To purists, this game will not count. It uses a map especially designed for accelerated starts. I am still totally in awe of Arii’s remarkable game, where he was able to land so early with a game-generated map and without the benefit of a distorted start. This game also violates some OCC guidelines for comparison games, namely:

1) This game was not a first try on this map. It represents the culmination of experience gathered in several previous failed attempts.

2) This conferred the advantage of knowing where the AI were likely to hang out each game, plus the unavoidable knowledge of the exact location of many of the huts on the map. However, the homogeneous nature of the map, plus the lack of ocean and plentiful supply of huts, limited the extent of this advantage.

3) In comparison games we must live with our mistakes. In this game, I freely admit to “correcting” major blunders due to carelessness or miscalculations. Civ II games take an enormous investment of time. To have one spoiled just because I forgot to complete one build before starting the next turn, or because I miscounted beakers and just missed an advance that was possible with more careful Einstein manipulations, does not seem fair. I wanted to see what I could do with my best strategy and effort, and felt incapable of playing a complete game without making a few dumb mistakes, so I took this liberty.

However, I refrained from “correcting” outcomes that should be due to chance, such as unwanted hut results or the appearance of pollution or barbarians, though I used any and all legitimate ways to lessen the chances of “bad luck”. Let me illustrate this distinction with some examples:

1) Suppose, on the first try, a barbarian comes from a hut. That‘s life. It is reprehensible to reload the game and try for a more favorable result. However it’s perfectly legitimate to use Ribannah’s tip to explore around a hut before you open it, to lessen the probability of a barbarian outcome. The technique works. Thanks Ribannah!

2) Suppose you were not aware of Oedo’s xxxo tip. Again, after deciding to revolt, it’s reprehensible to reload a game and try your revolution at a later time, hoping for less anarchy. However, most players have no qualms about exploiting the knowledge of xxxo. Thanks again, Oedo!

In fact, the sleuthing and use of such information is one of the things that make this game so much fun to investigate and play. It’s like trying to break a secret code. My biggest problem to solve in this game was finding a reliable way to delay the appearance of invention from a hut, because I felt I needed every tech available from huts to have a chance to land before 1 A.D. The technique I discovered worked like a charm, and I will describe it in a later post. Without it, the problem of invention coming too early seemed insurmountable. To me, it’s always more satisfying to find a way of reducing the role played by luck in the outcome of a game, rather than by having a good result just because I was lucky.

Playing the game as a scenario conferred another significant advantage: research could proceed in any order, because in a scenario you are never presented with those short lists of undesired advances from which to make a selection, which are so prevalent regular games. However, there was no choice but to use a scenario, because spaceship parts are not available before 1 A.D. in the regular game. Other than that, my start was just the same as the one presented in OCC #23. While creating my scenario, I resisted the temptation to start myself off with say: 20,000 gold, 10 spies, 16 engineers, or any other advantage available from the cheat menu. After all, I wanted to give Theben a reason to hate me as much as possible!

Enough said. The game log follows:

>My initial explorations exploit my previous tries with this map a little. I tried to explore in areas away from the AI first, in order to get fewer units out of huts attached to Rome later.

3950 hut: horseman
3900 hut: archer
3850 4 huts: 100g, horseman, archer, alphabet
3800 hut: archer
3750 2 huts: ceremonial burial, bronze working
3700 hut: horseman
3650 6 huts: 4 horsemen, chariot, 50g
3600 4 huts: 2 chariots, 2 archers
3550 4 huts: mysticism, 50g, pottery, map making, Rome founded using site with 2 spice and 2 gold

>I think the only other viable site is 2 wine and 2 gold, but spice gives 4 extra food for city growth and was a little closer to the starting position of the settlers. This site never generated more than 11 shields, but 10 was all I needed to finish off the last row when rush-buying caravans. I had no time to be building mines. I would like to delay Rome 5 more turns to get a bigger army, but need to reach size 3 at or before 2500 B.C., hopefully producing another settler on the way, to help irrigate.

3500 4 huts: 50g, 2 archers, currency
3450 granary, 7 huts: 100g, masonry, seafaring, 2 horsemen, code of laws
3400 11 huts: mathematics, 100g, trade, astronomy, 4 barbarians, construction, archer

>Throughout the game, I started every build by disbanding a unit, and would rush-buy each build with gold or extra units that I could spare. I was unable to get enough units back to Rome to do this on years 3500, 3400, 3300, and 3200, missing 4 chances. After getting trade early, I abandoned my extra settler idea and jumped at the chance to build the first of many hides caravans. My plan was to make as many commodity caravans as possible as early as possible, and to work the repeating hides trick for all it was worth. When nothing else was essential, I was devoted to making hides.

3350 hides, 5 huts: warrior code, chariot, writing, horseback riding, 50g
3300 6 huts: iron working, 2 barbarians, horseman, legion
3250 hides, 12 huts: monarchy, 2 legions, feudalism, horseman, literacy, 50g, barbarian, chariot, bridge building
Aztecs: peace, share maps, give tech
3200 5 huts: chivalry, 75g, navigation, knight
Mongols: peace, share maps, give tech

>Now I am getting a steady stream of units arriving in Rome and can rush-buy every turn. First to head back from hut tipping duty were the 4 or 5 that came out of huts with the Rome nametag.

3150 hides, 9 huts: 5 barbarians, legion, wheel, knight
3100 hides, 10 huts: philosophy, republic, 3 barbarians, polytheism, physics, legion, 75g
3050 hides, 10 huts: 3 barbarians, 150g, 2 legions, banking, knight
revolution, government to Monarchy
Carthaginians: peace, share maps, give tech, 50g tribute

>I did not go to Republic yet, because I was still size 2, and I did not want to go into a shield deficit supporting units from huts attached to Rome. Monarchy was best suited for the present situation.

3000 temple, 7 huts: 150g, knight, magnetism, university, legion
Zulus: peace, share maps, give tech
2950 diplomat, medicine (free due to philosophy),
7 huts: 3 barbarians, 100g, chemistry, theory of gravity
Americans: peace, share maps, give tech, 50g tribute

>Often needed to disband the last military unit in Rome to finance a build, so I took time out from hides to make a diplomat to keep the city safe from barbarians. In previous games where I waited to found Rome until 3000, I had so many extra units, I fortified them all around the outskirts of Rome creating a buffer between my city and barbarian outbreaks.

2900 hides, 8 huts: 150g, 2 legions, barbarian
2850 hides, 8 huts: 100g, economics, legion, barbarian, 3 knights
Vikings: peace, share maps, give tech
2800 hides, 7 huts: 100g, monotheism, theology, 2 legions, atomic theory
2750 hides, 7 huts: 3 legions, engineering, invention, crusader

>I am only lacking sanitation from hut technology. My invention delaying technique worked perfectly in this game, and now I had a real chance to try and land before 1 A.D.
I wish I hadn’t got the unnecessary polytheism, monotheism and theology, but having everything else more than compensated. Meanwhile it’s still hides, hides, hides. In 2700, my diplomat bribes a barbarian and uses it to kill the leader lurking behind, which I always tremendous get a tremendous kick out of doing.

2700 hides, barbarian leader, 150g, 8 huts: 275g, 2 barbarians
Aztecs: give tech, share maps, 25g tribute
Mongols: give tech, share maps
Carthaginians: give 1 tech, cut off
revolution

>Now I can switch to Republic. All units attached to Rome have been disbanded, Rome is size 3, and I can afford to buy Shakespeare’s Theater with a disbanded unit and gold.

2650 hides, government to Republic,
9 huts: 300g, 2 barbarians, crusader
2600 Shakespeare’s Theater, WLTCD starts at 3
7 huts: 350g, legion
Americans: alliance, share maps, give tech

>The start of a game-long alliance with the Americans. I kept trying with all other AI, but never got any takers.

>Hides are starting to roll into cities demanding it. My strategy was to defer science wonders and other improvements for awhile, and use caravans almost exclusively to jump-start those first few advances I had to learn on my own. Each caravan added a good chunk of beakers to research (much more than my tiny city was capable of) and provided gold I could use later to help finance the purchase of science improvements and wonders, when I had more citizens to make more effective use out of them. It never hurts to get those first 3 trade routes in early, either. Hides payoffs aren’t that terrific, but their sheer quantity gave me a lot of flexibility. Notice how each advance at this critical stage in the game is speeded up by delivering caravans, and how the extra beakers derived from trade have let me keep researching quickly while using 20% luxuries to maintain WLTCD.

2550 hides, hides(d) to Washington, 154g, hides(d) to Trondheim, 124g
2500 hides, 8 huts: 3 barbarians, crusader, 2 legions

>My hides headed for Karakorum can reach it next turn, and hides are still in demand. So I move and am blocked by a Mongol settler. Following turn, guess what, hides are no longer in demand. This is one of the most irritating things about the game, to trot halfway across the world and to lose that demand bonus on the very last turn. It happens so often it can’t be due to just bad luck. However, 92 gold and 92 beakers are better than nothing, and that 3rd trade route has been established. I divert other hides caravans headed towards Karakorum to other cities demanding hides.

2450 hides, 10 huts: 275g, 4 barbarians
2400 hides, hides to Karakorum, 92 g, hides(d) to Trondheim, 160g
5 huts: 2 barbarians, 25g, 2 crusaders
Zulus: give tech, share map
Vikings: give tech, share maps
Carthaginians: give tech, share maps
2350 spice, 6 huts: 125g, 3 legions, barbarian

>Hides finally run out, but every single one I made was critical to the outcome of the game. After making a spice caravan, it’s time to focus on the city improvements I’ve been postponing. Good timing, I’m size 8 and need an aqueduct anyways.

2300 aqueduct, 5 huts: 2 barbarians, 100g, legion
2250 library, 4 huts: 75g, barbarian, crusader
2200 university, 6 huts: 200g, legion, crusader, barbarian
hides(d) to New York, 236 g
2150 marketplace, sanitation, 8 huts: crusader, 275g, barbarian, legion

>Besides adding city improvements and science wonders, I really need to get going on my irrigation and road building, which have also been deferred. So far my lone settler has only made 3 roads to facilitate traffic in and out of Rome. So I head towards explosives to get engineers as quickly as possible. I need them even more quickly than I need Democracy.

2100 sewer system, 3 huts: 150g, hides to Teotihuacan, 112g, hides(d) to Washington, 256g
2050 Copernicus’ Observatory, 4 huts: 150g, barbarian, hides(d) to Trondheim, 212g

>Copernicus is not quite enough to get gunpowder next turn. I was just able to afford the Colossus by selling my granary, and by disbanding all 4 military units I had in Rome, leaving my diplomat all alone with about 25 gold.

2000 Colossus, gunpowder,
7 huts: 2 musketeers, crusader, 175g, hides(d) to Trondheim, 282g

>Now it’s time to rush the development of my city. In previous games I was always falling behind with 4 engineers, so decided on 5 for this game, two for irrigating and farmland, and 2 for roads, which I had been neglecting. The extra one irrigated when food was getting low or made roads when I needed more trade to generate extra science beakers. Even with 5 engineers, I just barely got my city fully developed in time to get 1 turn advances after superhighways.

1950 settler, 6 huts: 150g, 2 musketeers
1900 settler, barbarian leader, 150g, 2 huts: 100g
1850 bank, explosives, 5 huts: 100g, 2 crusaders, barbarian
All AI: give tech, share maps, 75g gift from Americans

>I wanted to research democracy now, but the timing was off, so I picked metallurgy instead. I wanted to learn it on an “o” year, to keep my celebration going.

1800 engineer, 4 huts: 100g, 2 crusaders, hides(d) to New York, 388g, hides(d) to Trondheim, 292g
1750 engineer, metallurgy, 3 huts: 150g, hides(d) to Trondheim, 292g, hides(d) to Trondheim again, 292g

>Leonardo’s was vital to upgrade my settlers to engineers and to upgrade caravans to faster moving freights later. I can now learn Democracy just in time to make oedo happy, so I pick it for research.

1700 Leonardo’s Workshop, 4 huts: 2 musketeers, 75g
1650 food, democracy, revolution, government to Democracy
5 huts: crusader, 100g, barbarian, hides(d) to New York, 418g
1600 Sir Isaac Newton’s College, hut: barbarian
1550 electricity, 2 huts: 50g, crusader, hides(d) to New York, 460g, spice(d) to Teotihuacan, 558g
1500 stock exchange, refrigeration, size 21, 3 huts: barbarian, 100g
All AI: give tech, share maps

>I like to time this giveaway of all technology soon after getting Democracy. Right afterwards, one or more of the AI start learning conscription and may actually succeed before I have to research it myself, many turns down the road. If one of them learns it, I may be able to trade for it later, saving a vital turn of research.

1450 supermarket, hut: 50g

>Now all city improvements and wonders are done, and advances every 2 turns with 80% science are now possible, but it’s a rush with those roads to keep up with the increasing beaker requirements.

1400 gold, steam engine, 2 huts: 25g, crusader
1350 silver

>Now is the time to make food, since nothing else is available or needed.

1300 food, railroad, hut: 50g
1250 food, hut: 50g
1200 food, industrialization, hut: 100g
1150 spice
1100 food, corporation, hut: 50g
1050 food, hut: barbarian
1000 food, refining
975 food

>Here I had a major barbarian invasion close to my city and busy engineers. I needed an extra diplomat to handle them all.

950 diplomat, steel

>WLTPD stops for some mysterious reason. I can’t figure it out.

925 food, WLTPD stops at 32
Americans: trade for conscription

>I wanted to get to automobile by 900, with a fully developed city, in order to cruise to space flight with 1 turn advances. Space flight is needed by 575, to be able to land before 1 A.D. My ally, the Americans, help me out by learning conscription.

900 food, WLTPD starts at 32, combustion,
spice(d) to Washington, 708g
All AI: give tech, share maps

>I give away all tech to the AI just before learning combustion, to put a buffer between their research efforts and flight. I have to give everything else away, as I have been doing periodically throughout the game, to keep my beaker requirements as low as possible.

875 food, automobile, gold to New York, 266g

>I am a turn late, but no longer need to learn conscription. My city is fully developed and now engineers start to disband so the city can celebrate to full size. I only have enough freights to sustain WLTPD until size 35, 2 citizens less than what I had hoped. I was very lucky with the silver to New York, as it arrived with its very last movement point with its critical gold and beaker boost.

850 superhighways, mass production, silver to New York, 562g
825 mass transit, electronics, size 35 (trade: 249 arrows, science: 1764 beakers)

>Now the string of 1 turn advances without the help of freights can begin. I am holding Darwin’s in reserve, just in case my city’s science alone is not enough.

800 spice, leadership, WLTPD cancelled
775 gold, tactics
750 food, machine tools
725 food, miniaturization
All AI: give tech, 400g gift from Americans
700 food, computers
675 research lab, flight (peak science: 1848 beakers)
650 food, radio
625 food, advanced flight

>rocketry took 100% science and my very last Einstein, and spice arrived in New York in time to bring in space flight by 575 B.C., just in time to make a B.C. landing possible. Whew!

600 food, rocketry, spice(d) to New York, 888g
575 silver, space flight, gold to New York, 296g
550 Apollo Program, plastics

>Now I had 11 food freights and only about 250 gold to start building my space ship. It’s a good thing I didn’t need Darwin’s, because I could not afford to build it. For the first time in the game, my city could start producing revenue, but I still had 5 things to learn and needed lots of gold quickly. No one was demanding silver, either.

500 nuclear fission
450 nuclear power
400 laser
350 Americans: give advanced flight and space flight, get 900g gift

>My allies, the Americans save me again and I send my silver to the most remote city.

325 superconductor, silver to Ulundi, 341g
225 fusion power
50 15-1-1-1-1-1 launch

>With so much work and thought invested in this game, I got a little bit defensive. Turns out I had no worries.

49 city walls
48 alpine troops
47 mobile warfare
46 armor
45 rifleman
44 rifleman
Carthaginians: trade for Communism
43 rifleman, combined warfare
42 armor
41 cruise missile
40 diplomat
39 SAM missile battery
38 helicopter, robotics
37 paratrooper
36 helicopter
35 SDI defense
34 factory
33 airport
32 stealth fighter
28 recycling
27 recycling center
23 espionage
22 spy
18 environmentalism
17 solar plant
14 arrival on Alpha Centauri

Scenario score: 259, 33% (my lowest ever)

Anyway, I created two scenarios based on the rivermap. In the first one you start with two spies, two engineers and the default two settlers. In the second one I removed all the huts so that you would have to base your game on skill rather than luck. In that scenario I did give two horsemen so that you could look for the AI civs.

I played two games on the first scenario. The first time I got very unlucky (Invention as my 15th advance, way too early for a BC landing), but I was much luckier in my second attempt. I started the game in 2.42, but when I had finished Apollo I noticed that I couldn't build spaceship parts. When I saved it and continued in MGE I could build spaceship parts, so apparently that trick only works in MGE. I eventually landed in 164 BC. I lost one turn of spaceship construction because I had to build an armor to deal with a major barb uprising or I would have landed in 189 BC.

quote: Originally posted by Paul on 02-16-2001 04:31 PM Anyway, I created two scenarios based on the rivermap. In the first one you start with two spies, two engineers and the default two settlers. In the second one I removed all the huts so that you would have to base your game on skill rather than luck. In that scenario I did give two horsemen so that you could look for the AI civs.

Yeah!

quote: Originally posted by solo on 02-16-2001 02:56 PM My biggest problem to solve in this game was finding a reliable way to delay the appear of invention from a hut, because I felt I needed every tech available from huts to have a chance to land before 1 A.D. The technique I discovered worked like a charm, and I will describe it in a later post.

OK, I give... I'll be the first to ask...

How do you bias hut-tipping against Invention?

------------------
____________
Scouse Git[1]

To those skeptical or baffled by a B.C. landing, I urge you to give OCC #23 a try. You'll get the idea it's possible pretty quick once you see how great a start the map and those huts give you. I still think Arii's game is more amazing.

Paul

Thanks for making up the 2 extra scenarios. I will definitely give #2 a try as soon as I finish up with the invention thing and other notes accompanying this game. Also, I want to give Ribannah a head start, and see what kind of pitiful score I have to try and beat!

quote: Originally posted by solo on 02-17-2001 11:07 AM I will definitely give #2 a try as soon as I finish up with the invention thing and other notes accompanying this game. Also, I want to give Ribannah a head start, and see what kind of pitiful score I have to try and beat!

I got Democracy before 1 AD in #2, Rome is size 21 and growing

1) No tech can come from a hut until its prerequisites have been established, for example, invention can never come before engineering. This was verified by all my tests and game experience.

2) Given the tendency of this game to deny what you want, I experimented on the assumption that the tech you were currently studying was less likely to come from a hut than the others currently eligible. Not impossible, just somewhat less likely. This idea seemed to be confirmed by my experience in the game I described in the “no parts” topic, in which I deliberately researched invention, and came away with almost all the tech available from huts. This also tends to be my impression I am getting while playing the game, too, you don't often get from a hut the thing you are currently studying.

My technique was to expand this delaying tactic, by studying techs that preceded invention in the tech tree, the ones that had to be known before invention became eligible. I figured a little delay at each step along the way would accumulate into a big delay of the appearance of invention. It worked just like that in my game above. Below is a summary of techs received from huts, in the order they arrived. The ones in parentheses are the ones I was trying to “learn”. Each line marks a separate game turn.

alphabet
ceremonial burial, bronze working
mysticism, pottery, map making, ROME (horseback riding)
currency
masonry, seafaring, code of laws
mathematics, trade, astronomy, construction
warrior code, writing, horseback riding
(wheel) iron working
monarchy, feudalism, literacy, bridge building
chivalry, navigation
wheel
philosophy, republic, polytheism, physics
banking
(medicine)
magnetism, university
medicine(free via philosophy)
(engineering)
chemistry, theory of gravity
economics
monotheism, theology, atomic theory
engineering, invention

and only sanitation is left, which needs engineering as a prerequisite. Notice how the delays worked so nicely, long enough for all the other techs to roll in. Also notice that whenever philosophy appears, it is better to pick something you really need, rather than one of the delayers. After the freebie, it’s back to delaying tactics.

I tried another experimental game, to test the technique again. Here it is:

alphabet, horseback riding
ROME (wheel)
map making, masonry
pottery, warrior code, seafaring, mathematics, wheel,
(bronze working) writing, bronze working
(currency) ceremonial burial, iron working
code of laws, literacy, monarchy
mysticism, feudalism, astronomy, chivalry, currency
(construction) polytheism
navigation, trade, philosophy
construction (free via philosophy)
(engineering)
university, republic, medicine, monotheism
physics, theology
magnetism, banking, theory of gravity
atomic theory, bridge building, chemistry
economics, engineering
(invention) invention

Again, only sanitation was left. The technique worked like a charm, again. Note how especially effective engineering was as a delayer. An early experimental game I did not record also worked out this way, giving me everything except sanitation.

So just to be sure, I tried again:

alphabet
pottery, ROME (horseback riding)
map making, bronze working, horseback riding, masonry
(wheel)
mathematics
seafaring, wheel
(currency) warrior code
iron working, currency, writing
(construction) ceremonial burial, code of laws
trade, literacy, mysticism, polytheism
monarchy, philosophy
construction (free via philosophy)
(engineering) medicine, university
astronomy, bridge building, monotheism, theory of gravity
chemistry, engineering
(invention) invention

Oops, I’m still missing 10 techs, and the delays were not as effective this game, either.

So much for this technique. Anyone out there have a good recipe for crow that they could email to me!

My experience too, with alphabet, writing, literacy, code of laws and even horseback riding, but less often with other techs, like monarchy, or especially with engineering in my tests, so go figure why. It may have something to do with preserving the balance of tech categories among eligible hut candidates. I still don't think it is totally random, and believe that some sort of weighting of the probabilities is going on.

I have also noticed that techs from huts often come in pairs, such as chivalry soon after feudalism, or theology quickly after monotheism. Has anyone else noticed this?

Arii, I did email you the scenario as you requested, and hope you got it. If not, just download the .sav from OCC #23 and convert to a scenario, which is what I did.

All others

quote: Originally posted by arii on 02-17-2001 10:50 AM I also created a map to see how early I could land. It is a small map with 5 identical continents that each have 21 trade ressources. Each civ starts in a SSC spot that has 2 gold 2 spices and 12 river squarres. I removed the hutts.

arii

After making my map, I realized a city site with 4 gold is possible by varying the resource seed, which is even richer in trade. However, 2 spice worked out well enough for my purposes.

Ribannah

I'm not planning on trying river1.scn, because I was able to land without the spies or engineers, but would appreciate knowing what it is that you discovered so I could test it out, too. Don't let any cynics spoil your day, either. I believe the wheel thing happened, because I got similar result with engineering a few times, without using your refinements to the technique.

And to hell with worrying about the odd correction. You've done this to share your insights with us, not to win some trivial boasting competition.

I've loved reading the other contributions in the thread too.

But one little wail of anguish.

We are starting to know too much about huts. I thrive on all the other knowledge which has built up here, ancient and modern. I have no problem making use of an edge from understanding combat better or eliminating a period of anarchy thanks to oedo's law. But there was always that little frisson in finding, and then opening a hut. I think I liked what I thought was the genuinely random nature of what huts added to the game.

But, then, you cannot hold back the advance of science.
Try as I might not to do so I have now recognised the hut pattern. And I know I'm going to give your trick a run out, Solo.

Ah me.

For what it's worth I think my experience supports your idea. Like others, I do get advances from a hut while I am researching them. But that is rare enough to make me think that there is something in the programming which make that less likely than that other advances will pop out. I even have an instinct that there may be an edge given to different classes of advance (although I cannot make that work by reference to what happened in your games). The reason I say that is that I often play quite a few games one after the other on maps generated on the same settings, playing the same colour civ and pursuing the same tech path. Once or twice I've felt strongly that there has been a pattern about the advances coming out of huts. For example, not long back I spent about a month getting Warrior Code and always Warrior Code as the first advance. I made no note, but your proposition makes me think I may have been in the process of researching the self same advance each and every time and, because of the similarity in maps/civ etc. I may also have had very similar existing knowledge each time.

I think chance comes much more into play in regard to huts in a regular game, where there are so many less. Early exploration has always been my favorite part of the game, where I try to use a diplomat and trireme hopefully adding a bribed barbarian horseman to the team somewhere along the way.

There is a definite hut and special resources pattern, but both can be altered by changing the resource seed, which is done each game in computer generated maps. For example, notice how in some games a city can share four identical specials (e.g. 4 whales), and in others this does not occur. The hut pattern changes, too, so why bother with it? I enjoy the surprise of bumping into huts more than gaining a slight advantage by knowing the various patterns.

In one series of practice games, using the same start, I kept getting writing from huts, maybe because I always picked and learned alphabet first. But, not every time, so although the probabilities seem weighted, there is always some element of chance. This is one of the features built into the game that makes it so enjoyable. If events were too predictable, it would get a little boring. I've discovered that I can never be 100% sure about anything, except for the AI knack of always immediately finding and sinking my fully loaded transports in remote oceans.

================================================================
AC: -514

Monarchy: -
Republic: -3650
Democracy: -3250

Colossus: -3350
Copernicus: -3050
Shakespeare: -3250
Newton: -2950
Leonardo: -2600
Darwin: -1850
Hoover: -1550
SETI: -1350
Apollo: -1100

Trade routes: -2400, -1950, -1800

Size 12: -3150
Size 21: -2550
Size 35: -1150

Trade: -3650
Construction: -3600
Sanitation: -3450
Refrigeration: -2350

Automobile: -1800
Computers: -1400
Space Flight: -1150
============================================

-4000 N-Archers, N-Horsemen, 50
-3950 2 N-Chariot, 4 N-Horsemen, N-Archers, 25
-3900 starting to transform city square into hills
----- 4 N-Archers, 2x50, N-Horsemen, 25
-3850 3 N-Archers, 2x50, Masonry, Pottery, N-Chariot
-3800 starting to mine the city square
----- 5 N-Archers, 3 N-Chariot, Alphabet, Writing, 3x50, N-Horsemen, 100, Map Making
----- Rome (2 gold, 2 wine), di N-Archers, researching Horseback Riding
-3750 Settlers, 50, Code of Laws, Literacy, 50, Barb Horsemen-bribed->N
-3700 Settlers, 2 Settlers join Rome -> S3
----- 5x50, Mathematics, N-Chariot, Horseback Riding , Barb Horsemen-killed
----- The Republic , N-Horsemen, Seafaring, 25, Bronze Working, Revolution
-3650 Library, REPUBLIC, wine mined, di N-Archers
----- Warrior Code, Chariot, Ceremonial Burial, Currency, Iron Working
----- Barb Horsemen-killed, N-Chariot, N-Horsemen, Trade, researching The Wheel
-3600 Temple, We Love , Aztecs, Peace, 16 techs->Az, Ally , Embassy, di N-Archers
----- 3 N-Horsemen, 2 N-Legion, 3x50, Banking, Monarchy, Construction, 25, Mysticism
-3550 MarketPlace, S4, di N-Archers
----- Philosophy, 3 N-Legion, 2 N-Horsemen, Medicine, Polytheism , University
----- The Wheel , 4x50, Monotheism , Astronomy, Theory of Gravity, Bridge Building
----- Americans, Vikings, Carthagians, Peace, gave all 28 tech, no Allies
----- - 3x "mighty armies" , Carthagians send Spy home
-3500 Bank, S5, di N-Archers
----- N-Crusaders, 2 N-Legion, 4x50, 25, Navigation, Physics, Atomic Theory, Chemistry
----- Economics, Engineering, Feudalism, Magnetism
-3450 Stock Exchange, S6, wine mined, di N-Archers, 7x50, Chivalry, Sanitation, 3 N-Legion
----- Barb Horsemen-killed, Theology, Invention, N-Crusaders, 25
-3400 Colosseum, S7, di N-Archers
----- 9x50, 4 N-Legion, 2 Barb Horsemen-killed, N-Crusaders, 100
-3350 COLOSSUS, S8, city square mined, di Chariot
----- 3 N-Crusaders, 3 N-Legion, 25, 2x50, Barb Horsemen-killed
-3300 Aqueduct, S9, di N-Legion, sold Colosseum
----- 5 N-Crusaders, 11x50, 2 Barb Horsemen-killed, 4 N-Legion, 25
----- Zulus, Peace, 41 techs->Z, no Ally
-3250 SHAKESPEARE'S THEATRE, Democracy (<-Phi), DEMOCRACY, S10, di N-Archers
----- 7x50, Barb Horsemen-killed, 4 N-Crusaders, 4 N-Legion
----- 26 techs->Az, 1 tech->Z, 14 techs->V,Am,C
-3200 University, S11, Embassy(C), di N-Archers
----- 7x50, 2 N-Legion, 4 N-Crusaders, 2 Barb Horsemen-killed, 100
-3150 Hides, S12, di N-Archers, 10x50, 3 N-Crusaders, N-Legion, 2 Barb Horsemen-killed, 100
-3100 Sewer System, S13, gold mined, di 2 Legions, di 4 Archers
----- 8x50, 2 Barb Horsemen-killed, 3x25, 3 N-Legion, 3 N-Crusaders
----- Mongols, Peace, 42 techs->M, no Ally
-3050 COPERNICUS' OBSERVATORY, S14, di N-Legion
----- 2 N-Crusaders, 9x50, Barb Horsemen-killed, 25, 100, Barb Horsemen-bribed-N
-3000 Hides, S15, Embassy(V), di N-Chariot, di N-Crusaders, di 3 N-Legions
----- 2 N-Legion, 2x25, 4 N-Crusaders, 50
-2950 ISAAC NEWTON'S COLLEGE, S16, di N-Crusaders, 4x50, 2 N-Crusaders, 2x25, Barb Horsemen-killed, 100
-2900 Hides, Gunpowder, S17, di N-Crusaders, 5x50
-2850 Silver, S18, Embassy(Z), di N-Crusaders, 3x50, N-Musketeers, N-Crusaders
-2800 Hides, S19, di N-Legion, N-Musketeers, 50, Barb Horsemen-killed, N-Crusaders, 25
-2750 Wine, Explosives, We Love ends (needed the beakers), N-Musketeers
-2700 Gold, Embassy(Am), di N-Legion
-2650 Food, We Love , Embassy(M), di 9 N-Legions
-2600 LEONARDO'S WORKSHOP, Metallurgy, S20, di N-Crusaders
-2550 Food, S21, 3 techs->all
-2500 Food, S22, di N-Crusaders
-2450 Food, Electricity, S23, di N-Crusaders
-2400 Food, S24, Hides to Washington (d,400), di N-Crusaders
-2350 Hides, S25, Refrigeration, di N-Crusaders
-2300 Supermarket, We Love ends , di N-Crusaders
-2250 Hides, Steam Engine, Hides to Washington (d,418), di N-Crusaders
-2200 Hides, We Love , di N-Crusaders
-2150 Hides, Railroad, S26, Hides to Washington (d,279), 4 techs->all, di N-Crusaders, bribed Az->N Settlers
-2100 Hides, S27, di N-Crusaders
-2050 Hides, Industrialization, S28, Hides to Washington (d,284)
-2000 Hides, S29, di N-Crusaders
-1950 Hides, The Corporation, We Love ends , Wine to New York (d,552), di N-Crusaders
-1900 Hides, Refining, 3 techs->all, di 4 N-Crusaders
-1850 DARWIN'S VOYAGE -> Steel, Combustion, di N-Crusaders
-1800 Hides, Automobile, 3 techs->all, Silver to Carthage (238), di N-Crusaders
-1750 Superhighways, Electronics, Hides to Tenochtitlan (d,768), di N-Crusaders
-1700 Hides, Mass Production, We Love , Hides to New York (d,902), di 2 N-Crusaders
-1650 Mass Transit, Conscription, S30, 3 techs->all, Hides to Washington (438), di 4 N-Crusaders
-1600 Factory, Leadership, S31, Hides to Washington (445), di 8 N-Crusaders, di 2 N-Musketeers
-1550 HOOVER DAM, Tactics, S32, Gold to Zimbabwe (564), di N-Musketeers
-1500 Hides, Machine Tools, S33, 3 techs->all, Hides to Zimbabwe (573), di N-Musketeers, br Barb Cannon
-1450 Hides, Miniaturization, S34, Hides to Zimbabwe (573), di N-Musketeers
-1400 Hides, Computers, We Love ends , di Cannon, di 3 Crusaders, di 5 Knights
-1350 SETI PROGRAM, Flight, 3 techs->all, Hides to Zimbabwe (317), di N-Musketeers
-1300 Hides, Radio, Hides to Zimbabwe (334), di N-Musketeers
-1250 Hides, Advanced Flight, Hides to Zimbabwe (340), di N-Musketeers
-1200 Hides, Rocketry, We Love , 3 techs->all, Hides to Zimbabwe (351), di N-Musketeers
-1150 Silver, Space Flight, S35, sold Sewer System, di N-Musketeers
-1100 APOLLO PROGRAM, Plastics - we make 41 shields and have 682 gold - sold Aqueduct
-1050 S#01, Nuclear Fission, Hides to Zimbabwe (362), 3 techs->all - 44 shields
-1000 S#02, Nuclear Power, di N-Musketeers, di N-Knights - 45 shields - Americans: Mobile Warfare
-975 S#03, Hides to Zimbabwe (362), br 3 Barb Musketeers, br Barb Cannon
-950 S#04, The Laser, Hides to Zimbabwe (362)
-925 S#05, Superconductor, Hides to Zimbabwe (362) - 48 shields - di Cannon, di Musketeers
-900 S#06, Hides to Zimbabwe (362), br Barb Cannon, di Musketeers, di N-Knights, Zulus sneak attack & lose Crusaders
-875 S#07, Hides to Zimbabwe (362) - 52 shields - di Cannon
-850 S#08, Hides to Zimbabwe (345)
-825 S#09, Hides to Zimbabwe (362)
-800 S#10, Hides to Zimbabwe (368), traded for Mobile Warfare(Am), 2 techs->Am, Peace(Z), 4 techs->Z,V,Az,C,M
-775 S#11, Fusion Power
-750 S#12, grassland/r into hills/r, mined - 60 shields, di Musketeers
-725 S#13, Robotics, di N-Knights
-700 S#14, di N-Knights
-675 S#15, Recycling, di N-Knights
-650 C#01, 3 techs->all, di N-Knights
-625 C#02, Environmentalism, di N-Knights
-600 M#01, bribed American Armor , di N-Knights
-575 M#02
-550 LAUNCH 15-1-1-1-1-1, bribed second American Armor , the rest was easy
-514 ALPHA CENTAURI

You got lucky with Republic at 3650, but that was a neat trick to an early size 3, by joining settlers, an idea I would have tried if I had thought of it.

That was a great run out of wheel, too, and I'd appreciate knowing anything new you tried that might have contributed to its longevity.

Also, how did you manage to "discover" democracy exactly at 3250? Does setting science to zero until just before the "o" year arrives delay the free advance due to philosophy?

I see that you also like to get rid of legions (nifty 20 shield disbanders) just before they are demoted to less costly musketeers with Leonardo's!

Your approach was quite different than mine, as you concentrated more on building up shield production and gold revenues early, and started caravans and trade later. I was not able to build the crucial wonders as quickly as you, and you were a few turns quicker to that first earned advanced. Did pollution give you any trouble? I deliberately kept my shields low to avoid it.

Now I wonder how your approach would compare with mine if you were to try OCC #23 again without the spies and engineers.

================================================================
AC: 1196

Monarchy: -
Republic: -2250
Democracy: -25

Colossus: -1450
Copernicus: -525
Shakespeare: -350
Newton: 80
Leonardo: 129
Darwin: 500
Apollo: 760

Trade routes: -650, -550, -500

Size 12: -750
Size 21: -25 (Size 25 in 60)
Size 34: 660

Trade: -1900
Construction: -1600
Sanitation: -250
Refrigeration: 260

Automobile: 500
Computers: 640
Space Flight: 740

============================================
-3800 Rome 2 gold, 2 wine
-3700 Alphabet*10
-3550 Carthagians, they have Ceremonial Burial, Peace, Alp->C, Ally
-3500 Aztecs, they have Bronze Working, Peace, Alp->Az, Ally
-3450 Code of Laws*22, Cod->Az,C
-3400 wine mined
-3350 Vikings, they have Bronze Working, Peace, Alp+Cod->V, Ally
-3100 Americans, Peace, Cod->Am, Ally , Wri*33<-Am , Wri->C,Az,V
-2900 Settlers, wine mined, Zulus, they have Masonry, Peace, Wri+Cod+Alp->Z, Ally
-2850 S2, Settlers join city -> S3
-2800 Literacy*40, Mongols, traded for Ceremonial Burial and Horseback Riding, Peace, 2 techs->M, no Ally
----- 2 techs->C, 25 , traded for Bronze Working(Az), 2 techs->Az, 25
-2600 4 techs->Am, 25
-2550 Library, 3 techs->V, 50
-2500 1 tech->C, 50
-2450 Temple
-2300 We Love , Barb Archers
-2250 The Republic, REPUBLIC, 1 tech->C,V, 1 tech->Am, 50 , swapped for Currency(Az),
----- traded for Masonry and Mysticism(Z), 1 tech->Z, 25 , 5 techs->M, Barb Archers -> N-Settlers vetted
-2200 S4, Barb Leader (150)
-2150 S5
-2100 S6
-2050 S7
-2000 We Love ends
-1900 Trade, gold mined
-1800 3 techs->Am
-1750 traded for Warrior Code(V), 3 techs->V, traded for Monarchy(Z), 2 techs->Z, 50 , 2 techs->Am
-1600 Construction, 4 techs->M
-1500 traded for Map Making(Az), 5 techs->Az, Maps, no gift
-1450 COLOSSUS
-1350 Silver, 8 techs->C, Maps, no gift
-1300 Banking, traded for Mathematics(Z), 2 techs->Z, 100
----- traded for Iron Working and Philosophy(Am), 50->Am, 2 techs->Am, 50
----- 5 techs->M, Maps, 7 techs->V, Maps, no gift
-1250 Wool
-1200 7 techs->V, Maps, no gift
-1150 Gold
-1100 1 tech->Az, 1 tech->Z, 150
-1050 MarketPlace, 50->Am, 100
-1000 Barb Chariot, 1 tech->Az, 50
-975 Bank, 1 tech->Az, 100
-950 gold mined, 1 tech->C
-925 Colosseum, We Love
-900 S8, 1 tech->Z, 100
-875 Aqueduct, S9
-850 University, S10
-825 Settlers
-800 S11
-775 Settlers
-750 S12, 1 tech->V,M
-725 Food, We Love ends
-675 Hides, Zulus: GREAT LIBRARY
-650 1 tech->Z, 100 , Silver to Bapedi (d,381)
-625 University, Astronomy
-600 Hides, 1 tech->Z
-550 Wool to Zimbabwe (398)
-525 COPERNICUS' OBSERVATORY, Bridge Building, traded for Pottery(Z), Zulus end alliance
----- 150->Am, 5 techs->Am, Maps, 50
-500 Hides, Barb Horsemen, Gold to Zimbabwe (400), sold Colosseum, Aztecs: PYRAMIDS
-475 Wine, traded for The Wheel(C), 7 techs->C, Maps, Americans: HANGING GARDENS
-450 Food, Barb Legion, 5 techs->V, Maps
-425 Food, Barb Chariot
-400 Theory of Gravity
-350 SHAKESPEARE'S THEATRE
-325 Food, Engineering traded for Seafaring(Am), 7 techs->M, Maps, 1 tech->Am, 150
-300 Food, 1 tech->Am, 50
-275 Food
-250 Sanitation, We Love , 4 techs->C, traded for Feudalism(Az)
----- 9 techs->Az, Maps, worshipful Aztecs end alliance (while we have 49 gold) , 1 tech->Am, 50
-225 Sewer System, S13
-200 S14 1 tech->Am, 50 , Barb Legion
-175 Food, Invention, S15, Barb Leader (150)
-150 S16
-125 Food, S17
-100 Economics, S18, 1 tech->Am, 50 , 5 techs->M, 3 techs->C
-75 Stock Exchange, S19
-50 S20
-25 Democracy, DEMOCRACY, S21
1 S22, 1 tech->C
20 Gunpowder, S23, traded for Chemistry(V), 8 techs->V, Maps, 2 techs->C
40 S24
60 Metallurgy, S25, 6,4,1,1 techs->Az,M,C,V, Maps(Az), Zulus declare war, Hides to Ulundi (d,554), Aztecs: MARCO POLO'S EMBASSY
80 ISAAC NEWTON'S COLLEGE, Explosives, We Love ends , Wine to Hlobane (d,660)
100 Chivalry, traded for Navigation(Am), 6 techs->Am, Maps(Am), 3 techs->V,Az,C, 50->M , 3 techs->M
120 LEONARDO'S WORKSHOP, 250<-Am for War(M)
140 Physics, Z Horsemen
160 Hides, Zulus: SUN TZU'S WAR ACADEMY
180 Magnetism, M Diplomat
200 Hides
220 Electricity, 3 techs->V,Az,Am,C, Maps
240 Hides
260 Refrigeration, We Love
280 Supermarket, S26
300 Steam Engine, Z Chariot
320 Hides, S27, M Knights
340 Railroad, 3 techs->V,Az,Am,C, Maps, M Chariot
360 Hides, S28
380 Industrialization
400 Factory, S29
420 The Corporation
440 Hides, S30
460 Refining, 8,9 techs->Z,M, Cease Fire(Z,M), Maps, Hides to Tlatelolco (d,466)
480 Steel, S31, 350->Az , traded for Conscription(Az), 3 techs->Az, 2 techs->Z,M, 5 techs->V,Am,C, Maps, 100<-V , worshipful Americans and Carthagians end alliance
500 DARWIN'S VOYAGE -> Combustion, Automobile, 1 tech->V, 100 , 2 techs->Z
520 Superhighways, Electronics, S32, 1 tech->Z, 2 techs->V, 100 , 3 techs->M, Peace, 2 techs->Az,C, Hides to Tlatelolco (d,953), Zulus: STATUE OF LIBERTY
540 Mass Production, Carthagians declare war , Hides to Utica (609)
560 Mass Transit, Leadership, S33, Zulus declare war , 2 techs->V,M, Maps, Z Cannon
580 Hides, Tactics, We Love ends , 1 tech->V,M
600 Hides, Machine Tools, 1 tech->V,M,Am
620 Hides, Miniaturization, 1 tech->V,M,Am, 3 Hides to Texcoco (3x519), Mongols sneak attack - lose M Knights
640 Diplomat, Computers, We Love , di Engineers, 1 tech->V,Am
660 Flight, S34, 1 tech->V,Am
680 Radio, We Love ends , 1 tech->V,Am
700 Advanced Flight, 1 tech->V,Am, sold Sewer System
720 Rocketry, 1 tech->V,Am, sold Aqueduct
740 Space Flight, 1 tech->V,Am 100<-V , Aztecs declare war , Hides to Texcoco (270), sold Temple, Z Cannon
760 APOLLO PROGRAM, Plastics, 1 tech->V, 100 , 8 techs->Am, Maps, Hides to Teotihuacan (258)
780 S#01, Atomic Theory, 1 tech->V,Am, 100<-V Hides to Tlatelolco (258), Az Knights, Az Chariot - both Engineers vetted, C Knights
800 S#02, Nuclear Fission, 1 tech->V,Am, 50<-V , C Knights
820 S#03, grassland/r into hills/r
840 S#04, Nuclear Power, 1 tech->V,Am, 50<-V
860 S#05, hills/r mined -> 52 shields, Carthagians: ADAM SMITH'S TRADING CO.
880 S#06, The Laser, 1 tech->V,Am, 50<-V , C Cannon
900 S#07
920 S#08, Superconductor
940 M#01
960 S#09, Fusion Power, Am: S#01
980 S#10, 4,4,7, techs->Z,Az,C, Peace, Maps, 3 techs->M
1000 M#02, bribed Az Dragoons
1020 S#11
1040 S#12, Aztecs: SETI PROGRAM, Carthagians: WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE
1060 S#13, grassland/r into hills/r, Zulus: HOOVER DAM, Vikings take Tabriz
1080 M#03
1100 S#14
1120 S#15, hills/r mined -> 61 shields, di Engineers, Zulus: C#01
1140 C#01, Recycling
1160 C#02, LAUNCH
1196 ALPHA CENTAURI

1) Techs coming from huts are selected randomly, but candidates are weighted before the roll of the dice, making some more likely to appear than others.

2) The chances of picking a favored tech on some lists can be over 80% of the time, and the chances of picking the least favorite can be lower than 1% of the time. This can produce “lucky” as well as “unlucky” streaks, and also explains why many players have observed the “regular” appearance of a certain tech from a hut in certain situations.

3) So far, it appears that these weightings stay the same, as long as the list of candidates that may come from a hut remains the same. Any other manipulations I have tried so far (including my prerequisite studying technique), do not seem to alter the odds at all. Apparent successes of player methods seem more like happy coincidences. I could find no direct cause and effect.

4) Actually learning or trading for one of the techs on the list creates a new list of candidates that can appear from huts, and a new set of weightings.

5) Knowing the weightings in any given situation could be quite helpful. For example, most players try to get to monarchy as quickly as possible. If it is known that certain prerequisites are much more likely to come from huts than others, the path of study can be adjusted to work with the odds instead of against them. Conversely, if an unwanted tech is most likely at a certain time, hut tipping can be deferred.

For those interested in more detail, I’ll describe the tests made so far:

I started playing OCC #23, and got the following from huts before founding Rome:

warrior code, horseback riding, pottery, masonry

Rome was founded, and I saved the game.

The only techs that can come from a hut now are alphabet, bronze working, ceremonial burial and the wheel.

Next turn I picked the wheel for research, a prerequisite of invention. The next tech from a hut was the wheel. Not much of an endorsement of my technique, but I was curious now about how likely it was to get wheel at this time, so I kept reloading and retipping, and was surprised to get the wheel about 7 more times in a row, before anything else showed up. So I tried some other huts. Same deal. The wheel came up much more often than the other 3 techs. I fiddled with the science rate, at one point putting it to zero. No change. I went back to the turn where I founded Rome and started again from that point, picking alphabet to study, instead of wheel. Same results. I tried it again studying ceremonial burial. Still no change. I tried studying wheel again, and did not tip any huts in 3500 B.C. (where I had been testing so far), and tried waiting until 3450 to start tipping. Same results. The wheel was the overwhelming favorite. I tried again, at 3400 but still kept getting the wheel the most. All the while, I kept a little scorecard, ending up with 140 results:

The Wheel - 113 times (81%)
Alphabet - 16 times (11%)
Bronze Working - 10 times (7%)
Ceremonial Burial - 1 time (0.007%)

In each individual test I got at least 10 occurrences of the Wheel, before getting more than 3 of the other 3 techs combined. Far more remarkable than the preference given to the Wheel was the single occurrence of Ceremonial Burial!

So I decided to tip again until I got the wheel, which did not take long, and this time I kept it and continued tipping with only alphabet, bronze working and ceremonial burial as possibilities. A new list of candidates. This time I got alphabet 20 times in a row before getting bronze working from a hut. Amazing! So I tipped again, until I got alphabet, and kept that. Now I had a much more interesting list, because alphabet had opened up map making, writing, code of laws and mathematics as possibilities. I kept tipping on a hut until I got 100 results. (This takes forever, because other hut results besides techs have to be endured and skipped).

Map Making - 26%
Writing - 43%
Code of Laws - 3%
Mathematics - 2%
Bronze Working - 24%
Ceremonial Burial - 2%

I tried another hut getting 50 results with similar percentages. This time there was no overwhelming favorite, but it was fascinating to see 3 techs were favored over 90% of the time!

Well, with such heavy weighting going on, my interest is piqued and I will be making this a little project to work on in my spare time. Maybe when I have enough test results, I can convince oedo to take a look and figure out the x’s and o’s needed to predict the weightings for any list.

OCC #23, no huts version. Civ 2.42, deity. 1316 landing.

3950 Rome using 2 gold, 1 whale and 1 wine
3850 Alphabet
3650 Code of Laws
Zulus: peace, give tech
Carthaginians: peace, give tech, alliance
3350 Americans: peace, give tech, alliance
3300 Vikings: peace, give tech, alliance
3150 settlers

>Stole this idea from Ribannah, an early way to size 3 and earlier technology. I didn’t know a settler from your capital at size one is okay before size 2, a real boost in the early game!

3100 size 2, settler joins Rome, presto, size 3
3000 Writing, give it to allies
2950 Aztecs: peace

>Now the horseman, back from the Vikings is home and a Monarchy can be imitated with we love

2800 WLTED starts
2700 Literacy, give it to allies, 25g gift from Americans
2550 Mongols: peace, give tech, alliance
2500 library

>I avoided trading techs until I was a Republic, which came quickly, another idea I stole from Ribannah! However, now I was completely on my own and got to try some of my dumb ideas.

2450 Republic, revolution, government to Republic
Zulus: trade for Ceremonial Burial and Mysticism
Carthaginians: give tech, 50g gift
Vikings: give tech, 50g gift
Americans: give tech
Mongols: trade for bronze, give tech, no gift
2400 temple, start WLTCD at 3

>My previous game using MGE, I lost Rome to the barbarians!
So now I’m cautious, and build a diplomat early. So they ignored my city practically the whole game! I really missed not having early chances at barbarian leaders, or bribed barbarian units to use as disbanders.

2250 diplomat, size 6
2200 Philosophy, Currency
Aztecs: trade for Warrior Code and Pottery, give tech
Zulus: give tech
Americans: give tech, 50g gift
Carthaginians: give tech, no gift
Vikings: ditto
Mongols: trade for Horseback Riding, give tech, no gift

>Now I try something new, an extra early settler to help develop Rome. On the plus side, with two settlers, I was able to fully irrigate and mine by the time I got bridge building, when they continued with roads. On the minus side, size 7 and Colossus were delayed a bit. Also at size 7, I couldn’t keep all 4 workers on the specials without losing 1 food a turn.

2150 settlers
2100 WLTCD restarts at 6
2050 size 7
1900 Zulus: have Map Making
1800 Trade
Zulus: trade for Map Making, share maps
All others: give Map making, share maps
1400 Americans: trade for Masonry, 50g gift
Carthaginians: give Masonry, 100g gift
Mongols and Vikings: ditto, but no gift
1350 Zulus: trade for Monarchy, share maps
1300 Construction
1250 Colossus
1150 dye
Aztecs: trade for Iron Working, share maps
Americans: give tech, 50g gift
1100 Vikings: trade for Banking, no gift
Carthaginians and Mongols: give tech, no gift
1050 hides
925 hides
900 Americans: give tech, 100g gift
Mongols: give tech, 50g gift
875 colosseum, WLTCD starts at 7, Mathematics
850 Vikings: 100g gift
Mongols: 50g gift

>I’m just getting by here, just managing to buy needed improvements with gifts from allies. In MGE, I managed fewer gifts and that slowed me down in the beginning

775 hides, size 11, dye(d) to New York, 381g
750 University, size 12
725 build university
700 hides(d) to Washington, 398g
675 coal, Astronomy

>Another nice thing about having 4 allies was knowing exactly when they discovered something new I could trade for. I think I should have asked for more gifts, but I kept plying them with techs to keep them happily allied, so that I could trade for the things they learned. The only ally showing no signs of stinginess were the Americans. I was afraid of dissolved alliances with the others.

650 Carthaginians: trade for Wheel
625 gold
575 marketplace
550 Mongols: give tech
525 bank, Bridge Building
500 Americans: trade for Seafaring, 25g gift
Zulus, Aztecs and Vikings: give tech, share maps

>Now commodities ran out early, which I prefer to food. This slowed me down, as I was not able to get enough gold quickly enough at this stage in the game to build needed and improvements and wonders without minor delays. Also, many commodities went out of demand as they were approaching their destinations.

475 food
450 hides to Samarkand, 350g
425 food, Medicine, coal to Philadelphia, 226g
Mongols and Carthaginians: give tech
375 Copernicus’ Observatory, Engineering
300 food
275 Sanitation, hides(d) to Samarkand, 560g (more like it!)
250 food, Invention, gold to Washington, 142g (yech!)
225 Shakespeare’s Theater

>Now I give away invention inadvertantly (the AI always demand it). Plans for farmland and a bigger city are now gone. What I will try, is to get to corporation as quickly as possible, and hope for a lot of commodities later that I can speed to AI cities to help generate income and one-turn advances. The game did not cooperate with this plan, but I thought it was my best chance, given the circumstances.

175 WLTCD starts at 12
All AI: give away all tech
150 sewer system, size 13

>Wasted a turn of research here waiting for oedo

125 Democracy, revolution, government to Democracy
100 food, size 15
50 food, Theory of Gravity, size 17
Americans: trade for Navigation, 75g gift
25 food, size 18

AD years

1 food, Americans: 100g gift, barbarian bribed
20 food, Economics
80 Isaac Newton’s College, WLTCD ends at size 22
100 Physics
120 stock exchange
140 Magnetism
160 food
180 Steam Engine
Zulus: have gunpowder
200 food
220 Railroad
Americans: have gunpowder, trade for it

>Beakers needed now jumps from 960 to 1230, what gives?

260 Industrialization
280 food
300 Corporation
320 food
340 Metallurgy
360 food
380 Electricity
400 food

>Finally, commodities start again, but it’s too late

420 hides, Steel
440 hides
460 hides, Chemistry
480 hides
500 hides, Refining

>I tried a new tactic this game. I wanted to gift all tech to the AI, but still had 150 gold I knew some AI would demand, so I gave all my gold to the Americans, before contacting the others. After the giveaway, I played Indian giver, and it worked!

Americans: give them 150 gold and all my tech, share maps
All other AI: give tech, share maps
520 Darwin’s Voyage, Explosives, Combustion
Americans: trade for Conscription, 150g gift
540 Automobile
Americans: 150g gift (interest on my gift!)
560 superhighways, Mass Production
Americans: 150g gift (must have made a good impression!)
580 hides
600 hides, Electronics, hides to Philadelphia, 402g
620 wine, Feudalism, hides to Trondheim, 564g
640 oil, Chivalry, hides to Samarkand, 643g
660 Tactics, hides to Karakorum, 654g

>Pollution is bothering my settlers, who are trying to put in railroads to boost my shields from 25 to 30, so I can finish off structurals after using one food freight. The turn I build mass transit, guess what, more pollution!

680 mass transit, Tactics, hides to Upsala, 618g
700 Machine Tools, hides to Philadelphia, 417g

>Now I want to do a tech giveaway to lower beakers, but I’m sitting on a big pile of gold, not the best way to approach non-allies. I don’t give much thought to the idea of giving it all to the Americans, like I did earlier in the game when I had 150 gold I wanted to protect. So I just choose allies for the giveaway. Miraculously, beakers drop from 1770 down to 1416, within range of my city’s science!

720 food, Miniaturization
All Allies: give away all tech
740 Computers
760 research lab, Flight, hides to Utica, 304g
780 Radio, oil to Boston, 262g
800 food, Advanced Flight, wine(d) to Malaca, 650g
820 Rocketry, (oops, ran out of commodities to deliver)
860 Space Flight
880 Apollo Program

>Now I only have about 9 food freights and 2400 gold to build my rocket ship

900 Plastics
940 Atomic Theory
980 Nuclear Fission
1040 Nuclear Power

>It dawns on me I don’t have enough gold or food freights to finish the job. So I turn to those rich Americans and start selling off city improvements. Just as expected my other allies just aren’t in the mood.

1080 Laser, Americans: give tech, 150g gift
Other Allies: give tech, alliances dissolved
1100 Superconductor, Americans, give tech, 150g gift
1140 Americans: ditto
1160 Americans: ditto
1180 Americans: ditto
1200 Fusion Power, Americans: give tech, 200g gift
1220 Americans: trade for Mobile Warfare, 150g gift
1240 Americans: trade for Monotheism (why not?), 200g gift
1260 Americans: end alliance (enough is enough, I guess)

>Now I was ready to launch. All I had left in Rome was my original settler and a few coins! I even had to disband my diplomat to start that last spaceship part. My rocket, full of parts stolen from America, takes off!

1280 15-1-1-1-1-1 launch

>Now I fully expected barbarians to appear and capture Rome this turn or next, but all was quiet. All the AI were busy making spaceships.

1282 diplomat
1283 armor
1284 engineer
1285 city walls
1286 SAM missile battery
1287 armor
1288 alpine troops
1291 armor
1292 diplomat
1293 bribe American artillery
1294 Zulus: trade for Polytheism, give tech
1295 fighter
1296 Americans: I give them 750 gold, new alliance!
1297 bribe Zulu cannon
1298 fighter
1301 expel Aztec diplomat
1306 bribe Zulu cavalry
1308 engineer
1310 Cure for Cancer
1312 Manhattan Project
1313 Great Wall

>Now it was time to fully repay my debt to the Americans

1315 Lighthouse, bribe Aztec cavalry
Americans: give them 1450 gold and join them in an alliance vs. the Aztecs
1316 arrival on Alpha Centauri

Scenario score: 331

Well, now it’s on to OCC #24. I played a regular game once without wonders, even waiting for the AI to build Apollo. It was a real race to AC. I’m looking forward to the OCC version. I think it will prove how wonderful it is to have wonders.