| Epic 46: The Two Towers |
| Being my report for the Realms Beyond Civilization Epic 46, the rules
for which can be found here.
Ah-ha! At last! A game where I can build a vast empire! Carpet the world in my cities! Er, wait. Wrong game. So maybe we actually get only two cities. And maybe we somehow have to get the spaceship and win. On Emperor. And you know, I've done that sort of thing before, but 2CCing it on Conquests Emperor, which hates me, may be pushing it. But I guess we'll just see about that, won't we? |
| The End Is the Beginning Is the End |
| And lo, it was 4000 BC, and I was RBCiv-46 of the Spanish, who were
Seafaring and Religious of all things. Too, everyone runs around in a
rather pleasing turquoise color, which, as always, beats pink. Probably
we'll be giving the whole exploitation of natives with speedy horse
riding adventurers who conquer vast empires thing a miss, too.
Anyway, we have this starting spot.
It appears to be a perfectly legitimate starting spot, so we'll just go ahead and start there. So we found Minas Madrid. The Goths over the hill are very impressed with that, and give us some maps. It being 4000 BC, they aren't very GOOD maps, drawn on some form of dead animal skin as they are (we note the furry remains clinging to the underside), but at least they're maps, and hey, what can you expect from barbarians, really? This "writing" technology sounds like a good plan, we decide. That having been done, we order up some warriors to go scout the place out. It turns out that practically right next door is a particularly nice spot for a city. Directly on a river, in some shady trees, with scenic mountain vistas and cows peacefully grazing in pastures, never mind that we haven't invented them yet. It also turns out there's some interesting spicy stuff coming from one grove of trees.
Everyone in Madrid scrambles to be part of the settling party. It also turns out that we're apparently right next door to the Koreans, who have bronze working and not much else other than a whole lot of spears. Eventually we calm down the mob, organize a settling party, and send it off. Minas Cadiz is founded a short time later. Our urge for exploration is not done, however, and Minas Madrid starts work on some curraghs to go exploring with. This pays off with the discovery of a bunch of folks on another island dressed all in red who call themselves the Japanese. Just like the Koreans, they're much more advanced than us, but still have no alphabet. Ha! Maybe we'll trade them the knowledge after we discover what those orangish borders are across the channel from Korea. They turn out to be the Ottomans, and they haven't got the alphabet either. And us, well, we're up Writing on the whole world, and going for Literature. Books sound interesting. Our immediate neighbors discovered, we make the rounds. Korea has:
The Ottomans have: Bronze Working Masonry Pottery Warrior Code Mysticism Japan has:
We're up writing on the world, alphabet on the Ottos, and Ceremonial Burial on Korea. The Ottos also have a very frightening military:
We do Alphabet to the Ottos for Masonry straight up, Masonry to Japan for Mysticism and Pottery, and Masonry to Korea for Bronze Working and Warrior Code. Japan now has the Wheel on us. Rah rah for the curragh. Also brought to you by the curragh are the Portugese, who have Iron Working and the Wheel (for those of you keeping score, Japan has the Wheel, Korea has IW). It just so happens that Ceremonial Burial and 25 gold will get me IW from Korea, and Japan apparently picked up IW that very turn, so no wheels for us yet. With 4 warriors, 3 curraghs, and 3 workers, we are apparently #6 on the most powerful nations list, which makes you sort of wonder about Portugul and Byzantium. Surprise of surprises, we have iron at Minas Madrid. Too, it becomes possible to trade Korea Mysticism for the Wheel, and get my 25 gold back. So I do this. I could have bought a worker, but Korea is randomly 3CCing it, so I think they need the help. Portugul has HBR on me. As it happens, I started a prebuild for the Great Library at Minas Madrid with the Colossus. As it works out, I'm due to get the Colossus 2 turns after getting Literature. At which point you say "Why not?" and just build the Colossus.
And, since the rest of the world is being slower than snails at getting techs, may as well research Philosophy in hopes of a free tech. Rather shortly thereafter, we run into the Mongols, who pretty much suck the good suck, except they have HBR and I have Alphabet, Mysticism, and Masonry on them. The Alphabet for HBR + 10 gold trade ought to be the obvious result of that. The Ottos are up Polytheism on me, and that's it. It's pretty embarrassing how well you can dominate the early tech race with a couple of curraghs. Especially on archipeligo. About the time Philosophy is supposed to come in, I give Osman IW and the Wheel and 45 gold for Polytheism. Yes, there is a method to my madness. We acquire Monarchy, then go for Map Making. Korea has Math. And it's, you know, 1225 BC, and I'm the only person in the WORLD with Writing. Er...what's that you say, Wang? Math and all your money for HBR? Ok. A little while later, Osman comes by, demanding...HBR. What's that, Osman? You don't have Map Making? In fact, you haven't even built a single boat? Well ok then. Go away. He doesn't, as it turns out. A bit later, Tokugawa comes by and demands the exact same thing, except he actually HAS Map Making, and declines to invade me. And it just keeps on coming, as Portugul demands Philosophy. No. He backs off, too, but clearly something will need to be done. In 850 BC, somebody other than me builds a wonder, as the Ottos build the Oracle. As for me, well...
When I can talk to the Ottos, I give them HBR for peace and 80 gold, which buys me embassies with everyone I didn't already have one with. Everyone's building the Pyramids, but it looks like I've got that race won. Two things are amusing about Korea's situation. One, he built a horse colony, only to have me expand my culture borders and take it from him. For that matter, it's pretty funny how everyone in the world is in awe of my culture. Two, Wang's building roads all over my land to get to his northern land. And really, I'm going to let him do that. In 670 BC, somebody apparently got CoL and traded it, because I pull it from the shelves of the Great Library. Osman is randomly up Construction on me. The Mongols come wandering by, demanding Mysticism. Now, as it happens, the Mongols have Map Making. So I'll cave. However, the military situation needs to improve shortly. And apparently I wasn't going to win the Pyramids, because Sir Not Appearing On the Map Just Yet, the Aztecs, builds them. So I have to settle for, oh, let's see. How about the Hanging Gardens, since the cascade gave the Mausoleum to Byzantium, who's off somewhere cavorting with the Aztecs or something. That's maybe the tenth time or so ever that I've built the Hanging Gardens.
Rather shortly thereafter:
Once we get a rax in Minas Madrid and upgrade the curraghs, we'll be good to go. And this is done. In 310 BC, Wang gets uppity and demands Polytheism. Well, there's not much I can do to stop him if he runs over me, so sure. Never thought I'd be building libraries in a 2CC because the rest of the world can't research fast enough. This demanding thing is getting old. Yes Toku, you can have Literature. That same turn, the Mongols land a warrior next to Minas Madrid. We all know what THAT means. Yes, they sneak attacked with a single warrior. In 130 BC, Construction comes in, and Spain reaches a new age. Let us
pause here for the End of Age tech roundup:
Clearly it sucks to be Portugul. 50 BC is painful: Osman demands Currency. That ages him, and he pulls Fuedalism. Too, there's something about Mongol warriors suiciding themselves on my fortified spears in cities that evokes the warm fuzzy feeling. Everyone who's anyone has pretty much entered the Middle Ages by now. Korea pulled Engineering and traded it to Osman, which means I get it too. In 90 AD I finally find the Byzantines, who are...surprisingly advanced, considering their location. I'm only up CoL, Currency, and Monarchy on them. It turns out a few turns later that Osman is going to sneak attack me. Not much I can do about that, so I let them. And their sword dies on my spears. And that's arright by me. The Mongols show up, too, but honestly. Archers and warriors? Never mind how many of them there are, they're warriors and archers. Somewhere in here, 250 AD or so, we meet the Aztecs, and they suck. And given Byzantium's recent building of the Statue of Zeus, I'm not sure they'll live long. Meanwhile, back in my war, I begin building Sun Tzu's essentially because I can. There's a certain amount of glee in trebing people's galleys. New one: The Mongols move a spear into my territory from Korean territory, but by my turn said spear is gone. WTH? In 330 AD I trade the Mongols Currency for 17 gold and peace, because I'm kind of tired of fighting them. Especially with the Ottos, who actually have, you know, iron, landing MDIs on me. So they immediately go to war with Korea. Ok then. In 360 AD, we pull Republic from the Great Library. We revolt immediately. Finally in 440 AD we get an interesting war: Portugul declares on Japan. Portugul, who's, well, pretty much not winning the tech race, and Japan, who at least hit the Middle Ages. Byzantium, not to be outdone, declares on the Aztecs. About that same time, we pull Invention from the Great Library. 470 AD sees the Ottos and the Mongols ally against us. Bring it on, Ironless Man. Somehow, I win the race to Sun Tzu's. Assorted people switch to Leo's, which I guess they can just go ahead and do if they want.
Ruh-roh. In 530 AD, Korea and the Mongols sign an alliance against us. This is bad. Then the Ottos sign Japan. Ack. So, here I am, fighting off a lot of Koreans.
And I get this idea. Like "Hey Ghengis. How about I give you Engineering and 75 gold, and you attack Japan for me. Sound like a plan? Great. This same thing works about the same a bit later, when I pay Korea 8gpt to make peace with me and go fight the Ottos. As an aside, it's funny how much use of forts I'm making in this game. I've got one on my iron hill, one on the very strategic horse hill near the habitual Otto landing beach, and now one on my spices. Pike garrisons abound. I'm paying a whole lot for it, to be honest, but hey, Korea almost scared me right there. Good job, Korea. Sign up the world, including Japan, against the Ottos. As it happens, the Ottos cascade onto the Sistine Chapel, and I lose it. Ack. Well, that's the world's most expensive treb. My research on Gunpowder is preempted by the Great Library, and I go for Chemistry. It goes without saying that the only saltpeter around is just over the Korean border. Every so often, you do things because you can:
Apparently that was my GA trigger, too. The whole "make the tech leaders fight each other" strategy pretty much works out until about 840, when the Ottos bribe Portugul, who is decidedly not a tech leader, into fighting me. Considering their lack of Currency, I'm more or less fine with that. About 960 AD, peace pretty much breaks out all over. I'm still fighting the Ottos, but when have I NOT been fighting the Ottos? Speaking of which, I pull some Omaha Beach action on a knight and longbow Osman lands. For not ever building any trebs, I sure am using them a lot this game. Then, just like D-Day, Osman gets serious:
At the same time, Theodora demands contact with the Ottos from me. Since the Byzantines CAN'T REACH ME, they can just go away. They declare war, but honestly, who cares? It turns out that that fortress on the horse hill was worth every penny - 4 longbows, a knight, and an MDI go up the hill, and only a 1 hp longbow and the knight come down. I pull Education from the Great Library, and that's that. A most useful wonder. So I had this random elite longbow...
It, uh, turns out that he can't be an army. That's funny. So he founds a university in Minas Madrid. In 1030 AD, the Mongols demand contact with the Aztecs. I should've given in, but I didn't, and the Mongols declare. Well, we've been there. We set up a drainage system at Omaha Beach to channel the blood flow from dead Ottos. Everybody wants contacts. Like the Aztecs. But since they can't HURT me, screw 'em. Even if they declare on me. So, here we are on Omaha Beach. And some Mongol galleys sail up, and guys in yellow smocks start leaping over the sides and coming up the beach towards this very impressive looking castle on a hill with a moat. And then big rocks start raining down on them. And when they're all dazed and confused, these guys in steel armor rush out and slaughter them with swords. Sound like fun? Always wanted to drop big rocks on barbarians? Think a suit of platemail will improve your chances with the ladies? What we've just described is a typical day in the Spanish Army. Contact your local Minas Madrid or Minas Cadiz recruiter for more information. Uncle RBCiv wants YOU. In 1160, I decide that, well, this contact war business is getting kind of old. So we dial up a few folks and trade. The Ottos are pretty lucrative: Banking, Astronomy, 74 gold, and 7gpt for Printing Press and the contacts. I get peace with them and Japan and Byzantium. Then we go full steam ahead on Physics. Something's definitely whacked. Mongols land a spear and an archer, and the archer just disappears. Then they do it with a spear/longbow combo, and the longbow vanishes. WTH? A pair of longbows manages to keep intact though. Handily beating out all rivals...
On a purely technical level, I'm sort of impressed how the Mongols are able to sail across the world and land a galley full of worthless troops on my shores each and every single turn. In 1355 AD, we are the first to enter the Industrial Age, followed shortly thereafter by...
Impressed by this, the Mongols make straight up peace with me. Unimpressed by this, the Aztecs land an assorted 9 MDIs and 2 Pikes at Omaha. That's actually sort of an issue. I'm beginning to fall behind in tech now, as both scientific Korea and the scientific Ottos hit Industrial, draw Medicine and Steam Power, and trade it to each other. I get Steam through my research, but obviously I have no coal, because, hey. What kind of RBCiv scenario would this be if we could build railroads without some hardship? In 1455, bad things happen. Bad, bad things. My iron dries up. It goes to the Aztecs, who I am of course at war with. Gah. So there's 280 gold to the Aztecs for peace and iron. And then I can get down to railroading. Every so often, you look up, and you say "Oh. Glad I missed that."
And then it came to pass that I bought Medicine from Osman just as Electricity came in, and started research at max on SciMeth. And this would come in in 11 turns. Glee is watching Korea declare on the Aztecs and, due to Korea's MPPs, drawing in the Mongols and Portugul as well. Then Japan signs up, just for fun. In 1580, I trade SciMeth, 700 gold, and 10gpt to Osman for Industrialization. I ought to be able to beat everyone to ToE. If not, well, I'm in trouble. I do, in fact, beat everybody.
And, astonishingly, I pick Atomic Theory and Electronics for my techs. Atomic Theory and 250 gold to Korea will get me his Corporation monopoly and Nationalism. Atomic Theory to Osman gets me Replacable Parts, 111 gp, and 16 gpt. Slam research to full on Sanitation, and away we go. Astonishingly, I have rubber. The very next turn, we come up with a big big winner. Korea declares on Osman! It's world war time! "Gee," you say. "I'm not sure if the Mongols are going to sneak attack me or not."
You'll never believe this, but he sneak attacked me. And died for his trouble, but. What happens when one side in a fight has fortified positions with tons of artillery and infantry, and the other side is scraping the bottom of the medieval tech barrel, is left as an exercise for the reader. I'm sure we all saw this coming:
And we sort of all saw this coming, too, but man I hate it when it happens.
Yeah, I cave. I can't fight Korea. It turns out, upon researching refining, that I lack oil. Wow! Never would have guessed that! In 1764, Portugul dies to Japan. I didn't even know they were fighting. Then again, with the rampant world wars raging right now, I'm never sure. And then there was a whole lot of following Korea up the tech tree. At best, Korea's only up Combustion on me. At worst, Combustion and probably one other tech. We're the only two civs actively in the research game right now. All others are knocked into Fascism (Ottomans) or were never in the running (everyone else). Or maybe I'm proved wrong about that as Korea starts building the UN. Fortunately for me, there's no way Korea's going to win the vote. In 1826, Korea snags the UN. As I predicted, no vote gets held. Well, it was a good game while it lasted. Ack.
Amazingly, I survive the first turn, although all the defenders of Minas Cadiz get taken out, and I get cruise missiled and blitzkreiged, amongst other things. However, I am able to sign the entire world to MPPs at a reasonable price, so there's a chance next turn, if I live, of drawing Korea off. Of course the MPPs backfired and I declare on the Ottos, which essentially screws me, but hey.
So close! Agh! So close! |
