Which Civ are you playing right now?

[Arrian]

My German game is marching steadily toward completion. Ultimate Power has been acheived. The only wonders I don't have are the Colossus, Great Lighthouse, Great Wall, Hanging Gardens & the Oracle. The only one that bugs me is the Colossus. I have hit the point in the industrial age where I'm making more money than I know what to do with (stock exchanges & commercial docks will do that).

I have several cities on the other continent, 1 built myself in a culture gap to grab dyes, the 2nd was a culture flip, but the other four (not to mention the incense and silks) were granted me via Greek stupidity. This means I have 7 out of 8 luxuries (trading for the 8th - for now).

And now I've got Panzers. Ho, Ho, Ho. And, happily, I have a strong AI to use them on. Egypt is stronger than any AI civ I've seen in quite a while.

-Arrian

[Dominae]

In my China game, I've just built Leonardo's and have upgraded into 40+ Riders. Unfortunately, I had control of the civs on my continent way before this (French, Celts, Persians, Indians), and the other continent is across Ocean. I'm afraid that (once again), I played China but made no use of the Rider...


Dominae

[Arrian]

Play a pangea, then, Dominae.

Mmm... 40 Riders. Standard map? If so, that's a "hmm, how many civs will die today" type of force.

-Arrian

p.s. I think I'm going to mass about 100 Panzers before I cut 'em loose.

[Nakar Gabab]

Just finished up a game as Japan. A slow start, but it turned into UP quickly enough. Colossus early, later I had the Iron Works in the same city. Semi-early leader rushed the FP in the newly-conquered Roman empire (Pyramids conquered), built Adam Smith's, then I got to rush Bach's, then an army, conquered the Great Lighthouse, Shakespeare's, and the Sistene Chapel. Then I think I rushed SETI and did a palace jump or something. Many many leaders, many many wonders.

Oscillating between China and Rome, I managed to commit both the classic blunders: Getting involved in a land war in Asia, and going in against a Sicilian when death was on the line. But it worked out far better than I'd anticipated, with my infantry/artillery picking China apart bit by bit and my new tanks overrunning what was left in Rome. I was surprised at how effective an infantry/artillery SOD was (I had four stacks of 10-15 infantry and 20 or so artillery each, which pounded China into rubble).

The endgame was mostly consolidation and the ever-humorous humiliation of Shaka when he brazenly declared war on me three times, despite my Power graph being greater than every other civ's combined. My artillery made sure the few cavalry that did survive limped back across Russia with their tails between their legs. Not that such things ever stop Shaka.

I really like Mil/Rel for some reason. I can't seem to do NEARLY as well as China as I can do with Japan, the Celts, even the Aztecs. Go figure.

[Arrian]

A slow start, but it turned into UP quickly enough. Colossus early, later I had the Iron Works in the same city. Semi-early leader rushed the FP in the newly-conquered Roman empire (Pyramids conquered)

Yeah, that'll do it.

Oscillating between China and Rome, I managed to commit both the classic blunders: Getting involved in a land war in Asia, and going in against a Sicilian when death was on the line.

I really like Mil/Rel for some reason. I can't seem to do NEARLY as well as China as I can do with Japan, the Celts, even the Aztecs. Go figure.

China gets off to a better start, and tends to get a boost with the advent of RRs, but 60-shield temples, 160-shield Cathedrals, and anarchy can really add up. If you really get rolling with a Rel/Mil civ, the industrious thing essentially disappears: with enough slaves, it doesn't matter that your people are slow. It's just a matter of getting Japan going - they're slower out of the gate.

-Arrian

[Catt]

Just played as Spain. Before that, Japan. I like playing random civs - what will the RNG give me next?

Catt

[bongo]

Playing Greece now and France before that(not ideal for a warmongerer like me). I like it random, it forces me to think long and hard about how to maximize the effects of the traits/UUs.

Those hoplites give you a good and cheap defence for a loong time but I expect the forthcoming upgrade to musketmen to a very expensive party indeed. Better start saving already..

[Mountain Sage]

Imagine!
I am playing the Egyptians (Monarch, 8 civs, all else random).
Arrian really has a bad influence on me.
Well, the War Chariots triggered my GA, I have no GL this far (but the Pyramids and the Colossus) but the Chinese are down to 3 cities and the Mongols are history.
The problem I have with standard maps is that I feel too crowded and then do something stupid... like building another 20 Chariots (just in case, of course).

[Matthijs]

Finished my last game with Egypt with a Conquest victory

I just simply love those Eggyptians. They enable you to expand like hell putting up temples very quickly and roads to keep the empire connected.

Although Celts are sometimes nice too Depends how aggressive I start.

[MrWhereItsAt]

Vikings on a huge map with 24 civs.. same stats as the Second Democracy Game, only less difficult. Getting to Berserks has been a real mission, and they have proven less than stellar, with their only real benefit for me being the Amphibious capability. Their stats didn't seem to amount to too many victories for me, and then I got Cavalry.

I have basically given that game up though (am leading in everything, getting kinda bored), and have started as the Ottomans. I really want to stay interested long enough to get to the Sipahi, and I'm a few techs behind that, and WAY behind the other civs.

It seems I'm only really interested in continuing until even the Industrial era if I have some competitors who are close - being ahead or too far behind just kills my fun.