Aggie - Beam 2nd try *spoiler*

[Aggie]

We play a demigod game with Beam as the Ottomans and me as the Russians. SGL's are not activated.

Turn 24: I just finished a granary and now have to grab a super spot ASAP. I hope I'm not too late. Until now my hut luck was terrible, but now I pop a city. Useless place, but I can get a settler of course.

[Socrates]

I hope they will get rid of this feature : popping a city, in Civ4. I hate it when I get one in a place that isn't of my taste. Here in your game it's ridiculous. And it doesn't make sense historically speaking, whereas popping a settler does make sense.

Also you're going + 3fpt ; wouldn't it have been better to produce a settler asap and grab the site with the wheat and the cow ? I say that, but I'm a bit lost when it comes to a settler factory in another city...

[Aggie]

I realised that myself when I saw the game today (after a break of a few weeks). Not one of my best moves... But maybe not crucial. I have a settler running to that spot now.

[Aggie]

Turn 30:

I check all the tribes and it reveals this:

The Zulu have: Masonry, The Wheel, Warrior Code, Iron Working, Mysticism, Alphabet.
Japan has all of that but Alphabet.
Persia also lacks Alphabet.
Iroquois only lack Mystisicm.
France lacks Alphabet, Mystisicm and Warrior Code.

I make 8 gpt and have some cash. So it's time to trade.

-The Zulu give me Alphabet for 4 gpt and 11 gold
-The Persians give me Warrior Code and Mysticism for Alphabet, 4 gpt and 11 gold
-France gives Masonry and The Wheel for Warrior Code, Mystisicm and 19 gold
-The Iroquois give me Mystisicm for 64 gold

A couple of tribes have Horseback Riding. But not all of them.

-Japan gives Horseback Riding for Alphabet and 63 gold
-France gives Iron Working and 9 gold for Horseback Riding

I now have all techs known to the 5 AI I put a scientist in the useless city to bring me Writing in 50.
Horses are next to my capital.

Another event is that I now see orange borders: Beam! Worrying is the SoD of the Zulu that nears me now...

[Aggie]

Turn 51: Japan, The Zulu and French have Mathematics, Writing and Polytheism. Persia and Mayans only has Math and Writing. The Iroquois only know Math.

So:
-I buy Polytheism from France for 16 gpt and 50 gold
-I get Writing and 106 gold from the Maya for Polytheism
-I get Mathematics and 1 gold from the Iroquois for Writing

Japan knows Philo and Construction. The Zulu only know Philosophy. Natrually I can't buy these. I go for a min science run on Literature instead.
Beam lacks Warrior Code, Ceremonial Burial, Writing, Mathematics. He also lacks Mystisicm, Horseback Riding and Polytheism. Added to that: he is smaller than me and I am pathetic already.

All is well, except for my expansion options. The peaceful ones. Persia, Iroquois and Zulu are close.

[Aggie]

Turn 64: A couple of turns ago I got a ROP with the Zulu to get a settler safely from the popped hut site to my core. Beam was chasing me. In the last two turns I have seen three war delcarations, involving the Zulu. I also see two razed cities close to my core (a.o. the Persian city in the upper left corner of the previouis pic), giving me opportunities to grow again

Turn 71:

Japan, Persia, Iroquois and Zulu have Philosophy, Code of Laws, Map Making, Construction. Maya lack Code of Laws. France lacks Construction and Code of Laws. But has Monarchy.

-Japan gets 17 gpt for Code of Laws
-Maya get Code of Laws, 11 gpt and 5 gold for Construction
-France gives Map Making, Philosophy and 57 gold for Construction and Code of Laws

I'm in the tech race again and only need Currency to enter the next age. Beam is far far behind He has no tech more than 20 turns ago.

[Aggie]

Turn 72: Yes, right. Now Japan, France and the Iroquois have currency! One turn after my deal round. I put all my citizens on taxmen and make 18 gpt.

-France sells me the Currency for 18 gpt and 104 gold I JUST made it here!! I get Feudalism for free .
-Xerxes of the Persians gives me 34 gold for Currency. His free tech is Monotheism.
-Xerxes gives me Monotheism and Monarchy for Feudalism
-France spends 10 gpt and 526 gold for Monotheism. All Joan has.
-The Iroquois pay 743 gold for Monotheism
-Japan has 7 gpt for Monotheism
-The Maya pay 52 gold and 3 gpt for Currency
-The Zulu give me 149 gold for Currency

My expansionist trait has helped me BIG TIME in this game. Despite the fact that I hardly popped anything. The contacts (made by scouts) were vital however. I have two MA techs in turns 72 and Beam lacks:




After rearranging everything I make 1 gpt and have 1508 gold in cash. First thing I do is establishing embassies. The Zulu and Persians are my direct neighbours and luckily heavily at war. Beam knows everyone but France:




My sad piece of land:




Beam can research Literature. At the moment his only gambit to get back in the tech race. I decide to go 90% Literature now at -30 gpt. I should have it in 8 turns...

[Aggie]

Turn 76: My military is now weak vs Beam. He won't be happy, because Japan -the neighbours- has the Great Wall. Other neighbours -the Maya- have ToA. Persia is losing the battle. It opens up spots to settle for me.

Turn 79: Beam tells me that he has Literature. I get it in this turn as well... I can at least now sell sell Monotheism to the Maya for 29 gpt and 50 gold. They must have gotten a lot from Beam. Beam now only lacks Poly and Map Making for the Middle Ages I now am going 100% for Republic. I can get it in a sad 29 turns, but I will be building a few libraries. Plus I think that Beam is going the same route, min science. That's my guess anyway. He must be broke. Not all AI has Feudalism/Monotheism. I could gift it to them to hinder Beam in getting back into the tech race, but otoh Engineering is still unknown and that tech @ 1st will surely net Feudalism/Monotheism. So I wait until one of the AI has the last possible free tech for Beam. Then I will close the window.

Turn 81: Beam gets Poly and I have to give Feudalism to Japan and the Iroquois. Meanwhile Persia lost the capital vs France...

Turn 84: Well...no new techs from the AI and Beam managed to get level He's now in the MA as well.

Turn 85: I buy The Republic from France for 750 gold. The Iroquois and them had it already. I switch off research and make 42 gpt before I revolt. The Maya give me 16 gpt and 90 gold for it. They don't know the two civs with that tech I draw 8 freakin' turns of anarchy

EDIT: Reading my own text makes me wonder why I didn't pay gpt to the French

Turn 91: Two turns of anarchy to go. The Iroquois have Chivalry now. I may be able to buy it when I'm in Republic. I can build knights and will go on a campaign for sure.

Turn 93: Beam has Republic and I'm out of anarchy now, making 106 gpt. I rush a few libraries in border cities and hope for more civs with Chivalry.

Turn 97: France and the Iroquois have Chivalry and Theology AND they don't know the Maya I buy Chivalry from France for 49 gpt and notice that the Maya have nothing to offer

[Aggie]

Turn 115: I more and more realized how crucial the missed Literature gambit was. I now lost my only advantage vs Beam and one of my traits is gone (expansionist). Added to that: I'm in the middle of a couple of strong civs with crappy land and Beam is at the corner of an island with danger only coming from the east and north. Every war I want to fight has to include a MA and that would make the wars longer than I can handle. Beam doesn't have this and already could make some gains. Added to that I wasn't able to establish trade routes, despite connecting roads to the Iroquois lands and building a harbor.

In turn 114 Beam MA-ed with the Iroquois vs me and that was just too much. Despite the fact that I'm strong vs Beam I can't possibly fight off the Iroquois. I placed my 7 knights into attackijng postion but then in the IT I see that I still lose Krasnoyarsk and Rostov soon after that.

I give up

[Beam]

Now I see your starting position the only thing I can say is that you've played extremely well Aggie! Indeed, Lit. was the breaking point cause I could catch up in tech.

About trade routes, I had the same issue. Only could get an Incense deal with Japan, that's it.