So, you think you're good at MoO

[Smegged]

Since we seem to have some almighty MoO players around here, I would like to present this challenge. The game is on hard difficulty as the Mrrrshns. The game is a few turns in (as I created this game to test a couple of things, but realised after my start that it was a game that I HAD to play out). I COULD NOT BEAT THIS GAME. Maybe it is because I suck, or maybe it is because it can't be beat. That's why I'm setting this challenge. Beat this game and tell me how you did it

Here is the starting screen. I will also tell you the fertility of the planets that have been scouted already starting at the purple star to the south and working clockwise:

Radiated 10 ultra rich
Steppe 65 Fertile
Terran 95
Jungle 100 Fertile
Dead 40 Hostile
Arid 60
Minimal 45
Minimal 50
Terran 90
Jungle 85
Barren 45 Hostile
Guradas is Jungle 80

Sounds like a very fertile start. I can also say that there is enough space between you and your opponents so that a reasonably fast expansion should be able to claim all of those planets.

So why is this game so difficult? You'll see



http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads7/fertileMStart.zip

EDIT: Just a warning, this save uses up spot 1 in your save directory. Back up any files you don't wish to lose.

[Kylearan]

Hi,

I won't play this because I have to finish the Imperium first, but I just remembered...wasn't it you who some time ago posted a civ3 start where your initial settler immediately ran into an AI settler on the first turn, totally boxed in? You seem to have a hand for, er, creating challenging games...

-Kylearan

[Zed-F]

Well, I'll give it a shot. It would be nice to know the parameters you started the game with.

[Smegged]

Hard Difficulty
Five Opponents
Large Galaxy (I think).

Also, I do believe my colour was yellow.

[Smegged]

Yeah, that was definately my game . I've come up with all sorts of wierd and wonderful starting game positions in Civ and MoO. This game is one of my favourites though. It was beyond my skill to beat, however I'm sure that some of the good players here would have a shot at it. Such a fertile start.... yet such a hard game. I guess that's why it's called "hard" difficulty

[Zed-F]

Looks to me in your screenshot like you are green Mrrshans.

[Kabuki]

I'll give it a shot. Not that I think I can do any better, but it should be fun.

[Sirian]

I dunno, kid. I made it to the first vote, and uh... I'm not seeing the problem here. This is no cakewalk game, but it's looking quite a bit short of "can't be beat". What part of this has mystified you? If it's the range issue, you -do- realize, don't you, that it is possible to win when there are NO normal environments within initial range? Having a strong second colony, plenty of breathing room and... well, and several other aspects of this map, it can get a whole lot tougher than this and still be beatable.

If you want to chat but keep the details private, you know where to find me.


- Sirian

[Sirian]

The man said, "Beat this game and tell me how you did it." So here we go.

2318AD: Smegged has handed off a game in which only two planets started in initial range, while Range 4 is absent from the tech tree. He is doing research while home planet is well short of max. I order up three extra Scout 2 ships to cover some uncovered but scouted stars, keep one tick in research to prevent decay on research already dedicated, and then dedicate everything else to factory construction.

2328AD: Fierias reached 200 factories. Colonists incoming from second colony arrive, pop now at 98. Spending put to research.

2330AD: Research into Range 5 now ripening.

2331AD: Start Fierias on max colony ship construction.

Swap research duty to second colony. Second colony will go a LONG time with its current number of 95 factories, its population fluctuating in the middle range, as it will be supplying colonists to new worlds and carrying the research burden all at once, while homeworld does max colships as far as the eye can see.

Research ripening. Now at 11%.

2335AD: Colony ship built. Breakthrough has been sitting on 20% for two turns now, being stubborn. Most of my research points are now going into Improved Eco Restoration.

2336AD: Breakthrough on Range 5. All research swapped to planetology. Colony launched toward Paladia.

2339AD: Colony launched toward Tao.

2341AD: Paladia has been settled. Contact with the Humans, honorable technologist. I sign a trade deal. I send 20m to Paladia.

2344AD: Discovered Improved Eco. I find that +10 Terraforming and Controlled Barren are both options? I would always grab that +10 first, but that's just me. I go for it now.

I settle at Tao and send 20m colonists.



I ship my new colony ship off toward that Steppe planet to the south.



Colony ships are now buildable in 3 turns at Fierias.

2349AD: Discovered +10 Terraforming. Order terraforming at homeworld and second colony. Start Barren research, as we have a barren planet in range.

2350AD: Settle Escalon on the border of Human space, send 14m colonists.

2351AD: Settle Vega, send 14m colonists. Second colony now taken below half.

2355AD: Found a Darlok frigate at a star to the far northwest. Guess I won't be expanding much farther in that direction.

2356AD: Discovered Reduced Waste 80%. Settled Dolz, only able to send 6m for now.

Uh... I am the first to eight planets? This is not looking like a no-win scenario to me.



Somewhere in here, Diplomat event. Alkari attempted to assassinate Human emperor, war breaks out.



I decide to cede two normal environment systems to the Humans, where the cursor is pointing in the shot above, because I feel they are an overreach for me from this position. Instead I aim for an arid system behind them with the intent of drawing a line where I am sure I can hold it and intending to grab EVERYTHING east of the line.

Quite a bit later, as my forward position at the arid planet is secured and I continue to try expanding south, I meet the Klackons, who are in the southeast and somewhat small. Guess I won't get to control ALL of the east. One colony ship has to be diverted from the newly-settled Klackon system to the last available system in the quadrant, an Ultra Poor.



2375AD: The first vote is held and I am first in population.

Somewhere in here, I grab Industrial 8 but delay research into Robotics III to speed my frontiers. Lot-o-Planets ™ brand expansion. I go for the shortest computer tech available, Mark II. That should just about do the trick. Oh, and I met the Psilons when they researched Range 7 tech. The bastids.

2396AD: Although the Human is first to 18 planets, and 1/4 galaxy ownership, I have 16 planets and more population than he does. I stir up a tad of trouble by instigating a war between Human and Klackon.

2399AD: My colonies are all stood up, mostly maxed to 2x factories, and waiting on Robotics now at 9%.



Uh... game over. Won unanimous support in the second vote. Even the Alkari voted for me.



Never built a ship with a weapon on it, never fired a shot, never paid a dime for spying.



Highest tech level, ten in planetology, lowest level four, in shields and weapons. Odd game.



I still never figured out what part of this was potentially "unbeatable". Smegged?

Here's My Save from 2399AD, for those interested.


- Sirian

[Smegged]

In my game, I met the humans at about the same time that you did. However, they were ALREADY at war with everyone else. It was a dogpile. The psilons took up nearly all the territory that the humans occupied in your game. The psilons began ammassing a huge tech lead. They got so far ahead that they ended up in wars with all the other races - and were winning easily. And yet I ended up on their side (a massive fleet of ships right next door to you will tend to do that to you). From there I lost the vote (all the other races voted for the psilons).

I really don't know how the humans got so far ahead in your game.

-Smegged

PS, I didn't say that this game was unbeatable, just that I couldn't beat it. The game was a fun one with a very fertile start, but very deadly enemies. Klackon, Psilon, Human and Alkari on the same map as the Mrrrshns is always interesting.