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**Nugog** · October 10, 2007, 05:45

As promised - here is the unlocked save.

DOWNLOAD

**ColdPhoenix** · October 10, 2007, 05:58

It's been so long since I played it that I don't remember much!! Will have a quick look at the saved game when I get home to remind myself.

Am a little surprised that I came third though, I took out the other civ on the starting continent (Washington?) very early with a chariot rush. I was then stuck without any trading partners for a long portion of the game. I guess other people would have had the same issues though!! It wasn't a great continent either, lots of Tundra or desert I think?

**Nugog** · October 10, 2007, 06:08

Originally posted by ColdPhoenix
It's been so long since I played it that I don't remember much!! Will have a quick look at the saved game when I get home to remind myself.

The unlocked save is there now if you want to have another look............

And Congratulations!

**jbp26** · October 10, 2007, 16:28

i could only play this game under 3.13 so my submission didn't count officially, but i played through anyway and found it very interesting.

START:

I knew not to underestimate an aggressive AI so I didn't mess around with religion or wonders. I tried to get the wheel, archery, and bronze working ASAP. My goal was to put up three cities and start pumping out phalanx and chariots as soon as I could.

My scouts revealed a large continent with no inhabitants. Eventually, an exploring group of a phalanx and a chariot stumbled about Churchill slightly north of my territory. It was his second city and guarded only by two warriors, so I declared war and took it. Then I sent the phalanx north to London. This right here was the end of the British; my phalanx stomped around their capital and pillaged everything while they just sat there building archers. I left him there for a while and continued expanding and building up my military. Eventually I realized that taking thecity packed with so many archers would be too costly, so I positioned units around his territory and sued for peace. Predictably, he sent groups of archers out in all directions to explore and settle. I declared war again and dove right into the now sparsely defended London, giving me a great city and eliminating the English.

The highlight of this war was using a spy to strip the city of all its cultural defenses before diving in.

EXPANSION

With the English gone I had the continent to myself. I spent a good while expanding across the continent and developing my infrastructure. I explored the sea with galleys but couldn't get too far. Since no one would be coming to get me until astronomy, I didn't have to fear invasion for a long time, so I developed a powerful infrstructure and scored a few wonders. Catherine and Hannibal found just about when I had finished settling the continent.

AGGRESSION

Once again, I was unprepared for the aggression and intelligence of the AI. Hannibal landed a nasty stack, despited being at Pleased relations. I lost a city but eventually managed to take it back and repel him, only to have catherine attack me shortly thereafter. Fortunately I had been preparing to invade her and my fleet was already enroute. I whipped up a navy and some home defenders to drive her out and made contact with her country.

DOMINANCE

I landed on the Russian continent between a major city and the capitol. I took both in short order and one other city, and then surprisingly, Catherine capitulated to me. In every other game, the AI will only capitulate when it is utterly decimated, most often when its down to just one or two cities. But she still had most of her country and had probably only lost 15% of her forces. It was very strange, but continued throughout the game. I wonder if was a result of the patch?

Anyway. Shaka launched a surprise attack on me and took a coastal city. I took it back and repelled his men, then sent an invasion fleet of my own. As with Catherine, I took two cities and he immedietly capitulated. Gilgamesh was next- this time I took just one city before he capitulated, though I did destroy a huge part of his army. His power plummeted 30% in one turn. Tanks and bombers rolled over Hannibal, leaving only William van Oranj. He had the second largest territory after me, and was lagging in tech but had a huge number of units. Fortunately I finished the UN and all my vassals voted for me, so I ended with a Diplomatic (back-door Domination) victory.

**Vaugula** · October 10, 2007, 20:51

After discussions about settling great people in another thread I decided to try 2 things I have never tried before in a game of civ, run a specialist economy and settle all the great people. I was amazed at how effective it ended up being.

In my game I also rolled the English before Construction and then settled like a mad man on my home continent. Like jbp26 I also had some early trouble with Catherine but I decided that with the way colony costs (and inflation) work in BTS I wouldn't invade. As it turns out (at least in jbp26's game) maybe I should have.

The other major power in the world was William van Oranj. He spent his Vassalising almost everyone on his continent. It was just Gilgamesh left standing alone in a war with William by the time the UN was built. I got voted in as Secretary-General with the votes of Gilgamesh and Catherine (our relations had recovered) and was desperately hoping Gilgamesh would hold out to vote in a diplomatic victory.

Just 2 turns before the next vote was due, Gilgamesh asked me to declare on William. I was at Friendly with him at the time and had even had a Defensive Pact with him in the past. I figured that if I rebuffed Gilgamesh he would abstain I wouldn't be able to get my diplomatic victory so I decided to risk it and joined the war. The very next turn Gilgamesh capitulated leaving me holding the baby (but don't worry I got my revenge on him). The UN vote rolls around and I am just short and fuming. In the rest of my tenure as S-G I try to get nukes banned (not that I have ever seen an AI use one before) but it failed. I believe a massive stack of ships and troops rolled up and took one of my coastal cities so I dropped a stack of tanks that I had on top of it and took it right back again.

I believe Catherine then joined in the festivities by declaring the William alliance (she had some cities on that continent from a previous war). At this point things got scary. As I said before I have never seen a nuke used by an AI, well Shaka used a tac nuke on Catherine. Then it turned into a nuke fight. I had built some nukes (and the SDI) just in case not expecting the use them. I thought I might be able to stay out of it because I wasn't actively engaged in the fighting, but I was wrong and London got nuked. By Gilgamesh. I was so angry (I should probably calm down, it is only a game) so I nuked him right on back. With interest. I think I dropped my entire arsenal on top of him, nuking each of his cities at least once. He didn't really feature in the rest of the game after that.

With the world rapidly turning into a post apocalyptic wasteland I managed to launch my ship and escape to Alpha Centauri. The others didn't really have a chance because my production and research capabilities vastly outstripped theirs.

**RobWorham** · October 10, 2007, 21:50

Thanks Vaugula!!!

Reading your post alone has made the many hours of hard work setting up and running this tournament thoroughly worth it!!!

(In fact I am also really enjoying play testing the games before they get released. For some reason it has really added a twist to my personal single player experience.......)

Thanks everyone for their positive feedback, and patience as we learn the ropes as we go.......

**Methos** · October 10, 2007, 22:25

Starting off I was a little worried about this one, as I’ve never played with Aggressive AI and all I’ve ever heard was bad things about it. I figured to make it interesting I’d aim for a culture victory. With Aggressive AI, I was expecting it to be fairly challenging.

I met Churchill fairly early and rushed my third city up in the northwest. When I was preparing to plant my fourth city I checked on Churchill to see what my options were. I was rather surprised too see him still with only two cities and an army of a warrior and two archers. I was expecting a bigger defense, even though it was fairly early in the game. I couldn’t pass this up, so I cranked out some swordsmen and phalanx, captured both cities and removed the English.

Since neither Churchill nor I ever found a religion, I was a little worried going for culture, but stuck with my plan. Needing some religion, I aimed for CoL to get confused, Theology for Christianity, and yin and yang to finish off with three religions. I prepped my cities and expanded in order to control all the good spots and placed one GP farm and a couple minor GP farms for some GA’s. It was about this time that someone finally found me, well into the AD’s.

Some time around this point I was surprised to see a popup stating I was the most advanced, though I was rather fearful when the power graph said I was the weakest. Here’s where the tough part occurs. The point where I’m trying to build up my culture and at the same time build up an army. The problem was, the more units I built, the more I had to lower my culture slider. No matter how many units I built, I wasn’t even getting close to the second weakest in power.

Sure enough, as I expected, the war came. At this point my research slider is at 0%, culture around 60%, I’m behind in tech (especially military), no one was willing to join in, and between fifty and sixty turns from victory. I forgot to mention, I had procrastinated with this game, so it was also the final day to submit. The first turn Oranje drops off five trebs and seven cuirassiers and I’m sitting with muskets, phalanx, swords, and archers. The city he was attacking was a good commerce city (two gold), but I could live without it. Went one turn, in which he bombarded the heck out of me. The second turn more ships landed on my southern shores and things turned a lot worse.

At this point I had to evaluate things. I felt I still had a chance of pulling through this, the problem was time. I had an hour before I had to start getting ready for work and another forty-five minutes after work before the deadline hit. I couldn’t see myself being able to finish this, so I called it quits at this point.

I must say, going for a culture victory with Aggressive AI is rather tough, even on Prince. I’d like to finish this game out some day just to see, but I know that’ll never happen. Oh well, I had a lot of fun. Interesting game and I’m curious if anyone else went the culture route.

**RobWorham** · October 10, 2007, 22:58

Re: Intermediate League Game 1 Discussion Thread

Originally posted by RobWorham

Chuckman : Won Cultural Victory - 2017AD - 3142 points

**Methos** · October 10, 2007, 23:16

Yeah, after I posted I read the thread and noticed. Great job and I'm looking forward to reading his write up!

**dacole** · October 11, 2007, 03:21

Will try to do a more involved write up later but I tried to go for a cultural victory as well I died and gave up when I got over the time for submission (which was earlier than I thought...really need to get that GMT time to EST time change in my head sigh.) I also was able to take out Churchill with an early rush when he only had one city. I then went about founding religons got three and tried to increase culture. For some reason I thought you had to have five cities with the apporpriate culture rather than three so I spread my wonders out waay to much which was annoying. Also think I didn't expand quickly enough only had a total of five cities by 1600.

Went almost the entire game without trading partners and since after getting calverals I had myself on 100% culture was far behind in tech. Ended up getting ganged up on by Shaka, gilgamesh, and catherine though I was nice to all of them throughout the entire game. I was able to hold off gilgamesh but shaka landed with a force of ten knights and several trebuchets. And I was doing my two millitary units in each city as defense....(yes that was stupid)

I may replay it and see what happens if I actually put all my wonders in only three cities at 1500 I was already in influential in culture with them spread out in five. Surviving the war though would have been impossible, never seen the defeat screen for civ IV before think I'll play through to find that first just to see it.....

Can I post some saves of my game here so people can tear apart my strategy?

Didn't get to vote (as well I changed to 3.13 half way through so have no idea if that changed things and if so in what way) but I would have voted that this was to hard...never actually lost against the AI before....(course never tried to win by culture either...)

**Nugog** · October 11, 2007, 15:00

Originally posted by Vaugula
I believe Catherine then joined in the festivities by declaring the William alliance (she had some cities on that continent from a previous war). At this point things got scary. As I said before I have never seen a nuke used by an AI, well Shaka used a tac nuke on Catherine. Then it turned into a nuke fight. I had built some nukes (and the SDI) just in case not expecting the use them. I thought I might be able to stay out of it because I wasn't actively engaged in the fighting, but I was wrong and London got nuked. By Gilgamesh. I was so angry (I should probably calm down, it is only a game) so I nuked him right on back. With interest. I think I dropped my entire arsenal on top of him, nuking each of his cities at least once. He didn't really feature in the rest of the game after that.

With the world rapidly turning into a post apocalyptic wasteland I managed to launch my ship and escape to Alpha Centauri. The others didn't really have a chance because my production and research capabilities vastly outstripped theirs.

That is brilliant!

**Chuckman** · October 11, 2007, 20:02

Originally posted by Methos from CFC
Yeah, after I posted I read the thread and noticed. Great job and I'm looking forward to reading his write up!

Nobody said anything about a book report.

**Vaugula** · October 11, 2007, 20:59

Originally posted by RobWorham

Thanks Vaugula!!!

Reading your post alone has made the many hours of hard work setting up and running this tournament thoroughly worth it!!!

Originally posted by Nugog

That is brilliant!

I aim to entertain

Seriously guys, that was one of the more interesting games I have every played, I had a blast. Great set up

**Nugog** · October 11, 2007, 23:03

Originally posted by Chuckman

Nobody said anything about a book report.

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