AUSG 101 - Domination Team DAR 2

[alexman]

I don't think making another team is a good idea. If participation declines, we might not have enough people to keep all teams going.

By the way, as I said in my voting comments for DAR1, it looks to me that MZ's save allows more flexibility in strategy than Theseus' save. Just because you have a few Archers, doesn't mean you have to perform an Archer rush.

I know it's frustrating to have someone else's save being picked, because the plans you made in round 1 can no longer be executed in the same way. The save that was picked for the spaceship team is going about our goals in a very different way than I had planned, but that's OK. Too many of my games go as I have planned them in the first few turns, so there's a lot to be said about adapting to new situations and making them work.

[vmxa1]

All I wanted to say here is that I did not have any sense of competitiveness. I don't feel my team has to to the best or I have to be chosen. No one will remember after the game is over anyway. I think Theseus was just stoked up with the game situation he had.
It would be bad if it turns out that we have lots of the players go on their own, but one player is not a stampede. Lets see if we have a problem, before we get too excited.

[Beta]

Abu-Bakr-Beta reporting in.

Aaaaargghhh - just wrote up my report, and attached a jpeg which was too large, and when I went to go back to resize, lost my report.

Anyways... as to Theseus' suggestion. I am easy. I understand his point somewhat. Maybe we need a domination team, and a NO GUTS, NO GLORY TEAM.

If so Rhoth, I am easy as to which I am on. Guess it does depend on how many folks join up.

As to my turn - I believe the deadline is Sunday evening, and as I am short time right now, I will post tomorrow.

cya

[Konquest02]

I don't think forming another team is a wise thing to do here. We're right at the right number of people and things are getting along pretty smoothly.

Nothing personnal here Theseus, but I think your demand is the exact opposite of what AUSG101 should be. We're still gonna win any (almost) save we pick and you know it. The goal here is not to win as fast as possible, but to make our best to improve our situation with each passing block. Starting another team because you do not feel that the save picked allowes us to win *enough* is something that you really shouldn't do.

Instead, put you talent in making MZ's save the best you can.

--Kon--

[Theseus]

This my DAR using the MZ save.

Rather than go blow-by-blow, I amd going to keep it high-level.

I decided to go with the camp system and RCP in a BIG way!! I would build camps first and ASAP, all in a 2/2.5 ring, with as many keeper cities as I could fit into a second ring at 4/4.5 (although I later modified that plan slightly, due to terrain, accounting for the horse hill and not wanting to take the time to road it). See the X's; the two Y's I am unsure of, as the top one would put it into the first ring, but I much prefer the placement of the second (ignore the white Z... I was playing around with something and changed my mind). Obviously, one more city could be fit into the first ring to the north, but terrain prevails.

Why Basra most recently? I'd like to get two cities, with Spear defenders, at Mecca 9999 and 666 sort of concurrently. I'm not to worried about America building at the iron, as they will be getting mauled by Horse anyway.

I also wanted to take a militaristic stance, namely that there would be Archer attacks, Chariot attacks, Horse attacks, Sword attacks, etc. So, the camps were set to what they were good for, building a military. Some Workers and Settlers have been interspersed, although most Settlers have come from Mecca... Medina, for instance, will build a Settler timed to 5 pop.

I am a big fan of MPs, so only Mecca would get a Temple to go with the granary... otherwise, I am using vet and reg Warriors as MPs, and I sent one vet Spear to the bottleneck. Barbs have not been an issue at all since the start of the block.

Those are slaves chopping below Kufah... they are timed to complete the chop 2 turns after the barracks, when a temple will be underway.

[Theseus]

Japan is the first target. Why? Friggin' Sammies, that's why. I want us to try pruning up until Caravels, unless we see evidence that there might be Galley-enabled contact (including someone else building the GLight).

All Archers, 5 initially (3 vet and 2 reg), to the front. They were later followed by two replacements for the lost dead. I am just in the process of getting Chariots to the front, with one at 1hp under the Archer stack.

I went for, uh, whatever the middle Japanese city was. Why? I figured there'd be Settlers south of Kyoto... and there was! I had parked a Scout and a forward Archer on the two hills immediately south of Kyoto, and lo and behold, here comes a Settler / Warrior combo... BOP TO THE HEAD! That Archer, btw, recently fended off a Warrior.

I also wanted to destroy, uh, that city, and then swing back to Edo. No real interest in a capture... I'd rather build from scratch (although we have a definite lead in culture, due to the Temple in Mecca... no AI civ seems to have built one).

[Theseus]

Production is pretty good... it's just that the damn AI civs are pretty worthless.

I've planted embassies in all three... the Pyramids and the Oracle will be ours.

Carthage is still isolated... I recently gifted them Polytheism, so we are even, but they have only 5 sorta crap cities (and 3 gems ). Even on techs with America, and they have iron and 1 fur. Japan is the only one to have HBR (for now), and has another city to the north, with no resources and 1 fur.

Depending on when we raze or capture Edo, and negotiate peace (and HBR) with Toku, I'd probably ratchet back research to pay for upgrades, and then go to town on Abe.

I haven;t done a lot of chops yet... 1) I'd rather save them for bigger projects, and 2) I've mostly been focused on getting key roads in place and shared food tiles improved.

[Theseus]

Oops, forgot to include the save.

[Theseus]

I played out from my save, and although Rhothy has been quite kind in providing me an opportunity to stick with that game, the difference in result does not merit dividing the team (in addition, I wouldn't want to go that route unless there was unanimous support).

Just for the record, though, it does play out better... although that may be because I'm playing on in my own style.

With 5 Horse, I razed Atlanta AND Philadelphia AND bopped a Settler / Worker team, losing 1 Horse along the way. The peace negotiation netted me Chicago (on the peninsula SE of the iron). So, America is basically toast. Japan has 6 cities, and is of course next on the hit parade

The major differences at 1250 BC: I have 9 cities, of which only two are camps (the original 3-tile cities)... everything except those two and Chicago are on a 4/4.5 ring (in the MZ version I have 7 cities of which 4 are camps). I have 580 gold, with 24gpt and Monarchy in 23 turns at 9.1.0. I am at parity with Japan and America, and ahead of Carthage by Polytheism... none of us has writing, so no embassies yet. I have 5 Horse, 8 Warriors, 1 Spear, 2 Scouts, 9 Workers, and 5 slaves.

Besides being in an overall better position, the thing that gets me when comparing the two games is Archers and Chariots... I still think they were a waste of time on this map given that I had Horsemen available in 2150 BC.

If anybody wants screenshots or the save, let me know.

[Beta]

OK - here's my attempt.

I am pleased with it for two major reasons.

1. The city layout - I have four cities now in the first ring. And 3 in the second (5/5.5). And a fourth on the iron. I opted for a city over a colony on the iron for two reasons. First - the colony could be 'assimilated' by an American city, and second, the site ain't that bad given the lakes, and with one cultural expansion, enough tiles to make it work.

2. I am ready to warmonger. This should warm Theseus' heart. I opted for a strategy of cash accumulation and warrior production, so as you will see from the save, an initial force of 8 vet swordsmen (and one horseman) is about to descend on America. I picked them as the first target given their current standing. We can wrestle more out of them when we beat them up a bit.

Medina got into that nice groove where it could pump out a vet warrior every two turns. During the middle to late stages of the round, that is what it did,

So - here's the details.

The cities you can see from the map. The order was: (I think)

Baghdad, Najran, Basra, Kufah, Khurasan, and Anjar

The only major mistake I feel I made was letting Mecca drop to pop 1 with the last settler. I was concentratinfg so much on getting the swords set to go.

And - we do have 9 vet swordsmen, 8 of which are closing in on America. They are just north of Basra.

Also - 5 more warriors for upgrading.

3 spears, including one guarding the isthmus along with a scout. They have already turned back one Carthaginian settler, who opted instead to settle Hippo.

3 archers - used mostly for barb control earlier on.

1 vet horseman, with more following shortly.

Barracks in Medina (from earlier), plus Najran and Damascus.

6 workers - with a long list of terrain improvements ahead of them.

Khurasan to be connected shortly with its luxury. Which is now needed, especially by Medina.

Also - potential 5/5.5 city sites remaining - (1) south next to the game, (2) NW, north of the horses, (3) west on the coastal tile (1-1 of the horses), and (4) 8-8-8-9 from Mecca. This will put 7 cities in the second ring, and create a very solid base from which to operate.

1790 - got 25 gold and HBR from Tokugawa for IW and Alpha. Sold HBR to Hannibal fro 25 gold. (At this point I was already thinking gold accumulation.)

Can't recall that I did any other trades.

1600 - Lincoln wanted contact with Carthaginians. Uh, no.

After writing, researched mathematics, then went to 30% research rate on code of laws. Cash accumulation was the priority. Still leading in research - but about to accumulate it via other means.

Upgraded 8 warriors about 3 turns back, and they are now on their way. "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!"

More warriors and horsemen to follow. The general game plan is to send the swordsmen via Basra, and the horsemen to go north and overland.

After paring back America, we will turn our sights on Japan.

[Beta]

The picture:

[Beta]

The save:

[Theseus]

Well played, Beta.

Hmmm... I am so constitutionally attuned to 3-tile placement that going all the way out to 5-tile was tough for me... it is, however, probably better if using a camp strategy.

Have you attacked anyone yet? I think no... so your first will be with Swords?

[Master Zen]

whoa, I have never actually placed 4 camps around a single city!

But those 9 sworsemen!

[Konquest02]

I may not have the time to play this one, as my free time is currently very limited by school... However, I will do anything to get it done by tonight...

--Kon--