AU502 DAR 1: 4000BC - 2150BC

[vmxa1]

That is just evil Risa, start it over. It is after all a learnig tool.

[ZargonX]

Quick notes, more detail later (though, not much of excitement in this phase...)

4000 - Entremont settled. Research set to 100% for BW
3750 - Warrior built.
3600 - Worker built
3400 - Warrior; contact with Iroquois. CB to Ir. for 10g
2350 - Barb hut
3250 - Warrior lost to barbs; BW discovered. IW started
2710 - Granary finished
2350 - Alesia founded
2310 - Germany contacted
2270 - Sumerians contacted

[Fosse]

Playing AU mod, Demigod (first time full game at this level).

Things are going well for the Celts. I founded my capital on the starting position, seeing no reason to move away, started researching mysticism. My goal is to learn monarchy, trade techs for iron working, and warrior upgrade to Celtic Swords and do some damage. In 3600 BC I popped a settler from the NE hut. I don't know what it is about AU games, but in any game that isn't AU I pop barbs, always in the first hut and usually in six or seven more (sometimes 100%).

In 3500 BC I met Sumeria, and saw I am already behind in tech, having nothing for them while they are two up on me. I meet the Iroquois in the same turn, they have alphabet but I can't buy it.

In 3150 I get bronze working from a hut!

3050 I meet Germany.

2850 Get Mysticism. I trade it around The Wheel, Warrior Code, Alphabet and a Sumerian Worker.



My initial city was able to make a warrior-granary first, with the settler pop. So now it and Alesia (nest to the lake by the cow) are giving me settlers at a reasonable rate. I've built a city on top of the incense for the luxury, research boost, and to crank out a barraks and warriors. The turn in now 2070, I grabbed the Spices in the west, have a few curraghs on the way, and am going to try to sqeeze a few temples to grab an Iroquois city by flipping. My eventual Celtic Swordsman rush will be either the Iroquois (if flipping looks unlikely) or Sumeria, so I'm thinking ahead to that.

Here's a screenie: (okay, screen to come later)

[Dominae]

5CC, Emperor-level

I decided to jump down a level (or two) from where I'm used to to try a five city challenge. It's my first ever.

Although I really wanted to play this one "clean" - without any help from the spoiler forum - it was simply too difficult to ignore the Oasis, even though I would never have noticed it myself. So I moved my Worker N on the first turn, and my Settler NW (since there was more Grassland in the westerward direction; northward only promised Desert).

On the second turn, I moved the Worker West in hopes of seeing something juicy, but there was nothing of interest and so I founded Entremont right then and there. Begin production on a Warrior. Start Mysticism at 100%.

Since I've never played a 5CC before, I have no idea what I'm doing. I figured some basic principles still apply, such as: Granaries are good because they help keep your pop up. So I more or less played the first 40 turns as I would have a standard game, apart from the generous distances between cities (see screenshot).

First Warrior completed in 3750BC and proceed N-NW, hopping from mountain to mountain. From the second peak I saw the Flood Plains and Bonus Grasslands combo. This convinced me to switch my queue from Warrior2-Worker-Granary to Settler-Worker-Granary. The second city would be able to produce 2-turn Workers, in order to boost pop in my four other cities.

This early Settler was ready in 3250BC, and founded Alesia a few turns later in 3000BC. On the way there, I met the Germans, Iroquois and Sumerians, all in 3150BC. Only the Germans were without Ceremonial Burial, and all had Pottery.

I spotted a couple of German Workers move from a Mountains tile into their capital, which meant they were available to purchase the next turn (the AI, like the human player, rarely puts Roads on Mountains in the early-game...Hills are a different story). This allowed me to arrange the following trade in 3050BC:

Ceremonial Burial, 1gpt and 2 Gold for Slave Worker (Germans)

Alesia was forced to build a Warrior before the Worker I had planned in order to defend against barbarian raids. I avoided Barb Huts to be safe, but nonetheless managed to lose a Warrior North of Germany to a silly Conscript punk.

I completed Mysticism in 2510BC, resulting in the following trades:

Mysticism and 3 Gold for Masonry and Bronze Working (Germans)
Masonry and Mysticism for Alphabet and 10 Gold (Iroquois)

The next few years were uneventful, with most of my time spent figuring out where I should place my five cities: really spread out to deny land to the AI, or OCP for reduced Corruption? I'm still not really sure.

Entremont completed a Granary in 2390BC, and began producing a Settler right away. I suppose the plan for my capital is to produce the required number of Settlers, then start on either a Wonder or Barracks and Warriors. I'm thinking that killing everyone on my continent ASAP is not the right away to go, since I could definitely use them to keep me alive in the tech race. So the Wonder route is probably the one I will take.

2150BC, the last turn for this DAR, was quite eventful. Alesia, with 20 Shields of production, poprushed a Barracks then switched to a Granary (not sure if that's what we call "short-rushing" or not). I also arranged the following trades:

Alphabet, 1gpt and 14 Gold for 2 Slave Workers (Sumerians)
Alphabet for Warrior Code and 26 Gold (Germans)

Taking Workers away from the AI is oh-so fun!

---

Here are the current stats for my empire:

Cities: 2
Population: 7
Settlers: 1

Granaries: 1

Workers: 3
Slaves: 3
Warriors: 1

Tech: parity with AI, minus Iron Working

Fun: yes

[Risa]

5CC with non-coastal start? That will be hard. Rivers help a lot, though.

[Risa]

Emperor, AU Mod

Being tired of harsh life of nomad, the Celtic people gather around their trusted leader, Brennus, eager to settle down and build their glorious civilization. Brennus believe they'd better leave their forest intact, thus leads his people to northwest plain and build the first city, naming it Entremont. Worker of Celts begins mining and roading southwest grassland, then irrigates and roads to north oasis.

Brennus trains two warriors to scout north and south wilderness, hoping to find some good place to expand his territory. They report that there're a good number of fertile floodplain in near north, some beautiful grassland and hills in near southeast, and some incense, too. Not all are good news, though, southwest and a bit more southeast lie huge amount of unproductive jungles.

In 3450BC, a small village of warrior decide to join in Celtic military. Brennus orders it head back to Entremont to perform policing. 100 years later, the second group of Celtic worker takes their gear, start mining the sugar field.

In following years, warrior scouts encounter three group of forergn people. The southern group call themselves Iroquois, the northern one announce they are German, and the northeast one say they are Sumeria. Brennus happily shares his knowledge of Pottery and Ceremonial burial with German, in price of their Bronze working, Warrior codes and 10 golds. They don't share their invention of wheels, though, and Iroquois and Sumeria keep their Alphabet as secret. "That won't last long", said Brennus.

In 2950BC, Celtic people learns about Mysticism, exchange it with Iroquois people for Alphabet, sell it to Sumeria for 20 golds, and use Alphabet to get ideas about wheels from German.

Entremont's first building, a granary, completes in 2800BC. 210 years later, first group of Celtic people are ready to depart Entremont. Meanwhile, roads to thier destination - the incense hill - have completed too. After a short journy, the second city of Celts is built in 2510BC, named Alesia.

Another group of settling people depart Entremont in 2350BC, moving to northern floodplains, and encounter a German hunting group. "Where are you heading?" the warrior escort asks. No response.

Brennus is busy arranging the third settler group when the alarm sounds off. "German has declared war on us!" Two warriors die, Brennus flees, and Entremont is fallen.

"NO, it shouldn't be!"

======

The wizard casts a powerful spell: Time Reversing.

======

This time, Brennus rushes a spearman after the second settler's departure, and it saves Entremont. Later an archer is trained. Together with several warrior, it defeats German invasion force. "I'll avenge it!" shouted Brennus.

[Fosse]

Originally posted by Makahlua
IW in 48t? Argh. Time for 90.10.0 for a few turns

Welcome to AU, Makahula. I haven't read all of the DAR's yet, so somebody might have pointed this out already.

If you're trying to research as fast as possible, and you have a tech that will take you exactly or nearly 50 turns, it is still better to research at 100% science, hoping that city growth and road builds will bring that time down by the end of the research.

If, in ten turns, you can bring that time down, and you've been spending teh whole ten turns at 100 % research, then you could find yourself five or six turns closer to finishing than if you collected gold the whole time.


And your start looks better than mine.

Now on to the rest of the DARs.

[Krill]

This was written during play, and finished couple of minutes ago. I improvised some of the tactics, and thank you to the RNG that they worked. This is on Emperor, so thanks are owed to all those who have helped me over the past week.

Settle on the spot, and send the worker across the river to the BG. Mine and then road is the plan, so I can swap between 2.1.2 and 2.2.1 (food/shields/commerce). The forest is worked for 2 turns, then sugar for two, to complete the warrior in 4 turns, and start project Worker. When I pop the goody hut, I receive warrior code, which might be useful in the very near future. It turns out, though, that it is not.
3600bc. Worker completed on the same turn as growth. Change construction to granary. The mighty Celtic military consists of one warrior scouting, and it will not be getting any bigger any time soon. It’s getting smaller. Barbs take it out in 3400bc. In 2950bc, I see two German archers, and an Iroquoian warrior. Germans have bronze and wheel, but not CB Iroquoian have bronze and alpha, but neither CB nor WC.

In 2800bc, I effectively screwed the AI up good and proper. I got an SGL from Mysticism, the first tech I researched, and traded it (and ~100g + 4gpt) around between Germany and Iroquois for: Wheel, BW, Alpha, and Germanys’ two workers. Life is on the up, Gentlemen (and Ladies). Since I traded a lot of my present and future gold, I went for Polytheism at 50turn pace.
In 2590bc, Alesia is founded on the incense, to save “To many turns” roading it. Warrior->warrior->warrior->warrior…is the build path, for scouting and garrison duty, because that 4gpt to Germany really hurts this early in the game. 2310bc, Lugdunum founded, and builds a granary, then settlers. The military escorts will originate from Alesia.
There are a few problems with my method, namely lack of scouting and a lack of a military.

I know of only two civs, who have twice as much money, and masonry, but nothing more. I have a possible 4-turn pump, but need 120 shields to set it up. I already have a decent pump, and will make another in Lugdunum.

Sorry for the terrible pic. I could not think of a way to resize it and keep the deteil I needed.

[jim_steer]

wow crazy perspective.

A SGL on your first tech!! You lucky beggar, I would be jealous but I also got one from Currency it seems this game is blessed.

[Krill]

The plan is to rush ToA, and get the cheap border expansion. It also helps with the resistors that I hope to "Acquire" in the near future.

[jim_steer]

I went for the Great Library with mine as most other wonders had been built and I was starting to fall a bit behind in tech. Wish I had built the the Great Lighthouse but I foolishly assumed it had already been built, was gutted when it was built 2 turns later.

[Makahlua]

Fosse - yes, I did only do that for a few turns until I had that settler planted and then bumped it back to where I'd get IW in 26

And I am -so- jealous of all of you with the SGLs But then I 'outsourced' all my wonder building anyway....

However I have four armies now, so I shouldn't talk I love the Heroic Epic, don't you?

[vmxa1]

Krill watch out for triggering the GA with a wonder, the Celts are easy to do that with.

[Krill]

I'm not much of a psycotic wonder builder. I hate everything until sistines'. I want the GA right before any major war, to build up my army. I need it in about 50turns, then

[Aqualung71]

AU502 – DAR1 First 40 turns

Demigod level – AU Mod

Having only a few recent demigod games under my belt I approached this one with some trepidation. I was much more inclined to retreat to the relative safety of Emperor level, but eventually decided to risk humiliation in order to continue the learning curve I’ve been on for the last few months.
So, here we go…..

4000BC: First turn, moved worker west, settler northwest (courtesy of the Oasis diviners on the spoiler thread).

3950BC: The town of Aqualung founded (and what better name for a Religious civ without a religion?). Warrior built first, though this was an agonizing choice ahead of Granary. Alphabet researched at 35-turn pace. Worker mining shielded grassland. Man, I’ve never spent so much time on the first 2 turns before!!!

3700BC: Warrior built. Oh no, the Domestic Advisor shows Brennus the Warrior is red. Do we have a Roman traitor in our midst already? Granary next – better not collect too many club wielding savages with questionable loyalties. Warrior (now a respectable cyan) departs east on exploration, leaving the management of the empire’s moody populace to the mysterious gods of the luxury slider.

3650BC: Warrior spots goody hut and also spies Incense.

3600BC: Oops, didn’t realize the Governor was automatically turned on. He’s been summarily sacked and imprisoned for the crime of costing the fledgling city-state one shield, and for the future crime of managing Brennus’ empire badly (Brennus recently saw a stage production of Minority Report in starring Llhom Bhruise, the Welsh heart-throb) and the luxury slider gods have been invoked in the Palace (increasing Alphabet research from 24 to 29 turns). Exploring Warrior wisely bypasses “baddy” hut, mounts a mount, and spies the fabled pump-cow in the near distance.

3500BC: Warrior turns north after spotting what may be coastline. Worker has completed mining/roading and moves back to the sugar to mine, consciously sacrificing a pop-pumping irrigated Oasis for more early production. Perhaps a mistake.

3450BC: Our Empire culture expands, revealing spices in a jungle to the west. Oh, so many goodies nearby, but we feel so helpless with our long Granary build going! A very large looking Enkidu warrior arrives and announces that the Sumerian empire knows all our technologies and more, and we are not surprised.

Warrior moves to a northern hill and confirms that yes indeed, the Celtic civilization is not too far from the coast.

3250BC: Grow to size 3. Luxury slider pushed up to 20%, and Alphabet recedes 2 more turns, now at 17. Extra labourer put to work in the forest and food surplus drops to 2. Next pop in 10, Granary in 4. Perhaps should have put labourer to Oasis to even-up the growth/production cycle, but then less commerce, forcing higher luxury slider usage. Also, let’s get the Granary built quickly and then get more MP.

Enkidu is closely following our Warrior and has popped a hut, receiving 25 gold. We thinks the RNG may not have given us the same reward. Clearly anti-discrimination laws have not been yet conceived of in this primitive world.

3200BC: Illinois encampment of barbarians spotted. Hmmm, are we on a North-American stylized continent? Will there be the dreaded Iroquois mounted warriors to contend with? Time will tell.

3150BC: Sugar mine finished, now roading.

3100BC: Warrior redlined defending on a mountain against a Barb warrior. Yes, wise decision to choose demigod! Moved a labourer from forest to tobacco, to avoid wasting shields with 1 turn to go on the build, and reduce research time. Yes, we do know how to MM, but oh isn’t it a pain!!!

3050BC: Well we didn’t have to wait long. Our concerns were well-founded. An Iroquois warrior appears within view. We do though, by some stroke of luck, have a tech that Hiawatha lacks, and so trade Ceremonial Burial to him in return for Bronze Working and all his gold - 10. Unfortunately he already has Alphabet, so our first SGL has been delayed (in our dreams that is!). And no, he wouldn’t part with that as well, not for any price!

Granary completed, start on warrior.

3000BC: Nasty Barb warriors arrive on our northern mountain next to the Oasis we were about to move our worker to. Drats!

Our roving Warrior spots the Iroquois encampment, dangerously close to our capital. And also sees some Dyes. Brennus begins to feel crowded already.

2950BC: Warrior built, luxury slider reduced to 10%

2900BC: 3 Iroquois warriors approach our capital. This does not look good!

2850BC: Warrior built, another started. Settler will have to wait, as Barbs are threatening and Iroquois Warriors are surrounding us.

2800BC: 2 Iroquois warriors parked outside our door and a 3rd approaching. We have 2 warriors inside, with our exposed worker hopefully acting as a sacrificial decoy in case they declare. We give Hiawatha 5 gold (well that’s all we could afford, honestly!), which he accepts but is still annoyed at us.

2750BC: Iroquois declare war, and only one Warrior attacks, dying, and the other Warrior fortifies leaving our worker to continue his irrigation. Meanwhile, German forces appear and easily account for the nearby Barbarians. Worker recalled into the town – irrigation will need to wait. Good one ducki – testing out the new aggression rating of 4 for the Iroquois. Well, it works!

2710BC: The inexplicable Iroquois tactics continue, with only one Warrior attacking our town and again dying.

2630BC: Another lone Iroquois Warrior fails to penetrate our defence. Spearman built, and for the time being our defences are deemed adequate, with 3 Warriors to back him up. Now building our first Settler.

2510BC: Oh, Alphabet researched somewhere in all that commotion back there. Of course, the Germans and Sumerians already have that tech. Now researching Writing.

2470BC: First settler built, and sent east past the fortified Iroquois Warrior, with a Spearman and Warrior escort into the now dangerous surrounding lands.

2390BC: 4 Iroquois warriors approach our Settler and his escort, at which time Hiawatha agrees to see our envoy. He wants all our gold – 41 – and frankly we have no choice at this time. Peace achieved through succumbing to the Iroquois extortion, though we suffered no battle casualties ourselves! He wouldn’t accept any gpt, which leads us to fear this may be a short-lived peace.

2350BC: The town of War Child founded NW of the incense, after some war-induced delay. We are fearful this may have seriously handicapped our game. We are at least 4 techs behind everyone else, probably more. But no-one has Writing….yet

2190BC: 2nd settler produced. Moved S towards the Iroquois to shut-off their spread.

2150BC: End of DAR1. I don’t think I have done so well, being hampered by a short war with the Iroquois that cost me some worker turns and pushed a few Warriors into my build queue ahead of the first settler. Because we have Germany, Sumeria and the Iroquois all within close proximity, it’s clear we are going to be cramped for space. A lot will depend on whether we have Iron and can call upon the mythical GS for some early AI trimming.

I feel perhaps I made the wrong tech choices. Alphabet did not crystallize any trade opportunities at all, and I was only able to get closer to the critical Iron Working (for the Celts) by trading for BW upon meeting the Iroquois with one of my starting techs. I’m now committed to Writing, which could end up being another mistake. Should have gone straight to Iron Working then moved over to the Monarchy branch. Now I’m neither here nor there and will be in deep trouble if I can’t trade Writing.

Immediate objective is to REX as quickly as possible, throwing some military units and workers into the build-queues to keep pace.

Edit: In hindsight, and after looking at some of the other DAR's, I realise another mistake was not securing the flood plains site to the north for a pump, as I was more intent on securing the luxuries. Sumeria soon took that site, as my next DAR will show.