PBEM #1 - Newbie seeks PTW PBEM game

[RegentMan]

This game was started on March 8, 2005. A "newbie" wanted to play a PTW PBEM game, and since there were no other epic games open, I thought "why not?" We got a nice little four player game:

RegentMan - Praetaria (base civ America)
admanb - Arabia (random)
Hawklord - China (random)
bathsheba666 - England

I created the game, with the following parameters:

Tiny map
70% Panagea
Sentendary barbs
Random temp/climate/age
Regent difficulty.

And with that, the game was on.

[RegentMan]

I started on the hill to the east of La Ville de RegentMan. My scout went east while the settler went west, and in 3950BC, La Ville de RegentMan was founded. Research was set to the wheel at 100% science.

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/2005812211948_Pic 1.JPG
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[RegentMan]

I had spotted Chinese borders four turns earlier, in 3650BC, but avoided making contact. I climbed a hill and discovered Arab and Chinese units.

England got a second city from a goody hut. Lucky bastards. Here is the map from 3300BC, when I discovered the last empire:

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/2005812214435_Pic 2.JPG
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My beautiful capital:

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/2005812214525_Pic 3.JPG
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[RegentMan]

In 2750BC, I founded my second city, Donna Forever. It was named after my then close female friend.

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/2005812215922_Pic 4.JPG
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[RegentMan]

Seeing how little land Hawklord (China) and admanb (Arabia), I could just imagine their settler groups spoiling the huge chunk of land east to me. Thus, I released the Praetarian Expansion Doctrine:

quote:[u]The Praetarian Expansion Doctrine</u>
Let it be known that the nation of Praetaria claims all land east of the Praetarian capital of La Ville de RegentMan. As such, it is considered Praetarian land. Praetaria may do with it as she sees fit. This includes, but is not limited to, moving units, founding cities, improving tiles, and selling said land. At the time of this declaration, no new foreign units may enter Praetarian territory. The only allowed units are the ones already there. Praetaria will not take kindly to trespassers. We look forward to cooperating with our friends on this Earth to build a steady and peaceful future.

Signed,
RegentMan
President of Praetaria

Apparently, admanb's exploring warrior was near bathsheba666's goody hut city. I presume that this city was undefended, and bathsheba666 used this as an excuse to capture admanb's settler that had just left Mecca. The Anglo-Arabian War had begun... but that's all it was. Peace was made afterwards.

I always thought that it might turn into a 2v2 match, with England, the big dog in the west, and Arabia verses Praetaria, the potential big dog in the east, and China.

In 1830BC, Kristy Town was founded. Little did I know that soon after that, the war to end all wars would begin, and the results would be decisive.

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/2005812222643_Pic 5.JPG
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[RegentMan]

bathsheba666 moved in on Mecca and captured it and its worker. admanb had founded Medina just before that (obviously not knowing that a wandering settler keeps you alive as well as a city). Hawklord was going to capture Medina to "protect it from English domination." However, bathsheba666 wanted to deny China their iron, and declared war on China.

Praetaria didn't just sit back and watch these events unfold. I knew very well that England would keep marching and conquer my precious female cities (and RegentMan!). Thus, I contacted admanb and Hawklord, and we released this declaration:

quote:The Joint Alliance Declaration
It is obvious that England is waging a war of aggression upon her neighbors. An English victory will equal an English-dominated continent, something that is unthinkable for Praetaria, China, and Arabia. Recent English conquest of the Arabian capital of Mecca has forced these nations to rethink their attitude towards this violent nation. One nation cannot dominate the entire continent. Thus, here are our demands:

1. England will return the city of Mecca to Arabia.

2. England will not have any troops, combat and non-combat, outside her north-eastern territory. She may have troops present inside her territory, and all land south and west of her current cities.

3. Praetaria, China, and Arabia will not station any troops, combat and non-combat, on any tile adjacent to English borders.

If England refuses any one of these three points, she is to know that that will cause a state of war to exist between England and Praetaria, England and China, and England and Arabia. Know that these three defending nations will not stop fighting until every stain of English aggression is wiped from this planet. Know that we will not quit. The choice is yours England. Do you comply?

Signed,

RegentMan
President of Praetaria

Hawklord
Master of the Chinese Dynasty

Adam
Shah of Arabia

bathsheba666 responded:
quote:My scouts reported no obvious long term future for England on this continent.
Peace appears to hold no dividend.

The one resource to hand is iron.
I am resolved to win or die by it.

Do your worst.
[tongue]

Thus, in 1725BC, Praetaria declared war on England. Unfortunately, a Praetarian scouting division was captured when war broke out.

admanb wasn't long for this world:

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/2005812224155_Pic 6.JPG
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The left ruin used to be the city of Medina, while the right one was a Chinese city. This was a bad omen.

[RegentMan]

I sent my whole army that mattered over Hawklord (which was unfortunately merely an archer and two spearmen). bathsheba666 had three spearmen and two swordsmen in the previous picture, with more en route. I founded Ferric Ferrous to get my iron in range, with priority made to get it hooked up. Meanwhile, Donna Forever and La Ville de RegentMan were producing barracks, so that veteran warriors could be upgraded.

Hawklord was pressuring me to attack, but I didn't believe I could do anything that would help us without needlessly sacrificing my "army." Thus, I fortified on a strategic tile outside of Beijing.

It was slain. I knew Hawklord couldn't survive the attack on Beijing, his last city. Thus, I offered him Kristy Town if he felt the way I did. My next turn came around, and Kristy Town was under a pink flag. bathsheba666 promised peace if I took Kristy Town. I knew that was folly, and I am not one to break my word.

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/20058122319_Pic 7.JPG
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In 1325BC, I finally hooked up my iron and upgraded. Just in time for the English attack on Donna Forever (with whipped walls) in 1300BC to wipe them out... I realized there that the war was lost, and offered peace. It went unanswered. I abandoned Donna Forever to avoid English occupation. Kristy Town was captured, and Hawklord went bye bye. Praetaria was doomed.

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/2005812231831_Pic 8.JPG
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[RegentMan]

bathsheba666 had spent centuries pillaging the lands around La Ville de RegentMan. In 900BC, a lone unit guarded my capital, which was size seven. I sent him out to Ferric Ferrous, sold all my buildings in the capital, then whipped a unit, switched to wealth, whipped again, etc. La Ville de RegentMan to size one. That way, bathsheba666 would have quite the unhappiness problems.

Ferric Ferrous soon fell, and that left me with my lone city to claim the horses, Resisting Hill (ironically built on a hill). Surrounded by three swordsmen and a spearman, this was my final post while the game was going on:

quote:The president peers out of his hut. With the English Army in the distance and no other cities to run to, he knows defeat is at hand. The souls of the thousands of Arab, Chinese, and Praetarian soldiers destroys his usual calm and assertive self. "I've killed tens of thousands of Praetarians" he thought to himself, referring to the La Ville de RegentMan evacuation whippings. He grabs the sword from the floor and gives himself a slice - he slumps to the floor, dead. The citizens of Resisting Hill and the other occupied Praetarian cities wonder what the future holds for them. Will they receive the same fate as the poor souls in Donna Forever and Kristy Town? Only time will tell...

http://www.civ3duelzone.com/forum/uploaded/RegentMan/2005812235348_Pic 9.JPG
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quote:800BC played and sent.

I'd like to congratulate you, bathsheba666. You played a cunning, aggressive game. I'd also like to thank everyone involved. Admanb, Hawklork, bathsheba666: thanks for the quick play and grand experience. I'd love to play with you all again sometime in the future! :D

Thus that's the tale of my first completed PBEM. Methinks I played it too much like a single player game. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading!

This game ended on June 2, 2005.

[classical_hero]

You didn't expand quickly enough. Fast expansion is vital in games where you can build settlers.

[RegentMan]

I was on par with all of the other civs, if not better. I think the main reason why I lost is England had an army, while Praetaria was focused on peaceful expansion. If I had set out to build an army from the first war, it might have been different.