For what it's worth, I find the DoF blocking completely legitimate. Archduke didn't have to sign the DoF, and the tactic has been done before, repeatedly, so it's not like it came out of nowhere.
That said, if everyone involved finds it unfun, then like others have said games ARE supposed to be fun...
I'll start of discussing policies ... I swapped out of Urban Planning for what I think is only the 2nd time of the game (I ran Colonization as the economic policy for about 10 turns earlier in the game). The production has been instrumental in fueling my economic growth (10% empire-wide production boost on average up to this point). Gold however is now more important than production as I prepare for defensive upgrades as well as Galley > Caravel upgrades for the Exploration inspiration. I slotted Land Surveyors for 1-turn tile purchase for the harbor at Pinochle ... need 2 harbors for the Cartography eureka, and the other will be at Free Cell.
Caravansaries and Conscription obviously for the gold production. Limes I will swap out of next turn after chopping +100% boosted at Sushi Go. Maneuver will be slotted next turn instead of Limes. Serfdom will take the place of Land Surveyors for a few turns as I will have 4 builders completing in the near future, after which I'm thinking Natural Philosophy for +7. I might add Maritime Industries in the wild card slot instead of Natural Philosophy though. I do want to start getting Quadriremes on the water for future upgrade, but harbors are slotted in first so it will be a bit until I get to this.
On the core overview you can see that things are coming together very nicely! Chess is completing a Library this turn as a filler build (only 2 turns total!) until I can swap into Maneuver next turn. Pinochle is completing walls next turn. I decided to forego a +100% chop into walls. I don't want to kill the golden goose (4 riverside plains lumber-mill) to get a single golden egg (120 lump). I expect the game to go on more than 30 turns and I don't have any high-leverage build available. I do want walls though around the encampment for when the DoF expires.
I identified the tile for Sushi Go's encampment. I've been debating long and hard between the flatland hex shown and the border hill 1W. The border hill will be claimed by cultural expansion next turn, but I decided on the flatland square for a couple of reasons. The primary reason is that Russia's DotF practically negates any benefit that I would get from the added range into Russian territory, while multiple Russian units could make use of DotF cover during the assault. The main purpose for the encampment is added security over the vulnerable Commercial Hub flatland tile. As located on the flatland, the encampment from Pinochle can provide additional support by firing on any tile adjacent to Sushi Go's encampment, and vice-versa. The plain will be virtually closed down from a flanking attack, leaving the only open vector for Russian attack a direct frontal assault on Sushi Go (or Valletta from the north). Planting the encampment on flatland also leaves the hill open for another strong mine tile.
Now a quick city-by-city overview:
The two things I want to highlight at Chess are the production (33/turn!) and housing. I'm targeting growth to size 10 with ETA about 17 turns. Due to the massive culture generation I'm going to be hard pressed to not waste culture at the Civil Service bottleneck. I think I can achieve the eurekas to get me to Exploration in that timeframe though so I should be OK. Once I grow to size 9 I'll steal the deer camp and dye plantation to raise housing cap to 11.
I just purchased the harbor tile at Pinochle for 76. The harbor will be discounted and will cost just over 100, or 5-turn build. I need a few more turns to grow first so I'll get I think 2 Heavy Chariots build in the mean time. One of the HC I'll upgrade to Knight in order to raise city defense rating, the other I'll keep in reserve to upgrade as needed if Russia presses an attack. I'm planning to slot the +30% encampment policy at some point to knock out the two at Pinochle and Sushi Go. Pinochle has a builder 1-turn from completion that I want to eventually use for a few lumber-mills around Pinochle and Free Cell. I'm about 8-9 turns out from unlocking Machinery so I'll go build a mine at Sushi Go first so that I can be safely away from the border when the DoF expires.
Cribbage is slated to finally get some love after all these turns of supplying the rest of the empire with builder labor. The 6-charge builder will first plantation the Coffee for the gold and +1 housing in combination with the Dyes. Then 2 plains-hill mines for the pop growth + swap off dye, and the final 3 charges will go north to Dominion. After the builder I'll finish the Industrial Zone (5 turns) which will bring production up to 20/turn. My economic engine is really starting to crank up over the next 10 turns! I'll probably get a horseman or two out of Cribbage after the IZ for extra insurance in cast Russia gets frisky. No point in building an empire if I'm just going to let it fall apart like a house of cards. Need to maintain a balance!
Remaining city overviews to follow in another post due to attachment limit.
Valletta has stalled out due to housing cap and lack of good productive tiles to work. There are 2 hills 2nd ring and another hill + horse 3rd ring but it will take a while for the borders to expand. In the mean time it is plugging away slowly in a support role. I was intending to limes-chop out the market here, but unfortunately the Colosseum amenities unexpectedly applied on the turn that Colosseum was built pushing the walls to complete at exactly 80/80 The market is needed for the Guilds inspiration and afterwards I'll probably build a horseman for lack of any better options and extra insurance against Russia.
Lots of exciting things planned at Sushi Go over the next 10 turns. Next turn I limes-chop the forest 1NE. Overflow will complete the in-production builder (slated for YELLOW tile improvements). After the builder I'm planning to put the remaining overflow into the Market which should come very close to 1-turn it. Afterwards a horseman to near completion for 50% boosted chop from the western hill, which will overflow into the Encampment. I'll have the +30% encampment policy slotted by that time in order to knock out the encampment by the time the DoF with Russia ends.
Free Cell will have the important role of building my first Harbor district, allowing me to get the 4th trader completed for the Medieval Faires inspiration. After the Harbor I'm tentatively planning to slot Maritime Industries again to start Quadrireme production before that policy card is rendered obsolete by Exploration (only about 15 turns away). Alternatively I could build a Horseman here if needed. Or a lighthouse for the housing, with the goal of eventually Great Lighthouse. I don't know what the charges from the in-production builder will do. Maybe north to use a couple charges at Dominion as well? Dominion is going to be growing like a weed. I build all these builders taking advantage of the +30% Ilkum bonus in anticipation of being able to slot Serfdom for the +2 charges. Can't complain about extra labor! I'll figure out some way to put it to use!
Dominion is only 3 turns old but already anticipating long-term powerhouse potential. An existing builder will complete the RED mine next turn exactly as needed to sync with growth to size 2. I'm considering sending Free-Cell's un-allocated builder to Cribbage and letting the Cribbage builder come north a couple turns earlier in order to keep Dominion working improved tiles as it grows. I wanted a mine ahead of the 2nd farm simply because growth is already going to tax my ability to improve tiles, and the faster Monument will speed up acquisition of 2nd ring tiles. I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do for districts here. Industrial Zone 1NW with the potential for future Ruhr Valley on the Rice 1W looks enticing. A cheap Carnival 1NE to boost adjacency of the IZ up to +4 sounds like a decent option. I have those 2 forest to chop at some point. I don't think there's a good way to get a production multiplier on those chops unfortunately. I think they will be best spent on a granary to speed growth onto the juicy hills and them maybe the 2nd into the IZ? I have some time yet to consider the options further.
Overall after 10 turns I'll have 4 cities exceeding 20/turn, and the capital will be well over 30/turn! I'm going to have minimum of another 6 horseman plus 2 Heavy Chariots by the end of the DoF, and enough gold to upgrade 3 knight/crossbows + a couple of swords if needed. If I see Russian military really spiking and his German invasion force returning then I can drop everything and crank out another 4-6 horsemen by the end of the DoF.
With knight fortified in the city I'll have city defense strength of 48 + 6 (bastions) + 4 (districts) = 58. The best TAD could bring against me is Oligarchy-swords at 40. With the narrow border I can't be put under proper siege and will be able to pick off defenders faster than he can chip away HP from the city. I doubt he'll press an attack once he sees my full preparations. Am I fighting windmills here? Is TAD even considering an assault at the end of our DoF? I can't take the risk and the markets that I'm completing soon will absorb most of the additional unit support costs.
For science I'm aiming for Machinery (8 turn ETA) > Stirrups (ETA 12 turns, i.e. turn before DoF expires) in order to unlock Crossbows + Knights. Lumbermills will also be unlocked at Machinery and I'll have plenty of builder charges to get 3-4 online right away. Next target is Cartography (ETA 17 turns) in order to upgrade into Caravels for the Exploration eureka and meet city states + rivals on the other continent.
I'm tentatively penciling in Education next for the 2 universities Printing eureka. Alternatively the Gunpowder line to get a musketman completed in time to search for a barb-kill Square Rigging inspiration.
CIVICS:
Basically my Civics research plan is to try an avoid wasting culture while waiting for the inspiration. I think that I can get Medeival Faires in time to put research into Exploration while waiting for Chess to hit size 10, then I'll be able to head through Guilds while waiting for the Caravel upgrades to trigger the Exploration inspiration. Diplomatic Service will likely need to be hard-researched unless Rome has had time to research Civil Service by the time we meet. I doubt anybody else will have generated enough culture to unlock Civil Service before we need to hard research through.
Cornflakes, I hate to spam your thread, but I really appreciate your posting. I feel like I've learned more from spectating you than just about any other PBEM. Wish I had more substantive things to say!
(October 18th, 2018, 17:51)Chevalier Mal Fet Wrote: Cornflakes, I hate to spam your thread, but I really appreciate your posting. I feel like I've learned more from spectating you than just about any other PBEM. Wish I had more substantive things to say!
Comments always appreciated, even if they're just a thumbs up
(October 21st, 2018, 22:40)Banzailizard Wrote: So what is the general rule on resignation? I am pretty thoroughly dead at this point and I doubt an AI would mismanage much of what I have left any worse than I would. I am happy to stay to the end if that is expected of me, but I also figure it might speed up the turns if I drop out.
For context, a screenshot of the area:
Banzailizard planted another city last turn, apparently he had a settler completed right about the time TheArchduke declared war. Unfortunately this will be just another free city for TheArchduke. At this point I don't think Banzailizard retiring to AI will make any difference whatsoever. In Civ4, a determined player can whip into the ground to accumulate archers or longbows and drag out conquest for an extra 10 turn. Here in Civ 6, once the existing army is defeated in the field it's pretty much game over. Production times are just too slow to gather any type of last-ditch military resistance. German military strength is at 70 now, will be down to 34 after the sword in Aachen dies. One slinger is still exploring my core so that leaves probably a single warrior defending Ulm. I doubt TheArchduke would lose any more units or be even slowed down by a single turn if Banzailizard was playing instead of AI.
This underscores my emphasis on securing my borders before the DoF with TheArchduke expires. I need to have enough military on hand at that time to be able to meet the Russian Military in the field. I'm confident that with a Knight + Crossbow upgrade, plus the half dozen horseman builds, that I will be able to mount an adequate defense and deter TheArchduke from attacking. If he does attack, he is in the same position of being completely indefensible if his attack fails and his army is defeated in the field.
In the far north of the screenshot there is a barb camp. I'm going to try clearing the barb camp for the +50 rather than letting TheArchduke get it. I don't know if my Horseman + Scout will be able to manage that though. I'll send the warrior up as well. That gold will be very useful, and worst case scenario I evacuate via sea.
Rome's Great Prophet was finally recruited and found the religion for Rho. The religion name Defeatism suggest a lack of morale?? The founding of Rome's religion also reveals their Pantheon choice: God of the Harvest. I'm curious how Rho intends to leverage the extra faith yield. Jesuit Education, Theocracy unit purchases, and Valletta buildings are the only means that I am aware of to convert faith into production. Otherwise I think the only use for faith would be missionaries/apostles. Religious victory will be impossible for Rome since I intend to take and maintain control of the seas as soon as I unlock MG's. The two beliefs seem decent enough. I'm especially happy to see that Rome lands Church Property rather than Russia. Russia is my short-to-medium-term rival, and gold is their current weakness. I was concerned that Russia might be able to complete a Temple and purchase an apostle to evangelize Church Property before Rome could recruit their prophet. Right now Rome only has a single city following their religion for a minor +2 boost. I expect the religion to spread rapidly now since Rome surely has a stockpile of faith from chopping.
Two religions have been founded but Stonehenge is still not claimed yet. I do have a stone resource available to build Stonehenge at some point but the return on the remaining beliefs is not strong. Also I do not want TheArchduke to flood me with missionaries and snuff out the religion if we sign an extension to the DoF. I'd rather wait and keep the option on the table to fight a religious victory by founding a late religion when I have enough faith stockpiled to immediately launch an inquisition (as well as build a couple of Holy Sites to auto-convert multiple cities immediately).
Here is another overview of my core. Notice that the builder at Free Cell has not completed yet. Unfortunately it is the last city in the build order and thus all 3 other builders completed first. As a result, the cost increased by +12 delaying completion by 2 turns. As a consequence I also forgot to plant the Harbor last turn and unfortunately the cost increased by +5 production. Overall delay to the harbor is about 2 turns and I will probably now finish the harbor at Pinochle about the same time. I will probably end up wasting culture somewhere before I can get either the 4th trader or 10th pop in Chess. I'll dump into Naval Tradition to use at some point for an emergency civics swap. I can also put a turn of culture into Theology for eventual completion with the inspiration or another emergency civics swap.
The German slinger found the Russian scout in my territory and whacked it with a stone that's about the most success Germany has yet had in their war.
Sushi Go build a Granary with the overflow from the limes-chop and is now dumping the remaining overflow into the Market. I'll continue building the market for a few turns until I can slot the encampment boosting card. At that point I'll chop the PFH 2W into the encampment at +30%, then finish the market, leaving just enough time to complete the Encampment before the DoF expires.
I'm tempted to try civ6 again in spite of (bad AI / hard to read tech trees / invisible hills / icons hiding other icons in city view / weird, fiddly district discount system / random tile expansions / how hard worldbuilder is to use / how slow it runs on my machine / etc) because of how much fun you're making this sound... And you haven't even got into the fighting bit yet!
Also congrats on being far more adult about the DoF blocking than I would have been.
Quote:bad AI / hard to read tech trees / invisible hills / icons hiding other icons in city view / weird, fiddly district discount system / random tile expansions / how hard worldbuilder is to use / how slow it runs on my machine / etc
I quite enjoy Civ6 in spite of all the above which are 100% true. The graphics although allegedly "beautiful" are one of the bigger weaknesses. I simply cannot play in standard view due to the invisible hills combined with the indistinguishable districts (who thought it was a good idea to identify the districts by a tiny flag in the center?). The tech and civics trees have so much blank space that I routinely check my local stitched-together tech and civics trees in order to plan for the future. I set all the performance settings on the lowest level and manage to get by on my 7 year old laptop, although it has overheated and shut off a couple of times
Mechanics-wise I think it is a decent game. Although I'm happy that all the war-oriented civs were located on the other continent in this game I'm genuinely curious to see if a long-term slow-start civ can survive and thrive against the likes of Rome/Aztec/Greece. I'm quite enjoying exploring the different mechanics and trying to figure out how to optimize and make the most of them. I think there is a lot of potential for exploring different strategies using the district discount formula, and in fact I think that civs with a unique discounted district might be some of the most powerful. Religion as well I think has a lot of potential to create interesting strategies and I don't think has been displayed in all of it's potential for religious victory ... I'd expand on my thoughts about district strategies for various civs and religious potential, except I might use those myself in a future game I do think though that any of the civs except possibly France have a legitimate shot at being competitive.
Biggest improvement over the lasts 5 turns is my science and TheArchduke's science. Next update will show a massive spike for TheArchduke as 6!! cities coming out of occupation. I expect his science rate to immediately match mine, and soon surpass it as his small conquests will be growing quickly. With 10 cities (3 more than I have) he is going to be in a pretty good position going into the mid game. Slightly behind me in development at this point, but showing much potential. Another advantage he has is that he has only self-founded 3 cities compared to my 7, meaning that his settler costs are still very low. That was a strong play TAD made to use our DoF to conquer Germany completely. I'm curious to see how his military-conquest strategy will compare in the long run to my peaceful-builder oriented strategy. My game-long lead in science production is finally starting to show itself in the number of techs completed. Up until 10 turns ago Russia actually lead the pack in number of techs complete even though my rate was consistently 30% higher. My lead there is going to start thinning out though since he has captured 3 campuses bring his total up to 5! And with Jesuit Education and healthy generation he will be able to easily equip them with Libraries and later Universities. Look out! Cossacks are starting to be in the foreseeable horizon. I have been focusing hard on cultural production but I will need to start giving more attention to science in order to not be surpassed. I need to seriously consider how I am going to meet the Cossack threat. I also need to try and get an estimate on TAD's timeline to Cossacks and see if I really want to sign a DoF extension or if I need to keep my options open for a quicker strike.
I have had one other advantage over Russia that hasn't been mentioned yet: They have been running Oligarchy with a useless Diplomatic policy slot for the last 30 turns while I have in effect been getting an extra policy from Autocracy. Over time the small advantages add up.
Here's a look at my recently-launched public works project to bring us into the medieval era of industry. Lumber-mills and mines are slated to pop up around the nation. GREEN and ORANGE builders will have 2 charges each remaining. I'm considering a swap into Colonization as soon as Russia's peaceful intentions are confirmed. I'd get 2 more settlers out and each new city would then get a 2-charge builder to immediately improve a couple tiles.
Chess's growth to size 10 will be in 8 turns. I'm dumping into Naval Tradition now since I doubt I'll ever be able to make that eureka, and the timing works out well to absorb all of the necessary turns.
. I might add Maritime Industries in the wild card slot instead of Natural Philosophy though. I do want to start getting Quadriremes on the water for future upgrade, but harbors are slotted in first so it will be a bit until I get to this.
riverside plains lumber-mill) to get a single golden egg (120
. The harbor will be discounted and will cost just over 100
The market is needed for the Guilds inspiration and afterwards I'll probably build a horseman for lack of any better options and extra insurance against Russia.
and the markets that I'm completing soon will absorb most of the additional unit support costs.
Wish I had more substantive things to say!
into production
into Naval Tradition to use at some point for an emergency civics swap. I can also put a turn of culture into Theology for eventual completion with the inspiration or another emergency civics swap.
that's about the most success Germany has yet had in their war. 
