AU501 - DAR5: Flight

[Cort Haus]

A reliable tech customer has been a problem for me. The Dutch DW'd after one or two turns of a 200gpt deal, and after bringing in the world against them, most civs are in Faciism with limited or erratic gpt availability.

[Catt]

The Dutch screwed me out of significant gpt early in the game ("significant" given the context of the then-current tech research costs) and it took some time for me to enter another gpt deal with them, but they had so much gpt available, I eventually couldn't resist.

The risk that an available resource is traded away before one is ready to use is real, to be sure, but it's not always that difficult to "creatively" bring a source back on the market -- fomenting wars (even without any real aggression) or trade embargos works nicely. Such methods can be expensive, of course, but then taking things by force can also be expensive. I can't remember for certain, but I think that the Maya or Dutch also had an extra source of rubber available now and again.

I've also experienced the "wartime fascist no available gold phenomenon" in many games, though very little of it in AU 501 -- but that usually means a pause in gpt deal-making for me -- I'll just steam along on my own, and check every few turns for any newly available gpt. Even if it never comes back, I usually count on my own science rate to out-research a fascist AI civ, establish a good lead, and then trade techs that are two or three back from a leadership position for luxuries and resources (and occasional lump sums) instead of gpt.

Catt

[Aqualung71]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
In my game, Egypt had one of the 'Russian' sources, so there were none to trade. Strangely, Egypt was small and marginal all game...

Probably the same one that I ended up capturing from them at Pi-Ramses. This seemed to be an anomaly, as this Egyptian city was separated from the rest of their empire by Russian territory. This made it easier to take with Medieval units. If the Rubber had fallen in Russian territory I would have thought twice about invading. I guess this may have significantly changed my strategy from there on in, since Rubber was the cornerstone of my military build-up at that time.

[Catt]

I should add, by the way, that rubber wasn't all that high on my list of priorities once I'd expanded about as far as I wanted to -- it would be needed for the spacerace, but with neither an infantry nor a tank advance planned, a solid defensive force was all that was needed (navy and bombard units).

Also, in my game Russia held two extra sources since it controlled the small island to its southwest (which held a rubber source, making a total of 3 given the 2 sources on Russia's home continent) that, in others' games, seemed to be controlled by other civs.

Catt

[Aqualung71]

Re: DAR 5.2

Originally posted by Cort Haus

OT I know, but how did you get multiple screenies in the one post?

[Cort Haus]

Re: Re: DAR 5.2

Originally posted by Thriller


OT I know, but how did you get multiple screenies in the one post?

First, go to the upload area of Apolyton and upload the file to your account. Once uploaded, right click on the link to the screenie (in IE) and Copy Shortcut.

Then enclose the link in IMG tags - you can use the IMG button for this in the Post Reply screen, but it puts it at the end and you'll have to move it to where you want in the text.

repeat until allpicsdone();

[jshelr]

Re: Re: Re: DAR 5.2

Originally posted by Cort Haus


First, go to the upload area of Apolyton and upload the file to your account. Once uploaded, right click on the link to the screenie (in IE) and Copy Shortcut.

Then enclose the link in IMG tags - you can use the IMG button for this in the Post Reply screen, but it puts it at the end and you'll have to move it to where you want in the text.

repeat until allpicsdone();

Guys, do we have any "how to" threads for those who are very backward about posting screen shots. I would be happy to supply some regularly if I had a clue how to do it

[Aeson]

At the start of the Industrial Age, I thought it might be fun to build some Privateers. So I built a couple and started sinking all the Galleys that wandered by. Soon enough a Man-o-War showed up, and I sailed back to my harbor. The Man-o-War wasn't fooled though, and bombarded my city, starting a war with the English.

Making the diplomatic rounds, I decided to just sign up the Mayans in an alliance. They had been the tech leader for the whole game, and definitely had the most cash. Worked out just as I had hoped, and they bought most everyone else into an alliance against the English. Those civs then had cash, and needed something to spend it on, so they formed up new alliances between themselves. Within a few turns, every civ was at war with at least 2 others, except me. Only the English didn't like me.

I had been running a very scarce military after the capture of Osaka. Just keeping enough units to keep it from flipping, while the rest of my empire was defended entirely by Workers. So the fact that everyone was busy beating each other up suited me just fine.

I researched Industrialization, but the Mayans beat me to it by a couple turns... after having researched/bought Medicine and Electricity... which I didn't have. My tech rate was still too slow to keep up conventionally, so I turned to espionage. A safe steal cost about 1/2 what it would take to buy a tech, and so I stole Electricity a few turns after researching Industrialization and selling it around. This allowed me to trade for Medicine, and start research on Scientific Method.

The AI's had researched Fascism in the meantime, and the Mayans thought it would be a good form of government. Must have been the war... Anyways, the Mayans were no competition for Scientific Method (or anything thereafter). I was able to Scientific Method for a few turns before trading it away, and ToE was mine. It came with Atomic Theory and Electronics. I traded Scientific Method around for Replaceable Parts, Rubber, Saltpeter, 1560g, and 30gpt. I was already bleeding most of the AI gpt from earlier deals, but the resources were badly needed.

I had traded for Saltpeter earlier, and built up a force of Cavalry to hit the Japanese with. I had only been able to build 8 though because I was building Factories and Coal Plants first. I took those 8 Cavalry and my Med Inf Army and waltzed through the Japanese after playing defense a couple turns. Much much easier to deal with all those Archers and Spearmen with Cavalry!

The Russians must have gotten sick of seeing me use their resources so effectively, and they landed on the near West island. I drafted a few Infantry before demanding they leave, and then used them to kill the Cossack and Med Inf they had invaded with. Signed up the Mayans and Dutch against the Russians, and didn't really have much bother from them. I wasn't able to build any more Infantry or Cavalry though, which sucked.

I had found the Rubber island, and had a Settler on the way when the Dutch built a city there. The Oil island I had claimed. The Dutch city didn't actually claim the Rubber, and so I kept my Settler on is voyage. The turn I landed, the Dutch borders expanded and claimed the rest of the island though. I was getting 400+ gpt from the Dutch at that point and didn't want to break any treaties... so I put the Settler back on the boat and left them floating next to the Rubber. A couple times so far the Russians have landed troops but so far they haven't been able to take the city.

I had noticed that the Sumerians were quickly gaining ground on the Hittites, and getting close to the Hittite Saltpeter. I wanted to keep the Sumerians from ever getting Muskets, and so once the Japanese were in hand, I sent my only 4 Riflemen to go sit on the Saltpeter. They got there a turn too late, the Saltpeter had just been roaded. So I cut the roads, and watched as my Riflemen were beat up by Med Inf and Longbows.

I had finished off the Japanese completely. Loaded everything up, along with a Settler, and made a military camp just south of the Hittite Saltpeter. The first turn I was able to cut the Saltpeter again. The next I captured 2 cities, and then a city every other turn. Wasn't long before all the former Hittite lands were mine. In the fighting I got pretty lucky with Leaders, and two more showed up. 2 Cavalry Armies, my Med Inf Army, and finished building the Military Academy.

First Army that I built was filled up with 4 Infantry (had just completed the Pentagon) and sent along with 8 Artillery to the Sumerian core. My Cavalry had made it up to the bottleneck by this point, and most of the Sumerian units were down that direction. I was able to take a city with just the Artillery and that one Infantry army. Killing 2 units a turn when I knew there was another defender. Didn't want to move my Infantry army off the stack of Artillery of course.

Once my Cavalry Armies (I had 3 at this point, but one was left in former Hittite lands to deal with the occasional Russian landing parties) joined up with the Infantry Army, the Sumerians folded. In 1210AD they were no more.

I had researched Radio, using Atomic Theory and Electronics as 4 turn buffers each so that I could be sure to get it first. I was thinking I would trade it for Steel and Refining, but by the time I had it, none of the AI's had finished either. Fascism really really hurts the AI. The Mayans were able to finish Refining a turn before I did, but they didn't trade it around. So I did. I was first to Steel after that.

All my alliances expired (I waited to kill the Sumerians off until they did), and I made peace with the Russians. Now I have most of my quarter of the map, and am pondering whether to continue conquest or just sit back and call a vote/launch a spaceship.

[ducki]

Originally posted by Aeson
Just keeping enough units to keep it from flipping, while the rest of my empire was defended entirely by Workers.

[Aeson]

This is the first time I've played through the Industrial Era in C3C. The new specialists are really cool.

The far West island has built nearly everything using Civil Engineers. It's pretty easy to get a size 12 city to 12 shields a turn. The two cow city is able to make 14, and with a Courthouse and Police Station, it's producing 17 shields a turn. A far cry from the 95% corrupt cities in Civ/PtW!

In developed (and non-corrupt) cities, Policemen tend to be a good value, and they all seem pretty well balanced except for Entertainers. When 1 shield extra will build the improvement in the same time as 2, Policemen give your commerce a boost. Taxmen and Scientists are both very useful still as well. Not sure if this is a good thing though... I'm constantly switching between Policemen, Civil Engineers, Taxmen, and Scientists in all my cities depending on the situation.

[ducki]

Not sure if this is a good thing though... I'm constantly switching between Policemen, Civil Engineers, Taxmen, and Scientists in all my cities depending on the situation.

At first glance, I would see that as a Good Thing(tm), as opposed to having all those specialists that don't get used.
Would you mind elaborating, or were you being funny?


And I still can't get over the "defended entirely by Workers" thing. You, sir, are insane. And I have much to learn.

[Aeson]

Well, it might be more apt to say I was defended by the oceans. Drafting allows you to run basically no military if your landmass is secure, because the AI will never land more at once than you can deal with by drafting. If you don't mind the 'exploit' you can even do the same thing with short rushing. I was able to deal with the only 'peacetime' landing by draft, but would have used short rushing if I had to.

You can be invincible (on your landmass) with just Workers up till the Vikings or Marines show up too. I don't do this as it's usually too costly, and a bit too unreal for my tastes. I do set up outposts on coastal Hills and Mountains so that any pre-amphibious invasion has to be on flat land though.

[Cort Haus]

Re: Re: Re: Re: DAR 5.2

Originally posted by jshelr


Guys, do we have any "how to" threads for those who are very backward about posting screen shots. I would be happy to supply some regularly if I had a clue how to do it

So my answer to your call sucked then? Sorry.

[Cort Haus]

Superb stuff from Aeson as usual.

[Catt]

Re: Re: Re: Re: DAR 5.2

Originally posted by jshelr

Guys, do we have any "how to" threads for those who are very backward about posting screen shots. I would be happy to supply some regularly if I had a clue how to do it

Originally posted by Cort Haus

So my answer to your call sucked then? Sorry.

Not sure where (since I am too lazy too search) but I presume Cort Haus gave detailed instructions elsewhere. I'll give very rudimentary instructions (no guidance on how to resize actual screenies to the proper size, nor how to add any editorial content or other "editing" techniques to a screenshot).

Most keyboards will have a "print screen" button -- usually enabled by the ALT key (although you would think SHIFT would be sufficient), and usually located in the upper right of the keyboard (north of "F12"). If you're running a Microsoft Windows operating system, you've probably got MS Paint installed as a utility graphics program -- it should be found from the Start Menu, by selecting "Programs" and then "Accessories." With Paint running in the backgroud, go ahead and play your game. When you want to take a screenshot, hit ALT and PRT SCRN at the same time. Then use ALT-TAB or any other method to temporarily bring up the Paint application instead of the Civ application. Use CTRL-V, the paste command, and the screenshot of your prior screen should be pasted into the Paint graphics program. From there, select "Attributes" from the available menu commands along the top of the screen, and set the size of the screenshot to 800 by 600 (max for 'Poly). Next, choose "save as" from the file menu. When the "save" dialog box comes up, be sure to change the "Save as type" drop-down box from a bitmap (.bmp) to a jpeg (.jpg) which is less data intensive and is a requirement for 'Poly posts. With that you have a saved file ready for posting -- when you post a comment and want to add a screenshot, at the bottom of 'Poly's post page "Browse" for an attachment and attach your desired saved file -- it will appear as a screenshot (rather than a downloadable file) so long as you saved it as an 800 x 600 .jpg file.

Catt