RRs everywhere. Rebel had only one city left and the Indians was gone. Interestingly, Julia Ward Howe was singing for the Union soldiers. Were they hiding in caves?
March 1863: not much to say. The Rebel finally offered all money and techs for a cease fire, which of course was too late.

I used mouse drag togo command to move my 100 units around the map via RRs. A lot faster than keyboard however sometimes I moved too fast and my units went out of the RR into wild. My right hand is still sour. This mouse trick works this way: you wake up units near Chicago and use mouse to drag on the map, stop at Chicago and release. After the first unit is done you sensor it. Now another unit in the nearby area will be activated. If you zoom out your map a little bit the map won't change location so your mouse is still above Chicago. You just move the mouse a little bit then drag again. Soon all nearby units will be in Chicago. Do this to all areas so that all units to be moved will be grouped together at several places. Then you start to gather them together by moving the stacks: you wake up all units in Chicago, then drag the mouse to Indianapolis. Once your mouse is above Indianapolis, you keep the mouse there and do drag, sensor, drag, sensor.... I prefer non-city squares for gathering troops since I can un-sensor units easily. I also use multiple squares which are close to one another: move to the next square if a stack reaches 9 units so that I can wake them all at once.

Thinking about the next one. Will it be the discovery, or the ww1? La Fayette, which one do you prefer?

[DrSpike]

I would like to join in with whatever scenario you are playing. Are these scenarios only available with MGE? I have the 2.42 to MGE patch, which doesn't have the scenarios.

[Xin Yu]

DrSpike: The scenarios are from 'Conflicts in Civilization' add on (CiC). The MPE version also has the scenarios.

I think there are copy right issues so you will not likely find the scenarios on the web. So you probably have to purchase it or ask somebody to send you via email.

[DrSpike]

Xin/La Fayette. Would you icq/mail me whatever scenarios we are playing? I just checked my usual online retailers and no-one sells it any more.

[La Fayette]

ww1 rather than discover

Dr Spike
I have zipped ww1 scenario for you, but didn't manage to send it. Check your emails, please!

Xin Yu
I have zipped ww1 for DrSpike, because I have played it only once, very swiftly, and would find it fun to have a second try.
'Discover' is also very interesting, but I have already played it several times with different strategies and don't feel like playing it once more just now.
So, if you don't mind, it would be ww1 (I played as French, but I don't care, so you choose your civ and I shall play the same one).

[Xin Yu]

OK, ww1 French it is.

[DrSpike]

I'm in as soon as I receive the file; many thanks to La Fayette. At the moment I cannot play that fast, but should be able to keep up a steady pace.

[DrFell]

With the death of civfan ladder and the current lack of tribes action I think I'll take a break from multiplayer and give this one a go too

P.S. I don't seem to have a copy of the 'discover' scenario although I have ww1 and a few others; my game was a converted one too. I would appreciate it if someone could send me a copy of it, as it sounds like an interesting one to have a go at. My email is drfellx@yahoo.com

[Xin Yu]

French in ww1: Lost two cities on turn 1 (aug1914), regained them in Sep1914 (British emptied a city for me). Prepared for several turns then started attacking Germany. By Apr1915 Germany has only one city left and I'll start attacking Italy and Russia.

[DrFell]

I think they key to ww1 is attacking early - the central power's cities are very badly defended often with only one unit at the start, in my game I sold universities/libraries, turned tax up to 90% with 10% lux, and bought artillery. The hard city to crack is Cologne; after that you can usually blitz through Germany, once you've taken Berlin, it's all over. I recommend building a couple forts on railway lines early on too to protect your newly taken cities from counterattacks.