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**vmxa1** · June 29, 2003, 05:10

Here is the mini:

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**vmxa1** · June 29, 2003, 15:28

I posted this at about 2AM so I forgot to mention I had made a gpt trade with Persia for Gems that is very sweet. I traded around Astronomy and got one lump of 160. Three civ that had 0 balance gave me small gpt, one was 9gpt. This is why I have some cash now.
I will see if anyone can trade for gem if I build an embassy with them. If no sea lanes, then I will wait.

**BigDork** · June 29, 2003, 22:51

Hi all...

Things are definatly going better for me. I've given up on trying to fix my computer, it was just stressing me out way to much, so I decided to just sit back and play this out. Got myself a book because it's about 2 minutes between turns currently.

Oh yeah, I don't think I've mentioned. I'm playing as the Vikings on regent.

For the most part I've been building. Not much else to do. Many, many, many Viking sailors died to get me contact with Arabia, Egypt and China. I know there is more past Egypt but I just don't want to waste anymore galleys trying. Tech wise I'm ahead of everyone.

Militarily I'm just catching up. As soon as I hit the middle ages I went straight for berserkers. Oh yeah.

After that I went for caravels. And then, on to Arabia.

I decided to take the little island just off the coast of Arabia first. I hit their southern city first. It was size 12 and defended with 7 spearmen.

Not too big of a deal but I wasn't expecting that much resistance. Of course my berserkers made quick work of them and the city was mine. On the next turn I took the northern city easily. Killed about 5 archers and the island was mine.

And that's just about where I am right now. I'm healing up and getting ready to sail on down to Damascus on the southern tip of the Arab/Egypt island. Looks like a good city to grab. I'm just waiting for some pikemen from the homeland to arrive so I can fight off any counterattack. Berserkers suck at defense. I'm going to push as hard as I can but Arabs have chivalry so I'm expecting knights soon. That is unless they don't have horses. I'm assuming they do but I haven't checked.

I've also got a caravel sailing through Egyptian waters right now. I'm going to find me the other civs. I noticed to the nw of Egypt a whole bunch of sea. I bet it's a path to more islands. Here's hoping anyways.

Dom...

I don't know how much you played with this map but it's turning out to be a nasty. Lots of desert everywhere. And China has 18 incense???? Yeah, that's gonna be mine sooner or later.

I'm looking forward to reading everyone's DARs later. I've been ignoring them so I can do this on my own.

BigD

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**BigDork** · June 29, 2003, 22:54

Oops...

Just noticed, I forgot to draw my little notes on the screenshot. Basically I have 15 berserkers on the little island I just took. I'm going to load them up on caravels. They're gonna meet up with some coming from the homeland. We're going to land in Damascus and push our way south as far as we can. I'm hoping to get Chivalry and perhaps a couple of cities out of the peace treaty. Here's hoping anyway.

BigD

**vmxa1** · June 30, 2003, 00:42

Looking good BigD.

**nbarclay** · June 30, 2003, 01:19

The new millennium dawned with Carthage's finalizing its efforts to locate and open trade relations with the world's other civilizations. Two centuries later, Carthage led the world into the industrial era. The Ottomans were only two technologies away: Theory of Gravity and Magnetism. Carthage's financial lead continued to build in spite of using extensive amounts of cash to short rush universities and, in less productive cities, a few other improvements. Someday, that financial advantage (as leveraged by Leo's) would turn into hoardes of cavalry, but hoardes of horsemen would be needed first and Carthage only had twenty thus far. (Isolation does have its compensations.)

Over the decades, the wonder race continued to unfold. Carthage came to boast the Great Lighthouse, Sistine, Magellan's, and Copernicus's, while Malaca boasted Leo's, Smith's, and Newton's (and would eventually become the home of Universal Suffrage as well).

The year 1330 proved to be yet another of history's defining moments. Just one turn before, Carthage had made one of its occasional deals to bleed off whatever gold the Ottomans could spare: in this case, 197 gpt. That left Magnetism as the only tech the Ottomans lacked of being in the industrial era, while Carthage had recently started work on Replaceable Parts as its third industrial tech. The Ottomans also had Military Tradition, which Carthage hadn't been in a huge hurry for (since its horseman force was still a paltry 87 units, well short of the hundred plus we wanted). Replaceable Parts was of interest in the hope of upgrading Numidians and musketmen (most of the latter pumped out at a 1-turn pace by Malaca's iron works) to infantry to help with the invasions. (How was I to know that I'd need my invasion force to get my rubber for infantry?

)

As I do fairly often, I checked F11 to see how I stacked up. Until then, I'd been first in GNP. Now I was second. Ottomans plus Military Tradition plus a boost in GNP. Do I smell something? Sure enough, the Ottomans suddenly had gold to burn like it was going out of style. And what did I do about it?

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**nbarclay** · June 30, 2003, 01:59

So instead of the Ottomans' having a huge research advantage, I was raking in the cash at over 600 gpt - in spite of my military build-up and 100% science rate. My gold surplus, already approaching 8000 gold, was about to become truly astronomical. As long as the Ottomans didn't declare war on me to get out from under their massive payments to my treasury, I was in good shape. (Rome, on the other hand, was another matter. With Sipahi available, it just took the Ottomans a few turns to finish them off - the second victims of the dastardly Ottomans.)

Shortly after that, I got tired of waiting for a good opportunity to trade for Military Tradition. (I wasn't about to pay the Ottomans cash, and trading an industrial tech straight for a medieval one was similarly unattractive.) Arabia didn't have Gunpowder or Chivalry yet, and Egypt didn't even have Feudalism, so I figured I could grab the island off the Arabian coast with knights and upgrade later. I had about twice as many forces as I had transport for anyhow. These are the heart of my forces as of 1375 AD. (Note the nine guerillas upgraded from my ancient warriors, which do at least give me a few units with a defense of six even though I don't have Nationalism and I don't have rubber for infantry. Also keep in mind that the knights were all upgraded from horsemen - over 5000 gold even with Leo's, but with the Ottomans paying for it...

)

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**nbarclay** · June 30, 2003, 02:24

I hit the island simultaneously with two knight forces, the southern force accompanied by guerillas and the northern accompanied by the five Numidians I hadn't upgraded to musketmen. (One of the neat things about Carthage, and something I hadn't really thought of before this game, is that until your GA is triggered, you can build and upgrade cheap Numidians no matter what more modern units are available.) The landing took place in 1390 AD.

The Arabs were nice and obliging, charging my Numidians with archers. Thanks in part to the artillery support that accompanied our landing force (that, at least, doesn't require rubber), our troops defending the landing suffered no losses, and our golden age was triggered at last. In essence, we had the financial benefit of the golden ages of the two wealthiest civs in the game coming to us at once. Research was going relatively quickly for this game (still never under six turns), and we were raking in the cash at the same time.

Once our galleons brought in the second wave of reinforcements, we landed on the Arabian coast still using knights. (The Arab city in the shot below was the landing zone.) For the first few turns after taking the city, we simply sat back and picked off Arab units coming in for the counterattack, with artillery battering the pikes down a bit first. Then we finally got an opportunity to trade for Military Tradition (an industrial tech for that plus gold) and upgrade all the knights except for three elites to cavalry. With that done and practically all our workers brought over to the Arab continent (remember what I said earlier about having two towns pump out a worker a turn each through my GA?), it was time for a breakout and a classic railroad blitz. Arabia was Carthaginian territory after two turns of offensive combat, and Egypt fell in a single turn after a turn to rest and heal (thanks in part to help from captured Arab and Egyptian workers).

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**Catt** · June 30, 2003, 03:08

Continued . . .

The Queen was pleased. Most of the world was known, and England commanded a position of strength – mostly deferred strength, in that knowledge and preparation allowed for future advantages but didn’t necessarily translate to an immediate lead.

In 1070 AD the English were the first to discover Navigation. Elizabeth promptly traded for five different luxuries, concentrating on trading with backwards civs and using ancient age techs (primarily the optional Literature) to pay for the luxuries. Five luxuries was somewhat excessive, bringing the homeland total to seven luxuries, but it allowed size 12 cities without a market to avoid riots at 0% luxury spending (with a temple) and several productive English cities on the eastern island were working on universities and Elizabeth was loath to spend precious funds on entertainment or to build markets before universities. With the elimination of entertainment spending, Chemistry was available to the Queen’s scientists in 6 turns at 100% -- but the Ottomans had already discovered the technology.

The Queen had ordered a pre-build for Magellan’s, but on the same turn that the English discovered Navigation and switched the pre-build, the Persians began work on the wonder as well. Since several civs were working on Copernicus’ Observatory, Magellan’s was in doubt for the English. Elizabeth believed that with Navigation in the hands of both the English and the Persians, the Ottomans would soon have it as well, especially with Chemistry to dangle as trade bait. Chemistry was too expensive in trade, and the Queen’s exchequer traded Navigation to Osman for all the Ottoman gold and a large ongoing payment stream. No other civ had yet discovered Economics, and the Queen explored a trade of Econ to Persia – it would fetch 100 gold and 95 gpt, but with few available additional trades, Elizabeth passed and kept Economics to the English.

In 1090 AD, the hapless Celts declared war on Persia. Elizabeth was pleased to see that Persia’s economy would be diverted to wartime needs, but worried that a Persian immortal would spark a Persian golden age.

An English caravel discovered China, which was isolated from all other civs. China was still in the ancient age, but controlled 18 incense. The bulls’ eye superimposed on America moved rapidly east to China.

In 1110 AD, with English scientists two turns from the discovery of Chemistry, that technology was discovered by Persia (it was already known to the Ottomans). The Queen directed that the time to strike economically was at hand. The English traded Economics to the Ottomans for 226 gpt, 175 gold and a map; Economics to Persia for 46 gold, 2 gpt, a map and Chemistry. The foreign income stream allowed the English exchequer to run 100% of the budget on science – Physics was due in 6 turns and England still enjoyed a surplus of 282 gpt. The English city of Gloucester (eastern island, near the wines with access to cows and mountains) was 7 turns from completing Smith’s Trading Company. Magellan’s was due in York in 8 turns.

In 1120 AD, English sailors discovered the Koreans to the east of Egypt. The Koreans had contact with the Russians and Aztecs, but contacts were expensive. Elizabeth traded Literature for the Korean world map, and the English galley set out for Russia. Also in 1120 AD, English settlers formed the first city on the far southern landmass well south of the home isle and began building a worker. Finally, in 1120 AD, Babylon demanded contact with the Koreans and declared war when rebuffed. The declaration trigged WLTQD in several cities, including York which brought Magellan’s completion date to the same year as Smith’s.

Around 1150 AD, English caravels finally reached the small island to the far north of London. One of the 3 traveling settlers had landed, and the second managed to unload just before a German settler. The speed of English caravels ensured that a third English city would be founded on the island before the German settler could move into position and found a city, and thus the island was claimed for the Queen.

Catt

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**nbarclay** · June 30, 2003, 03:09

In the meantime, Catherine the Great (known in Carthaginian circles as Catherine the Terminally Stupid) had made a demand for contact. Carthage had given into such demands from the Ottomans on two occasions on the basis that Sultan Osman, while not as polite as he could be, was at least a valuable trading partner. But Catherine had no such redeeming qualities to make her demands tolerable. What little trade had occurred with Russia at all had been of only very limited value.

At first, Carthage was content merely to bribe the Aztecs into joining a war against Russia, including a right of passage agreement in the deal to facilitate an eventual landing. (The Koreans and Russians were already fighting, so there was no urgent need to instigate a fight on thats side.) But with the Arabian/Egyptian continent conquered, and with 119 cavalry and 34 infantry available (albeit a few of them allocated for defensive use), it seemed like a time to teach Cathy a lesson in power politics.

And so, 1500 AD finds Carthaginian troops once again on the march. We've taken an Aztec city previously stolen by the Russians, and the mountain at the north end of our string of troops has seventeen galleon-loads of workers and reinforcement troops that just landed. (The string's purpose is to keep my Aztec allies from accidentally getting in my way.) I have one more wave of troops and workers to land and some roads and railroads to build before I strike into Russia's heartland, but while Russia's musketmen (and riugged terrain) will almost certainly slow down my blitz compared with what I did to Arabia and Egypt, it's hard to imagine how they could stop it.

By the way, during the Arabian war, I rushed a forbidden palace in a newly built town around the south centeral area of that continent. I'm not sure that's its permanent location (the town is deliberately intended to be abandoned if I decide I want my FP elsewhere later), but I considered getting a FP up and running quickly important if I wanted to stay competitive with the Ottomans.

Both the Ottomans' and my GAs are ended, but the Ottomans finally made their switch to Republic so their GNP is higher than mine at least for the moment. But I'm now ahead in manufactured goods (thanks to factories all over the place), which bodes well for the future. And the I suspect that I'll be "acquiring" territory more quickly than they do from now on.

Carthage's best days are still ahead of it.

I'm seven techs into the industrial era (ending at Refining, Combustion, and Replaceable Parts). Four of those are techs the Ottomans don't have, but the Ottomans have Nationalism, which I don't, and may have Communism and/or Espionage. So I'm not sure exactly how big my lead is, but I do have a huge advantage in that the techs I'm missing are optional (and likely to be available cheap from someone else eventually) while the Ottomans are stuck trying to play catch-up on the mandatory techs. No one has gotten Medicine yet (both the Ottomans and Persia got Steam Power as their free tech), so I haven't been in a hurry to push in that direction. With my Iron Works city and my large number of elite cavalry (among other units) for trying to generate great leaders, I'm not too worried about losing the Theory of Evolution if I wait to trade for Medicine. (Speaking of wonders, I forgot to mention that Carthage's GA did do one really nice thing for them: it gave them the production boost to edge me out for Bach's, the only medieval wonder since Sun Tsu's that I didn't get. Shakespeare's is still up for grabs, since no one's discovered Free Artistry yet.)

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**Catt** · June 30, 2003, 03:11

I’m not a huge fan of micromanagement, but I employ it in certain circumstances – wonder races are one of those circumstances. London, formed near the gem mines and the river, cried out for a science wonder, and I set my sights on Newton’s University. Nearby York was using all the high shield tiles in constructing Magellan’s Voyage, but in 1130 AD London changed its construction project from a knight (with 1 turn to go) to a cathedral with 10 turns to go. The switch preserved almost 70 shields towards Newton’s. Physics was due in 4 turns, and I hoped that I could secure Theory of Gravity in 6 turns – if I couldn’t do so, a London citizen cold be moved from a mined grassland to a nearby sea tile, and delay the cathedral if necessary. If I could get ToG in 6 turns, the cathedral could be converted to Newton’s without sacrificing any of the few shields available (no palace pre-build in the capitol) and citizens could be reassigned to high-shield tiles. I knew that if I were successful at building Smith’s (which I expected) that JS Bach’s would be completed soon thereafter, breaking any wonder cascade, and Newton’s would be England’s. As it turned out, I did complete Smith’s, Bach’s was built by the Ottomans, and ToG was available in 6 turns. I didn’t have to move a London citizen off a mined grassland, but I thought the sequence might be helpful in showing the potential of micromanagement. On converting from a cathedral with 1 turn to go to Newton’s, the wonder was due in 23 turns (IIRC) – but reassigning London’s citizens to mined grasslands and the nearby mined hills (moving York’s citizens to sea tiles) dropped the wonder completion to about 12 turns.

Catt

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**Catt** · June 30, 2003, 03:12

Here’s a shot of the f1 screen (cities listed by shield output) just prior to the completion of the two wonders. England is collecting 412 gold per turn from foreign civs (Ottomans, Germany, and Persia, primarily) and ToG is available in 6 turns at 100% science. Note that London will complete a cathedral in 6 turns – by selecting “Look at the big picture” when the tech choice after ToG is offered, the cathedral can be switched to Newton’s. Both Smith’s and Magellan’s were completed in 1170 AD.

Catt

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**Catt** · June 30, 2003, 03:14

In 1230 AD the Queen elected to engage in another round of technology trading. The English traded Physics to the Ottomans for Metallurgy and 187 gpt; and to Germany for Printing Press and 33 gpt. Persia was falling back in the tech race, apparently because Xerxes was paying gpt to Osman for technologies – the Ottomans enjoyed large income surpluses that Elizabeth was keen to bleed off for the English empire’s benefit.

Below is a montage of the English empire at 1250 AD.

Catt

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**Catt** · June 30, 2003, 03:15

The cheeky Ottomans had somehow managed to beeline straight for our southern isle, and one Ottoman city was founded there, with another settler on the ground. Two Ottoman caravels were also in sight. The Queen directed Englishmen to colonize the island as rapidly as possible.

In 1270 AD, English scientists discovered Magnetism. England was launched into the Industrial Age when the closest competitors had yet to discover either ToG or Magnetism. Steam Power would take 10 turns, but the Queen directed scientists to drop back for Military Tradition – the discovery of Magnetism allowed upgrades to faster and larger Galleons, and several newly refurbished Galleons were waiting in the port of the small northern island, prepared to load a dozen knights, a few muskets, and an ancient warrior or two for garrison duty. The invasion of China was within sight, and the Queen envisioned a knight assault, followed quickly by an upgrade of the invasion force to cavalry. When successful, the invasion would carry over to either the Americans (who traded spice to England) or the Japanese (who traded furs to England).

In 1280 AD, Elizabeth was surprised, during a regular parley with Osman, to discover that the Ottomans suddenly had a large income surplus – prior gpt deals must have run their course without her noticing. The same was true of the Germans. The Persians could afford nothing – Elizabeth suspected that Osman’s new found income was partly due to a trade deal between the Ottomans and Persians. Though she wasn’t anxious to speed the foreigners, both scientific civs, towards a new age, the Queen decreed that all excess gold must find its way to the English treasury. She traded ToG (since the wonder seemed safely in English hands and delaying Galleons for the enemy seemed to be the better choice) to the Ottomans for 353 gold and 415 gold per turn; and to Germany for 206 gold per turn. Germany had discovered Democracy – but that held little interest for Elizabeth – she would pick that up as a fringe benefit in some future trade.

Below is a screenshot from 1290 AD showing the imminent invasion of China – Canton, with a harbor and local access to incense, is the target.

Catt

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