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Puma
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Canada!!
Nov 2003 time: 05:20
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Their road-skipping spearman is now on a mountain south of Osaka, next to our Osaka-Kyoto road. I could attack it with my new archer, but decide to move the archer into Osaka for the moment. I am not willing to attack the spear while it’s on the mountain, and I don’t want to park the archer next to the spear - only to watch it die under the spear’s attack (due to the archer’s measly 1 def stat). That RNG is not good to me.
1350bc
Their warrior by Salamanca does not head east, of course, but attacks the stack and dies while it brings my chariot to 2 hp – rendering it useless. The spear near Osaka finally moves off the mountain onto a roaded forest tile, and 2 more warriors appear on the mountain range northwest of Osaka.
I attack the Osaka spear with my Osaka archer, archer dies, spear has 1 hp left; I follow with Osaka's elite warrior and kill it - no problem. One regular warrior left in Osaka.
In Salamanca I attack with the elite archer – which dies – I follow with 2 warriors from the stack – which die, and quickly follow with warrior Beta - which also dies and promotes one of 2 spearmen in Salamanca- a very pathetic sequence of attacks. I try using the 2hp chariot but it retreats injured without making a dent on the 4hp elite spear. I uselessly move the remaining lagging elite archer onto the 1 hp chariot tile. So much for that. I cannot take down Salamanca's 2 spears with the elite archer and a 1hp chariot during the next turn. There goes the last chance of taking over a city with each phase of attacks (Is there any consolation in having razed two with a triple combo?)
Attachment: 1350bc.jpg
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Last edited by Puma on 01-03-2004 at 10:10
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vmxa1
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Oviedo, Fl
Nov 2001 time: 21:20
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quote: Originally posted by Puma
3000bc
Tacitus says we’re behind the Romans, Egyptians, French, Persians, Iroquois, Greeks, and English in technology – no big news.
2900bc
The English found York, my settler is completed, a warrior scorts it towards horsehills, the worker wastes some time getting back to the second wheat in order to continue roading towards horsehills |
This is where you could have saved soem worker turn, if you moved to the dye first and then headed towards the game and then wheat.
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Puma
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Canada!!
Nov 2003 time: 05:20
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Thanks.
Vmxa1, I don’t disagree with your comment on the starting move. But, I wanted to take advantage of the hill’s defense bonus and position by the ocean. I remembered that barbarians were set to raging, and I didn’t want to lose the first city to a barb. As well, I was curious to see the surrounding terrain right away – and the hills afforded me that advantage.
On the second point, I tend not to road on the first turns. One reason, I always play with raging barbs, and sometimes the worker gets destroyed - leaving the city without some improved tiles for a long time. Third point, I wasn’t aware of the border expansion mechanics. I’ll comment on that later in the report. The game is at Emperor level.
I was having fun. This game can hypnotize. Eventually, I decide that my disappointment stems from losing out on the AU101 goal of taking at least a city with each military phase. What’s the point of playing AU101 anymore? If I pick up again, by the time I assemble another good force, the enemy will have pikemen defending each city - thereby rendering any warrior/chariot/archer combo ineffective. But I now have a beef with the English and the Iroquois. Oh what the heck. I can still go for the wonders; and if I end up losing pathetically, well, no one has to know.
Last edited by Puma on 04-03-2004 at 08:57
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Puma
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Canada!!
Nov 2003 time: 05:20
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Thanks for the comments. I want some criticism. That's why I decided to make this a very detailed AAR.
1350bc
Reload.
Ok where were we? At peace with the Iroquois.
I hadn’t noticed; but the woodcutters in Kyoto finished their work – delivering 10 shields to Kyoto, revealing a crop tile (1shield,2food), and permitting a settler’s completion next turn. The second slave pair also completed roading the second game tile. All this resulted in 10shields/turn, 2bread/turn in Kyoto.
With possession of pottery, I switch the settler production into a granary, I must use Kyoto’s high production now - to produce the granary before I start pumping out settlers and depleting its sizable population.
When playing a civ that starts with pottery and or warrior code, I have the following approach:
I build a 5 vet archer force, while the population increases and a few tiles are improved. When the attack archers are about to leave, I start roading, and produce a granary (taking advantage of the high shields/turn count). As the archer team captures the nearest cities #2 and (maybe) #3 from 2 different neighbours, the granary is built. Those captures are generally followed by a 2 settler build in the capital - which generally gives me 4 or 5 cities, and 2 weak neighbours.
But this has certainly been a different game and the first city’s granary is long overdue. Had the granary been in place earlier, the 2 wheat and 2 game tiles would have also allowed us to compete in the rapid expansion while producing a reasonable set of spearmen. Instead we’re short on cities, and military. What a waste given the excellent starting location. Osaka begins working on a settler, we need more cities.
Check the diplomacy screen: Buy iron working from Liz at 110gold and 2gold/turn. Switch to domestic screen: Begin researching writing in 40 turns.
Check science screen: Once I get masonry, I’ll need math to enable currency and construction – which I plan to obtain via extortion. Once I get writing, I will also have the option of extorting philosophy, code of laws, literature and map making. I don’t pay attention to the available mysticism->polytheism->monarchy branch. The goal is to get to Republic after code of laws and philosophy, swiftly occupy the entire island, and then proceed to find the other civilizations. I do not plan on using Monarchy because it will give me a smaller commerce base for research than Republic does, and I do not want to be many techs behind the other civs - whenever I meet. To even try researching the monarchy branch would be a waste of time. I decide to stick it with writing (in 40 turns), which I cannot afford to buy, but it must be obtained because it enables extorsion of the largest set of techs. I might buy masonry. In any case, currency and construction tend to be researched after the writing branch (excluding literacy which sometimes get researched at the beginning of the middle ages), so they’re of no importance at the moment. Okay, the brain is moving. The science advisor recommends I research Horseback Riding, but I never listen to that guy; and knowing that the second civ to research a tech gets it at half price I want to prevent the Iroquois from getting horseback riding soon.
There is also a very cool silver lining in the dark clouds behind. Having severely weakened the Iroquois, Hiawatha’s mounted warriors will not be coming around for ages, and whenever they appear, it will be in small numbers; by which time I should have plenty of swordmen. There’s also hope that they will start a war with England. Additionally, England’s present expansion and large treasury means that it should be researching technology at a reasonable rate; and even better, its 5 towns will not autoraze when they get captured.
I also note that all of England’s towns have only size 1. I don’t think they’ll keep expanding towards the old Iroquois territory. So that gives me some time to get more cities.
I send a pair of slaves to improve Osaka.
Let’s keep playing …
Attachment: 1350bc.jpg
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Puma
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Canada!!
Nov 2003 time: 05:20
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1325bc
Hiawatha kicks my units off his territory
Elite warrior to police Osaka, elite archer to Osaka, fortify second injured chariot near Salamanca to heal.
We see iron east of Osaka. We must prevent the English from controlling that tile by building a town in that area, a colony may disappear if the English build a town in the desert to the east of Osaka. A good spot for a town is chosen, next to the lake. A temple there will enable access to the iron. For the first time ever, I think I’ll have to rush a settler (in Osaka). I scan English territory for more iron, and see iron next to London. Alpha is still fortified nearby. I move Alpha to the iron, to temporarily prevent a colony or road on the iron resource. Tied in tech with the Iroquois, I have 4gold, and +4gold/turn. The English have all the money, 261gold.
Attachment: 1325bc.jpg
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Puma
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Canada!!
Nov 2003 time: 05:20
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But here is the detailed truth, which I had not realized due to my inexperience with the mechanics of gaining citizens and rushing settlers.
In retrospect, I suspect that food and production gains are evaluated at the end of a turn, when forests are taken down and their 10 shield bonus is also included in the production evaluation; while on the other hand, citizen gains (due to the filling of the bread counter) and the emergence of completed products (due to the filling of the production counter) are executed at the beginning of the next turn. I always suspected this but never bothered to investigate/confirm it.
With my game choice, I held off on the rush
(1300bc, citizens=3, breadCounter=18/20, breadgain=+3/turn, settlerProduction=10/30) ended the turn
(1300bc, citizens=3, breadCounter=18+3/20, breadgain=+3/turn, settlerProduction=10+2/30=12/30),
waited until the following turn, filled the breadCounter and gained 1 citizen, where 4 citizens give Osaka +2/turn bread
(1275bc, citizens= 3+1=4, breadCounter=reset=0/20, breadgain=+2/turn, settlerProduction=12/30)
to rush the settler at the loss of 1 citizen - where 3 citizens give Osaka +3/turn bread
(1275bc, citizens=4-1=3, breadcounter=0/20, breadgain=+3/turn, settlerProduction=30/30),
ending the turn
(1275bc, citizens=3, breadcounter=0+3/20, breadgain=+3/turn, settlerProduction=30/30), and executing the settler’s production at the beginning of the next turn,
where 1 citizen gives +4/turn bread
(1250bc, citizens=3-2=1, breadcounter=3/20, breadgain=+4/turn settlerProduction=0/30).
Bam! A settler in 1250bc
On the other hand, while reconstructing some plays for the AAR
In 1300bc
(1300bc, citizens=3, breadCounter=18/20, breadgain=+3/turn, settlerProduction=10/30)
I rushed the settler, losing 1 citizen, where 2 citizens give Osaka +4/turn in bread
(1300bc, citizens=3-1, breadCounter=18/20, breadgain=+2turn, settlerProduction=30/30)
ending the turn
(1300bc, citizens=2, breadCounter=18+4/20, breadgain=+4/turn, settlerProduction=30/30)
***
beginning the next turn with the gain of citizen due to the filling of the breadCounter,
(1275bc, citizens=2+1=3, breadCounter=reset=0/20, breadgain=+3/turn, settlerProduction=30/30)
immediately followed by the execution of the settler’s production
(1275bc, citizens=3-2=1, breadCounter=0/20, breadgain=+3/turn, settlerProduction=0/30)
***
Bam Bam!! A settler in 1275bc - one turn earlier.
That would have been the best choice. My game choice cost me a turn, by which time the target square could’ve disappeared due to the expansion of the English borders at Canterbury.
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Puma
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Canada!!
Nov 2003 time: 05:20
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1050bc
Settler is ready in Kyoto. It heads towards the wine tiles southwest of Osaka, where NF used to be; we’ll settle town #5 there.
The Iroquois are stuck at 18gold. NF is back to size 1. They built something. I use my chariot near Salamanca to pillage the rest of the road near Salamanca.
Elizabeth hasn’t researched beyond writing, I am sure, given that she recently discovered mysticism.
I may have to hit the Iroquois soon again given that they just built a worker or another settler. Now is not the time to let even one mounted warrior around. My iron hookup will take sometime. I remember, Japanese horsemen can upgrade to samurai.
With writing in 28 turns, I decide to switch research to horseback riding and research it as fast as possible. Click on Horsebackriding in the F6 screen. Move the slider in the F1 screen to increase research. I only have 23 gold in my treasury. Setting research at 50% of commerce, horsebackriding is possible in 25 turns, at a net loss of 2gold/turn. Can’t afford that. Setting research at 40%, horseback riding is available in 38 turns at net gain of 0gold/turn. Not acceptable. When I go back to the F6 screen in order to switch research back to writing - which I know I can safely do, my writing research gets reset to 37 turns at my current 40% research rate. What? Oh no! I moved the slider! What was I thinking!?
I leave research on horsebackriding in 40turns, at 10% research rate, giving me a gain of 3gold/turn.
Now I think some more. Since the Ais give writing a high possession priority to the point that they even try extorting it from me – it is my suspicion and hope that Hiawatha will buy writing from England. I might need to give Hiawatha an extension in life – take writing from him, and then take the remaining techs (behind writing) by way of England. Anyway, at emperor level, the AI seems to trade with significantly more ease than I can with it, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Hiawatha somehow ends up getting writing. This sort of thing happens too often in huge maps. Maybe it’ll happen here too.
Attachment: 1050bc.jpg
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Puma
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Canada!!
Nov 2003 time: 05:20
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610bc and on
Iron is linked. Swordman production begins in Kyoto at 3 turns a pop. Osaka and Tokyo are working on barracks. Edo, Satsuma and Kagoshima are producing temples. We have 4 native workers and 4 slaves. I do not wish to produce anymore because populations must now increase to enable faster swordman production.
Horseback Riding in 21 turns, 182gold, 12gold/turn gain
English towns are growing now. The F3 military advisor indicates that with 6 warriors, 1 archer, 7 spears and 2 chariots I have an average army compared to England. I contact England, and then my diplomatic advisor says England’s military outnumbers mine. Those two guys never agree, but they still paint the picture. I also note that England has discovered horseback riding. Hiawatha still hasn’t hooked up his horses, still has 18gold, and possesses only 3 cities. Was my invasion that detrimental to the Iroquois? I have clearly over-estimated their comeback ability. They haven’t yet established an embassy with England.
I stop being picky about my workers’ duties.
I unnecessarily switch entertainment to 10% and leave it there because my garrison units are beginning to move around to the new towns, and I don’t want to micromanage citizen happiness. I dislike reloading due to a single city’s riot. The wine, silk and temples do the rest in terms of preventing a riot.
430bc
Hiawatha builds Allegheny on the western tip of the continent
Horseback riding due in 12 turns. Treasury: 302 gold +12gold/turn. Osaka and Tokyo are working on swords. Satsuma is working on barracks. Edo and Kagoshima, with high waste and corruption in the north, are still working on temples
I change Kyoto’s production to a settler because its breadCounter is almost full and Kyoto cannot grow beyond size 6. The computer had automatically placed Kyoto’s citizen #6 on the silk forest. Had I manually placed citizen 6 on the roaded grass, I would have obtained a higher breadgain rate while maintaining a 3turn swordsman production. The problem was that I was now flying through the game and missed that situation. Happens all the time. Having noticed this little situation, I realize that another town could make use of Kyoto’s western wheat without sacrificing Kyoto’s 3turn sword production.
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