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I loved the concept of this game. Lots of variant scoring and the scoring methods seem to be mutually exclusive, i.e. if you try for one type of scoring item, you (probably) won't get points for others.
It wasn't obvious to me how to maximize points here, but roughly speaking, I decided to go for lots of temples and cathedrals and such. I'd also try hard for at least the first few wonders. Thirteen points for the Great Lighthouse also seemed like too much to pass up, so a production-heavy coastal city would be an early priority.
I burned a turn moving the settler in the hopes of finding a better site for the capital, but ended up going right back to the starting spot and founding Washington there.
Early huts were promising: a map which revealed a second hut that saved me 13 turns on Animal Husbandry. Nice.
I made my first generous decision in 3460BC. While there was an obvious chance to nab one of Saladin's workers on a as-of-yet unfarmed tile within his cultural borders, I decided to pass.
Early tech research was AH (completed by hut) then Wheel->Pottery. Builds were worker, then warrior, then granary (till size 3), then settler.
My kindness at not poaching is soon rewarded...in the sense that no good deed goes unpunished!
What the ...?! I know I tend to leave my capital lightly defended. And here, both my warriors (my entire army) are on scouting patrols, but there's no way--without cheating--that Isabella can know that my capital is undefended. (Unless the AI analyzes the power chart, notes what units it can see, and deduces the garrison in your city. I doubt it does this....)
So, in 2350BC, I am at war with Isabella. She has a warrior heading toward my undefended capital. Since I went Pottery before Bronzeworking, I have no way of getting a garrison before her warrior will walk unimpeded through the streets of Washington.
So, I stopped playing.
Then I thought about it and loaded up the game again. No replaying of moves, of course, but I realized that all might not *quite* be lost. I had just completed my settler. If I could get it settled before Washington was stormed, I might be able to survive. So....
Okay. I'm able to settle New York on the turn before Washington is sacked. America lives. In the meantime, both warriors are returning from scouting to avenge Washington.
The first warrior attacks Isabella's warrior in Washington and loses at 10.9% odds. The second then attacks. The epic is on the line:
64.3% odds...and victory. Washington is ours again. Barely. Net result: a capital move, the loss of a warrior, a couple pop lost in Washington and the loss of a few turns of having 2 cities. Lesson learned: on Aggressive AI, don't leave your capital undefended...even if the AI can't see into it!
Well, this kind of took a bit of the wind out of my sails. I decided to keep playing, but I was certainly shaken by this. I think I lost a bit of focus because I made many :weed: moves after this.
I got peace with Isabella as soon as she was willing. I never saw another troop of hers. My next goal was a coastal city with decent production so I could build the great lighthouse. I found some coast up to the northeast and plopped down Boston:
Gold in my new capital meant I could have a non-capital city with 4 happy citizens. With cows and 3 grass hills, I figured this was a pretty good production site. Looking back, I should probably have settled on the stone and grabbed the fish. Food is simply power. Regardless, Boston built a granary, then a lighthouse, then the Great Lighthouse.
Continuing the landgrab, I found Philadelphia in Peter's backyard. A leading axe clears the barbarian fog and discovers sufficient food for a good city.
Meanwhile, I decide to go for the Civil Service Slingshot. In 535BC, New York could complete the Oracle in 1 turn. But I was still 4 turns away from Code of Laws. I delayed the Oracle, and a few turns later....
Sigh. This just isn't my game at all. Lost the Oracle by 2 turns after delaying its completion. Oh well, that's why it's a gambit. I don't think I'll be bringing in a top score in this event.
At least I completed the Great Lighthouse. Nice pointage there. Boston has Monty's Buddhism spread to it naturally and then receives a Confucian missionary. It will pump a few missionaries for me while stuck at 4 pop.
I've founded Confucianism in Washington and had Buddhism spread from Monty's capital to Boston (my Great Lighthouse city), so I'm busy spreading those faiths while I generate a great scientist. That first great scientist is used to pop Taoism in Boston. (I wish it had been Philadelphia.) Missionaries and ensuing temples--with a few libraries--are the build priorities as I pursue scoring goals for the 260AD deadline.
Sadly, my free Taoist missionary fails to convert the New Yorkers, so I won't be able to build any Taoist temples before the 260AD scoring date.
Washington completes Chichen Itza in 185AD. Two more points.
In 260AD, I am ready to score some building points:
So, libraries (3 pts), temples (8 pts), wonders (22 pts). Not bad, I guess. Too bad that initial Taoist missionary failed to spread his faith. (Screenshots available upon request)
I included the wonders here for ease of tabulation. I obviously won't count them again later.
Aww crud. Peter wants to bring it. Fine. My production cities (not Boston, which is trying to spread the Taoist faith) have been building barracks and troops. I don't remember what exactly I have in Philadelphia--which thankfully is on a hill--but it holds off his 3 Axe, 1 Chariot, 1 Archer initial assault force.
Also, I am one turn away from researching Construction when Peter declares on me. You know what that means...
To spice things up for me a bit, I notice in 440AD that Saladin has "enough on his hands." And sure enough, in 515AD:
Well, I can't be bothered. I'm on a quest for religions that I don't have, so I need this:
And there are the little irritations of war, like...
...Saladin's lone chariot pillaging my copper. But I have Iron from near Alex's city to the west. And I have Construction and Ivory. So, I'm good.
I'll spare you the details of the war. I am dismayed to find that both of these AIs who have declared on me have absolutely terrible capitals. I find myself compelled to...
...do Peter the favor of razing Moscow for him. I don't want the city, and I don't want the cultural pressure on Philadelphia. Peter is then willing to end his little spat with me, and--for Monotheism and Archery--I accept.
Saladin is proving a bit tougher, so I enlist our mutual neighbor Alex. Polytheism and Code of Laws are sufficient to cause him to enter the battle. This is necessary because Montezuma has "enough on his hands" too.
With Alex's help, I liberate Baghdad, Damascus and Medina from Saladin. Mecca is not worth keeping, so I let Alex burn up some effort on Saladin. In 860AD, Saladin offers cash, gpt and Currency to buy peace with me. I accept. I've acquired Hinduism from him and now, with Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Confucianism and Taoism, I've got some serious religious work to do before 1502AD.
Here's a shot of the new southern cities that Saladin was kind enough to start for us:
I commit another strategic blunder during all this. I went after Civil Service upon missing the CS slingshot. This enabled Hatty to discover Music first and grab the free Great Artist. Foolish of me. Somewhere in there, I generated my own Great Artist and settled him in Washington.
Isabella has the audacity to plant two jungle cities between my capital and the Great Lighthouse of Boston. So, in 980AD, I decide to incorporate them into our little empire:
Cordoba actually gets auto-razed, so I have to send a settler there to found Atlanta in the same spot. Lost a religion....
In 1070AD, I turn down this request from Alex:
He's asking me to re-join the war I bribed him into. I actually want that war to end, so I decline. I'm really not doing well on the diplomatic front with anyone in this game.
Anyway, as I go for Music so I can build cathedrals, I have a decent little empire:
Then, even more unexpected things start happening:
Monty declares on Isabella and proceeds to eliminate her. Peter joins Alex in beating up on Saladin until he's eliminated. And I seem to experience a high rate of missionary failure. Sigh. (Actually, some of the failed missionaries were in cities with 4 religions already, so I can't complain too loudly.)
Still, the loss of these civilizations is not good. Caesar has already been eliminated, having lost an early city to the barbs and then having the misfortune of finding himself ill-equipped to handle the Khan next door.
I continue to build missionaries, temples and as many cathedrals as I can, but am interupted by this:
Okay, note to self: aggressive AIs are not impressed by massive religious buildups. Or the fact that everyone who declares on me suffers for it.
I weather Genghis' assaults okay. He sends many Keshiks, but I have catapults and elephants and I fear him not. He is so far away that I don't want to send troops to take/raze any cities, so it takes a long time for him to consent to peace.
This little sneak is not impressed by our joint conquest of the Spanish and causes me to do some whipping that I'd rather not have done. Having a two-front war is no fun, even with decent troops. Still, I lose no cities and suffer only minor pillaging.
And then I notice what Alex has left over from his conquest of Arabia:
Yikes! Okay, I've been suckered. I've been chasing the red herring points here by trying to get several religions and cathedrals and researching Education and all. Suddenly, I might not even survive. I don't think I can handle a three-front war against that Stack of Doom.
I switch to Hinduism to try to get on Alex's good side. (Why oh why didn't I declare with him on the dying Saladin! What a fool I was!)
Time passes. I kill a lot of Mongolian troops, but really, they've slowed to a trickle. Lots of Aztec troops die too. But my real concern is pumping out cathedrals and getting Education researched in time to build a few universities. Optimistically, I even have libraries in my new Spanish cities, but really, there's no way I'm going to get enough population in there to whip universities. Then....
Toku declares on me in 1412AD. Crap. The last thing I need to be doing is fighting a 3-front war before 1502. Fortunately:
Alex makes a great pal! I can't even see any Japanese troops when Toku declares on me. But if they were coming through Greece, they're going to have to wade through Alex's stack of doom.
Bwahahaha! Actually, it took a couple of turns before that stack moved out of his city, but I sure am glad he finally "liked me" enough to accept another war bribe.
I decide I need peace with everyone sooner rather than later, so I pull the trigger and decide to go ahead and grab Barcelona from Monty. Why should he reap most of the benefit of Isabella's passing?
Also, I take advantage of this to make peace with Genghis. He's finally willing to talk and offers his world map, a bit of gold and some gpt for peace. I accept.
Finally, in 1430, Monty is willing to pay for peace:
I accept. I've gotta get stuff built!
So, now I'm free to concentrate on building and in a couple turns, I can whip some Universities too!
Gaaahhh! Not another war declaration! And at the last push for points too. Grumble. I hope Kodii's playing this one. I want to see how a good diplomat approached this game.
Well, at least he primarily attacks Philadelphia which has several troops because it's been fending off Genghis' raiders. Also, it's size 8 and has the Heroic Epic, so there's lots of population ready to be converted to defenders. I'm also able to scrounge up a few maces and some cats to threaten one of Peter's nearby cities:
I decide to keep it. Don't need another "razed city" penalty going forward.
A few turns later, it's time for scoring. Fortunately, there are still a few trees near my production cites, so even though they whipped defenders for Peter's surprise, I can still get a few Universities built.
Scoring Summary: Again, screenshots available upon request, but here's what I've got:
So, that's 5 religions with 2 cathedrals each (20 pts) and 3 universities (3 pts). No more wonders since 260AD.
So, pointwise, I got 33 points by 260AD, and another 23 pts here. Total is 56 pts.
I'm reasonably pleased with this. I underestimated how much war there would be here. I probably would have been better off crushing a few opponents and keeping all or most of their land rather than trying to get by with as few troops as possible. But for what it was, it went well.
This is also where I stopped playing. My current computer just doesn't handle standard/large maps very well, so a lot of these turns were taking up to a minute to compute already...and that kind of thing only gets worse. I confess too that I was a bit down because so many things seemed to go poorly: very early loss of capital, lots of inconvenient war declarations, poor tech plan, some bad missionary luck. I even let 3 AIs die already. That's what I get for going for the library/temple/university/cathedral scoring goals though.
Here's how the world looked when I abandoned it:
For comparison, I think I probably would have gotten 2 more points for wonders (the late two worth a point each though Versailles and Hagia hadn't yet been built by an AI), 25 for cultural victory, 4x8=32 for surviving AIs (since all have good amounts of land remaining and me as their protector), no points for fast victory and 5 points for a combat 5 navy seal. An estimated 64 more points out of a possible 69.
But, in fact I only got: 56 points.
This was a very fun epic for me. Even though I made mistakes and feel like I chased some red herrings here, I really enjoy these crazy variant scoring systems. I'm sure I didn't maximize this one, but loved trying to. Looking forward to more weird scoring systems in future events.