AU 505 The Power of Fascism DAR 2 - Through 1000BC

[Theseus]

This is the DAR thread for the second 40 turns of AU505.

Describe how you have positioned yourself in the second 40 turns of the game. How have the special parameters of this game affected your strategic decisions? How did your REXing plans succeed? Have you continued to build upon the economy that you have so far constructed? What lessons have you learned so far? What are your plans for the future?

[Modo44]

Trading paradise

Emperor level, AU Mod

The early Workers bought from Rome proved to be great in slowing down their exansion. I even started thinking of, and then realized, a plan of settling in the Hils north of the Romans. Although they did put a city there, it will probably the only one that makes it. And Dyes should be available, giving us two own luxuries.

To the south, RNG helped, I presume. The Greeks didn't go north too far, they went west instead, leaving enough space for me to make a useful border fort in addition to normal cities. Also, they took Rome's only available Iron source, which makes them dangerous in case of war, while hurting Rome even more. While normally I'd be happy to just kill Rome, in this game it isn't allowed (yet ). So AUmerica sold them Horseback Riding instead, so they could build at least some sort of an offensive anti-G(r)eek force.

The simple Writing -> Philosophy (Code of Laws) -> Republic beeline worked well and in the year 1000 BC we just finished it, and were preparing to switch governments.

Trades went pretty well and AUmerica finished this period ahead of most of the AI civs. Only the Celts managed to get Monarchy, nearly at the same time we got Republic. This was actually part of a plan to slow down the AI research. We sold Polytheism early, often for relatively small amounts of gold, to encourage the AI to research Monarchy and switch to it. Most of them aren't Religious, so they would have to remain in it for some time, or go through another Anarchy. OTOH, we didn't trade Code of Laws until very late, researching Republic in private. [ EDIT: I had no idea if it would work, not having tried before. Lucky me, it did. Another thing learned. ]

Currently some action started happening on the other continent. The Dutch declared on AUmerica, because we wouldn't give them Literacy. So we sent the Germs and the Celts after them. The hope is that one of the three AI civs gets out of the war strenghtened. This is to ensure that a sparring partner for Russia is ready. Right now they have the highest score around, and they just built the Pyramids to add to the fun. I'm worried about them becoming dominant over time.

I learned one thing for sure. Not having a Settler pump and a Worker pump hurts a lot. The plan was to REX, and then build, build, build. Only problem is, without a decent pump, the REX takes too long. I'll have to rush some buildings, once in Republic, which might stall my research efforts for a while. Also, land improvements suffer a bad lag, due to prioritizing Settlers. We'll see how this works out, once the expansion is done

Below is the view of AUmerica, 1000 BC. Red dots are planned cities, though the ones near the Romans are labelled "if we make it". [EDIT: Made it to all of them. ]
Yellow circle is around the Iron source, that will hopefully get Rome and Greece into a fight at some point...

[Theseus]

DAR 2 - Through 1000 BC

AU Mod - Emperor

Finished Writing in 1950BC... first to it, at least locally. Trady Mysticism to Greece for 25g and Carthage for 15g. Trade Writing to Rome for HBR and 40g. Philosophy next at 100%, with 92g in the bank, losing -3gpt, and still a 47 turn rate.

I've been darting my Scout in and out of Grecian borders... I don;t know if that makes them mad, but Greece demands Writing!! I bet the ranch, refuse, and am OK.

I road the tiles at 3 and 2 (cow) of Boston, then go back to irrigate both. Having built a Warrior and Curraugh there, I will build one Settler before turning it into a pump with a Granary. Once, I've done that, I am planning on a Temple for W-ton, moving the Warrior there as an MP, and then going for the Colossus.

LOTS of micromanaging to time Settler builds to growth.... playing with every town and with the lux slider almost every turn to achieve the right timing. ( to nbarclay) HBR to Greece for 30g.

1500BC: Spot the Germans to the west, but my Curraugh suicides on the way.

Rome demands 23g... I accede to the SPQR.

1250BC: First to Philosophy. Big Picture trading nets Polytheism, Literature, and 70g from Rome. Greece and Carthage have nothing to offer. Tough choice next between Monarchy, Mapmaking, and Code of Laws, as the first is so much more valuable. However, as I hope to avoid warring until Fascism as much as possible, I chose CoL, with Republic next, at 109g in the bank, 0.8.2, losing -4gpt, 15 turns. Philosophy to Greece for 25g and a Worker. Code of Laws to Rome for 30g. Philo and Poly to Carthage for Mapmaking.

I start crowding Rome and Greece for REX purposes. Flips hopefully to follow.

Built embassies with Rome and Greece.

The Settler at Chicago22 is headed one tile further south, and will settle at Cumae633 / Thermopylae44.

I am the only civ going for the Colossus, so that is looking good.

[Modo44]

Originally posted by Theseus
I've been darting my Scout in and out of Grecian borders... I don;t know if that makes them mad, but Greece demands Writing!!

It shouldn't make them angry, as long as you don't end the turn in their territory. If you do, they often turn Annoyed and tell you to leave, then turn back friendly, once you do. They must have just felt strong, so they demanded. After all the unit count of a human player isn't exactly shooting through the roof at this moment, and neither is his culture score.

[cracky]

This one is a little short. I got caught up in playing and didn't take many notes...

1910: Rome demands CB. I send Caesar’s envoy packing. No war declared! This was quite lucky, I only have one warrior in the home area. New York’s first settler is done., Boston is founded 2-2-2 of New York.

1350: 6 cities founded, with a settler just completed in New York. CoL just finished, 34 turns to Philo. Time to trade writing around… Writing to Carthage for IW, Mysticism and 10 gold. Writing to Rome for The Wheel and 22 gold. Writing to the Greeks for 57 gold, which leaves them with 100 still. I’m up by CoL, and I doubt anyone can catch me on the way to Philo. Back to the REX.

1000: 8 cities with 2 settler two turns away from the 9th and 10th. 15 turns to Philo.


When all is said and done, I think I'll have a total of 14 cities I think I've gone as far south and west as I'm going to get. I'm a little worried about my little one city thick buffer zone between the romans and the greeks. Hopefully I won't lose any cities to flips. I think I can handle an onslaught of troops by starting a continent wide ware, but with no trees to hurry along temples this early, I might suffer on the cultural front. I haven't built any cities to the north or immediate south of washington. The plan is to squeeze 4 more cities in there and then push the economy as far and as fast as I can.

The romans are closest behind me with 6 cities and who knows how many settlers out and about. I'm certainly going to have the most cities on the home continent, but by how much?

[cracky]

pic...

[Dominae]

Fascist Abe: A Tale of the Golden Eagle

(Demigod difficulty.)

Woah, the log I kept seems to be pretty bare, despite all that happened between 2150BC and 1000BC. Here it is:

2030BC:	First Curragh sinks
1550BC:	Temple (New York)
1525BC:	Second Curragh sinks
1375BC:	Philosophy
	Scientific Great Leader!
	Greece: Philosophy for Horseback Riding, Map Making, Mysticism and 25 Gold
	Carthage: Horseback Riding for 85 Gold
	Polytheism
1350BC:	Temple of Artemis
	Greece: Polytheism for Literature and 3 Gold
1150BC:	Code of Laws
1100BC:	Rome: Literature for Mathematics and Right of Passage

I was quite frustrated at losing two Curraghs to a crossing where I could see the other side, but I figure it would certainly be unfair if suicide runs always worked. I like the AU mod change limiting the power of Curraghs in this regard, although I imagine there's an imbalance with respect to Seafaring civs (guaranteed 2-tile movement in Sea tiles).

The far-flung city of New York poprushed a Temple, which would guarantee its cultural identity for quite some time. Now I had to worry about its defense...

And then it happened: a beeline to Philosophy (while the Romans and Greeks were busy with Map Making) rewarded me with a Scientific Great Leader!!

I sat back and spent a long long time trying to figure out which Wonder Einstein should rush with his superior intellect and imagination. So early in the game, everything was available, save the Colosssus (Dutch) and The Oracle (German?). What would you do?

After much deliberation, I chose the Temple of Artemis. I must admit, I did this partly for fun reasons (I have never had the chance to use it effectively before) in addition to strategic reasons. Strategically, the plan was to build crappy little cities in between the cracks of the AI ones, which would begin to generate Culture immediately (thanks to their free Temples). The net effect would be a peaceful and effective denial of land from the AI. Even if I did not manage to deny that much land (I still had to build all those Settlers, and the continent was filling up rather quickly), having 8+ Temples so early would provide a nice cultural cushion, which would certainly prove useful in this particular game.

I had to do a little trick upon discovering Philosophy however, in order to get Polytheism for free: I used the "Big Picture" option to get to the Diplomacy Advisor and trade Philosophy for Polytheism (and other stuff) for the Greeks. I proceeded to Code of Laws after that (eyeing The Republic), knowing the AI loves Literature in the AU mod. With a quick trade all my Temple prebuilds would switch over to Libraries, for even more Culture!

I am finding that the Writing prerequisite techs are all very cheap; I could research Literature and Code of Laws both in approximately 10 turns. Does this have to do with the super-Commerce Silks+Rivers starting location, or are these techs cheaper in the AU mod to make them more attractive to the AI?

The last interesting thing that happened in this time period is that I signed a Right of Passage with Rome to get one of my Settlers over to the Dyes on the northwestern part of the continent. Hopefully this move, backed by the Temple of Artemis, will net me a second free Luxury resource.

[UnOrthOdOx]

I could research Literature and Code of Laws both in approximately 10 turns. Does this have to do with the super-Commerce Silks+Rivers starting location, or are these techs cheaper in the AU mod to make them more attractive to the AI?

With reasonably similar empires, I was at ~15 turns for each under stock rules at 80%. 10 doesn't sound out of reach given variables.

[-SafaN-]

1910 BC:
Kiss of the maiden founded, building warrior. Protected with 1 warrior vs 2 barbarians, will he hold it?

1870 BC:
a roman archer brings help

1700 BC:
barbarians defeated by the archer

1625 BC:
soft touch founded, building temple

1525 BC:
two barbarians near Soft Touch

1425 BC:
we lost 29 gold :/

1400 BC:
founded flower on the river, building temple

1275 BC:
researched philosophy, chose mapmaking, new direction code of laws
others have still no writing

1175 BC:
French kisses founded, temple

1100 BC:
Pyramids complete, making galley

1025 BC:
code of laws complete, going for republic
founded Song of love

1000 BC:
galley ready, start on temple

nothing realy happens.

[Cryptor]

Things are going ok. I'm playing this one on Sid, so I can't expect too much.

Major events.

- Around 1600BC (I think): My suicide carragh was successful first time, which was lucky, and has allowed me to met the Dutch, Germans, and Celts.

- 1375BC: Traded a bunch of cash and 18 gpt for Code of Laws from Dutch.
- Swapped Code of Laws for two first level techs and mathematics from my neighbours.

- 1075BC: Traded 26 gpt, Iron and Silks for Currency from Greeks.
- Swapped Currency for Map Making and about 15 gold (all they had) from Dutch.
- Swapped Map Making for Polytheism and about 40 gold from Romans.

About now I was running a 23 gold deficiet with 60 gold in the bank. I got my capital to build harbour instead of barracks, in hope of making a trade route to the carthage. This had 3 turns til completion though. So just before I was going to hit zero gold, I traded one gpt with Germany for 14 gold. This kept me above water til my Harbour was completed, then I did the below.

- 1000BC: Traded Silks and Horse for about 215 gold to Carthagenians

This will keep me above water til my 1375BC 18gpt trade will the Dutch expires in 5 turns. I have to do these extreme things to stay in touch technologically, as all AI civs have either completed the ancient tree completely or have one tech to go (The Dutch need Construction, the Greeks and Carthage need Philosophy).

I have all complusory ancient techs except Construction and Horseback Riding, but no non complusory ones, though I am 50 turn researching Philosophy at 10% and it has 35 turns til completion. I tend to 50 turn research the most expensive thing available, as I effectively get a lot of free beakers and occasionally I get the tech before an AI civ and am able to trade it for a significant amount. Trying to race the AI with tech on Sid I find is futile.

Otherwise, I've just been building my economy to make enough money to buy techs. The Carthage and Greeks are in an alliance against the Romans, which seems like an interesting match-up, the Romans being the stronger civ. My military of one spearman and five warriors is in no state to become involved, but hopefully I'll begin to build up a military with the advent of feudalism and the additional food and whipping, along with the pikemen and medieval infantry it brings along.

I'm hanging in there at the moment, giving into all demands for tribute, because I know a declaration of war is the end for me. Otherwise, things are fine and dandy.

[JimiD]

short section

Not much happened here - lots of trading, not always for the 'optimum', but I figure that keeping my neighbours happy might be wise.

Got the pyramids, but only after a Granary in Washington and New York (duh). Will now try to get Colosus (cash), Lighthouse (contacts -> cash), then the Observatory and Newtons:

Having got Pyramids, must get on with my REX....


2030 BC Buy the Wheel for 135 from Greece

1870 bc find carthage, they, and Greece have Mysticism, but Ive uped the research and will have writing in 7

1700 BC research writing - sell it to greece for myst and 29 (all), Carthage for 219 BC, and myst back to rome 77. Get embassies up and running

1675 BC, boston founded, getting out rexed here...

1175 BC Phil researched and Map making as extra (contacts and lighthouse), trade greeks, Maths and horseback plus 50 for it (all). Carthage, Phl and maths for Poly and 19, and Maths to Rome for 25, they are my neighbours after all.

1075 BC Pyramids! -0 Going for a Collosus Great lighthouse sweep.
Also circumnavigated the continent by Curragh.

975 BC MM to Greece for Literature and 25 all, HR to Carthage for 31, Philo to rome for 25gp


Forgot to take a screenshot

[nbarclay]

Emperor Level, Theseus's Original Version

The original version of the game that Theseus posted was mostly an AU Mod version, but not quite. By the time an official AU Mod version of the game was posted, I was too far along to want to start over.

In 1870 BC, I got a very nice piece of luck: a scientific great leader from the discovery of Writing. I definitely wanted to use him to build the Pyramids, but in deciding where to build them, I forgot that I'd been thinking I'd probably surround New York with other cities and disband it once its work as a settler pump was finished. So I ended up with the Pyramids in New York, meaning that the city could not be disbanded. That cost me a bit of wealth (since there were a lot of coastal tiles near the capital that I wasn't able to work). But on the plus side, New York was positioned well to become a high-production wonder city.

Almost immediately after that, in 1790 BC, I took a major gamble and lost. I went ahead and founded Philadelphia, my fourth city, right next to a Greek warrior even though the city would not be defended. Usually, AIs seem willing to leave undefended cities alone that early in the game. But this time, Greece destroyed the city, which made a big mess out of my REX. New York had to pop rush a spearman to defend the city, and Boston had to shift its attention from workers to build a couple warriors. Washington also had to shift to military production, but since food rather than shields was my main limiting factor there, that wasn't such a big deal. In addition, another settler was forced to spend a little extra time traveling and build his city in a less good place than originally planned rather than risk being too close to the Greeks. And Greece captured a worker.

The Greek war ended a few turns later, with my trading Writing for Iron Working and Mysticism as part of the peace negotiations. I was then able to resume my REX.

With the Pyramids in hand, I decided to play a heavily culture-oriented strategy, making temples a high priority in my cities. In connection with that, I pushed my city construction way down into the middle of territory Greece was claiming. My southernmost city was positioned where it could compete with a Greek city for a fur tile, with whichever city had stronger culture able to claiming the tile through border expansion.

In regard to research, I decided to gamble that I could research Code of Laws before Philosophy and still be first with Philosophy, which would give me Republic as my free tech. By 1000 BC, I'd finished Code of Laws, but Philosophy was still a long way off.

[nbarclay]

Here's what my civ looked like in 1000 BC.

[Aqualung71]

AU505, Demi-God
AU Mod

1910BC: Atlanta founded, to be our most westerly town. Meanwhile the pesky Greeks continue to expand northward towards our lands.

1790BC: Chicago founded.

1650BC: Seattle founded.

1475BC: We finally research Philosophy, to discover that Rome finished it the turn before!

Sold Philosophy + 23g to Carthage for Literature and Mathematics. Then Philosophy to Greece for HBR + Mysticism + 35g. Only behind Carthage and Rome by MM now, and we have Literature on the Greeks.

Meanwhile, Miami is founded.

1375BC: Caesar demands 20g, and of course we capitulate

1225BC: Complete Code of Laws, but neither Greece nor Carthage will trade for Currency or MM. Commence Construction. Curragh sinks trying to find the promised land north

1200BC: Rome completes the Pyramids…..that might be nice, if I live that long

1150BC: Houston founded....and now becomes our new most westerly town

1075BC: Buffalo founded.

1000BC finds America with 10 towns, but almost totally built out with the incessant expansion of Rome and Greece. We have yet to settle the northern peninsula, though there’s only room for 2 more towns up there. We may try to add an additional town out west by ICS’ing Rome, but that remains to be seen…..AI culture expansion may kill that idea!

We have found Germany, but have not been able to meet them….2 Curraghs are on the way to try the suicide route again.

Tech-wise we are behind by MM and Currency, but hope to trade Polytheism and CoL to Carthage next turn.

All in all it’s been a mad rush of getting out Settlers, with the result being that I don’t have as many Workers as I would like (thank heavens we’re Industrious!) and our military totally sucks! If Rome or Greece declared war we would be toast.

My strategy has been to build culture in the outerlying towns to help guard against flips (which would be catastrophic with such a small empire), while Settlers and Workers are being built in Washington and New York, so precious little room for military at the moment. But soon I will go back to connect up the Iron resource and get a few Swords and Horsies out.

[IthacaMike]

Regent level, AU Mod

I didn't take notes, this is from the play-back after the game ended.

On the western side of the map I buit 4 more cities, two on the river, one on the the northern tip positioned to use both whales, and one wedged in Roman territory on the coast. In the East I managed to get two more settler/ spear pairs through before rome built enough citys and generated enough culture to slam the door shut.

My four eastern cities completely dominated the Dyes.


By 1000 BC my expansion was almost over (I managed to build one more city in the East).

My Empire consisted of nine cities and a Temple.

Ithaca Mike